Illusionary Mask

Complexity's Role

Additional pieces and complexity have always been part of the game, in Alpha ,The Hive made tokens; Clockwork Beast, Cyclopean Tomb, Fungusaur, Gaea's Liege, Living Artifact, Rock Hydra and Scavaging Ghoul used counters of some kind. In the same set Aspect of Wolf, Fireball, Gaea's Liege and Personal Incarnation involve fractions with rounding up and down(many players still have some difficulty using these cards) and then just out right comp lexity, Camouflage, Illusionary Mask, Lich,Raging River and Word of Command. Not to mention Banding, Protection, interrupt batches, tapped artifacts turning off, tapped blockers dealing no damage, in addition to individual card interactions. This game has always been complex and drawn on other components outside of just the cards. All to the enrichment of its players. Do you think without the conceit of this complexity as many early board, minature, rpg, card game players would have been drawn to this azmazing game?

I think complexity is more feature than bug, but it’s still a dangerous force to be used carefully.

Artifacts Aspect of Wolf Banding Batches Beast Camouflage Clockwork Beast Cyclopean Tomb Fireball Fungusaur Gaea's Liege Hydra Illusionary Mask Incarnation Lich Living Artifact Personal Incarnation Protection Raging River Rock Hydra The Hive Tokens Wolf Word of Command

Point of Expansion Symbol

According to the gatherer entry on Illusionary Mask "While the creature card is face down, it’s a 2/2 creature with no name, mana cost, color, creature type, abilities, or expansion symbol. Since it has no mana cost, its mana value is 0." Why is expansion symbol included if it doesn't have any in-game meaning?

At the time that was written, it might have mattered. It no longer does and no one has felt the need to rewrite it as it not having one causes no problems.

Colors Creatures Illusionary Mask Mana Mana Value Set Symbols

Complex Rules and Card Bans

There's a pretty healthy number of cards that cause general rules complexity for their own sake. Graveyard order matters, Apocalypse Chime, Circling Vultures, Word of Command, Illusionary Mask, etc. Are there any ideas in R&D or WotC to ban or errata these kinds of effects to make the rules and processes of the game that much smoother?

Many of the things you’re talking about, we’ve removed from the game, so in the vast majority of formats, they are no longer a thing. One of the downsides to eternal formats is that things seldom leave.

Apocalypse Apocalypse Apocalypse Chime Bannings Circling Vultures Errata Eternal Game Design Illusionary Mask Rules The Graveyard Wizards of the Coast Word of Command

Psychic Network and Aeather Vortex

What happens when psychic network and yet another aether vortex are in play at the same time?

It gets weird. You can have permanents on the battlefield, but not be aware what they are. It’s kind of like how Illusionary Mask and Camouflage originally worked except it’s flipped in that everyone *but* you knows what it is.

Camouflage Illusionary Mask Permanents Psychic Network Yet Another Aether Vortex

Morph Mechanic Trivia

Hello Mark, I hope you're having a nice day! I would like to invoke THE SACRED RITES OF BIRTHDAY TRIVIA and get some trivia on the Morph mechanic please!

When the rules team first came up with morph (while solving The rules for Illusionary Mask and Camouflage) there idea was a 1/1 for 2. I suggesting making it a 2/2 for 3.Happy Birthday!

Birthday Illusionary Mask Mechanics Morph Rules Sacred Rites

Morph Mechanic Origins

May I ask but where did the inspiration for morph come from? It seems similar to the face up/down stuff in yugioh

It came from the rules team figuring out how to make Illusionary Mask and Camouflage actually work.

Illusionary Mask Morph Rules

Morph Mechanic Trivia

Hey Maro, yesterday was my 21th birthday! can we get some trivia on the morph mechanic during Onslaught?

When the Rules Committee first pitched the idea of Morph to me (based on a solution to a Illusionary Mask rules issue), it was a 1/1 creature that costs 2. I suggested the change to 2/2 and 3 mana. Happy Birthday!

Birthday Creatures Illusionary Mask Mana Mark Rosewater Mechanics Morph Onslaught Rules

Early Templating Quirks

Having some magic nostalgia, I looked back at illusionary mask. Noticed something weird. Normally when you have a replacement ability with an or in the result you choose the result right? "When you would take damage, instead discard a card or take 1 poison counter" or something. But illusionary mask says "when one of these things happen, instead, flip it up and do one of these things" without forcing one, so in terms of written rules, isn't it allowing you to swap taking damage for being tapped?

Don’t confuse early Magic templating with actual templating. : )

Discard Illusionary Mask Poison Rules Templating

Canadian Thanksgiving and Morph

Did you take yesterday off to celebrate Canadian Thanksgiving? Also, any trivia on the origins of Morph in Magic?

My kids were off school so it must have been Canadian Thanksgiving. : ) Morph trivia - The mechanic was created when the rules team was trying to make the cards Illusionary Mask and Camouflage work. They came up with the idea that a facedown creature had a locked power/toughness and that inspired them to come up with morph. The rules team’s original version was a 1/1 for 2, but I convinced them to change it to a 2/2 for 3.

Birthday Canada Creatures Illusionary Mask Mechanics Morph Rules

Morph Mechanic Limits

I read your answer to someone else's question about what if everything could be played face-down, and only morph guys could flip. I'd like you to look at Ixidron and Illusionary Mask - I believe the mask does essentially what the questioner asked, but with some added effects of allowing your face-downs to flip if damaged or tapped, and without costing a blanket of 3. It's a nightmare of a card to read, but the idea is there and I feel could be refined into something workable.

The question was could we change morph to do that? The answer was no. Can Magic make a card that can do it is a completely different question.

Illusionary Mask Ixidron Morph Nightmare

Origins of Morph

I am very excited about the return of morph and to see the new designs you have worked up. I was wondering who designed morph in onslaught?

The Rules Team came up with it after they solved the problem of Camouflage and Illusionary Mask by defining what a facedown creature was. My contribution to morph was that when they pitched it to me, it was a 1/1 for 2 and I convinced them to change it to a 2/2 for 3. I also fought to get it into Onslaught.

Creatures Illusionary Mask Morph Onslaught Rules Solved

Face Down Cards Rule

Mark... Why are all face down cards 2/2 creatures? Is it simply because wotc has yet to use a non-morph mechanic that uses face down cards or is there some weird interaction that needs the rule? If you're unsure, who else could I ask? Thank you.

The rules need to define a facedown card as a constant thing. This was originally done to make the cards Illusionary Mask and Camouflage work. The rules team then came up with the original version of morph as a means to take advantage of the rule. Long story short, we can do other things with a facedown card but it’s in the rules a 2/2 colorless creature.

Appreciation Colorless Creatures Illusionary Mask Mechanics Morph Rules Story / Lore Wizards of the Coast

Morph Mechanic Origins

Was Illusionary Mask the inspiration for morph?

Basically. The Rules Team was trying to find a way to make Illusionary Mask and Camouflage work. Once they realized that the key was to define a facedown card as a colorless 1/1 creature, it led them to the morph mechanic. The Rules Team was very excited by this mechanic idea and pitched it to different members of R&D. I was the first one that took an interest in the mechanic. I did suggest one change. Instead of a 1/1 for 2, I suggested a 2/2 for 3. I then make some cards with the mechanic (including the first morph cards with reveal triggers) and played them with various members of R&D. I eventually managed to sway enough people that I convinced the powers that be to put it into Onslaught.

Colorless Creatures Illusionary Mask Mechanics Morph Onslaught Rules Triggered Abilities

Morph Rules

Does having morph in the rule set not allow you to put any other card into play face down to do something different? Like if you wanted to make a cycle of cards that lets you put them face down for a cost and then allow them to tap for a colorless?

The rules define a face down creature as a colorless 2/2. Morph didn’t make that happen. Morph came to take advantage of those rules which were made to make Illusionary Mask and Camouflage work. So yes, this means we are not allowed to define face down cards as anything else.

Colorless Creatures Cycles Illusionary Mask Morph Rules Tap / Untap

Morph Mechanic Origins

Does morph prevent the usage of face down cards? If it does what do you think you would have done with that design space now?

A face down card is defined by the rules as a 2/2 colorless creature. Note that Morph didn’t make that so it just took advantage of the rule that did. The cards responsible are actually Camouflage and Illusionary Mask both from Alpha.

Alpha Colorless Creatures Design Space Illusionary Mask Morph Rules

Morph's Origin

This is a dumb question, but was Morph influenced by Yu-Gi-Oh? Or am I just drawing baseless comparisons?

Morph came about because the Rules Team came up with an interesting way to make Camouflage and Illusionary Mask work. They then realized that this new rule can be the cornerstone of a new mechanic. The Rules Team pitched it to R&D and the rest is history.

Illusionary Mask Mechanics Morph Rules