Mythic Rares

Balancing Creature Types in Bloomburrow

Hi there Mark!I know previews for Bloomburrow aren't quite over just yet, but one thing that I've noticed that I'm a bit sad about is how some of the creature types seem to be more favored than others in terms of number and rarity. This seems especially apparent when you look at Frogs vs. Bats.I was REALLY into the aesthetics and world building given to the bats of Bloomburrow, but looking at the spoilers so far, Bats have 50% fewer spoiled cards than Frogs (10 vs. 15), as well as only 2 rare bats revealed thus far compared to Frogs having 5 rares and 2 mythic rares.

The ten main animals are not exact in number, but they are in the ballpark of one another.

Bats Bloomburrow Creatures Frogs Mythic Rares Rares Rarity Spoilers Rarity

Distributing Card Rarity Per Set

How does the team decide how many rares and mythics or just overall cards each color gets from set to set?

Colors are always balanced in common and uncommon, and often rare. Mythic rare is the only rarity where there’s usually never a totally even split.

Colors Mythic Rares Rares Rarity Uncommons Rarity

Impact of Play Boosters

Does the fact that play boosters have the opportunity for more rares impact what cards you print at rare and mythic for limited purposes? One of the MKM packs I opened for a draft recently had 4 different blue rares in it.

We’re designing sets such that common and uncommon have more answers to the rares and mythic rares.

Blue Boosters Card Printing Draft Formats Limited Murders at Karlov Manor Mythic Rares Play Boosters Rares Uncommons

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

Swedish Gentry Format

Happy birthday Mark! Here's some Magic trivia for you - I just moved to Sweden and they play a unique style of constructed here called Gentry. It's standard 60/15 deck and sideboard, but it can only include 4 unique rares or mythics and 15 uncommons and then the rest of the cards have to common. It's pretty fun and it's very easy to afford several decks. People often bring extras to tournaments to loan to new players

Cool format. Thanks.

Beginners Birthday Constructed Mythic Rares Rares Standard Uncommons

Feedback on OTJ Rares

Have you received or seen any feedback on the power level of rares/mythics in OTJ and their high as-fan?

I get feedback on most everything.

As-fan Mythic Rares Outlaws of Thunder Junction Power Level Rares

Explaining Rare Polls

What does "won the rare poll" mean?

To get a sense of how good the rares and mythic rares are, we do a poll among Wizards employees, where they note how much they like the designs.

Employee Mythic Rares Rare Poll Rares Wizards Employees

Booster Pricing Explanation

"You are getting something for that price increase, more rares/mythic rares per dollar spent."This is an appeal primarily to the audience who were previously buying Set Boosters. Limited players are more interested in a good limited experience, and the OTJ format is showing this can be actively detrimental. I understand compromises had to be made to save limited, but I wish it wouldn't be spun like an active positive for draft players.

I’m not trying to spin it like a positive. I’m trying to explain how it’s not a case of us being greedy or trying to sell you less for more.

Boosters Draft Formats Limited Mythic Rares Outlaws of Thunder Junction Rares Set Boosters

Play Booster Pricing

For someone buying Play Boosters as a replacement for Set Boosters, the price of a booster has not changed. For someone buying Play Boosters as a replacement for Draft Boosters, the price of a booster has increased.

You are getting something for that price increase, more rares/mythic rares per dollar spent.

Boosters Draft Boosters Mythic Rares Play Boosters Rares Set Boosters

Booster Cost Concerns

More a note and I don't even know if there is a solution to my problem: I am a 100% limited player with a tight budget. With play boosters being more expensive then draft booster, due to budget, this just leads to me playing less. Also inflation is additional stress on my budget. I feel, that I'm getting less and less enfranchised and engaged because now I do less drafts. I fear loosing MTG as a hobby. I mostly play in my LGS and don't have a private playgroup, where we could play cheaper options like cube. I know WotC is a company and has to show growing revenue but it just sucks, that I may loose this great hobby and game because of monetary aspects.

I hear your frustration. The popularity of set boosters meant when we consolidated draft boosters and set boosters, they were crafted more to match set boosters. We essentially made set boosters draftable. I will note that the price of boosters didn’t go up. Play boosters cost the same as set boosters, and, like set boosters, you do get a higher amount of rares/mythic rares, on average, to match the higher price point. But yes, if all you do is draft, the individual drafts got more expensive. None of this change was done to somehow squeeze extra money out of people. We just took the most popular booster product and sold it at the same price, but with added value (more cards per booster and made it draftable).

Boosters Draft Boosters Draft Formats Experienced / Enfranchised Players Fear Game Stores Limited Mythic Rares Play Boosters Rares Set Boosters Wizards of the Coast

Details about Pack Slots

"Why do packs have slots rather than each card being a random rarity with higher rarities being less likely." "Because the slots dictate which card sheet the card is dropped from." But not every pack has a mythic rare. The rare slot has (I think) a 7/8 chance of being a rare and a 1/8 chance of being a mythic rare. Why isn't every slot like that? (I'm not complaining, just playing devil's advocate.)

The rares and mythic rares appear on the same sheet, printed at a 1:7 ratio, so it appears it the slot accordingly.

Mythic Rares Rares Rarity Rarity

Naming 'Mythic Rare'

Why is the rarity "Mythic Rare" is made of two words, instead of one word like "common", "uncommon", and "rare"?

We wanted a modifier for rare to help with terminology issues.

Mythic Rares Rares Rarity Rarity Uncommons

Suitability of 'Eriette, the Beguiler'

so I drafted "Eriette, the Beguiler" and then discovered that there are 3 auras in the set, 1 red, 1 green (she is esper colored) and the final aura which is blue, disables the target completely which conflicts with her ability's goal. Was this a mistake of having too many things trying to be fit into the set? or was she never designed to be drafted?

Rares and mythic rares are more focused on constructed formats. It’s nice when they can work for limited, but it’s not a requirement.

Auras Blue Constructed Eriette, the Beguiler Esper (W/U/B) Green Limited Mythic Rares Rares Red

Blue Bears Policy

If I’m not mistaken, Archmage’s Newt is blue’s first bear without a drawback. (Numerous examples of course exist of blue bears with a boon plus a drawback).Are bears now available for all colors without drawbacks?

Only when aimed at constructed at rare and mythic rare and infrequently.

Archmage's Newt Bear Blue Colors Constructed Mythic Rares Rares

Rare Slot Color Imbalance

Can you talk about the imbalance of colors in the rare slot of OTJ? It looks like there are two main set Grixis rares while Azorius has zero main set rares despite being a two color pair. Was Wizards concerned how this would affect limited?

We decided a while back that some color imbalance at rare and mythic rare is okay as the as-fan is so low in limited.

As-fan Azorius (W/U) Colors Grixis Grixis (U/B/R) Limited Mythic Rares Outlaws of Thunder Junction Rares Two Color

Reprinting Mythics

A lot of powerful mythics have been reprinted lately, is this a conscious decision?

We spend a lot of time thinking about what to reprint, so yes, a conscious decision.

Card Printing Mythic Rares Reprints

Big Score Selection

So 30 mythics from the planned aftermath boosters became the Big Score, and Jace got rolled into the main set. What happened to the other 19 cards (assuming the aftermath set had 50 like MOM aftermath)?

We just chose the cream of the crop. The rest didn’t get used.

Aftermath Big Score Boosters Cream of the Crop Mythic Rares The Big Score

Constructed Power Level

"Commons and uncommons have a power level centered on limited play. Rares and mythic rares have a power level centered on constructed play. Constructed power level is significantly higher than limited power level."I genuinely feels like only a couple rares/mythics are playable in Constructed each set.

In high end tournament play. That’s a tiny portion of constructed play.

Commons Constructed Limited Mythic Rares Power Level Rares Uncommons

Rarity and Power Levels

Is there still motivation internally to try to keep power level consistent across rarities? Obviously, it's very hard to execute perfectly, but I am curious if that motivation is still there. There was a time where you had written an article that rarity was more about the "big splash" than raw power level (I want to say around the time Mythics were introduced), and commons/uncommons under that model had a much greater impact in both limited and constructed than they do relative to today.

Commons and uncommons have a power level centered on limited play. Rares and mythic rares have a power level centered on constructed play. Constructed power level is significantly higher than limited power level.

Commons Constructed Limited Mythic Rares Power Level Rares Rarity Rarity Uncommons

Card Game Design Tips

Any advice for somebody designing a new card game?

How simply do you playtest? When do you add complexity, and how much do you add?

Our earliest vision design playtests are mostly common, with a little bit of uncommon. We slowly add in the rest of uncommon and then rare/mythic rare.

Game Design Mythic Rares Playtesting Rares Uncommons Vision Design