Standard

Inquiry into Bloomburrow

I went to prerelease this weekend and greatly enjoyed the new set.

What I want to know is: Was Bloomburrow part of an elaborate scheme on your part to get Squirrels back in Standard?

No comment.

Bloomburrow Prerelease Sealed Format Squirrels Standard

Broader Narrative in Block Sets

I seem to always find lots and lots of discourse about block sets. Two sides of the same argument every time.
Side 1 says something like:"I hate all these random sets, I miss block sets."
To which, Side 2 says; "Well block sets never sold as well at the end, players attention span's are better suited for one and done blocks."
My problem with this response is that it essentially ignores the initial statement. Rather than clarifying what they mean, they assume and answer.
Personally, I miss block sets, but ONLY from a story perspective.
Basically, do sets exactly the same as you're doing now. Draft is better now than blocks were, standard with Foundations sounds fantastic. The only thing I'd like to see is a set of setup, and a set of payoff.
MKM was a set based on a murder mystery with the big twist ending basically included in the release, as an example. It could've benefitted from a real, but delayed, payoff. Set up the consequences for each suspect, then reveal and give different consequences that were hinted at in other ways. Bam. Improved.
The last time we visited New Phyrexia, it was a block, I remember ubiquitous speculation over how the story would wrap up. There were factions events at local game stores, branded posters and packs for the factions at play, etc. I had a friend get the New Phyrexian emblem tattooed on themselves. The story felt *Important* and so much less divorced from magic than it does today.
Usually, in my experience, when someone asks for blocks, they're asking for the story to matter. There are lots of mechanically interesting card games out there, and mechanics are only part of what makes magic, magic!
All I would ask is that writers get the opportunity to do setups and payoffs with magic's evolving story with multiple sers, and that story related sets have *some* play synergies. They don't need to share mechanical themes just to share story themes, but it would be a nice little florish if they had mechanical synchronisets,
Hell, a REALLY good idea (in my opinion) would be to do these sets in a different order than the old method. Modern fantasy novels swap POV characters and follow different stories. Why not set up multiple stories in a row, then start to alternate resolving an older, established plot line, and then starting a new one or swapping to another established one. This really gives players time to get interested and speculate (and making the story FEEL present will likely also boost novels and comics numbers, etc., if you need a monetary reasoning.)
What do you think Mark?

We already do a lot of what you’re asking. Each Magic “year” does have a larger connected story, often with different POV characters.

Draft Formats Emblems Factions Foundations Game Stores Mechanics Modern Murders at Karlov Manor New Phyrexia Phyrexians Plot Pop Culture Standard Story / Lore Suspect

On Kamigawa Block's Poor Rating

I've always heard you say that Kamigawa block rated poorly in market research. I don't doubt that the numbers were down, but I wonder if that's really a statement on the block itself or if it was just Kamigawa paying for the sins of Affinity. First, Standard with Affinity was miserable and drove people away from the game. Second, those who didn't quit the game still had lower confidence in WotC due to so many overpowered Mirrodin cards needing bans. Finally, Kamigawa itself had lots of niche or just underpowered cards that couldn't hang in Standard with the rest of the Mirrodin. Any of these would have made a huge impact on the success of Kamigawa block, let alone all three. Did market research at the time account for these external factors?

Yes.

Affinity Mirrodin Power Level Standard Wizards of the Coast

Pinger Creatures in Standard

Re: Coruscation Mage: I thought you said R&D don't like pingers in standard?

Pingers that hit creatures. The issue is combat complexity. Hitting the opponent (mostly) doesn’t change combat math.

Creatures Game Design Pingers Standard Coruscation Mage

Vocabulary Differences between Designers and Players

I think the issue on the power creep discussion is that you're using vocab from a game designer pov. Whereas players are talking about a practical pov. Overall power level might not increase when we look at eash standard release. But it obviously impacts eternal formats much diffrently. In those formats, the ebb and flow of power level from each standard release makes the top end in each release last forever. Because there are more realeases, obsolecense is becomming a real issue.

I’m not trying to ignore the larger issue being discussed. The choice to make sets that are designed for higher power level formats increases the influx of relevant cards for the format which speeds up the format churn. That churn is a real issue, and I’m happy to talk about things that can and can’t be done to address it. (For example, the data shows that’s it’s a polarizing issue - some enjoy the churn, so it’s a complex issue.)As this is my blog to discuss design issues, I’m using designer language and am going to refer to the problem as “format churn” and “relevant card influx” as those are the actual issues at hand. External to my blog, players can refer to things as whatever they like. Call TDFCs “flip cards”. On this blog, that causes confusion, so I’m calling them TDFCs.Design blog -> designer language.

Blogatog / Tumblr Eternal Flip Cards Power Level Standard Your Hand

Simic archetype inspiration

Omg mark I just realized that the reason the simic archetype for bloomburrow is bounce is because it’s FROGS AND THEY JUMP!!! THATS SO SICK!!! As much as I love turtles, they probably would have been focused on +1/+1 counters, and I’d much rather have this archetype that’s radically different from the “standard issue” simic theme. Plus frogs are also cool as heck. High fives all around!

High fives to be delivered.

Bloomburrow Frogs High Fives Simic (G/U) Standard Turtles

Reprinting Old Sets

The next set to go to the printers has mysteriously dissapeared. The file, the art assets, everything. Wizards has decided to reprint an old set in its entirety to replace the missing set and it will be standard legal - the call is yours to make. Which old set has another go at standard legality?

Something has gone horribly wrong if the call is mine to make. Also, we’ve promised to not straight reprint old sets. I assume, if we absolutely had to, we’d print something that didn’t cause big issues when it first came out.

Art Card Printing Reprints Standard

Printing Less 7+ Drops

Are you guys moving away from printing very many 7+drops in standard, or is that just a bloomburrow thing since they're mostly supposed to be smaller?

The animalfolk do skew smaller.

Bloomburrow Standard

Understanding Power Creep

Would you mind defining power creep? I thought I knew what it was, specifically in the context of Magic R&D, but some answers lately make me question that. Thanks.

Power creep is a continual raising of power level set to set. Let’s talk about Sets A through Z. The average power level of B is higher than A, B than C, C than D, etc. Power creep is the continual rise of power through a product line where each new set obsoletes the previous set. Let me try to put the current complaint in context. Magic used to have a unified target for products. Everything was aimed at Standard. That allowed us to have a single power level target. When we started making products for larger formats, we had to pick a new power target because the larger format, by the nature of it having more cards, was higher. The problem with Modern “rotating” is because we increased the card influx for the format. What happened would have happened with time. Let’s say the churn is the introduction of 50 relevant cards. That would have naturally happened with time, but much slower through products aimed at Standard. I hear that people that are frustrated by the impact of the increased flow of power-relevant Modern cards. That’s a valid complaint. I’m not trying to dismiss it or say it’s not a real thing that’s happening. I’m just quibbling over what actually is happening vocabulary wise. That’s all.

Game Design Modern Power Level Standard

MH Sets and Power Creep

Hey Mark! Not to be confrontational or anything but can we, at this point, say that the MH sets (specially mh3) caused power creep? The meta on the pro tour was pretty rough. Thanks for all your hard work!

It raised the power level of the format. That happens whenever enough new (relevant) cards enter a format. Before we starting making cards for Modern (when sets were mostly focused at Standard), the influx of (relevant) new cards was low, so format churn was low. Olds cards did get forced out by new cards, but it happened at a much slower rate. That’s not what “power creep” is. So, if you want to be unhappy with format churn due to products being created with a higher power level as they’re aimed at Modern, that’s very reasonable. It’s a “card influx” complaint not a “power creep” complaint.

Competitive Play Modern Modern Horizons 3 Power Level Standard

Appreciating the Otters in Magic

Please pass my thanks to whomever decided otters should be a thing in Magic.I've carried an otter plushie around with me to events through my entire Magic playing career, so almost 15 years. Ive had an otter along for the ride from pretty much every FNM to PTQs to traveling everywhere I could drive within 8 hours to play Legacy for several years or even trips to the other side of the US for large events a couple of times.I was screeching and immediately tried building an otter deck when Lutri and Theving Otter came out with Ikoria. I was literally babbling with joy at the otters in Wilds of Eldraine for MONTHS. To say I'm beside myself with excitement for Bloomburrow would almost be an understatement.My favorite thing to build or play in Magic are tribal-based decks. I built an angel one as my second ever deck (Shards of Alara/Zendikar standard) so I could teach my mom to play before she passed. I was known for a knight/Sword of _____ and _____ deck for years. I've even played Merfolk and Tribal Lightning Bolt (burn) decks a time or two. But I can now have my beloved otters as a theme for my deck.Literally the only way that it could be more perfect for me would have been if there was an Otter Knight named Rora for my little tournament companion.So thank you for making my love for Magic even stronger by adding otters.

I like making otter people happy. : )

Angels Appreciation Bloomburrow Companion Humor Kindred / Typal Knights Legacy Merfolk Otters Shards of Alara Standard Wilds of Eldraine Zendikar Lightning Bolt

Avoiding Power Creep in Eternal Formats

I understand that you can keep power level stable in standard - as sets rotate, the new ones keep the same power level. And any outlier cards will eventually rotated out. But how can you avoid power creep in eternal formats. More so, is it even desirable from q business point of view - I mean why would players be excited and buy cards if they keep their current ones the power of their decks would stay the same? I guess maybe supporting brew kinds of decks at the same power? It seems like an interesting problem. I’d appreciate any insights you have on this. Thanks.

Power level will rise as more cards enter the system. That’s not power creep though. All your sets can have an identical power level and formats that never rotate cards up will rise in power.It’s the nature of older formats. It’s why R&D pushed rotating formats for so long. Because we can keep those at roughly a similar power level.

Eternal Power Level Standard

Dragonstorm in Standard

Is Dragonstorm too strong for standard? I think I'll be a little disappointed if we get to the end of the Dragonstorm story arc and the card isn't printed into any of the sets within it. Is this something you (WotC, not you personally) took into consideration when naming the arc? I realize it's probably too early for you to answer this now, so I'll ask again after we return to Tarkir.

We’ve learned not to let old card names keep us from using words we need to use.

Card Names Power Level Standard Story / Lore Wizards of the Coast Dragonstorm

Difference in Set Design

Is there a difference in design philosophy between fall sets (the “base” of a standard year) and spring sets (in standard for the least time, so can be riskier)? Enough difference for a podcast topic?

There is a difference, but I’m not sure 30 minutes worth.

Drive to Work Set Design Standard

Sorcery Speed Pingers Implication

Would sorcery speed pingers solve the problem of too much complexity in combat and allow pingers to be printed in standard?

They don’t change the math much. Yes, it’s different for first strike/double strike.

Double Strike First Strike Pingers Sorceries Standard

Move away from Pingers

Did you move away from pingers in standard legal sets?

Yes, many years ago.

Pingers Pingers Standard

Release of Suspine Lynx

Hey mark it’s me the guy thats been begging for mass nonbasic hate in standard/pioneer for months I just saw the card Suspine Lynx was spoiled THIS IS SO AWESOME! twice the cost of Price of progress for half the damage obviously isn’t as good, but price of progress is also too strong for either of those formats anyway. Plus being on a 5/4 with two other relevant abilities is AWESOME! THANK YOU

You’re welcome.

Appreciation Pioneer Power Level Standard Lynx Price of Progress

Concern on Snow Addition

Was adding snow to the winter basic land ever discussed? This seems like a wasted opportunity that would have had zero impact on standard.

Not that I remember. I will say, as a regular rule, we don’t add snow to cards just because they picture cold weather.

Lands Rules Standard

On Potential Planeswalker Commanders

Would WOTC ever want to print a Planeswalker into Standard that had "this planeswalker can be your Commander"? Or is that strictly off the table?

Unlikely.

Card Printing Commander Planeswalkers Standard Wizards of the Coast

Storm in Standard Miracle

What was the major miracle that happened for us to see Storm in standard?

The start of cameo mechanics in premier sets.

Cameo Mechanics Mechanics Miracle Premier Sets Premier Sets Standard