Nephilim

Differentiating Rules and Functional Erratas

I don't play Neheb so I have no feelings there, but I am genuinely curious. Why is it okay to change the rules/wording and make a major functional errata to how Neheb works, but not make the nephilim and Godsire legendary in the name of avoiding functional errata? It's not like Companion where it was an emergency thing.

I know we’re looking into this issue.That said, there is a difference between changing a card and changing a rule which results in a card playing differently. The first is functional errata (we’re actively changing how the card works). The latter isn’t. We’re changing how the game works and the relevant cards play with the rules as they now exist. Here’s an example. Lifelink used to stack. If you had two copies of lifelink on a creature you gained twice the life. We then changed how lifelink worked. Every card with lifelink now worked differently, but that wasn’t us specifically redoing any card.

Companion Creatures Errata Functional Errata Lifelink Nephilim Rules Godsire

Quad-Color Commander Design

Hello!

Last time I wrote, I asked about Planar Chaos, and whether design might go back to something like that with the color pie. Thank you for your response. I can appreciate how it was a novel idea back then, but you do it more now in small ways over time.

My next question also has to do with color.

Like a lot of people, I love commander. I've created a challenge for myself. I'm trying to build a deck in every color combination.

I finally finished colorless, which was a challenge I've been afraid of since I started playing in Alara. Now I'm looking at four color commanders.

I have Omnath. I love Omnath. Landfall's been a favorite, since Zendikar is close to my heart.

And oh. There's Atraxa. Atraxa excites me. I think I'll focus her on poison counters.

But then there's the other combinations. After the Nephilim in Guildpact, most call them Glint, (no white) Dune, (no blue) and Witch (no red).

I see Breya, Saskia, and Yidris. They're awesome cards, and Yidris excites me somewhat. But it feels like a very tiny box that's been built many, many times before.

And those three cards are really it for those three color groupings. There's a whole bunch of representation for WURG especially with Doctor Who UB, and WUBG has the two Atraxa. But the other three don't get much.

Partner is an option I've considered. But at a glance, it seems a bit forced.

Do you think design will do more with the quad-color groupings? Would a set like Alara or Tarkir be possible, but with quad-color tribes? Or does that overcomplicate design too much?

Four-color legendary cards are in a weird place. We don’t want to make them such that people are just using them to play more colors in Commander, so it means we have to be very focused in what they’re doing, and finding a home for such a design is tricky.

Appreciation Blue Color Pie Colorless Colors Commander Doctor Four Color Glint Guildpact Nephilim Partner Planar Chaos Poison Red Three Color White Zendikar

4 Colored Commanders Prospect

Hey mark in recent years we have been seeing a lot 5 color and 3 color commander, i was wondering if we would see any more 4 colored commanders in the future? Currently we have 8 official 4 colored commanders of which 2 are atraxa and 3 are of Ink-Treader colors and i know a ton of players are hoping that the Nephilim would reappear as legendries to help fill this near empty void.

I assume we’ll make more one day.

Colors Commander Nephilim Three Color

Nephilim Possibilities

Which of the two is more likely?-Nephilim but not Ravnica plane-Nephilim but not 4 colors

The latter, I guess.

Colors Nephilim

Nephilim Return Chances

Is the Nephilim from Ravnica coming back on new, legendary cards and if or a when? Our 4th return to the plane of Ravnica has me wondering if the nephilim will ever make an appearance again

There aren’t currently plans to bring them back. Four-color cards are tricky to do in a set focused on two-color.

Nephilim

4-Color Names

is there an internal name for 4-color combinations, like guilds or shards? i've heard some people use the names for nephilim say one of the shards + the missing color

There is not.

Colors Nephilim Three Color Two Color

Nephilim Possibility

I know tey might be out of place in a Murder Mystery set, but can we get a maybe on Nephilim in Murders at Karlov Manor?

Sure. Maybe. : )

Humor Murders at Karlov Manor Nephilim

Requesting Nephilim

May I request more nephilim?

You may.

Nephilim

Functional Reprints

I know you guys said you wouldn't do functional erratas on things like the nephilim, ankle shanker, soulfire grandmaster, ECT but what about functional reprints?That way it'll keep the old cards intact

Functional reprints do happen from time to time. Dream Spoilers in Wilds of Eldraine is an example.

Ankle Shanker Card Printing Dream Spoilers Functional Errata Nephilim Reprints Spoilers Wilds of Eldraine

Nephilim Cards Future

When or if: new Nephilim card(s)?

If you mean legendary four-color creatures? When.If you mean actual creature type Nephilim? If.

Creatures Nephilim

Revisiting Themes

hi mark! given the success of NEO are there any plans to revisit themes/planes that werent well received at the time, such as Lorwyn or the Nephilim?

Kamigawa’s success was based on us finding a good new execution, not on it having failed in the past. If we find a good take on things that haven’t worked well before, Kamigawa’s success might encourage us, but redoing things that failed just to redo them is not a path to victory.

Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty Lorwyn Nephilim Planes

Nephilim Type Future

Will we ever see the Nephilim creature type used again

Maybe. : )

Creatures Humor Nephilim

4c Legendary Nephilim

if or when, cycle of 4c legendary nephilim

If, but we have looked for spots for it.

If/When Nephilim

Nephilim Legendary Status

If you ever got rid of the legend rule, would you then be open to errataing the Nephilim to be legendary?

If it was just a marker, I’d be much more open to the discussion.

Nephilim Rules

Four-Color Cards Future

is there a plan to ever print more 4 color cards? I know theyre hard to give an identity to, but on the one hand there are some deck plans that only need 4 colors that it would be fun to have a dedicated commander for (in my case my doom foretold + enigmatic incarnation gladiator deck that it would be fun to turn into a commander deck, that is in the atraxa colors, but doesn't synergise with her at all), and on the other hand it just feels like such an unchecked box. There are in total 11 4 color cards in the whole game (the nephilim, the 4 color commanders, and omnath), That feels like such a dirth.

I agree that there’s a demand and we should figure out a product where they make sense.

Card Printing Colors Commander Commander Decks Doom Foretold Enigmatic Incarnation Four Color Incarnation Nephilim Your Hand

Nephilim Commander Proposal

For those pining for the nephilim to be legendary, a friendly reminder that they are a perfect example of why Rule 0 exists. I doubt many playgroups would be upset at a nephilim commander especially because there are far more powerful/disruptive commanders out there.

A great point.

Commander Nephilim Rules

Nephilim Commander Text

After this long of asking for the Nephilim to be legendary/commander-able I dont think I'd receive "new legendary creatures that are functionally identical" well. Making new versions would feel like an expensive answer (new art, creative, etc.) to a cheap problem, adding "this card can be your commander" seems like it satisfies us Nephilim fans (instantly) without any negative impact unless I'm missing something?

The problem is the second we’re willing to add the text to one non-legendary creature, it opens the floodgate, because now we’ve shown we’re willing to do it.

Art Commander Creatures Floodgate Legendary Creatures Nephilim

Nephilim Errata Probability

Hey Mark! Could you rank these from most likely to least likely? [1] Errata making the Nephilim Legendary, [2] errata giving them the "this card can be your commander" text, or [3] new legendary creatures that are functionally identical (or near-identical) to the Nephilim?

From most likely to least: 3 >>> 2 >>>>>>>>> 1

Commander Creatures Errata Legendary Creatures Nephilim

Ravnica Nephilim

If we return to Ravnica for a one-off non-guild set, can I request we get some Legendary Nephilim either in the set, the commander decks, or the set booster commander cards?

They would have to fit into what the set is doing. It’s hard to fit in a five-card cycle that’s not integrated. That said, I would like to find a way to make legendary Nephilim if only to talk about it less here. : )

Boosters Commander Commander Decks Humor Nephilim Return to Ravnica Set Boosters

Design Challenges

Following up on previous question/answer, why is it harder making a 4-color card instead of a 5-color card? Is it because since 5c is, well, all-colors, you don't need to think about the color pie? Or maybe some other design issues? p.s. I'd like to use this chance to also ask when/if: Legendary Ravnica Nephilims.

4-color designs have to justify why their not 5-color designs, or 3- color designs. They have to thread a very thin design space. In addition, four-color tends to imply a cycle which just eats up space. I do believe more legendary four-Color cards is a when, not if. I don’t know if they’ll be Nephilim. I’m highly skeptical we’re going to errata the original Nephilim.

Color Pie Colors Cycles Design Space Errata Nephilim