Geist of Saint Traft

Shroud Hexproof PSA

PSA: Neither shroud nor hexproof functions on the stack; you can still counter a Geist of Saint Traft.

FYI for me. : )

Geist of Saint Traft Hexproof Humor Shroud The Stack

Reason for Thalia Card Reprint

might be a dumb question, but why reprint Thaalia? Our last visited showed her taking avacyn's spear and bonding with the geist of saint traft, that was a good opportunity for a new card mixing them both.

Because we thought it would be cool to return the card to Standard.

Geist of Saint Traft Reprints Standard

Hexproof's Continued Existence

I hope hexproof sticks around for effects like Nine Lives and Lotus Field, but less on things like Narset and Geist of Saint Traft.

Hexproof hasn’t left.

Geist of Saint Traft Hexproof Lotus Field Nine Lives

Legendary Supertype Mechanics

I understand the issue in mechanics with the Legendary supertype, but for Vorthos players the Legendary rule (specifically the pre-M15 one) really helped the story and to show how powerful and unique these creatures were. From a budget player, as well as someone who likes to win, I think the legendary rule is needed for cards like Thalia and I miss the old rule because of Geist of Saint Traft. How would you get around Legends like Thalia which can end a game for one player, even with just 1?

There are plenty of examples of rules that lean towards gameplay over flavor and players adapt. Even in the current game you can have the same character on two cards on the battlefield if two different versions exist. My contention is legendary was introduced without rules baggage, players would have embraced it and never looked back.

Adapt Creatures Flavor Game Play Geist of Saint Traft Legendary Creatures Mechanics Rules Story / Lore Supertype Vorthos

Legends Design Philosophy

Dear Maro: While the new Legend rule will open up some new design space, will it also cut off some in the form of hard to remove legends? Will you now be less likely to print legends like Geist of Saint Traft or Avacyn, Angel of Hope since there is now one less way of dealing with it, or do you think that is not going to be an issue. Thank you for your response.

The role of the uniqueness rule was not about keeping legendary permanents and planeswalkers in check. The game has many other means to do that. You’ll notice that we have scaled back how much and on what kind of creatures we are using hexproof on.

Angel Appreciation Avacyn, Angel of Hope Card Printing Creatures Design Space Geist of Saint Traft Hexproof Legendary Creatures Mark Rosewater Permanents Planeswalkers Rules

Red Token Concepts

Could we see temporary tokens in red? Say more of Pratcher Revolt style 1 turn token generation or perhaps Geist of Saint Traft style where it only serves to attack then leaves?

We could. And we have.

Geist of Saint Traft Red Revolt Tokens

Hexproof and Evasion Future

Putting evasion on Hexproof guys is actually one of my favorite strategies in magic. I have seen complaints recently about this will I still be able to see cards like Invisible Stalker and Geist of saint Traft in the future or will cards like these go the way of the dodo bird?

We’re still printing cards with hexproof and we’re still printing cards with evasion. What you will see less of is cards with hexproof and evasion.

Bird Card Printing Evasion Geist of Saint Traft Hexproof Invisible Stalker

Hexproof Strength Evaluated

Is hexproof more powerful than R&D projected? Invisible Stalker (a blue card, who knew) seems quite undercosted, Geist of Saint Traft seems on the edge.

Yes, we have our eye on hexproof.

Blue Eye Game Design Geist of Saint Traft Hexproof Invisible Stalker

Hexproof in Blue

First Invisible Stalker and Geist of Saint Traft, now Drogskol Captain. Are you underestimating the ability in blue or did you want it to make a splash to show its new home?

Untargetability has always been a blue and green ability. When we made that ability shroud both colors were given it. When shroud was replaced with hexproof that also went to both colors because it was the way we were doing untargetability.

Blue Colors Drogskol Captain Geist of Saint Traft Green Hexproof Invisible Stalker Shroud

Invisible Stalker Tweaks

If given the chance, would you make Invisible Stalker a legendary rare instead (So things like Phantasmal Image can kill it just like Geist of Saint Traft and Thrun)

If I had Invisible Stalker to do over again, I would keep it at uncommon but I would make the following change: Invisible Stalker has hexproof as long as it is not equipped". If he picks up a knife, you can spot him.

Geist of Saint Traft Hexproof Invisible Stalker Phantasmal Image Rares Uncommons

Mythic Rarity Cycles

You said that Innistrad had a horizontal cycle of mythic rare legendary creatures, one for each tribe, and that the werewolf was postponed because of Garruk Relentless taking the mythic slot for double-faced cards, right? There's four legendary creatures in Innistrad: Geist of Saint Traft, Grimgrin, Olivia Voldaren, and Mikaeus. Is Mikaeus part of that cycle? Or should we wait for a mythic green-white legendary human?

What I said was that we created for each of the five main tribes (humans, spirits, vampires werewolves & zombies) we created a mythic creature that we thought of as a “bad ass” of his or her tribe. Yes, Mikaeus was the human mythic. The werewolf mythic is later in the block.

Bad Ass Creatures Geist of Saint Traft Green Human Innistrad Legendary Creatures Mythic Rares Olivia Voldaren Spirit Vampire Werewolf White Zombie