Poisonous

Poisonous to Toxic Errata

I'm having difficulty seeing why Virulent Sliver wouldn't eventually be errataed from poisonous to toxic. The two mechanics work identically, the only real difference between them is the Phyrexian flavor behind toxic. Given that there are only two cards that have or give poisonous (and the other one is totally unplayed in all formats), there isn't really memory or inertia to worry about. Is this an errata that you could see reasonably happening at any time?

The best chance of it happening is the card getting reprinted. We are more hesitant to errata cards in which 100% of the printed versions are incorrect.

Card Printing Errata Flavor Mechanics Phyrexian Poisonous Reprints Sliver Toxic Virulent Sliver

Virulent Sliver Errata

Will Virulent Sliver ever be erratad to have Toxic instead of Poisonous?

Unlikely.

Errata Poisonous Sliver Toxic Virulent Sliver

Poisonous Food Mechanic

If/When: an effect that gives poison counters for sacrificing/“eating” Food(Functionality aside, I think it’s funny that so much time has been spent on spelling out why Poisonous is technically incorrect, given the resonance of the word and how common the usage is in casual speech. You don’t build up Toxin or Venom counters!)

The flavor’s good, so I’ll say when.

Casual Play Flavor Food Humor If/When Mechanics Poison Poisonous Venom

Mechanics Combination

Can similar mechanics be put into a card (or a set) together?(e.g. "first strike and double strike", "flying and reach", "hexproof and ward", "undying and persist", or "infect, poisonous, and toxic")

We tend not to include them on the same card, but definitely will use them in the same set.

Double Strike First Strike Flying Hexproof Infect Mechanics Persist Persist Poisonous Toxic Undying Ward

Mechanic Erata Plans

Hi mark. Will we see an erata on the poisonous mechanic since as a keyword it is identical to toxic?

There are no current plans to do this. Also, technically it not being triggered makes toxic different from poisonous.

Errata Keywords Mechanics Poisonous Toxic

Toxic vs Poisonous

It appears (at least, to me) that "poisonous 3" and "toxic 3" serve identical purposes. Are there any reasons why "toxic N" was chosen as the Phyrexia All Will Be One mechanic over "poisonous N?"

Two reasons: 1) We didn’t want it to be a triggered ability.2) The word was factually wrong. Poisonous poisons you if your eat it, not if it bites you.

Mechanics Poisonous Toxic Triggered Abilities

Poisonous vs Toxic

In All Will Be One, why was poisonous changed to toxic?

1) We didn’t want it be triggered. 2) The word meant the wrong thing. Something is poisonous if you get poisoned if you eat it, not if you get bit by it.

Poisonous Toxic

Toxic vs Poisonous

I’m curious why toxic was used in ONE instead of the extremely similar keyword poisonous, which already existed. Did the fact that poisonous is a triggered ability matter that much, or was it just about the “vibe” of the keyword not fitting the phyrexians?

Poisonous had two problems:1) It was a triggered ability (as you pointed out)2) It was the wrong word. Poisonous means it poisons you if you eat it, not if it bites you. There were only two cards with the poisonous keyword, so we chose to update it and fix the two issues.

Keywords Phyrexian Poisonous Toxic Triggered Abilities

Batching Application Timing

Hi Mark, you repeatedly mentioned that you were going to use batching more often, but in the latest sets I don’t see it happening. When can we expect to see the results of this? I am particularly sad that none of the cards in the new Phyrexia commander decks used batching to be a lord for Infect, Toxic, Wither and/or Poisonous. I think a handful of such cards would have really bridged the gap between old and new poison cards. (I understand why the main set couldn’t reference them though).

We batch things that are all in the set.

Batches Commander Decks Infect New Phyrexia Poison Poisonous Toxic Wither

Poisonous to Toxic Reason

Any truth to the rumor that poisonous was changed to toxic because R&D is full of Britney Spears fans?

Last time I revealed that R&D are all Britney Spears fans, I got in trouble. Oops, I did it again. : )

Game Design Humor Poisonous Toxic

Poisonous on Storm Scale

I suppose this is a given, but Poisonous officially became a 10 in the Storm Scale after Toxic went public, right?

Yes.

Poisonous Storm Scale Toxic

Poisonous Versus Toxic

Hey Mark. When Toxic stuff first started showing up online, I asked here what poisonous was on the Storm scale, and I believe you answered 4. Since then you’ve talked about how poisonous should have been called venomous. I know you answer questions as if you didn’t know what was upcoming, but you already knew that poisonous wouldn’t be used again at that point, didn’t you? Or did the meaning of venomous/poisonous (the words) somehow first come up after I asked the question

“I know you answer questions as if you didn’t know what was upcoming”

Poisonous Storm Scale Toxic

Toxic vs Poisonous

Why make toxic when we already had poisonous? The flavor seems the same and (in paper at least) the gameplay difference seems pretty niche.

Triggererd versus not triggered doesn’t mean a whole lot in paper (although it can matter), but it means a lot in digital, and a huge amount of Magic play is on digital. Also, we chose the wrong word when naming poisonous. Certain mushrooms are poisonous. Certain snakes are venomous.

Flavor Game Play Poisonous Snake Toxic

Poisonous vs Toxic

Is WOTC going to errata poisonous to toxic? Since they are the same thing?

I don’t know if there are plans. Technically, toxic isn’t triggered and Poisonous is.

Errata Poisonous Toxic Wizards of the Coast

Errata for Poisonous

was "errata-ing poisonous to not be a triggered ability" up for discussion?

If the word was not incorrect, we would have considered it.

Errata Poisonous Triggered Abilities

Poisonous vs Toxic

Real quick- can you clarify why “poisonous didn’t work the way we wanted” ? Just curious on the specifics of why it didn’t work and how toxic allows for whatever it is you wanted to do. Thanks! (Great set so far!)

We didn’t want it to be a triggered ability.
The word poisonous was technically incorrect. Poisonous things poison you if you eat them, not if they bite you.

Fight / Bite Poison Poisonous Toxic Triggered Abilities

Digital Play Impact

What are the situations where poisonous being a trigger matters? Is it similar to how pre-keyword lifelinkesque creatures weren't exactly lifelink?

It matters most in digital play.

Creatures Lifelink Lifelink Poisonous

Differentiating Abilities

Are Poisonous and Toxic functionally the same?

Poisonous is a triggered ability and Toxic is not.

Poisonous Toxic Triggered Abilities

Future Sight Challenges

A lot of Future Sight "throw-forward" cards end up having sets where they *almost* work, but not quite (no centaurs on Kaldheim, poisonous being a trigger isn't ideal with digital, etc) and people end up dissatisfied that it wasn't used. In retrospect, do you think Future Sight could have done anything differently to avoid this?

There’s no way to actually know the future.

Centaur Future Sight Kaldheim Poisonous

Poisonous Errata Rationale

If the issue is that poisonous is a triggered ability, could it have been an easier solution to errata poisonous to work how toxic does, especially since it's only on two cards? I wish that old werewolves were errata-ed, and that would be a much larger mechanical change over more cards.

They preferred a new name as poisonous means it poisons you if you eat it, not that it poisons you if it bites you.

Errata Poisonous Toxic Triggered Abilities