Spellbinder

White's Delaying Actions

Hello Mark! As part of White's "taxing / delaying the casting of a spell" effects such as Anointed Peacekeeper, Elite Spellbinder, Reprieve, etc., would White be allowed in-pie to put a card from an opponent's hand into their library N cards from the top? Sort of like a "You still get to play this card, but not for a couple turns" effect.

No, putting cards X from the top is something we do in blue rather than white.

Anointed Peacekeeper Blue Elite Spellbinder Peacekeeper Reprieve Spellbinder The Library White Your Hand

Perspective on Land Destruction

Each time land destruction becomes the topic, you put this playstyle away as unfun because people don't get to play the game. Yet we get powerful counterspells and powerful tax effects (including ward). In standard, I've had games on the draw where I did nothing because of Thalia followed by Anointed Peackeeper or Elite Spellbinder. Thalia is basically like -1 land if you wanted to play one noncreature, worse if you wanted to play more. It gets even worse: Thalia or the other creatures mentioned do win games, unlike a Stone Rain or similar. Now, I do share the belief we don't need more stone rains, it's too much all eggs in one basket, but cards like Waking the Trolls did a step in the good direction of being interesting and disruptive without being oppressive.
So my take is: people overestimate land destruction, don't let that stop you, as there is a lot of design space here.

We are very careful with counterspells, discard, and taxing for the very reasons you state. Long ago there existed a “permissions deck” which was basically nothing but counterspells and countered almost every spell. We don’t allow that (or a discard deck that makes you discard every spell) anymore.

Creatures Design Space Discard Egg Elite Spellbinder Lands Non-creatures Spellbinder Standard Stone Rain Troll Waking the Trolls Ward

White Cost-Attack Commonality

How common is white hand cost-attack, like on Elite Spellbinder and Invasion of Gobakhan, going to be going forward?

We’re still getting a sense of how often we want to do it.

Elite Spellbinder Invasion Spellbinder White Your Hand

Reaction to Elite Spellbinder Complaint

(on elite spellbinder) "It feels really wrong to me, especially on such an efficient beater with evasion. Indestructible effects, general taxation and protection were not enough, now white has better hand disruption on a stick than black? Hate it." Well its official, people are now complaining white is too good, congrats Mark.

Do this job long enough and you get to hear every position held. : )

Appreciation Black Elite Spellbinder Evasion Humor Indestructible Protection Rat Spellbinder White Your Hand

'Elite Spellbinder' in Constructed Format

Considering the novelty of Elite Spellbinder, how the Design team feel about seeing it being played a lot in every constructed format it's legal on?

We feel great about it.

Constructed Elite Spellbinder Spellbinder

Elite Spellbinder Evaluation

Is Elite Spellbinder a bend, break or new design space for white? I know taxing a single spell is clearly in white's color pie, however looking at an opponents hand is new for white. Traditionally see what an opponent has in hand has been limited to Blue or Black for modern color pie

We’re exploring new space.

Bend / Break Black Blue Color Pie Design Space Elite Spellbinder Limited Modern Spellbinder White Your Hand

MonoWhite Card Taxing Effect

Mark, if Elite Spellbinder exiled a spell from the stack and taxed it by 2 he would still be able to be a monoWhite card or this would be a break (he would need Flash though)?

I believe white can have taxing counterspells, colorpiewise. Play design isn’t currently interested in making them though.

Bend / Break Elite Spellbinder Flash Play Design Spellbinder The Exile Zone The Stack White

Designer of Elite Spellbinder

Is Elite Spellbinder designed by PVDDR?

It features his likeness and we made sure that he was pictured on a card he liked and in a set he was excited about, but no, he did not design the card.

Elite Spellbinder Spellbinder

Imprinted Spell Design

"One of the cards I designed was a creature that allowed you to imprint an instant or sorcery from your hand. Then whenever the creature dealt combat damage, the imprinted spell would go off. I don't remember why that card didn't make it to print" Doesn't this design exist in Spellbinder?

I’m not sure if that card turned into Spellbinder or we didn’t do it because of Spellbinder.

Card Printing Creatures Imprint Instants Sorceries Spellbinder Your Hand