Samite Healer

Podcast Request

Can you do a podcast about effects that used to be evergreen / low on the Storm scale but now aren't (and why)? For example, old sets used to always have a take on Samite Healer, Prodigal Sorcerer, Frozen Shade, etc. sometimes with a set mechanic, but now we almost never see those, much less at low rarities.

I’ll add it to the “short” list.

Drive to Work Evergreen Frozen Shade Mechanics Prodigal Sorcerer Samite Healer Shade Storm Scale

Game-Slowing Mechanic Possibility

Now that competative play is no longer a driving force for design, will it be possible to see more mechanics that slow a game down and create more complex boards, like Samite Healer, damage redirection, damage reduction, targeted and batch phasing, focused tutors, aggressive land destruction, prison effect cards, higher tuffness creatures, tucking effects, board resets, focused color hosing cards and other resourse denial effects?

Competitive play is still a driving force for design, it’s just sharing that position with other styles of play.

Batches Colors Competitive Play Creatures Lands Mechanics Phasing Samite Healer

Facts about Classic Magic Women

Birthday trivia! Can you give me something about one of my favorite classic magic women: Xantcha, Orim, And/or Belbe? (Telling me if Orim will get a second card or Belbe her first in the upcoming Commander stuff would be awesome, but you probably can’t do that)

Orim came about because we were using “Star Trek” as a model for the crew (it was a flying ship, after all) and we realized we needed a doctor. What better fit Magic than an actual Samite Healer?Happy Birthday!

Birthday Commander Crew Doctor Flying Orim Samite Healer Xantcha

Orim 2.0 Possibility

So will we one day see a 2.0 version of Orim, Samite Healer like we did with Sisay, Weatherlight Captain or Gerrard, Weatherlight Hero?

Hopefully, one day.

Gerrard Orim Samite Healer Sisay Weatherlight

Samite Healer's Future

Where is Samite Healer (tapping to prevent damage) on the storm scale?

It’s very board complex, so we’ve moved away from it. Maybe a 7.

Keyword Abilities Samite Healer Storm Scale

Samite Healer Ability

Why don't you do the samite healer ability any more?

It adds a lot of board complexity and slows the game down.

Samite Healer

White's Strategy Issues

Do you think part of the "white card advantage issue" is that repeatable effects have historically made the game too repetitive or drawn out? Examples of things I remember from the past that are not longer common in the game but could be useful to help with the issue are creature abilities like the old D'avenant Archer and Samite Healer, things that I seem to remember you saying cause board stalls and unfun gameplay.

Those things exist and are almost never used in Commander.

Archer Commander Creatures D'Avenant Archer Game Play Samite Healer White

Ajani Damage Prevention

re: Ajani and healing: Samite Healer is the original trend-setting "Magic" healer, while life-gain seems to come from the oddest of things (why does Thragtusk gain you life?). Now, making a Planeswalker card that prevents damage in sufficient quantities to seem fitting... tricky. Perhaps give it a try next time Ajani gets a card?

Having a card at sorcery speed on your turn prevent damage to your creatures is problematic to say the least.

Creatures Planeswalkers Samite Healer Sorceries Thragtusk

Return of Samite Healer

What are the odds of seeing cards like Samite Healer again? Abuna Acolyte is the last one, back in Scars of Mirrodin, and I really like them! They're a great way to use "healer" tropes without having to lean too hard on developmentally risky repeatable lifegain.

They cause lots of board complexity and slow down the game. I admit the flavor is good.

Abuna Acolyte Flavor Lifegain Samite Healer Scars of Mirrodin

Tempest Beginnings

Started playing with Tempest when a new friend (still close after all these years) brought some decks over to my house. First rare: Orim, Samite Healer. After a year or two, we discovered there was a "tournament style" (i.e., "rules"), and--design lightbulb!--this was a much more satisfying way to play. Now I'm just waiting for my 16-month-old to grow up a bit so I can have someone close-by to play with again!

: )

Orim Rares Rules Samite Healer Tempest

Complexity in Sets

Just finished my first draft of Tempest Remastered and I drafted Shaman-en-kor, Spirit-en-kor and Orim, Samite healer and at one point had a match against two pingers and an on board P/T boosting creature. Let me say I have never appreciated NWO more. But would a more board complexity heavy set be possible in the future?

The pendulum swings but no longer that far in normal expansions. Modern Masters 2015 is complex though.

Creatures Kor Limited Modern Modern Masters Orim Pingers Pingers Samite Healer Shaman Spirit Tempest

Character Name Origin

Weren't all Magic characters named after you, chronologically speaking ? Btw, who's the other character named after you ? : )

Orim, Samite Healer from the Weatherlight Saga. Originally, it was spelled Oram, Maro backwards.She was supposed to be a very minor character but ended up playing a major role in the Mercadian Masques story (at which time, I was no longer involved with the story).

Mark Rosewater Mercadian Masques Orim Sagas Samite Healer Story / Lore Weatherlight

Common Creatures Rule

Why is Samite Healer a no-go now? What about a similar creature that taps to give another creature +0/+1? What about stepping up to Veteran Armorer?

New World Order tends to avoid common creatures that change the stats (or prevent damage which is similar) of other creatures. Affecting itself, with something like firebreathing is fine.

Creatures Firebreathing Samite Healer Veteran Armorer

Samite Healer NWO Status

I'm a little confused. Why is Samite Healer no longer acceptable under NWO? It doesn't seem terribly complex. If it were reprinted, would it have to be uncommon?

Its complexity is board complexity (How does it impact the permanents in play?) and not comprehension complexity (What does it do?).

Card Printing Permanents Reprints Samite Healer Uncommons

Pre-NWO Complexity

Can you give an example of a card without morph that isn't from Time Spiral block that was acceptable at common pre-NWO but, solely for complexity reasons, isn't now?

Samite Healer.

Morph Samite Healer Time Spiral

Namesake Cards

Orim, Samite Healer. Also, I thought Soramaro also got named after you.

The maro cycle in Saviors of Kamigawa was named after Maro which was named after me, so by the power of association, I guess they were named after me.

Mark Rosewater Orim Samite Healer Saviors of Kamigawa