Oblivion Ring

Blue Mechanic Limits

Could blue phase a creature out and give that creature's controller a 1/1 that brings the phased out creature back when it dies? Or is that too close to an Oblivion Ring effect (though note the opponent gets the token in this case).

We stopped doing blue removing creatures and giving the opponent a creature token.That’s white now.

Blue Creatures Mechanics Oblivion Ring Tokens White

Mechanic Template Change

Maro, would you remind me again why WoTC moved away from Oblivion Ring effects (separate ETB/LTB triggers) in favor of Banishing Light style ones (a single trigger)? I was looking at the WOE card gallery and it struck me that Werefox Bodyguard would have been a neater trick if it had the old templating and since Skyclave Apparition was allowed to have it, I was wondering if the tool was still available or if the Skyclave (?)experiment(?) was badly received.

I assume it’s to avoid interactions where the item never returns.

Banishing Light Enter The Battlefield Mark Rosewater Mechanics Oblivion Ring Skyclave Apparition Templating Triggered Abilities Werefox Bodyguard Wilds of Eldraine Wizards of the Coast

Oblivion Ring Discussion

Will we see any old Oblivion Ring wording again? The fun of finding combos to permanently exile stuff was always great little subgame.

That little subframe forces us to raise the mana cost to account for it, which make the cards hard to use if you aren’t doing that. In other words, it was a play balance issue.

Game Balance Mana Oblivion Ring The Exile Zone

White's 'Stop Triggered Abilities' Card

white has gotten auras that stop activated abilities multiple times. it's very believable to see them getting a few that stop triggered abilities as well. they even gotten creatures that stop entering triggers and even one that stops exit triggers. seeing some kind of 'stops all triggered abilities' that isn't an exile effect seems like a logical option to one day do as it's in color and can be useful.

White can have creatures/enchantments with global effects. If we’re shutting everything down with an aura/global enchantment, we’re likely to just make it an Oblivion Ring style card.

Auras Colors Creatures Enchantments Oblivion Ring The Exile Zone Triggered Abilities White

White vs Black Creature Kill

How much worse is white supposed to be at open-ended creature killing than black? Would a colorshifted Murder need to be at four mana? Five? Higher?

White’s creature kill is usually more conditional or can be answered (with things like Pacifism or Oblivion Ring). Completely open-ended, can kill any creature, should be pretty expensive.

Black Creatures Mana Oblivion Ring Pacifism White

Red's Ability Limitations

With so much mechanical overlap between enchantments and artifacts, why is it still important that red is able to destroy one but not the other? It'd odd that monored can free its creatures from a Glass Casket but not an Oblivion Ring.

Colors have strengths and weaknesses is core to the color pie doing it’s job.

Artifacts Color Pie Colors Creatures Destroy Enchantments Glass Casket Oblivion Ring Red

Permanent Exile Lore

whats the lore wise explanation for permanent exile (as opposed to temporary exile such as oblivion ring or blink effects)

There are many different flavors used with it.

Oblivion Ring Story / Lore The Exile Zone

White Interaction with Planeswalkers

So white can deal direct damage to taped and attacking/blocking creatures What’ are whites ways for interaction with planeswalkers?

White has Oblivion Ring effects that can temporarily exile planeswalkers.

Attacking Blocking Creatures Oblivion Ring Planeswalkers The Exile Zone White

White's Unique Color Abilities

What are some of the things white is better at than any other color?

Off the top of my head: Rate on weenie creaturesRule setting Team pumping Mass creature destruction“Imprisoning” (Pacifisms and Oblivion Ring style effects)FlickeringSmall token makingProtection & indestructible grantingFirst strike/double strikeVigilance LifelinkRewards for having the most creaturesLife gain/Rewards for having the most lifeTutoring for enchantments, equipment or planeswalkersDamage prevention/damage redirection

Colors Creatures Double Strike Enchantments Equipment First Strike Indestructible Lifegain Lifelink Lifelink Oblivion Ring Planeswalkers Protection Rules Tokens Tutoring Vigilance Vigilance White

Black Color Question

Is black now secondary in Oubliette-style effects with phrasing replacing exile in oblivion ring effects? Or is this a one time thing?

A reprint of Oubliette, a card from 26 years ago, is not a precedent for anything.

Black Colors Oblivion Ring Oubliette Reprints Secondary The Exile Zone

Introducing White Instant Cards

If/When: a new White Instant with CMC 3 or less that exiles target creature in a Standard-legal set?

Big when. We do Oblivion Ring style cards at CMC 3 or less with regularity.

Creatures If/When Instants Mana Value Oblivion Ring White

Oblivion Ring Effect

If I cast oblivion ring on mutate creature, do I only get the top card, or the whole stack?

Whole stack. It’s one creature.

Creatures Mutate Oblivion Ring

Potential for White Gorgons

Could Gorgons be White, with 'destroy target attacking creature' effect or Oblivion Ring effects?

Neither of those matches the flavor of a Gogon.

Attacking Flavor Gorgon Oblivion Ring White

Angel of Serenity Bend

If the hypotetical "Oblivion ring" from my previous ask (which returns the permanent to it's owner's hand instead of returning it to the battlefield) is out of White's scope, is Angel of Serenity a bend?

It’s a bend.

Angel Angel of Serenity Bend / Break Oblivion Ring White Your Hand

White's Mechanic Limits

Can White get an Oblivion Ring that returns the permanent to it's owner's hand upon leaving the battlefield instead of returning it to the battlefield?

No, white doesn’t bounce opponent’s stuff.

Oblivion Ring White Your Hand

Reanimating Mechanics

"Auras have proven problematic as a means of reanimating. They’re wordy and have rules issues." I always thought you'd do a modern day Animate Dead as an Oblivion Ring-like effect rather than an aura.

Yes, we’d be more likely to do that.

Animate Dead Auras Modern Oblivion Ring Rules

Discard Mechanics in White

Is discard a bend or a break in White?

Making others discard would be a pretty big bend. Maybe an Oblivion Ring-style discard.

Bend / Break Discard Oblivion Ring White

White's Exile Abilities

Can we get an "Exile target non-land permanent" in white on something other than an Artifact or Enchantment? maybe something that gives the opponent something? I always liked that type of exchange from white, it felt more like white's ideal and I feel it would help balance white with the other colors more.

White can get Oblivion Ring a non-land permanent.

Artifacts Colors Enchantments Exchange Lands Oblivion Ring The Exile Zone White

White's Planeswalker Removal

Can white get planeswalker removal? I feel like there's a lot of room to explore it, and with the glut of powerful planeswalkers lately it seems like a good idea to help balance the game.

White can Oblivion Ring them (exile while on the battlefield).

Oblivion Ring Planeswalkers The Exile Zone White

White's Strengths

Hey Mark! Can you give us a few examples of things White does over other colors? Obviously has answers to nearly everything, but I mean like how blue has draw that its the best at, and green has ramp.

Things white is best at: (off the top of my head)- small creatures - Banisher Priest/Oblivion Ring- Pacifism/Arrest- life gain- reanimating/regrowing small creatures- mass creature removal- damage prevention/damage redirection - enchantment destruction- granting first strike/double strike - Flicker effects- rule setting enchantments- proactive answers - granting protection- regrowing/reanimating enchantments- taxing - token creation (specializing in small creatures)- granting vigilance

Banisher Priest Blue Colors Creatures Double Strike Enchantments First Strike Green Lifegain Oblivion Ring Pacifism Protection Rules Tokens Vigilance White