Kormus Bell

Enchantment Niches

Glass Casket has me concerned. It feels like, ever since colored artifacts became an every-set thing, there just aren't that many mechanical niches for enchantments anymore. Artifacts get to also be creatures, cost generic mana, have tap abilities... the list goes on. The only thing enchantments can do that artifacts can't is attach to objects other than creatures you control.

Artifacts have had global effects since the game began back in Alpha (Ankh of Mishra, Black Lotus, Copper Tablet, Dingus Egg, Gauntlet of Might, Howling Mine, Kormus Bell, Meekstone, Sunglasses of Urza, and Winter Orb). The change is we’re allowing artifacts to have colored mana costs (and even this we’ve done for over ten years - just not at the current levels). This means the overlap between artifacts and enchantments, which has always been there, is a little more noticeable.The color pie is determined by the mana cost of the card, so if white can do something as an enchantment, it means it can do it as an artifact, The result of this is we have to lean a little more on the flavor to help make them feel different from one another.

Alpha Ankh of Mishra Artifacts Attach Black Black Lotus Color Pie Colorless Colors Copper Tablet Creatures Dingus Egg Egg Enchantments Flavor Gauntlet of Might Glass Casket Howling Mine Kormus Bell Mana Meekstone Orb Sunglasses of Urza Tap / Untap White Winter Orb

Land Animation Potential

Is mass land animation in the vein of Living Plane, Living Lands, Kormus Bell and Life and Limb still something that can be done, or is it shied away from as it turns all creature removal and basically all burn into stone rains?

It’s something that can still be done.

Creatures Kormus Bell Lands Life and Limb Living Lands Living Plane

Unhinged Jokes Regret

You said you wish you hadn't made the 'gotcha' mechanic. But are there any *jokes* in Unhinged you regret making?

Their are jokes that stand the test of time better than others (“Yo Quiro Kormus Bell”, I’m looking at you), but I regret the design mistakes more than the creative ones. And yes, I referenced an Unglued card not an Unhinged one. I’m aware.

Humor Kormus Bell Mechanics Unglued Unhinged

Pop Culture References

How far can you go when referencing pop-culture in Un-sets? I know you made Elvish Impersonators, but could pop singer Justin Beeble or electronic artist Squirrellex show up?

The trick in past Un-sets was to make references that were already well established so they wouldn’t seem dated with time. Note we failed in a few spots with this strategy, the most famous being the chihuahua on Jester’s Sombrero saying “Yo quiero Kormus Bell." For the youngin’s, that is a parody of a Taco Bell commercial from many years ago.

Art Beeble Elvish Impersonators Kormus Bell Pop Culture Un-Magic / Silver Border / Acorn Un-sets

Current Jokes in Un-sets

Do you follow the typical timeline when you design an Un-set? If so, how do you keep your jokes current? Do you just kind of anticipate the jokes Magic players will make about new sets and hope everything works out?

I try to make most Un-jokes about Magic to keep it from getting dated too quickly. (The “Yo quiero Kormus Bell” joke in Unglued really doesn’t hold up.)

Humor Kormus Bell Unglued Un-Magic / Silver Border / Acorn Un-sets

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