I just wanted to voice that with design being more eternal focused/aware I think that should actually make Wizards more willing to do additive errata on older cards (like the ask about command tower getting tower and caverns of souls getting cave). Specifically with additive errata, misplaying an old copy of the card rarely matters and it opens up a lot more space for designing one-ofs with old themes

There is a balance. Cards just not saying what they do is not ideal.

re: arcane signet - i think "strong" vs "weak" is not the best dichotomy to use. arcane signet is a very fair card on power level for edh, which has a legacy-like card pool. the problem is that it is so widely applicable. command tower is a similar card. it's not powerful like sol ring or ancient tomb, but there is no downside and it works in any deck which contributes to format homogenization. powerful cards are actually easier for players to self-select against in edh.

What spectrum would you use?

Is there a consensus opinion in R&D about whether Command Tower is too good? No other format has had an unconditional rainbow as far as I know but Commander warps the metrics I'm sure so I was curious.

Power level is not my area of expertise. I know color identity makes this tricky to evaluate.

"thasgar asked: "This card can only be used as your Commander." Think this could happen? Why not let people play with the card in other formats?" My thinking was - Functionally, wouldn't it be the same as of cards like Command Tower and Arcane Signet?

Utility cards are a different animal from exciting, build-around creatures.

For clarity (again, I'm sorry) I thought there *are* cards you can get in the Collector Booster that you *can't* get in the draft booster - which is to say the Brawl-deck-specific cards (such as the three colour legendary creatures, Arcane Signet, and Command Tower), and the buy-a-box promo (Kenrith, the Returned), as well as - and I could be wrong on this count? - borderless planeswalkers and extended art cards. Is that right?

Here’s what you can get in a collector booster that you can’t get in the draft booster:- extended art cards- Standard-legal cards associated with the set, but not appearing in booster packs (things like the unique Brawl cards and the buy-a-box)- nonfoil common showcase cards (and this is just for Throne of Eldraine, a kink from doing a new process)That’s it. Everything else that you can get in a collector booster - foil and nonfoil showcase cards (save the commons) and borderless planeswalker cards are all also available in the draft boosters (just at a lower frequency).

If a non-creature subtype gets introduced, how likely would it be to errata old cards to get that subtype? For example Reliquary Tower and Command Tower becoming Towers with a capital T? I notice it happens a lot with new creature subtypes, so I'm wondering if that's different for noncreatures, too

We don’t currently do it for subtypes other than creature subtypes.

So a lot of the offices/meetings rooms at Wizards are themed and named after the theme. Could you share pics of some of your favorites?

wizardsmagic:

There actually aren’t a ton of names in here named directly after MTG lore. We recently named the new downstairs common area Dominaria (with conference rooms Waterdeep and Ravnica attached). Other favorite rooms include…City of BrassThe Command TowerSerra’s Sanctum (formerly the CEO’s office)Hall of GuildsEasy Bake OvenTHE DANGER ROOMChicken CoopWayne ManorMain EngineeringThe BridgeThe Wampa CaveThe AbyssThe MatrixBermuda Triangle

If you listen to “Drive to Work” I mention a few of these meeting rooms from time to time.She forgot some Magic themed ones:Ivory TowerMishra’s WorkshopEye of UginHelvaultNote the last two are places people were imprisioned.

*adjusts Melvin glasses* The command zone exists outside of Commander (it's where emblems, planes, vanguards and schemes all exist). However, color identity doesn't exist outside Commander so Command Tower is still useless

Um, I meant that.

The majority of Magic play doesn't involve commanders, yet Command Tower was still printed. So why can't cards which care about matches be printed?

If we did it, it would be in a supplemental set that had a theme that it made sense with, just as we did with Command Tower.

Are cards that don't do much/anything outside of casual multiplayer formats good for the game? Like Command Tower.

Are cards that don’t do much outside of (named format that people enjoy playing) good for the game? Yes. We try whenever possible to make cards have multiple uses but it’s okay some of the time to have cards focused (well hopefully) on one purpose.