Splice

Meld Mechanic Discussion

Earlier someone mentioned Melded nonpermanent spells. Doesn’t Splice play into that design space?

The concept of meld is two cards coming together to make a bigger card. We have mechanics that adapt spells on the stack.

Adapt Design Space Mechanics Meld Non-permanents Spells Splice The Stack

Splice Mechanic Future

If/when splice onto something other than arcane (for example "splice onto merfolk" or "splice onto chandra")

There are three cards with “splice onto instant or sorcery”.

If/When Instants Mechanics Merfolk Sorceries Splice

Cipher Design Space

If/When - Cipher (supplemental sets) I saw Cipher is a "Storm Scale 9" in an article from 2016. Could that be improved (especially in a supplemental product) by simply not restricting it to U/B? I could definitely see a Flame Jab variant, a Bolt variant, a Rampant Growth variant, and several others that would be sort of a "Build your own Titan" style cycle. Heck, I'd love to see an *Arcane* Cipher, so you can splice it :)

Cipher has a very small design space. Obviously, opening it to other colors gets you some more designs, but even with that it’s limited.

Cipher Colors Design Space Dimir (U/B) Flame Jab If/When Limited Rampant Growth Splice Storm Scale

Adding Subtypes Mechanics

I just found out that there's a rule that prevents you from adding enchantment types to non-enchantment permanent, and so on for other subtypes. As such... If/When: Something that lets you choose a subtype to add to a spell or permanent. (I want to splice onto an arcane buyback spell.)

That’s what tribal, the card type, does. There are no plans to replicate it in a new card type.

Buyback Card Types Enchantments If/When Kindred / Typal Mechanics Replicate Rules Splice Subtype

Future Arcane Synergy

If/When: A new card that cares about the Arcane subtyping (not necessarily in relation to the Splice mechanic, but just as a subtype in general)

My gut is when.

If/When Mechanics Splice Subtype

Mechanic Skepticism

Do you think we could see "Splice onto Instant or Sorcery" in a premier set?

Call me skeptical.

Instants Mechanics Premier Sets Sorceries Splice

Arcane's Future Use

Where abouts does Arcane sit on the storm scale? (Not sure that’s the correct scale as it’s a sub-type with a thing)!
And do you think one day we will see more of them?

Arcane as part of splice onto arcane - 9Arcane as a subtype on instants and sorceries that interacts in a new way - 7

Instants Sorceries Splice Storm Scale Subtype

Splice Mechanic Possibilities

Can you splice into things other than arcane

The rules can handle it. Modern Horizons had two cards with splice onto instant or sorcery.

Instants Mechanics Modern Horizons Rules Sorceries Splice

Splice Over Arcane

Personally, I'm more interested in splice than arcane.

Arcane is just a marker, so it doesn’t inherently have anything interesting about it. It could go cool things, but it depends in the cards that reference it. We’ve tried to bring splice back, but it has a lot of repetition of play issues. Maybe one day we’ll crack it, but it’s got a lot of challenges.

Splice

Arcane Mechanic's Future

Do you think Arcane would only return in a Kamigawa set, or would it be possible for it to be visited in a different plane, such as Arcavios or Vyrn?

If it returns, it will be in a set where the subtype mechanically matters. As I’m skeptical that thing will be splice onto arcane, it needn’t necessarily be on Kamigawa.

Splice Subtype

Arcane and Splice Return

When you say you've talked about bringing back arcane, does that also imply the return of splice? Or is it the context of other mechanics that care about an instant/sorcery subtype?

I believe Arcane will mostly likely return as a spell subtype, with some new mechanical synergy, and not alongside splice.

Instants Mechanics Sorceries Splice Subtype

Splice Mechanic Usage

When you last tried Splice, do you consider another card type to too(like Arcane but not Arcane?) to limit its abuse?

We tried splice onto instant for Izzet in Guilds of Ravnica. EDIT: I forgot Modern Horizons 1 made some.

Card Types Guilds of Ravnica Instants Izzet (U/R) Mechanics Modern Horizons Splice

Splice Ability Feedback

What do you think about creatures having the "Splice onto Instant or Sorcery" ability?

It was the Izzet mechanic for a short time in Guilds of Ravnica. It has repetition of play issues.

Creatures Guilds of Ravnica Instants Izzet (U/R) Mechanics Sorceries Splice

Request for Arcane Spells

Hey Mark!May I request more arcane spells with splice onto arcane on supplemental products? I just made a Hinata Commander using almost all arcanes + cost reducers and it's a blast to play. I actually like the parasitic aspect of them, makes the deckbuilding more fun.

There’s not a lot of love for splice onto Arcane in R&D. We do look for places to use the Arcane subtype in a different mechanical context.

Commander Parasitic Spells Splice Subtype

Reconfigure Naming Consideration

Hi Mark! Loving Kamigawa spoiler season so far. Question...was "Splice onto creature" ever considered as the name for Reconfigure?

No, as that isn’t what it does.

Creatures Reconfigure Splice Spoilers

Negative Mana Cost in Splice Onto

While a negative mana value doesn't make sense in the rules, a negative mana cost could. However, it wouldn't add mana or do anything by itself. It'd just mean the discount is applied when the cost of the spell is raised (like with Thalia, Guardian of Thraben). It's just not really worth it. The most possibly grokkable situation would be on an Arcane spell, as the discount would apply to being spliced onto.

There bigger problem in the rules is there are cards that have effects based on a card’s mana value. What, for example, does draw -2 cards mean or how does a -2/-2 creature token function.

Creatures Mana Mana Value Rules Splice Thalia, Guardian of Thraben Tokens

Spell Return Color Identification

"What color would "return target spell you control to its owners hand" be in?
Blue. I’m not sure the value of it. Do you mean “the next spell you cast goes to your hand instead of the graveyard”? Kind of a splice buyback?"
I was thinking more like a Whiteman Lion but for a spell I control on the stack.

Definitely blue, probably on a creature with flash.

Blue Buyback Colors Creatures Flash Splice The Graveyard The Stack Your Hand

Spell Return Mechanism Color

Hi Mark,What color would "return target spell you control to its owners hand" be in?

Blue. I’m not sure the value of it. Do you mean “the next spell you cast goes to your hand instead of the graveyard”? Kind of a splice buyback?

Blue Buyback Colors Splice The Graveyard Your Hand

Kamigawa's Future Keyword Mechanics

Now that Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty has been announced, where would you put all the original block's keyword mechanics on the Storm Scale for this set? Those mechanics being: Bushido, Soulshift, Splice, Ninjutsu (My Favorite), Offering, Channel, Sweep, and Epic.

I’m not saying nothing is returning, but be aware that the greatest weakness of original Kamigawa was it’s mechanical components. As I’ve talked about on this blog many times (reinforced from feedback from many of you), a return is not leaning heavily on the named keywords/ability words of the original visit.

Ability Words Blogatog / Tumblr Bushido Epic Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty Keywords Mechanics Ninjutsu Offering Soulshift Splice Storm Scale Sweep

Transmute or Splice Return

Hello Mark, when or if is more likely to return to a set; Transmute or Splice onto Instant or Sorcery?

Splice. We’ve really stopped doing tutoring mechanics. It just rested too much repetition of play.

Instants Mechanics Sorceries Splice Transmute Tutoring