Chromanticore

Physical Card Limitations

I have heard that the card Chromanticore was originally intended to be legendary, but "Legendary Enchantmemt Creature - Manticore" simply did not fit on the type line. Is this true, and are there any (other) cards where this kind of physical limitation of the space on the card affected the intended design?

Yes. In Theros, the Gods couldn’t have a creature type other than God and their artifacts couldn’t be equipment. There are many other times it’s happened, but those are the two that popped into mind.

Artifacts Chromanticore Creatures Equipment God Manticore Theros

Chromanticore Errata Possibility

Any chance we'll see Chromanticore errata'd to legendary?

No, that would be functional errata which we avoid.

Chromanticore Errata Functional Errata

White Keyword Abundance

Doesn't it seem like white has far more keyword abilities than all the other colors? Chromanticore, a 5-color creature with the concept of having a keyword from each color, very well could have been mono-white if not for trample.

There are plenty of evergreen keywords that aren’t primary or secondary in white:HexproofProwessFlashDeathtouchMenaceHasteTrample

Chromanticore Colors Creatures Deathtouch Evergreen Flash Haste Hexproof Keyword Abilities Keywords Menace Primary Prowess Secondary Trample White

German Keyword Usage

Correction: on German Magic cards, verursacht Trampelschaden (does trample damage) is still used semantically as a keyword, rather than a verb phrase, like how we treat "bands with other" in English. See the German edition of Chromanticore for an example... if you have telescopes for eyes.

Foreign language day continues. : )

Chromanticore English Eye Germany Keywords Trample

Minotaurs and Chromanticore

Hey MaRo! It's my birthday, so I was wondering if I could have some trivia on either my favorite race - Minotaurs - or my first mythic rare - Chromanticore. Thanks a lot, and I hope Blogatog continues to endure! :)

For many of the early years of Magic, Wizards unofficial mascot was Hurloon Minotaur. I have a jean jacket with Hurloon Minotaur on the back. It took me (and other R&D members) years to convince Brand that the players didn’t really like Hurloon Minotaur because he was so weak. Happy Birthday!

Birthday Chromanticore Hurloon Minotaur Mark Rosewater Minotaur Mythic Rares

Colorpie Naming Logic

You've said most planeswalkers (and therefore, I assume people in general) are not aware of the colorpie. So why are creatures like Cromat and Chromanticore clearly named after being multicolored?

Those are the names planeswalkers call them. : )

Chromanticore Creatures Cromat Planeswalkers

Chromanticore's Classification

Chromanticore seems like a legendary creature but is not classified as one. My friend and I think the reason is because all the text would not fit on the line. Is there a real reason?

The actual reason is we wanted the only legendary enchantment creatures to be the gods. Besides, the skies of Theros are crowded with Chromanticores. : )

Chromanticore Creatures Enchantments God Theros

Vigilance in Green

Is Green still secondary in Vigilance? There are only three Green cards in Standard with Vigilance, and one of them is Chromanticore.

It is. Keyword use can ebb and flow.

Chromanticore Green Keywords Secondary Standard Vigilance

Chromanticore Disappointment

Born of the Gods is my least favorite set in all of Magic. This stems from one card; Chromanticore. I wanted to love this card, as a five color bestow creature has so much potential. However, instead of being a super cool enchantment creature showing off the five colors in an interesting way, we instead got a creature with 4 abilities that white can use, and the only non-white ability(Trample) still appears on a lot of off color mythics anyway. I still like the vast majority of Magic though.

That one card ruined the entire set? You set a high bar. : )

Bestow Born of the Gods Chromanticore Colors Creatures Enchantments God Mythic Rares Trample White

Chromanticore's Legendary Status

Why wasn't Chromanticore legendary? A Bestow Commander would have been lots of fun!

Because the only legendary enchantment creatures were the gods.

Bestow Chromanticore Commander Creatures Enchantments God

Chromanticore Rarity

Wasn't Chromanticore designed to be the "mythic rare bestow card"?

It was designed to be a cool five-color bestow card. We then argued about whether it wanted to be rare or mythic rare.

Bestow Chromanticore Colors Mythic Rares

Chromanticore Color Identity

Does it bother you that, except for just one keyword, Chromanticore could be mono white?

It’s not ideal.

Chromanticore Keywords White

Theros Multicolor Bestow

Were multicolor bestow creatures (aside from chromanticore) ever a possibility in Theros block? Howcome there weren't any others? Personally, I think a two color bestow creature cycle would have been awesome.

Theros wasn’t really about multicolor. We had a little bit but that wasn’t the focus of the block.

Bestow Chromanticore Colors Creatures Theros Two Color

No Five-Color God?

Why was there no 5 color god with devotion to WUBRG (Besides the fact that it would disrupt the flavor of the other 15 gods giving each other devotion)? I was really excited once I saw Chromanticore!

We were making a pantheon and a five-color god didn’t play into that feel. What would the Greek correlation be?

Chromanticore Colors Flavor God

Chromanticore Query

Would Chromanticore have been legendary if you'd had room on the type line? I wish I could use him/her/it as a Commander general.

No, because we made the decision that the fifteen gods were the only legendary enchantment creatures.

Chromanticore Commander Creatures Enchantments God

Booster Box Gratitude

Thanks for personally packaging my Born of the Gods booster box. Champion of Stray Souls; Chromanticore; FOIL Chromanticore; Mogis, God of Slaughter; Xenagos, God of Revels; and DOUBLE KIORA, THE CRASHING WAVE!!! I am a very happy player right now. =D

You’re welcome. I was able to package it on my way home last month. : )

Booster Box Boosters Born of the Gods Champion Champion of Stray Souls Chromanticore Foils God Kiora, the Crashing Wave Mogis, God of Slaughter Xenagos, God of Revels

5 Colored God Request

You've said that Chromanticore couldn't have been legendary because only the Gods can be legendary this set, which made all of us EDH players very sad. What are the odds of us seeing a 5 colored God in the last set? Is it even a possibility?

There is no five-color god in this block. Journey has five, and only five, enemy-color gods.

Chromanticore Colors Commander God

5 Color Commander Wish

Any chance of a 5 color Legendary Enchantment Creature? I'm loving Chromanticore, but I'd love for something to rule my Commander Gods deck.

We’ve chosen for the gods to be the only legendary enchantment creatures in this block.

Chromanticore Colors Commander Creatures Enchantments God Rules

Gods as Legendary Creatures

I understand the rule about the gods being the only legendary enchantment creatures, but chromanticore feels like such a missed opportunity for us EDH players. It would've been a great commander!

Not only did it break our rule about only gods being legendary enchantment creature but “Legendary Enchantment Creature - Manticore” doesn’t fit on the type line.

Chromanticore Commander Creatures Enchantments God Manticore Rules