Abrupt Decay

Multicolor Card Frames

Hi Mark, I'm new to this awesome Blog. Has there ever been a discussion about changing the border of multicolor-cards from gold to a "mixture" of colors that the card actually is? For instance, the border of Abrupt Decay could be Black and Green instead of Gold. A lot of people I know have wondered why all multicolor-cards look the same.

Interestingly, I actually tried to change the multicolor frames around the time of Invasion. The idea was that two-color multicolor cards would be half one color and half the second in the frames. Three or more color cards would stay the same. I had the card frames mocked up and we showed them all around the company. Part of Invasion’s multicolor theme would be showing off the new frames. People felt the audience was so used to and so liked the gold frame that we shouldn’t change it. The compromise was the addition of the colored pin lines. Then when I made hybrid cards in Ravnica and we needed a card frame for hybrid, I said, “I think I have something for you”.

Abrupt Decay Black Card Borders Card Frames Colors Green Hybrid

Blue Color Pie Complaints

Do you ever wonder if the people complaining that blue has too much of the color pie have ever tried to build a mono-blue deck outside of Legacy? Cards like Pongify can definitely NOT replace cards like Path or Abrupt Decay. Turning a creature into a 3/3 is an order of magnitude worse that removing it.

I think the issue is more with casual play than tournament play. That’s my best guess because the polymorphing cards have not traditionally been a big player in high end play.

Abrupt Decay Blue Casual Play Color Pie Colors Creatures Legacy Pongify

Green's Counter Prevention

On 'can't be countered': "green gets can’t be countered creatures". Does this mean that abrupt decay was bleeding colors a little?

A little. Let’s say green primarily prevents the countering of creatures.

Abrupt Decay Colors Creatures Green

Vindicate Effect Distribution

Last time i checked, "Vindicate" effects were primary BW. Why recetly, only BG receives the good cards with this effect (Maelstrom Pulse, Abrupt Decay, Vraska...) and not BW?

It’s both white/black and black/green.

Abrupt Decay Black Golgari (B/G) Green Maelstrom Pulse Orzhov (W/B) Primary Vindicate White

BW Spell Design

Between Abrupt Decay going in the wrong colors, lack of mortify, and a depressing and bad Zealous Persecution as a split card, will BW as a combination ever get an interesting non creature spell again?

No, R&D got together and said, “All right from this time forward, we shall never make an interesting non creature spell again in black/white. Everyone in agreement? Good. Just don’t tell grapeshot we’re doing this. Maro, are you even paying attention?”

Abrupt Decay Black Colors Grapeshot Mark Rosewater Mortify Non-creatures Split Cards White Zealous Persecution

Mana Cost Mechanics

Is caring about converted mana cost (Pernicious Deed, Gaze of Granite, Abrupt Decay) a B/G thing? If so, how does that fit into the individual color pies of Green or Black? None of the other colors seem to care outside of dedicated "CMC matters"-blocks or the occasional counter like Spell Snare.

All the colors can care but I agree black and green tend to care a little more often.

Abrupt Decay Black Colors Gaze of Granite Golgari (B/G) Green Mana Pernicious Deed Spell Snare

Golgari's Removal Focus

Why is Golgari - a guild that has a heavy focus on creatures - getting spoiled with a large amount of removal and control spells ? Let's see : Abrupt Decay, Drown in Filth, Putrefy and Gaze of Granite, all of these in two sets ! Now, don't get mistaken, I'm quite happy about it and as an avid control player and Golgari fan I'll vastly enjoy my newly created BUG control decks, but why so much permanent removal in golgari colors ?

Golgari likes the graveyard. That includes putting things into the graveyard. : )

Abrupt Decay Colors Creatures Drown in Filth Gaze of Granite Golgari (B/G) Putrefy Spells The Graveyard Two Color

Countering Clarification

I was looking at Loxodon Smiter and Abrupt Decay... the former reads "Loxodon Smiter can't be countered" and the latter reads "Abrupt Decay can't be countered by spells or abilities". Is there a functional difference between the two? Is there something besides spells and abilities that uses the stack that I am not aware of?

It has to do with which spells target. You know rules stuff.

Abrupt Decay Loxodon Smiter Rules Spells The Stack

Abrupt Decay Rarity

I'm loving RTR so far. However, making Abrupt Decay a rare was wrong, and just looks like a money-grab. Surely when you look at the card, you can see that it is an *uncommon* type card. It reminds me of when Thoughtseize was rare, despite Duress, Inquisition of Kozilek, etc. all being lower rarity. It makes it looks like you guys didn't have enough confidence in the set selling well without making staple-type cards rare. Yuck. Don't worry, we'll be spending PLENTY of money, like always.

Abrupt Decay is rare because it is part of a multicolor rare cycle. I agree that Abrupt Decay could have uncommon (although I think it’s okay at rare as well) but many of the other cards in the cycle needed to be rare.

Abrupt Decay Cycles Inquisition of Kozilek Rares Rarity Thoughtseize Uncommons

Removal Rarity Justification

Is there a particular reason for having removal like Dreadbore and Abrupt Decay to be rare? I might have expected these to be at uncommon (well maybe not dreadbore simply because of the planeswalker part, and it being the first time).

Abrupt Decay is rare because it’s part of a rare multicolor cycle.

Abrupt Decay Dreadbore Planeswalkers Rares Uncommons