Backup

Reintroducing New Mechanics Quickly

Mark what’s the likelihood that you being back a new mechanic before feedback for its debut is out?E.g spree or backup showing up before 2-3 years of their debut

It’s happened, but not often.

Backup Mechanics Spree

Mark's Favorite Mechanic

Do you have a personal favorite mechanic? Like Energy, Attractions, Dungeons, even keywords like Mutate and Backup.

“Of your children, if you had to choose one…”

Attractions Backup Dungeons Keywords Mechanics Mutate

Extending Set Mechanics

Hey Mark, as a newer player (Started in New Capenna), and I wanted to express that I don't mind leaving between each set, but what I really crave is the set mechanics lasting longer than one set. Prototype, Unearth, Blitz, Backup, and now seemingly Spree and Crime cards are all mechanics that I crave more of and feel both that I will have to wait years to see them again. What are the chances that we will see mechanics across consecutive standard set releases?

It’s not off the table.

Backup Blitz Mechanics Premier Sets Prototype Spree Standard Unearth

Negative Counters Query

Can I put negative number of +1/+1 or -1/-1 counters? Would it make me put that many opposite counters instead? (Would "Backup -1" put a -1/-1 counter on target creature?)

You can’t put a negative number of counters on something.

Backup Creatures

Top Mechanics Selection Criteria

For your top 20 (non-evergreen) mechanics I noticed none were from this decade. What would you say is the best new mechanic from this decade so far?

Note that I would pick the mechanic that started a trend. Foretell is an awesome more recent mechanic, but Morph is the first to use face down as a resource, so I chose that for the talk.Amass, while not technically from this decade, is only five years old. Mechanics I really like from this decade include: alliance, backup, collect evidence, connive, corrupted, decayed, enlist, escape, foretell, incubate, learn/lesson, magecraft, mutate (although it has its complexity issues), party, prototype, reconfigure, role tokens, and shield counters.

Alliance Amass Backup Collect Evidence Connive Corrupted Decayed Enlist Escape Foretell Incubate Magecraft Mechanics Morph Morph Mutate Prototype Reconfigure Tokens

Mechanics Reappearance

Mark, the current single set model has a problem: We get awesome mechanics like incubate, backup and now discover, and then there just aren't enough cards to build decks of or support those in cubes. Would there be ways to have those mechanics reappear sooner?

Cubes don’t have to be singleton. The window for mechanics returning has gotten smaller, but it still is a long time comparatively.

Backup Incubate Mechanics Singleton

Mechanics With Zero

Can mechanics with numbers have the number zero? (e.g. crew, amass, casualty, incubate, backup, descend, discover, etc.)

It depends on the mechanic. Some can, some can’t (or it wouldn’t practically mean anything).

Amass Backup Casualty Crew Incubate Mechanics

Backup Mechanic Reception

How was backup received? Could it show up in a supplementary set (other than MOC) with new mechanics?

It was received well. I assume it will return one day.

Backup Mechanics

Keyword Combos Request

I've been really enjoying the "keyword mix-and-match" that's been possible in Limited several times recently (examples being mutate in IKO, disturb auras in VOW, and backup in MOM). It's been fun trying to give deathtouch to a first strike creature, or flying to a big creature, and many more. I'm unsure if that's more Vision or Set Design, but could I request more and/or ask you to give a high-five to the appropriate designers? Thanks so much!

Mechanical choice and execution is both team’s responsibility. I’ll try to make more.

Auras Backup Creatures Deathtouch Disturb First Strike Flying Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths Keywords Limited Mutate Set Design

Backup Mechanic Future

I really like backup, both in its differentiation from other "give cards the text of this card" mechanics and in how it saves space in referring to the lines of text beneath it as "the following". What's the storm scale rating for the text "the following x"?

When we invent useful technology, we find other places to use it. I’ll call it a 5.

Backup Mechanics Storm Scale

Modular Monstrosity Query

Can you choose backup as a keyword for Modular Monstrosity? If so, would it do anything?

You can choose it, but it doesn’t do anything.

Backup Keywords Modular Modular Monstrosity Monstrosity

Banding Mechanic Revision

If/when: fixed banding

It depends what you consider to be “fixed banding”. If you consider Backup to be, then when. If you consider a mechanic that does a decent portion of what banding did, if.

Backup Banding If/When Mechanics

Mechanic Return Odds

Could we get a set outside of Phyrexian where Incubate and Backup make a return? I love those mechanics.

I too really like both of those mechanics. Backup will be easier than incubate.

Backup Incubate Mechanics Phyrexian

+1/+1 Counter Themes

How do you feel about +1/+1 counters having "friend" themes like backup, support, mentor, and training? :)

I think we have a theme for a Friends Secret Lair. : )

Backup Humor Mentor Secret Lairs Training

Backup Mechanic Future

do you consider "backup" to be a sucefull mechanic? enough so that it would be evergreen or used soon?

I think it’s successful (from the data I have so far), but successful and evergreen are very different things. I don’t anticipate it becoming evergreen, although I’m optimistic we’ll use it again.

Backup Evergreen Mechanics

Backup Mechanic Enjoyment

Loving backup, it's very fun when you can pop off with multiple combos. I'd love to see more of it in the future.

Me too.

Backup Mechanics

Rules Complexity Evaluation

In terms of rules complexity it seems to me that mutate is far and away more complex than host/augment and backup is somewhere between the two. Am I correct?

There are two main rules related issues. Does it work up front (in a vacuum can it work) and does it work when you start getting to weird corner cases. Mutate is fine in the first category, but can run into issues with the second. Host/Augment has more issues up front as it wasn’t templated to work in the normal rules. That doesn’t mean it can’t work, but the energy required to figure it out hasn’t been spent yet.

Backup Mutate Rules

Backup Ability Limits

You said that granting backup to any creatures could cause some shenanigans that you didn't want. Can you give an example?

Allowing backup to grant grafted/copied abilities (aka ones not native to the creature) was the shenanigans I was talking about.

Backup Creatures Shenanigans

Backup and Mutate Space

Hello Mark, how much design space is there for Backup and Mutate?

Both have a lot of design space. Mutate’s issues is things get complicated pretty fast.

Backup Design Space Mutate

MOM Prerelease Feedback

I just got home from MOM prerelease, and I want to say how much fun I had. Battles, Incubate and Backup are all loads of fun and the set is full of cool and interesting cards. Seriously, it’s the most fun I’ve ever had in Limited. My single, solitary complaint is that Infected Defector seems like a missed opportunity—Defector Deflector was right there!

Glad you enjoyed it.

Backup Battles Incubate Infected Defector Limited Prerelease Sealed Format