Essence Scatter

Counterspell Design Choices

The Nuts&Bolts article on the design skeleton has a unrestricted (hard) counter and a restricted (soft) counterspell at common, but DMU had two restricted counterspells in Negate and Essence Scatter. What informed the decision to not print a hard counterspell?

The design skeleton is a default to start design with. Individual sets can deviate from the default if the needs of the set call for it.

Card Printing Dominaria United Essence Scatter Skeletons

Standard Counterspell Variety

Mark more of a statement and a request. We need less new counter spells per standard. It's ok to reprint things like cancel, negate and essence scatter. I know you just reprinted them but I mean in another current set. We don't need 10-20 different counter spells in standard. It's ok to have 1-3 new counterspells per current standard rotation. You don't need 10-20 it's to much.

Is there a Standard permission deck filled with all the different counterspells? Why is having 20-ish problematic in Standard?

Cancel Card Printing Essence Scatter Negate Reprints Spells Standard

Power of Counterspell

Why is Counterspell too powerful? If Essence Scatter and Negate are acceptable and barely main deckable, as long as the other 2 mana counter spells are not too agressive Counterspell should be fine and not create the world ending dreaded Draw Go/Counter Go.

Straight up hard countering (countering anything) is too good for two mana.

Essence Scatter Mana Spells

Color Counterspell Distribution

"Counterspells aren’t something we want spread throughout the colors." Per the mechanical color pie article, counterspell is one of very few abilities not shared. Many creatures and enchantments now have etbs that dwarf their body. Why not staple essence scatter to hero's downfall in black or anull to disenchant/naturalize?

Every color is not supposed to have the answer to every problem.

Black Color Pie Colors Counterspell Creatures Disenchant Dwarf Enchantments Essence Scatter Hero's Downfall Naturalize

Un-cards Clarification

"Un-cards have never received errata (well, other than the cards that give themselves errata)." Does that mean that cards from Unglued literally have the card type "Summon" instead of "Creature?" Does Essence Scatter not counter them? Do they make Tarmogoyf better? Et cetera. On a related note, what are BFM's subtypes? :P

They’re errataed with common sense.

Card Types Creatures Errata Essence Scatter Subtype Tarmogoyf Unglued Un-sets

Counterspell Game Design

Somewhat unrelated to the current discussion at hand, but competitively costed, universal hard-counters (e.g "counter target spell") are not a good thing for Magic. Essence Scatter and Negate are great examples of what blue should be able to do, and what the competitive limits of that ability should be. Not a developer and all that, but still.

Our goal wasn’t to remove counterspells from the game but balance them while keeping fun gameplay.

A Good Thing Blue Competitive Play Essence Scatter Game Play Gates Negate Not a developer Your Hand

Teaching Magic Tips

Do you have any tips for teaching friends how to play Magic? When I was learning with a friend I played UW control and by the tenth Essence Scatter he vowed never to try Magic again. :(

I wrote an entire article about teaching people Magic called “To Teach Their Own”: https://www.wizards.com/magic/magazine/Article.aspx?x=mtg/daily/mm/200

Essence Scatter

Reason Behind Change

Actually, Doug Beyer explained in his article "A Fresh Coat of Magic Paint" that Remove Soul was changed to Essence Scatter because ripping out a creature's soul sounds like a black kill spell, not a blue counter.

That too. : )

Black Blue Creatures Doug Beyer Essence Scatter Remove Soul

Spell Repetition

Why does both essence scatter and remove soul exist?

Because for some spells that we plan to repeat a lot, we like having options to allow us to help it better fit the world. (See Searing Spear and Lightning Strike.)

Essence Scatter Lightning Strike Remove Soul Searing Spear Spells

Naming Constraints

If card names are one of the thinnest resources available, why do cards that are the exact same get printed with different names? I know sometimes it's flavor (Kodama's reach vs cultivate) but what about Remove Soul vs Essence Scatter, expanse vs wilds, etc?

Usually a name change is based on the old name not making sense in the new environment. Other times, it’s development wanting players to have access to eight copies in older formats. Also, the resource is not names but simple, elegant names.

Card Names Card Printing Essence Scatter Flavor Kodama's Reach Reach Remove Soul

Functional Reprints

What is the reason for functional reprints? There are cards that do the same thing but have different names (Essence Scatter and Remove Soul for instance). As a fan of old cards I would love to see old cards get reprinted in Standard. What makes you decide you want the effect, but not the name? Does it lie in that the old name might be offensive? Or is it more flavor oriented?

The name is usually changed fro one of two reasons. Reason #1: The old name doesn’t make flavor sense in the new setting. Reason #2: R&D wants players to be able to play eight copies in some older format.

Card Printing Essence Scatter Flavor Remove Soul Reprints Standard