Rapid Hybridization

Reprinting Certain Cards

Do you think cards like beast within, pongify, rapid hybridization and harmonize should get reprinted in commander precons? Beast within is a staple and the blue removal spells are very strong and actually are not that cheap for nonrares. Should they continue to appear in commander decks since they are already in the format or would you prefer other cards?

If a card is already in the format and there is demand for it, we’ll include it in Commander decks. I personally don’t enjoy color pie breaks being major players, but that ship has long since sailed.

Beast Beast Within Blue Color Pie Commander Commander Decks Harmonize Pongify Rapid Hybridization Reprints Spells

Errata for Identical Cards

Could old mechanically identical cards like Pongify and Rapid Hybridization be errata'd to be the same card so that mechanically identical cards are universally understood to be the same?

There are certain effects we’re fine with you having more of in formats that have both.

Errata Pongify Rapid Hybridization

Polymorph Mechanics

Can I request that future polymorph effects like Pongify/Rapid Hybridization exile instead of destroy? "Destroy" always looks awkward on blue cards, and it doesn't make much sense for the creature to go to the graveyard while it's "new form" is still on the battlefield. (Or if not exile, maybe bottom of library?)

It depends on the product. We tend to lean towards destroy over exile on products that lean towards beginners like core sets.

Beginners Blue Creatures Destroy Polymorph Pongify Rapid Hybridization The Exile Zone The Graveyard The Library

Blue's Command Zone Impact

Hey mark sorry about the feels fine in blue guy. I think some of the most recent hate for the new card stems from the purpose of the command zone in commander in that the commander is usually a key piece to a deck. Blue already had the most potent disruption in the form of counter spell. With this new card, Rapid hybridization, reality shift and pognify it feels like blue ability to deal with creatures on the battlefield and off is a lot stronger than it should be.

Creatures are a major part of the game. Blue is allowed to have some ways to deal with them.

Blue Commander Creatures Rapid Hybridization Reality Shift The Command Zone

Blue's Creature Removal

Pongify, Rapid Hybridization, Reality Shift are not big concerns in EDH games. The environment has tons of removal and even “free” steal effects like Treachery. This likely only impacts budget edh decks. That said I believe you’ve talked before about how Blue shouldn’t be destroying any creature even if it replaces it with another. It should be exiled so that same creature doesn’t come back as the flavor is that the creature was turned into the new one, not destroyed and player compensated.

Ideally it would be “exiled”, but there are times where other demands require it be “destroy” instead.

Blue Commander Creatures Destroy Flavor Pongify Rapid Hybridization Reality Shift The Exile Zone

Blue Aura Transformations

On the subject of Pognify and Rapid Hybridization, can Blue just start doing that via Auras? They already did that with Imprisoned in the Moon, and it addresses a major flavor concern, I.E. the creature isn't "destroyed" or "exiled", just changed, and the change is reversible, which means Blue continues to not have permanent super-answers to problems.

We can do that some of the time. The problem is the aura version is a lot wordier and harder to process for less enfranchised players, thus can’t be done at lower rarities.

Auras Blue Creatures Experienced / Enfranchised Players Flavor Imprisoned in the Moon Rapid Hybridization The Exile Zone

FAQ Update Suggestion

Mark, I think is time to put questions about rapid hybridization and similar cards in the FAQ

I agree.

Rapid Hybridization The FAQ

Pongify Discussion

Mark, if I may- if Pongify was a mistake, why were two similar removal spells (Rapid Hybridization and Reality Shift) printed afterwards? Is this just a pattern of b×ttles you lost?

I’m not anti-Pongify. It’s in Blue’s color pie. Turning a creature into a 3/3 is not flavorwise killing it.

Blue Card Printing Color Pie Colors Creatures Pongify Rapid Hybridization Reality Shift Spells

Polymorph Effects

If Beast Within is such a problem, why is Pongify/Rapid Hybridization allowed? Is it because Blue has access to polymorph effects?

Yes, it isn’t in Green’s color pie and is in Blue’s. Blue is king of transformation.

Beast Beast Within Blue Color Pie Colors Green Polymorph Pongify Rapid Hybridization

Retiring Polymorph Topic

Can we permanently retire the Polymorph/Pongify/Rapid Hybridization topic?

There’s just some topics that keep coming round. If I feel the arguments are just circling back to the same old ones, I’ll move on to other things for a while.

Polymorph Pongify Rapid Hybridization

Pongify Exile Discussion

Why does Pongify destroy rather than exile anyway? I was surprised you didn't take the opportunity to fix it for Rapid Hybridization...

Because exiling is more complex and we try to only exile when destroying doesn’t do what we need it to.

Destroy Pongify Rapid Hybridization The Exile Zone

UG Creature Removal

Hi Mark! Would it be possible to introduce a UG creature removal that actually results in a 1-for 1? No bounce. Destroy or exile with a negative effect attached to it, that doesn't give a creature back. I really like the Idea of giving your opponent the creature's cmc in mana back next turn. Like a negative Plasm Capture as payment. Reality Shift and Rapid Hybridization are just not fit to deal with cheap creatures.

The problem is neither Blue nor Green can destroy creatures. The closest you get is Blue destroying as a technical means to then replace it with another creature.

Blue Creatures Destroy Green Mana Value Plasm Capture Rapid Hybridization Reality Shift The Exile Zone

Polymorph Mechanic Future

On the Polymorph subject, will Red be transitioning to the "Random from the top of the deck" polymorphing while Blue is focusing more on the likes of Rapid Hybridization, I.E. "Turn a problem into another, slightly less problematic problem."?

That’s the experiment we are currently trying.

Blue Polymorph Rapid Hybridization Red

Creature Transformations

Would you say dealing with creatures by transforming it into something else is more of a White thing (Darksteel Mutation) or a Blue thing (Turn to Frog/Rapid Hybridization)?

Blue.

Blue Creatures Darksteel Darksteel Mutation Frog Rapid Hybridization Turn to Frog White

Imprison in the Moon Logic

About Imprison in the Moon; doesn't it fit blue because A, polymorph(is this the blanket term for not only Polymorph the card, but also Turn to Frog AND Rapid Hybridization effects?) is a blue effect that lets you get rid of/modify a creature, and B, blue also has a history of Phantasmal Terrain-type effects that let you change lands from something to another thing? I mean, it's not perfect, and definitely a bend, but I think it makes sense in context.

It’s a bend and not a break, but it’s a decent bend.

Bend / Break Blue Creatures Frog Lands Phantasmal Terrain Polymorph Rapid Hybridization Turn to Frog

Design vs. Development

Re: Blasphemous Act, you've always punted such questions as "development issues." Isn't Blasphemous Act a development issue that might have been too aggressively costed, like Delver or Rapid Hybridization, rather than a design flaw?

“Deal 13 damage” is a design mistake.

Blasphemous Act Rapid Hybridization

Rapid Hybridization Price

Does that answer mean you perhaps now also understand why Rapid Hybridization bothers us so much even though it's -technically- something blue can do?

I’ve already said I would be happier if it costs more.

Blue Rapid Hybridization

Land Transformation Mechanic

So could blue get a Rapid Hybridization, except for lands instead of creatures? Not that it needs it, but mechanically, is that in it's wheelhouse?

No.

Blue Creatures Lands Rapid Hybridization

Player Complaint Patterns

It's kind of funny how people are complaining about Reality Shift exiling when just two years ago people were complaining about Rapid Hybridization not exiling.

The through line is people enjoy complaining. : )

Humor Rapid Hybridization Reality Shift

Reality Shift Debate

So a friend and i had an argument the other day about Reality Shift (and rapid hybridization/Pongify) being a color pie violation. are they? Is blue allowed to remove a creature from the battlefield and leave something behind like a 2/2?

Yes, blue is allowed to do this and has a long history of doing it. Note that the 2/2 has the potential to turn into another possibly more dangerous creature.

Blue Color Pie Colors Creatures Pongify Rapid Hybridization Reality Shift