Rebirth

Ownership Mechanic's Future

The recent pauper 'pre-ban' of Cranial Ram got me thinking about some of the older pre-bans because of Ante that happened in the 90's (RIP Rebirth, Tempest Efreet, and Timmerian Fiends. You will not be missed). Has there ever been any serious discussion about making a newer mechanic that manipulated card 'Ownership'? Where would that sort of effect be on the Storm Scale? (I assume a 12, if it went that high)

I think we’re out of the business of changing ownership. It was the most disliked thing mechanically we’ve ever done.

Cranial Ram Efreets Mechanics Pauper Rebirth Storm Scale Tempest Tempest Efreet Timmerian Fiends

Artifact Synergy Appreciation

Hey mark, I've really been enjoying how green and black have been getting interesting and unique artifacts and artifact synergies of late. Specifically cards like Sarinth steelseeker and vat of rebirth, I really appreciate them.

Happy to hear that.

Appreciation Artifacts Black Green Rebirth Sarinth Steelseeker Vat of Rebirth

Dominaria and Spring Association

I think the plane I'd associate most with spring is Dominaria. It's all about regrowth and rebirth in the wake of tragedy and disaster. That's very spring.

Agreed.

Dominaria Rebirth Regrowth

On Malikir Rebirth/Infuse Possibilities

Are Makakir Rebirth / Infuse with Vitality effects theoretically in pie for either white or boros?

I believe White could get Malikir Rebirth, but probably without the life loss and Infuse with Vitality without the deathtouch. I don’t see what red adds to either.

Boros (R/W) Deathtouch Infuse with Vitality Rebirth Red White

Color Pie Precedents

Hymn of Rebirth reanimates any creature.

Once again, 1996 and earlier cards aren’t necessarily color pie precedents.

Color Pie Colors Creatures Hymn of Rebirth

Green Enchantments

Has green gone away from having powerful, interesting enchantments? Like Sylvan Library (out of colour pie, I know), Survival of the Fittest, Aluren, Pattern of Rebirth, etc? Seems like a space green used to play in that it doesn't any more...

Green is still allowed access to powerful, in color pie, enchantments.

Aluren Color Pie Colors Enchantments Green Pattern of Rebirth Survival of the Fittest Sylvan Library The Library

Black Cards & Zombies

Hello, Mark! Regarding black cards that kills creatures and create zombie tokens, there's Syphon Flesh. It's a 4B sorcery that forces each other player to sacrifice a creature, and for each creature sacrificed this way, you (not them) put a 2/2 black Zombie token under your control onto the battlefield. It's not cheap as Pongify, and the token is yours, but that's the closest we got so far. The next closest ones to this concept would be Vile Rebirth and Overseer of the Damned.

Yeah, when Black makes creatures into Zombies, you get the Zombie not the controller of the creature.

Black Creatures Overseer of the Damned Pongify Sacrifice Sorceries Syphon Flesh Tokens Vile Rebirth Zombie

Role in Pattern Rebirth

Did you have any part in Pattern of Rebirth? I love that card so much! Even the art is great.

Not only is it my card design but it’s from the set (Urza’s Destiny) where I was the complete design team.

Art Pattern of Rebirth Urza

Card Mechanics

Shouldn't Wildwood Rebirth (1G 'raise dead') have Black in it, or return a permanent? This seems to blur the line between green regrowth and black raise dead effects.

If you can do everything, we let you also do a subset. We don’t want to do this all the time because yes, normally this is black’s thing, but I’m okay as a one time thing.

Black Green Raise Dead Regrowth Wildwood Rebirth

Design vs Development

I'm not sure it's that safe to say Urza's Destiny design was okay and only the development was bad. Someone still had to design Yawgmoth's Bargain, Pattern of Rebirth, Rofellos, Llanowar Emissary, Gamekeeper. Even if it wasn't their jobs to adjust their power level, those card have certainly influenced what kind of cards and costs get that kind of effects.

I keep saying this but as people don’t seem to get it, I’ll keep repeating it. Power level is not design’s concern. Urza’s Destiny was a boon for deck building. It was chock full of cards that you could build decks around. It had innovative mechanics and did some neat twists on mechanics in the block. The design was good. Yes, it was overpowered (although interestingly it was the least overpowered set in the block), but numbers could have been changed or cards cut in development and those problems would have gone away. Yawgmoth’s Bargain, by the way, was turned in from design as BBB, “Pay 2 life: Draw a card.” Still broken, but much less broken than the printed card.

Bargain Card Draw Card Printing Cut In Gamekeeper Llanowar Mechanics Pattern of Rebirth Power Level Rofellos Urza Urza's Destiny Yawgmoth's Bargain