Totem Armor

Legendary Rule Complexity

Some card games with unique characters (i.e. legendary creatures) have a "duplicate" rule, where if you have multiple copies of the same unique character, you can play them on top of one another, and the extra copies act like shield counters or totem armor. This gives you something useful, but not too powerful, to do with your extra copies. Can you imagine Magic implementing a similar rule, even in the distant future?

I don’t think we’re going to make legendary more complicated.

Creatures Legendary Creatures Rules Totem Armor

Deciduous Mechanic Suggestions

I think affinity makes for a good candidate for a deciduous mechanic. Y'all use an unkeyworded form of it somewhat commonly, whether it's "for artifacts" or "for Spirits" or whatever. Other potential good options: changeling, cycling, exert, monstrosity, totem armor, detain, flashback, proliferate, kicker, surveil

Thoughts on this list?

Affinity Artifacts Changeling Cycling Deciduous Detain Exert Flashback Kicker Mechanics Monstrosity Proliferate Spirit Surveil Totem Armor

Totem Armor Usage

Is Totem Armor (or a similar unkeyworded effect):
a) something that can only show up as a cycle or as a (sub)theme of a set?b) something that can show up here and there as a one-of in a set?c) something R&D is avoiding because of some play concerns (which you'll glady explain here)?

I’d say b).

Cycles Game Design Totem Armor

Named Enchantment Tokens Existence

People have repeatedly said there are no named enchantment tokens, but there are two! Estrid makes masks (auras with totem armor) and Niko makes shards (enchantmsnts that you pay 2 and saxrifice to draw a card). Granted these have each shown up on one card each and so dont have the reqch, but they are there

Yes, they do exist. I think the intent was an enchantment token like Clues, Food, Treasure, Bloodm, etc.

Auras Blood Card Draw Enchantments Food Three Color Tokens Totem Armor Treasure

Totem Armor in Theros

Was totem armor considered for theros beyond?

Not that I know of.

Theros Totem Armor

Totem Armor Return

Mark! I gotta know! Will totem armor ever come back?

Maybe. : )

Totem Armor

Totem Armor's Chance

How well did Totem Armor do? Might we ever see it again? I love Indrik Umbra and already have a character concept in mind for a totem armor-using planeswalker, getting 'animal' auras from unique species of other planes (think: Gryff Umbra, Werewolf Umbra, Bandar Umbra, etc) so I'd love to see more.

Totem Armor is a 5 on the Storm Scale. I think there’s a decent chance we’ll see it again one day.

Auras Indrik Umbra Keyword Abilities Planeswalkers Storm Scale Totem Armor Werewolf

Mechanics and Types Trivia

My birthday was last week but, unfortunately, you never answered my birthday trivia question. So, can I have some trivia on one of my favourite mechanics, Totem Armor and Bestow? Or on my favourite card type, Enchantment?

Bestow was designed for Born of the Gods but we moved it back to Theros because we needed it to make the enchantment theme work. Happy Belated Birthday!

Bestow Birthday Born of the Gods Card Types Enchantments God Mechanics Theros Totem Armor

Damage Rules Clarification

"Note that we prevent damage but don’t remove it once it’s dealt." Not quite. The regeneration and totem armor mechanics remove damage. Also, Pyramids does it as well. (People always forget Pyramids.)

Fair enough. This is why I should leave rule talk to Tabak.

Matt Tabak Mechanics Rules Totem Armor

Zendikar Umbras Trivia

Maro its my birthday finally can I get trivia on some of my favorite cards, the umbras from zendikar?

Part of Rise of the Eldrazi was “battlecruiser Magic” which had players building or casting giant creatures. Part of that was auras. Totem armor was made as a way to combat the card disadvantage of most auras. Happy Birthday!

Auras Birthday Creatures Eldrazi Giant Mark Rosewater Rise of the Eldrazi Totem Armor Zendikar

Improving Auras

Totem Armor, Bestow, ETB effects, and the "rancor effect", all seem to be pretty effective ways of making Auras more effective. Is it beginning to feel like the Aura risk problem is being solved or is there still a lot of work to be done?

It’s an ongoing issue that we keep finding different solutions for.

Auras Bestow Enter The Battlefield Rancor Solved Totem Armor

Totem Armor Wins

Totem armor or imprint?

Totem armor.

Card Printing Imprint Totem Armor

Bestow Narrow Victory

totem armor or bestow?

Close but bestow.

Bestow Totem Armor

Totem Armor Return

Totem armor was a really good way to mitigate the card disadvantage of auras. What's the chance of us seeing it come back?

I’m pretty sure we’ll see it again one day. I’ll say 3 on the Storm Scale.

Auras Gates Keyword Abilities Storm Scale Totem Armor

Theros' Totem Armor

Was totem armor considered in Theros block at all? Also does the name "totem armor" prevent it from being put into any set?

Bestow took up most of our mechanical aura space, so no we didn’t really consider it once we were committed to doing bestow.

Auras Bestow Theros Totem Armor

Auras vs. Equipment

I see in Totem Armor and Bestow your attempts to continually fix the problem with Auras typically being disadvantageous to play with from a numbers standpoint. However, these have only been block keywords. Are there any plans in the works to make some evergreen mechanic / rules change for Auras to put them closer in power level to Equipment while still retaining their identity as enchantments?

No. A lot of players like auras despite their lower power level so we see no need to unnecessarily complicate their basic version. We’ll still mess with ways to make them better in expert expansions.

Auras Bestow Enchantments Equipment Evergreen Keywords Mechanics Power Level Rules Totem Armor

Enchantment Matters Set

If, and when, you do an "enchantment matters" set, do you think Totem Armor will make a comeback? Or do you think a different similar mechanic will replace it?

We have all the tools we’ve used in the past in our arsenal. I assume we’d use a mix of the old and the new.

Enchantments Mechanics Totem Armor

Aura Mechanic Future

What is more likely to return to auras; the Rancor bounce effect, or Totem Armor?

I think we’ll see both return one day.

Auras Rancor Totem Armor

Totem Armor Popularity

How likely are we to see more Totem Armor? Was reception lukewarm? Is the design space to narrow?

Totem Armor was pretty well liked by the players. I give it a 4 on the Storm Scale.

Design Space Keyword Abilities Storm Scale Totem Armor

Enchantment Matters Block

On the storm scale, where does a new "enchantment matters" block (with stuff like totem armor and enchantment creatures) fall?

An “enchantment matters” block is a 1. It’s not a matter of if but when.

Creatures Enchantments Keyword Abilities Storm Scale Totem Armor