Faithless Looting

Color Pie Terminology

Hi Mark! Re: Faithless Looting bend/break: As you said, it's doing something red isn't allowed to do, even though it isn't strictly speaking undermining a weakness of red. I'd say it's more about undermining another colour's strength, and thus the integrity of the colour pie. In the previous ask's comments someone suggested "color pie melt", and another suggested it would be nice to get a similar descriptor to bend/break. So I posit "breach".

It might be worthy of internal vocabulary. Thanks for the suggestions.

Bend / Break Color Pie Colors Faithless Looting Red

Faithless Looting Discussion

To me, faithless looting never felt wrong in red. It is looting, but unlike a lot of blue looting on creatures, it is net card disadvantage when not flashbacked. I think with a blue flashback cost, it would be perfect.

We decided that we prefer red not have the foresight of knowledge on making the decision of what to discard. It helps give red a more short-sighted feel.

Blue Creatures Discard Faithless Looting Flashback Red

Faithless Looting Nuance

Faithless Looting is more of a bend than a break, right? It doesn't undermine a fundamental weakness of the color, it's just outside how how the color typically behaves now?

It’s in a different space. To differentiate colors, we make certain divides.It’s not as if red can sometimes loot rather than rummage. It’s not allowed to ever loot. So, doing it is breaking a rule, but not undermining a core weakness per se. Calling a bend isn’t right, because we wouldn’t do it, but I agree calling it a break seems a little harsh.

Bend / Break Colors Faithless Looting Red Rules

Reprinting Faithless Looting

Why does Faithless Looting keep getting reprinted? Isn't it just a break in red magic, at this point?

The rule is we can reprint cards that are color pie breaks as long as they don’t introduce them to a new format that didn’t already have it.

Bend / Break Card Printing Color Pie Faithless Looting Red Reprints Rules

Downside Mechanic Perception

If having any downsides at all made people stop using the Ring Tempts You mechanic, how can "Power at a Price" continue to be such a common theme in black and to a lesser extent Red cards? by that same logic Skullclamp and Faithless Looting never would have made it through testing yet they ended up played enough to deserve bans.

Players treat one-of downside cards differently than they treat downside mechanics.

Black Faithless Looting Mechanics Red Skullclamp The Ring Tempts You

Faithful Mending's Ability Blend

I know Faithful Mending is a callback to Faithless Looting and that U gets draw then discard, but this card feels off for WU. Is this a bend?

No, white can gain life and blue can draw and discard. Perfectly in flavor.

Azorius (W/U) Bend / Break Blue Discard Faithful Mending Faithless Looting Flavor Lifegain The Mending White

Japanese Mystical Archives Art

When looking at the Japanese Mystical Archives art, I noticed some of them, most notably Faithless Looting, depict the same thing as their international counterpart (in this case, a person looking forwards as they hold a bowl of fire in one hand and pour out a bowl with the other). Did all the Japanese artists get the same art descriptions as their international counterparts, or just a select few?

I think all of them got the same art description, but some deviated more.

Art Faithless Looting Japan Your Hand

Art Opinions and Impressions

I'm not crazy about the art for Faithless Looting, but I'm ecstatic that it exists for all the people that do enjoy it. Really, all the Strixhaven art treatments so far have been absolute home runs. Even the ones I don't like just look great. Even the flavor text is a great chance to hint at this world and others. It's also wild that the Japanese market promos are almost entirely identifiable by their art and mana cost alone. It's almost grounds for a fun puzzle :) Great job guys. Will buy lots.

Happy to hear you’re enjoying the various art styles.

Art Faithless Looting Flavor Text Japan Mana Promos

Opinions on Artistic Direction

I realize the art for Harmonize and Faithless Looting aren’t for everyone - but I think it’s great and motivates me to get those cards specifically. I hope Wizards knows that there are people who appreciate this kind of more adventurous art direction.

I’m curious what people here think of art like the Mystical Archive Faithless Looting.

Art Faithless Looting Harmonize

Regarding Mystical Archive Art

I'd just like to voice that I love the mystical archive Faithless Looting and hope more art like it comes to Magic!

It is definitely art that provokes strong reactions. : )

Art Faithless Looting Humor

Faithless Looting Break

What makes Faithless Looting a break and not a bend?

Red is suppose to discard before it draws. Faithless Looting was made early when we were experimenting with red looting before we got to rummaging.

Bend / Break Discard Faithless Looting Red

Color Pie Break

So, in relation to the question asking the difference between a card having: "draw then discard" versus it having "discard then draw", would that mean Faithless Looting is a break or a bend in what R&D lets red do?

It’s a break in modern color pie.

Bend / Break Color Pie Colors Discard Faithless Looting Game Design Modern Red

Red Card Draw

RE: Red card draw. With respect, that's not what OP was asking. A Faithless Looting-esque card that rummages rather than loots but keeps the same efficiency, an if or a when?

What does “the same efficiency” mean? Looting is stronger than rummaging if costed the same.

Card Draw Faithless Looting Red

Red's Rummaging Rules

Card draw and counterspells, which were in a bit of power slump, have been increasing in power lately, with stand out examples like Chart a Course or Disallow. But Red's rummaging has sticked with its Tormenting Voice mechanics - which makes it less appealing than card draw and more vulnerable to counterspells. Has there been any flirtations to bring rummaging to Faithless Looting levels? Or at least make it less counterspell-vulnerable?

Red discards before drawing. That’s what separates it from blue looting. We can theoretically get more aggressive with the power level, but we’re not going to change the basics of how rummaging works.

Basics Blue Card Draw Chart a Course Counterspell Disallow Faithless Looting Mechanics Power Level Red Tormenting Voice

Faithless Looting Sequence

If Faithless Looting were to be made today as a new card, would it have been discard two first then draw two?

Yes. It was made in the tiny window after we decided to add looting to red but before we decided to make red discard first.

Discard Faithless Looting Red

Color Mechanic Issue

Is Faithless Looting a mistake being red, because red is meant to discard first?

Faithless Looting was created during the sliver of time where red had looting but not yet rummaging (aka discarding first).

Discard Faithless Looting Red Sliver

Red's Card Mechanic

Is Faithless Looting a bend for red? It's not like it's called Faithless Rummaging.

It was created after we decided to try looting in red but before we decided rummaging was better. We wouldn’t do it now in red.

Bend / Break Faithless Looting Red

Faithless Looting Viability

Mark, is Faithless Looting still viable for reprint in a Standard legal set? Also, mono red aggro is one of my favorite archetypes and it's super popular these days! Does Ixalan block have some exciting cards for the deck?

No, red discards before drawing now. Ixalan might have some cool red cards. : )

Card Printing Faithless Looting Ixalan Red Reprints Standard

Faithless Looting Mechanics

Why does faithless looting let you draw first, if that's a blue thing?

It took us a while to figure out rummaging.

Blue Faithless Looting

Loopholes in Color-Pie

Do you consider Faithless Looting a color-pie violation, since red is supposed to discard first?

We forgive it as it was made before we decided on that separation between blue and red looting.

Blue Colors Discard Faithless Looting Red