Fifth Dawn

Commander Color Rules

Out of curiosity (relating to your point about hybrid mana in Commander), do you feel similarly about cards such as Ancient Grudge or the Bringer cycle from Fifth Dawn? That is, cards that have an alternate way to be cast that uses more or different colors, which can only go in commander decks with all of the colors on the card?

I do not. Ancient Grudge is designed such that it can go in a monored deck in limited formats where you might be pinched for cards, but in constructed formats it’s expected that it goes in a red and green deck.

Ancient Grudge Bringer Colors Commander Commander Decks Constructed Fifth Dawn Green Hybrid Limited Mana Red Rules

Mirrodin Block Fun Fact

first time invoking birthday trivia!! mirrodin/darksteel/fifth dawn is my favourite block :] got any fun facts?

We brought Aaron Forsythe onto the Fifth Dawn design team to write an article about the process. (At the time he was editing the website.) He did so well, we brought him into R&D. Happy Birthday!

Aaron Forsythe Birthday Darksteel Fifth Dawn Mirrodin

Numbered Set Codes

Hi Mark, I have an if/when question: If / When, the next premier set with a setcode that begins with a number? (to follow up Fifth Dawn, 5DN)

I assume when. It’ll probably involve a name with a number.

Fifth Dawn If/When Premier Sets

Numerals in Set Code

"Fifth Dawn" seems to be the most recent non-core premiere set to have numerals in its set code "5DN". Is it something you try to avoid?

Usually, yes.

Fifth Dawn

Fifth Dawn Trivia

Hi Mark, it's my birthday this week! I'm wondering if you have any trivia about Fifth Dawn or the Sunburst mechanic. It was one of the last sets I played before drifting away from Magic for many years, but I still have fond memories of trying to make a five-color Sunburst deck work back then. Thanks!

Sunburst was the brainchild of Aaron Forsythe. He was on the Fifth Dawn team as a reporter to be able to write about the experience. He was so good, we hired him into R&D. He also designed scry in the same team. Happy Birthday!

Aaron Forsythe Birthday Fifth Dawn Mechanics Scry Sunburst

Tiny Artifact Love

Hey Mark, I'm a HUGE tiny artifact lover! If / when another set with trinkets/cogs (artifacts with MV 1 or less) as a subtheme, like Fifth Dawn had?

I can imagine another artifact set having it as a small theme.

Artifacts Fifth Dawn If/When Mana Value

Confirmed Intentional Infinite Combo

I believe Blasting Station, Grinding Station, Salvaging Station and Summoning Station from Fifth Dawn is an example of an intentionally designed infinite combo.

Correct.

Blasting Station Fifth Dawn Grinding Station Salvaging Station Summoning Station

Scry Keyword Trivia

Maro I turned 32 yesterday! I would really like to hear some trivia on my favourite keyword, Scry.

Scry was designed by Aaron Forsythe (in Fifth Dawn - his first design team), because he wanted a good smoothing mechanic. We later made it evergreen because it was so good at smoothing. Happy Birthday!

Aaron Forsythe Birthday Evergreen Fifth Dawn Keywords Mark Rosewater Mechanics Scry

Mark's Lead Designer History

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

Amonkhet Battle for Zendikar Dark Ascension Dominaria Eventide Fifth Dawn Future Sight Gatecrash Guilds of Ravnica Head Designer Innistrad Ixalan Kaladesh Khans of Tarkir Mark Rosewater Mirrodin Odyssey Ravnica Allegiance Scars of Mirrodin Shadowmoor Tempest Theros Throne of Eldraine Throne of Eldraine Urza's Destiny Vampire Vision Design War of the Spark War of the Spark Zendikar Zendikar Rising

Leech Bonder Mechanics

It only works from creature to creature, but Leech Bonder back in Shadowmoor can move any kind of counter around. Equip it with a Paradise Mantle from Fifth Dawn and it's basically free.

FYI

Creatures Equip Fifth Dawn Leech Leech Bonder Mechanics Paradise Mantle Shadowmoor

Fifth Dawn Trivia

Hey, Mark! It's my birthday! In honor of that and the current Solar Phenomenon, can I get some trivia about Fifth Dawn?

Half of the Fifth Dawn design team didn’t work in R&D and a fourth didn’t work at Wizards. The team was me, Randy Buehler, Aaron Forsythe & Greg Marques. At the time, Aaron ran the Magic web site and Greg was an aspiring game designer. Happy Birthday!

Aaron Forsythe Birthday Fifth Dawn

Fifth Dawn Card Trivia

Hi Maro! It's my 32nd birthday today (10/3) and I'd like to ask if you had any trivia on the 32nd expansion of Magic, Fifth Dawn, and specifically the card #103, Arcbound Wanderer. Keep up the good work! :)

We don’t often get a chance to make cards with two block keywords. Sunburst was one of the new mechanics in Fifth Dawn and I realized it had great synergy with Modular so I made one card.Happy Birthday!

Arcbound Wanderer Birthday Fifth Dawn Keywords Mark Rosewater Mechanics Modular Sunburst

Inspiration Behind Modules

Were you responsible for the cycle of the three modules? What inspired you and lead to it? They are my favorite cards from Kaladesh!

I was responsible. They were inspired by the Station cards from Fifth Dawn which I also designed.

Cycles Fifth Dawn Kaladesh

Zombie Crocodiles

We've actually had two Zombie Crocodiles (Alligator isn't a supported type) by now! Dross Crocodile from Fifth Dawn, and Kheru Dreadmaw from Khans of Tarkir!

It was only a matter of time. Who doesn’t want a zombie alligator?

Crocodile Dross Crocodile Fifth Dawn Khans of Tarkir Kheru Dreadmaw Zombie

Plainswalker Trivia

The day has come bday trivia. Trivia on 5 color plainswalker or my commander child of alara.

Here’s some five color plainswalking trivia. There are actually cards in every color (and artifact and multicolor) that can have or grant plainswalk:White Aysen Highway (Homelands)Concerted Effort (Ravnica) - must have other plainswalkerGraceful Antelope (Odyssey)Great Wall (Legends)Righteous Avengers (Legends)Blue (okay, other than Greater Morphing, Illusionary Presence or Traveler’s Cloak, you have to already have a land walker to pull this off)Crystal Spray (Invasion)Greater Morphling (Unhinged)Illusionary Presence (Ice Age)Magical Hack (Alpha)Mind Bend (Mirage)Spectral Shift (Fifth Dawn)Trait Doctoring (Dragon’s Maze)Traveler’s Cloak (Invasion)While of Vorrath (Tempest)BlackCairn Wanderer (Lorwyn) - ,must have plainswalker in graveGiant Slug (Legends)RedBarbarian Guides (Ice Age) - can grant snow-covered plainswalkBeggars Arsonists (Shadowmoor)GreenMagnigoth Treefolk (Planeshift) - must have PlainsOld Fogey (Unhinged)Zodiac Rooster (Portal: Three Kingdoms)ArtifactDeath-Mask Duplicate (Darksteel) - must exile plainswalkerExcavator (Tempest) - must sacrifice PlainsMulticolorLord Magnus (Legends) - Green/WhiteThis is the most I’ve ever written about plainswalk on Blogatog. : )Happy Birthday!

Alpha Antelope Artifacts Aysen Highway Barbarian Barbarian Guides Bend / Break Birthday Black Blue Cairn Wanderer Child of Alara Cloak Colors Commander Concerted Effort Crystal Spray Darksteel Dragon Excavator Fifth Dawn Giant Giant Slug Graceful Antelope Great Wall Greater Morphling Green Homelands Ice Age Illusionary Presence Lands Legendary Creatures Lord Magnus Lorwyn Magical Hack Magnigoth Treefolk Mind Bend Mirage Odyssey Old Fogey Planeshift Portal Red Righteous Avengers Sacrifice Selesnya (G/W) Shadowmoor Slug Spectral Shift Tempest The Exile Zone Trait Doctoring Treefolk Unhinged Wall White Zodiac Rooster

Sunburst vs Converge

What's the difference between Sunburst and Converge? The two seem like the same mechanic.

One goes on spells and scales the effect. The other goes on permanents (artifacts in Fifth Dawn) and adds counters.

Artifacts Converge Fifth Dawn Mechanics Permanents Spells Sunburst

Vorthos Awakening

I got my first preconstructed deck (blue/black) from Fifth Dawn and my second (Gruul) from Dissension around '06-07. My brothers and I learned how to play from YouTube tutorials and really just played against each other with those same two decks for a while before we started really collecting the cards. Unfortunately, my interest came and went for a few years until Return to Ravnica when I was introduced by a classmate to the storyline. I realized my Vorthos side and I've been all-in ever since.

: )

Black Blue Dimir (U/B) Dissension Fifth Dawn Gruul (R/G) Return to Ravnica Tutoring Vorthos

Etched Monstrosity Trivia

Seems like my birthday trivia request has been swallowed into the black hole, just like that essay I wrote last year, and those paperclips, and that battery pack... Anyways, do you have trivia on Etched Monstrosity? That was my first Mythic pull.

One of the things we did in Scars of Mirrodin block was show iconic creatures from the original Mirrodin block Phyrexianized. Etched Monstrosity is the Phyrexianized version of the poster child of Fifth Dawn, Etched Oracle. Happy Belated Birthday!

Birthday Black Black Hole Creatures Etched Monstrosity Etched Oracle Fifth Dawn Monstrosity Scars of Mirrodin

Birthday Trivia

Hey MaRo! Wednesday was my birthday, and I was wondering if you have any trivia on either bushido or just something random?

The design team for Fifth Dawn was 50% people not in R&D. It was me, Randy Buehler (the two in R&D at the time), Aaron Forsythe (running the web site at the time) and Greg Marques, a player who impressed me at a Pro Tour and I put him on a design team. (Greg would many years later work in R&D.) Happy Birthday!

Aaron Forsythe Birthday Bushido Competitive Play Fifth Dawn Mark Rosewater

Sunburst Mechanic's Return

As it is past midnight CEST, it's my birthday here and I was wondering how likely one of my favorite things from fifth dawn will return: sunburst.

I believe there is a good change that Sunburst, or something similar, will return one day.

Birthday Fifth Dawn Sunburst