Why is Greatest Show in the Multiverse an artifact?

Art ratio.Okay, you probably need more than that. When we assigned the art for Greatest Show in the Multiverse we assigned it like a Saga (aka long and thin). What we hadn’t thought through was that the card was initially a colorless enchantment (as we wanted all decks to have access to it). Why would that matter?Well, it turns out the way colorless frames work is they are full card illustrations and then peek through the frame.

See how you can see art through the text box? That means any colorless art assignment has to have a different art ratio, one that fits a whole Magic card.We didn’t realize this until we went to build the frames. The art for The Greatest Show in the Multiverse was amazing, but it didn’t fit the needs for the colorless frame. It was too late to recommission it, and we really liked it, so we looked into ways to keep the existing art.I still wanted it to be colorless, so the only solution we could come up with was to make it an artifact in addition to an enchantment (Sagas are an enchantment subtype). The art was of a poster, an object, so I felt it was something we could accept. It still needed a new frame built, but we could keep the art ratio.This story is a great lesson about how details matter and you sometimes have to get creative to problem solve.

Is there a term for these type of cards? "(Type) cards that don't have any (type) subtype"- creature cards without any creature subtype (such as "Go-Shintai of X", Legendary Enchantment Creatures - Shrine)- artifact cards without any artifact subtypes (such as "Greatest Show in the Multiverse", an Artifact Enchantment - Saga)- other type of cards without respective subtypes (such as "The Wanderer" for Planeswalker, "Evolving Wilds" for Land, "Lightning Bolt" for Instant, etc.)

There is not a term for it, as it’s not something we need to talk about in design.

Did you ever tell the story of Greatest Show in the Multiverse and explain why it's an artifact enchantment? You kept saying you would and putting it off.

I did finally tell the story at the Unfinity panel, but I promised I would tell it here after.I designed the card, called Choose Your Own Saga in design, because I wanted to make a Saga that players had the ability to craft. An important part of this was making the cost generic. This would maximize the customizability of it. Dawn commissioned the art like any other Saga and it came back looking great. It has been concepted as a poster for the Astrotorium. I assumed we were good. Then one day, I get contacted as the set lead designer that we had a problem. The art ratio was wrong, I was told. What? Colorless cards are full frame because they bleed through the colorless frame. That means they have to have a different art ratio than non-colorless cards.We both loved the existing art, and didn’t have time for a recommission. So, we got into problem solving mode. If I put colored mana in the mana cost, that would solve it, but it having generic mana was key to what the card did. We finally found a solution. If it was an artifact, we could adapt a Saga frame to feel artifact-ish. It would let us use the existing art and keep the generic mana cost. The picture was of a poster, so I decided it being an artifact wasn’t horrible flavor. So why is The Greatest Show in the Multiverse an artifact? Art ratio. : )

Ultra Pro seems to be using some placeholder names for artwork on their Unfinity products. Ex: Calling Comet, Stellar Pup ‘Comet, Space Puppy’One of them is a binder featuring the art of Space Beleren drawn by Scooter, but labeled as featuring the art of ‘Choose Your Own Saga’ by Alix Branwyn. Is the assumption that this was the placeholder name of Greatest Show in the Multiverse correct?

Yes, those are design names.

This draft was the most fun I've had playing hands-down, including the time I got passed 2 approach of the second suns in Strixhaven.It's amazing to me that the things that I thought would be fun to do were also the most powerful cards. In my pool, I got to run surprise party, Greatest show in the Multiverse, Standard Procedure, and Carnival Barker.I have never had an entire room applaud for me before today.

: )

Hey Mark,I just realized that “Greatest Show in the Multiverse” is an Artifact Enchantment… very interesting! This is only the second time we’ve seen a card with both of these types since the Gods’ Legendary “weapons” from Theros. I am curious if there a mechanical reason for this, or is it just for fun/flavor?

There is a fun story behind it, but you’ll have to wait to hear it as I have a plan for when I’m telling the story.