Sphinx

Future Golgari Card

serra sphinx is one thing, but when are we getting that golgari 5 mana 4/4 flying vigilance?

I have faith it will eventually happen.

Flying Golgari (B/G) Mana Vigilance Serra Sphinx

Trivia on Sphinxes

Hi Mark, it's my birthday for another hour or so, and so I'd like to request some trivia on Sphinxes in Magic.

We had trouble finding blue’s iconic creature. It needed to fly as blue is the color most associated with flying. We also wanted the creature to be intelligent. Dragons were red’s iconic. We stumbled upon Sphinxes one day, and said, “they tell riddles, that’s pretty smart.” Happy Birthday!

Birthday Blue Colors Creatures Dragons Flying Sphinxs

Altering Sphinx's Revelation

Can sphinx's revelation be white and black instead of blue

No. Black needs to spend a resource to draw cards.

Black Blue Card Draw White Sphinx's Revelation

Sphinx Card Wording

Why are Sphinx and Shadow of the Second Sun worded like that? (“At the beginning of [player’s] postcombat main phase, there is an additional beginning phase after this phase”)It’s not the most clear way what you’d phrase this effect in natural language if you were trying to explain it to someone, so I imagine it’s something to do with the rules.

Usually odd terminology comes from templating issues.

Rules Second Main Phase Second Main Phase Shadow Shadow of the Second Sun Sphinx Templating

Iconic Creature Types

So to continue with Signature racesWhite - AngelsBlue - Wizards/Krakens/FaeriesBlack - DemonsRed - DragonsGreen - Hydras/Elementals/Dinosaurs?

The iconic creatures:White - AngelBlue - SphinxBlack - DemonRed - DragonGreen - Hydra

Angel Black Blue Creatures Demon Dinosaur Dragon Elemental Faerie Green Hydra Kraken Red Sphinx White

All-Colors Card Info

Re the person asking for a keyword meaning ""this object is all colors". While it's not a keyword, 3 cards like that exist. Transguild Courier from Dissension, Sphinx of the Guildpact from Ravnica Allegiance and Fallaji Wayfarer from the Painbow Dominaria United Commander deck.

FYI

Colors Commander Decks Dissension Dominaria United Fallaji Wayfarer Guildpact Keywords Ravnica Allegiance Sphinx Sphinx of the Guildpact Transguild Courier

More Guessing Games

Hi Mark. I love love love LOVE the card design for the new Prisoner's Dilemma. These kinds of effects that put your opponents in miniature guessing games and provoke them to turning on one another are excellent for EDH. Is there a chance we can see more of this kind of effect? Maybe in Esper colours for those of us who love Sphinx / riddle tribal and making our opponents suffer? :D

There very much is a possibility.

Colors Commander Esper (W/U/B) Kindred / Typal Prisoner's Dilemma Provoke Sphinx

Colorful Iconic Creatures

Hey Maro, dragons seem to be the easiest iconic creature to put into other colors besides it’s main color (red)Out of the other iconic creatures (Angel, Sphinx, Demon, and Hydra) which are the least difficult to most challenging to fit into other colors?

Probably Sphinx.

Angel Colors Creatures Demon Dragon Hydra Mark Rosewater Red Sphinx

Penguin Tribal Potential

RE: Penguins - We have several types that usually want flying, but have exceptions. We have non-flying dragons, demons, angels, faeries, a gargoyle, a sphinx, and even several birds already! Give the people what they want. Give us a penguin! (Barring that, could you at least give us to a "Maybe :)")

I said “when”.EDIT: I actually said, “my gut is if”, so my bad. I do think it will probably happen, so maybe I should have said when.

Angel Bird Demon Dragon Faerie Flying Gargoyle Kindred / Typal Sphinx

Request for Sphinx Cards

May I request more card designs that reward and encourage you to play Sphinx spells? Sphinx creatures are among my favorite creature types but there are very very few cards that actually have synergy with them mechanically. As a result, it's not very fun or interesting to build a Sphinx themed deck.

I can add it to the “short” list.

Creatures Spells Sphinx

Iconic Creature Commanders

It may be a weird question but Why weren't the iconic creatures of the colors never the main or subtheme of a commander pre con (except dragons maybe angels if counting secret lair)? Shouldn't there be at least one mono colored Iconic creature commander pre con in the mono color they are iconic for? It feels like Hydra, Sphinx and Demons get the short end of the stick.

I don’t think that is necessarily a thing iconic creatures need to do, but is it something you all want?

Angel Colors Commander Conflux Creatures Demon Dragon Hydra Monocolor Secret Lairs Sphinx

Blue Iconic Creature

Could the blue iconic creature be Djinn? I think they're more familiar in popular culture, and more versatile than Sphinx, and they're big and rare.

We tried it many years ago.

Blue Creatures Djinns Rares Sphinx

Sphinx and Hydra Preferences

Of all the things tried, I like Sphinx the best too. I'm less satisfied with Hydra, but I'm also not big on green so my opinion isn't worth as much. Also, can we thank you for sharing asks with tidbits of Magic lore and history from the players? It really helps signal boost lesser known info. Even I wasn't aware about the Ravnica angels.

You’re welcome.

Angel Appreciation Green Hydra Sphinx Story / Lore

Green Iconic Creatures

Is it telling that people who seem to be unaware of how much discussion there has been about green's iconic over past years organically come to the same conclusion that it's an issue?

We’ve searched for the best Blue and Green iconics for years. Nothing scores as high as Dragons, Angels, and Demons, but Sphinx and Hydras score the highest of all the things we’ve looked at. If there is a solution it’s not for any creature type we currently use.

Angel Blue Creatures Demon Dragon Green Hydra Sphinx

Iconic Types Analysis

I would like to second Hydra feeling less iconic, and would even say the same for Sphinx. Hydras play well in green, but flavorwise they feel like Dragon's cousin. With Sphinx, the knowledge theme works, but it feels like the 4th flying iconic. My picks would be kraken/serpent and treefolk/elemental.

We tried all those for blue and green and neither did as well as Sphinx or Hydra.

Blue Elemental Flying Green Hydra Kraken Serpent Sphinx Treefolk

Creature Focused Sets

can i request a sphinx or hydra focused set like avacyn restored or dragons of tarkir?

Sphinx and Hydra are a lot less popular than Dragons and Angels. But maybe if we found the perfect world for it.

Angel Avacyn Restored Creatures Dragon Dragons of Tarkir Hydra Sphinx

Acorn Cards Colors

In games with Acorn cards, are cards like Sphinx of the Guildpact and Transguild Courier also Pink and Gold?

If it says it is all colors then it is every color that exists in the game you are playing.

Colors Guildpact Sphinx Sphinx of the Guildpact Transguild Courier Un-Magic / Silver Border / Acorn Un-sets

Color Pie Adjustment

Hello Mark! Now that blue has vigilance consistently, how does this affect Serra Sphinx's place in the color pie? Is it a creature we could see nowadays, or does it have something blue vigilance creatures don'r get? (Like a big body or the fact that ir flies)

Serra Sphinx is now color pie correct.

Blue Color Pie Creatures Serra Serra Sphinx Sphinx Vigilance

Naming of Dragon's Maze

Just listened to your Dragon's Maze podcast. Wanted to point out that in the novel, the maze was called The Implicit Maze (since it was hidden in the city planning of Ravnica), and it was actually created by Azor. Niv-Mizzet was just the one who announced that the guilds would race in it. There was no reason to call the set Dragon's Maze at all!

So, it should have been Sphinx’s Maze (with no Sphinx). : )

Dragon's Maze Drive to Work Humor Sphinx Two Color

Request for Low-Cost Demon and Sphinx Cards

We've recently had an uptick in the amount of cheaper mana value Angel's. We also occasionally see the low cost dragon, and hydras(by virtue of X costs) May I request low mana cost demon and sphinx cards at some point? Just to help out all those iconic tribal decks

I’ll keep it in mind.

Demon Dragon Hydra Kindred / Typal Mana Mana Value Sphinx