Core Set 2020

Excitement for Bloomburrow

Wazzzaaaaap, Mark da Shark,Just wanted to send kudos and share my excitement about so much of Bloomburrow! It's gonna be my first prerelease in a long while, since M20, I think, as well as there's so many things to love about it. I've been a big fan of Doug Beyer since Kaladesh, glad he was the lead designer on this set. Also super pumped to be getting both a revisit to the Heroic mechanic in Valiant, one of my favorite mechanics from Theros, and the amount of rabbit typal support. My Cadira commander deck is gonna go through a major redesign when the set is properly out. Hope you have a lovely day!

I’m glad you’re so excited. I can’t wait to hear all the prerelease stories.

Appreciation Bloomburrow Commander Decks Core Set 2020 Doug Beyer Head Designer Heroic Kaladesh Kindred / Typal Mechanics Prerelease Rabbits Sealed Format Sharks Theros Valiant

Engaging with Remote Gameplay

There's literally no one for me to play Magic with where I live. It's a small, remote, middle of nowhere, and even if I wasn't, we're talking $15 for Core Set 2020 packs as the only Magic product. How can I engage with the game?

I would try Arena.

Core Set 2020 Game Play Magic Arena

100th Set Milestone

Using all of your criteria, the 100th Magic set, including core sets, was Core Set 2020. Excluding core sets, it will be the currently-untitled Spring 2024 set, currently codenamed "Quilting".

That’s my favorite answer, partly because it’s not in the past. : )

Core Set 2020 Humor

Calculating the 100th Set

Hey Mark, I did the math for the 100th set.
Counting Alpha but no core sets: PoloCounting Alpha, core sets, but not unlimited: Throne of EldraineCounting Alpha, core sets, and unlimited: Core Set 2020 Excluding Alpha and core sets: QuiltingExcluding Alpha, including core sets: Throne of EldraineExcluding Alpha, including core sets, excluding unlimited: Theros Beyond Death

Thanks for doing this.

Core Set 2020 Theros Beyond Death Throne of Eldraine Throne of Eldraine

Urza and Mishra Variants

Any chance we see multiple versions of Urza and Mishra in Brothers' War (as children, young adults, etc), much like you did with Chandra in M20?

Maybe. : )

Core Set 2020 Humor Mishra Urza

Lorwyn in M20?

Hy Mark, I am building a Lorwyn/Shadowmoor-Cube. I have to ask: Is Pacifism from M20 set on Lorwyn?

Here’s the art description for it:Color: White spell
Location: Any peaceful location of your choice
Action: Show a peaceful scene where a burly ex-warrior giant has repurposed two blunted human swords as knitting needles to knit something cute or flowery. It should be clear that the swords are still swords, maybe the hilts are still on them.
Focus: The act of knitting being done by the giant
Mood: “I’ve always wanted to pick up a new hobby.”
Note: This is a reprint of an existing card. The name is final.It’s not officially specified, but if you want to say it’s Lorwyn, the art description doesn’t contradict that. Use it. I won’t tell anyone.

Art Card Printing Colors Core Set 2020 Giant Human Lorwyn Pacifism Reprints White

No Return of Blue Pingers

Has there been any desire to give blue pingers again? I recall a Drive to Work about I think M20 where your guest seemed wistful about the days of blue pingers.

There is no desire to do that.

Blue Core Set 2020 Drive to Work Guest Pingers Pingers

Issue of Mana Screw

Whenever the issue of mana screw comes up, you always say it's important that you can't guarantee that you hit your N drop on your Nth turn every game, or something along those lines. But for me, it's more about guaranteeing I can play a 1 drop by turn 5. There are far too many games I am just not allowed to play because of land draws. I'm sure I'm not the only one.

When you draw your opening hand, if you are unhappy with it, there’s a system called mulligans which let you draw a new hand (with some restrictions). With mulligans (you are allowed multiple), you should never get into the situation where you can’t play a 1 drop for five turns. Here’s a link to the “London mulligan”, the latest mulligan rule: https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/news/london-mulligan-2019-06-03
The London Mulligan

Competitive Play Core Set 2020 Lands Mana Mana Screw Redirect Rules Your Hand

Yearly Core Sets Revival

Why aren't core sets a yearly thing anymore? M19, M20, and M21 were all good.

The issue isn’t our ability to make them. It’s do players prefer them more than things we could make in their place?

Core Set 2019 Core Set 2020 Core Set 2021

Interpreting Rules of PhD Card

Re: Richard Garfield, PhDThe ruling for Atemsis, All-Seeing from m20 says that “Every Magic card has exactly one mana value. A card with no mana cost has a mana value of 0.” Would this mean that a land could be cast as any 0-cost card?

Richard Garfield PhD let’s you cast cards as other cards with the same mana cost, not the same mana value. Lands don’t have a mana cost, so Richard can’t use lands to cast other spells.

Atemsis, All-Seeing Core Set 2020 Lands Mana Mana Value Richard Garfield Rules Spells

Non-Legendary World Tree

I don't know if this has been answered already, but why isn't the World Tree legendary? I mean it is THE WORLD TREE, does it not deserve it's legendary status? Was it another missed opportunity? (I say another because I remember when M20 came out there was some talk about field of the dead should've being a desert)

Legendary lands don’t play well. Also, technically from a Vorthos perspective, lands represent not the land, but a mana bond to the land and most places can support many mana bonds.

Core Set 2020 Field of the Dead Lands Mana The World Tree Vorthos

Potential Eight Sets Standard

Hi Mark. Now that blocks are gone, would you ever consider having standard consist of the eight most recent sets? I think that's the best way of keeping the format fresh and exciting. When M20 was released, standard was fantastic for a hot minute with Dinos and Vamps viable decks. I think it would be interesting to see decks evolve rather than disappear.

We have very strong research that the majority of the audience does not like rotating more than once a year. It’s why we went from rotating twice a year back to once.

Core Set 2020 Evolve Standard

Teferi's Presence in M21

Was a rare and uncommon Teferi planned for M21? I'm a huge fan of Teferi and I was rather disappointed when I learned he wasn't going to have 3 versions in a set like Chrandra in M20.

No, the “multiple Planeswalker” idea was just a Core 2020 thing and not an overall core set thing.

Core Set 2020 Core Set 2021 Planeswalkers Rares Uncommons

Standard Planeswalker Color Distribution

Re: Planeswalker colors: in current Standard, there have been 6 mono-white, 5 mono-blue, 5 mono-black, 9 mono-red, and 7 mono-green. Worth noting this includes the 3 Chandras from M20; without the non-Mythics, Red and Green are tied for most. Not counting the Planeswalker-deck Planeswalkers.

FYI

Colors Core Set 2020 Green Planeswalkers Red Standard

Unique Mechanic for Marquee Planeswalker

The last three core sets have all given a unique returning mechanic to the set's marquee planeswalker. M19 Nicol Bolas was the only double-faced card in the set, M20 mythic Chandra was the only planeswalker in the set with a static ability (back when that was still a novelty), and M21 Teferi makes things phase out. Is this A Thing that core sets are doing from now on or is it just a coincidence?

I’ll say it wasn’t a planned thing.

Core Set 2019 Core Set 2020 Core Set 2021 Mechanics Nicol Bolas Planeswalkers

Core Sets' Target Audience

Hi Mark. Hope you're having a good start to your week. Are Core Sets still aimed at newer players? With three cards banned from M20 and initial M21 spoilers, it feels like it isn't the case anymore.

Beginners are one of many audiences for core sets.

Bannings Beginners Core Set 2020 Core Set 2021 Format Legality Spoilers

Nissa's Character Representation

Hi Mark! Last year I was surprised by in Chandra focused set (m20) we didn't have nissa, as the character was part of Chandra's development, this year with m21 you have brought back garruk and among the colored walkers this year is just humans... I know we will probably see her in zendikar, but has nissa been pushed back on the main characters?

Nissa just has multiple monocolored green planeswalkers to compete with.

Core Set 2020 Core Set 2021 Green Human Planeswalkers Zendikar

Return to Lorwyn Request

Hey Mark. I know a return to Lorwyn is unlikely, but can we get some more flavor stuff from the plane? We've had some mechanical references, but many of them are clearly not flavored as Lorwyn. The last legendary creature from Lorwyn came out in Magic Origins and the plane doesn't even have a planeswalker. To compare, Kamigawa has had multiple new legendary creatures and multiple printings of Tamiyo. The closest thing I could find were the elemental kin from M20, but I don't know if they count.

I’ll pass along the request.

Core Set 2020 Creatures Elemental Flavor Legendary Creatures Lorwyn Magic Origins Planeswalkers

Ikoria Involvement in M20 Set

M20 had e.g. Starfield Mystic, which is obviously a "theros" card, and then we went to Theros. Does M20 contain cards which are flavorfully situated in Ikoria?

It’s much easier to set a core set card on a plane we’ve been to before, and thus have a world guide for, than one we haven’t visited yet.

Core Set 2020 Mystic Starfield Mystic Theros

Master of Waves Reprint

M20 has an elemental theme, was Master of Waves considered as a reprint for TBH?

I don’t believe it was.

Core Set 2020 Elemental Master of Waves Reprints