Massacre

Slice from Shadows Praise

I would like to high five the designers of Slice from the Shadows. Love that the -x/-x fit’s with massacre girl in the art 👌

High fives shall be applied.

Art High Fives Massacre Massacre Girl Slice from the Shadows

Cameo Cards Feedback

Hey Mark, I just read the most recent Making Magic and saw the idea of “cameo” cards come I with Massacre Girl and Ojer Pakpatiq and I wanted to give my support and say I love how this is implemented and hope this sticks around for future sets!

That’s the current plan.

Making Magic Massacre Massacre Girl

Counters in Standard

Hey MaRo,
Massacre Girl, Known Killer makes it so that -1/-1 counters and +1/+1 counters are appearing in a Standard set together for the first time. I thought this was always a bad design mistake to avoid. Why this change?

We’re experimenting with what we can do with cameo cards (aka cards with one-of an old mechanic). Massacre Girl is us trying something we haven’t done before to see the ramifications of doing so.

Mark Rosewater Massacre Massacre Girl Massacre Girl, Known Killer Mechanics Premier Sets Standard

New Massacre Girl

Hi Mark! I have to say I'm really pleasantly surprised by the new Massacre Girl. I thought that after you stated that the design team soured on -1/-1 counters we would've seen them only as extras like Spitting Dilophosaurus. I hope it will be included in your card by card article, I'm really curious to learn how it came to be.

It’s a short story. Someone designed it and it was a really cool design. We liked enough to decide to let it be a one-of. Our use of cameos has been changing a little what we’ll do at high rarities as a one-of.

Massacre Massacre Girl Spitting Dilophosaurus Story / Lore

Defining Modern Horror

Hey Mark, some people (myself included) seem a bit confused by the term “80’s/modern” horror, especially when Innistrad has already had references to that time period with Delver of Secrets/The Fly and Meathook Massacre/Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Can you be any more specific in regards to the media or tropes you’re taking inspiration from beyond the term “modern horror”? Thanks!

Imagine a set where those cards, creatively, are the norm, and not the exception.

From Beyond Horror Innistrad Massacre Modern

Massacre Misunderstanding

Based on the promo art for Murder at Karlov Manor, I would like to guess that Massacre Girl is the murderer. This is what cold readers call a "high probability guess."

“I don’t murder people. I massacre them. There’s a difference.”

Art Massacre Massacre Girl Promos

Innistrad Horror Inspiration

Did the last Innistrad sets having cards like Meathook Massacre (Based on Texas Chainsaw), Fleshtaker (Slashers in general), Heirleem Mirror (Based on Candyman), etc. going well add to/inspire the Duskmourn to be more modern horror?

It helped.

Fleshtaker Horror Innistrad Massacre Modern

Meathook Massacre Origin

Do you know if The Meathook Massacre was made legendary for game play or flavor reasons?

I don’t definitely know, but my guess is for mechanical reasons.

Flavor Game Play Massacre The Meathook Massacre

Opponent Tokens Request

Can I request more cards that give your opponents tokens? There's a lot you can do with them, like buffing them with Gahiji, dealing damage with Massacre Wurm, using red's temporary steal effects for a massive army, etc.

It’s a theme I’m sure we’ll return to one day.

Army Massacre Massacre Wurm Tokens Wurm

Commander Archetype Delays

Is there a reason certain highly desired or very clear archetypes don't get commanders built for them? For example, abzan lifegain is something a ton of people want and it's the perfect colors for it, yet we haven't seen a dedicated commander for it. Additionally there's mardu spellslinger that can combine the burn from boros with the drain from black. A personal desire of mine is to get a creature "force feed" commander to give opponents a bunch of tokens and hit em with massacre wurm. Jund pls

Two issues:
There are a lot of moving parts when making Commander decks (aka different needs that have to be addressed).
There are a lot of different Commanders players want.
We will eventually get to the ones that a lot of players are asking for, but it can take some time.

Abzan (W/B/G) Black Boros (R/W) Colors Commander Commander Decks Creatures Jund (B/R/G) Lifegain Mardu (R/W/B) Massacre Massacre Wurm Planeshift Tokens Wurm

Decision Behind Ban

Regarding today's article, it occurred to me that the white Mite Swarm strategy would be a *lot* weaker if Meathook Massacre were still legal. Was that a factor in the decision to ban it?

I don’t believe Mites played any role in that decision.

Bannings Massacre Mite White

Black's Life Dynamics

Why does Black get so much life gain if the downside of Black is that it has to pay life to access most of its effects? And by life gain I mean on cards that are already baseline great like Graveyard Trespasser or Meathook Massacre?

Black has life drain because it’s synergistic with its life payments. Note that life payments aren’t a drawback, but a means for black to have access to abilities it otherwise wouldn’t.

Black Lifegain Massacre The Graveyard

Unique Card Drawbacks Request

I ran out of text space. I meant cards like Forbidden Orchard in Massacre Girl, Nomad Stadium in Darien, or Sorrow's Path in Enrage decks. Drawbacks that are drawbacks in 99% of decks, but good on rare occasions because they are one of the few cards that do that thing some other card cares about. I'm asking for more weird, one of a kind drawbacks, including ones that are bafflingly awful until someone figures it out.

Players do like drawbacks you can turn into a positive with proper deck building, but usually a bit more of the time than 1%. What you’re asking for is mostly just cards with big downsides which are pretty unpopular. We make them on occasion, but not often.

Enrage Enrage Forbidden Orchard Massacre Massacre Girl Nomad Nomad Stadium Rares Sorrow's Path

Motown-Inspired Basic Lands

Is it true that we're going to get Motown-inspired basic lands? I'm looking forward to "The Mountain High Enough (To Keep Me From Getting To You)"

It’s not just basic lands. Streets of New Capenna has an entire Motown bonus sheet. Some other cards you’ll see - I Heard It Through the Grapevinelasher Kudzu, (My Walls and) Papa Were Rollin’ Stones, You Can’t Hurry Lovestruck Beast, My (Massacre) Girl, Dancing in the (Tin) Street (Market), and Tears of a Brown (Ouphe).

Beast Bonus Sheets Kudzu Lands Massacre Ouphe Streets of New Capenna Wall

Increasing Legendary Enchantments

Why aren't there more legendary Enchantments like The Meathook Massacre? Its by far my favorite card from this year; a slam dunk on flavor, mechanics and playability. I also really like the idea that a legendary Enchantments seems to show a specific event.

We could do more if people like them.

Enchantments Flavor Massacre Mechanics The Meathook Massacre

Meat Hook Massacre Reprint Impatience

Is it too soon to start asking for a reprint of meat hook massacre? Too quick?

Too soon. : )

Humor Massacre Reprints

Massacre Girl's Escalading Effect

Could Massacre Girl's escalading -1/-1 effect have been on a white card? It's very close to mass removal without expressly being so.

No.

Massacre White

Legendary Noncreature Enchantments

My question about The Meathook Massacre was more along the lines of "Does this mean R&D is open to the possibility of more legendary noncreature enchantments in the future?" Also why have there been so few of them? It feels so flavorful and it gets me so giddy everytime I see one .

Two issues:1) They’re hard to flavor.2) Most enchantment designs want you to be able to play multiples.

Enchantments Flavor Game Design Massacre Non-creatures The Meathook Massacre

Future of Legendary Enchantments

What does The Meathook Massacre mean for the future of legendary noncreature enchantments? Also shot out of the park on Midnight hunt, absolutely love the combat implications of decay.

I’m not sure what it did that changed how legendary enchantments work.I’m glad you enjoy decayed.

Decayed Enchantments Massacre Non-creatures The Meathook Massacre

M21 Set Card Teaser Hints

Now that all of M21 has been revealed, can you go through your teaser and tell us the card or cards each hint was?

The new core set has a lot of exciting new cards, including:
• A brand new planeswalker (from a plane we’ve visited) - Basri Ket (from Amonkhet)• A card that lets you draw half of your library. - Peer into the Abyss• A +1/+1 tribal lord for a creature type that’s never had one. (A creature type with over fifty cards already in print.) - Pack Leader• A character with a Vanguard card and a legendary creature card gets a second of the latter. - Barrin, Tolarian Archmage• A card with thirty-one different options. - Sublime Epiphany• A card that gains all activated abilities of a certain subset of cards in a place it’s never done it before. - Conspicuous Snoop• A card that uses a nonevergreen named ability over twenty years old. - Teferi, Master of Time (phasing)• A card with the words “battlefield”, “cast”, “creature”, “converted mana cost”, “end of turn”, “exile”, “graveyard” and “mana cost”. - Idol of Endurance• An aura inspired from a cycle from Urza’s Sagablock - Demonic Embrace• A nonevergreen enchantment subtype returns - Shrines with Sanctum of Tranquil Light and company Core 2021 also has a number of fun reprints, including:• A popular character first introduced in flavor text. - Ugin, the Spirit Dragon• A French Vanilla mythic rare. - Baneslayer Angel• A popular aura that started as part of a cycle. - Faith’s Fetters• A card with a unique protection. - Runed Halo• Two cards played in tournaments that have been reprinted over twenty times with at least five different pieces of art - Duress & Shock• A card that’s never previously appeared in a premier set. - Grim Tutor• A card that’s never been reprinted before which has a 2, 3, 5 and 6 all appear on the card. - Massacre Wurm• A Human Monk. - Azusa, Lost but Seeking• A card from the Time Spiraltimeshifted sheet. - Tormod’s Crypt

Amonkhet Angel Art Auras Azusa, Lost but Seeking Baneslayer Angel Barrin, Tolarian Archmage Basri Ket Card Printing Conspicuous Snoop Core Set 2021 Creatures Cycles Demonic Embrace Dragon Duress Enchantments Endurance Flavor Text France French Vanilla Grim Tutor Human Idol of Endurance Kindred / Typal Mana Mana Value Massacre Massacre Wurm Monk Mythic Rares Pack Leader Peer into the Abyss Phasing Planeswalkers Premier Sets Protection Rares Reprints Runed Halo Sanctum of Tranquil Light Spirit Sublime Epiphany Subtype Teasers Teferi, Master of Time The Abyss The Exile Zone The Graveyard The Library Tutoring Ugin, the Spirit Dragon Vanguard Vanilla Wurm