Fell

Trivia on 'Love Song of Night and Day'

Before my birthday is over, I would love to invoke my right of trivia!Anything about my favorite part of Magic's world, the Love Song of Night and Day? Or if not, Mirage in general? (I fell in love with Magic when I found my parents' old collection of Mirage and 4th Edition, making me probably the youngest grumpy old magic player to ever shake their fist at these new confangled planeswalker cards)

The Love Song of Night and Day was a poem written by Jenny Scott when she was an editor on Magic. Pieces of it were used on flavor text in Mirage block. I would later read the poem at a wedding at a Magic Grand Prix. We would also eventually making a Saga that referenced it.Happy Birthday!

Birthday Conventions Flavor Text Johnny / Jenny Mirage Planeswalkers Pop Culture Sagas Fell Love Song of Night and Day

Origin of the Banana Peel

The art for "Take out the Trash" has a banana peel on it. Where in the fully temperate region off the Valley are they getting bananas?

I assume it fell through an omenpath. : )

Art Humor Omenpaths Fell Take Out the Trash

Cave Errata Considerations

Regarding cave errata: there are 16 lands that have "cave" or "cavern" in their names but aren't the cave type. BUT multiple of these are part of existing cycles where the other members wouldn't be caves (i.e. Forgotten Cave, Bloodfell Caves, Caves of Koilos). 6/16 definitely are and 3 of the remaining are part of looser cycles. Was this a factor in the decision not to make the change?

It was one of a number of issues.

Blood Bloodfell Caves Caves Caves Caves of Koilos Cycles Errata Forgotten Cave Lands

Weatherlight Crew Remakes

How likely will we get remakes of the rest of the Weatherlight crew? Specifically Starke, Orim, Rofellos, Crovax (pre-curse/Evincar), and/or Takara?

I assume it will happen eventually.

Crew Crovax Orim Rofellos Starke Takara Weatherlight

Perception of Urza Block Ostracization

In a recent poll in Twitter listing top 4 sets in MTG history, Urza’s Saga and block as a whole received a spot in a lot of them, almost on pair with Invasion, Innistrad or Ravnica. Nonetheless, it seems WOTC still ostracizes the block. So, so many memorable cards that helped define so many decks: Carpet of Flowers, Sneak Attack, Show and Tell, Gaea’s Cradle, Serra’s Sanctum, Gilded Drake, Yawgmoth’s Will, Grim Monolith, Crop Rotation, Frantic Search, Replenish, Academy Rector, Opalescence, Yawgmoth’s Bargain, Powder Keg, Rofellos… and I could go on and on. I love that beautiful, relaxed, cartoony artwork too. Any love for Urzas Block here?

How exactly do we “ostracize” Urza’s block?

Academy Rector Art Bargain Carpet of Flowers Crop Rotation Drake Frantic Search Gaea's Cradle Gilded Drake Grim Monolith Innistrad Invasion Opalescence Ostracize Powder Keg Replenish Rofellos Sagas Search Serra's Sanctum Show and Tell Sneak Attack Urza's Saga Urza's Saga Wizards of the Coast Yawgmoth's Bargain Yawgmoth's Will

Concerns about Discard Mechanic

I don't understand why Discard - probably the most maligned supported mechanic - is continually buffed every set.Before a player even gets a TURN, a single mana will:

Disrupt the player's mulligan they took to keep a curve
Reveal a deck's colors/game plan
Disrupt the opponent's ability to interact (due to playing around known issues)
Get rid of a deck's key piece to winning.
Achieve card advantage

Discard, far more so than counterspells, is such bad gameplay/feeling, that most people quit on Turn 1 when a Durress/Thoughtseize, etc is played. I do. My opponent's do. Yesterday, you said you guys are careful to not make Discard so powerful, you create Discard decks. Then can you explain Tergrid? Tinybones? Waste Not? Gutmorn? Fell Specter? Sangromancer? If anything, you guys are pushing Discard, and thereby, pushing the most unfun, players-will-walk environment possible.

A few things:1) Discard is not the most maligned, but yes, there is a segment of the audience that dislikes it. There is also a segment of the audience that very much enjoys it and thinks it adds a lot to the game.2) By “discard decks”, I meant decks that do nothing but make the opponent discard and then use a win condition that takes advanatage of the opponent having no cards in hand (things like The Rack). 3) We do want decks (well, black ones at least) to have access to discard as a tool, but in moderation. Those individual cards can be powerful though.

Black Colors Discard Fell Specter Game Plan Game Play Mana Mechanics Sangromancer Specter The Rack Thoughtseize Waste Not Your Hand

Empathy to White Commander Criticism

I’m sorry you’re getting all of this criticism from white commander players. It’s undeserved. As you say limitations breed creativity I remember when Rofellos was banned in commander and I was upset because it was a huge part of my deck. But forcing myself to reconsider my mana base ultimately made the deck better. White players have answers they just don’t like them

We are giving white Commander players a bunch of new tools. I have faith they’ll find creative ways to use them.

Bannings Commander Format Legality Format Legality Mana Rofellos White

Rofellos Queries and Birthday Wishes

Hi Mark. Today is my fortieth birthday. Any chance we get to see Rofellos again? Or anything you can share about this marvellous elf?

When Michael and I created the Weatherlight Saga cast, we had a list of creature types we wanted to use. Elf was on the list, but we ended up going with a cat warrior for our green crew member. Later we realized, we needed a reason for why Gerrard left the ship and realized that it needed to be the death of someone close to him. That character, we said, could be the elf. And why not make him from Llanowar? Happy Birthday!

Birthday Cat Creatures Crew Elf Gerrard Green Rofellos Sagas Warrior Weatherlight Weatherlight

Rofellos' Ability on Card

Id really like a mono green commander legal card with Rofellos' ability is there any hope?

Being that you can’t use Rofellos, odds are the ability is problematic.

Commander Green Rofellos

Request for New Tangarth

Will we be getting a new Tangarth???! In recent times we’ve gotten Sisay, Mirri, Karn, Hanna, Multani, Squee.... The only recent reprints we don’t have are: Orim Ertai Crovax Rofellos Starke il-vec Please say maybe!!!

You forgot a few: Volrarh, Greven, Selena, Barrin, Eladamri, Maraxus.And Takara and Lyna still don’t have cards.Oh, and… maybe. : )

Barrin Crovax Eladamri Ertai Humor Lyna Maraxus Mirri Multani Orim Reprints Rofellos Sisay Squee Starke Takara

Rofellos Origin Story

My birthday was on Monday, I guess my trivia question got lost in the crowd, can I get something on Rofellos or Freyalize? Thanks and good luck with the panel tomorrow :)

Michael and I created Rofellos because we wanted a Llanowar elf in the story. We didn’t find a place on the Weatherlight Crew, but realized we needed someone to die to lead Gerrard to leave the ship and Rofellos was a perfect fit.Happy Birthday!

Birthday Crew Elf Gerrard Llanowar Rofellos Story / Lore Weatherlight

Dominiaria Character Trivia

Birthday trivia: With our return to Dominiaria can I please get trivia on Multani or Seton?

Multani was Gerard, Mirri and Rofellos’ teacher. When Michael and I created him he was made to be the Yoda of the Weatherlight Saga. Happy Birthday!

Birthday Mirri Multani Rofellos Sagas Weatherlight

Gerrard Capashen Trivia

I think my birthday request didn't go through :( Anyway now I'm 26. When I was 8 Gerrard Capashen was my hero, but now that I'm his age and an aspiring game designer, I think you are! Can I have some juicy Gerrard trivia? Perhaps where you would have like to see him going?

Most people don’t know this but Gerrard could cast some magic. He was trained in magic by Multani along with Mirri and Rofellos. Happy Birthday!

Birthday Cast Gerrard Mirri Multani Rofellos

Ixalan Ships Faction

Regarding all the ships featured in Ixalan, which ones belong to which faction? I know that Fell Flagship belongs to Pirates and Dusk Legion Dreadnought belongs to Vampires, just curious about the others.

The ships are just Pirate and Vampires I believe.

Dreadnought Dusk Legion Dreadnought Factions Fell Flagship Ixalan Pirate Vampire

Elves Trivia

Hi Mark! Today is my birthday so can I get some trivia on my favorite tribe, Elves?

Rofellos exists because we wanted a Llanowar Elf involved in the Weatherlight Saga. His death ended up being the reason Gerrard originally left the Weatherlight.Happy Birthday!

Birthday Elf Gerrard Llanowar Rofellos Sagas Weatherlight

Gatewatch Membership

I remember hearing that it was possible for more planeswalkers to join the Gatewatch. Am I correct? I remember when someone would join the Weatherlight crew and that was always a fun event (Rofellos and Multani come to mind).

Others can join.

Crew Gates Multani Planeswalkers Rofellos Weatherlight

Weatherlight Crew Members

Who comprised the crew of the Weatherlight (including past crew members like Jhoira)?

Characters who at one time or another were on the Weatherlight crew: Gerrard
Sisay
Tahngarth
Karn
Hanna
Squee
Crovax
Mirri
Orim
Ertai
Starke
Rofellos Jhoira was apparently a former captain but that was something done outside of my work on the story. Teferi also, it seems, was on the crew at one point.

Crew Crovax Ertai Gerrard Mirri Orim Rofellos Sisay Squee Starke Story / Lore Tahngarth Weatherlight

Favorite Legendary Elf

Who's your favorite Legendary Elf (today)?

Rofellos.

Elf Rofellos

Card Design Philosophy

RE: Fell the Mighty - This is a Wrath that can be countered by instant speed removal, but you said in your podcast that Duneblast in KTK was designed to avoid this, so why wasn't the same philosophy applied to Fell the Mighty?

It’s good for cards to have answers.

Drive to Work Duneblast Fell the Mighty Instants

Orim and Cho-Manno

Orim was on Mercadia, Lin Sivvi was on Rath. Orim fell in love with Cho-Manno (Karn even took her back to Mercadia to be with him after the events of Apocalypse).

You are correct. Cho-Manno was the leader. Oops. Never mind. : )

Apocalypse Fell Humor Orim