Imprison

Complex In-Universe Laws Limitations

If a work of fiction features such complex in universe laws of reality that there is no way to satisfy both Mel and Vorthos at the same time (like perhaps each person has a verb and a noun that are metaphysicaly connected to them and can do anything at all that can be described as [verb]ing the [noun] even metaphorically. Such as the one who steals breath being able to imprison people magically because breath is associated with freedom) does that make it less likely to get a Universes Beyond?

Can you give me an example from an actual property?

Imprison Melvin / Mel Universes Beyond Vorthos

Alternate Timeline Set

Has there ever been discussion of a set for alternate story timelines, like Planar Chaos but for the story instead of the mechanics? Like what if Gix had corrupted Urza instead of Mishra, what if Ugin didn't help imprison the Eldrazi and Sorin and Nahiri tried to kill them instead, what if the Blackblade actually was able to kill Bolas during War of the Spark, etc.?

It’s a frequent ask on Blogatog. What “what if” scenario would you most like to see on a card?

Corrupted Eldrazi Gix Imprison Mechanics Mishra Planar Chaos Story / Lore Urza War of the Spark War of the Spark

Ninja Imprisonment Query

If someone used ninjitsu to stealthily imprison people for their crimes, would they be white ninjas? Does ninjitsu necessarily involve assassination?

Ninjas aren’t known for imprisoning people.

Imprison Ninjas Ninjitsu White

Color Pie Bend

If blue can't transform a PW into a beast, is Imprisoned in the Moon a color pie break, or can blue transform Planeswalkers into lands? What other permanent types can blue transform them into?

Imprisoned in the Moon was a major bend for a big story point. It’s not something blue does with any regularity.

Beast Bend / Break Blue Color Pie Colors Imprisoned in the Moon Lands Planeswalkers Story / Lore Transform

Emrakul's Moon Activities

What's Emrakul doing while imprisoned in the moon?

A lot of embroidery.

Imprisoned in the Moon

Planeswalkers Destruction Color Pie

With Nissa's Defeat, every color can destroy Planeswalkers with spells in standard. G, B, U(Imprisoned in the Moon) directly, W (O-ring effects, Sweepers), R burn spells. Does this fit in your vision of the color pie?

Green could already destroy planeswalkers although the cards tended to say “noncreature permanent”. Blue is the bend that shouldn’t happen very often.

Bend / Break Blue Color Pie Colors Destroy Green Imprisoned in the Moon Nissa's Defeat Non-creatures Planeswalkers Spells Standard

Blue Aura Transformations

On the subject of Pognify and Rapid Hybridization, can Blue just start doing that via Auras? They already did that with Imprisoned in the Moon, and it addresses a major flavor concern, I.E. the creature isn't "destroyed" or "exiled", just changed, and the change is reversible, which means Blue continues to not have permanent super-answers to problems.

We can do that some of the time. The problem is the aura version is a lot wordier and harder to process for less enfranchised players, thus can’t be done at lower rarities.

Auras Blue Creatures Experienced / Enfranchised Players Flavor Imprisoned in the Moon Rapid Hybridization The Exile Zone

Council of Colors Disputes

Does the council of colors ever disagree with you about an effect? Like with Imprisoned in the Moon or Song of the Dryads? Is that how those cats made it to print? If there is a disagreement, is there a procedure for who has final say?

There are disagreements, but we have a system to resolve issues.

Card Printing Cat Colors Council of colors Dryad Imprisoned in the Moon Pop Culture Song of the Dryads

Blue Removal Critique

Why don't you like Imprisoned in the Moon? While it is a very powerful removal spell blue has tons of Aura based removal that remove a creature as a threat. Ice Cage, Claustrophobia, and are the weaker end Ice Over and Illusory Wrappings. It just seems strange that Blue, the color of transformation, can't get a Darksteel Mutation type effect.

If it just turned a creature into the moon, it wouldn’t even be a bend. It’s the other card types that push it into bend territory.

Auras Bend / Break Blue Card Types Card Types Claustrophobia Colors Creatures Darksteel Darksteel Mutation Ice Cage Ice Over Illusory Wrappings Imprisoned in the Moon

Color Misalignment

What color Should Imprisoned in the Moon have been in? Would it have been Green a la Song of the Dryads?

Green shouldn’t have had Song of the Dryads. It’s a break in green.

Bend / Break Colors Dryad Green Imprisoned in the Moon Pop Culture Song of the Dryads

Card Color Consistency

Why wasn't Imprisoned In The Moon shifted to another color if it's such a severe bend?

Because Tamiyo cast the spell and she’s base blue.

Bend / Break Blue Cast Colors Imprisoned in the Moon

Color Pie Controversy

Is imprisoned in the moon a color pie break? Blue turning threats into different threats is established, but turning threats into non-threats(lands) seems like it might not quite fit

It’s a pretty severe bend we allowed because it was the climax of the story. I’m not a fan of the card.

Bend / Break Blue Color Pie Colors Imprisoned in the Moon Lands Story / Lore

Color Identity Discussion

Imprisoned in the moon actually is a colour-shifted version of a green card, Song of the Dryads from a recent Commander product. How is it that this card is considered in-colour if Lignify (which I presume inspired it) is now a break?

Green likes things as they are.Blue likes to transform things into what it wants them to be.Thus, artificial transformation is blue not green.Red, as part of its flavor of chaos, changes either temporarily or “randomly” (aka in a means it can’t control).

Bend / Break Blue Colors Commander Dryad Flavor Green Imprisoned in the Moon Lignify Pop Culture Red Song of the Dryads Transform

Lignify's Color Pie Status

You said, "One of green’s biggest weakness is being unable to kill creatures without using its own creatures to do so. A creatureless green deck should be unable to answer troublesome creatures. Arachnid Web does exactly that and thus is a pretty major break." — What about Lignify, which turns a troublesome creature into a harmless one? If that's okay, could Imprisoned in the Moon be color-shifted into green?

Regular readers know I also consider Lignify a color pie break for green.

Color Pie Colors Creatures Green Imprisoned in the Moon Lignify

Color Pie Bend

If transforming creatures into something else a blue thing, why is imprisoned in the moon a color pie bend?

Blue normally transforms creatures into other creatures.

Bend / Break Blue Color Pie Colors Creatures Imprisoned in the Moon

Story Team Props

Also, I'd like to give props to the story team for making the "spoiled" plot points from the cards (anguished unmaking, imprisoned in the moon) different when they come along in the story than they actually seemed on the card. I don't normally read the story, but reading those two articles was worth it because i came away with a different perception on the block than i had before i read them. Well done.

I’ll pass along your kind words.

Anguished Unmaking Imprisoned in the Moon Plot Story / Lore Well Done

EMN Story Handling

I really like how the story was handled in EMN, with very broad strokes being covered in cards like Imprisoned in the Moon, but with the online portions filling in details or even changing the implications of events with those extra details.

I have some good news for you… : )

Imprisoned in the Moon Story / Lore

Storytelling Feedback

I was really hyped to find out the "truth" behind Innistrads madness and I was REALLY into the story right up until Imprisoned in the Moon was spoiled. I have not kept up since. I assume curiosity will get the better of me and I'll read them at some point, but I REALLY don't like getting key story elements out of context. Where in market research do my feelings fall?

The story team has made a lot of changes in the last few years about how we tell story, so it’s tricky tracking the impact of individual elements.Here’s what we do know. Story is up. *Way* up. A lot more people are both paying attention to story and are aware of the story. I think your issue has to do with the latter.For many years, we pulled the story out of the cards because we wanted the story to not be spoiled. The end result was that most players simply didn’t know the story.Since we’ve put it back in, awareness is significantly up and we attribute a good portion of our current success to the fact that the players are now more aware that the story exists. So, to answer your question, to the best of our ability to interpret the market research and other data, yes it is working and working very well.

Imprisoned in the Moon Into the Story Madness Story / Lore

Emrakul Spoiler Reception

Can we get high fives to the story writing team and card development team? Imprisoned in the Moon spoiled the end of Emrakul's involvement on Innistrad, but didn't spoil what that actually meant. Good job folks!

High fives will be applied. #WotCStaff

High Fives Imprisoned in the Moon Innistrad Story / Lore

Pre-release Events

At my pre-release, zero Emrakuls were Imprisoned in the Moon, but several Tamiyo's were. What gives?

No story purists in your store? : )

Imprisoned in the Moon Limited Story / Lore