Tertiary

Insights Into Playerbase Demographics

I gather WotC has a considerable amount of market research and focus testing at this stage of Magic's lifespan. I'm super curious what sort of insights this gives into the playerbase?
For example, does it show kitchen table players being akin to a 'silent majority' or more of a tertiary demographic?
(kitchen table & play that is not necessarily part of a sanctioned format is the most interesting aspect of MtG to me personally)

Sanctioned play is a teeny tiny portion of Magic play.

Casual Play Tertiary Wizards of the Coast

BR Card's Permanent Destruction

Can a BR card have “destroy target permanent”? I know BG and BW can do it but I’m unsure what holds back BR. Per the 2021 color pie articleCreature - B primary W secondaryEnchantment - W/G primary B secondary Artifact - R/G Primary W secondary Planeswalker - B primary G tertiaryLand - R primary B/G tertiaryBattle - unknownUsing the above BR is the only color combo that doesn’t use a tertiary ability

We like to focus effects in a small number of colors, so just because two colors can destroy any permanent doesn’t necessarily mean we want to make cards in that color combination that do so.

Artifacts Battles Color Pie Colors Creatures Destroy Enchantments Golgari (B/G) Gruul (R/G) Lands Planeswalkers Primary Secondary Tertiary

Prowess in White's Pie

As an aside from that one question about whether prowess is still tertiary in white: Monastery Mentor being reprinted into standard as recently as MOM is a really good indicator that prowess is still in white's color pie, isn't it? I am assuming that reprints into standard still follow the same mechanical color pie that brand new cards have to.

Prowess is still tertiary in white, and yes reprints into Standard care about color pie appropriateness.

Card Printing Color Pie Mentor Monastery Mentor Prowess Reprints Standard Tertiary White

Prowess in White

"Probably when. Prowess is deciduous and tertiary in white." You've been SAYING that prowess is tertiary in White for 9 years now, but there has never been a mono-white card with prowess outside of Khans block that isn't a reprint of a card from Khans block. Even among those reprints, 3 of the 4 are from Masters sets. So, if White is supposed to have access to prowess, I'd like to see it actually have access to prowess. Otherwise, I kind of wish you'd just admit that it's only in red and blue.

White being allowed access to prowess means we’re allowed to make it if we find a set that needs it, not that we’re forced to make it. A tertiary ability can take many years to appear.

Blue Card Printing Deciduous Prowess Red Reprints Tertiary White

White's Prowess Trait

If or when: White getting more prowess (or caring about noncreature spells) outside of Tarkir?

Probably when. Prowess is deciduous and tertiary in white.

Deciduous If/When Non-creatures Prowess Spells Tertiary White

Green Mechanics Query

Should "Flying" and "Counter target spell" be never green mechanics?

Green is tertiary in flying, so it gets it on rare occasion.

Flying Green Mechanics Rares Tertiary

Tertiary Abilities Rule

I have a question about tertiary abilities not being used on multicolor cards.https://magic.wizards.com/en/news/making-magic/mechanical-color-pie-2021This article says Trample is tertiary in White, Blue, and Black. Does it mean there shouldn't be a WUBRG or GWUB creature with trample, even if Green is the primary color for it?

Tertiary abilities shouldn’t be that color’s contribution to a gold card. As long as a multicolor card has a color that’s primary or secondary in the ability, all is good. For instance, a green/blue multicolor card can have trample, because trample is primary in green.

Black Blue Colors Creatures Four Color Green Primary Rules Secondary Simic (G/U) Tertiary Trample White

Multicolor Tertiary Abilities

Could you please explain what the reasoning for treating the way tertiary abilities are used on multi-color creatures is the way it is?

In a multicolor cards, each color is contributing something of its own to the card, so we restrict it to things that are more core to its abilities.

Colors Creatures Tertiary

Multicolor Card Design

I asked a question the other day and didn’t get the answer I was looking for, although that’s because it was based on a faulty premise, and your response was correcting said premise, so that’s on me for asking a bad question. I am now going to rephrase the question using your correction:Y’all don’t like putting effects that are tertiary in a color on a multicolored card, which makes sense. But would that still be the case if the effect is tertiary in both colors of a 2 color card? What if it’s tertiary in 2 out of the 3 colors on a 3 color card, but isn’t in the 3rd color at all?

With a few rare exceptions, if all of the colors on a multicolor card have an ability as tertiary or lower (aka it doesn’t have it at all), that ability won’t appear on the card, even if multiple colors have it tertiary.

Colors Rares Tertiary Three Color Two Color

Black's Interaction with Prowess

could black get prowess? it's the color that cares the most about noncreature spells after red and blue, correct?

No. Black, green, and white all can care about noncreature spells in different ways. Blue is primary in prowess, red secondary, and white tertiary.

Black Blue Colors Green Non-creatures Primary Prowess Red Secondary Spells Tertiary White

Approach to Multicolored Cards Design

You’ve mentioned how, on multicolored cards, you generally avoid putting abilities that are secondary or tertiary for a color. Is that still the case if the effect is secondary or tertiary in EACH of the colors on the card? Or is it strictly “multicolor cards should have effects that are primary in their respective colors” ?

We tend to avoid tertiary, not secondary.

Colors Primary Secondary Tertiary

Treasures in Black Mechanic

Are treasures considered a tertiary mechanic in black?

Yes. Black has some limited ability to make treasure, but it’s supposed to come with paying an additional, non-mana cost.

Black Limited Mechanics Tertiary Treasure

Black Mana Dorks

How does black relate to mana dorks? Are they tertiary or more a bend? With which drawbacks or specific use cases do these black mana dorks come? When rotation happens, I'll miss the Life of Toshi. It was a cool card which was interestingly enough also a black mana dork. Which is why I wanted to ask this.

Black isn’t supposed to get mana dorks very often. When it does there’s a big hoop, it’s paying an extra cost, usually life, and the mana is used narrowly.

Bend / Break Black Mana Tertiary

Red Flash Fight

Can red get flash/fight creatures?

Red is secondary in fight, and tertiary in flash, so the combination is unlikely, but not impossible.

Creatures Fight / Bite Flash Red Secondary Tertiary

Threaten Effect Distribution

Do any colors other than red get threaten effects? If not, which other color would they fit best in?

Technically blue can get them as the color primary in stealing. Black is tertiary, so maybe it could get one. Red is king of temporary stealing.

Black Blue Colors Primary Red Tertiary Threaten

Madness Color Allocation

Which colors can have madness for sure, and which absolutely cannot within pie?Also: Thank you so much for signing my card and drawing a goat on my goat playmat!! 🐐

Madness is primary in black and red, secondary in blue, and tertiary in white and green. It was nice to meet you. My goat was by far the weakest on your playmat. : )

Appreciation Black Blue Colors Goat Green Humor Madness Primary Red Secondary Tertiary White

Green Flyers Potential

Can Green get fliers with defender?

Green is tertiary in flying and gets one on rare occasion. It can have defender. Will will make more green fliers with the defense that it has defender? Unlikely. We’re more likely to give it reach.

Defender Flying Green Rares Tertiary

Color Pie Sacrifices

Looking at the mechanical color pie article should self sacrifice be primary in white and sacrificing creatures be either secondary or tertiary?

We don’t want white very often sacrificing other creatures. While white can sacrifice itself, it’s not the color that does it the most.

Color Pie Colors Creatures Primary Sacrifice Secondary Tertiary White

Black's Combat Mechanics

Is first strike a bend in black? Would double strike be a bend?

First strike is tertiary in black. Black doesn’t get double strike.

Bend / Break Black Double Strike First Strike Mechanics Tertiary

Countered Spell Trait

Long Goodbye has "This spell can't be countered" on it. Why? I thought that was a red/green thing.

It’s primary in red and green, secondary in blue, and tertiary in white and black, so any color can access it.

Black Blue Colors Green Gruul (R/G) Long Goodbye Primary Red Secondary Tertiary White