Merfolk

Appreciating the Otters in Magic

Please pass my thanks to whomever decided otters should be a thing in Magic.I've carried an otter plushie around with me to events through my entire Magic playing career, so almost 15 years. Ive had an otter along for the ride from pretty much every FNM to PTQs to traveling everywhere I could drive within 8 hours to play Legacy for several years or even trips to the other side of the US for large events a couple of times.I was screeching and immediately tried building an otter deck when Lutri and Theving Otter came out with Ikoria. I was literally babbling with joy at the otters in Wilds of Eldraine for MONTHS. To say I'm beside myself with excitement for Bloomburrow would almost be an understatement.My favorite thing to build or play in Magic are tribal-based decks. I built an angel one as my second ever deck (Shards of Alara/Zendikar standard) so I could teach my mom to play before she passed. I was known for a knight/Sword of _____ and _____ deck for years. I've even played Merfolk and Tribal Lightning Bolt (burn) decks a time or two. But I can now have my beloved otters as a theme for my deck.Literally the only way that it could be more perfect for me would have been if there was an Otter Knight named Rora for my little tournament companion.So thank you for making my love for Magic even stronger by adding otters.

I like making otter people happy. : )

Angels Appreciation Bloomburrow Companion Humor Kindred / Typal Knights Legacy Merfolk Otters Shards of Alara Standard Wilds of Eldraine Zendikar Lightning Bolt

Number of Animals in Bloomburrow

I really love animals and how many different species there are. When you started talking about Bloomburrow's mechanics not being directly typal, I was hoping that there'd be a lot of one-off animals. But almost all of the cards revealed so far are one of the main 10 animals, with the main exceptions being the calamity beasts.Was there ever a point in development where the focus was more on showcasing a lot of different animal species rather than selecting a smaller number that act as draft archetype groups?

I talked about this in my first Bloomburrow preview column. Here’s a snippet:“Once it was on the schedule, I did a little advance work on the genre to familiarize myself with it. I realized that there were two ways it’s traditionally done.Take #1 – Animals represent groups of people. These people are mice, those people are badgers, and these people are otters. Each animal type has qualities that are consistent among that group, usually things that feel resonant with the real-world animal. In this version, the setting is usually a biome, and all the animals in it are ones who would live in that biome. The animals are roughly proportional to what they would be in the real world.Take #2 – Animals represent individual people. This person’s jumpy, so she’s a frog. That person’s sneaky, so he’s a fox. This other person rushes into things, so they’re a rhino. Each animal is used to represent personality qualities. In this version, the setting is usually something more human in structure, often a city, and the variety of animals is much larger. The animal selection here is not limited by biome, so you can have animals living together that normally would never see each other in the real world. The animals are loosely related in size (a racoon is smaller than an elephant), but the scope of scale is compressed.Take number one is easier for worldbuilding. There are less unique types of animals, and they’re organized by creature type. Because animals are used to express groups of people, they tend to act more similarly to traditional species creature types, like Elves, Goblins, or Merfolk. This pushes us more toward a factioned typal theme.Take number two is easier for design because the designers have access to a lot more animals and can make more individually cool designs. The twelfth Mouse card, for instance, is a lot harder to make different than the first Giraffe. This approach pushes us more toward mechanics that tie into a larger animal theme. It’s more likely we’d create an environment that was about a lot of different animals working together, putting the focus more on individual top-down card design.Aaron was more interested in doing take number one, while I was more interested in doing take number two. So, we did a bunch of market research. It came back exactly even. Half the people we polled preferred take one, and half preferred take two. In a tie, Aaron’s original vision won out, so we did take one. (Also, I believe more people internally wanted to do take one.) I do want to stress that both takes would have allowed us to make a cool set. They just head down different paths and would have ended up in very different places, mechanically and creatively.”

Badgers Beasts Bloomburrow Calamity Beasts Creatures Draft Formats Elephants Elf Foxes Frogs Goblins Humans Kindred / Typal Limited Mechanics Merfolk Mice Otters Rhinos Spoilers Top Down

Consistency in Humanoid-Animal Races

Howdy Mark!I sat with my thoughts and the replies you've given recently about not changing Minotaur or Merfolk to Ox and Fish respectively, and I gotta say, I can't square this circle.You say that WotC won't be changing these specific humanoid-animal races because they have prior mythological notoriety. But to be honest, one could make that excuse for every humanoid-animal race. There are a lot of Mythos that exist throughout the world, and finding a name for every humanoid-animal race wouldn't take too long if someone took the task seriously. I say this to show it doesn't feel like a really consistent or genuine reason to resist a rule that WotC is taking big lengths to adhere to (they are doing errata, which you've said is something that isn't done lightly).However, my biggest issue comes down to consistency with this "rule" you are mentioning. WotC changed Cephalids, Viashino, and probably Homarids soon so that they would fall in line with a rule that WotC wants to follow. Nothing drives me more insane than a rule that isn't applied equally to all, especially when as I mentioned above, the reasoning for the exception doesn't feel like a particularly strong one; at the very least, it doesn't feel strong enough to resist a rule WotC is taking seriously enough to errata 100's of cards so they fall in-line with said rule.I try to be open-minded as often as possible, but even after mulling over the things you've mentioned here on Blogatog, I don't think there is anything you can say that will change my mind on this. I suppose I will just have to sit and wait patiently until ya'll decide to finally finish what you started.Yours Truly,A fellow Ape

The thing you’re missing is the bar is not “does a mythological version exist anywhere in the world?” The question we ask - “is there a popular and well known version of it?”Here’s a different way to think of it. If we picked 100 random people (not specifically Magic players) and gave them a list of creature types, which ones are words they know and which ones aren’t?Some they wouldn’t know because they’re made up things we created that have no well known equivalent. Outside of those, we want to use words people recognize. It makes the game more resonant and lowers the barrier to entry. Our fanciful made-up terminology does have a place - in names and flavor text (aka the text areas focused on flavor). In mechanical rules space, familiarity is more important.

Ape Cephalid Creatures Errata Fish Flavor Flavor Text Homarids Merfolk Minotaur Oxen Rules Viashino Wizards of the Coast

Shifting Creature Types for Different Planes

If or when: a plane where the usual creature types are shuffled around a bit, but still fit their new colors? Ex. goblins on this plane are more civilized and selfless than average and are in White, merfolk swim in lava and live in volcanoes and are Red, undeath is seen as a natural part of the cycle of life thus zombies and animated skeletons are in Green, etc.

Designing for the eternal world, especially Commander, complicates this. Because we’re trying hard to connect with themes of the past, it becomes hard to add new cards to a theme, but specifically put them in a different color(s) than they originally appeared in. We do like to stretch creature types to new colors, but usually associated with a color that has some history to it.

Colors Commander Creatures Cycle of Life Cycles Eternal Goblin Green If/When Merfolk Planes Red Skeleton White Zombie

Mermaid Vs. Merfolk

Why aren't merfolk just mermaid? Mermaid is the term used in media and popular culture when describing merfolk. I assume that mermaid has a gender connotation but why even depict male merfolk? Why not make mermaid an all female race. I think if you asked 100 random people who do not play mtg what a merfolk is they would not immediately think it is a gender neutral term for mermaid.

As a general rule, we use terminology that isn’t inherently gendered, especially for creature types.

Creatures Merfolk Rules

Transition of Humanoid Animal Races

With viashino, naga, and cephalids becoming lizards, snakes, and octopi, I am a bit concerned for other humanoid animal based races. Will minotaur become ox? Will merfolk become fish? I'm very curious where you guys will draw the line on such things

The line is we’re not using names we made up for animal humanoids as creature types. (They’ll still be used in names and flavor text.) Pre-existing names from things like mythology are fine, so Minotaur and Merfolk aren’t going anywhere.

Cephalid Creatures Fish Flavor Text Lizard Merfolk Minotaur Naga Oxen Snake Viashino

Creature Type Batching

Hi Mark, Will we see more retroactively established creature type "groups" like we've seen with party and outlaws already? Looking at sea creature types that are commonly grouped, like "Leviathans, Krakens, Octopuses, Merfolk, Serpents". Can you add whale if you do? Thanks.

I assume we’ll do more creature type batching. If we did sea creatures, would people people like Whales added

Batches Creatures Kraken Leviathan Merfolk Octopus Serpent Whale

Faeries vs Merfolk

Other than flying and Island walk what would you identify as being the primary difference between faeries and merfolk? I often see designs for one of the creature types that would be easily justified as the other. Two big examples that come to mind are Vodalian Hexcatchet and Tishana's Tidebinder which to me almost feel more like faerie cards than merfolk, particularly because I felt faeries were "the flash typal archetype" that got more control and tempo elements

Faeries tend to be sneakier and more controlling.

Creatures Faerie Flash Flying Kindred / Typal Merfolk Primary Tishana's Tidebinder

Batching Sea Creatures

I love batching! The recent Outlaw batch was fantastic flavor, and it got me thinking about something I’ve wondered for a while. Would it be possible to have a “sea creatures” or “sea monsters” batch? We see cards on occasion that care about various sea-related types, like Leviathans, Krakens, and Octopi, but there’s never been exactly a fixed or comprehensive list due to space. Would creating a batch for those types that could include a wider range of types such as crabs, fish, merfolk, homarids, (clamfolk?), and more be possible?

Our internal rule is to limit batches to five, and the sweet spot is three.

Batches Crab Creatures Fish Flavor Homarids Kraken Leviathan Merfolk Rules

Characteristic Creature Types

For context, could you tell us what the other 4 color's signature races are?

Blue - MerfolkBlack - Vampires & Zombies (it has two)Red - GoblinsGreen - Elves

Black Blue Creatures Elf Goblin Green Merfolk Red Vampire Zombie

Creature Type Uniqueness

Hey Mark, on the topic of players being worried about creature types losing their distinctiveness by being added in with the broader type rather than a specific race (ex. Viashino(Lizard) or Naga(Snake)), I looked to see how many are already currently templated this way and there are ALOT more than I realized.Archaic (Avatar), Aven (Bird), Leonin (Cat), Malamet (Cat), Nishoba (Cat Beast), Daemogoth (Demon), Ainok (Dog), Flamekin (Elemental), Loxodon (Elephant), Mycoid (Fungus), Thallid (Fungus), Akki (Goblin), Boggart (Goblin), Mogg (Goblin), Redcaps (Goblin), Eumidian (Insect), Kraul (Insect), Nantuko (Insect), Khenra (Jackal), Kitsune (Fox), Merrow (Merfolk), Selkie (Merfolk), Triton (Merfolk), Onakke (Ogre), Caryatid (Plant), Nezume (Rat), Rhox (Rhino), Amphin (Salamander), Orochi (Snake), Kami (Spirit), Drogskol (Spirit), Eidolon (Spirit), Ent (LoTR) (Treefolk), Trow (Troll), Kappa (Turtle), Liche (Zombie), Eternal (Zombie), Draugr (Zombie), Nim (Zombie), Skaab (Zombie)

Yep. Most of the ones that didn’t do it entered the game before we made this the default.

Avatar Beast Bird Cat Colors Creatures Demon Dog Elemental Elephant Eternal Fox Fungus Goblin Insect Jackal Lizard Merfolk Naga Ogre Plant Rat Rhino Rhox Salamander Snake Spirit Thallid Treefolk Troll Turtle Viashino Zombie

Non-Blue Merfolk Legend

If/When a non-blue Merfolk legend? They've shifted into Green, Black, & White at this point.

Probably when, but it would take the right world.

Black Green If/When Merfolk White

Spirit Guides Design

Re: Spirit Guides. Does the factoring change on it being X color's ability if it has a standard rider for that color's acceleration (as in, blue but the mana can only be used on instant/merfolk/artifact since blue is allowed some ramp into those)?

Restricting the use helps some, but a 0-mana boost is pretty potent.

Artifacts Blue Instants Mana Merfolk Spirit Standard

Spirit Guide Probability

What would doing another Spirit Guide be on the Storm scale? I imagine Merfolk Spirit Guide would be a 10.

Not a blue ability.

Blue Merfolk Spirit Storm Scale

Ixalan Crossover Missed

With the experience of Onslaught and Lorwyn, why didn’t Ixalan have “crossover” cards between the different factions? Even without changeling, I was surprised there weren’t a few cards like a Vampire Pirate creature or a Dinosaur that made some Merfolk tokens.

The creative team asked us not to do it. With 20/20 hindsight, the set needed more glue, so I do wish we’d either push back harder or found another solution.

Changeling Creatures Dinosaur Factions Ixalan Lorwyn Merfolk Onslaught Onslaught Pirate Tokens Vampire

Cultural Interpretations

Hi Mark! I saw that many didn't understand my post in relation to mermaids, mainly. But here in Brazil, a mermaid is one thing and a merman woman is another. We don't consider that Kiora is a mermaid, just as Ariel is not a merman. It would be like confusing mice with rats... In our mythology, we have Iaras, who are mermaids of rivers and lakes. It would be sacrilegious to say that she is a merfolk and not a mermaid...

Help educate me. We have numerous female merfolk with fish tails. How is that not a “mermaid” by your definition?

Blogatog / Tumblr Brazil Fish Merfolk Mouse Rat Rat

Creatures in Unusual Hues

Do you think you will ever do a set where all the creature types are the wrong color but everything is still in pie. Like a world where goblins are geniuses and are blue and merfolk swim in lava and are red and zombies give life to others and are green

Normally when we bleed creature types, we pair them with a color that normally gets them to increase the ability to make decks with them.

Blue Colors Creatures Goblin Green Merfolk Red Zombie

Merfolk and Angel Cards

Mark, why don't we have mermaid and male angel cards in Magic?

We have both of those things. (Note we call all mer-people merfolk, but we have had many fish-tailed merfolk.)

Angel Blogatog / Tumblr Merfolk

Character Design Decisions

the face cards for the MKM commander decks were revealed today, and morska the bant general looks just like a ravnican merfolk but is instead a "vedalken fish"? can you, or somebody, explain how and why this was decided?

She’s a Vedalken that adapted herself through Simic technology. Those creature types are always animals, not other creature races. A Bant Merfolk commander will happen one day. This just wasn’t the appropriate place for it.

Bant Bant (W/U/G) Commander Commander Decks Creatures Fish Merfolk Murders at Karlov Manor Simic (G/U) Vedalken

Innsmouth-Flavored Merfolk

If or when: shadow over Innsmouth-flavored merfolk on innistrad?Perhaps as a secret lair? I would like to see this :)

If. There’s no flavor justification.

Flavor If/When Innistrad Merfolk Secret Lairs Shadow