Kessig

Lands with Additional Effects

This may be an unpopular opinion, but I believe lands should only ever tap for mana and not have any other effects outside that scope.
My go to anecdote is always Kessig Wolf Run. There's been too many times where the land was hidden in the pile of lands, never announced or used until the very last moment.
That's not to say I don't want those effects around, but id rather see them on enchantments or artifacts. Am I alone in this thinking?

R&D doesn’t do big effects often on lands for that exact reason.

Artifacts Enchantments Kessig Wolf Run Lands Mana Tap / Untap Wolf

Color Pie of Alena

How does Alena, Kessig Trapper fit in the color pie? Her mana ability seems very green.

It’s a bend but red is secondary in mana production.

Alena, Kessig Trapper Bend / Break Color Pie Green Kessig Mana Red Secondary

Hal and Alena Hint

can i get a maybe on hal and alena of kessig appearing on a card?

Maybe. : )

Kessig

Werewolf Strategy Tension

Why is the Wolf / Werewolf theme in SOI playing combat tricks when playing Werewolves also means you shouldn't be playing too many spells? Isn't it a bit anti-synergistic? If I were to use pumping effects in a Werewolf deck, I think things like Kessig's Wolf Run and bloodrush cards would be safer.

Because Werewolves and Wolves have a combat based strategy and having combat interaction makes them more dynamic. Yes, there’s some tension, but tension isn’t always bad.

Blood Bloodrush Kessig Spells Wolf

Crowdsourced Deck Challenge

So I'm looking to make a modern deck and what I think is a cool idea popped into my head. My starting place is Nykthos and Kessig Wolf Run. Would you and the Question Marks each recommend one card you would want in that deck and lets see if we can crowd source a deck through Tumblr?

Let’s try this social experiment.

Blogatog / Tumblr Kessig Modern Question Marks Wolf

Green's Graveyard Mechanics

It seems to me that graveyard-related effects are becoming relevant on green cards...What is the reason for that? I'm talking about cards like Nemesis of Mortals, Boneyard Wurm, Ghoultree, Splinterfright, Kessig Cagebreakers, etc. etc., I always considered graveyard effects to be part of black's color pie

Green has always cared about the graveyard. Lhurhoyf, for example, was back in Ice Age.

Black Boneyard Wurm Color Pie Colors Ghoultree Green Ice Age Kessig Nemesis Nemesis of Mortals Splinterfright The Graveyard Wurm

Character Name Pronunciations

Shouldn't Jarad be "Jaa rahd"? Also, shouldn't Kessig be "kessish" because of the way German works? And Rhys be "Rees" (and not "Rice")? Is there a push for the names of characters to be completely fictional? Rhys is a common enough Welsh name, but I've never heard of a Nissa or Ezuri (I'm looking through my Elf deck). Although Soren and Jared are names.

Names are not always pronounced based on the language it was inspired by.

Elf Germany Kessig

Legendary Werewolf Possibility

since you listed not making a legendary werewolf in Innistrad block as one of the past year's mistakes, is there any possibility of Huntmaster of the Fells to get errata to become legendary or have a legendary werewolf printed in a supplemental product (aka Commander or Planechase)? Planechase 2012 (especially since there was a G/R deck and Innistrad planar cards(Kessig)) and Commander's Arsenal both seemed like easy ways to get one out there

We don’t use errata to change functionality of cards. We also are unable to do double-faced cards in small limited run products (aka everything but expert booster sets). I suppose a one-sided legendary werewolf could possibly be created in a supplemental product.

Boosters Card Printing Commander Commander's Arsenal Errata Innistrad Kessig Limited Planechase Werewolf

Creature Names Debate

Regarding the change from Grizzly Bears to Runeclaw Bear, you said it shouldn't have been plural. But what about Corpse Traders, Gang of Devils, Geist Trappers, Heirs of Stromkirk, Kessig Malcontents, Marrow Bats, Riders of Gavony, Spectral Gateguards, and Zealous Conscripts? All are very recent creatures with plural names. I understand making the name more magical, but are plural creatures really an issue?

It wasn’t Magic shouldn’t have plural names. It was that a 2/2 should only be a Grizzly Bear not Grizzly Bears. Remember, a well trained human is a 1/1.

Bat Bat Bear Corpse Traders Creatures Devil Gang of Devils Gates Geist Trappers Grizzly Bears Heirs of Stromkirk Human Kessig Marrow Bats Riders of Gavony Runeclaw Bear Spectral Gateguards Zealous Conscripts

Utility Lands Query

So, we've missed a red/blue, blue/green, and a red/white utility land in the Gavony Township/Kessig Wolf run cycle of lands. Will we see them in Avacyn Restored?

I don’t know. Will we? :)

Avacyn Restored Blue Boros (R/W) Gavony Green Kessig Lands Red White Wolf