Manabarbs

Power 9 Game Impact

Why would Magic with the Power 9 as normal cards imply turn 1 wins? If players are expected to have those cards, wouldn't Magic then evolve in a way that mitigates the imbalances they can create? I'd imagine corresponding hate in the form of Leyline effects, uncounterable Black Vise and Ugin's Nexus variants, a more vicious version of Manabarbs that hits artifact mana, and so on.

Yes, Magic would evolve to a game that’s not about actually playing the cards but trying to get the card that shuts down the opponent’s strategy first. That game system would appeal to a tiny fraction of Magic’s audience and the game would die off because a trading card game needs a threshold of revenue to support the work needed to create and balance it.

Artifacts Black Black Vise Evolve Gates Gates Keyword Actions Mana Manabarbs Power 9 Threshold Ugin's Nexus

Red Enchantment Hate

Could red get enchantment hate in the form of damaging the opponent for using them? Kind of like Manabarbs or Obsidian Fireheart, but for enchantments.

Possibly.

Enchantments Manabarbs Obsidian Fireheart Red

Attrition Card Design

I love attrition cards like manabarbs. My favorite is spiteful visions, which won me a game tonight. What limits us from getting more of these?

We’ve do with them what we do with anything we know is loved but only by a small segment of the audience - we make them infrequently, but when we do make them we try to make sure they will be something that subset will enjoy.

Attrition Manabarbs Spiteful Visions Visions

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