Stoneforge Mystic

Enjoyment from High-Power Reprints

As an example of why some of us are happy about high power bonus sheet reprints: at pre-release I had Stoneforge Mystic and Gold Pan, and realized it turns Stoneforge Mystic into colour fixing! It was such a delightful micro-discovery. So I totally disagree that these cards somehow make limited less fun

There is a lot of fun discovery.

Bonus Sheets Colors Gold Pan Limited Mystic Reprints Sealed Format Stoneforge Mystic

Assessing Aftermath Set in Bonus Sheet

Has it become clear yet if cramming the Aftermath set into a bonus sheet was a success or not? Seeing how bomb heavy the prerelease was made me dislike that solution to your self-made problem quite a lot. Stoneforge Mystic and Oko are incredibly warping in limited.

You’re conflating the bonus sheet of reprints with the Big Score collection of new card designs ported over from the Aftermath-ish product.

Aftermath Big Score Bonus Sheets Limited Mystic Prerelease Reprints Sealed Format Stoneforge Mystic The Big Score

Combo Bans Versus Cards

"It’s not something that’s easy to monitor. If an opponent plays a banned card, you know to call a judge. But if not a combo was banned, you don’t know."But if they don't play the combo, it doesn't matter that they do have it. If anything its a huge drawback since that means that if they draw piece A, then they can't ever play their piece B and they'll have to literally hide their hand from onlookers (possibly for the whole tournament) or they'll be disqualified.I don't see it being more complicated then Stoneforge Mystic that was banned EXCEPT if you were playing the exact decklist of the precon deck that included it.

The Stoneforge Mystic thing was only because we banned a card before a preconstructed deck with the card got released. It was a wonky work-around. That shouldn’t be a precedent for anything.

Bannings Format Legality Mystic Stoneforge Mystic Your Hand

Rules Heavy Cards

Has R&D ever considered banning in every format such cards as Panglacial Wurm that put a huge weight on the rules?

Is that in part because those cards rarely see tournament play? Would you consider it if such a car became an all format staple. The rules issues of Panglacial Worm with the power-level of stoneforge mystic say?

If Panglacial Worm was causing competitive tournament issues, we’d probably react differently.

Bannings Competitive Play Format Legality Game Design Mystic Panglacial Wurm Rules Stoneforge Mystic Worm Wurm

Banning Aggressiveness

Regarding your recent point that "if nothing ever gets banned, we aren't doing our job properly", I think I agree. However, players will often point to the decade from 2006 - 2016 in which only two cards (Jace, the Mind Sculptor and Stoneforge Mystic) were banned in Standard for contrast. Do you feel that more cards should have been banned during that time, or that R&D wasn't pushing the envelope enough?

I think we weren’t aggressive enough in our banning.

Bannings Format Legality Format Legality Format Legality Game Design Jace, the Mind Sculptor Mystic Standard Stoneforge Mystic

Identity of Mystic

So is stoneforge mystic a specific person or just a title

It’s a title.

Mystic Stoneforge Mystic

Equipment Cards Trivia

Mark! It was my birthday on Sunday, but I never got my birthday trivia! Could I get some trivia on Stoneforge Mystic or equipment cards in general?

We decided to give white an “equipment matters” theme in original Zendikar block, and Stoneforge Mystic was Part of that push. Happy Belated Birthday!

Birthday Equipment Mystic Stoneforge Mystic White Zendikar

Nahiri and Stoneforge

Concerning Nahiri and Stoneforge Mystic: they are not the same individual, but Nahiri is a longstanding member of the stoneforge tradition on Zendikar. The red band on her arm signifies her status as a stoneforge master.

FYI

Mystic Red Stoneforge Mystic Zendikar

Unbanning Policy Explained

If the future of card design shouldn't be held hostage by the past can WotC unban Birthing Pod and Stoneforge Mystic then?

You do understand banning troublesome cards from the past is helping the future not be hostage to the past.

Bannings Birthing Pod Format Legality Format Legality Mystic Stoneforge Mystic Wizards of the Coast

Stoneforge Mystic in Modern

Will we ever see stoneforge mystic in modern? The oft quoted reason is because it suppresses aggro, but aggro doesn't seem to be having too much of a problem and swords/batterskull seem tame compared to turn two thought-knot seer, turn 3 reality smasher.

As a general rule of thumb, if a card is powerful enough to be banned in Modern, it’s probably too powerful to be reprinted in Standard.

Bannings Batterskull Card Printing Format Legality Format Legality Modern Mystic Reality Smasher Reprints Rules Standard Stoneforge Mystic Thought-Knot Seer

Reprinting Stoneforge Mystic

Would reprinting Stoneforge Mystic somewhere in the BFZ block warp Standard?

Either it’s completely out of theme or it’s problematic. Neither is a good choice.

Card Printing Mystic Reprints Standard Stoneforge Mystic

Planeswalkers Identities

If planeswalkers are only supposed to be represented by planeswalker cards, why is it that stoneforge mystic was turned into Nahiri? (or vice versa if the character existed first.)

Those two things are not the same. Yes, they look similar as they are both female Kor, but they are not the same person.

Kor Mystic Planeswalkers Stoneforge Mystic

Stoneforge Mystic's Power

Is Stoneforge Mystic too strong to be reprinted in the right standard environment?

Not a developer, but yes.

Card Printing Mystic Not a developer Power Level Reprints Standard Stoneforge Mystic

Nahiri Misidentification

But what about the accusations your wife used to be a stoneforge mystic?

I think you are confusing Avacyn with Nahiri.

Mystic Stoneforge Mystic

Nahiri and Stoneforge

Okay, so I'm just now seeing Nahiri's art and I saw a question the other day of planeswalkers being a regular card before their spark ignites, well is Nahiri the mystic formerly known as Stoneforge?

Stoneforge mystic is a job not a person.

Art Mystic Planeswalkers Stoneforge Mystic

Birthday Kor Trivia

It's finally my birthday! I have now played Magic for a year more than half of my life! With BFZ on the horizon could I get some trivia about Stoneforge Mystic or the decision to tie the Kor to equipment? If you have neither general Kor trivia would also be appreciated!

When Mike and I first made the Tempest story, we came up with the idea of three tribes that were all pulled there from other worlds. We named them the Kor, Vec and the Dal because Michael had a cool idea that Gerrard was going to fulfill a prophecy to bring the three tribes together as something known as the Korvecdal. Years later we were working on Zendijar when someone on the creative team came up with the cool idea that it was the home world for the Kor and we could see them again. Happy Birthday!

Birthday Equipment Gerrard Kor Mystic Prophecy Stoneforge Mystic Story / Lore Tempest

Stoneforge Mystic & Nahiri

Nahiri is fantastic, and so is the story. Much thanks to the creative team and Kelly Digges. I noticed that she is very similar in appearance to Stoneforge Mystic, and not just by being a female Kor, but also her clothes, haircut, and abilities. They are so similar it seems beyond coincidence. Is Stoneforge Mystic supposed to represent Nahiri in some way?

dougbeyermtg:
Nahiri was part of a tradition of kor stoneforgers — powerful mages who forge weapons from stone — and that tradition still exists on Zendikar today (which we know as the card Stoneforge Mystic). Nahiri’s (awesome) art by Eric Deschamps was definitely modeled on the art of Worldwake’s Stoneforge Mystic. Nahiri, the Lithomancer art by Eric Deschamps Nahiri’s title of “the Lithomancer” relates to this same tradition of stoneforging, and her talents in crafting with stone contributed to the trapping of the Eldrazi on Zendikar along with Ugin and Sorin. In short, Nahiri is the creator of Zendikar’s hedrons. More in “The Lithomancer” by Kelly Digges: http://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/ur/lithomancer-2014-10-29 Art by Igor Kieryluk
For those that are curious about “the lithomancer”. Also, Doug answers the Stoneforge Mystic question.

Art Blogatog / Tumblr Eldrazi Izzet (U/R) Kelly Digges Kor Mystic Nahiri, the Lithomancer Stoneforge Mystic Story / Lore Worldwake Zendikar

Two-Drop Cycle Discussion

Is completing the "power two-drop cycle" (Stoneforge mystic, Snapcaster Mage, Dark Confidant, missing red card, Tarmogoyf for those unaware) a thing on the radar at WotC or just community speculation? And how do you feel about specifically Young Pyromancer being more of a reason for blue decks to play red than anything else? ("Spells matter" being heavily in blue's favor, tournament-wise)

We don’t consider it a thing. Also, we don’t go out of our way to make broken cards so it’s not a hole we would design to.

Blue Dark Confidant Mystic Red Snapcaster Mage Spells Stoneforge Mystic Tarmogoyf Wizards of the Coast Young Pyromancer

Lithomancer Identity

To me the Lithomancer seems to be obviously Stoneforge Mystic! She just lost her spark during the Mending!

You’re not the first to suggest this. : )

Mystic Stoneforge Mystic The Mending

Stoneforge Mystic Query

Why is Stoneforge Mystic White? Isnt tutoring a black thing?

White can tutor for artifacts (usually equipment) and enchantments.

Artifacts Black Enchantments Equipment Mystic Stoneforge Mystic Tutoring Tutoring White