Hi Mark, hope you're doing well, been wondering if homarid ever make a comeback or if your ever going to print more of less popular creatures type?

We like to bring back lesser used creature types when the opportunity arises.

Howdy Mark!I sat with my thoughts and the replies you've given recently about not changing Minotaur or Merfolk to Ox and Fish respectively, and I gotta say, I can't square this circle.You say that WotC won't be changing these specific humanoid-animal races because they have prior mythological notoriety. But to be honest, one could make that excuse for every humanoid-animal race. There are a lot of Mythos that exist throughout the world, and finding a name for every humanoid-animal race wouldn't take too long if someone took the task seriously. I say this to show it doesn't feel like a really consistent or genuine reason to resist a rule that WotC is taking big lengths to adhere to (they are doing errata, which you've said is something that isn't done lightly).However, my biggest issue comes down to consistency with this "rule" you are mentioning. WotC changed Cephalids, Viashino, and probably Homarids soon so that they would fall in line with a rule that WotC wants to follow. Nothing drives me more insane than a rule that isn't applied equally to all, especially when as I mentioned above, the reasoning for the exception doesn't feel like a particularly strong one; at the very least, it doesn't feel strong enough to resist a rule WotC is taking seriously enough to errata 100's of cards so they fall in-line with said rule.I try to be open-minded as often as possible, but even after mulling over the things you've mentioned here on Blogatog, I don't think there is anything you can say that will change my mind on this. I suppose I will just have to sit and wait patiently until ya'll decide to finally finish what you started.Yours Truly,A fellow Ape

The thing you’re missing is the bar is not “does a mythological version exist anywhere in the world?” The question we ask - “is there a popular and well known version of it?”Here’s a different way to think of it. If we picked 100 random people (not specifically Magic players) and gave them a list of creature types, which ones are words they know and which ones aren’t?Some they wouldn’t know because they’re made up things we created that have no well known equivalent. Outside of those, we want to use words people recognize. It makes the game more resonant and lowers the barrier to entry. Our fanciful made-up terminology does have a place - in names and flavor text (aka the text areas focused on flavor). In mechanical rules space, familiarity is more important.

In the new update, Cephalids have become Octopi, Viashino into Lizards, and Naga into Snakes. Why have Homarids not followed suit?

If Homarids return, I believe they will.

With Viashno no longer in use… are Homarids in danger?

Viashino are still in use. It’s what they are called and will be used in names and flavor text. All that’s changing is it’s not going to be used as a creature type, opting for Lizard instead. I do expect us to change Homarids if we put them in a new set.

Wouldn’t printing Brushwagg Homarids put Magic at risk of needing to push the minimum age up past “13-and-up”?

We’re being edgier. And pointier.

on homarids:

1. They shouldn't be changed into crabs because they're lobsters.
2. "I don't understand all the doom and gloom about the future of the IP! Anyway we're removing all terms unique to it from the game".

1. I can’t speak to crab vs. lobster. Both would be considered.2. Changing creature types is not removing the words from the game. Card names and flavor text will still use the words.

With Viashino going away in favor of Lizard as a race, was there any consideration to replace the Homarid creature type with Crab?

There is talk about that.

Just saw Deepmuck Desperado - again, thank you for a new Homarid. Question - That's the last two homarids that both involve milling, is that all homarids can do now?

No.

I am EXCEPTIONALLY excited to see "Homarid Mercenary" in your teaser list for OTJ, I've been waiting for new Homarids for years. Thanks Mark!

You’re welcome.

Just putting my two cents in here before it inevitably happens but I would be incredibly angry if cephalids (less so but also for homarids and viashino) if they were eliminated

Cephalids have no fear of going away. The question is what their creature type is.