Questing Beast

Questing Beast Secret

So I heard a rumor about a new secret lair Questing Beast that in addition to not having a text box, also doesn’t have a visible name, mana cost, p/t, or art. Can you confirm or deny if that will be coming this year and if we should expect some other cards to get a similar treatment?

It doesn’t even have a card. It’s just a concept.

Art Beast Mana Questing Beast Secret Lairs

Creature Type Criteria

Why is kirin a creature type but not giraffe? And if giraffe ever becomes a creature type, would questing beast get errata to be one?

What does and doesn’t qualify as a creature type is a tricky issue. Go too narrow and you miss some charm. Go too broad and you eliminate a lot of typal possibilities. It’s kind of Vorthos vs. Mel.

Beast Creatures Errata Kindred / Typal Kirin Melvin / Mel Questing Beast Vorthos

Questing Beast Absence

Do you know why there wasn’t a card depicting Questing Beast in Wilds of Eldraine? Given how important it is in the setting, I kind of expected it to show up in some form.

Perhaps one day Magic will make a card out of Questing Beast. : )

Beast Humor Questing Beast Wilds of Eldraine

Camelot Subtlety Feedback

"A big part of the problem is Magic does knights all the time." I feel like another issue was that the Camelot stuff was just less obvious, especially when it's right next to the very obvious fairy tale themes. For example, Circle of Loyalty did not read as "oh, this is Magic's version of the Round Table". Sometimes it pays not to be too subtle.

I agree that Circle of Loyalty could be less subtle, but there were lots of less subtle Camelot-inspired cards in the set. For example, the Questing Beast is the same actual name it had in the Camelot stories, and most players had no idea it was Camelot-related, because again, most players knowledge of Camelot is shockingly low.

Beast Knight Questing Beast

Eldraine Source Material

I understand how lack of player knowledge on source material could be an issue (re: Eldraine), but isn’t part of the appeal of adapting said source material that players can experience it in a fresh way? Whether or not they knew it’s Arthurian origins, many players thought questing beast was neat.

A lot of Throne of Eldraine was Camelot-inspired. I believe close to half the set. That half didn’t do nearly as well in market research as the other half. A big part of the problem is Magic does knights all the time. It just doesn’t feel novel. Black Knight was pretty novel in Alpha.

Beast Black Black Knight Knight Questing Beast Throne of Eldraine

Designation for Legendary Names

I think there is an argument for putting “The” before some legendary names because it makes it clearer that something is legendary. For example, a lot of people missed that Questing Beast was legendary who wouldn’t have if it was called “The Questing Beast”.

There are pros and cons of using “The”. That’s a potential pro.

Beast Questing Beast

Concern about Removing Legendary Rule

Removing the legendary rule would terrorize every format even worse than removing the planeswalker restriction. Just think about the possibility of double Teferi, Time Raveler or Questing Beast, or more than one Sheoldred, Whispering One; any one of those cards can flip the table, but without legendary, there'd be a million of them. I'm just not sure what the benefits could be against that much brokenness. Considering all the strong legends lately, it needs to be more restrictive, not less.

My recommendation comes with a Unique mechanic that can be applied to the small number of cards that need the restriction. Note that the most played format right now is Comnander which is singleton. Adding more cards with legendary as a marker is mostly upside for Commander.

Beast Commander Legendary Creatures Mechanics Planeswalkers Questing Beast Rules Sheoldred, Whispering One Singleton Teferi, Time Raveler

Questing Beast's Creature Type

Was there a specific reason that Questing Beast wasn't a hydra?

Probably because the Questing Beast from Camelot lore wasn’t a hydra.

Beast Creatures Hydra Questing Beast Story / Lore

Legendary Creature Balance

Isn't making a creature legendary part of balance as well? Hence why questing beast is legendary but Robin hood (rover of the rich) isnt legendary? If you could have a army of emeraculs the game would be way too powerful

I would argue the strongest creatures in the game historically haven’t been legendary and you could play four of them.

Army Beast Creatures Questing Beast

Green Unpreventable Damage

Will unpreventable damage be a green thing as well as a red thing going forward, or was Questing Beast a one-off design?

Don’t take a single mythic rare as being precedent setting.

Beast Green Mythic Rares Questing Beast Red

Questing Beast Title

How come Questing Beast isn't THE Question Beast?

I think all the cards starting with The were the legendary artifacts of the courts or Rowan & Will.

Artifacts Beast Questing Beast

Questing Beast Origins

"Is the reason Questing Beast has three heads that it originally had the "complete three tasks" quest mechanic? Or is there some Arthurian legend with a three-headed beast that I don't know?I think it’s from the source material, but not sure." In Arthurian mythos a creature called the Questing Beast was the longtime quarry of King Pellinore and his kin, and was slain by Sir Palamedes. It is described as having the head of a snake, body of a leopard, haunches of a lion, and feet of a hart.

FYI

Beast Creatures Mechanics Questing Beast Snake

Questing Beast Heads

Is the reason Questing Beast has three heads that it originally had the "complete three tasks" quest mechanic? Or is there some Arthurian legend with a three-headed beast that I don't know?

I think it’s from the source material, but not sure.

Beast Mechanics Questing Beast

Green's Protection Effects

Are green’s hexproof pump spells still on the menu? Blossom and Vastwood are two of my favorite cards, and I was wondering if we might see the effect again, or alternatively indestructible? We need to be able to protect our creatures, and they made for interesting play patterns and bluffing. Also, nice job on green in Eldraine, lots powerhouse stuff, Questing Beast is so amazing.

Hexproof is still around.

Beast Creatures Green Hexproof Indestructible Questing Beast Spells

Questing Beast Praise

Out of all the designs from Eldaraine, Questing Beast is the last one I ever expected to see praise. I guess that really does show that you make magic for many different people, thanks for reminding us of that Mark.

Happy to do so.

Beast Questing Beast

Praise for Questing Beast

Questing Beast is a really cool card, I love how all of it’s abilities could be printed on a Red/White/Black creature and yet it’s still perfectly in-color for monoGreen. That’s so cool! Please high five those responsible.

Will do!

Beast Black Boros (R/W) Card Printing Colors Creatures High Fives Mardu (R/W/B) Orzhov (W/B) Questing Beast Red White

Questing Beast Origin

what is questing beast a refernce to? Or are there some cards that do not reference anything?

It’s an Arthurian reference.

Beast Questing Beast