Watchwolf

Wolf Creature Type Errata

Is the Wolf creature type being errataed, too? I'm looking at the new Arena sleeves for the upcoming Cats vs. Dogs promotion (WHICH IS AWESOME - please be sure to give out some virtual high-paws), and noticed that Watchwolf is on it. Is Watchwolf a dog now?

Wolves are not dogs, so no change is coming.

Cat Creatures Dog Errata Magic Arena Watchwolf Wolf

Obscure Magic Design Trivia

Hi MaRo, today is my birthday. I'm a long time Blogatog reader (back when it had only a dozen of pages in archive). Please tell me some obscure trivia about Magic design, something I hopefully have never heard. Thanks, you're a model to me : )

We were talking about making some simple designs in Ravnica. I suggested we make a 3/3 for GW. I said it could be some kind of watchdog for the Selesnya. I was told they had wolves not dogs. I said, fine, it could be a watchwolf. The design name stuck. Happy Birthday!

Birthday Dog Mark Rosewater Question Marks Selesnya (G/W) Watchwolf Wolf

Fleecemane vs Watchwolf

I love Fleecemane Lion (for its elegant design, beautiful art), but it's almost strictly-better of Watchwolf. How often does it happen to make such a strictly-better card?

Strictly betters happen all the time. It comes part and parcel with doing a trading card game.

Art Fleecemane Lion Watchwolf

Watchwolf Trivia

Finally my birthday. Could I get some trivia on my favorite creature, Watchwolf?

When we came up with a 3/3 for GW, I joked that it would be like a watch dog except there’s no dogs in Ravnica so maybe a watch wolf. The name stuck. Happy Birthday!

Birthday Creatures Dog Selesnya (G/W) Watchwolf Wolf

Designing Simple Cards

Cards like Leatherback Baloth or Watchwolf are only interesting because of their cost and stats - development stuff. What do cards like this look like in design?

We do cost things in design. They’re just not always the final cost. Our vanillas are usually pretty close because the development representative on the design team can usually price it correctly.

Leatherback Baloth Vanilla Watchwolf

Concerns About Powercreep

Could you guys please not push out blatant powercreep of already-good cards (watchwolf->fleecemane lion) in future? It's very offputting, especially when it's in the form of near-total interaction-killing. I am trying to phrase this in as positive a way as possible, but such cards HEAVILY reduce my urge to buy cards/try to play in the format.

Watchwolf was a tournament-level card for its day. Since that time creatures have gotten better. For example, Call of the Conclave in Return to Ravnica was a GW sorcery that put a 3/3 token onto the battlefield (in colors with the populate mechanic) and it saw no real high level play. Our development team works very hard to make Magic a fun and balanced game. Just because something might appear “blatant powercreep” doesn’t mean it actually is going to cause problems in tournament play.

Call of the Conclave Colors Creatures Fleecemane Lion Mechanics Populate Power Creep Return to Ravnica Selesnya (G/W) Sorceries Tokens Watchwolf

Core Set Complexity

Would you consider adding common or uncommon multicoloured cards to a Core Set with reminder text like "Watchwolf is white and green even when not on the battlefield"? Multicolour is much easier to understand than regeneration, indestructible or protection which are all in Core Sets.

We try very hard to keep the core sets to a certain complexity. Yes, we could add in multicolor but then other things would have to go.

Green Indestructible Protection Uncommons Watchwolf White

Aggressive Cost Design

You touch on flat power curve in design, but what about cards like Isamaru, Watchwolf, or Wooly Thoctar where their aggressive cost is their design?

Cost can be part of design, as in the case with Isamaru, but costing isn’t design’s area. We make the cards and then let development cost and balance them. Obviously the cost of cards like Isamaru matter but development gets that and will preserve it or kill the card.

Watchwolf

Call of the Conclave

I am a huge fan of the design of Call of the Conclave. I love how evocative it is of Watchwolf, and how despite its strong similarity to the wolf it serves a completely different purpose. Great job to everyone who had a hand in designing it! Loving RtR so far!

I’m a big fan of Call of the Conclave. I love cards that are tweaked to play into what the set is doing.

Call of the Conclave Watchwolf Wolf Your Hand