For Mirrodin!

Self-animating Equipment

Inspired by your podcast and thinking about how Living Weapon became For Mirrodin!, I wanted to offer up my opinion as a big Living Weapon fan for years: It turns out that the thing that appealed to me about Living Weapon was not the mechanics of an equipment that came with a body. It turns out the thing that appealed to me about Living Weapon was the flavor of an equipment animating itself (or at least a horrible little germ in a little horrible mech). Can I get a maybe on more self-animating equipment that is *flavorfully* self-animating, rather than flavorfully being wielded by a person?

Modern Horizons sets and Commander decks can still access Living Weapon, so you can still get cards of that flavor.I’m skeptical we’re making a new mechanic with that flavor as the For Mirrodin! style of designs play better, are easier to balance, and have significantly more design space.

Commander Decks Design Space Drive to Work Equipment Flavor For Mirrodin! Germ Living Weapon Mechanics Mirrodin Modern Horizons

Mechanic Return Likelihood

I believe you’ve said Reconfigure is a 5 on the storm scale, while Living Weapon is a 7, despite being functionally somewhat similar mechanics. Is the disparity mostly due to flavour requirements, or are there mechanical factors that make Living Weapon less likely to return?

I think the 0/0 Germ is the biggest issue. We made For Mirrodin!, as an example.

Flavor For Mirrodin! Germ Living Weapon Mechanics Mirrodin Reconfigure Storm Scale

Exclamation Point Usage

Hello Mark!!I noticed that the creative team has continued to use exclamation point technology in card names! Will R&D be using this technology more?! Of course I'd love to see more "For Mirrodin!" type mechanics, but have you considered using it in casting costs? (20)!!! would be very flavorful!

It’s a resource we have to use carefully. : )

Card Names Casting Cost Flavor For Mirrodin! Game Design Humor Mechanics Mirrodin

Mechanic Reuse Philosophy

Mark, i love Incubate. I love how it plays, i love the way it interacts with so many little things. But i also fear that we might not see it return for quite some time, since its so thematically tied to Phyrexia. What's your general philosophy when it comes to tying new mechanics to specific parts of the multiverse? What if a new mechanic that was tied to a specific plane lore-wise, became popular and was good enough to become evergreen or deciduous, what would you do?

We’re willing to bring back mechanics and change creature type elements. For example, Living Weapon returned as For Mirrodin!

Creatures Deciduous Evergreen Fear For Mirrodin! Incubate Living Weapon Mechanics Mirrodin

Mechanic Usage

Would you ever consider using a mechanic in a following set in a very small amount? Say having 1-2 For Mirrodin! Cards in mom

Not will I consider it, I’ve tried it, but the rest of R&D is a little more squeamish about it. I won’t stop trying though.

For Mirrodin! Mechanics Mirrodin

Keyword Mechanic Nuances

Keywording a "living weapon" mechanic seems to run into the issue that the token's size and type must be set by the keyword. Is that why For Mirrodin! was given a plane-specific name, since who knows if 2/2 rebels will be appropriate the next time you want to do a similar keyword?

Yes.

For Mirrodin! Keywords Living Weapon Mechanics Mirrodin Rebel

Keyword Punctuation Use

We now have "For Mirrodin!", a keyword with an exclamation mark.Does it increase the chance of other punctuation marks (such as comma, colon, or brackets) appearing in upcoming keywords, mechanics, and types?

Success breeds repetition. : )

For Mirrodin! Humor Keywords Mechanics Mirrodin

Design Space Exploration

How much design space there is in mechanics like for mirrodin! and living weapon?

Enough that I expect us to make more. Not so much that it will be something you see too often.

Design Space For Mirrodin! Living Weapon Mechanics Mirrodin

Equipment Mechanics

Do Living weapon and For Mirrodin! count as "snap-on" equipment in your eyes?

Technically no, but they are similar in spirit.

Equipment Eye For Mirrodin! Living Weapon Mechanics Mirrodin Spirit

For Mirrodin Mechanic

So like... Why did you make a mechanic called "For Mirrodin!" Not the mechanic itself is bad, it's an improved version of Living Weapon. But the name is just... So timeline and setting specific that it basically guarantees it'll never be used again, regardless of the Storm Scale. So.... Why?

We did it for Mirrodin. : )It was flavorful, and tied to a 2/2 red Rebel token. If we want to do it again, odds are it will have a new token and a new name.

Flavor For Mirrodin! Humor Living Weapon Mechanics Mirrodin Rebel Red Storm Scale Tokens

Card Naming Preferences

Can I just say I like the effect of "For Mirrodin!" but I hate it's name as it's planebound, I would have named it something more generic.

“For Mirrodin!”“What’s Mirrodin?”“I don’t know. It’s just something we say.”I don’t know what went into the naming of the mechanic, but reusability is something we think about. The playtest name was Take Up Arms.

Colorless For Mirrodin! Mechanics Mirrodin Playtesting Take Up Arms