Momentary Blink

Blink and Buff Effects

I think you misunderstood ccgnick's question. To rephrase for them: I have a creature and Staying Power in play. I cast Giant Growth on it, which resolves. I then cast Momentary Blink on it. After Blink resolves, does the creature still have the +3/+3 from the Giant Growth?

No, it’s considered a new permanent that starts off fresh.

Cast Creatures Giant Giant Growth Momentary Blink Staying Power

Blink vs Flicker

Maybe the historian in you should prefer "blink" because Momentary Blink was the card that people started using in their decks and Flicker was just another junk rare

But Flicker was the first card to do the effect. Millstone isn’t the all time best milling card but it was first.

Junk Mill Millstone Momentary Blink Rares

Flicker Effects Popularity

Did the popularity of Momentary Blink and the deck archetype built around it contribute to flicker effects becoming more commonplace in modern Magic?

Either that or the fact that the Head Designer loves flickering effects and puts them in designs constantly.

Head Designer Modern Momentary Blink

Flicker and Blink

Speaking of flicker, did it ever cross anyone's desk to make flicker and blink be representations of the two varieties of flicker? Flicker would have been the flickerwisp variety, and blink could have been the momentary blink variety. I have always wished it was like that, but the phrase blink has only been used on a card just the once to my knowledge.

We just call them flicker and fast flicker. Having two different words for almost the same effect just causes confusion.

Flickerwisp Momentary Blink

Momentary Blink Suggestion

In retrospect, would it not have been cool for Momentary Blink to have been a lone flashback card in AVR?

Maybe the set should have flashback but a single flashback card is bad design (in my opinion).

Flashback Momentary Blink

Flashback in Avacyn Restored

If Flashback had been in Avacyn Restored, would Momentary Blink have been in the file?

Most likely. We talked about it when flashback was in the file.

Avacyn Restored Flashback Momentary Blink

Reprinting Considerations

Did you guys ever consider reprinting Momentary Blink in Innistrad instead of printing Feeling of Dread to work with Avacyn Restored's Flicker theme?

We talked about it but as the sets didn’t overlap in limited we felt it wasn’t necessary. Also we were careful with flickering with double-faced cards.

Avacyn Restored Card Printing Feeling of Dread Innistrad Limited Momentary Blink Reprints

Lingo Origins

I think the reason players outside of R&D often use "blink" instead of "flicker" is that Momentary Blink was the first tournament playable version of that effect, making it stand out more in people's minds. In my case, for example, Flicker is just an old, forgettable rare to me, whereas Momentary Blink was a format staple and thus much more memorable. I wonder if future players would call it "restore" or something like that due to a certain angel dominating Standard right now. :P

I try to use this blog to explain what lingo R&D (and thus Wizards in writing) uses. I’m a bit of a traditionalist when it comes to Magic lingo so I like the throwback to the original personally.

Angel Blogatog / Tumblr Game Design Momentary Blink Rares Standard

Creature Venser Redesign

If you remade Creature Venser would it have had a blink effect instead of a bounce effect?

Sure, if I had Venser (the legendary creature) to design again, I’d be tempted to give him a flicker ability. (Note that R&D terminology for the effect is flicker, the first card to have the ability, in Urza’s Destiny, not blink, which I assume comes Momentary Blink.)

Creatures Momentary Blink Urza

Momentary Blink Discussion

I've been looking at the flicker effects in AVR and it gave me fond memories of one of my favourite cards from Time Spiral - Momentary Blink. Was there a point when Momentary Blink was in consideration for AVR or one of the other two sets of the block? If so, why didn't it get printed?

We talked about it. The problem was that the set about flickering and the sets with flashback didn’t overlap.

Card Printing Flashback Momentary Blink Time Spiral

Magic Set One-Ofs

Why aren't there more one-ofs in Magic sets? For example, Momentary Blink in AVR as the only card with flashback, or adding Tribal Angel/Demon Instants & Soceries into AVR, even though there aren't any in INN or DKA?

There are numerous reasons, but #1 is New World Order which requires us to bunch our mechanics to help lessen complexity.

Angel Demon Flashback Instants Kindred / Typal Mechanics Momentary Blink

Flashback and Flicker

MaRo, When you began AVR, and flashback was in the set, was flicker in the picture yet? If so, were you planning on using momentary blink? When i saw that you had flicker effects and almost had flashback in AVR, I suspected as much.

If flashback had stayed in Avacyn Restored I would have tried hard to get Momentary Blink in. The two never overlapped I believe so I don’t think Momentaryu Blink was ever in an Avacyn Restored file.

Avacyn Restored Flashback Mark Rosewater Momentary Blink

Momentary Blink Discussion

Momentary Blink was on many a reprint wishlist when Innistrad was revealed to have Flashback. With Avacyn Restored having such a huge flickering theme, was Blink ever considered in Innistrad/Dark Ascension? If so, why didn't it make it to print?

We talked about it multiple times. Innistrad even had a white flashback spell that had a blue flashback cost, but it just didn’t fit the set all that well. Avacyn Restored having a flickering theme (which wasn’t set in stone at the time) wasn’t reason enough to put it into Innistrad.

Avacyn Restored Blue Card Printing Dark Ascension Flashback Innistrad Momentary Blink Reprints White

Flicker and DFC

I thought flicker have a lot of troubles with DFC. Why it is a mayor theme in AvR? I know that those are not the same block but you have no excuses now to do not reprint Momentary blink...

Except that Momentary Blink has flashback and Avacyn Restored has no flashback cards.

Avacyn Restored Card Printing Dual Faced Cards Flashback Momentary Blink Reprints

Flickering Theme

Clearly flickering is a big theme for Avacyn Restored. Fun! Momentary blink reprinted? Yes? No?

No flashback in Avacyn Restored.

Avacyn Restored Card Printing Flashback Momentary Blink Reprints

Momentary Blink Decision

Being such a fan of "flickering", did you try to reprint Momentary Blink for the Feeling of Dread's slot?

We considered it but flickering worked awkwardly with the double-faced cards so it didn’t make it into the set.

Card Printing Feeling of Dread Momentary Blink Reprints