Why does Lavinia, Foil to Conspiracy have a gold ‘97 frame instead of a hybrid ‘97 frame like Deathrite Shaman?

Hybrid didn’t exist at the time of the old frame, so there is debate of what old frame are we supposed to use. Lavinia, Foil to Conspiracy takes a old fashioned sensibility choosing a frame that existed at the time that would have been the most likely frame that would have been used if hybrid existed. Remember in ‘97, all multicolor cards had the same gold frame without any pinlines or hints at what the colors of the card were.Deathrite Shaman applies a modern sensibility choosing to make a new frame that mimics what a modern hybrid frame would look like as an old frame. It comes down to what is the purpose of the old style frames, to capture how it would have been done at the time or mimic what we do now, but with an older aesthetic. Different players want different things.

Does a card/effect with hybrid mana in its cost have access to both of those colors in its effects? if no, would you consider DRS a pie break?

A card with one type of hybrid mana should be something each monocolor can do. Deathrite Shaman is a little bit of a bend, but not a break in either color.

Hi Mark! About this discussion of hybrid (again) in Commander, I just want to point out to people that in one of the last Command Zone podcast, several cases were made that would increase confusion: Hybrid cards but with non-hybrid color activation (Deathrite Shaman) would make "hybrid is allowed but not this"; and Twobrid cards would also mean "can be in any deck" even though cards like "Beseech the Queen" are clearly colored mechanically.

“The current rule is confusing up front, but the change would create these infrequent corner-case confusions” is not the strongest of arguments. : )

In your article today, you said that deathrite Shaman was created before planeswalkers existed. You might want to correct that.

I will.

In your GDC talk you make it sound like 2 mana Planeswalkers (Tibalt) were a mistake even as an idea, let alone execution. Does this mean that there will be no future 2 mana or even 1 mana (Deathrite Shaman aside) Planeswalkers, not counting flipwalkers of course? Can you put a storm scale on this issue?

We have no current plans of making two-mana single-sided Planeswalkers.

Did you design Bitterblossom and/or Deathrite Shaman?

Bitterblossom: Yes Deathrite Shaman: I had a hand in its design but was not the sole designer.

Is there design space in a 1cmc plainswalker? For example it could start with one loyalty and have only +0 abilities which provide extremely incremental advantage, such as a mini deathrite shaman to burn/heal for one etc

You expand to new areas of design because it serves the set not because you’ve never done it before.

I know you are not a Developer but in current Standard we have Rest in Peace, Deathrite Shaman and Scavenging Ooze. Shouldn't those be able to take care of the 'Goyf? They even do the trick in Legacy.

Having answers is not reason enough to allow an overpowered card to be printed.

Deathrite Shaman is a black mana elf, with upside no less. In a mono-black deck (with fetch lands, of course) he's better than any mono-green mana elf, including himself. As keeper of the color pie, how do you feel about that?

You seem to be glossing over the whole “land in the graveyard as cost of the effect” part of the ability. I feel extracting mana out of lands in graveyard (and once per land) is an acceptable stretch in black.