Giants

Raising Bar for Supplemental Sets

"Why has the bar for supplemental sets gotten higher? Is it universes beyond?Universes Beyond and Modern Horizons are the biggest two causes." That really sucks, a lot of us really looked forward to the summer supplemental sets because of how fun they were, 2 headed giant draft and conspiracy immediately come to mind.

The bar gets raised because new products do well. More players play them, more players buy them, and more players rank them higher in market research. It’s not some diabolical plot. It’s the game evolving towards what the players are most enjoying.

Draft Formats Giants Modern Horizons Plot Universes Beyond

Battle Removal Colors

"Which color(s) are the main one(s) for battle removal?Red and white usually have slightly more “combat tricks”. Green also always has a Giant Growth like effect that’s good in combat."I think this ask was about removing battles (the card type).

Red has direct damage, which removes battles. We haven’t chosen a color to destroy them.

Battles Card Types Colors Destroy Giants Green Red White Giant Growth

Primary Colors for Battle Removal

Which color(s) are the main one(s) for battle removal?

Red and white usually have slightly more “combat tricks”. Green also always has a Giant Growth like effect that’s good in combat.

Battles Colors Giants Green Primary Red White Giant Growth

Existence of Life Gain Hate Cards

Is there any major reason why there two life gain hate cards in the next two sets?

It’s not like a giant conspiracy or anything.

Giants Lifegain

Rarity Categorization Issues

I'm not personally hung up on cards caring about rarity, but as far as caring about the cards being the same across printings, the types for many creatures have been updated in their oracle text and we follow the most recent oracle information. Could that be an option for caring about rarity as well? It could go by the most recent oracle rarity.

That’s a giant can of worms for three big reasons:1) It’s hard to track/remember. And it doesn’t have things like art cues to help.2) It could causes frequent change in functionality. Creature types at most change once, and there aren’t lots of cards that care about a specific creature type outside of handful of popular creature types, ones we don’t tend to change. 3) Deciding what to count for “last printing” could be tricky. Any version including digital? Just tabletop printings? Does it have to be main set? Do The List and Special Guest printings count? How about Commander decks where rarity isn’t even based on rarity? How about Secret Lairs?

Art Commander Decks Creatures Giants Guests Rarity Secret Lairs Worms

Green's Untap Effects

Exactly what sort of untap effects are in Green’s color pie?

Green mostly ties them to Giant Growth effects and pseudo Vigilance granting. Sometimes it can tap to untap one creature.

Color Pie Creatures Giant Growth Giants Green Tap / Untap Vigilance

About Hall of Storm Giants

Why didn’t Hall of Storm Giants turn into a kraken instead? Besides the name of course

It’s helpful when the askers answer their own questions. : )

Giant Hall of Storm Giants Humor Kraken

Targeting a Creature vs Creature Spell

If I target a Creature on the battlefield with Giant Growth, I'm targeting a Creature, and not a creature spell. If I target a creature on the stack with Counterspell, or a creature in the graveyard with Reanimate, I'm targeting a creature spell, but not a Creature. Is that right?

A creature spell is only a creature on the battlefield, yes.

Creatures Giant Growth Giants The Graveyard The Stack

Karn's Position

Hi Mark! Where is our beloved gentle giant Karn on the Venser scale?

Karn is a 4.

Giants Venser Scale

Karn's Positive Impact

Happy Birthday Mark! I'd like to thank you for creating Karn. Karn is my middle name, and I've always thought of myself as a peacekeeper and a "gentle giant." I started playing Magic during Ice Age, and seeing Karn reappear every decade or so always makes me so DARN HAPPY!!! So thank you!! Happy birthday again and enjoy those crab legs!

: )

Appreciation Birthday Crabs Giants Humor Peacekeeper

Karn's Emotional Nature

You've mentioned the influence that Star Trek had on the Weatherlight crew characters (and I remember you had once pitched a script for TNG.) Was Karn's exceptional compassion and emotional drive meant as a contrast to Lt. Commander Data's incapacity for emotion?

Karn was me embracing the Gentle Giant archetype more than anything else.

Commander Crew Giants Weatherlight

Karn and Superman

Is Karn archetypically similar to Superman in that he's incredibly powerful with morality?

Karn is what is known as the “gentle giant” archetype which Superman might have partially borrowed from in his creation.

Giants

Fondness for Karn

I like Karn. Do you like Karn?

As the guy who made the character Karn, I am very much a fan of Karn. My little gentle giant. : )

Giants Humor

Green's Magic Use

I just listened to your podcast on Green. Unless I missed something, how can green be OK with using magic like Giant growth? It potentially makes a creature live when it otherwise would not have, which goes against the natural order.

Green believes it’s okay to use nature and it’s forces to fight for what it considers the greater good.

Creatures Drive to Work Fight / Bite Giant Growth Giants Greater Good Green Natural Order

Giant Fan Revelation

"As Karn’s creator, I too am a big fan." - Everyone seems to think this proves you are Urza, but I can see through the smoke and mirrors... Giant Fan was in fact, the ultimate Maro vanity card, wan't it?

I did make Giant Fan. Hmm…..

Giant Fan Giants Mark Rosewater Vanity Cards