Return to Ravnica

Potential Return to Ravnica

Can I get a maybe for returning to Ravnica in the next 5 years?

Maybe. : )

Humor Return to Ravnica

Influx of new players

Hey Mark! I’ve noticed a lot of content creators have mentioned getting into Magic around RTR and/or Innistrad. I also hopped in around that point, which is part of why hearing this a lot has stuck out. Was there something unique in that period that might have had that result? Is it just that we’re in a certain point in a cycle of players? Or is it maybe all just confirmation bias on my part?

There’s no correlative data showing that time period had any spikes beyond the normal slope at the time. Confirmation bias seems likely.

Beginners Competitive Play Cycles Innistrad Return to Ravnica Spikes

Question on Reprinting Sets

Re: “we’ve promised to not straight reprint old sets.”When you say this, do you mean that you won’t print a set with the exact same set list as an existing set? Or do you just mean that you won’t print cards that are indistinguishable from existing versions? That is to say, if you made a hypothetical “return to ravnica redux” where everything was the exact same with no changes, except all the cards had a little planeswalker stamp in the corner like the list or mystery booster, would that be fair game?

It means we won’t reprint a set with the exact same cards, frame/text upgraded or not.

Boosters Card Frames Card Printing Planeswalkers Reprints Return to Ravnica

Pioneer Format Boundary Decision

How was it decided for RTR to be the cutoff point for pioneer? I think around that time period was probably about right in order to achieve the intended goal of the format, but I’m curious why/how it was decided to be RTR block specifically as opposed to innistrad or theros or something else around that time

Play design spent a lot of time looking at all the options. Return to Ravnica ended up being their first choice for what it allowed and what it kept out.

Innistrad Pioneer Play Design Return to Ravnica Theros

Return to Ravnica Timing

For purposes of how long until we return to a plane, does murders at Karlov Manor count as a Ravnica set?

Not in a traditional sense. It’s a backdrop set.

Backdrop Sets Murders at Karlov Manor Return to Ravnica

Simic Guild Symbol Story

the simic guild symbol sticker from the Return to Ravnica prerelease guild kit has been on my family's sliding glass door for over a decade now, serving as a way to make it obvious whether it is open or closed to birds and humans alikei just though maybe you'd get a kick out of hearing that : )

I do.

Birds Humans Humor Prerelease Return to Ravnica Sealed Format Simic (G/U) Stickers Story / Lore Two Color

Power Level Adjustment in Sets

Set B "obsoletes" set A is a strong word, but let's focus a moment on pioneer, not very old vintage cards. I have a database of "top playables" in pioneer, restarted after every banning. Cards get into list based on certain number of appearances in goldfish's tournament winners, but criteria is equal to all cards. 9 OG Theros cards are on the list, 5 KTK cards. 4 RTR cards (+ shocks) 21 MKM cards are. 20 LCI cards. 13 OTJ. New sets have vastly more cards in list, thus are stronger.

The switch for a Standard-focus to an Eternal-focus forced us to up the overall power level of premier sets in Throne of Eldraine, so yes, Throne of Eldraine and sets after do have an overall high power level. That wasn’t set by set creep though, but a conscious one-time adjustment.

Bannings Format Legality Khans of Tarkir Murders at Karlov Manor Outlaws of Thunder Junction Pioneer Power Level Premier Sets Premier Sets Return to Ravnica The Lost Caverns of Ixalan Theros Throne of Eldraine Throne of Eldraine Vintage

Skittishness Regarding Subtype Updates

Re: Subtype updates"R&D is still a bit skittish about the last one."I think a big part of the equation is that a lot of us don't understand why R&D is skittish. As a player who came in sometime between Lorwynn and RTR, hearing about the GCTU sounded like the best idea ever. Of course, I've also spent 0 days on R&D, so I'm willing to believe and hear our reasons that part of the team may think it's not a good idea.

There’s a cost when a card does something that just isn’t written on the card. For example, a key moment at a Pro Tour happened because one player made a critical mistake because they were unaware their opponent’s card was an Archer (due to errata, not on the card).

Archer Competitive Play Errata Game Design Return to Ravnica Subtype

'Stunning' a Permanent's Ability

Are there ways to "stun" a permanent (such as a planeswalker or a land), so that its ability can't be activated until end of turn?

The detain mechanic from Return to Ravnica.

Detain Lands Mechanics Planeswalkers Return to Ravnica Stun

Land Destruction Memory

I just want to say my most miserable game of Magic happened sometime during Return to Ravnica standard. In it my opponent got out an Acidic Slime super early and destroyed a land. They then did it again. And again. I never had more than 3 lands that game. I might not have had more than 2. This would have been over a decade ago and I still remember how unfun it was. I get commander players want tools to control ramp, but making sure people can play is insanely important and should take priority.

Just be happy you weren’t playing when there was a deck built around this card:

Acidic Slime Blogatog / Tumblr Commander Lands Return to Ravnica Standard

Detain Mechanic Future

Hi and Happy Friday Mark!

Where would you say is Detain (keyword action from Return to Ravnica) on the Storm scale currently?

In a 2016 article, you ranked it as a 3 on the Storm Scale so I'm surprised it hasn't been revisited yet in a premiere set even after 12 years.

It's one of my favorite mechanics so I'm rooting for its return!

It’s a clean mechanic with plenty of design space. We still need to find the right set for it.

Design Space Detain Keyword Actions Mechanics Return to Ravnica Storm Scale

Ravnica Spies Concept

The next time we return to ravnica as a non-backdrop set, could we have spies?

Spies as a concept or Spies as a creature type?

Backdrop Set Backdrop Sets Creatures Return to Ravnica

MKM Set Appreciation

I’m really liking how MKM is being handled as a Ravnica backdrop set. I feel you guys did a great job of setting expectations this time around. If going into spoiler season I was expecting a true multicolor set, I’d be disappointed with the multicolor presence. Instead, I’m pleasantly surprised. This was a great way to return to Ravnica. It feels like Ravnica, but it feels fresh. I love Ravnica, but it was beginning to feel stale during GRN/RNA. This makes me look forward to future backdrop sets.

Happy to hear that.

Appreciation Backdrop Set Backdrop Sets Guilds of Ravnica Murders at Karlov Manor Ravnica Allegiance Return to Ravnica Spoilers

Ravnica Lore Appreciation

For some reason, this "return to Ravnica" set, story-wise, feels more "return to Ravnica" than the other ones despite Ravnica just being the background setting for a mystery set. The addition of Argus Kos, good use of classic Ravnicans, and mystery storyline which mirrored the original Ravnica block story somehow feels deeply authentic to the original Ravnica block. Hi-5s to the lore/world building team! The choice to have Ravnica as the mystery set was more of a slam dunk choice than I thought!

Glad you’re enjoying it.

Appreciation Return to Ravnica Story / Lore

Tumblr UI Complaints

Going to echo @aalgot on the commenting difficulty. I started reading Blogatog around Return to Ravnica, but didn't figure out how to comment until I stopped playing when crossover sets were introduced (and I was upset enough by the change to spend the time to learn how to comment).
Tumblr's UI/UX is definitely lacking something.

Any tips on how to communicate?

Blogatog / Tumblr Echo Return to Ravnica

Acorn Cards in Eternal

Do you think there's a chance an otherwise eternal set might include acorn cards specifically for limited? I think a return to Ravnica where draft had cards that cared about those faction watermarks would be fun and plays up the guilds.

We do many sanctioned limited tournaments, so my gut is we wouldn’t do that.

Draft Formats Eternal Factions Limited Return to Ravnica Two Color Un-Magic / Silver Border / Acorn Un-sets Watermarks

LCI Theme Perception

I have noticed a lot of people seem to think LCI is still leaning into the previous themes of Ixalan, while I don't think anyone made that mistake with WAR. Do you think it's just because we got two classic Ravnica sets before WAR?

The Lost Caverns of Ixalan has more node to original Ixalan that War of the Spark had to Ravnica. That’s due to both there being two traditional Ravnica guild sets before it, and it not being the first return to Ravnica.

Ixalan Return to Ravnica The Lost Caverns of Ixalan Two Color War of the Spark War of the Spark

Faction Packs Prerelease

If/when: another set with separated faction packs in prerelease kits like Phy/Mirran from Mirrodin Besieged, or a facton set prerelease with a seeded faction pack like Return to Ravnica, Gatecrash, Khans and Dragons of Tarkir?

If. We’ve pulled back a bit from specialized prerelease packs. The game design is optimized for the normal play pattern, and we want the prerelease to show off the best the set can be.

Dragons of Tarkir Factions Game Design Gatecrash If/When Mirrodin Besieged Mirrodin Besieged Prerelease Return to Ravnica Sealed Format

Ravnica Faction Distribution

If we return to Ravnica for a faction set again, is it more likely for us to get all 10 factions in one set or spend two sets there with 5 factions in each?

Ten factions can’t fit in one set.

Factions Factions Return to Ravnica

Returning to Ravnica

Mark, is there any chance we’ll get to return to Ravnica at some point given now that March of The Machines is resolved?

We’re returning to Ravnica in Murders at Karlov Manor early in 2024.

March of the Machines Murders at Karlov Manor Return to Ravnica