Magical Hacker

Magical Hacker's Effects

Hello! Does Magical Hacker cause infect creatures to deal damage in the form of +1/+1 counters?

Yes, it can do that.

Creatures Deal Damage Infect Magical Hacker

War of the Spark Thanks

Thank you for working on War of the Spark. And, also thank you for Magical Hacker. : )

You’re welcome.

Appreciation Magical Hacker War of the Spark

Magic Hack Query

If I use magical hacker to change "six-sided die" to "six+sided die", what do I do?

That’s a hyphen and not a minus sign. Sorry.

Magical Hacker Six-Sided Die

Magical Hacker Black Border

Is solving Magical Hacker for black border something R&D is actively keen on doing? That card is my favorite combo piece that has never been printed.

Usually cards are in silver border because we can’t do them in black border.

Black Black Border Card Printing Game Design Magical Hacker Un-Magic / Silver Border / Acorn Un-sets

Teenagers in Un-set

You could do teenagers in the next un-set : )

Magical Hacker was designed as a Teenage Human Gamer but, at the time, the one impact silver border had on black border was the creature types so I limited how many silly ones I made. Shortly after Unhinged came out, they changed the rules so silver border-only creature types no longer can be chosen in black border when choosing a creature type. So close.

Black Black Border Creatures Gamer Human Limited Magical Hacker Rules Unhinged Un-Magic / Silver Border / Acorn Un-Magic / Silver Border / Acorn Un-sets

Magical Hacker Limitations

Dear Maro, since you are the official rules manager of the un-sets, I have a question for you about Magical Hacker and levelers. I know that "3+" on Skywatcher Adept means "As long as this creature has 3 or more level counters on it, it's 4/2 and has flying", so what happens if I change "3+" to "3-" with Magical Hacker?

Magical Hacker can only mess with rules text and not frame elements so it cannot change the level-up numbers or planeswalker loyalty costs.

Card Frames Creatures Flying Magical Hacker Mark Rosewater Planeswalkers Rules Skywatcher Adept Un-Magic / Silver Border / Acorn Un-sets

Teenager Creature Type

You really have to make teenager a creature type so that Mistform Ultimus is finally a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle.

I almost did it in Unhinged with Magical Hacker, but at the time Un-creature types were active in black border so I was keeping new ones to a minimum. Then after it came out, they stopped making Un-ones black border relevant.

Black Black Border Creatures Magical Hacker Mistform Ultimus Mutant Ninjas Turtle Unhinged

Magical Hacker's Border

Magical Hacker has an odd ability, but is it doable in black-border? If so, is it still blue? It seems blue, but I could also imagine it on one of red's weird enchantments. It would need a new flavor in red, though.

Usually a card that seems close to a black border but is in a silver border is because I tried and failed to do it in a black border. Magical Hacker is one such card.

Black Black Border Blue Enchantments Flavor Magical Hacker Red Un-Magic / Silver Border / Acorn Un-sets

Teenage Subtype Request

Please make sure a card with the creature subtype, "teenage" or "teenager."

Magical Hacker was almost a Teenage Gamer but at the time the Un-creature types were actually used in black border so I tried hard not to make too many crazy ones. They late excised all un-creature types from the official list so I should have just used Teenage. The reason players want “teenage” for those that are puzzled is so that changelings would be Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Black Black Border Creatures Gamer Magical Hacker Mutant Ninjas Subtype Turtle

Black Border Possibilities

Could a card like Magical Hacker or Togglodyte be printed in a black border set?

Not currently. Maybe one day. What’s considered acceptable for black border keeps changing.

Black Black Border Card Printing Magical Hacker Togglodyte

Magical Hacker Realization

Could Magical Hacker work in black border? I don't see any real rules issues, and I think it could be a lot of fun!

I tried to do the card in black border and was told I could not. That’s why it’s in silver border.

Black Black Border Magical Hacker Rules Un-Magic / Silver Border / Acorn Un-sets

Meta-humor Cards

To clarify: I love the metahumor, but done in a way that lets the cards still feel natural alongside other Magic cards. Magical Hacker just feels awkward put next to "real" cards, whereas Pygmy Giant's flavor text was hilarious to me, and things like breaking the card frame/Greater Morphling's fourth-wall allusion are enjoyable. Granted, I assume that there are other players love the sort of genre-breaking stuff I dislike, and I'm being sorta unclear, so I almost feel guilty bringing this up!

How many people would be upset if a third Un-set didn’t have a creature representing Spike? (Unglued had Timmy and Unhinged had Johnny.) That’s meta-humor. It’s not remotely in game.

Card Frames Creatures Flavor Giant Greater Morphling Humor Johnny / Jenny Magical Hacker Pygmy Giant Spike Timmy / Tammy Unglued Unhinged Un-Magic / Silver Border / Acorn Un-sets Wall

Un-Sets Meta-Humor

Actually, I feel the same way about the Un-Sets as the other poster does. I think they're funny, but certain cards bend the aesthetic/flavor too far. For example, Magical Hacker is one of my least favorite Un-Cards, solely because of the genre-breaking art. I feel like you should treat real world references in Un-sets the same as you do in normal sets: Create your own spin on them. The art can be super silly, and way out of normal MTG style, but I don't like seeing computers in MTG.

Un-sets use meta-humor meaning in knows that Magic is a game. Do people not want meta-humor in their Un-sets?

Art Bend / Break Flavor Humor Magical Hacker Un-Magic / Silver Border / Acorn Un-sets

Magical Hacker Query

Does magical hacker effect wither? (does it count reminder text?) urgent! Thanks buddy!

No, Magical Hacker (as well as Magical Hack and Sleight of Mind) can only change rules text.

Magical Hacker Rules Sleight of Mind Wither

Teenager Creature Request

Small request - If you put a Creature with the type "Teenager" in the next Un-set, then Mistform Ultimus will be a Teenager Mutant Ninja Turtle. Can you please make this happen?

I almost put “Teenage” into Unhinged but ironically stopped because at the time Un set creature types impacted black border so I was limiting how many silly ones I had. Magical Hacker was Teenage for most of the file.

Black Black Border Creatures Magical Hacker Mistform Ultimus Mutant Ninjas Turtle Unhinged Un-Magic / Silver Border / Acorn Un-sets

Joke Behind Name

Regarding Magical Hacker I should note that in 5th Edition (and older editions too) there was in fact an instant (well, Interrupt) named Magical Hack that changed land types on spells.

For those that didn’t get the joke of the name Magical Hacker. : )

Humor Instants Lands Magical Hacker Spells

Magical Hacker's Realm

Can you clarify why Magical Hacker is in silver-bordered land? Aside from being an obvious Magical Hack parody, its got a fun effect that would make many Johnnies very happy.

I tried to do it in black border and the Rules Manager said, “What’s this silver-bordered card doing here?”

Black Black Border Lands Magical Hacker Rules

Magical Hacker Potential

Can Magical Hacker work in Black Border?

Usually the reason a card ends up in silver border is because it doesn’t or can’t work in black border. Sometimes time changes that. There are clearly cards in Unglued that couldn’t be black border when we printed it. What this all means is I’m not sure. I know when I tried to do this is black border many years ago, I was told I couldn’t. I’m not sure if anything has changed since then.

Black Black Border Card Printing Magical Hacker Unglued Un-Magic / Silver Border / Acorn Un-sets

Vorthos Ninja Turtles

I just realized that if you play Master Biomancer, then play Sakashima's Student as a copy of Horned Turtle, then Sakashima's Student becomes a Mutant Ninja Turtle. Thank you. I suppose if there needs to be a question here, is that the kind of thing Vorthos enjoys?

It is. If only I had made Magical Hacker (from Unhinged) a Human Teenage Gamer. It was that way for much of design.

Appreciation Gamer Horned Turtle Human Magical Hacker Master Biomancer Mutant Ninjas Sakashima's Student Turtle Unhinged Vorthos

Creature Type Projections

Could Magical Hacker be errata'd to have the teenage creature type now that Silver Border creature types don't affect Black Bordered?

I’m not sure making Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle happen is reason enough for errata. (Although I can dream of a world where it was.)

Black Black Border Creatures Errata Magical Hacker Mutant Ninjas Turtle Un-Magic / Silver Border / Acorn Un-sets