Dash

Tumblr Algorithm Query

WHO ARE YOU AND WHO DO YOU KEEP SHOWING UP IN MY DASH?/lh

Apparently, the algorithms of Tumblr are showing my answers to non-Magic people. I’m not sure why.

Blogatog / Tumblr Dash

Sea Otter versus River Otter

Hey mark,I dont really know who you are sir, but I have seen you on my dash quite a bit and you always seem to answer the most random questions in your ask box, so I thought I would give it a go and ask you one as wellWhat are the tangible differences between a sea otter and a river otter?Thanks! Have a great day :)

Sea otters mostly live in the northern Pacific Ocean while river otters inhabit a lot more distinct places. Sea otters have more rounded bodies with thicker fur, while river otters are more elongated with less dense fur.

Dash Otter

An Introduction

who are you?you are on my dash 24/7 and i dont know whylike im not upset, just very very confused

I seem to be showing up in people’s threads that aren’t Magic players. Any chance game design is a topic that interests you? : )

Dash Game Design Humor

Unusual Dashboard Appearance

Why are you on my dash everyday? I've never interacted before and you're not in any of my fandoms or anything.

I have no idea. Sorry. It’s sounds like a wonky algorithm. If you ever want to try out an awesome game though, I gave a great suggestion. : )

Dash Humor

Fame in Niche Market

hi sorry i'm drunk and you keep showing up on my dash are you famous or something

I’m a big fish in a small pond. : )I’m the Head Designer for a game called Magic: The Gathering.

Dash Fish Head Designer Humor

Mono Black Counterspell Violation

so are all mono black counterspells breaks like withering boon, stormgald cabal,dash hopes and imp's mischief all breaks?

Yes.

Black Dash Dash Hopes Imp's Mischief Withering Boon

Clowns in Duskmourn

hi mark, i'll be the first to admit when you announced that duskmourn would include a "clowns matter" theme, i was a lil skeptical. as a fan of clowns, i was really happy with your decision to lean away from the "scary clowns" trope in unfinity, so their inclusion in the horror set got me a lil worried. that was until the preview cards, anyway! i don't know whose stroke of brilliance it was to include them in the set as a... dare i say, a dash of colour, but please relay my thanks!

The scary clowns show up in Bloomburrow. Scary animal clowns. Oh, that Dartboard of Destiny.

Appreciation Bloomburrow Clown Colors Dash Horror Spoilers

Hat Synergies

Hi Mark! With all this talk about hats, I was wondering... Why weren't "Brims" Barone or the hats matter archetype from Unfinity made backwards compatible with the only card caring about hats in Unstable, Goblin Haberdasher, which is mono-red?By the way, would the ability of Haberdasher be in pie for mono-black? I could always try to rule 0 it and convince my opponents that its colour identity is black and not red for my Brims commander deck =D

Brims is black/white because that’s the colors of the draft archetype in Unfinity. He’s the gold signpost. There are tons of factors that went into to choosing the colors for the archetype and synergy with an old card was low on the list.

Black Colors Commander Decks Draft Formats Goblin Goblin Haberdasher Red Rules White

Tracking Coolness

You had already answered the question in 2023 about Rainbow Dash being more rules obediant. I had asked about tracking coolness the same way you track levels on class enchantments because proliferate shouldn't affect coolness so counters are out. Your response at the time was that while this was doable, the silliness was the cheerful silver bordered design of the card. (Paraphrasing)

To be rules compliant, we would have to have something to track. If counters were off limits, I’m not sure it could be made in an eternal form.

Dash Enchantments Eternal Proliferate Rainbow Dash Rules

Silver Border Design

Has there ever been consideration to remake Rainbow Dash to be more rules-obedient?

Those cards were designed to be silver border, so no. That could could be replicated in a way that would work in the rules, probably using counters.

Dash Rainbow Dash Rules Un-Magic / Silver Border / Acorn Un-sets

Goblin Haberdasher Concerns

Are you afraid that Murders at Karlov Manor and Outlaws of Thunder Junction might break Goblin Haberdasher?

You’ve cracked my secret plan. : )

Goblin Goblin Haberdasher Humor Murders at Karlov Manor Outlaws of Thunder Junction

Wolverine's Color Identity

Speaking of Wolerine(s), what color would Wolverine be? I'm guessing either pure red or RW?

I think Wolverine is core red/green with a dash of white.

Boros (R/W) Color Identity Colors Dash Green Gruul (R/G) Red White Wolverine

Time-Lord Typography

I feel like the "2 word creature type problem" could've been easily solved by writing it as "Time-Lord". What did stop you from just putting a dash in there joining the two words? Was being consistent with the original material that important?

Yes. Matching the source material is highly important.

Creatures Dash Solved

Rainbow Dash Mechanic

Couldn't Rainbow Dash work in non-acorn? Seems to me the "cooler" mechanic is basically tracked the same way as the "class" mechanic from the dnd sets.

It could have been mechanically done (most likely), but not with that template, which is most of the charm of the card.

Dash Dungeons & Dragons Mechanics Rainbow Dash Templating

Bonus Sheets Impact

As a long time Limited-focused player, from good ol' Booster Draft to various styles of Cube to wild stuff like 2HG Pauper Rochester, I feel bonus sheets are among the best innovations in modern Magic. They add a perfect extra dash of variability & excitement in packs, can open up new synergies that otherwise wouldn't exist, provide a great place for interesting reprints, and generally have been a blast, with my main exception being DFCs which've frequently pushed set complexity a touch too far.

I’ve gotten a lot of positive replies from drafters like yourself who enjoy what the bonus sheets do for the draft, but it’s not something every drafter loves. The challenge is trying to address both ends of the spectrum as best we can.

Bonus Sheets Boosters Card Printing Dash Draft Formats Dual Faced Cards Modern Pauper Reprints

Planar Chaos Effect Distribution

"Planar Chaos was redividing the effects" were things like Black getting new access to a counterspell through Dash Hopes a part of this? If so, how does that create more room for purple?

Imagine there are a sixty effects divided between the five colors. (Note I’m guessing at the number.) Planar Chaos just redistributed the sixty effects among six colors, so ten per color rather than twelve.

Black Colors Dash Dash Hopes Planar Chaos

Mechanics Granting Haste

In terms of mechanics that involve granting haste (with possible trade-offs), how does R&D see Blitz compared to Dash and Riot? Is one more likely to return than another?

Each has its own strengths and weaknesses. Blitz is the most complicated. Riot has the tightest viable design space. Dash has the most structural requirements (meaning it wants certain types of things to also be in the set). I think any of them could return, but Dash seems the most likely.

Blitz Dash Design Space Game Design Haste Mechanics Riot

Backup Ability Mechanics

Mark, for Backup, it says only the ability printed on the card. How does that interact with copies of mutated backup creatures? If I quasiduplicate a backup creature mutated with Sea-Dasher Octopus, will the token's backup ability share the octo's draw effect to a second creature?

Backup never copies anything that isn’t printed on the card. Not with copy effect, not with mutate.

Backup Card Printing Creatures Mechanics Mutate Octopus Quasiduplicate Sea-Dasher Octopus

Un-cards Casual Play Impact

Do you believe the acorn/eternal divide in unfinity will further delegitimize existing silver-bordered cards in casual play? The fact that some Un-cards ARE going to be commander legal now seems like it will only further the notion that the other Un-cards are strictly off limits in Magic’s flagship format for casual play. Regardless of if they are “Un” for rules reasons (like Frankie peanuts or goblin haberdasher) or purely due to their border (as luck would have it or beast in show) or somewhere in between (host/augment), many players are already on the fence about allowing Un-cards, even in non-tournament play. By pointing out specifically which new Un-cards are “in-bounds”, people playing casually might feel even LESS inclined to allow for the “out-of-bounds” designs, like my sweet sweet elephant man Frankie.

I’ve heard it working both ways. Some groups finally play with some Un-cards and enjoy them, so they’re more willing to let people Rule 0 in others.

As Luck Would Have It Beast Beast in Show Casual Play Commander Elephant Eternal Frankie Peanuts Goblin Goblin Haberdasher Rules Un-Magic / Silver Border / Acorn Un-sets

Punctuation in Titles

Just saw the spoiled Kill! Maim! Burn!. I would like to request more punctuation! In titles! Please? We mostly have apostrophes for possessive's words and commas, for legendary epithets. There's a whole world of punctuation to choose from—like the em dash (which is different from a "regular" dash) and colons (which is also an important part of the human digestive system). Can I get a maybe‽

Unglued had the first card name with an exclamation point (Denied!, Incoming!, and Mine, Mine, Mine!).Unhinged had the first card name with a question mark (Question Elemental?).I’m proud to say Unfinity has the first card name with both a question mark and an exclamation point. Un-sets: Paving the Way for Magic’s Future.

Card Names Dash Denied! Elemental Epithets Epithets Human Incoming! Kill! Maim! Burn! Mine, Mine, Mine! Question Elemental? Un-sets