Hey Mark, as a limited main I wanted to say that I'm a huge fan of the kinds of cards that we've been getting lately that let us play with all time high power-level effects brought down to a fair level for limited. MKM had a fair Control Magic. OTJ has several, including references to Demonic Tutor, Ray of Command, and Snapcaster, all at uncommon. It's exciting to get to play with classic effects in a way that doesn't disrupt the balance. I'm the most eager to draft I've been since MOM!

It’s an area we’ve been enjoying exploring recently.

Hey Mark, mono-green has never had a simple demonic tutor but for creatures.Are simple (boring) effects like that not as likely under FIRE design?

It’s the kind of effect we’ll make one day. There are a surprisingly number of simple effects we haven’t done yet. There are just lots and lots of potential card designs.None of this has anything to do with FIRE design.

Suggestion for article/dtw: The inertia in the color pie or design in general caused by e.g. demonic tutor and times it was broken e.g. psionic blast

I’ll add it to the short list. : )

I had been wondering about the Demonic Tutor thing! And a related one: would regrowth effects have been green if it hadn't been for Regrowth itself?

Still green. Regrowth, as a concept, is very green.

What kind of drawbacks would be necessary to print a demonic tutor in today's magic (assuming the cmc stays 2, and it tutors for any card to the hand)? Is paying life enough of a cost? Maybe exiling cards from your hand?

It’s hard to balance it with life as you start with the life. It would probably have to be a resource you have to build up over time. For example, I could imagine exiling a certain number of cards from your graveyard.

If you don't like printing tutors because create repetitive gameplay, why did you print companions which essentially demonic tutor themselves into your hand every game creating even more repetitive gameplay.

I agree that they share repetition of gameplay concerns. They don’t have the tool box issue (they can get the specific thing you need when you need it) or the duplication issue (let’s you essentially play more than four copies). The thought at the time was the deck restrictions would be enough to limit how many decks could play them.

Why can't the rules handle Panglacial wurm? It seems so intuitive and easy to grok for me. Crack a fetch? You can play the wurm. Demonic tutor? Land Tax? Battalion foot soldier? Cast wurm.

There is a difference between what players can understand and what the rules can handle. Silver border is full of cards that fall in this category.

How do you feel about Demonic Consultation and Jeweled Amulet? I feel like the Ice Age team actually did a really good job there in making balanced yet strong Demonic Tutor and Mox variants.

I think the designs were cool, but suffered from not enough development. Demonic Consultation was too strong and Jeweled Amulet needed a clearer template as it confused too many players.

I feel your points on mr-obliterator's ask are valid, but doesn't having overcosted/bad downside enable colors to still have their weaknesses and bended color pie cards? I'd posit that Desert Twister is fine but Song of the Dryads isn't since DT is prohibitively expensive, or Gamble not breaking red since it's downside doesn't make it Demonic tutor but in red.

Dessert Twister is out of color pie. If you want a weak way to do something in a monocolor deck, go to artifacts. That’s part of why they exist.

So if we were to see another Planar Chaos situation, we might get cards like a black Control Magic and a blue Demonic Tutor (ok, probably Demonic)?

I have some bad news about your premise…