Imperiosaur

Design Struggles with Muraganda

Does the fact that Muraganda Petroglyphs and Imperiosaur represent set themes that are very challenging to design around and still remain deep/fun make a Muraganda set less likely? Essentially, could you make Muraganda without having to consider those cards when doing so?

My guess is if we did Muraganda, we’d make a few cards to support a casual constructed “vanilla matters” theme, but it wouldn’t be part of limited nor tournament constructed.

Casual Play Constructed Imperiosaur Limited Muraganda Petroglyphs Vanilla

Thoughts on Imperiosaur Text

Hi, Mark. Do you happen to know where R&D stands on printing cards with the Imperiosaur text (Spend only mana produced by basic lands to cast this spell), or, perhaps more likely, cards that do something extra if only basic land mana was spent to cast it?

I could imagine us making other spells, but I don’t see us making a lot of them.

Game Design Imperiosaur Lands Mana Spells

Muraganda Design Philosophy

The way I get it, Imperiosaur and Muraganda Petroglyphs do not contradict each other. One rewards playing with basic lands, the other with simple creatures, that is to say, normal, non-convoluted gameplay. I thought Muraganda was conceived as a "return to basics" plane.

“Return to basics” is more of a core set thing.

Basics Creatures Game Play Imperiosaur Lands Muraganda Petroglyphs

Basic Lands Theme

So "vanilla matters" isn't a good theme. How about just a "basic lands matter" theme that Imperiosaur would take advantage of? I would think that would play a lot better in limited for one.

Basic lands matter is definitely better, but it’s not a high bar to clear.

Imperiosaur Lands Limited Vanilla

Muraganda Theme Concept

Seeing as the only cards we have are a vanilla matters enchantment and a virtual vanilla creature (Imperiosaur), perhaps Muraganda's theme is actually contradiction : )

I do think there are cool themes we could do with a prehistoric set. I would love if the setting wasn’t connected with themes that wouldn’t play well.

Creatures Enchantments Imperiosaur Vanilla

Future Shifted Cards

Was imperiosaur considered as a future shifted reprint in Ixilan? Are you sure that you are still trying to find places where future sight card would fit?

We always look, but making the best set possible trumps getting another future shifted card into the set.

Card Printing Future Sight Futureshifted Futureshifted Imperiosaur Reprints

Dinosaur Subtype Errata

So with the addition of the dinosaur subtype, will you guys errata some of the more blatant dinosaur cards, like imperiosaur, from lizard to dinosaur?

There will be some errata.

Dinosaur Errata Imperiosaur Lizard Subtype

Possible Muraganda Themes

"Muraganda doesn’t have to be “vanilla matters” because of one card." We've seen 3 cards from Muraganda. Petroglyphs which you've gone over, Imperiosaur which cares about basic lands, and the planar card Feeding Grounds which cares about cmc. Could we see those as possible themes in a Muraganda Set?

The card hinting at Greek mythology had nothing to do with enchantments. The mechanical hints and flavor hints aren’t necessarily tied together.

Enchantments Feeding Grounds Flavor Imperiosaur Lands Mana Value Vanilla

Simplicity Matters Design

"Do you think a 'Simplicity Matters' theme, a la Imperiosaur and Muraganda Petroglyphs, is big enough to fill a block-sized hole? " "No, no I don't." What about a set sized hole within a block or just a subset sized hole meant for an alternative draft strategy. My point here is that even if it can't be the theme of the whole block (and I wouldn't want that either) we would really like to go to Muraganda the Plane and it would be cool if it had some homage to those cards, even if its a subtheme

There is some design space but it is not as plentiful as some people think. It also has some inherent design issues like how two of them could turn off one another.

Design Space Imperiosaur Limited Muraganda Petroglyphs

Simplicity Theme Viability

Do you think a 'Simplicity Matters' theme, a la Imperiosaur and Muraganda Petroglyphs, is big enough to fill a block-sized hole?

No, no I don’t.

Imperiosaur Muraganda Petroglyphs

Specific Mana Cost Card

Gatherer turned up nothing, but maybe my choice of search terms was bad, so, have you ever done a card whose mana cost can only be paid with mana from basic lands? I was thinking about Tibalt (not that you could use the restriction on a planeswalker, though, what with the frame), and the idea occurred to me as a development tweak to lower a card's power level. It could also be used for the next monocolor-matters set.

The card you’re looking for is called Imperiosaur from Future Sight.

Card Frames Future Sight Imperiosaur Lands Mana Monocolor Planeswalkers Power Level Search