Secret Rendezvous

Color Pie Boundaries

Hey Mark, if White can get a "fair draw" as in Secret Rendezvous, do you think it could also get a "fair discard", like "Discard N, opponent(s) discard(s) the same number"?

That’s not something we want to do in white.

Color Pie Discard Secret Rendezvous White

White's Card Drawing Conundrum

In EDH, Cut a Deal is basically draw three cards for three mana which is very mana efficient (mono blue can't even draw three cards for 3 mana unconditionally) and Cut a Deal fundamentally contradicts the mono white "draw one additional card per turn rule." It also isn't giving the opponent the same number of cards like Secret Rendezvous. I don't see how this isn't a color pie break and it feels like Magic broke a very clear line because parts of the player base loudly complained. What gives?

Here’s the core issue with card drawing in white. White is the color with the most answers, but they are varied, so white is strongest when it knows what threats it’s facing. If white’s card drawing is too strong, it’s able to accumulate answers to every threat. We solve this in two ways. Either we limit how fast you can draw in white (once per turn) or we make sure that other players are drawing threats at the same rate white is drawing answers (all players/you and an opponent draw the same amount). Multiplayer throws a wrinkle in this because there are more players capable of each drawing a threat, so Cut a Deal equalizes the threat and answer draw issue, but spreads it amongst players, which gives an advantage to the caster, as they’re drawing more cards, but doesn’t let white get ahead on the threat/answer vector.

Blue Card Draw Color Pie Colors Commander Commander Cut a Deal Mana Once Per Turn Power Level Rules Secret Rendezvous White

Verifying Secret Rendezvous' Exception

"White can’t draw more than one card per turn" Does this make Secret Rendezvous a break, or is there a group hug exception?

It’s allowed group draw as an exception to the one card a turn rule.

Bend / Break Rules Secret Rendezvous White

Color Pie Breaks Issue

I've seen a lot of talk online about Truce/Temporary Truce being color pie breaks for White. With the recent printing of Secret Rendezvous, would you say they are now more bends than breaks (if not simply now in color), or is Secret Rendezvous also a break?

We’ve been exploring more card drawing for white and universal draw (everyone draws N cards) is now in pie for white. For many years, it wasn’t.

Bend / Break Card Draw Color Pie Colors Secret Rendezvous Temporary Truce Truce White

White Draw Progress Acknowledgement

Hey, I had asked made a remark out of frustration with whites draw back in strixhaven and the card secret rendezvous. Since then I have seen a lot of progress with that and really like where it is going, sorry that I was so negative at the time!

I took no offense. I’m excited to have an audience so passionate about what we do.

Secret Rendezvous White

Draw Effect Discrepancies

"White doesn’t get Howling Mine." If white can get symmetrical draw like Secret Rendezvous, why not?

Repeatable and one-shot effects function very differently.

Howling Mine Secret Rendezvous White

Love Themed Cards Distribution

Maro, thank you all for Strixhaven, is basically the set that I've been waiting for more than 20 years.But can I espress my dissatisfaction for Secret Rendezvous? I've always disliked White so I don't care about the effect, but art and flavour text belong to red, imho. It's at least the second card that talk about love that is white instead of red, the first being True Love's Kiss. Can I ask if it's possibile to have more cards about love in red instead of other colors, especially white?

It’s a fine thing to ask for more cards in red that represent love of various kinds. Love is not unique to red though. Red is the color most likely to make (rash) decisions based on emotions like love, but all the colors experience the full range of emotions.

Appreciation Art Colors Flavor Mark Rosewater Red Secret Rendezvous True Love's Kiss White

Enjoyment of Secret Rendezvous

A lot of people are upset about Secret Rendezvous but I'm actually really excited by it. The political possibilities of it are wild! I'm looking forward to jamming it in a bunch of my decks. Please pass my thanks on to the Council of Colors and the design team for giving us such a fun card.

I will. Glad you like it.

Appreciation Colors Council of colors Secret Rendezvous

Choice of White Card Draw

i understand the need to keep white as the 5th best at card draw and i'm not against that. however it feels rather that white is 6th best as even colorless draws better than white and that's a big issue going forward. why should i run Secret Rendezvous over any of the artifact draw that currently exists? or even against the colorless cards in Strixhaven itself?

Because giving another player three cards can be a big plus in a strong political multilayer game.

Artifacts Card Draw Colorless Secret Rendezvous White

Secret Rendezvous Card Inclusion

If Secret Rendezvous is meant to be a political card in multiplayer, why is it in the standard set and not the Commander decks?

Premier sets are for players of all formats including Commander. Also, waiting to find a slot in a Commander deck could take awhile. Players keep stressing how they want to see white draw sooner than later.

Commander Commander Commander Decks Premier Sets Premier Sets Premier Sets Secret Rendezvous Standard White

Disappointment with Secret Rendezvous

I have to express my extreme disappointment in Secret Rendezvous. The downside of this card is so strong, that playing it in mono White might as well be a concession of defeat, and if I'm in any other colors I'm going to run any number of other cards instead. I've seen a number of suggestions of ways this card could have been better, but I won't list those here. I just feel that this is a poor design, and I won't be running it.

The card is designed to be a white card that draws multiple cards and doesn’t help the white weenie deck in two-player play. The place I assume it will shine is in multiplayer play where the granting of cards can be used as a political tool to create allies. The card is not designed to be a universal good card draw as white is fifth in card draw and isn’t the color that gets universal multiple card drawing cards. White’s card draw is much more situational. As you will see as future sets release, we are creating a very white identity for how it draws cards.

Ally Card Draw Colors Commander Secret Rendezvous White