Memory Jar

Memory Jar Inspiration

New 28 Mar 2024 Asked by bobbymcbobbo 18 Comments

Was the design for Memory Jar inspired by Duplicity? To me, it seems like Memory Jar is "the same" as Duplicity, with the knobs tweaked in a minor way (all players instead of just you; timing is activated/immediate, instead of a choice on your upkeep; removing the EOT discard clause). Was the power level discrepancy from these small changes surprising?


Yes, I designed both. Memory Jar was me redoing Duplicity.

Eternal Formats Strategy

New 10 Nov 2022 Asked by nothingbutland-blog 33 Comments

Kind of some loaded questions. Does having to design in an eternal world mean you have to look at the " We wont be held hostage by the past" more closely? Can you explain how as designers you have to consider an eternal world more specifically? Does this also include how many varients of Shock/ cancel/ removal, etc will end up in these larger formats? Or are you fine/ have to accept that sometimes formats will be being significantly unbalenced/pushed until bannings can occure? And are you more likely to Memory Jar preemptively ban cards?


We’re going to make the cards we need to make and if larger formats have issues, we’ll use banning to solve them. Being more focused on eternal formats means we have to hold onto “we can’t let the present be hostage of the past” even more strongly.

Consideration of Bans

New 14 Oct 2022 Asked by elderdragonmaster55 36 Comments

I saw the making magic article and seeing the “Nearby Planet” sectionIf you guys were scared of it in legacy and vintage couldn't it get a instant ban it like you guys did with memory jar in 1999?


When I suggested making some of the cards eternal, I was told I could do it as long as I didn’t print anything that would greatly disrupt Legacy/Vintage, so when there was worry, I erred on the side of caution.

Artifacts Ban Discussion

New 28 Jun 2019 Asked by kggkkggk 33 Comments

It seems like very few generically useful artifacts have been banned (Smuggler's Copter? Jitte in Modern?). Most banned artifacts are combo pieces (Krark-Clan Ironworks, Aetherworks Marvel, Memory Jar, etc) or go in heavy artifact decks (affinity cards). Which artifacts are you thinking of?


Most of what you list as combo pieces comboed with “other good cards in Magic”. Yes, the best deck with them might have been a combo deck, but if you banned other pieces in that combo, they just would have comboed with different cards. During original Mirrodin, for example, we had to ban eight artifacts, because banning any less than that didn’t stop the problem.

Memory Jar's Memories

New 01 Apr 2018 Asked by cuteisanarchy 73 Comments

whose memories were in the Memory Jar?


Bob, from Accounting.

Second Emergency Ban

New 28 Apr 2017 Asked by syrupguru 36 Comments

Out of curiosity, what was the second emergency ban?


Memory Jar.

Memory Jar Ban

New 05 Aug 2015 Asked by calintares 34 Comments

How come you didn't use the time machine for Memory Jar and issued a retroactive ban instead?


If only you knew the past that was. Memory Jar is the thing that kept much more horrible things at bay.

Reserve List Complaints

New 19 Apr 2014 Asked by kerrjf 19 Comments

Did you get any complaints about judge foils and FTV reprints violating the reserve list? Masticore and Memory Jar are in FTV, Wheel of Fortune and Thawing Glaciers were judge foils. There are also cases where a card was reprinted color shifted (Null Profusion/Recycle) or a strictly better version was reprinted (Altar of Bone/Eldamari's Call). The reserve list is hundreds of cards long, but the only ones that get any attention are the ABUR duals lands and the power 9.


We did get complaints which is why we aren’t using that Reserved List loophole any more.

Reserved List Loophole

New 16 Feb 2014 Asked by silver-spell 18 Comments

4 cards from FTV: Relics were on the Reserved List, including Karn, Masticore, Memory Jar and Mox Diamond. Doesn't this violate the terms of the reserved list? And how come this only happened in FTV: Relics?


We were experimenting with pushing a loophole. It went badly and we promised to never do it again.

Memory Jar Issue

New 21 Dec 2013 Asked by aazadan 16 Comments

Can you explain what made Memory Jar so broken? Reading it I just don't see how a 5 cost card in a format that was all about early turn combo kills was broken.


A five mana spell that let you draw seven cards in a format with fast mana was insanely good.

Rapid Banning History

New 21 Dec 2013 Asked by sirgog-blog 4 Comments

Wasn't Timmerian Fiends from Homelands banned faster than Memory Jar? It was never tournament legal. Likewise other ante cards that came out after the DCI started.


You are correct that some of the later ante cards were never allowed in tournaments. That’s a slightly different issue, but yes, technically true.

Fastest Ban Record

New 21 Dec 2013 Asked by jaktipe 33 Comments

Which card was banned the fastest?


Memory Jar had one week where it was playable in tournaments.

Tournament Deck Strategy

New 27 Oct 2013 Asked by aazadan 15 Comments

Lets pretend you're playing in a tournament that you really want to win, but you're only allowed to use mechanics you've designed that have seen print. Dredge is banned. Which type of deck will you pick?


Tinker/Memory Jar is my easiest route to victory I believe.

Most Broken Deck

New 17 Oct 2013 Asked by patronics-blog 17 Comments

If Urza's Saga is the most broken block of all time, what's the most broken deck of all time?


I believe it’s the Memory Jar deck.

Banned Cards List

New 24 Aug 2012 Asked by xvenomx 17 Comments

Wich cards that you have designed had been banned?


Banned & restricted cards that I had a hand in designing: Ancient Den
Arcbound Ravager
Bitterblossom
Chrome Mox
Cloudpost
Darksteel Citadel
Dread Return
Earthcraft
Frantic Search
Gifts Ungiven
Golgari Grave-Troll
Great Furnace
Gush
Lion’s Eye Diamond
Lotus Petal
Memory Jar
Rishadan Port
Seat of the Synod
Skullclamp
Survival of the Fittest
Thirst for Knowledge
Time Spiral
Tinker
Tree of Tales
Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle
Vault of Whispers
Voltaic Key
Yawgmoth’s Bargain
Yawgmoth’s Will

Ban/Restrict Record

New 14 Jun 2012 Asked by wuyley 17 Comments

"I currently hold the record for the designer who has the most banned/restricted cards" Got a quick list of what those cards are?


The following are banned or restricted cards that I had a hand in the design: (note in numerous cases multiple people designed the cards in question; also I may have missed one or two) Ancestral Vision Ancient Den Arcbound Ravager Bitterblossom Chrome Mox Cloudpost Darksteel Citadel Dread Return Earthcraft Frantic Search Gifts Ungiven Golgari Grave-Troll Great Furnace Gush Hypergenesis Lion’s Eye Diamond Lotus Petal Memory jar Seat of the Synod Skullclamp Squandered Resources Survival of the Fittest Thirst for Knowledge Time Spiral Tinker Tree of Tales Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle Vault of Whispers Voltaic Key Windfall Yawgmoth’s Bargain Yawgmoth’s Will


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