Sedge Troll

Birthday Trivia Request

I invoke the right of birthday trivia! (Also congrats on 20 years as head designer) Can you tell me anything about the card "grey ogres"? Failing that, how about trivia on orcs and/or ogres in magic in general?

Grey Ogre has an interesting distinction. It’s a card in Alpha with three other cards that are “strictly better”: Granite Gargoyle, Sedge Troll, and Uthden Troll.Happy Birthday!

Appreciation Birthday Gargoyle Granite Gargoyle Head Designer Ogre Orc Power Level Rat Sedge Troll Troll Uthden Troll

Off-Color Bonus Cards

Can you do a podcast or article about cards with off-color bonuses (Sedge Troll, Cliffrunner Behemoth, Ancient Grudge, etc.)? Like, what role do they serve? How do designers use them? What do they do different from traditional gold? How are they counted in the design skeleton?

That’s a good topic. Thanks. I’ll add it to the short list.

Ancient Grudge Cliffrunner Behemoth Drive to Work Sedge Troll Skeleton The short list Troll

Card Design Evolution

I may be misremembering, but it seems like in Magic's earlier days, there was a tendency not to print a card that was a strictly better version of another card in the same set. Lately, this happens pretty routinely, especially with removal (e.g., Price of Fame >> Deadly Visit in GRN). Has there been a philosophical shift on this and what were the reasons for the change? I get the need to limit premium removal in limited, but it seems like a deeper philosophical change.

Alpha Common: Grey Ogre 2R 2/2 Uncommon: Uthden Troll 2R 2/2 R: Regenerate Rare: Grey Gargoyle 2R 2/2 Flying R: +0/+1 ueot
&
Sedge Troll 2R 2/2 +1/+1 if swamp, B: Regenerate

Alpha Card Printing Deadly Visit Flying Gargoyle Limited Ogre Power Level Price of Fame Rares Regenerate Sedge Troll Troll Uncommons Uthden Troll

The Reserve List Boundaries

Sedge Troll and Crimson Muckwader are VERRY similar and I'm wondering what kind of line separates The Reserve List from printing 'too similar' cards. I see that the regenerate cost was greatly increased Is that the reason Sedge Troll is reserved? The cost of regenerate is too low for a card so aggressive in multi-color?

The issue is there are differences - 2/1 vs. 2/2 and 2B vs. B to regenerate. We can’t do exact versions but we are allowed to play in similar space.

Card Printing Colors Crimson Muckwader Regenerate Sedge Troll Troll

Alpha Creature Abilities

Do you think there's a reason why red was the only color to receive a kird ape/sedge troll in Alpha? To put it another way, is this an ability (a creature getting better because you have an allied basic land in play) that should be in red's color pie?

No, Richard just thought it was a cool individual card.

Alpha Ape Color Pie Colors Creatures Kird Ape Lands Red Sedge Troll Troll

Rarity vs. Power

"Rarity isn’t really about power." Your words. My response: Baneslayer Angel. Rarity has been more and more about power since the day Mythic Rare was invented.

I think you need to take a look at Alpha. Common - Grey Ogre 2R 2/2 Uncommon - Uthden Troll 2R 2/2 R: Regenerate Rare - Sedge Troll 2R 2/2 +1/+1 if you control a swamp, B: Regenerate Common - Hill Giant 3R 3/3 Uncommon - Roc of Kher Ridges 3R 3/3 Flying Common - Mons’s Goblin Raiders R 1/1 Uncommon - Goblin Baloon Brigade R 1/1 R: Gains flying The reality is that we’ve gotten a lot better over the years of not defining power by rarity. Yes, there are exceptions but you won’t see a modern set that has four strictly betters based on rarity in one color like I listed above.

Alpha Angel Baneslayer Angel Colors Flying Giant Goblin Hill Giant Modern Mythic Rares Ogre Rarity Regenerate Roc of Kher Ridges Sedge Troll Troll Uncommons Uthden Troll

Portions of Marodigest are unofficial Fan Content permitted under the Wizards of the Coast Fan Content Policy. The literal and graphical information presented on this site about Magic: The Gathering, including card images and mana symbols, is copyright Wizards of the Coast, LLC. Marodigest is not produced by or endorsed by Wizards of the Coast. All other content © 2024 Webscape Internet Engineers. All rights reserved.