Flanking

Third Mirage Expansion?

Hi, Mark.
Is it possible that something like a third expansion will be added to the Mirage block, just like Cold Snap was added to the Ice Age block over time? (since Weatherlight is like episode zero of the Rath cycle) (although I have a feeling Prophecy is the third)

Weatherlight was still the third block of the Mirage block. It does have flanking and phasing cards in it.

Cold Snap Flanking Mirage Phasing Prophecy Prophecy Snap Weatherlight Weatherlight

Flanking Mechanic Future

"Flankers only flank creatures without flanking which is non-intuitive to most players."Would flanking be more likely to return if it worked on all creatures?

Play design isn’t a huge fan of the mechanic, but the non-intuitive part doesn’t help.

Creatures Flanking Mechanics Play Design

Revisiting Simple Mechanics

Would you consider bringing back a simple and functional but boring mechanic like Flanking that would be new to a majority of the Magic population? It could be a way of reusing some simple design space.

Flanking is a bad example as we believe it has a flaw in its design. Flankers only flank creatures without flanking which is non-intuitive to most players.We do bring back mechanics when they’re appropriate. We don’t shy away from using mechanics we’ve used before.

Creatures Design Space Flanking Mechanics

Defining Evasion Abilities

There you go!I'll list a whole bunch of abilities and you list whether or not it's an evasion ability:a) bandingb) can only be blocked by creatures of the same colorc) can't be blocked unless the opponent pays 1d) creatures you control have flyinge) deathtouchf) first strike g) flankingh) if you have a creature with flying in your graveyard, this creature has flyingi) menacej) protection from red k) shadowl) skulkm) tramplen) 1: target creature can't block this turn o) 1: target creature can't block this creature this turnp) 1: this creature can't be blocked this turnq) when this creature attacks, it gains flying until end of turn r) when this creature attacks, chose one - it gains flying until end of turn or it gains vigilance until end of turns) when this creature attacks, tap all creatures controlled by opponentst) when this creature enters the battlefield, target creature gains flying

Here’s my best guess at the answers:A - noB - yesC - I think so but I’m not sure. That creates a blocking restriction but I don’t know that it “restricts what creatures can block” the attacker. It restricts all of them unless the condition is met, but it has nothing to do with the creatures themselves. D - The resulting flying is an evasion ability. I don’t know if the ability that grants the evasion ability is itself an evasion ability. I’d say no. E - noF - noG - noH - see DI - yesJ - yesK - yesL - yesM - noN - the Comp Rules are ambiguous. 509.1b says only static abilities can be evasion abilities, so any activated ability is an automatic no. The glossary definition doesn’t have that stipulation, so I think it’d be a yes we go by that. O - see NP - see NQ - see D; flying is but I think the ability that grants flying isn’t. Also, the 509.1b definition rules out all triggered abilities, though the glossary definition doesn’t. R - see QS - noT - see Q

Banding Blocking Colors Creatures Deathtouch Enter The Battlefield Evasion First Strike Flanking Flying Menace Protection Red Rules Shadow Skulk Tap / Untap The Graveyard Trample Triggered Abilities Vigilance

Flanking and Flying

For the flying problem, was there ever any thought to trying flanking?

Flanking doesn’t solve the problem.

Flanking Flying

Defining Evasion Abilities

You said you’re “not sure the rules would align with player intuition” in regards to “target creature with an evasion ability”. Can you elaborate on this? Maybe it’s just because I’m entrenched, but this seems pretty intuitive to me

I’ll list a whole bunch of abilities and you list whether or not it’s an evasion ability:a) bandingb) can only be blocked by creatures of the same colorc) can’t be blocked unless the opponent pays 1d) creatures you control have flyinge) deathtouchf) first strike g) flankingh) if you have a creature with flying in your graveyard, this creature has flyingi) menacej) protection from red k) shadowl) skulkm) tramplen) 1: target creature can’t block this turn o) 1: target creature can’t block this creature this turnp) 1: this creature can’t be blocked this turnq) when this creature attacks, it gains flying until end of turn r) when this creature attacks, chose one - it gains flying until end of turn or it gains vigilance until end of turns) when this creature attacks, tap all creatures controlled by opponentst) when this creature enters the battlefield, target creature gains flying

Banding Colors Creatures Deathtouch Enter The Battlefield Evasion First Strike Flanking Flying Menace Protection Red Rules Shadow Skulk Tap / Untap The Graveyard Trample Vigilance

Nick Archetype Discussion

I think WOTC needs to acknowledge another Player Archtype, other than Johnny, Timmy, and Spike.
This player's name is Nick.
Nick is a contrarian. Who only likes things other players dislike.
Classic Nick cards:ShahrazadHumilityArmageddon Stasis
Nick loves banding, and flanking, and regenerates.
I think R&D needs to make more Nick cards

Nick is just a subset of Timmy and Tammy. R&D refers to that subtype as a Griefer.

Armageddon Banding Competitive Play Flanking Game Design Humility Johnny / Jenny Shahrazad Spike Stasis Subtype Timmy / Tammy Wizards of the Coast

Flanking Mechanic Return

Might we ever see the return of Flanking? It's probably my all time favorite mechanic and I miss having it around.

I could see it on single cards in a Modern Horizons set or a Commander deck, but I’m skeptical the mechanic as a whole is returning any time soon.

Commander Decks Flanking Mechanics Modern Horizons

Issues with Returning Flanking

Flanking seems like it has a similar problem to Bushido: fine text for a card to have, but troublesome for a Limited environment to have on too many creatures. Is that not an obstacle to its return?

That’s part of it. In retrospect, we also wouldn’t make it not affect other flankers.

Bushido Creatures Flanking Limited

Flanking's Current Storm Scale Rating

Flanking was a 7 on the storm scale in 2016. Has that changed since then?

No.

Flanking Storm Scale

Stacking Flanking Instances

Do multiple instances of flanking stack?

I believe so.

Flanking

Potential Changes to Flanking

Looking through the TSR card list, I was reminded how much I enjoyed Flanking in Kamigawa limited. To me it's such a clean and effective combat mechanic. You've said in the past that you'd like it better if it worked on any defender. I agree. Could the mechanic be changed without renaming it? Flanking is a great, evocative name.

We sometimes tweak mechanics after the fact, but that’s a little bigger change than we usually do.

Defender Flanking Limited Mechanics

Flanking Creatures Clarification

"Every creature with flanking is on a horse except for one which is a centaur": I didn't know Sidewinder Sliver rode a horse.

I was talking about original Mirage block. : )

Centaur Creatures Flanking Horse Mirage Sidewinder Sliver Sliver

Stackable Keywords Explained

in regards to black border caring about multiple instances of a keyword (like "double haste" etc) cavalry master from *cough*time spiral*cough* grants double flanking to creatures with flanking. maelstrom wanderer also has double cascade.

Certain keywords like flanking are stackable.

Black Black Border Cascade Cavalry Master Creatures Flanking Haste Keywords Maelstrom Wanderer Time Spiral

Riot Mechanic Inquiry

Maro, First off, happy new year! Hope you enjoyed the holidays. I was wondering about the Riot mechanic - if a creature has multiple instances of Riot, as from having the ability on it's own card and then from an enchantment granting it, do both trigger separately like Flanking with Cavalry Master? So would you get to choose twice whether to get a +1/+1 counter and/or to gain Haste? Have a great day!

Yes, you would. You could even chose haste twice as a pure intimidation tactic. : )

Cavalry Master Creatures Enchantments Flanking Haste Mark Rosewater Mechanics Riot

Return to Jamuraa?

The Mirage block is my favorite old set of Magic. Although Jamuraa is a subset of Dominaria, how well-liked do you think the Mirage block's mechanics and aesthetics are? How likely would it be to get a return to Jamuraa specifically?

Mechanically, there’s not tons to return to. Phasing is now done with flickering and we don’t like the self-referentialness of flanking. The setting, on the other hand, has a lot of potential and I do think we’ll eventually see more of Jamuraa.

Dominaria Flanking Mechanics Mirage Phasing Your Hand

Flanking Flavor

"That’s the flavor of flanking, that you have a tactical height advantage." Really? Given the non-Magic use of the word, isn't the flavour about the added mobility of cavalry to swing around the enemy formation and attack in the flanks? So speed rather than height?

I assume both.

Flanking Flavor

Flanking Flavor Explanation

"All the flanking creatures are on horseback or are a centaur. That’s the flavor of flanking, that you have a tactical height advantage." Not counting Sidewinder Sliver.

Sorry, in original Mirage block.

Centaur Creatures Flanking Flavor Mirage Sidewinder Sliver Sliver

Flanking Mechanic Trivia

Hi Mark! It’s my birthday today, so I was hoping I could get some trivia on my favorite mechanic, Flanking. Thanks!

All the flanking creatures are on horseback or are a centaur. That’s the flavor of flanking, that you have a tactical height advantage.

Birthday Centaur Creatures Flanking Flavor Mechanics

Flanking Mechanic Return

Any chance we will see "Flanking" again?

It showed up relatively recently in a supplemental set.

Flanking