Ovinize

Ovinomancer Origins

Today is my birthday! I'd love to know if you have any trivia about my favorite forgotten creature, ovinomancer. I loved ovinize and makes me think there might be some more to know!!!

Back in the day, a lot of Magic R&D played Warcraft. We had a LAN at work, and it was a popular late night activity. One of the spells in Warcraft let you turn creatures into sheep, and Bill Rose loved using the spell. So much so, that he made a Magic card that turned creatures into sheep. I was not interested in playing Warcraft, so instead, I used my time talking to the receptionist who sat by the LAN. (We were testing the waters of opening game stores and we had one at work to test it and that’s where the LAN was.) Her name was Lora. This year we celebrate our 23rd anniversary. : )

Bill Rose Birthday Creatures Game Stores Humor Ovinize Ovinomancer Sheep Spells

On Damnation and Color Pie

Is Damnation a color pie break? Is Languish the closest black can get for a 4 mana wrath? I know it comes from Planar Chaos, as a colorshifted card, but some of those colorshifted cards actually aren't pie breaks (Such as Prodigal Pyromancer, Mesa Enchantress, Ovinize, and Seal of Primordium). Is black still unable to have an unconditional wrath at 4 mana? Perhaps one without regeneration mentioned, like Day of Judgement.

Damnation is not a color pie break. Black can kills lots of creatures.

Black Color Pie Creatures Damnation Languish Mana Mesa Enchantress Ovinize Planar Chaos Prodigal Pyromancer Seal of Primordium

Color Pie Polymorph

Why is the Pongify/Ovinize/Rapid Hybridization/Curse of the Swine effect primarily blue? It seems like a flavorful way of giving green a way to deal with creatures without really breaking the color pie.

Blue hates artifice. Polymorphing is as artificial change. I don’t think it’s a good fit for green.

Blue Color Pie Colors Creatures Curse of the Swine Flavor Green Ovinize Pongify Rapid Hybridization

Blue Removal Philosophy

Follow up to the last question on blue removal: Why does blue get things like Curse of the Swine or Rapid Hybridization? While the flavor is spot on, the game reality is still basically destruction. Cards like Turn to Frog, Ovinize, and Snakeform feel like what blue "removal" should be. How are Polymorph and friends not just based around using a flavor justification to give a color an ability it shouldn't have?

Blue is allowed to change things. There’s no color pie breaking. Note that we make sure that they are changing into something still potent so it’s not “just removal”.

Blue Color Pie Colors Curse of the Swine Flavor Frog Ovinize Polymorph Rapid Hybridization Snakeform Turn to Frog

Planar Chaos Color Pie

Do you think part of the precedences people seem to think Planar Chaos sets are in part due to cards that first appeared there be reprinted or having a functional reprinting? For example, Prodigal Pyromancer, Enslave, and Mesa Enchantress have since been reprinted, Ovinize and Pongify have functional reprints, and you yourself have stated that Damnation, for example, is perfectly within Black's slice of the Color Pie. Or the fact Harmonize keeps being shoved into supplemental products.

Just because it was in Planar Chaos doesn’t mean it’s out if color pie, but being in doesn’t guarantee it is in color pie.

Black Card Printing Color Pie Colors Harmonize Mesa Enchantress Ovinize Planar Chaos Pongify Prodigal Pyromancer Reprints

Appreciation for Ovinize

Please high five yourself for making Ovinize. Less so for Humble, as it seems out of color. Maybe high three yourself for that. Thanks.

While I don’t mind the mechanical choice of making it blue, the card fits philosophically just fine in white.

Appreciation Blue Colors High Fives Ovinize White

Ovinize Creation Credit

Ovinize is one of my favorite cards. Do you know who designed it? If so, please high five that person for me.

I made both Ovinize and Humble, the card it is color-shifted from.

Colors High Fives Ovinize

Blue Color Adjustments

Why doesn't blue get as many -X/+X or +X/-X as well as other "transforming" effects anymore (I don't mean like in Innistrad block.) like Ovinize, Turn to Frog, and Polymorph? Also, what of vigilance? It helps blue play defensively, and affects tapping/untapping, which blue seems to like manipulating.

We had a big chat about the color pie of +X/-X and -X/+X and decided that we need to see it in blue more so you will.

Blue Color Pie Colors Frog Innistrad Ovinize Polymorph Turn to Frog Vigilance