Dark Confidant

Community Nicknames Use

Quick Gary-related question: Does R&D and other departments use community nicknames like "Gary" (Gray Merchant of Asphodel) and "Bob" (Dark Confidant) and so on internally in conversation and playtesting?

We use slang just like the players.

Dark Confidant Game Design Gray Merchant of Asphodel Playtesting

Adventure Dark Confidant

How do adventure cards interact with cards like Dark Confidant? Since they are essentially split cards in the hand, shouldn't they be treated like other split cards?

They are not split cards. They are creature cards with a special ability.

Creatures Dark Confidant Split Cards Your Hand

Thoughts on Magic Bracket

Have you seen the top 8 of the Magic Bracket? Would love to hear your thoughts on the 8 cards that have survived the mother of all tournament brackets. (FYI, top 8 is: Lightning bolt vs Counterspell, Wrath of God vs Ancestral Recall, Birds of Paradise vs Dark Confidant and Jace, the Mind Sculptor vs Black Lotus)

The Top 8 are all classic Magic cards. I’m curious to see which one takes it all. I’m honored that I had a hand in two of them (Dark Confidant and Jace, Mind Sculptor).

Ancestral Recall Bird Birds of Paradise Black Black Lotus Counterspell Dark Confidant God Jace, the Mind Sculptor Lightning Bolt Wrath of God Your Hand

Buy-A-Box Marketing Strategy

If the goal of the buy-a-box promo is to increase booster sales why not make it an alternate art foil of another format’s staple? For example guilds of Ravnica could have dark confidant or chromatic lantern.

Because we want the focus to be on the set. “Buy this set for something that doesn’t have anything to do with this set” is bad marketing.

Art Boosters Chromatic Lantern Dark Confidant Foils Guilds of Ravnica Promos Two Color

Red's Powerhouse Concern

Dark Confidant for B, Stoneforge for W, Snapcaster for U, Tarmogoyf for G. ???? for red. So, red will never have a 1R broken creature?

We don’t think of it as a cycle.

Creatures Cycles Dark Confidant Red Tarmogoyf

Origins of Dark Confidant

Could you tell us what bob maher wanted dark confidant to originally be?

Bob wanted a cheap but powerful black creature. I worked with him to create Dark Confidant.

Black Creatures Dark Confidant

Powerful Standard Considerations

Have you ever considered getting around the modern reprints by having a single super powerful standard, with cards such as counterspell, bolt, path, dark confidant all in the same format but with terrible mana fixing?

Introducing power creep and unstabilizing years of development work for the possible potential to reprint old cards seems a dubious strategy.

Card Printing Counterspell Dark Confidant Mana Modern Power Creep Power Level Reprints Standard

Nicknames and Attachment

I don't really think the name falls into this category(because I agree Jacetice League is pretty dismissive), but to blanket all nicknames seems a little odd? Like...I've called Lilliana "Lilly" for years because I feel a strong personal attachment to her cards and character, and it personalizes it for me. Isn't that part of the point of characters? I don't feel like that's an insult to her as the character.

I was not trying to keep players from using cute nicknames for cards. You can call Dark Confidant “Bob” in questions on the blog. When the nickname comes from a place of positivity, I’m all for it.

Blogatog / Tumblr Dark Confidant

Dark Confidant's Power

Is Dark Confidant too strong for standard?

Not a developer but yes, it is.

Dark Confidant Not a developer Power Level Standard

Dark Confidant's Power Level

Did you know how good Dark Confidant would be when you printed it or did it take you by surprise?

I knew it was good. I didn’t realize it was great. Although Bob is “The Great One”. Also, power level is not my area.

Card Printing Dark Confidant Power Level

Two-Drop Cycle Discussion

Is completing the "power two-drop cycle" (Stoneforge mystic, Snapcaster Mage, Dark Confidant, missing red card, Tarmogoyf for those unaware) a thing on the radar at WotC or just community speculation? And how do you feel about specifically Young Pyromancer being more of a reason for blue decks to play red than anything else? ("Spells matter" being heavily in blue's favor, tournament-wise)

We don’t consider it a thing. Also, we don’t go out of our way to make broken cards so it’s not a hole we would design to.

Blue Dark Confidant Mystic Red Snapcaster Mage Spells Stoneforge Mystic Tarmogoyf Wizards of the Coast Young Pyromancer

Randomness in Cards

Given that coin flips are not pushed competitively, why does Development sometimes push cards that have a lot variance as well? Delver of Secrets, Dark Confidant and Bonfire of the Damned come to mind.

Because players are much more accepting of randomness when it comes from the top of the library.

Bonfire of the Damned Dark Confidant The Library

Tarmogoyf and Confidant

Is there a chance we will ever see Tarmogoyf or Dark Confidant in a supplemental sealed product?

Like Modern Masters? : )

Dark Confidant Limited Modern Modern Masters Tarmogoyf

Dark Confidant's Strength

Is Dark Confidant too strong for standard?

Not a developer, but yes.

Dark Confidant Not a developer Power Level Standard

Designer Credit Policy

If you reprinted Dark Confidant or Snapcaster Mage, would you use the Designer Credit on them to say "Designed by Bob Maher" or "Designed by Tiago Chan"?

If we had the technology during their first printing, I think we would have. I doubt we would do it on a reprint.

Card Printing Dark Confidant Reprints Snapcaster Mage

Understanding Dark Confidant

If I want a card that is very, very powerful but beginners think it's very, very bad, is Dark Confidant as good as it gets?

Most beginners look at Lion’s Eye Diamond (from Mirage) and think it’s absolutely horrible.

Beginners Dark Confidant Eye Mirage

Über-Cycle Acknowledgment

Does R&D know about the supposed über-cycle of super good two drops? (Dark Confidant, Tarmogoyf, Stoneforge Mystic, and Snapcaster Mage. Red, supposedly, hasn't had its designed yet.)

That’s not a cycle that we planned nor we intend to purposefully finish. (That said, I’m not saying we won’t inadvertently finish it.)

Cycles Dark Confidant Game Design Mystic Red Snapcaster Mage Stoneforge Mystic Tarmogoyf

Dark Confidant Usage

My recollection is that Dark Confidant didn't see much use in Standard when he was legal. Did you hold back other cards then or was it just an oddity? Why would things be different now?

Dark Confidant wasn’t played much at first because it took a while for players to understand how good it was. Then it was played a lot in Standard. There would be no such delay if we reprinted it.

Card Printing Dark Confidant Reprints Standard

Dark Confidant's Power

In a format based mostly around moderately costed cards, I'm having trouble seeing how Dark Confidant would be too good for standard. Wouldn't making the environment care mostly about 3, 4, and 5 drops (like it does now) function as a strong limiter on the ability? And in decks built around 1 and 2 drops, a card like Burning Tree Emissary is already more powerful.

Dark Confidant (aka “Bob”) is one of the most powerful creatures ever printed. Why is it so hard to believe that he’s too powerful for Standard?

Card Printing Creatures Dark Confidant Standard

Dark Confidant Reprint

Was Dark Confidant ever on the reprint list for RTR block, or was he considered a bad fit? (Either in design or pulled by development as too good?)

We brought it up but he’s just too good for Standard.

Card Printing Dark Confidant Reprints Standard