Living Weapon

Self-animating Equipment

Inspired by your podcast and thinking about how Living Weapon became For Mirrodin!, I wanted to offer up my opinion as a big Living Weapon fan for years: It turns out that the thing that appealed to me about Living Weapon was not the mechanics of an equipment that came with a body. It turns out the thing that appealed to me about Living Weapon was the flavor of an equipment animating itself (or at least a horrible little germ in a little horrible mech). Can I get a maybe on more self-animating equipment that is *flavorfully* self-animating, rather than flavorfully being wielded by a person?

Modern Horizons sets and Commander decks can still access Living Weapon, so you can still get cards of that flavor.I’m skeptical we’re making a new mechanic with that flavor as the For Mirrodin! style of designs play better, are easier to balance, and have significantly more design space.

Commander Decks Design Space Drive to Work Equipment Flavor For Mirrodin! Germ Living Weapon Mechanics Mirrodin Modern Horizons

Mechanic Return Likelihood

I believe you’ve said Reconfigure is a 5 on the storm scale, while Living Weapon is a 7, despite being functionally somewhat similar mechanics. Is the disparity mostly due to flavour requirements, or are there mechanical factors that make Living Weapon less likely to return?

I think the 0/0 Germ is the biggest issue. We made For Mirrodin!, as an example.

Flavor For Mirrodin! Germ Living Weapon Mechanics Mirrodin Reconfigure Storm Scale

Amass vs. Similar Mechanics

Are we more likely to see Amass return or a similar mechanic making a different type of token (ala Living Weapon/For Mirrodin)?

I think both have a decent chance of happening. If I have to pick one, I’ll say amass returning.

Amass Living Weapon Mechanics Mirrodin Tokens

Mechanic Reuse Philosophy

Mark, i love Incubate. I love how it plays, i love the way it interacts with so many little things. But i also fear that we might not see it return for quite some time, since its so thematically tied to Phyrexia. What's your general philosophy when it comes to tying new mechanics to specific parts of the multiverse? What if a new mechanic that was tied to a specific plane lore-wise, became popular and was good enough to become evergreen or deciduous, what would you do?

We’re willing to bring back mechanics and change creature type elements. For example, Living Weapon returned as For Mirrodin!

Creatures Deciduous Evergreen Fear For Mirrodin! Incubate Living Weapon Mechanics Mirrodin

Keyword Mechanic Nuances

Keywording a "living weapon" mechanic seems to run into the issue that the token's size and type must be set by the keyword. Is that why For Mirrodin! was given a plane-specific name, since who knows if 2/2 rebels will be appropriate the next time you want to do a similar keyword?

Yes.

For Mirrodin! Keywords Living Weapon Mechanics Mirrodin Rebel

Design Space Exploration

How much design space there is in mechanics like for mirrodin! and living weapon?

Enough that I expect us to make more. Not so much that it will be something you see too often.

Design Space For Mirrodin! Living Weapon Mechanics Mirrodin

Equipment Mechanics

Do Living weapon and For Mirrodin! count as "snap-on" equipment in your eyes?

Technically no, but they are similar in spirit.

Equipment Eye For Mirrodin! Living Weapon Mechanics Mirrodin Spirit

For Mirrodin Mechanic

So like... Why did you make a mechanic called "For Mirrodin!" Not the mechanic itself is bad, it's an improved version of Living Weapon. But the name is just... So timeline and setting specific that it basically guarantees it'll never be used again, regardless of the Storm Scale. So.... Why?

We did it for Mirrodin. : )It was flavorful, and tied to a 2/2 red Rebel token. If we want to do it again, odds are it will have a new token and a new name.

Flavor For Mirrodin! Humor Living Weapon Mechanics Mirrodin Rebel Red Storm Scale Tokens

Living Weapon Errata

Could existing Living Weapons be Errataed to "Living Weapon (0/0 Black Germ)" or something if you wanted to use Living Weapon with another creature type?

It’s possible if we wanted to do Living Weapon without a Germ, there’s some way to do this, but I’m skeptical it would be a parenthetical.

Black Creatures Errata Germ Living Weapon

Non-Germ Living Weapon

There was a post earlier about living weapon in Kamigawa not working due to the germ token flavor, so I was curious, what would have to happen for living weapon to make a non-germ token? A new keyword? Just specifying text?

Probably a new keyword.

Flavor Germ Keywords Living Weapon Tokens

Kamigawa Mechanic Choice

Was living weapon ever considered for Kamigawa Neon Dynasty instead of reconfigure?

Not really as the Germ token didn’t match the flavor.

Flavor Germ Living Weapon Mechanics Reconfigure Tokens

Designing Artifact Creature-Equipment Cards

When designing cards for kamigawa neon dynasty, why did wotc make artifact creature- equipment [creature type] cards? (Blade of the Oni) Why not just use living weapons like kaldra compleat?Thank you for your time and everything you do at wizards, I always look forward to playing mtg with my friends.

The two mechanics play differently. Also living weapon is tied to Germs which doesn’t fit the Neon Dynasty aesthetic.

Appreciation Artifacts Blade of the Oni Creatures Equipment Germ Kaldra Compleat Living Weapon Mechanics Wizards of the Coast

Reconfigure and Living Weapon Interaction

Hi Mark! Does the existence of Reconfigure now affect the likelihood of seeing Living Weapon again?

No.

Living Weapon Reconfigure

Living Weapon Mechanic Update

Is the Living Weapon mechanic being errata'd to have them all create Phyrexian Germs?

Yes.

Germ Living Weapon Mechanics Phyrexian

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

Balance: New and Familiar

It's my 58th birthday. No question, just a comment that I like Magic best when it does weird and innovative things - vehicles, hybrid and Phyrexian mana, living weapon, and so on. I would like to request more outre designs, maybe from people outside of day-to-day involvement in Magic.

There has to be the right mix of new and old. The metaphor I use is cake and icing. Icing is great, as long as there’s the right balance of cake. A “cake” full of icing isn’t going to make many people happy.

Birthday Hybrid Living Weapon Mana Phyrexian Vehicles

Sapient Weapons Discussion

Sapient weapons are a popular fantasy trope, but I don't think any exist in Magic (there's Living Weapon, but I'm not sure they count as sapient). Would such a weapon be an Equipment, Creature, or both?

Dancing Scimitar was a creature.

Creatures Dancing Scimitar Equipment Living Weapon

Living Weapon Trivia

Bit late for my birthday, but can I get some trivia and/or a storm scale rating on one of my personal favorite mechanics, Living Weapon?

Living Weapon is a 7. It has a lot of restrictions needed to be a proper fit.

Birthday Keyword Abilities Living Weapon Mechanics Storm Scale

Scars Block Watermarks

Looking at the whole scars block, it looks like there are a few cards that have a phyrexian watermark without meeting any of the criteria (Banishing decree, beast within, chancellor cycle, anything that has the living weapon mechanic, consecrated sphinx, conversion chamber, the exarch cycle, despise, and many more)

That criteria was just for Scars of Mirrodin. (Note that there was a seventh criteria - being a legendary Phyrexian character). It got expanded as the Phyrexian spread later in the block.

Beast Beast Within Consecrated Sphinx Conversion Chamber Living Weapon Mechanics Phyrexian Scars of Mirrodin Sphinx Watermarks

Living Weapon Mechanics

Hey Maro, it's my birthday today and I wanted to know if you had any trivia about one of my favorite mechanics Living Weapon.

The earliest version of Living Weapon were equipment that could turn into creatures, but the rules were wonky so we tried making the 0/0 germ creature tokens to get a similar effect. Happy Birthday!

Birthday Creatures Equipment Germ Living Weapon Mark Rosewater Mechanics Rules Tokens