Cairn Wanderer

Challenges with Keywording Evergreen

"We can’t keyword “evergreen” as it’s not concrete enough of a definition." - That's the whole point of this discussion: create a batch name that includes whatever the current list of evergreen keywords is for new cards that are similar to Cairn Wanderer or Odric Lunarch Marshal. Then if a keyword is replaced (eg. Intimidate with Menace) or removed (eg. Prowess), you just update that batch's definition in the comp rules.

One of the things we avoid doing is create new components that that require constant monitoring. If “evergreen” was a live game term, it would require us to keep a complete list and then constantly update it, something we don’t currently do. For example, is protection evergreen or deciduous? I’m not sure. Things can flow in and out. Locking “evergreen” in as game terminology forces us to be precisely accurate on something that isn’t.

Batches Cairn Wanderer Deciduous Evergreen Intimidate Keywords Menace Protection Prowess Rules

Keyword Batching Explanation

Do you think you will ever batch keywords so that cards like Cairn Wanderer can say "this has all [batch] keywords of creature cards in your graveyard" instead of having to spell out a dozen different ones?

Batches still spell it out, just in reminder text.

Batches Cairn Wanderer Creatures Keywords The Graveyard

Design Space Inquiry

It occurs to me that "pick a keyword" Eternal cards like Animus of Predation, Cairn Wanderer, Escaped Shapeshifter, etc. have to list all the relevant keywords, but Acorn cards can lean on you-know-what-I-mean language like "choose a creature keyword." So my question: is that actually fruitful design space?

There’s some design space, not as much as people probably think though.

Animus of Predation Cairn Wanderer Creatures Design Space Escaped Shapeshifter Eternal Keywords Shapeshifter Shapeshifter Un-Magic / Silver Border / Acorn Un-sets

Creatures with Flying and Reach

This is really dumb, but could I request a creature with both flying and reach?

There are creatures like Cairn Wanderer that can have both.

Cairn Wanderer Creatures Flying

Knightlifelink and Lifelink Differences

Un-question! Is knightlifelink functionally different to "knights you control have lifelink"? I already know it sounds much cooler ;)

The only functional difference is it isn’t lifelink for cards that care specifically about lifelink such as Cairn Wanderer.

Cairn Wanderer Humor Knight Lifelink Lifelink Un-questions

Batching and Evergreen Mechanics

So, if batching becomes a thing, can I please nominate finding a word for evergreen mechanics? I really dislike how wordy Soulflayer is and that Cairn Wanderer doesn't work with many modern mechanics.

That isn’t how batching works. You want us to make Evergreen a vocabulary word with a strict definition which is kept up to date. That, for numerous reasons, is unlikely.

Batches Cairn Wanderer Evergreen Mechanics Modern Soulflayer

Rules Precision

For the question about Cairn Wanderer, Death-Mask Duplicant, and Escaped Shapeshifter, could it be worded "____ has all non-triggered, non-activated abilites of all things ___"?

The rules need a little more specificity than that. : )

Cairn Wanderer Death-Mask Duplicant Escaped Shapeshifter Rules Shapeshifter

Keyword Wording Challenge

The next time a card comes around like Escaped Shapeshifter, Death-Mask Duplicant, or Cairn Wanderer, have you guys found a way to futureproof the wording yet?

No. The rules (currently) can’t handle a generic term for keywords. They have to be spelled out.

Cairn Wanderer Colorless Death-Mask Duplicant Escaped Shapeshifter Keywords Rules Shapeshifter

Plainswalker Trivia

The day has come bday trivia. Trivia on 5 color plainswalker or my commander child of alara.

Here’s some five color plainswalking trivia. There are actually cards in every color (and artifact and multicolor) that can have or grant plainswalk:White Aysen Highway (Homelands)Concerted Effort (Ravnica) - must have other plainswalkerGraceful Antelope (Odyssey)Great Wall (Legends)Righteous Avengers (Legends)Blue (okay, other than Greater Morphing, Illusionary Presence or Traveler’s Cloak, you have to already have a land walker to pull this off)Crystal Spray (Invasion)Greater Morphling (Unhinged)Illusionary Presence (Ice Age)Magical Hack (Alpha)Mind Bend (Mirage)Spectral Shift (Fifth Dawn)Trait Doctoring (Dragon’s Maze)Traveler’s Cloak (Invasion)While of Vorrath (Tempest)BlackCairn Wanderer (Lorwyn) - ,must have plainswalker in graveGiant Slug (Legends)RedBarbarian Guides (Ice Age) - can grant snow-covered plainswalkBeggars Arsonists (Shadowmoor)GreenMagnigoth Treefolk (Planeshift) - must have PlainsOld Fogey (Unhinged)Zodiac Rooster (Portal: Three Kingdoms)ArtifactDeath-Mask Duplicate (Darksteel) - must exile plainswalkerExcavator (Tempest) - must sacrifice PlainsMulticolorLord Magnus (Legends) - Green/WhiteThis is the most I’ve ever written about plainswalk on Blogatog. : )Happy Birthday!

Alpha Antelope Artifacts Aysen Highway Barbarian Barbarian Guides Bend / Break Birthday Black Blue Cairn Wanderer Child of Alara Cloak Colors Commander Concerted Effort Crystal Spray Darksteel Dragon Excavator Fifth Dawn Giant Giant Slug Graceful Antelope Great Wall Greater Morphling Green Homelands Ice Age Illusionary Presence Lands Legendary Creatures Lord Magnus Lorwyn Magical Hack Magnigoth Treefolk Mind Bend Mirage Odyssey Old Fogey Planeshift Portal Red Righteous Avengers Sacrifice Selesnya (G/W) Shadowmoor Slug Spectral Shift Tempest The Exile Zone Trait Doctoring Treefolk Unhinged Wall White Zodiac Rooster

Evergreen Keywords Update

Back in Lorwyn we had Cairn Wanderer, which was great, and really made it clear to the average player what the 'evergreen keywords' were, without even needing to define the term. Then you gave us Soul Flayer, which did the same thing for that generation; Hexproof instead of Shroud, no Fear, etc. Now that the Evergreen Set has changed again, could we get a new card that accomplishes this for this era?

I’m sure one will come along.

Cairn Wanderer Evergreen Fear Hexproof Keywords Lorwyn Shroud

Cairn Wanderer Mechanic

Is the Cairn Wanderer ability (copying evergreen keywords) strictly a black ability? Or has it only appeared on black cards due to their interaction with the graveyard?

It’s in Black because of the interaction with the graveyard.

Black Cairn Wanderer Evergreen Keywords The Graveyard

Future-Proofing Keywords

Do you think there is a way to future-proof "keyword-transferring" cards like Volrath's Shapeshifter and Concerted Effort? I always feel a little sad when I run across one of these cards and remember that they no longer work as intended. Cairn Wanderer, for example, features shroud and fear, which means it's incompatible with cards going forward, and Concerted Effort doesn't allow creatures to share lifelink or deathtouch.

There is not unfortunately. You can’t just grant any keyword as some keywords cause problems so we have to list the ones we want.

Cairn Wanderer Concerted Effort Creatures Deathtouch Fear Keywords Lifelink Shapeshifter Shroud Volrath

Keyword-Matters Spotlight

As a big fan of the card Cairn Wanderer, I have to ask - will Keyword-Matters ever get some time in the spotlight?

It’s the kind of thing better done in small amounts. It’s a seasoning.

Cairn Wanderer Keywords

Cards Like Cairn Wanderer

Can you print more cards like Cairn Wanderer or Necrotic Ooze?

Having made both those cards as it’s design space I enjoy, there’s a good chance I will make more like them.

Cairn Wanderer Card Printing Design Space Necrotic Ooze Ooze

Fear vs Intimidate

Re: "Fear has been replaced by intimidate." - Should something like Cairn Wanderer be considered to pick up intimidate with its ability or is it stuck to fear as that is what is printed? There isn't a ruling or different oracle text on Gatherer.

The keyword fear still exists and every card that has fear still has it. When I say replacing I mean that moving forward in new sets, we will not be using fear but intimidate instead.

Cairn Wanderer Card Printing Fear Intimidate Keywords

Blue Creature Growth

You said in a previous answer: "Blue is supposed to be reactive and slow in that it wants to use knowledge to win which requires time". If that's true, why don't we see more maros and goyfs in blue? Wouldn't weenie versions of Cairn Wanderer and Escaped Shapeshifter be the quintessential blue creatures?

Green is the growth color not blue so green tends to have more of the creatures that grow over time. Blue does get a little (Maro is both a blue and green thing) but the goal isn’t to make it easy for blue by just giving it creatures that get real good while it’s sitting around making nothing happen.

Blue Cairn Wanderer Colors Creatures Escaped Shapeshifter Green Mark Rosewater Shapeshifter