Frenetic Efreet

Cards without Activation Costs

New • 20 May 2022 • Asked by lizardwizard100 • 36 Comments

Hey Mark, why don’t we get new cards with zero-mana activation costs?For example, see Frenetic Efreet

T&D has soured on 0 cost activations. They’re both a little confusing and have play design issues.
Efreets Frenetic Efreet Play Design

Variance Card Role

New • 30 Jul 2014 • Asked by aetylus • 18 Comments

I tried asking you this question earlier, but maybe it required too much to write so going to try again but phrased more simply since I'm honestly really curious. As a designer, do you think cards that have random, chance-based mechanics, such as Goblin Test Pilot, should have a role in card sets or are they mainly just gimmicky fun things? Would a strong, competitively-viable, chance-based card negatively effect Magic?

We tend to make the super high variance cards of a lower power level as to not be key players in high-level tournament Magic. We learned this by having cards in the past that were high variance and tournament viable. (Frenetic Efreet, I’m looking at you.)
Efreets Frenetic Efreet Goblin Goblin Test Pilot Mechanics Pilot Power Level

Coin Flip Card Design

New • 02 Mar 2013 • Asked by ccgnick • 5 Comments

Is there any reason a 2 sometimes 4 bolt hasn't been done on a coinflip yet? Is it a matter of time, or is it a spell that just doesn't really appeal to anyone?

We tried to avoid Spike-y coin flipping cards as it’s a subset of Timmies that like coin flipping. Spikes, in general, get very grumbly when they lose a match because a coin flip goes the wrong way. I know this because in Magic’s past we have had Spike-y coin flipping cards. The most famous probably being Frenetic Efreet from Mirage.
Efreets Frenetic Efreet Mirage Spike

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