Khans of Tarkir

Power Level Adjustment in Sets

Set B "obsoletes" set A is a strong word, but let's focus a moment on pioneer, not very old vintage cards. I have a database of "top playables" in pioneer, restarted after every banning. Cards get into list based on certain number of appearances in goldfish's tournament winners, but criteria is equal to all cards. 9 OG Theros cards are on the list, 5 KTK cards. 4 RTR cards (+ shocks) 21 MKM cards are. 20 LCI cards. 13 OTJ. New sets have vastly more cards in list, thus are stronger.

The switch for a Standard-focus to an Eternal-focus forced us to up the overall power level of premier sets in Throne of Eldraine, so yes, Throne of Eldraine and sets after do have an overall high power level. That wasn’t set by set creep though, but a conscious one-time adjustment.

Bannings Format Legality Khans of Tarkir Murders at Karlov Manor Outlaws of Thunder Junction Pioneer Power Level Premier Sets Premier Sets Return to Ravnica The Lost Caverns of Ixalan Theros Throne of Eldraine Throne of Eldraine Vintage

Results of Top-Down/Bottom-Up Poll

Now that the polls are closed on your "Top Down/Bottom Up" questions, may you please reveal the correct answers?

Here are the results of the poll: Ixalan Top-down: 38.9%*Bottom-up: 61/.1Strixhaven School of Mages*Top-down: 54.7%Bottom-up: 45.3%Phyrexia: All Will Be One*Top-down: 51.8%Bottom-up: 48.2%The answer is all three sets were bottom-up designs. Ixalan was built as a typal set making use of the two two-color and two-three color faction structure we had originally planned to use for Khans of Tarkir.Strixhaven was built as an enemy-colored faction set with an emphasis on “instants and sorceries” matter.Phyrexia: All Will Be One was built around making poison structurally work. All three sets had strong flavor components that we integrated into the design, but the structure of all three had a mechanical core. The easiest way to think about this is that if you take a top-down set and remove all the flavor components (names, art, creature types, flavor text, etc.) the structure will just seem like random mechanical elements were thrown together while a bottom-up set will have an orderly structure.

Art Bottom Up Colors Creatures Factions Flavor Flavor Text Instants Ixalan Khans of Tarkir Kindred / Typal Phyrexia: All Will Be One Poison Sorceries Top Down

Totem vs Umbra Armor Difference

Is there a difference I'm not seeing between totem and umbra armor? If not, why the rebrand?

Here’s the article that talks about it:
Card Updates Coming with Khans of Tarkir on MTG Arena

Khans of Tarkir Magic Arena

Evaluating Multi-colored Card Representations

"As I explained in the episode, it’s hard for every multicolor card to mechanically represent every color." I realize not every card needs to follow the rule, but that wasn't my question. My question was whether you would agree that this card doesn't follow the rule. That said, I did feel that since there were few actual multicolor cards in KTK, that you could have done better than this. Not every multicolor card needs to follow the rule, but was it so hard to make 4 rare Jeskai cards that did?

The card does not mechanically represent all three colors. It is quite hard to make elegant three-color cards that strongly hit all three colors.

Colors Jeskai (U/R/W) Khans of Tarkir Rares Rules

Arena Drafts Format

I've enjoyed Khans of Tarkir on Arena more than I did any of the remastered sets on Arena (Innistrad, Kaladesh, Amonkhet). The remastered sets played pretty differently in limited than the original versions, so they didn't do a good job of capturing the nostalgia I was looking for. If more old sets get released on Arena, I'd prefer that they be the original sets rather than remastered versions.

What do others think?
Which do you prefer on Arena drafts?Exact reprint drafts Remastered drafts See Results

Amonkhet Blogatog / Tumblr Card Printing Innistrad Kaladesh Khans of Tarkir Limited Magic Arena Reprints

Typal Draft Archetypes

Hi Mark! Next time you talk about typal draft archetypes on your podcast, could you talk about the creatures that dont get the type that matters? The berserkers in KTK that could have been warriors, the soldiers in ELD etc.

If every creature is the relevant type, we might as well just say “creature”. The reason typal is interesting for design is that it makes players evaluate cards differently.

Berserker Creatures Draft Formats Drive to Work Khans of Tarkir Kindred / Typal Soldier Throne of Eldraine Warrior

Older Sets on Arena

With tarkir appearing on arena, has there been any consideration for other older sets, such as lorwyn making an appearance? I think arena handling the interaction would make Clash a more fun mechanic as it would speed up the process, and I’d love to have more kindred effects to play with. Kindred is my favorite style of play ❤️ And those sweet, sweet filter lands.

The reason they were able to do Khans of Tarkir was that’s what they coded to test Arena way back in the very beginning. That means it was basically already done, so came with very little coding needs.

Clash Khans of Tarkir Kindred / Typal Lands Lorwyn Magic Arena Mechanics

Angelic Hosts & Tarkir Clans

I would like to invoke my right to Birthday Trivia!Would you mind sharing some information about the angelic hosts of Innistrad, or about the way that the Tarkir clans lost their enemy colors?

The original plan for Khans of Tarkir block was that it would start out with wedge clans and end with enemy-colored clans. The problem is the core to drafting wedge it drafting enemy colors, so the two drafts worked too similarly. That’s why we changed to make it all-colored clans.Happy Birthday!

Birthday Colors Innistrad Khans of Tarkir

Morph Variant Possibilities

Mark, could non-creature permanents have a morph variant if they became creatures if their morph cost was paid?

The rules can allow noncreatures to be cast facedown as 2/2 creatures. Turning them into creatures when you unmorph them is a bit trickier. During Khans of Tarkir block, we tried all sorts of morph variants, including noncreature ones. They didn’t play great.

Creatures Khans of Tarkir Morph Morph Non-creatures Permanents Rules

Collectors Vs Players

I don't see the point in worrying about collectors. this is a game meant to be played. Not ot mention I don't think a reprint undermines their collection. They still have all the cards. Plus it's not like a reprint set can't be different. Khans of tarkir(2023) wouldn't have the 2014 copyright year on it. There you go all you collectors.

Much of Magic’s success is tied to the fact that it’s a game and a collectible. The majority of our decisions prioritize the game aspect, but some have to prioritize the collector aspect.

Card Printing Khans of Tarkir Reprints

Sultai Brood Origins

Hi Mark,I've successfully entered my fifth decade of life and wish to invoke the rite of birthday trivia, pretty please. What've you got on The Sultai Brood?

Khans of Tarkir was originally going to be four factions, two two-color and two three-color. That is until the creative team came up with the Sultai Brood. Brady Dommermuth, the then creative director, begged me to add it. I did, but realized that if we went to five factions, we’d have to change the colors to all have the same number of colors. That became wedge as it’s the one mix we hadn’t done before. I would later us the original faction color breakdown in Ixalan.Happy Birthday!

Birthday Colors Factions Ixalan Khans of Tarkir Sultai (B/G/U)

Khans of Tarkir Arena

A think a HUGE announcement thats gotten buried underneath all the new sets: KHANS OF TARKIR is coming to Arena, not remastered but in full!!! A HUGE high five to everyone who made this happen, it must have been such an undertaking!!

High fives to be applied.

High Fives Khans of Tarkir Magic Arena

Tarkir Clan Trivia

Hi, Mark. I'm trying to get my birthday trivia for a few days but I'm being unlucky. So, let me ask something different. Any trivia about Mardu or Abzan, my favorite Tarkir clans and color combinations?

Mardu was the first clan to get its keyword in Khans of Tarkir design and Abzan the last. Happy Birthday!

Abzan (W/B/G) Birthday Colors Keywords Khans of Tarkir Mardu (R/W/B)

Megamorph Keyword Explained

Just saw a question about Morph, which reminded me of Megamorph. What is/was the thought process behind making it its own keyword?Would it ever return? Return with a variation (like with Hideaway X or Amass *Zombies* X)?

It was done because of the structure of the Khans of Tarkir block. With 20/20 hindsight, it needed to be a bit more different from normal Morph. My favorite was the variant where you paid 3 for a face down 2/2 with a +1/+1 counter.

Amass Hideaway Keywords Khans of Tarkir Morph Zombie

Tarkir Clan Color Logic

If the Sultai were created through the “wedge” combination by combining green with the enemy colors black and blue, then why are they black-dominant and not green? The same goes for the other clans of Tarkir. Does this have some kind of color pie significance?

Khans of Tarkir, at the start of the block, had wedge clans. Dragons of Tarkir, at the end of the block had ally clans. We wanted each clan (the core concept, not the exact colors) to exist in all three sets of the block. The only was to do that was by having a color that wasn’t the enemy color be the center as the enemy color was the color that dropped out.

Ally Black Blue Color Pie Colors Dragons of Tarkir Green Khans of Tarkir Sultai (B/G/U)

Visiting Different Timelines

Hey Mark, dominaria united showed us that we can visit a plane in some different timelines. Can you please share with us if this is something we are likely to see again/with some frequency?
I imagine there is a fanbase with big affective memory for sets like khans of tarkir which have timelines forever changed. Although the future of Tarkir is yet to be presented and surely to bring fun news, id say it would be very fun to visit the past as well

The past is not off limits, but there is a higher bar to cross. The past of Tarkir is not the previous timeline.

Dominaria United Khans of Tarkir

Khans of Tarkir Trivia

Hey mark! I wish to invoke birthday trivia! Can you tell me anything about my favourite block, Khans of Tarkir?

It didn’t have that name until very close to us announcing it. Something came up and we had to change it last minute. We did look into calling it Mongseng, but were unable.Happy Birthday!

Birthday Khans of Tarkir

Diversity in Limited Play

Rise of the Eldrazi, Khans of Tarkir, and the first Innistrad all beloved for their limited play. Which all had something in common which was good early blocking and narrow answers at common to let mechanics shine. Most limited sets lately are geared for aggro to be supreme. Do players dislike when limited games go long or are grindy?

Tempest, original Zendikar, and Amonkhet are also loved for their limited play. Different players like different limited environments, so we push the pendulum around to change things up. Not all the recent limited environments are fast.

Amonkhet Blocking Eldrazi Innistrad Khans of Tarkir Limited Mechanics Rise of the Eldrazi Tempest Zendikar

Timeline Speculation

"Poisonous didn't work the way we wanted and it was on only two cards, future-shifted 'maybe one days these cards might exist' no less."
Maybe the future All Will Be One set those poisonous cards were supposed to be in was also lost when the timeline switched from Khans of Tarkir to Dragons of Tarkir?

: )

Dragons of Tarkir Humor Khans of Tarkir Poisonous

Tarkir Timeline Status

Does the Khans of Tarkir timeline have a different number on the Rabiah Scale from the Dragons of Tarkir Timeline?

The Khans of Tarkir timeline no longer exists. Tarkir is the Dragons of Tarkir timeline.

Dragons of Tarkir Khans of Tarkir Rabiah Scale