Fallen Empires

Time Machine Warning

Mark, the time machine worked! I come from 12 months in the future, bearing warnings! Only you can prevent the robot apocalypse, just DON'T release the Return to Fallen Empires set in the fall, complete with Purple Lands and reserved list reprints, and the world can be saved!

Done!

Apocalypse Card Printing Fallen Empires Lands Reprints Robot The Reserved List Time Machine

Failure Spurs Change

you sometimes mention that success breeds repetition. but isn't it sometimes true that non-success breeds desire for a re-do (e.g., Homelands, Fallen Empires, Kamigawa)?

Failure breeds change. The feeling of a need of a redo plays into my lesson about not doing things to prove you can. It comes from designers’ egos, not from a sound place of business.

Fallen Empires Homelands Kamigawa

Art Variance on Cards

Multiple arts per card back in Fallen Empires, for example, was seen as a mistake. What's the difference between then and the Guildgates now? Is it because Guildgates are land and land doesn't need as much art clarity? (We play with lands of different arts to begin with I guess)

I like it when you all answer your own questions. : )
Lands are stacked together by color and art is seldom used as the tool to identify what the card does.

Art Card Backs Colors Fallen Empires Gates Gates Lands

Least Flyers Set

Which non-Portal set has the least amount of flyers?

Fallen Empires had one creature with activating flying and an enchantment that could grant flying but killed the creature at end of turn. And that was it.

Creatures Enchantments Fallen Empires Flying Portal

Remaking Old Sets

"Do you ever dream of taking old unpopular set like Homelands, Fallen Empires or Mercadian Masques and remaking it to be cool?" That question didn't imply a motivation to prove yourself.

Yes it did. Why would one dream of redoing an old set that didn’t work if not to prove that now you can make it work?

Fallen Empires Homelands Mercadian Masques

Old Sets Remake Vision

Do you ever dream of taking old unpopular set like Homelands, Fallen Empires or Mercadian Masques and remaking it to be cool?

No. Designing something to prove that you can is a horrible motivation for design.

Fallen Empires Homelands Mercadian Masques

Traditional Mermaids

Re: Traditional Mermaids, There were a few in the really early days of Magic, especially Susan Van Camp's art for Vodalian merfolk from Fallen Empires.

I was thinking more of defined looks in various planes, but yes, early Magic does have a few normal “Earth” merfolk.

Art Fallen Empires Merfolk Planes

Focus in Dominaria

To what degree will our next trip to Dominaria be "Return to the Set Dominaria" and to what degree will it be "Return to {Some Classic Dominarian Set}" (Fallen Empires, Mirage, etc)?

Dominaria is history world, but individual sets could focus more on certain aspects. I doubt it will be Return to (place on Dominaria).

Dominaria Fallen Empires Mirage

Dominaria Excitement

Can I tell you just how friggin' excited I am for Dominaria? I've been an avid magic player since shortly before the release of Fallen Empires (sadly I missed the Dark by about a week), and I can not even begin to vocalize my excitement for the return to Dominaria properly. I've pre-ordered two booster boxes, both of the planeswalker decks, and a bundle, and the set isn't even fully revealed yet. This is something I've never done before. That's just how excited I am. :)

We’re all super proud of Dominaria. We knew the expectations were going to be high for Magic’s return home.

Boosters Bundles Dominaria Fallen Empires Planeswalker Decks Planeswalkers The Dark

Dominaria Appreciation

Played from Fallen Empires to just before Urza's saga, and started up again with Khan's. Dominaria is hitting all the right notes so far for me in terms of art, cards, and story. A huge thank you to everyone involved!!!

You’re welcome.

Appreciation Appreciation Art Dominaria Fallen Empires Sagas Story / Lore Urza Urza's Saga

Fallen Empires Context

In the beginning, a lot of set were designed by playtesting team. East Coast playtester; Antiquities + Ice Age Bridge Club; Mirage + Visions Peter Adkison rpg friends; Legends + Homeland What's the context behind Fallen Empire? Was it rushed like Arabian Night? It feel so weird and different than the other sets of its time. It is also very cohesive in flavor.

Fallen Empires was designed by the East Coast Playtesters (Skaff Elias, Jim Lin, Dave Petty & Chris Page), the same design team that did Antiquities, Ice Age & Alliances.

Alliances Antiquities Fallen Empires Flavor Ice Age Legendary Creatures Mirage Playtesting Skaff Elias Visions

Grounded Set Design

Do you think that you guys would ever do a more ground based set with few to no flyers?

Ice Age and Fallen Empires tried that neither with much success. Removing evasion tends to just lead to board stalls in limited.

Evasion Fallen Empires Ice Age Limited

Artwork Variation Possibility

Likelihood of the same card having multiple artworks in the same set (like with Fallen Empires) ever happening again?

Pretty low (save for different art on a Masterpiece). The art is an important tool for recognizing cards on the battlefield.

Art Fallen Empires

Multiple Arts Experiment

This complaint is probably a few years too late. But I really hate the multiple arts in alliances/homelands/fallen empires. Especially when the art is EXTREMELY similar. Anaba shaman for instance is almost the exact same art, just facing the other direction! Thanks for not doing that anymore.

We consider it an important experiment because we learned how much (most) players hated it.

Alliances Anaba Shaman Art Fallen Empires Homelands Shaman

Fallen Empires Revisit Odds

Hey Mark, on the Rabiah scale how likely would we revisit, my favorite set in the world, Fallen Empires?

Sarpadia is on Dominaria which I gave a 4.

Dominaria Fallen Empires Rabiah Scale

Flying in Future Sets

What's the likelihood of us seeing a set with minimal/no creatures with flying? Happy Thursday

Go play limited with Fallen Empires to experience that. Sets need evasion to work properly, so I don’t see Flying being left out any time soon.

Creatures Evasion Fallen Empires Flying Limited

Improving Over Fallen Empires

Your implementation of vehicles is much better than Vodalian War Machine's. Must you insist on making every card from Fallen Empires obsolete?

It’s our secret agenda. Don’t tell anyone.

Fallen Empires Vehicles Vodalian War Machine

Worst Designed Sets

What about worst-designed sets? Fallen Empires and Homelands have to be up there, even taking into account how early they were made.

Homelands is my pick for worst designed set followed closely by Prophecy.

Fallen Empires Homelands Prophecy

Historical Sets

Which set is set furthest in the past? Fallen Empires?

I think Kamigawa is set the furthest in the past. Story knowledgable Question Marks, am I correct?

Fallen Empires Kamigawa Question Marks Story / Lore

Multiple Art Experiment

As a lover of multiple choises for card art I gotta ask, is there a special reason for some Fallen Empires cards to have multiple different printings?

Wizards was experimenting with having multiple arts for cards. The experiment went badly and they chose to (mostly) stop doing it.

Art Card Printing Fallen Empires