Lifeforce

Planar Chaos Possibility

Along similar lines, do you see a possibility for more Planar Chaos fun in Magic's future? Seeing colors do things they don't usually do is always entertaining. I'm especially enjoying looking at older sets and seeing how the color pie "used" to work, before the rules were more formalized and documented (cards like Lifeforce, Tsunami, and Deathgrip being some more extreme examples).

We don’t want to make a set where colors are breaking color pie, or even bending it too much in aggregate. That said, there is potential for a set where we shift things into colors that can do things, but haven’t had as much chance to do them.

Color Pie Colors Deathgrip Lifeforce Planar Chaos Rules Tsunami

Spell Destruction Mechanics

how did destroying a spell work with deathgrip/lifeforce using the original mtg rules?

I think it just countered it.

Deathgrip Lifeforce Mechanics Rules

Color Hate and Bending Rules

How much can color hate allow a color to bend/break? I know Lifeforce itself wouldn't be in the color pie for Green today, but it seems very similar to Veil of Summer.

Very early Magic allowed a color to get the abilities of its enemies when hating upon it. We stopped doing that pretty quickly.

Bend / Break Color Pie Colors Green Lifeforce Rules Veil of Summer

About Enemy Color Hate Cards

are enemy color hate cards not something we're likely to see anymore? talking about cards like Pyroblast, red elemental blast, Deathgrip, Lifeforce, gloom and so on.

We still make enemy color hate cards from time to time. They’re not as powerful as the ones in early Magic and they all have to be effects that are in color.

Colors Deathgrip Elemental Gloom Lifeforce Pyroblast Red Red Elemental Blast

Green's Iconic Mirrored Pairs

Red and Blue had the blasts and Black and White had the knights. Iconic mirrored pairs that have been referenced several times. But why didnt green get a card like this?

It did. Lifeforce and Tsunami. The first mirrored with Deathgrip..The second was paired with Lifetap (a very loose mechanical pairing admittedly).

Black Blue Deathgrip Green Knight Lifeforce Lifetap Red Tsunami White

Enemy Mirrors Possibility

Lifeforce / Deathgrip, White Knight / Black Knight, Blue Elemental Blast / Red Elemental Blast. These mirror images were nice ways of showing the colours in opposition without it being mistaken for a cycle. Would you do such things again (without colour pie violation or as severe hosing) as a way to show enemy colours?

We do enemy mirrors from time to time.

Black Black Knight Blue Blue Elemental Blast Colors Cycles Deathgrip Elemental Knight Lifeforce Red Red Elemental Blast White White Knight

Card Rarity and Design

Are cards like "lifeforce" and "deathgrip" hard breaks in today's standards? And would you still categorize them as rares?

They are color pie breaks. Their rarity is none as we wouldn’t do them now.

Color Pie Colors Deathgrip Lifeforce Rares Rarity

Green Counterspell Mechanics

RE: Green counterspells. Would you classify effects like Lifeforce and Autumnal Veil within green's acceptable space to "counter"?

Lifeforce is a color pie break while Autumn’s Veil is in color pie. “Can’t be countered” and granting hexproof (which is essentially what Veil does) can be done in green.

Color Pie Colors Green Hexproof Lifeforce

Alpha Color Hosers

Original Alpha color hosers were brutal, but most of them seem like color pie breaks today. Would any of them still fit in the color pie today? (FYI: Karma, Conversion, BEB, Lifetap, Deathgrip, Gloom, REB, Flashfires, Lifeforce, Tsunami)

Richard’s original vision was that colors could use their enemies’ abilities to hose them. That hasn’t been true for most the life of the game.

Alpha Color Pie Colors Deathgrip Flashfires Lifeforce Lifetap

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