Ravenform

Blue Removal Effects

May I ask for an update on the state of blue removal effects like Ravenform?

Blue no longer destroys/exiles creatures and gives the opponent a creature token. That’s solely a white thing. Blue can temporarily change the stats on a creature or enchant it changing the creature as long as it’s enchanted.

Blue Creatures Enchant Tokens White Ravenform

Ravenform Design Impact

Was Ravenform a break? Was the decision to stop making Pongify effects made after Kaldheim was released?

The existence of Ravenform led directly to the change.

Bend / Break Kaldheim Pongify Ravenform

Understanding Polymorph Type Effects

Hi Mark. I asked a question a few days ago about how Ravenform and Resculpt saw print despite being color pie breaks. Thanks for answering, but I think I was a bit unclear. I know blue was allowed to destroy creatures through polymorph type effects, but these two cards specifically can destroy artifacts in mono-blue, which was the real break I was thinking of.

It’s what we call the “slippery slope problem”. Once one thing is acceptable, there is push to do something similar but a little different, so making small exceptions can get you in trouble over time.

Artifacts Blue Card Printing Color Pie Creatures Destroy Polymorph Ravenform Resculpt

Green Lighting Resculpt and Ravenform

I've been wondering about Resculpt and Ravenform. They both are color pie breaks for blue, and in what seems like such an obvious way. I'm curious to know how these cards got the green light to see print when surely people knew they were breaks.

We allowed destruction as a means to express transformation for a long time, and that’s the slippery slope of evolution.

Blue Card Printing Color Pie Green Ravenform Resculpt

Blue and Permanent Stealing

Now that you removed Ravenform effects from mono-blue, can I request you remofe permanent stealing (e.g. Agent of Treachery, Mass Manipulation) from mono-blue as well and keep mono-blue stealing effects reversable (auras/Mind Flayer effects)? Maybe make permanent stealing blue/black only.

I don’t think it’s an effect we want in just multicolor.

Agent of Treachery Auras Black Blue Dimir (U/B) Mass Manipulation Mind Flayer Ravenform Treachery

Ravenform's Capability Bends

Is Ravenform a bend or break? I remember you've said blue cannot remove permanent directly.

It is now a break. Blue can no longer do that. Destruction in exchange for a creature is now exclusively white. Blue changes things temporarily or in a way that can be undone (like auras).

Auras Bend / Break Bend or Break Blue Creatures Exchange Ravenform White

Relevance of color pie changes

Are the color pie changes published today relevant as of Crimson Vow, or do we have a few sets still in the pipeline that might see blue getting more cards like Ravenform and Resculpt?

It’s mostly as of today, but a few things could sneak through in the upcoming months.

Blue Color Pie Ravenform Resculpt

Arena Cards Coming to Paper

About arena only cards coming to paper, would inspiring commander get printed as is and be treated as an accident like ravenform, would it be changed or just not printed?

The process wasn’t in place for the early Arena cards and they weren’t run by the Council of Colors. That card isn’t something we’d actually print, so I’m skeptical it’s coming to tabletop.

Card Printing Colors Commander Council of colors Inspiring Commander Magic Arena Ravenform

Adjusting Blue's Transformational Effects

Would Ravenform/Resculpt style effects fit Blue better if they were enchantments with flash that removed all abilities and changed the power/toughness of the target instead of exiling it? Or is that also more of an answer than blue should have?

I think transformational effects in blue should be auras or temporary effects.

Auras Blue Enchantments Flash Ravenform Resculpt

Concern Over Resculpt

I recently asked a question about Resculpt. After some consideration, I realized it might have sounded a bit accusatory, so I'd like to clarify. I'm not trying to doomsay or anything; I'm just genuinely interested in the design process. I know the Council of Colors considers Ravenform effects to be either breaks or strong bends, so I'm curious how they end up seeing print.

Sometimes we try something, don’t like it, and push it back. This is something tried in Kaldheim and Strixhaven that the Council of Colors doesn’t want being a blue thing.

Blue Card Printing Colors Council of colors Kaldheim Ravenform Resculpt

Terms of Blue Color Break

You've said Ravenform is a large bend or even a break, but the new Will just spoiled does the same thing. Are things not being run through the Council of Colors anymore?

The Strixhaven card is the last one before we clamped down on it. Do not expect this to be a blue thing moving forward.

Bend / Break Blue Colors Council of colors Ravenform

Classification of Ravenform

I know it's not a precedent, but is Ravenform considered a break?

It’s somewhere between a strong bend and a break.

Bend / Break Ravenform

Ravenform's Color Belonging

I think the issue with ravenform isnt so much that it sets a precedent its an example of a card being given to blue when its regularly white, but that white doesnt get such breaks for draw for example. White also doesnt seem to get efficiently costed removal despite being the colour of removal and ravenform is an example of a card that would benefit white given the reluctance to have cards closer to swords/path.

You’re preaching to the choir. I believe Ravenform (with different creative) is a white card.

Blue Colors Ravenform White

Disparity in Magic Color Pie

Can you understand the playerbases frustration with the colour pie when the arguements against giving some colours the things they need are completely ignored when it comes to giving blue and green even more effects. Blue and green cards that could have been whiteBlue tax like effectsGreen life gainBlue exileGreen exile disenchant

For starters, as I have said numerous times Ravenform is not a precedent. As for the rest. - Green has had life gain since Alpha and in almost every set since.- Blue has had taxing since early Magic (it has dropped to secondary behind white)- Green was the original color to exile artifacts. None of these are new things (save Ravenform, see above) for blue or green.

Artifacts Blue Color Pie Colors Disenchant Green Lifegain Ravenform Secondary The Exile Zone White

Blue's Artifact Removal Capabilities

Hey Mark, can you tell us if permanent artifact removal/transmutation is something that Blue will get access from now on? It's a little strange that the color that can freely counter spells and bounce any permanent also can exile more than one type of permanent and leave a small token behind as a "drawback".

Ravenform is not a precedent.

Artifacts Blue Colors Ravenform Spells The Exile Zone Tokens Transmutation

White's Fixed Color Pie

A lot of people have been saying that white is quite fixed in its slice of the color pie while other colors seem to be getting more bends (Ravenform, Tibalt's Trickery). Do you agree with this sentiment?

No.

Color Pie Colors Ravenform Tibalt's Trickery White

Exile Effects in Kaldheim

There seems to be a significant number of Exile effects in Kaldheim (Ravenform, Feed the Serpent, Crush the Weak, Divine Gambit). Was there a design reason that the team wanted this much Exile?

Yes, Kaldheim has a graveyard as resource theme.

Crush Crush the Weak Divine Gambit Feed the Serpent Kaldheim Ravenform Serpent The Exile Zone The Graveyard

Blue's Increasing Strength

Hello, Maro -
I've been a Magic player for a long time (1998). I'm very excited for the return of snow! I'm a fan of yours broadly, more than in just the realm of Magic, so thank you for that! Overall, I'm just a competitively casual player (no tournaments, favoring fun over power; limited is actually my favorite way to play).
I have to ask about Ravenform... outside of limited, including casual constructed, this is a highly efficient creature removal spell that is as good as most of black's and most of white's answers, and it's ... blue. I know there have a been a few of these card "molds" before, but this is the boldest yet, as part of a growing trend to presumably give blue "transformation" removal ... but they are very potent, evade-the-graveyard, HARD CREATURE removal spells (sorcery speed notwithstanding in THIS case), and blanking any threat for a fixed 1/1 flyer. By comparison, at least Pongify or the like made a beefy 3/3, and the Khans/Dragons block spell had a chance of being less quality loss with manifest.
I hate to be another of a 10,000 nay-sayers on this blog, but I feel very strongly about this, and I really need to ask:
Can you help to assuage my anxiety regarding blue's increasingly potent wedge of the color pie, and hard blue removal cards specifically? My feeling is this is part of Commander/ Brawl increasingly pressing even standard sets for more and better answers (and I myself rather loathe commander, which just adds insult to injury).
Thank you for your time, Mark! I hope you and your family have a great weekend!
-Ed Greco

Ravenform is not meant to be a precedent.

Appreciation Blogatog / Tumblr Blue Brawl Brawl Casual Play Color Pie Commander Constructed Creatures Dragon Limited Manifest Mark Rosewater Pongify Premier Sets Premier Sets Ravenform Sorceries Spells Standard

Ravenform Design Considerations

People are calling Ravenform a break. Is it?

Here’s what I can say about Ravenform. Magic is a game made by a lot of very smart people. Many decisions happen after lengthy and meaningful discussions between them. Ravenform affecting artifacts was one such topic. If the decision was mine and mine alone to make, I wouldn’t have had it affect artifacts.

Artifacts Bend / Break Ravenform