Nearby Planet

Rangeling Ability on Planar Nexus

I know you said Nearby Planet is acorn because of power level and Planar Nexus is a fixed version of the effect. Let’s say you were to try and design a card with Nearby Planet’s effect for constructed, maybe give it a much more steep drawback or whatever, would you still call its ability rangeling? Or is rangeling (and other silver border mechanics) silver border only?

Nearby Acorn is silver border more because of rules, than power level.

Constructed Mechanics Nearby Planet Planar Nexus Power Level Rules Un-Magic / Silver Border / Acorn Un-sets

Planar Nexus vs Nearby Planet

Hi Mark! So excited for what’s coming in MH3! I did notice something odd when I saw Planar Nexus spoiled for one the Commander precons. What makes Planar Nexus black border but Nearby Planet Acorn/Silver border? Don’t they cover similar areas of play?

Believe it or not, the land being basic land types was what kept it acorn.

Black Border Commander Lands Modern Horizons 3 Nearby Planet Planar Nexus Un-Magic / Silver Border / Acorn Un-sets

Nearby Planet and Planar Nexus

Very fun to see Nearby Planet get put into non-acorn with Planar Nexus!

It had to lose basic lands, but yes, I enjoy seeing it.

Lands Nearby Planet Planar Nexus

Existence of Nearby Planet

With Planar Nexus being spoiled/released in MH3, will Nearby Planet be removed from the acorn list?

The basic land part was the thing that made it acorn.

Lands Modern Horizons 3 Nearby Planet Planar Nexus Un-Magic / Silver Border / Acorn Un-sets

Nearby Planet Acorn Reason

Why is Nearby Planet acorn? Seems like it works fine, rules-wise.

It technically does not. I believe if you remove the basic land types, the rules could be tweaked to work, but a) we needed the basic lands for the limited functionality (it was a big part of our color access in common), and b) we were worried it might impact Legacy in a way we didn’t have time to test.

Colors Lands Legacy Limited Nearby Planet Rules Un-Magic / Silver Border / Acorn Un-sets

Nearby Planet Possibility

Could something analogous to Nearby Planet be printed in black border?

Interestingly the trouble spot is the basic land types.

Black Border Card Printing Lands Nearby Planet

Rangeling and Urza-tron

I thought the concern of Rangeling in black border was instant Urza-tron?

You still need the actual pieces to the Urza-tron. Nearby Planet doesn’t tap for 7.

Black Border Instants Nearby Planet Tap / Untap

Eternal Cards Caution

Hi Mark, I have a follow up question for your recent response about Nearby Planet and how the design team was hesitant to print a card that would disrupt legacy and vintage. Why is that? I was under the assumption that direct to eternal product can be pushed harder because those formats can handle it but it seems like that might not be the case, I’m curious why that is. Aren’t shake ups in old formats fun? Lot of legacy players I know really loved the Modern Horizons sets and their big impact.

The decision to make many of the cards eternal came late, so we were more cautious than normal.

Card Printing Eternal Legacy Modern Horizons Nearby Planet Vintage

Consideration of Bans

I saw the making magic article and seeing the “Nearby Planet” sectionIf you guys were scared of it in legacy and vintage couldn't it get a instant ban it like you guys did with memory jar in 1999?

When I suggested making some of the cards eternal, I was told I could do it as long as I didn’t print anything that would greatly disrupt Legacy/Vintage, so when there was worry, I erred on the side of caution.

Bannings Card Printing Eternal Instants Legacy Making Magic Memory Jar Nearby Planet Vintage

Rangeling Rules Discussion

I would like to request that you find a way to make Rangeling actually work in the rules so it can be put on a eternal legal card (even if it needs a heftier drawback than Nearby Planet for balance) and, when you do, additionally make it Snow just so all the bases are covered. Also, what was the nuance that didn't make it work in the rules?

I’m going to have Jess on my podcast, and we’re going to talk through the issues. Jess does believe the rules can be worked out. We kept it acorn because one of my instructions was not to make anything that would be too disruptive to Legacy/Vintage, and Carmen felt there was a chance it would be.

Drive to Work Eternal Legacy Nearby Planet Rules Un-Magic / Silver Border / Acorn Un-sets Vintage

Enjoying Unfinity Gameplay

Just wanted to express how much fun Unfinity was. My personal highlight was having Urza’s Fun House on the field, visiting Gallery of Legends and creating a token of Golos, allowing me to tutor for Nearby Planet. Then I used Standard Procedure and named Light Up The Night to hit my opponent for infinite damage. I was giddy for the rest of the night and all my friends have a similar moment for themselves. Y’all knocked this out of the park.

Happy you enjoyed it so much.

Gallery of Legends Game Play Legendary Creatures Light Up the Night Nearby Planet Standard Standard Procedure Tokens Tutoring Urza's Fun House

Urza's Infinite Mana

I have a question about Urza's Fun House. To activate the infinite mana ability it says you must control an Urza's Mine, Urza's Power Plant, and Urza's Tower. Does this specifically mean the three lands with those names, or do they reference land types so that Nearby Planet counts as having all three for the purposes of activating the ability?

Nearby Planet will get the job done.

Activate Lands Mana Nearby Planet Plant Urza's Fun House Urza's Mine Urza's Power Plant Urza's Tower

Nearby Planet Acorn Status

Don't know if this was asked already, but what is it about Nearby Planet that makes it an acorn card? In theory, Rangeling would work in black border. Is power level the only thing making it acorn? I'd imagine a card with all land types needing more that enters tapped and "pay or sac" to be balanced.

The card technically doesn’t work in the rules. Jess (Dunks, the Rules Manager) thought he could probably make it work, but Carmen (Handy, from the play design team) was concerned enough about the impact on Legacy/Vintage that we made it acorn and Jess never did the work to see if he could fix the rules.

Black Border Lands Legacy Nearby Planet Play Design Power Level Rules Rules Manager Un-Magic / Silver Border / Acorn Un-sets Vintage

Nearby Planet Conundrum

What makes Nearby Planet acorn? Other than some funny phrasing in the reminder text, it's just changeling for lands.

It actually doesn’t work in the rules, but Jess (Dunks, the Rules Manager) admitted that he could probably fix it. The larger issue was twofold. There was concern that it might impact Legacy/Vintage and/or restrict what land subtypes we could make in the future. Our strategy with Legacy affecting cards was to be extra cautious.Also, it was our common mana fixing, so properly costing it would have resulted in major changes to the file that I’m not sure we could have accommodated. Remember the eternalizing of the set happened late in set design.

Changeling Humor Lands Legacy Mana Fixing Nearby Planet Rules Rules Manager Set Design Subtype Un-Magic / Silver Border / Acorn Un-sets Vintage

Snow Supertype Clarification

Does Nearby Planet count as snow?

No, Snow is a sueprtype and not a land subtype.

Lands Nearby Planet Subtype Supertype

Playtest Cards Exclusion

For Nearby Planet, which has every land type in the game, do we get to count Cloud from the Barry's Land playtest card? Or does silver border land not get to look into playtest card land?

Playtest cards are not official cards, so they don’t apply when looking for things like land subtypes.

Barry's Land Lands Nearby Planet Playtesting Subtype Un-Magic / Silver Border / Acorn Un-sets