Ghostfire

Lhurgoyfs Flavor Text Influence

Did Lhurgoyfs flavor text really inspire more cards than the one that inspired all the Ugin cards? A whole character born from italics!

Ghostfire is the other contender for the honor. Ghostfire definitely inspired more story.

Flavor Text Ghostfire Lhurgoyf Story / Lore

Strategy for Nerfed Equipments

"Equipment has to be severely nerfed if it’s colorless to the point that it tends not to get played in constructed formats" - One way you've gotten around that in the past, which I hope to see more of, is making them good in specific decks. Ghostfire Blade was very good, but only in BR Eldrazi aggro. Captain's Claws in RW Allies. Sword of the Animist in midrange Landfall (but too slow for aggro). Those decks weren't quite good enough beyond the FNM level, but it wasn't the equipments' fault.

We tried that approach. It’s very difficult.

Ally Boros (R/W) Captain's Claws Colorless Constructed Eldrazi Equipment Ghostfire Blade Landfall Sword of the Animist

Favorite Side Character

What's one of your personal favorite Magic characters that started as a side character or as flavor text?

Ugin started in a piece of flavor text (Ghostfire, a futureshifted card from Future Sight).

Flavor Text Future Sight Futureshifted Ghostfire

Issues with Future-shifting

You've had a lot of trouble printing future-shifted cards into sets where they seem like they belong because they don't line up with Creative: Tombstalker doesn't fit the delve set because at the time Creative said no demons, Ghostfire doesn't fit the Devoid set because Ghostfire is Ugin-themed, Centaur Omenreader doesn't fit Kalhdeim because Creative said no centaurs... looking back, is there anything about future-shifting you wish you'd done differently?

Designing cards for potential futures is just very difficult. There’s not really an easy answer even with hindsight.

Centaur Centaur Omenreader Delve Demon Devoid Ghostfire Tombstalker

Next Colored Colorless Cards

The next time colored colorless cards happen, would it use the devoid keyword or instead have the ghostfire text of 'this card is colorless'?

My lesson from Devoid is don’t keyword the ability. “Marker” mechanics that don’t have any internal added function seem to upset players.

Colorless Devoid Ghostfire Keywords Mechanics

Ghostfire Reprint

Mark Ghostfire was reprinted in Duel Decks: Merfolk vs. Goblins. In your article today you said it hadn't been reprinted.

At the start of the first article in the series, I said I was talking about “pre-prints” in sets with new content as it could be “the first place it was printed”.

Duel Decks Ghostfire Goblin Making Magic Merfolk Reprints

Ghostfire Reprint Counting

Hi Mark! Just a little FYI regarding your latest article on Future Sight designs, Ghostfire was already reprinted in Duel Decks: Merfolk vs Goblins, although I don't know if you were counting only premier sets. Have a great day!

I wasn’t counting all-reprints sets.

Duel Decks Future Sight Ghostfire Goblin Merfolk Premier Sets Premier Sets Reprints

Ugin's Creation Story

How much of Ugin was known when Ghostfire's flavor text was written?

Nothing. It was just a piece of flavorful and evocative flavor text.

Flavor Ghostfire

Ugin Trivia Gift

Hi Mark, it was my birthday a couple weeks ago and I think my ask got lost in the mail. Can you give me some trivia about my favourite PW, Ugin?

Ugin was originally created for the flavor text of Ghostfire. Just a futureshifted card hinting at things that could be. Happy Belated Birthday!

Birthday Flavor Futureshifted Futureshifted Ghostfire

Ugin Origin Fact

Hello! Today is my birthday and I’d love some facts about Ugin. He’s my favorite and I even have a tattoo of him. Thanks in advance!!

Ugin didn’t exist before the flavor text of Ghostfire (in Future Sight) was written. Happy Birthday!

Birthday Flavor Future Sight Ghostfire

Ugin Trivia

Hey Mark! Can I please get some birthday trivia about Ugin?

Ugin first appeared in futureshifted flavor text (on Ghostfire). It’s possible that’s the futureshifted card that had the biggest impact on the future. Happy Birthday!

Birthday Flavor Futureshifted Futureshifted Ghostfire

Ghostfire Reprint

is there any specific reason the card "ghostfire" wasn't reprinted in Battle for Zendikar? i feel like it would have fit well

It represents Ugin’s magic and not the Eldrazi and all the colorless magic in the block was Eldrazi cards.

Battle for Zendikar Battles Card Printing Colorless Eldrazi Ghostfire Reprints

Ghostfire Blade Errata

Will ghostfire blade get errata to work like blackblade?

Possibly.

Errata Ghostfire

Ugin Trivia

Hey Mark, it was my birthday yesterday. May I please have some Trivia on either Counterspells in Magic, or about Ugin, the Spirit Dragon?

Ugin was first referenced in the flavor text of Ghostfire, a future-shifted throw-forward. The only flavor text that has led to as many card designs was Lhurgoyf. Happy Birthday!

Birthday Dragon Flavor Ghostfire Lhurgoyf Spirit Ugin, the Spirit Dragon

Contraptions Design Philosophy

You've said that you want to do contraptions exactly as worded on steamflogger boss... But future sight was riddled with things that ended up being done similarly but not exactly (tarmogoyf ~ Delirium boosters, sarcomite myr ~ esper shard, ghostfire ~ eldrazi, lucent liminid ~ nyxians, virulent sliver ~ infect). Why are you making Steamfloger Boss completely immutable while you solve contraptions? Isn't this just making something (that matches exactly) simply to show you can (bad design)?

Doing it in the very next set regardless of whether it fits or not is doing it to prove you can. Waiting for the right spot to properly solve it, is good design.

Boosters Contraptions Delirium Eldrazi Esper Esper (W/U/B) Future Sight Ghostfire Infect Lucent Liminid Myr Sarcomite Myr Sliver Steamflogger Boss Tarmogoyf Three Color Virulent Sliver

Ugin Trivia Revelation

Hey mark! Today's my first birthday since I've followed you. Was wondering if I could get some trivia for my favorite planeswalker Ugin? Thanks!

I believe Ugin was essentially created by the flavor text for Ghostfire which hinted at the future. Probably no one flavor text has more influenced future story than Ghostfire, Happy Birthday!

Birthday Flavor Ghostfire Planeswalkers Story / Lore

Ugin's Color Philosophy

"In order to wield a color of Magic you have to actually believe in what the color’s philosophy believes. That’s just not true for Bolas with White and Green." So Ugin doesn't believe in anything? :)

Ghostfire shows that Ugin knows how to wield “Devoid” spells. : )

Colors Devoid Ghostfire Green Spells White

Chandra's Magic Choice

Can you please ask the flavor team why Chandra didn't at least use Ghostfire to kill the Titans, when it was established that she knew it (to release the Titans in the first place)? It almost seemed like the creative team hadn't read the original Zendikar block.

We talked about her using colorless magic but as all the Eldrazi were defined by their colorless, we were concerned it would confuse too many players.

Colorless Eldrazi Flavor Ghostfire Zendikar

Ugin's Origin

My 18th birthday was a few days ago, and I forgot to ask for birthday trivia. So I would like to know something interesting about Ugin that isn't obvious at this point.

Ugin first existed on the flavor text for Ghostfire (a future-shifted card from Future Sight). Few pieces of flavor text has inspired more future story. Happy Belated Birthday!

Birthday Flavor Future Sight Ghostfire Story / Lore

Ghostfire Flavour Text

So if you could do it over again, Ghostfire's flavour text would be "Only those gifted with the eye of Ugin, the spirit dragon, can see her fiery breath."?

Locked in by flavor text that introduced the character. No one knew how influential that one card would be in setting up the future.

Dragon Eye Eye of Ugin Flavor Ghostfire Spirit Ugin, the Spirit Dragon