Meld

Possible Meld Cards and Allies

Hi Mark, can I have a maybe on more meld cards, which are not restrictive to two cards but one card can be melded with more than one to increase playability of the mechanic!?!?! And can I have a maybe on more allies even in a supplemental set?!?

Maybe. : )And, maybe. : )

Ally Humor Mechanics Meld

Balancing Mechanics and Flavor Text

Why couldn’t you just add the unique interaction with meld that I mentioned to Saw in Half while keeping the flavor text?what’s stopping it from having both things?

Doing what you’re asking would take a bunch of words. Too many words and flavor text doesn’t fit.

Flavor Text Mechanics Meld Saw in Half

Consideration for Extra Flavor Text

Not making saw in half have a special interaction with meld to split the card into the ones that make it up is a missed opportunity

There’s always text we can add to a card to add an extra pinch of flavor. Our concern is is that extra text worth the words it takes? How often will it matter? How much confusion does it add? What does the card lose (like flavor text) if we add it?Is the concept cool as an idea? Sure. Would have been worth being on the card? I believe no.

Flavor Flavor Text Meld Saw in Half

Melding Instants/Sorceries Technology

Is the technology there for Instants and Sorceries to Meld with a permanent? Something worded like "-Then, if you control [CARDNAME], exile it and this card then return them to the battlefield melded with Y."

Theoretically, I think we can do it.

Instants Meld Sorceries The Exile Zone

Emrakul and Brisela Decision

Why wasn't there a Meld Emrakul in Eldritch Moon, though?

There was only one rare/mythic rare Meld pair and the story strongly wanted it to be Brisela. (It was two known creatures that literally melded together to make a new creature.)

Creatures Eldritch Moon Meld Mythic Rares Rares Story / Lore

No Meld in Modern Horizons III

Why wasn't Emrakul, arguably the biggest baddest creature in Magic, not chosen to be represented by a larger-than-life meld card?

The Modern Horizons III team didn’t opt to do any Meld cards.

Creatures Meld Modern Horizons

Meld Cards in MH3 Design

Hi Mark,Were meld cards ever considered for MH3?

I do believe other DFC designs were made in vision design. I’’m not sure if that included Meld. It might have.

Dual Faced Cards Meld Modern Horizons 3 Vision Design

Double Faced Card Rules

Hi Mark, can the rules currently support multiple Double Faced cards with the same front but different backs, OR multiple Double Faced cards with different fronts and the same backs (not like a meld, but identical back faces)?

As an example, say 4 cards that were the same card on the front, but 4 different alternate versions on the back, like a D&D druid with 4 different wild shape variations, OR 4 cards that were different creatures on the front, but the back were all the same legendary shapeshifter (Ovar, Lazav, etc), and the backs were identical.

The rules can’t support same front differential back, but can, hypothetically, support different fronts, same back.

Creatures Druid Dungeons & Dragons Meld Rules Shapeshifter Shapeshifter Wild Shape

Meld Card Reuse Restrictions

so you cant have more than 2 cards that turn into the same meld card? bc cards arent allowed to reuse the back.

I believe we can two fronts have the same back, but not two backs have the same front.EDIT: That’s ruleswise. There might be other issues.

Meld

Partner Meld Possibility

If or when, a set of cards with partner that can meld?

If. I could imagine a creature with “partner with” that can meld.

Creatures If/When Meld Partner

Meld Mechanic Future

Meld might be my favorite mechanic ever (Manifest is probable second). Do you think a more mixed up meld utilizing artifacts could possibly get around the flavor issues? Like you're melding together different machines and that maybe looks better than Host/Augment natural creatures together?

The art elements looking good on a mix and match meld is a major stumbling block.

Art Artifacts Creatures Flavor Manifest Mechanics Meld

Meld Mechanic Plans

Do you have bigger plans for meld?

I do. That doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll happen though.

Mechanics Meld

Meld Mechanic Discussion

Earlier someone mentioned Melded nonpermanent spells. Doesn’t Splice play into that design space?

The concept of meld is two cards coming together to make a bigger card. We have mechanics that adapt spells on the stack.

Adapt Design Space Mechanics Meld Non-permanents Spells Splice The Stack

Mechanic Popularity

I was surprised that neither Host/Augment nor Contraptions were in your 20 best mechanics. I feel Host/Augment is a more fun version of Meld. How come they didn’t make the cut?

Neither was better than the other 20 I had.

Contraptions Mechanics Meld

Melded Spell Feasibility

Could the rules potentially handle casting a melded spell, as opposed to putting a melded permanent onto the battlefield?

Maybe, but I’m not sure how exciting a non-permanent meld would be.

Meld Non-permanents Rules

Future Meld Variants

If or when: Meld with some mixable parts (more than one possible match to make a meld)?

I hope when. Host/augment was us working in that general space.

If/When Meld

Complex Meld Mechanics

If or when: meld with more than two parts?

If. Getting two to happen is already pretty hard.

If/When Mechanics Meld

Adventure Mechanic Reflection

I just finished your twenty favorite mechanics video and was curious about how adventure stacks up? Or is it something that is considered a sequel mechanic to something else (the way Discover is for Cascade, I could see an argument for Adventure as a descendent of Flashback).

Adventure was a contender. I think I removed as it requires an altered frame, and then forgot that meld did that as well and included it.

Card Frames Cascade Flashback Mechanics Meld Reflection

Urza Tron Lands

Is it a coincidence that the activated ability to meld Urza, Lord Protector costs seven mana, the same amount of mana produced by the Urza tron lands, or was that done on purpose?

I wouldn’t call it an “coincidence”. : )

Humor Lands Mana Meld Urza Urza, Lord Protector

Scene Cards Potential

LOTR set had scene cards which meld into a big art. Can it appear on non-UB sets to feature epic moments of Magic story?

First, the cards combine to make a larger piece of art representing a scene, but in no way is connected to the meld mechanic. Can we make a scene with in-universe Magic cards? Absolutely. Can we convert one from another property swapping over all the cards? I won’t say it’s impossible, but it would be very difficult. We tend to design the cards to match the art.

Art Epic Mechanics Meld Story / Lore