Archangel

On Future Partner Cards

I know Partner has some issues, but I do hope we continue to see them in small doses. The Vorthos in me can't play them without strong thematic/lore-appropriate pairings. This is especially true of the Commander Legends ones, which feature favorites of mine from the lore that I would love to play, like Sengir, the Dark Baron and Serra, Radiant Archangel

Partner with is still a tool available to us.

Archangel Commander Legends Legendary Creatures Partner Sengir, the Dark Baron Serra Story / Lore Vorthos

Archangel Elspeth Mechanics

Did Archangel Elspeth ever place flying counters, rather than giving out flying indefinitely?

Yes, it did. The issue was if you didn’t have printed tokens, you ended up putting three counters on your creatures and it was hard to remember that two were +1/+1 and one was flying. The set design team decided that the two +1/+1 counters was enough of a reminder that it had flying.

Archangel Elspeth Card Printing Creatures Flying Mechanics Set Design Tokens

Power Level Concerns

When existing cards eclipse upcomming marquee cards like the Wandering Emperor compared to Archangel Elspeth is there ever a temptation to push the newer card power level wise? And sometimes R&D does push here and there, what are the criteria you use when to push something? Because otherwise there is less enthusiasm especially with the main character cards, planeswalkers or other Mythics which cannot be good for metrics?

That way lies danger.

Archangel Elspeth Game Design Mythic Rares Planeswalkers Power Level The Wandering Emperor

Character Card Possibilities

Hello Mark!I am Vorthos player and a big fan of lore. Do you think the following characters could receive a card one day? - Kakkazan and their 3 fellow Kami - The “arabian” wizard depicted in “cryptic command” by Jason Rainville - The Unluckiest planeswalker - Azor (planeswalker) - Leonos II (azorius arbiter) - the Prahv (land) - Ludmilla from the “Sisters of stone death” - Archangel Maladola and the other members of the Orzhov triumvirate - a new version of Tsabo Tavoc (before or after being phyrexianised) - alternate reality characters like Orim, Samite InquisitorCan I have a maybe? :)

Maybe. : )

Archangel Azorius (W/U) Cryptic Command Humor Inquisitor Lands Orim Orzhov (W/B) Planeswalkers Prahv Sisters of Stone Death Story / Lore Tsabo Tavoc Vorthos

Sticker Kicker Mechanics

How does sticker kicker work with Archangel of Wrath and kicked twice? Or is it linked to exactly these abilities?

“If kicked” refers to the native kicker ability. If it cares about any kicker ability, it counts it.

Archangel of Wrath Kicker Mechanics Stickers

Akroma Reference Note

Dominaria United does have a reference to Akroma, Archangel of Wrath both references her in the art and the name.

FYI

Archangel of Wrath Art Dominaria United

Self-Poison Removal

Would you make a self-poison-remover in the form of prevent loss effect? (i.e. Exquisite Archangel)

No.

Archangel Exquisite Archangel

Archangel's Light Original Effect

Hi Mark, It was my birthday a few days ago but I think my question got buried. I was wondering (if you're allowed to tell me) what the original effect was for Archangel's Light, since I know it was mentioned at the time that the original effect might have been reworked into another card for the future. If not, a happy birthday will be good enough (:.

I don’t know what it did. Happy Birthday!

Archangel's Light Birthday

Color Changes in Transforming Cards

Regarding Brutal Cathar as well as older cards like Archangel Avacyn and Elusive Tormentor, is it more acceptable than normal to put a bend/break on the back side of a DFC that changes color when it transforms?

It has to be a bend and not a break. Brutal Cathar, for example, has a red form of ward, but having protective abilities is pretty core to white even if this particular execution is not.

Archangel Bend / Break Colors Dual Faced Cards Red Ward White

Council's Assessment of Tdfcs Cards

How does the council of colors assess tdfcs that flip into another color? For instance, although archangel avacyn can be played in mono-white she flips into a red card with a red effect. This seems like a big bend. Some other examples are civilised scholar, cloistered youth, and town gossipmonger.

We make sure the back is acceptable as at least a bend of the front color.

Archangel Bend / Break Colors Council of colors Red

Color Alignment in Transformation

If a transformed side is a different color from the untransformed side, does that mean the transformed side can do anything it's color can do, even if you paid no Mana of that color to transform it or to cast it? For example: Archangel Avacyn and Avacyn the Purifier.

We treat the design as if it’s the color of the mana cost. It can bend but not break that color.

Archangel Bend / Break Colors Mana Transform

Theros Enchantment Focus

How does return to Theros accomplish "Mirrodin for Enchantments?" Would it be very different than the first Theros visit? To me Theros is enchantment creatures + devotion more than enchantment matters. (Maybe lots of enchantment players dislike enchantments being creatures all the time? Witness how stuff like Ghostly Prison is played tons in all kinds of EDH decks and creatures like Archangel of Tithes or Blazing Archon are played much less.) Maybe Constellation being late in block is part why?

Theros block wasn’t “enchantment matters” until Journey into Nyx, but it existed on the block and could be focused on in a return.

Archangel of Tithes Archon Blazing Archon Commander Constellation Creatures Enchantments Ghostly Prison Journey into Nyx Mirrodin Nyx Theros

Collector Number Script

As Collectors numbers are assigned by a script now, does that mean if you ever have a situation like you had with Archangel's light, where you had to change the card, but had were forced to work with-in restrictions, would you have a lot more room to change the card. (P,s. could you remind us of the restrictions you had to work with in that case)

The script is only about the name as it corrects the collector number issue.

Archangel's Light

Archangel's Light Origin

mark, do you think you'll ever tell us what archangel's light originally did?

I have to go look it up and see if we’ve done it yet.

Archangel's Light

White's Life Gain

Is massive life gain in white something that is being pushed more now? (Cards like Providence & Exquisite Archangel.) Is there any data on how that is being received by players?

Players, in general, like life gain. It is particularly attractive to newer players.

Exquisite Archangel Lifegain White

Un-set Mechanics

Along the lines of "Destroy target player," if Exquisite Archangel had been in an Un-set, would it regenerate you?

Maybe. : )

Destroy Exquisite Archangel Regenerate Un-Magic / Silver Border / Acorn Un-sets

Archangel's Light Mystery

Now that the Forbidden mechanic has been revealed, can you tell us what Archangel's Light used to do?

It wasn’t a Forbidden card.

Archangel's Light Mechanics

Angel Card Trivia

It's my birthday! Can I get trivia on an angel card? My favorite is Archangel of Thune.

Serra Angel, the original Magic angel, got its name from the word “Serrated” because she was a warrior that carried a sword. Happy Birthday!

Angel Archangel of Thune Birthday Serra Angel Warrior

Birthday and Boros Trivia

Hey mark! Today is my birthday, and after you missed my question last year, I was hoping you could answer it this year. Do you have any trivia on the Boros Guild, the cards Razia, Boros Archangel or Tajic, Blade of the Legion?

Here’s kind of negative trivia. The Boros guild is not named after the artist. Happy Birthday!

Art Birthday Boros (R/W) Razia, Boros Archangel Tajic, Blade of the Legion Two Color

Appreciating Design

I just want to say I had the chance to play with Archangel of Tithes and the new Gideon and I really love them both. Pass along the nice words to the designers if those cards if you can : )

Will do.

Archangel of Tithes