Shivan Meteor

Trivia on Number 13

Hi Mark! It was my Birthday on the 13th, and I would like to ask for some trivia on the number 13 in Magic, not involving Innistrad. Thank you!

Shivan Meteor, from Planar Chaos, was the first Magic card with 13 in its rules text. We just wanted what felt like a large number and the number 13 felt fun.Happy Belated Birthday!

Appreciation Birthday Innistrad Planar Chaos Rules Shivan Meteor

Star of Extinction Query

Speaking of star of extinction, isn't it a color pie break? I thought Red wasn't supposed to get Shivan meteor-levels of damage based removal anymore. (because killing fatties is supposed to be hard for red)

Red can get it if it pays for it. For example, red can kill a high toughness creature with an X spell. We decided that seven mama was enough mana.

Color Pie Colors Creatures Mana Red Shivan Meteor Star of Extinction

Design Space for 13

I really adore cards that deal with the number 13 (Tragic Slip, Archive Trap, Blasphemous Act, Shivan Meteor, etc). Is there still design space for them, or has it been dried up?

There’s a little but not tons. Note that it was a theme we did because of the horror theme of Innistrad.

Archive Trap Blasphemous Act Design Space Horror Innistrad Shivan Meteor Tragic Slip

The '13' Issue

Currently, there seems to be a "13" issue, we can discount Shivan Meteor (it doesn't apply to the "real" multiverse), but do you think the "13" cards are a design mistake entirely, or just a few that bend/break colour-pie?

I was talking only about one red card not all “13” cards.

Bend / Break Colors Red Shivan Meteor

Past vs Present Design

I was going to point out that red has gotten 13 damage before on Shivan Meteor. Then I remembered that Shivan Meteor was from Planar Chaos and so it's probably not the best example to use, is it?

Also remember there are things we used to do, we no longer do, so the past isn’t always precedent.

Planar Chaos Red Shivan Meteor

Innistrad's 13 Theme

Was the 13 theme in Innistrad inspired at all by Shivan Meteor?

No.

Innistrad Shivan Meteor

Card Interaction Logic

Can you explain to me magic logic? Here is an example of what i mean. Creepy doll and Shivan meteor. This huge gigantic meteor hits this little tiny doll and the doll brushes it off like its nothing. but if the doll is walking through a cemetery and falls in a little tiny hole (tragic slip) it dies. I understand the rules but i mean this is ridiculous.

It is impossible to make 15,000+ cards and have every card interact flavorfully with every other. Cards have to work in a general sense flavorfully but not every card is going to make sense with every card. R&D refers to this as the “ooze wears boots” problem.

Creepy Doll Ooze Rules Shivan Meteor Tragic Slip

Shivan Meteor Damage Roots

Was the thirteen damage of Shivan Meteor chosen sort-of arbitrarily, or does it have the same reasoning as the Innistrad cards that mention the Unlucky Number?

When we designed Shivan Meteor (in Time Spiral) we were just trying to give it a wacky number and 13 felt wacky. In Innistrad, our use of 13 was much more directed as we liked the flavor and mood of the number.

Flavor Innistrad Shivan Meteor Time Spiral

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