Act of Treason

Color Pie Changes Request

If for some reason another time spiral style set of cards exploring colour pie changes/swaps comes around, can I ask for more act of treason/control magic effects in black?

That’s a weighty “if”. We consider Planar Chaos, at least the color pie swapping to things outside of color pie designs, to be a big mistake.

Act of Treason Black Color Pie Colors Control Magic Planar Chaos Time Spiral

Suspend Cards with Garfield PhD

Can you suspend cards with Richard Garfield, Ph.D.? For example, could you suspend Act of Treason as Rift Bolt? How about a land as Ancestral Vision?

You can cast a card as a spell with suspend. Again, lands fo not work with Richard Garfield PhD.

Act of Treason Ancestral Vision Lands Richard Garfield Richard Garfield, Ph.D. Rift Rift Bolt Suspend Suspend

Mutation to Owned Creatures

About the question about Act of Treason on a creature and then mutating it - the reminder text on mutate says "over or under target non-Human creature you own." So wouldn't it not be able to be mutated that way?

Yes, you can only mutate a creature you own. My bad.

Act of Treason Creatures Mutate

Act of Treason Mechanics

Hi Mark. What would happen if i play act of treason on a creature and then mutate it leaving my creature on the top? Would i keep it or my opponent would recover the creature?

Your opponent would get back control.

Act of Treason Creatures Mechanics Mutate Recover

Planeswalker Control Card

Can i get a maybe on an Act of Treason-like card that can take control of planeswalkers? You have already done this with Zealous Conscripts. When you got to ultimate your opponent's planewalkers it made for good stories.

FYI

Act of Treason Planeswalkers Zealous Conscripts

Planeswalker Control Card Utility

Can i get a maybe on an Act of Treason-like card that can take control of planeswalkers?

The utility is a bit narrower. Most of the time, you’ll just do the small negative loyalty cost as you can’t pay the big one if you don’t have enough loyalty.

Act of Treason Planeswalkers

Planeswalker Treason Color

Which color would get an Act of Treason for planeswalkers? Red?

Probably.

Act of Treason Colors Planeswalkers Red

Red Discard Logic

Why can't red cause random discard? It seems right in their flavor wheel house since they are the color of extreme emotions. Nahiri didn't turn black when she set out to cause Sorin major distress and pain. She didn't manipulate him through subterfuge, but his rational brain. The manipulation of feelings of love seem very red too. Red has been shown to have this magic through cards like act of treason. Why wouldn't they get their target drunk, flirty and talkative to steal information?

Any ability can be flavored in any color. Red not doing discard is a game function issue. Also, we don’t do much random discard, especially at lower costs, as it tends to cause mana problems.

Act of Treason Black Colors Discard Flavor Mana Red

Planeswalker Control Mechanic

Could red get Act of Treason type effects targeting planeswalkers where you take control of them until end of turn?

War of the Spark is where we would have made that card. We don’t normally reference planeswalkers on common cards.

Act of Treason Planeswalkers Red War of the Spark

Blinking Control Mechanism

In relation to the questions about blinking things and putting them under your control, Conjurer's Closet already does this. If you steal a creature with something like Act of Treason then blink it with conjurer's Closet, it comes back under your control.

FYI

Act of Treason Conjurer's Closet Creatures

Color Pie Combat Control

"What colour would get a card that let you at instant speed gain control of a creature during combat (not permanently) so you could block with it?" "Blue’s the color that in color pie can do that, but we don’t tend to make it any more." Isn't that exactly what Turn Against does? Is that effect no longer Red? It WAS Blue with Ray of Command, but that was a long time ago, before Threaten and Act of Treason. Turn Against was as recent as Battle for Zendikar.

Red gets temporary stealing but only at sorcery speed so it’s only usable on offense.

Act of Treason Battle for Zendikar Battles Blue Color Pie Colors Creatures Instants Ray of Command Red Sorceries Turn Against

Red Enchantment Solution

For 'red enchantment answer' in the Head to Head for today, you mean an on-color answer, right? Like burning the enchantment's controller for controlling it or Act of Treason for enchantments or something?

Yes, on color.

Act of Treason Colors Enchantments Head to Head Red

Red Steal Mechanics

We've had plenty of variants on Threaten/Act of Treason, but Disharmony variants are nowhere to be seen (I know Disharmony itself is stuck on the Reserved List). Is there a particular reason for this? Stealing an attacker to use as a blocker seems to fit red just as thematically as the reverse.

We specifically want red to use stealing aggressively and not defensively. It’s the least defensive of the five colors.

Act of Treason Colors Disharmony Red The Reserved List

Card Ownership Twist

(according to the FAQ) So I act of treason a creature my opponent controls, then cast Better than one and give that creature to my teammate. They own it now? put it in their hand/graveyard/deck when appropriate? "Just remember that for purposes of the game, your new teammate becomes the owner of those cards."

It doesn’t lose the connection to its original owner. When the effect wears off they get it back.

Act of Treason Better Than One Cast Creatures The FAQ The Graveyard Your Hand

Keyword Efficiency

Has keywording the Act of Treason effect ever been considered? It would save space.

It’s not a place where keywording save us much.

Act of Treason

End of Turn Permanency

I remember in your podcast you mentioned making a card that causes until end of turn effects to last permanently, wouldn't that break a LOT of the color pie? I.e. act of treason?

The idea was that Staying Power (the name of the enchantment) is doing it not the color of the cast spell.

Act of Treason Cast Color Pie Colors Drive to Work Enchantments Staying Power

Future Instant Effects

With Turn Against, are we going to see more instant Act of Treason / Threaten effects in red in the future? I think the gameplay is fun and it fits better in red than blue, even if it does have defensive applications.

Us doing it once does not mean it’s going to be a regular thing.

Act of Treason Blue Game Play Instants Red Turn Against

Red's Limits with Enchantments

"It’s a matter of not being able to tangibly affect them. They have no substance to destroy." Red can affect things in non physical ways though, Act of Treason being the most obvious example. Your explanation makes sense, and supports a necessary color division for gameplay, however is it not inconceivable that Red could "alter" enchantments in some way? I suppose this demands we explore another question. What are enchantments really? and why can't they be disrupted by anger and the like?

Red affecting creatures’ emotions is very different from destroying intangible magic.

Act of Treason Colors Creatures Destroy Enchantments Game Play Red

Red's Emotional Influence

I asked Doug, but I thought you might have an answer for this question as well, since it effects design. We know Red gets to throw fire balls and lightning bolts, but does a red mage have a magical power to influence emotion, a la Act of Treason or Incite Hysteria?

Yes, it does. Red can fuel emotions.

Act of Treason Incite Hysteria Red

Red's Temporary Theft

Isn't stealing a planeswalker more red than blue? a la 'act of treason'. It feels better due to the loyalty flavor of planeswalker cards.

Red could in theory steal a planeswalker temporarily for a turn.

Act of Treason Blue Flavor Planeswalkers Red