Elk

Elk versus Deer Dilemma

Hi Mark, I'd like to invoke the sacred rite of birthday trivia. If possible, I'd love a tidbit about my favorite creature type, elk.

There was much talk when we first made Elk whether or not it should be Deer. The majority thought Elk sounded better.Happy Birthday!

Birthday Creatures Elks

Elk Versus Deer Dilemma

RE: elk vs. deer. i feel like the first appearance of a creature type often sets the precedent. the first elk card (originally beast) was gang of elk. so when somebody went to update that card it made sense to make it an elk. similarly, a lot of early dog cards were called "hounds" which is probably what started that whole debacle (snow hound, ghost hounds, warhounds).

Early precedence holds a lot of weight.

Beast Creatures Dog Elk Gang of Elk Ghost Hounds Snow Hound

Creature Type Confusion

Do you have any insight on why Deer and similar ungulates are creature type 'Elk' when Elk are a subcategory of Deer and many of the deer depictions show non-Elk morphology? Deer are my favorite animal and this has always been a big pet peeve of mine with magic.

There is some inconsistency with how creature types are used. I’m not sure how Elk specifically got chosen.

Creatures Elk

Trickster's Elk Analysis

Is Trickster's Elk a break?

It’s more of a bend.

Bend / Break Elk Trickster's Elk

Pirate Partner Concept

Clearly for the "Partner with Pirate", you need to dip back into history and make it "Partner with Other Pirate", where it can only partner with other cards with "Partner with Other Pirate". And then errata Shelkin Brownie to also remove "Partner with Other".

: ) Hats off to everyone who gets the reference.

Errata Humor Partner Pirate Shelkin Brownie

Token Diversity Limits

I had a great time drafting OTJ last night! I noticed, after opening an entire box, there are a LOT of different tokens. My first thought was how they do an excellent job of increasing design space and contribute to overall worldbuilding. Unfortunately we didn't open any Mercenary tokens and only 1 treasure – the two most needed tokens in the set. Comparatively, we got 3 sheep, angels, gnomes, 5 food, & 4 Elk among others. I point this out because I think token diversity is a budget to consider.

It is. We do have set limits.

Angel Design Space Elk Food Gnome Mercenary Outlaws of Thunder Junction Sheep Tokens Treasure

Planeswalkers in Stories

Here's some constructive criticism on the stories: I think it's kinda dull that a lot of planeswalker cards can make tokens, but we never see that happening in the stories. It would have been cool to see the Wanderer conjuring Samurai to fight for her, for example, or Oko summoning an Elk in one of the many situations in the recent history in which that would have been useful. As is, the planeswalkers feel too much like normal characters. (Elspeth even had to fistfight back in New Capenna!)

We learned long ago that making the stories too exact to the cards leads to less good stories.

Elk Fight / Bite Planeswalkers Samurais The Wanderer Tokens

Elk to Deer Update

Hi Mark! You've turned lions into cats, hounds into dogs, is there any chance we'll see elk become deer, so that you can diversify the kinds of Cervidae you can print in the future (and make us deer fans happy)?

Other Deer fans out there?

Card Printing Cat Dog Elk

Elk Trivia Wish

My birthday was last week, any chance I could get some trivia on elks? And also request a legendary elk that mechanically cares about elks?

It turns out I did the card concepting for the very first Elk, Gang of Elk in Urza’s Legacy. The Elk creature type wasn’t in use yet. Happy Birthday!

Birthday Creatures Elk Gang of Elk Legacy Urza's Legacy

Storybook Ride Praise

Storybook Ride is my favorite card, full of Eldraine. I absolutely love the art and flavor texts! LOL “Whimsical and Fun, except when it’s broken.” The gingerbread Will and Rowan, Elk, castle, and even the little Rankle-esque faeries… this card is incredibly perfect. High Fives to the whole team.

The card concepting and art of Unfinity are just too-notch. High fives to be applied.

Art Elk Faerie Flavor High Fives Storybook Ride

Impulsive Draw Slang

What’s “bottle” in the early Jaya in today’s article? Is it internal slang for impulsive draw?

“Bottle” is another slang word for impulsive draw. It comes from the card Elkin Bottle which was an early card to have a similar effect.

Elkin Bottle

Changeling's Moose Impersonation

Would a card that cared about elk or moose in the art work off of Game-Trail Changeling? Since it is clearly a changeling but it is also trying to look like a moose?

Yes, Acornelia but for Moose (Moosile?) would accept Game-Trail Changeling as looking like a Moose.

Art Changeling Elk Game-Trail Changeling

Elk Humor

I went back and read your “State of Design 2020” article, as I was curious to hear your comments on Throne of Eldraine. The first bullet point “Too many elk” made me laugh out loud…!

: )

Elk Humor Throne of Eldraine

White Card Draw Parameters

Congrats & thank you on completing the epic color pie write-up. Was wondering if there's more to White card draw parameters? I understand "one card per turn" but beside that we've seen a lot of different ways: rule-breaking, life gain, whenever you attack, Mila Crafty Comp, etc. Does White have any defined reasons for drawing the way Black and Green are tied to lifeloss or creatures (or Red/Elkin bottle)? Also technically Mila could draw you more than one in a turn, is it obsolete already :) ?

We’re slowly crafting the feel for white card draw. Also, you don’t control the draws from Mila. The restriction is you can only draw a card per turn under your control.

Appreciation Appreciation Black Card Draw Color Pie Creatures Elkin Bottle Epic Green Lifegain Rat Red White

About Somberwald Beastmaster

The new Somberwald Beastmaster creates a Wolf, a Beast, and another Beast. This feels atypical. All three being beasts wouldn't feel odd, nor would three different types (perhaps a 3/3 elk). Any idea (or speculation) why it was done specifically like this? It's a cool card, and I'm sure it's just me, but I still thought I'd ask.

My best guess is the creature types were chosen to match the art and that’s what those individual animals are creature typed as.I agree it’s odd. : )

Art Beast Creatures Elk Humor Somberwald Beastmaster Wolf

Leprechaun Creature Type Correction

"Ouphe if a few, but if enough, we’d talk about Leprechaun." FYI, Aisling Leprechaun has gone back to being a Faerie, as it was printed. (Unlike Shelkin Brownie, which is printed as a Faerie, but in Gatherer as an Ouphe.)

Thanks. I forgot it got changed to Faerie.

Aisling Leprechaun Creatures Faerie Ouphe Shelkin Brownie

Unstable Gameplay Query

If I'm playing Unstable against an opponent who has Animate Library out, and I use Spike, Tournament Grinder to bring out Oko, Thief of Crowns and turn their library into an Elk, does that take away the ability to draw from their deck? If so, does that mean they deck out?

You can’t take away the library’s libraryness.

Animate Library Elk Oko, Thief of Crowns Spike Spike, Tournament Grinder The Library Unstable

Oko's Campaign Slogan

Hey so if Oko was running for president, what would his slogan be?

Vote for me and not this elk. : )

Elk

Mark or Elk?

Are you still Mark or are you a 3/3 elk already?

A few of the clones are currently Elks.

Elk

Lightning Bolt Standard

Can I get a maybe on Lightning Bolt returning to standard in Theros? Seems like there is a standard environment with a lot of 3/3 creatures/tokens and life gain, looks like a great time for Bolt. #BoltTheGoose/Elk/Wolf

I’m not a play designer, but Lightning Bolt really warps a Standard environment, so much so, I’m skeptical we’d bring Bolt back to Standard.

Creatures Elk Lifegain Lightning Bolt Standard Theros Tokens Wolf