Imprint

Ugin's Labyrinth Design Query

What's going on with Ugin's Labyrinth? The name and art look like a Maze of Ith-type card (like Labyrinth of Skophos and two other Mazes), but the card design is Imprint x Ugin land. Did wires get crossed somewhere?

All arts with mazes don’t have to have that effect.

Art Imprint Labyrinth of Skophos Lands Ugin's Labyrinth

Imprint Storm Scale

Where do you think Imprint is on the storm scale? Or maybe an improved version of the mechanic? I know Isochron and Extraplanar goes crazy sometimes, but I also like the more 'mild' effects like Sembelance Anvil

Imprint is like a 5. I think we’ll see it again.

Card Printing Imprint Mechanics Storm Scale

Design Contributions Highlighted

Hi Mark,I've been seeing some pockets of the online community being rather focused on making snide remarks about you, in particular, about what people see as design mistakes. Honestly, I think a lot of it, even if the criticisms have valid points, are just needlessly mean spirited and not trying to come from a place of good faith criticism. I think part of that is people focusing on the more obvious mistakes but not knowing the things you've spearheaded that have been perceived widely as great changes for the game. What would you say are some of the biggest changes for the game that have been as close to universally accepted as good that you played a significant part in having made happen? Because I think people would be surprised about what they love that you helped make happen.

Some of the things which are popular that I had a major hand in:Bonus SheetsChangelingColored ArtifactsConstellationCreature Types as a Set ThemeCursesDevotionDouble-Faced CardsEnchantment CreaturesEnergyEquipmentFaction SetsFlashFlashbackFocus on Top-Down DesignHybrid ManaImprintKeywording of Deathtouch, Lifelink, Reach, and “dies”LandfallMorphMuch of R&D Lingo (”French Vanilla”, “Lenticular”, etc.)Planeswalkers (the card type)Player Psychographics (Timmy/Tammy, Johnny/Jenny, Spike)Poison ReturningPopulateProliferateProwessRace/Class RaidReusing of Named Nonevergreen Keyword MechanicsSagasSplit CardsSquirrelsVehiclesThe Weatherlight Saga

Artifacts Bonus Sheets Card Printing Card Types Changeling Competitive Play Constellation Creatures Deathtouch Enchantments Equipment Factions Flash Flashback France French Vanilla Hybrid Imprint Johnny / Jenny Keywords Landfall Lenticular Lifelink Lifelink Mana Mechanics Morph Morph Planeswalkers Poison Populate Proliferate Prowess Psychographic Raid Sagas Spike Split Cards Squirrel Timmy / Tammy Top Down Vanilla Vehicles Weatherlight Weatherlight Your Hand

Controlling Exile Dynamics

I think the question about 'exile a card in exile' wants an effect to do things like keep a slow flickered card in exile from returning, stop a suspended card from being cast, or mess with abilities like haunt or imprint. Something like Riftsweeper but without letting things out of exile. I am not sure any elegant text would do this though.

My only solution that’s worked. : )

Blogatog / Tumblr Card Printing Haunt Humor Imprint Riftsweeper The Exile Zone

Birthday Mirrodin Trivia Request

Hi Mark,I enjoy Blogatog very much, thank you!May I please invoke birthday trivia since today is my 30th?I'd like some trivia on my favorite plane of Mirrodin please 😁

Mirrodin holds the record for the most number of mechanic design names to make it to print 4 (affinity, entwine, equipment and imprint)Happy Birthday!

Affinity Appreciation Birthday Card Printing Entwine Equipment Imprint Mechanics Mirrodin

Future Imprint Planeswalker

Could we see a imprint planeswalker?

It’s a lot of text, but maybe. : )

Humor Imprint Planeswalkers

Favorite Mechanics or Cards

I feel like a lot of people who say you’ve only done bad for the game don’t realize you’re probably behind some of their favorite mechanics or cards too. For a change of pace, can you list some beloved mechanics or cards you’re responsible for?

Here are the Magic mechanics I’ve had a hand in creating: Absorb, Addendum, Affinity, Aftermath, Aura Swap, Battle Cry, Bolster, Champion, Changeling, Cipher, Companion, Contraptions, Crew (Vehicles), Dash, Deathtouch, Delve, Dredge, Embalm, Energy, Entwine, Evoke, Exert, Exploit, Fabricate, Fateful Hour, Fateseal, Ferocious, Flashback, Flip, Forecast, Fortify, Frenzy, Gotcha, Graft, Gravestorm, Heroic, Hexproof, Host/Augment, Hybrid Mana, Imprint, Infect, Intimidate, Kicker, Landfall, Lifelink, Living Weapon, Madness, Manifest, Mentor, Modular, Monstrosity, Morbid, Morph, Multikicker, Mutate, Ninjitsu, Phyrexian Mana, Poisonous, Populate, Proliferate, Prowl, Raid, Rally, Reach, Recover, Reinforce, Retrace, Ripple, Shroud, Soulbond, Splice, Split Cards, Split Second, Suspend, Transfigure, Transform, Typecycling, Undying, Unearth, Vanishing and Wither.

Absorb Absorb Addendum Affinity Aftermath Aura Swap Battle Cry Battle Cry Bolster Champion Changeling Cipher Companion Contraptions Crew Dash Deathtouch Delve Dredge Dredge Embalm Entwine Evoke Exert Exploit Fabricate Fabricate Fateful hour Fateseal Ferocious Flashback Forecast Fortify Fortify Frenzy Graft Gravestorm Gravestorm Heroic Hexproof Hybrid Imprint Infect Intimidate Kicker Landfall Lifelink Lifelink Living Weapon Madness Mana Manifest Mechanics Mentor Modular Monstrosity Morbid Morph Morph Mutate Ninjitsu Phyrexian Poisonous Populate Proliferate Prowl Raid Rally Rally Recover Reinforce Retrace Ripple Shroud Soulbond Splice Split Cards Split Second Suspend Suspend Transfigure Transform Undying Unearth Unearth Vanishing Vanishing Vehicles Wither Your Hand

Imprint Storm Scale Position

Where is imprint on the Storm Scale?

My guess is a 6. It might be a 5 if the design space wasn’t so tight.

Design Space Imprint Storm Scale

Isochron Scepter Rules Clarification

Un-rules question time! If I imprint Counterspell onto Isochron Scepter with Richard Garfield, PhD. on the battlefield, when I activate the Isochron Scepter, can I cast the copy of Counterspell as another card that costs UU, assuming I haven't chosen that card previously?

No, the spell you get out of Isichron is a copy and not a card.

Activate Card Printing Cast Counterspell Imprint Isochron Scepter Richard Garfield Rules Un-sets

Mimic Vat Trivia

Hey Mark, it’s my birthday! Do you have any trivia on Mimic Vat, or any other unheard information about anything you’d like to share? Thank you!

When we brought back imprint in Scars of Mirrodin, the goal was to try an innovate with it. When we made Mimic Vat, we were trying to make a creature copying artifact, but one that played differently. We did that two ways. One, it could only copy a creature temporarily, and two, it could only copy the last creature to have died. Happy Birthday!

Appreciation Artifacts Birthday Brought Back Card Printing Creatures Imprint Mimic Vat Scars of Mirrodin

Imprint Mechanic Success

What makes you consider Imprint a sucess?

It played well and players liked it.

Card Printing Imprint

Design Success Highlights

You've discussed your biggest mistakes before, but what are your biggest Successes in Magic to date?

Sets: Ravnica, Innistrad, Zendikar, Tempest, Dominaria, Khans of Tarkir, War of the Spark, the Un- setsMechanics: Flashback, Landfall, Split cards, Hybrid Mana, Proliferate, Sagas, Imprint, Evoke, Outreach: “Making Magic”, “Drive to Work”, BlogatogOther: Player Psychographics, Fourth, Fifth & Sixth Age of design, Exploratory & Vision design, a lot of Magic design vocabulary

Card Printing Dominaria Drive to Work Evoke Flashback Hybrid Imprint Innistrad Khans of Tarkir Landfall Making Magic Mana Mechanics Proliferate Psychographic Sagas Sagas Split Cards Tempest War of the Spark Zendikar

Mirrodin Trivia Shared

I am a new year baby, can you give me some trivia about Mirrodin? I loved the "heavy metal (no pun intended) album cover" aesthetic

Mirrodin has the record of the most mechanics whose printed name was its design name (all four new mechanics - Affinity, Entwine, Equipment & Imprint).
Happy Birthday!

Affinity Birthday Card Printing Entwine Equipment Humor Imprint Mechanics Mirrodin

Ral Ability Clarification

The new Ral's -3 ability looks like it could cause confusion, especially in Commander where it's quite possible that you've got instants or sorceries exiled under an imprint card or something. Was there a lot of debate in the office about calling out the exile zone so explicitly?

No, it’s a zone in the game. Players need to know what zone their cards are in. There aren’t a lot of zones to track.

Card Printing Commander Imprint Instants Sorceries The Exile Zone

Storm Scale Typo

Hey, Mark. In yiur Storm Scale article, there's a typo in the section on Infect. You say there's never been a more polarizing mechanic than Imprint, where I assume it should say infect. (Unless Imprint has some SERIOUSLY dedicated haters.)

Thanks. I’ll fix it.

Card Printing Imprint Infect Keyword Abilities Mechanics Storm Scale

Mirrodin Set Trivia

I almost forgot to ask for birthday trivia for the third year in a row. Can I get some trivia on my first set, Mirrodin? Thanks for all that you do for the community and Magic. :D

Mirrodin is the only set I lead where every design name for the mechanics (equipment, entwine, affinity & imprint) became the printed name. Happy Birthday!

Affinity Birthday Card Printing Entwine Equipment Imprint Mechanics Mirrodin

Entwine and Imprint

Is there any chance to see entwine or imprint again?

Yes and yes. Note that both have limited design space.

Card Printing Design Space Entwine Imprint Limited

Imprint Mechanic Future

What's your opinion on the Imprint mechanic? Is there much chance for it to return In a non Mirrodin standard set?

The mechanic is kind of limited and has complexity issues. That said, I could see it return under the title her circumstances and no, it doesn’t have to be tied to artifacts.

Artifacts Card Printing Imprint Limited Mechanics Mirrodin Premier Sets Standard

Understanding Imprint Abilities

"If all cards exiled by an imprint ability somehow leave the exile zone, or if a card isn't exiled by an optional imprint ability, or if the ability failed to exile a card because it was countered, then it is possible for an imprint ability to have no exiled card to refer to. In this case, the linked ability associated with the imprint ability has no card values to refer to and will only do as much as possible. It may do nothing at all."

FYI

Card Printing Imprint The Exile Zone

Imprint Mechanic Query

how would it affect an imprint card if the card that it exiled was returned from exile? for example, I cast chrome mox, and then someone else uses an eldrazi processor to put the exiled card into my graveyard

Double check with a judge but I’m pretty sure imprint stops working without an imprinted card.

Card Printing Cast Chrome Mox Eldrazi Imprint Processor The Exile Zone The Graveyard