Mind Rot

Common Mechanics Terminology

Is there a term R&D uses to describe cards like “bear with sets mechanic” or “mind rot with sets mechanic” or “cancel with sets mechanic” or the myriad of other examples of (blank) with sets mechanic? I’ve started keeping a list of cards that get the “with sets mechanic” treatment, and I’m curious if there’s a term for all the “root” cards.

“With set mechanic” is basically what we say.

Bear Cancel Game Design Mechanics Mind Rot Myriad

Possibility of Stupor Reprint

With all of the Mind Rot variants we've been getting over the past few years, could Stupor see a reprint in Standard?

We tend to not do low cost random discard nor purposely hit lands, so unlikely.

Discard Lands Mind Rot Reprints Standard Stupor

Tribute to Mind Rot

hey mark, we're currently in the first Standard environment not to include Mind Rot in 20 years, could you say a few kind words for its passing?

Mind Rot, no one denied a hand quote like you. : )

Humor Mind Rot Standard Tribute Your Hand

Absence of Mind Rot Card

I can't believe Mind Rot isn't in this set. It's actually over. You've truly killed Magic. 20 years and 4 months of uninterrupted Standard legality, now gone.

I enjoy that Standard can exist without any one (nonbasic land) card legal. I’m sure Mind Rot will return one day.

Lands Mind Rot Standard

Card with Most Artworks

I know this probably isn't your area of expertise, but do you know which magic card has the largest amount of different artworks between its various printings?

I believe the answer is Mountain. The basic lands are far in first and Mountain showed up in one set that the others didn’t (Arabian Nights). As for cards other than basic lands, I’m not sure. Stone Rain, Giant Growth, Mind Rot - something we’ve reprinted a lot.Does anyone know the non-Mountain answer?

Giant Giant Growth Lands Mind Rot Reprints Stone Rain

Black's Hand Viewing

Can black look at your hand if it isn't picking a particular card for you to discard from it? It would be an interesting bonus on your bread and butter discard spells like Mind Rot.

No, Black only looks when it’s going to do something to the hand it’s looking at.

Black Discard Mind Rot Spells Your Hand

Ashnod's Coupon Logic

Mark, I think some of these Ashnod's Coupon questions are forgetting that an illegal action cannot be completed. If you can't pay for the drink, you can't buy it, and the coupon does nothing. You aren't forced to concede. That's not how Magic works. Imagine if casting Mind Rot on someone with no cards in hand forced them to concede! The same rule applies here.

A good point.

Ashnod Mind Rot Rules Your Hand

Discard Versus Mill

Why not just use discard as the mill keyword? i.e. Mind Rot would read "target player discards two cards from his/her hand" while Tome Scour would read "target player discards the top five cards of his/her library"

Having one word mean two different things has caused problems in the past.

Discard Keywords Mill Mind Rot The Library Tome Scour Your Hand

Telepathy Effects Representation

Telepathy has long been one of my favourite sci-fi/fantasy tropes. In MtG, I see effects like it in blue and black, with cards like mind rot, unhinge, mind sculpt, reap intellect, and future sight. If it isn't a colour-pie flavour violation, or even if it is, in a telepathy-heavy plane, how would it show in the other colours?

Telepathy is Magic is represented by seeing the opponent’s hand. Mental attacks can be shown through milling (memory loss), discard (brain damage) and Extract-like spells (lobotomy).

Black Blue Colors Discard Flavor Future Sight Lobotomy Mill Mind Rot Mind Sculpt Reap Intellect Spells Unhinge Your Hand

Color Pie vs Discard

When people ask you which cards you dislike, why do you name color pie violators instead of discard spells? Sure, Hornet Sting may cause long-term damage to the game. But a well-timed Mind Rot can kill a dozen Maros.

Discard spells have a place in Magic. We have to be careful of their power level, but with the right handling they are a boon to the game. Color pie violators are bad for the game.

Color Pie Colors Discard Hornet Hornet Sting Mind Rot Power Level Spells

Two-for-One Commons

You mentioned that "Development doesn't like two-for-ones at common." Since you printed Divination/Mind Rot in M14, I'm assuming you mean only attached to creatures? Does this mean that things like Gravedigger are more likely to show up as uncommons going forward?

Yes, I did mean built onto creatures. And yes, Gravedigger has become an uncommon thing.

Card Printing Creatures Divination Gravedigger Mind Rot Uncommons

Card Templating Symmetry

Mind Rot and Divination are great foils to each other for a core set. Why isn't their templating more similar?

I keep trying to make the card draw targetted in the base set. I’m doing my part.

Card Draw Divination Foils Mind Rot Templating

Art Preference Impact

If you get a large amount of positive feedback about the art of a card, would it be possible to have that art be the new art for coreset reprints? For example, I'm loving the Return to Ravnica Mind Rot and Giant Growth art a LOT

It’s always good to give feedback. If enough players communicate they like a certain art, it helps its chances on being reused for a core set (although it by no way guarantees it).

Art Card Printing Giant Giant Growth Mind Rot Reprints Return to Ravnica