Track Down

Reasons Behind Showcase Cards

If WOTC went to all that trouble of making the absolutely beautiful Showcase cards for every Adventure in the set... why are those not the regular cards? Why have less interesting versions stuffed in most of the draft boosters?

The same reason all the cards aren’t foil. We’re a trading card game. We want to have things for players to track down - to collect and trade. Our entire business model revolves around players being excited to open booster packs.

Draft Boosters Foils Limited Track Down Wizards of the Coast

Color Pie Trivia

Hey Mark! I just turned 21 and started working on an essay about color identity in the Magic community. Can I request some interesting color pie trivia? Thanks for being so active on here.

In the early days it was called the “color wheel”. At some point the term changed over to more commonly be called the “color pie”. I’ve never been able to track down what caused that change. Sort of anti-trivia.Happy Birthday!

Birthday Color Identity Color Pie Colors Track Down

Arixmethes Design Praise

While we're talking about krakens, I'd like to high five whoever designed Arixmethes, Slumbering Isle. It's such a unique and flavorful design.

I agree. I’ll track down the designer and give them a high five.

Arixmethes, Slumbering Isle Flavor High Fives Kraken Track Down

Savage Smash Fun

I want to send a personal high five to the team/person responsible for Savage Smash, even losing all my matches today at the pre-release I had a lot of fun and that card was one of the reasons

I’ll see if I can track down those responsible.

High Fives Limited Savage Smash Track Down

WotC Signings Process

Dose anyone else do signings at WotC? If I have a favored card how difficult would it be to track down the person that designed it and get them to sign it?

I will always make the attempt.Two caveats:1) It takes even more time.2) I can’t promise they’ll sign the card(s), although historically, they usually do.
As always, remember to include a self-addressed stamped envelope to get the cards back.

Caves Track Down Wizards of the Coast

Homunculi Appreciation

I would love to thank whoever is responsible for putting more homunculi in Battlebond. The art for them looks amazing as does the art for the rest of the spoiled cards. Really impressed and I can't wait to draft it!

I’ll try to track down who to thank.

Appreciation Art Battlebond Limited Track Down

More or Less Flavor Text

Hey Maro, Please track down whoever wrote the flavor text for More or Less and give them a high four.

That would be me. High four myself! Done!

Flavor Mark Rosewater More or Less Track Down

Collectors Will Collect

Quote: "The goal is for the unique cards to not be something competitive players have to track down." :End Quote. What about those players who are print specific? You know those types...

Collectors are going to collect. No stopping that.

Card Printing Competitive Play Track Down

Decks Support Query

The Planeswalkers decks are supposed to contain support for the planeswalker such as tutors, etc. Will this support name the PW as "planeswalker, from the deck" or the subtype "planeswalker"? If its the latter does this make the support competitive?

The goal is for the unique cards to not be something competitive players have to track down.

Competitive Play Keyword Actions Planeswalkers Subtype Track Down Tutoring

Hedronize Effects

Can you tell us what kind of things hedronize could do? Was it just a bunch of simple effects like gain a few life? :D

I’ll have to track down my notes. Gain life was definitely one as was make a Spawn (they were Spawn back then).

Lifegain Spawn Track Down

Twitch Game Effort

I'm interested in an OOP Wizards game called Twitch, but it's hard to track down. Would you recommend I go through the effort to get it?

It’s a fun game but it is what we in R&D call a “twitch” game in that it hinges on physical dexterity (okay, and mental acuity).

Track Down

Standard Legal Cards

According to today's Arcana, there will be 15 cards in the M15 sample decks that will be legal in Standard despite not appearing in a Standard-legal booster product. What was behind this decision?

We felt the sample decks would be better served to have them but we didn’t feel it made Magic 2015 better to force out fifteen other cards to fit them. So we made the choice to just make both products as good as they can be. The fifteen cards in Magic 2015 are not cards tournament players will feel they have to track down.

Boosters Format Legality Magic 2015 Standard Track Down

Cow-blade Mystery

Sorry to keep bringing it up, but what was Cow-blade? Inquiring minds, and all that.

Keep bringing it up. I’m trying to track down what exactly it was. If it’s public, I’ll fill you guys in.

Track Down

Keyword Reminder Text

When did reminder text start to be used for keywords? I find it odd that no card with phasing has reminder text except Merfolk Raiders, which only explains islandwalk and not phasing.

When we realized that it might be nice if you could the vast majority of the time learn everything you need from the card itself. In Mirage, if you opened a card with phasing, you were expected to then track down the rules of phasing. Until you did, you couldn’t play with the card.

Keywords Merfolk Merfolk Raiders Mirage Phasing Rules Track Down

Reprint Process

When there are reprints (naturalize) in the set do you guys print out playtest cards or use older printings?

It’s easier to just make stickers for a whole set than track down the repeats.

Card Printing Naturalize Playtesting Reprints Stickers Track Down

Designer Signatures Request

If I sent you a list of some of my favorite cards, could you tell me (to the best of your knowledge) who designed them? Also, if I sent you those cards in the mail, could you get those people to sign them (assuming, of course, they still work at Wizards)? Thanks!

I have some chance at knowing what I designed. I’ve made thousands of cards so even that’s not a sure thing. Some cards I might be able to track down but others might be fuzzy with many people having a hand in or possibly one where more than one people remember creating it. Design credits can be very tricky. I will do the best I can to discover the designers but I doubt I would be exact on most of them. I’m always happy to sign cards and will ask other members of R&D to sign cards. Usually they do, but I cannot promise for anyone other than me.

Track Down Your Hand

Dungrove Elder Design

Who designed Dungrove elder? And can I get some signed? If so where would I find the address for my self-addressed stamped envelope?

I assume someone on the Magic 2012 design (or possibly development) team. If you send it to me, I’ll try to track down the designer.

Dungrove Elder Elder Track Down

Card Design Appreciation

I just wanted you to know that sometimes you guys design cards seemingly for one person. In my case, it's Etherium-Horn Sorcerer; I love minotaurs, artifact creatures, wizards, I consider myself blue/red, and his P/T are both multiples of three, which is my favorite number. Also, he has a self-bounce effect, and bounce is one of my favorite mechanics. So, thank you.

You’re welcome. It took us quite a while to track down all your likes and dislikes so we’re happy you liked the card we designed specifically for you. : )

Appreciation Appreciation Artifacts Blue Creatures Etherium-Horn Sorcerer Izzet (U/R) Mechanics Minotaur Red Track Down

Sheoldred Designer Inquiry

Who designed Sheoldred, Whispering One? And if I sent you a copy with a self-addressed envelope, would it be possible for you as well as that designer to sign it? I understand that you probably have more pressing things to do than to track down somebody for their signature on a card, so if not, I'd be happy with just your signature.

It was either Ken Nagle or myself (and possibly a combination). Always happy to sign cards. If you send it, I’ll figure out who designed it.

Ken Nagle Sheoldred, Whispering One Track Down