Nessian Courser

Nessian Courser Tease

Was Nessian Courser's being in Future Sight a foresight into Theros? Or is Theros' Nessian Courser just a reprint?

Nessian Courser was us teasing doing a Greek mythology inspired world, so it was very much a future shifted card from Theros.

Card Printing Future Sight Futureshifted Futureshifted Nessian Courser Reprints Theros

Theros Reprint Decisions

Why wasn't Lucent Liminid reprinted in the Theros block and Nessian Courser was?

Because Lucent Liminid breaks the rule of all enchantment creatures - it has to be both creature and enchantment. In Future Sight design, Lucent Liminid had a global effect to make it enchantment-y but it was removed during development to simplify it. I tried to stop the change but failed.

Card Printing Creatures Enchantments Future Sight Lucent Liminid Nessian Courser Reprints Rules Theros

Design Choices

I asked this earlier, but I suppose you've missed it. Why do you print functional reprints of vanilla creatures? I'm talking about Runeclaw Bears being a functional reprint of Grizzly Bears, and Centaur Courser being a functional reprint of Nessian Courser. Since they're pretty much the same creature (P/T and even creature types), why bother making the new card when the old one works just fine. Is it a flavor reason? Because I see no huge difference in flavor.

Yes, usually it is for flavor reasons.

Bear Card Printing Centaur Centaur Courser Creatures Flavor Grizzly Bears Nessian Courser Reprints Vanilla

Token vs Card Flavor

This might be a Doug question, but what's the flavor difference between a token (say, a 3/3 centaur creature token) and a card (say, a Nessian Courser)? Are they more ephemeral (because you can't, say blink them, or kill them and resurrect them)? Are they somehow "fake" creatures or things as opposed to "real" things, so they "forget" what they are when they are returned to the caster's mind/hand or are killed?

There is no flavor difference between a token creature and a normal creature. That’s why the creative team hates when we make cards that mechanically reference affecting tokens.

Centaur Creatures Flavor Nessian Courser Tokens Your Hand

Gold Cards Complexity

Why do you think that gold cards are too complex for core sets? After learning "nessian courser costs 2 of any color and one green", what could be simpler than learning "ascended lawmage costs 2 of any color, one white, and one blue"?

It’s not a matter of individual complexity. It’s an issue with limiting how many concepts the Core Set throws at a new player.

Ascended Lawmage Beginners Blue Colors Green Nessian Courser White

Greek Set Anticipation

How sure were you during Future Sight design that you'd print a Greek mythology-inspired set?

Creative knew it was a strong possibility. Nessian Courser was them hinting at it.

Card Printing Future Sight Nessian Courser

Future of Full Art

Nessian Courser and Mass of Ghouls represented a future where vanilla creatures got full art. Since they have been reprinted without that future coming to pass, does that mean we'll never see that future?Or is it just something you're rationing like full art lands?

I believe full art vanillas still exist as a possible future (for at least certain sets).

Art Card Printing Creatures Lands Mass of Ghouls Nessian Courser Reprints Vanilla

Preview Choice Logic

Wouldn't you agree that previewing Nessian Courser at the begining of Theros preview season could be a better idea? Something like "We always wanted to do set based on Greek mythology. In fact we even made one card from this set in Future Sight. Yes there is one futureshifted card in Theros!"

We tend to make our first preview card splashier than a vanilla 3/3.

Future Sight Futureshifted Futureshifted Nessian Courser Spoilers Theros Vanilla

Preview Card Expectations

While I'm not upset about your big futureshifted reveal like some of the other people are, I am a bit disappointed. I think the big issue behind all the outcry is that we've come to expect more from you, so your preview card seems a bit of a cop-out.

My media previews traditionally have not been constructed level cards. In fact, Nessian Courser is one of the stronger preview cards I’ve shown off. : )

Constructed Futureshifted Futureshifted Nessian Courser Spoilers

Creature Placement

So, now that Nessian Courser has a home, why weren't Blind Phantasm or Mass of Ghouls in Innistrad block?

Blind Phantasm is an illusion and not a spirit so it didn’t fit. Mass of Ghouls could have but zombie space was tight and we were messing with some other stuff. It could have been flavorwise.

Blind Phantasm Illusion Innistrad Mass of Ghouls Nessian Courser Spirit Zombie

Excluding Daybreak Coronet

Nessian Courser is fine and all, but if this isn't the set for Daybreak Coronet, what is? Did you exclude it for any specific reason?

I’m not sure Daybreak Coronet isn’t too powerful for Standard. (Not a developer, yada yada.)

Daybreak Coronet Nessian Courser Not a developer Standard

Future-shifted Card Impact

To quote Fenring on Reddit: "Given that the only reason Nessian Courser was future-shifted to begin with was because it was a full-art creature, I really wish they would have held off reprinting it until they were ready to print full-art creatures in a normal set. This isn't just the most boring future-shifted reprint possible, this is a future-shifted reprint without the one thing that made it interesting enough to be future-shifted in the first place."

Once again, it is the card that futureshifted the concept of a Greek mythology-inspired set. Future Sight wasn’t just showing off mechanics but creative as well.

Art Card Printing Creatures Future Sight Futureshifted Futureshifted Mechanics Nessian Courser Reprints

Nessian Courser Reception

Well played with Nessian Courser, sir. Well played. Glad to see a lower profile FS card return.

For example, someone who enjoyed it.

Nessian Courser

Spoiler Method Feedback

I, for one, think it's hilarious how you spoiled Nessian Courser. Many fans are going spastic over how you let them down with all the hyping you were doing, while in reality all you said was there was a futureshifted card and you let our imaginations run wild. Well played, Mr. Rosewater.

I’m curious how you all felt. Did you like or dislike the method by which I spoiled Nessian Courser?

Futureshifted Futureshifted Mark Rosewater Nessian Courser Run Wild

Nessian Courser Prediction

I love that my prediction of Nessian Courser being the futureshifted card was correct =D. Incidentally, I made that guess because you can see a Greek pillar in the background of the original artwork. =)

Nessian Courser, by the way, was the hint in Future Sight that we might one day do a Greek mythology inspired world.

Art Future Sight Futureshifted Futureshifted Nessian Courser

Centaur Courser Origins

Since Nessian Courser was futureshifted from Theros, doesn't that make Centaur Courser technically the original?

Hmm, (shakes first in air) Time travel!

Centaur Centaur Courser Futureshifted Futureshifted Nessian Courser Theros

Centaur Courser Name Change

Why was Nessian Courser changed to Centaur Courser? Was the word "Nessian" deemed too complex under New Word Order for a common?

New World Order can handle the word “Nessian”. I assume it was changed because Nessian didn’t make sense in the world.

Centaur Centaur Courser Nessian Courser