Recoil

Recoil and Off-Color Effects

You said you're unlikely to combine two in-color effects that create an off-color effect, does that mean that you wouldn't reprint Recoil?

Recoil isn’t a monocolor card. It’s a two-color card, and we do let those have one effect from each color that combine to do something neither single color does.

Colors Monocolor Recoil Reprints

Instant Discard Rules

In the general case 'Instant Discard' is not a thing, but what about the more specific case of "Recoil" and "Compelling Deterrence"? Is bounce+discard still an allowable thing with instant timing?

We do do instant discard just very infrequently.

Compelling Deterrence Discard Instants Recoil The General

Recoil Mechanic Status

Is Recoil (and Dinrova Horror by extension) a bend, a break, or A-OK?

It’s okay.

Bend / Break Dinrova Horror Horror Recoil

Recoil Design Credit

Did you design Recoil? I think it an amazingly synergistic Chinese-menu design and would love to see it again someday. I know the non-dev drill, but... too strong for standard?

I did design Recoil.

China Power Level Recoil Standard

Birthday and Trivia

It was my birthday yesterday! Do you have any trivia on Recoil, the Transmute mechanic, or co-celebrant Richard Garfield?

Richard Garfield is known for wearing two different color socks. It began because he would just throw all his socks in a drawer and just grab two but it eventually became a big enough thing that he started purposefully choosing to wear unmatched socks. Happy Birthday to you and Richard!

Birthday Colors Mechanics Recoil Richard Garfield Transmute

Color Mechanic Design

On a recent podcast, you praised Recoil as one of your favorite designs for cleverly combining a blue ability and a black ability to achieve a result that neither blue nor black can otherwise do. Yet you routinely cite the hypothetical monogreen "make a deathtouch token + fight" card as a bad idea / cheating on what green should be able to do. What's the difference?

One is a two color gold card that you have to work around to get the effect and the other is a monocolor card that undermines the color’s key weakness without any constraints.

Black Blue Colors Deathtouch Drive to Work Fight / Bite Green Monocolor Recoil Tokens Two Color

Reprint of Recoil

I like Recoil. Why hasn't it been reprinted in any of the numerous multicolor sets?

Its problem is its power level. A little too good for Standard I believe.

Card Printing Power Level Recoil Reprints Standard

Favorite Common Design

What's your favorite, elegant design of a Common today?

Recoil from Invasion.

Mark's Favorites Recoil

Design Origins

Three things: Did you design Dinova Horror? Can have a wallpaper/hi-res image of Horror of the Dim? And third: "The Gateless have risen. The Ten shall fall." OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG!

I made Recoil on which this card is based. I’m not sure but I don’t think I designed Dinrova Horror.

Dinrova Horror Gates Horror Horror of the Dim Recoil

Recoil Standard Absence

You've said Recoil is your favorite gold card you've ever worked on. How is it that it has never returned to Standard?

I think it’s a little too good but I’m not the best at judging power levels.

Mark's Favorites Recoil Standard

Gold-Medal Card Design

If designing cards were an Olympic event, what would a gold-medal card look like?

Today I will say Recoil. It stuck the landing.

Recoil

Favorite Common Card

What's your favorite common you've ever designed?

My answer changes daily but today I’m very proud of Recoil (from Invasion). I love how it does a blue thing and a black thing that together can do something that neither blue nor black can do.

Black Blue Mark's Favorites Recoil

Recoil's Reprint Status

You've said multiple times that one of your favorite designs was Recoil and I have to agree. Why hasn't it been reprinted in any tournament legal sets?

I think it’s because the power level is a little higher than development is comfortable with.

Card Printing Power Level Recoil Reprints

Recoil Card Love

Re: Some of your favorite cards you designed. Omg Recoil. I love love love Recoil. The look on people's faces the first time they encounter it is priceless. Discard that good card I just sent back to your hand, or discard one of the good cards you've been holding onto. No hand? Then just effectively nuke that permanent. So great.

I love how the two pieces, which are both in flavor, combine to do something neither flavor can do by itself.

Discard Flavor Recoil Your Hand

Favorite Card Designs

Although you've designed thousands of cards, could we get a list of a few of your favorites?

Doubling Season Mindslaver Recoil Maro Kindle Sneak Attack Soul Foundry Endless Ranks of the Dead Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker Coat of Arms B.F.M.

Coat of Arms Doubling Season Endless Ranks of the Dead Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker Kindle Mark Rosewater Mindslaver Recoil Sneak Attack Soul Foundry

Favorite Chinese Menu Card

Agony Warp: best chinese menu card ever?

No, Recoil is. : )

Agony Warp China Recoil

Best Card Crafted

What's the best card you've designed?

That’s a very hard question. I’ve designed thousands of Magic cards. There are so many I’m proud of. Okay, I’ll pick one no one will see coming - Recoil from Invasion. It managed to pick a nice simple iconic blue effect and a nice simple iconic black effect and combine them in a way that allows the card to do something neither color could do alone. And it all fits together to feel like one single cohesive effect. All at common. On a multicolor card. Ask me tomorrow and I’ll give you a different answer.

Black Blue Colors Recoil