Alara Reborn

Possibility of Monocolor Gimmick Set

Alara Reborn has no monocolor cards. Is such (premier) set possible in current system?

R&D refers to it as a “gimmick set” (aka all the cards in the set are _________). We’ve cooled on gimmick sets as they are significantly harder to make and just don’t result in additional sales.

Alara Reborn Monocolor

Five-Color Soup Design

if/when a set with arcs+wedges where the ability to make five-color "soup" decks is a feature, not a bug? I'm thinking similar to alara reborn. i imagine the biggest hurdle is that such a set might have a negative effect on the surrounding sets in standard

That’s a huge hurdle. And it’s hard to make soup a feature as everyone plays the same cards.

Alara Reborn If/When Standard Three Color

Gimmick Set Appeal

Hey Mark, I just finished collecting all of Alara Reborn and I really love the all multicolor theme of the set. I know it's very hard to do in standard, but have themes like this ever been revisited in design, such as having an all creatures set like Legions? I feel like gameplay requires more but I can't get over how unique and cool the set looks as a whole. Even if it's a supplemental I'd love to see more sets like this in some fashion.

We did a bunch of research on “gimmick sets” (everything is a ______) and found that it was a lot of work and had minimal impact in making players more eager to buy it.

_____ Alara Reborn Creatures Game Play Legions Standard

Gold and Triple Color Sets

As a designer (disconnected from the viability of it in current magic), would you try to tackle to design an all gold set or an "all ten triple color" set?

Both have been designed, although neither by me (Alara Reborn and Double Masters 2022, respectively). Neither has a particular draw to me as a designer.

Alara Reborn Colors Double Masters

Multicolor vs Gold Card Aesthetic

"Why did it need them? Hybrid’s deciduous, so it has access, but there needs to be a purpose behind it."You're joking right? Alara Reborn was all multicolor for the sake of it. It desperately needed a 'monocolor' component. Hybrid would have allowed it and kept the multicolor theme.

But the whole aesthetic was “all gold cards” not “all multicolor cards”.

Alara Reborn Deciduous Hybrid

Alara Reborn Hybrid Cards

Mark, do you think Alara Reborn could've had more regular Hybrid cards?

Why did it need them? Hybrid’s deciduous, so it has access, but there needs to be a purpose behind it.EDIT: I should have also mentioned that it fought against the “every card has a gold border” aesthetic the set was doing.

Alara Reborn Deciduous Hybrid

Possibility of Gimmick Sets

I know that you guys have stopped doing gimmick sets like Alara Reborn, at least for premier sets. Do you think that a gimmick like Alara Reborn's "all multicolor" one might be possible in a supplemental set?

It’s unlikely. They cause more problems than excitement.

Alara Reborn Premier Sets Premier Sets

Breaking Assumptions in Sets

Alara Reborn was a set with only multicolor cards, no monocolor in it. Going off of that, If/When another set that breaks some basic assumptions about Magic, like Alara Reborn breaking the assumption that a set has to have monocolored cards in it.

We break assumptions from time to time. Original Innistrad, for example, broke the rule that all cards have a back.

Alara Reborn If/When Innistrad Monocolor Rules

Prospect of Multi-colored Sets

Hi Mark, if or when another set made up with multicolored cards only like Alara Reborn?

If. Two reasons: 1) We’ve moved away from making gimmick sets (“everything is _______”).2) Alara Reborn taught us how hard an all-gold set was to make.

_____ Alara Reborn If/When

About Gimmick Sets

If/When: A gimick set a-la Legions or Alara Reborn where all cards have some same characteristic

If. We’ve moved away from gimmick sets.

Alara Reborn If/When Legions

Challenges of the Gold Gimmick

Did Alara Reborn being a small set make it easier or harder to execute the all-gold gimmick in design?

Less cards is easier than more, but it’s hard at any size.

Alara Reborn

Silverquill Silencer Inspiration

Hi there Mark. I just saw the spoiler for Silverquill Silencer. The alliterative name, the art, and the effect all seem evocative of Meddling Mage (the Alara Reborn version, specifically). Was that intentional?

Yes. Meddling Mage is the card we use for all naming inspiration. “What do you think of this name?”“Not Meddling Mage-y enough.”

Alara Reborn Art Meddling Mage Orzhov (W/B) Silverquill Silencer Spoilers

Trivia Request - Alara Reborn

May I redeem my birthday trivia for a fact about Alara reborn?

Shards of Alara design started with the question, “How could we make an all-gold set?” The whole block structure was created to allow us to get to Alara Reborn.Happy Birthday!

Alara Reborn Birthday Shards of Alara

Stance on Gimmick Sets

Alara Reborn was a pretty unique set, being fully multicolored. How did that go over? Any chance of another set having a stipulation as pervasive through as Alara Reborn had it? Not necessarily multicolored, just anything.

We dub those “gimmick sets” (every card’s a creature, every card is multicolor, etc.) we’ve chosen to stop doing them. They tend to add restrictions that don’t lead to better designs.

Alara Reborn Creatures Dub

Cascade Mechanic Trivia

I have finally completed another trip around the sun and it is finally my birthday! My favorite card of all time is Shardless Agent, and was hoping for some trivia on the cascade mechanic!

The cascade mechanic was quite controversial when it was first pitched, but the Alara Reborn team loved it and helped push it through. Happy Birthday!

Alara Reborn Birthday Cascade Controversies Mechanics Shardless Agent

Hybrid Gold Cards Confusion

How do you feel about the hybrid gold cards from Alara Reborn?

They confused players way more than I thought they would.

Alara Reborn Hybrid

Gimmick Set Views

Are gimmick sets (like Alara reborn that was only multicolor) completely out of the question? I was thinking a set that was made up entirely of cycles could be cool!

We’ve gone a bit cold on the “everything is _______” sets.

_____ Alara Reborn Cycles

Gimmick Sets Feasibility

Are gimmicks like Legions (all creatures) or Alara Reborn (all gold) only possible in small sets?

Mostly, yes.

Alara Reborn Creatures Legions

Hybrid Mana Symbols

"Bolas even initially had a blue/red hybrid symbol in his mana cost." Is mixing hybrid symbols with other full symbols of a different color something that might be done again, or is it considered too complicated/confusing? (And where is that on the storm scale?) I fondly remember cards like that from Alara Reborn. (ex. Crystallization)

It’s not something we plan doing often, but it made a lot of sense for Bolas as Standard is not very blue/black/red focused at the moment.

Alara Reborn Black Blue Colors Crystallization Dimir (U/B) Grixis (U/B/R) Hybrid Izzet (U/R) Keyword Abilities Mana Rakdos (B/R) Red Standard Storm Scale The Moment

Multicolor Limit

Mark, if I wanted to design a set with as much multicolor cards as possible, what do you think is the highest percentage of multicolor cards the set could have before being excessive?

Alara Reborn has 100% multicolor cards. : )More realistically, it’s hard to go over half multicolor and make draft work.

Alara Reborn Limited