Happy birthday, Mark! I got into Magic with New Phyrexia's Intro deck, but Dark Ascension was the first new set I was around for. I remember for our first few games my brother thought Llanowar Elves searched the deck for a forest each turn. You can imagine I lost more often than not. Dimir is still my favourite color combo from that. Now I'm lucky enough to play magic with my partner of 9 years (today's our anniversary) and two of my dnd friends, and it's been a constant in my life

: )

In my last post, a lot of people were confused about the intent of my post. I apologize for being redundant but here goes...If one builds a werewolf deck, they are forced to play with the same cards (that aren't very good) for three years. Meanwhile, vampires get cards in every set. Some are even legendary. 6 legendary in VOW, werewolves got zero btw.There have been multiple sets the past two years where wolves and werewolves exists on that plane. Dominaria. Eldraine. MOM. Yet, they get nothing. What is the point of making Midnight Hunt/Vow if the tribe would not be supported even by an extra card or two during standard rotation? (Especially after the blunders in dark ascension and eldritch moon, you would think treating them better would be a priority). Wicked Wolf, Nightpack ambusher, werewolf packleader...these cards exist...outside of innistrad. There is literally no excuse to not throw in a single card for this tribe every once in a while. So again, if someone builds a werewolf deck and receives no new cards that help them, what do you say to them playing the same weak cards for three years straight?

I understand when you are focused on a single theme that it’s frustrating because there are many potential opportunities for us to make cards. From our perspective though, there are a lot of themes in Standard. We try to hit upon as many as we can, but it’s just hard to hit them all. Werewolves are particularly tricky as we usually make them double-faced.

In your newest article it says in the Dark Ascension section "For the last two months of design, we had this period called "design" where we would get feedback from the development team, and it allowed us to make changes to accommodate their issues.", where I assume you meant "devign".

Yeah, it’s devign. I think my copywriter thought I mispelled design.

Are there 4-card cycles in original Innistrad or were they removed when Humans became Green/White?

Original Innistrad always had five allied-colored tribal factions. Dark Ascension did have four tribal lords of just the monsters.

Yesterday was my birthday! Can I get some trivia about my favorite set, Dark Ascension?

I’ve led forty something sets and the only small winter set I ever led was Dark Ascension. I did it because I want Ken Nagle to lead his first large set and a return to a known world (Ravnica) seemed like the right spot. My favorite design story from the set was I was trying to find a cool monster mechanic and was talking with my wife about it, venting my frustration. I really wanted to use persist because monsters have a whole trope of coming back after you think they’re dead, but the set used +1/+1 counters instead of -1/-1 counters. My wife said, “Why can’t you use +1/+1 counters?” And I’m like, “I can!” and undying was born.Happy Birthday!

I know Tempest was your first set and it's one of my faves...
Which sets were you the main lead on?Another way of asking this is. Which sets have the most Maro in them?

Sets I was the lead designer or co-lead on for design/vision design:TempestUngluedOdysseyUrza’s DestinyMirrodin Fifth DawnUnhingedRavnicaFuture SightShadowmoorEventideZendikar Scars of MirrodinInnistrad Dark AscensionGatecrashTheros Khans of TarkirBattle for Zendikar KaladeshAmonkhetIxalanUnstableDominariaGuilds of Ravnica Ravnica Allegiance War of the Spark Throne of Eldraine Ikoria Zendikar RisingStrixhaven Innistrad: Vampires

Green only has one zombie, Ghoultree from Dark Ascension, is that because green is closely connected to nature and creatures being alive?

Yes.

At what point to collector numbers get "locked in"?

They really don’t anymore as the collector numbers are now assigned by a script that’s run when the set is handed off. I just liked the restriction for the live Design Challenge (and technically, it worked that way back when we made Dark Ascension).

To help give context timewise, what set was being made when unstable was approved?

My best guess is Dark Ascension.

I'm worried the "no-blocks" environment will produce less tribal synergies... Innistrad's werewolves needed a 3rd set to become serious business (with Wolfir Avenger ; Dark Ascension's Huntmaster of the Fells, Immerwolf, Scorned Villager and Wolfbitten Captive weren't enough). And M14 Slivers were unplayable until a year later, with M15's release (with Diffusion, Leeching and Venom Slivers). Recently, Zombies and Humans only became competitive with Amonkhet (SOI and EMN were not enough).

The key is being more conscious of the overlap between creature types in sets. Also, we will sometimes be on worlds for more than one set.