Fatal Push

Possible Return of 8ed Frame

Not sure if you're the person to ask, but

If or When - 8ed frame return in any form?

I started right before the switch to m15 frame and have been pretty bummed out seeing retro frame every couple sets, would love to see some strong cards and staples from after the switch like arcane signet, sheoldred, fatal push, etc in that frame. I'd definitely purchase any secret lair with any cards no matter how weak if they were in 8ed frame, though I'm probably in the minority there.

I’m not sure how many retro frames we can support.

Card Frames Eighth Edition If/When Magic 2015 Secret Lairs Arcane Signet Fatal Push

Request for Fatal Push Reprint

This is a very specific ask but I'd like to request a Fatal Push reprint with art depicting Greven il-Vec pushing Vhati from the Predator.

I like the reference. : )

Art Fatal Push Greven il-Vec Humor Reprints

Color Pie Imbalance in Older Formats

Hey Mark! I have a question about the color pie and how it relates to non-rotating constructed formats. As I understand it black is supposed to be he best at spot removing creatures and planeswalkers but in formats like modern and older it’s options have to compete against the likes of Unholy Heat, Prismatic Ending, Path to Exile, Lightning Bolt, etc all of which do this thing in more powerful ways than black’s options like Fatal Push. Does the council of colors have any interest in balancing out this aspect of the color pie for those formats or does the color pie simply matter less in these places than it does for limited and standard?

There’s not much we can do to color correct older formats; they’re very much formed by the mistakes of the past. If you prefer playing with a more pure version of the color pie, limited and Standard are better formats for you.

Black Color Pie Colors Constructed Council of colors Creatures Fatal Push Lightning Bolt Limited Modern Path to Exile Planeswalkers Prismatic Ending Standard The Exile Zone Unholy Heat

Possibility of Character Reprints

any chance for reprints with old characters in the art? for example Fatal Push with Yawgmoth or Dig Through Time with Urza

In the right set.

Art Dig Through Time Fatal Push Reprints Urza

Power Level Decisions

In addition to your point about power creep, while not reprints, cards like Fatal Push and Assassin's Trophy have passed through standard just fine, so it's a not a case of standard not being able to handle that power, but about the individual cards and their effects on the meta.

We only get so many slots for that higher power level and we tend to want to reserve them most of the time for new cards.

Assassin Assassin's Trophy Card Printing Fatal Push Power Creep Power Level Reprints Standard

Flavor of Fatal Push

Does it bother you any that in a game about wizard duels, one of the most important removal spells for black in non-rotating formats is flavored as nonmagical shoving? (Fatal push)

Oh, it’s magical shoving. : )

Black Fatal Push Spells

Counterspells Popularity Data

Does wizards have demographics about who likes/doesn't like counterspells? My experience is that they're liked in the competitive community, even if not the wider community. Regardless, the ability to have strong answers every once in a while seems important to the game (cards like fatal push)

We have years and years of data. Some competitive (and some casual) players enjoy counterspells (and we do continue to have them for them), but they are a tiny minority of the overall Magic community.

Casual Play Competitive Play Fatal Push

Fatal Push in Shadows

Knowing how well fatal push has controlled Tarmagoyf in modern, would you have considered putting it in Shadows?

No. It’s one of the most powerful creatures in all of Magic. It’s not close to the bar for Standard. (Not a play designer, yada, yada.)

Creatures Fatal Push Modern Standard

FNM Attendance Observations

I don't think it's entirely fair to compare FNM attendance from September and October, because the Fatal Push promo brought a ton of non-regulars to my store, and none of them are sticking around for shiny Dinos. I guess my store's not the norm.

The point I was making is that data has shown us that what drives FNM attendance is “do I enjoy the activity being played” more than “what card might I win”. In fact, if desire for the card creates a more competitive tone, it can long-term decrease attendance.

Competitive Play Fatal Push Promos

Standard Playables

I'm fine with high valued promos like Path, Visions, and even Fatal Push not being FNM promos. But I don't think if Lord of the Accursed, Cast Out, or Vizier of Remedies had been made FNM promos that they would have made FNM much more competitive when the events already off prize packs. I'm honestly curious though, does your data show that when less valuable promos were offered at FNM the events had a notable decrease in competitive players/atmosphere and notable increase in more casual players?

The problem is that we want the promos playable in Standard so we have to guess on how powerful the card is going to end up being as they aren’t out yet.

Cast Cast Out Casual Play Competitive Play Fatal Push Lord of the Accursed Promos Standard Visions Vizier of Remedies

EDH Support in Sets

These last few sets have been very good to EDH players, with plenty of new Commander options (Neheb, the gods) and plenty of cards that I think will be played in the format for years to come (Fatal Push, Vizier of the Menagerie). Is there a guardian angel at R&D helping to make sure EDH players get something out of Standard-format packs?

We keep our eye on it. There are a lot of Commander players.

Angel Commander Eye Fatal Push Game Design God Guardian Angel Standard Vizier of the Menagerie

Flavor of CMC

Creatively, what does CMC represent? What's the flavorful reason that you can't Fatal Push a Desolation Twin but can Push the token that it creates?

Converted mana cost talks flavorfully about how much magic is need to cast/summon the item in question.

Cast Desolation Twin Fatal Push Flavor Mana Value Tokens

Fatal Push Rarity Concerns

Doesn't fatal push appear on the aether revolt sheet 2/3 as many times as other uncommons? I've heard mass box openers claim they opened significantly less of it than other uncommons.

No, it appears the same number of times to the best of my knowledge.

Aether Revolt Fatal Push Revolt Uncommons

Fatal Push Reprinting

Does Fatal Push having a Revolt ability make it less likely to be reprinted in future standard legal sets? How much is potential reprinting considered in the design process?

Having Revolt will greatly lessen its reprinting in a Standard-legal set, but less so in supplemental sets.

Card Printing Fatal Push Reprints Revolt Standard

White Card Draw Limits

Sram, Senior Edificer: haven't you said in the past that white cards like Mentor of the Meek and Puresteel Paladin were mistakes? If this is a mistake, I'll take it. Also: high five to whomever for designing Fatal Push, the best eternal-format removal spell printed since Path to Exile.

We’ve decided to let White have very narrow directed card drawing. It can draw cards if it’s deck is narrowly focused on doing one thing.

Card Draw Card Printing Eternal Fatal Push High Fives Mentor Mentor of the Meek Path to Exile Puresteel Paladin Sram, Senior Edificer The Exile Zone White