Constellation

Artifacts vs Enchantments

Any mechanics/designs that you think that *couldn't* make the jump from Artifacts matter to Enchantments matter, or vice versa? ie stuff like Constellation for Artifacts, or Karnstructs for Enchantments?

The two mostly overlap. Auras are the thing that causes the most trouble when you try to bring things over because “artifact matters” doesn’t have the issue to worry about.

Artifacts Auras Constellation Enchantments Mechanics

Special Land Bundle Policy

Hey Maro,
When a set has a special land in the basic land slot for packs (constellation lands for the most recent Theros, full arts for Zendikar, snow lands for kaldheim) why do the bundles not include those lands and instead have lots of normal basics? I feel like including the special lands as a guarantee or even for half of the land spots in those bundles would make them more accessible and also make the bundles more desirable.

The reason we don’t do that is it would lessen the lands feeling special in the booster.

Basics Boosters Bundles Constellation Kaldheim Lands Mark Rosewater Theros Zendikar

Enchantment Lands Question

Can you explain how you can't print enchantment lands in an enchantment themed set for balance reasons, but Scene of the Crime is fine to print in an artifact themed set? That seems like completely backwards reasoning given the historical power levels of the respective card types

Enchantment sets can have enchantment lands if built a particular way. We were wary of them specifically with Constellation.

Artifacts Card Printing Card Types Constellation Enchantments Lands Scene of the Crime

Naming Mechanisms

Re: "Artifactfall": There's much more precedent to not name it that than there is. After all, "enchantmentfall" is called Constellation and "creaturefall" is called Alliance.

Good point.

Alliance Constellation

Trivia: Return to Ravnica

Mark, its my birthday today and I would like to invoke the ancient rite of trivia!Could I have some trivia about my very first set, Return to Ravnica?

Azorius’s initial mechanic in Return to Ravnica design was constellation. It didn’t fit in well with the other guilds, something important for a faction set, so it got replaced. We would later do it in Journey into Nyx.Happy Birthday!

Azorius (W/U) Birthday Constellation Factions Journey into Nyx Mechanics Return to Ravnica Two Color

Heroic Mechanic Absence

Why hasn't heroic in theros beyond death

On a return, we can only do so many returning mechanics, because we need to leave room for new things. We decided devotion and constellation were more important to include.

Constellation Heroic Mechanics Theros Beyond Death

Artifactfall Possibility

After Landfall, Alliance, and Constellation, when or if for an ability worded "artifactfall"?

When. It’ll happen.

Alliance Constellation Landfall

Mixing Ability Words

Since ability words are more of a flavor thing, could you mix them together? For example: "Constellation Landfall - whenever an enchantment or land etb under your control, do something."

They are mixable if both exist in the same set.

Ability Words Constellation Enchantments Enter The Battlefield Flavor Landfall Lands

Design Contributions Highlighted

Hi Mark,I've been seeing some pockets of the online community being rather focused on making snide remarks about you, in particular, about what people see as design mistakes. Honestly, I think a lot of it, even if the criticisms have valid points, are just needlessly mean spirited and not trying to come from a place of good faith criticism. I think part of that is people focusing on the more obvious mistakes but not knowing the things you've spearheaded that have been perceived widely as great changes for the game. What would you say are some of the biggest changes for the game that have been as close to universally accepted as good that you played a significant part in having made happen? Because I think people would be surprised about what they love that you helped make happen.

Some of the things which are popular that I had a major hand in:Bonus SheetsChangelingColored ArtifactsConstellationCreature Types as a Set ThemeCursesDevotionDouble-Faced CardsEnchantment CreaturesEnergyEquipmentFaction SetsFlashFlashbackFocus on Top-Down DesignHybrid ManaImprintKeywording of Deathtouch, Lifelink, Reach, and “dies”LandfallMorphMuch of R&D Lingo (”French Vanilla”, “Lenticular”, etc.)Planeswalkers (the card type)Player Psychographics (Timmy/Tammy, Johnny/Jenny, Spike)Poison ReturningPopulateProliferateProwessRace/Class RaidReusing of Named Nonevergreen Keyword MechanicsSagasSplit CardsSquirrelsVehiclesThe Weatherlight Saga

Artifacts Bonus Sheets Card Printing Card Types Changeling Competitive Play Constellation Creatures Deathtouch Enchantments Equipment Factions Flash Flashback France French Vanilla Hybrid Imprint Johnny / Jenny Keywords Landfall Lenticular Lifelink Lifelink Mana Mechanics Morph Morph Planeswalkers Poison Populate Proliferate Prowess Psychographic Raid Sagas Spike Split Cards Squirrel Timmy / Tammy Top Down Vanilla Vehicles Weatherlight Weatherlight Your Hand

Theros Enchantment Focus

I always felt like, in execution, Theros was much more of an aura world than an enchantment world.

Auras played a large role in Theros block, but there were many components, like enchantment creatures and constellation, that played into a larger enchantment theme. Remember, that we don’t tend to do global enchantments at common, so auras get a lot more focus in limited.

Auras Constellation Creatures Enchantments Limited Theros

Reflavoring Past Ability Words

could past ability words be reflavored? for instance, a "keyworded" mechanic that cares about enchantments entering the battlefield that isn't constellation

It could be done, but there would have to be a strong reason.

Ability Words Constellation Enchantments Mechanics

Creature and Artifact Mechanic Prospects

After getting landfall, constellation, and magecraft, might we ever get similar mechanics for creatures and/or artifacts (or are those types more problematic for some reason)?

I’m sure we’ll do them one day. Both, in fact, have been cut from sets. “Creaturefall” was the Selesnya mechanic for some of vision design for Guilds of Ravnica, and Kaladesh had “artifactfall” for a little while early in design.

Artifacts Constellation Creatures Guilds of Ravnica Kaladesh Landfall Magecraft Mechanics Selesnya (G/W) Vision Design

Enchantress Decks and Enchantment Lands

re: Enchantress decks and enchantment lands. I should point out that most enchantresses care about CASTING the spell, not them entering the battlefield. And you don’t cast lands, so they wouldn’t trigger them

A fine point. Constellation cares about enchantments entering the battlefield, and enchantress decks tend to play a bunch of cards with constellation.

Constellation Enchantments Lands

Theros Art Enchantment Lands

If/when we get enchantment lands, may I request that they have Theros art? Even if they can't go in a set with constellation I'd love them to be in my Theros cube with it.

It depends on what set has them. A premier set would be the world it was set on.

Art Constellation Draft Formats Enchantments If/When Lands Premier Sets Theros

Enchantment Lands and Constellation

Hi Mark. As devout enchantress player, I've been eternally traumatized by the first enchantment land being made for artifacts (and it being a Saga, my favorite mechanic, at that.) You've said in the past that the strength of Mirrodin's artifact lands in affinity made R&D hesitant about making an enchantment land for an enchantments matter set. Have your thoughts changed considering the power difference between Affinity and Constellation?

I do believe we’ll make more enchantment lands, although probably not in the same set as Constellation.

Affinity Artifacts Constellation Enchantments Game Design Lands Mechanics Sagas

Favorite Showcase Variants

It's been two years now of showcase variants, my favorites thus far are Eldraine storybook and the THB constellation lands. What have been your favorite designs?

The Unfinity ones are my favorite. They’re super cute. : )

Constellation Humor Lands Theros Beyond Death

Potential New Card Effects

Since we have landfall, constellation and magecraft, is there any chance to see artifact or creature version of these effect one day?

There is.a chance.

Artifacts Constellation Creatures Landfall Magecraft

Lack of Constellation in Colors

Hi Mark, why were there no black or red cards with Constellation in Theros Beyond Death? For reference, in Journey into Nyx black had the most cards with Constellation: six including Underworld Coinsmith. Green had five, blue had two, red had one, and white had three also including Underworld Coinsmith. Before Theros Beyond Death, both green and black got an additional Constellation card in supplemental sets.

In each set we focus different mechanics in different colors to differentiate the colors in the set. In Theros Beyond Death, we focused constellation in white, blue and green.

Black Blue Colors Constellation Green Journey into Nyx Mechanics Red Theros Beyond Death Underworld Coinsmith White

Balance in War of the Spark

How difficult was getting War of the Spark out in a balanced state, and does the difficulties encountered make a "planeswalkers matter" set little more than a wish? I don't really feel War was that type since it did not really have an Affinity, Constellation, Magecraft, etc style mechanic; it had cards that cared about specific Planeswalkers like the Triumphs, but did not really seem to care about Planeswalkers in general like other cardtype-focused sets.

Planeswalkers definitely mattered. For example, proliferate was in the set particularly to help you get more loyalty on your planeswalkers. But the as-fan of planeswalkers kept us from doing a more traditional “blah matters” theme like we do with other card types. For example, something like planeswalkerfall would have been uneventful in most decks.

Affinity As-fan Card Types Constellation Magecraft Mechanics Planeswalkers Proliferate War of the Spark War of the Spark

Requirement of Enchantment Creatures

Why are enchantment creatures required for enchantment sets? Constellation in theros beyond proves you can have cards that care about enchantments without being enchantments.

You can’t have an “enchantment matters” theme without a high enough as-fan of enchantments which is near impossible without having some number of enchantment creatures.

As-fan Constellation Creatures Enchantments Theros