So using spike to search a zuran orb in an appropriate language and using more or less to change "sacrifice a land" to "sacrifice zero lands" works? I assumed you also needed a d&d secret lair for that.

Sacrifice zero won’t do anything unfortunately. A cost has to be something to actually work.

Wait, you knew Zuran Orb was insane and then you made Tinker?

I keep saying I’m not a developer. : )

Why is Zuran Orb so good it's banned? I've never played with it, but it seems reasonably fair. What makes it busted?

Having 40+ extra life makes you very hard to kill.

It was my birthday yesterday, but didn't get an answer. :( Could I get some trivia on my favorite artifact(s), Vexing Arcanix or Teferi's Puzzle Box?

As a reporter for The Duelist, I played in the very first prerelease, in Toronto, for Ice Age. I did very well in part to two cards, Zuran Orb and Vexing Arcanix. I did well enough to make it into the top 32 cutoff for Day 2 but was then asked to quit as we didn’t want the reporter doing too well. Belated Happy Birthday!

Can you tell us the story of Scott Johns/Tom Guevin Type I semi-final game at PT Dallas?

From my column “Loose Ends”: In the early days of the Pro Tour, Wizards would sponsor big money side events. At PT Dallas, the side event was a Type 1 tournament with a $40,000 purse. One of the two semi-finals was between Scott Johns (yes, our illustrious editor) and Tom Guevin. Both had made a name for themselves on the Pro Tour. Scott had three back-to-back top 8’s while Tom had come in second at the very first PT Los Angeles. It was the third game of the semi-final match (in a best two out three match). Tom had won the coin flip and chose to play first. He played a land. Use the land to play a Sol Ring. He then played a Mox and a Black Lotus. Next he played a Zuran Orb. He then sacrificed the Lotus for three white mana. He used two of it to play Balance. In response, he sacrificed his land to his Orb to gain 2 life. With only two cards left in Tom’s hand, Scott was forced to discard five cards. “I’m really sorry,” Tom said to Scott (he didn’t sound very sorry), “Sometimes Type I is really stupid.” Scott stared intently at his cards. Then after a minute of thought, Scott discarded his first card. It was aGuerilla Tactics. As this was a forced discard, Guerilla Tactics dealt 4 damage to Tom. Scott then discarded his second card. Another Guerilla Tactics. Four more damage. Then Scott discarded his third card. Yet another Guerilla Tactics. Another four damage. This left Tom at 10 life. After going down to two cards, Scott takes his turn and plays a Tropical Island and then casts Ancestral Recall. With the Ancestral Recall Scott draws a Mox Ruby and a Gorilla Shaman. He plays the Shaman. Tom draws something irrelevant. On Scott’s next turn, he drops a Strip Mine and uses the Gorilla Shaman to destroy the Mox and Sol Ring. At the end of his turn, Scott looks at Tom and says, “You’re right. It can be pretty stupid.”

What's your favorite design from The Dark? Mine is Ball Lightning.

Dark Heart of the Wood. My love of that card is what made me figure out Zuran Orb was busted the first time I saw it.