Hi, Mark! A templating question (with some recent card text for reference):

Whenever you commit a crime, each opponent loses 1 life and you gain 1 life. This ability triggers only once each turn.

Whenever one or more +1/+1 counters are put on Dusk Legion Duelist, draw a card. This ability triggers only once each turn.To save space and avoid any sense of letdown, why does Magic not more frequently use phrasing such as the following?

The first time you commit a crime each turn, each opponent loses 1 life and you gain 1 life.

The first time one or more +1/+1 counters are put on Dusk Legion Duelist each turn, draw a card.Unrelated feedback: I quite like these designs, which slot perfectly into a certain Burn deck of mine: Amped Raptor; Phlage, Titan of Fire's Fury; Fear of Missing Out (such good art); Bloodbraid Marauder; also Inventor's Axe.

Two main reasons. One, it becomes a memory issue where you have to think back to what you did before you cast this spell. Two, it increases the chances that you miss a chance to use the card the turn you play it.

Amateur set designer here: Thoughts on the design of Raid Bombardment? It hasn't been reprinted in a premier set since Rise of the Eldrazi, despite being reprinted in a bonus sheet. I infer that the play pattern isn't toxic but there might be some other part of the card that is, but I'd prefer to hear it from someone more experienced than I. Is there any element of the design that makes it hard to include, or is it just a case of "there's only so many slots"?

It’s the latter. Reprints really have to serve the set, and that design sits in an odd place for synergy.

hi there,is braid of fire still in color for red?

Red can do temporary mana production. I don’t think we’d quite do it this way, but the core idea isn’t off limits.

Using my birthday wish to get trivia on my most favoritest creature type: Goblins!

Mons’s Goblin Raiders, the first Goblin, is named after Mons Johnson, a good friend of Richard’s that loves Goblins. Mons has worked at Wizards for many years and still loves Goblins. Happy Birthday!

Hi Mark,I've been seeing some pockets of the online community being rather focused on making snide remarks about you, in particular, about what people see as design mistakes. Honestly, I think a lot of it, even if the criticisms have valid points, are just needlessly mean spirited and not trying to come from a place of good faith criticism. I think part of that is people focusing on the more obvious mistakes but not knowing the things you've spearheaded that have been perceived widely as great changes for the game. What would you say are some of the biggest changes for the game that have been as close to universally accepted as good that you played a significant part in having made happen? Because I think people would be surprised about what they love that you helped make happen.

Some of the things which are popular that I had a major hand in:Bonus SheetsChangelingColored ArtifactsConstellationCreature Types as a Set ThemeCursesDevotionDouble-Faced CardsEnchantment CreaturesEnergyEquipmentFaction SetsFlashFlashbackFocus on Top-Down DesignHybrid ManaImprintKeywording of Deathtouch, Lifelink, Reach, and “dies”LandfallMorphMuch of R&D Lingo (”French Vanilla”, “Lenticular”, etc.)Planeswalkers (the card type)Player Psychographics (Timmy/Tammy, Johnny/Jenny, Spike)Poison ReturningPopulateProliferateProwessRace/Class RaidReusing of Named Nonevergreen Keyword MechanicsSagasSplit CardsSquirrelsVehiclesThe Weatherlight Saga

Braids, Arisen Nightmare let you sacrifice your own enchantment. Is it a bad or brake?

Black can do that now in pie.

Re Cruel Ultimatum being mono-black: Are syphon mind, archon of cruelty and waste not breaks? Drawing off of someone else's discard seems to fit in black's color pie best. And invoke despair draws cards with the opponent paying the cost. Skull raid is a straight draw 2 against an empty handed opponent, so the opponent doesn't even need to lose anything.

We’ve done a few opponent discards and you draw as sort of a “drain cards” effect, but it was a mistake. Black needs to pay some cost to draw. The opponent losing cards is not a cost.

I like provoke more than fight. It allows for trample, first strike, double strike, boast, raid, counts as combat damage, etc., and it works great with multiple combat phases. It can also be stapled onto creatures as an ability which distracts a blocker. It also feels very green to happen in combat vs an instant speed option, which feels more like a kill spell with a drawback. So, may I please request provoke return and fight be retired? Also, if creatures can directly attack planeswalkers, can we either tweak it or get a new ability that can attack a specific creature, without untapping it? I want to attack and avatar of woe with first strike, instant of trading from fight or untapping it only to retap.

I have some bad news for you. We’re pretty happy with how fight is working out.

Does the printing of Boast affect the chances of Raid being printed again?

No.

Hey Mark, for question one of your trivia article today I think you might have forgotten Mons's Goblin Raiders/Pashalik Mons. Either way, great article!

I included it.