Today, I feel lucky to bring you a new web comic, “Lotus Cobra is Evil.” The creator of the comic (Sixten on MTGSalvation) has been gracious enough to let me post the comic here on MtGColorPie. With any luck, it will add more “lulz” to you day, or whatever you kids say on the internet.
On Sundays, we’ll post the next one in the series (Remember Sunday comics in your newspapers? What, you don’t know what a newspaper is? You darn kids). Of course I have to give credit where credit is due and tell you all to go to the creator’s website houseofsixten.com.
Today’s comic is the first of the series (obviously). Hope you kids enjoy it.
In case you haven’t heard, Wizards of the Coast is putting old Vintage cards into packs of Zendikar. Yes, seriously. Yes, this is really awesome. At the moment, we don’t know what cards they are (Someone has pulled an Ancestral Recall), and I’m not here to talk about the rules. I’m here to say Wizards were telling us all along this was happening.
Wait, back up. Wizards told us this was coming? I didn’t read any rumors until like two days ago. This was clearly a well kept secret.
As we begin the second block with the Mythic Rarity included into the game of Magic, it’s time to take a look and see how’s it been so far and how’s it going into Zendikar block. It’s been a source of controversy and a source of tension between developers and players.
This now leads us to the next question: How are cards split between rare and mythic rare? Or more to the point, what kind of cards are going to become mythic rares? We want the flavor of mythic rare to be something that feels very special and unique. Generally speaking we expect that to mean cards like Planeswalkers, most legends, and epic-feeling creatures and spells. They will not just be a list of each set’s most powerful tournament-level cards.
And from Aaron Forsythe’s Twitter account in the past few weeks here:
My definition of mythic rare: cards that are jaw-dropping to some part of the audience.
The mythic definition should be broad, not “planeswalkers + cards that aren’t very good.”
By taking these two definitions (Epic-feeling creatures/spells, non-staples/most powerful tournament, jaw-dropping), let’s take a look back at what’s been printed so far and how they fair to these definitions. But to make one more definition of our own: What is a staple card? Cards that are staples can be used in a variety of decks, not a very narrow deck that is very good. Staple cards include: Cryptic Command, Tarmogoyf, Bitterblossom, Reflecting Pool. Non-staple cards are Mistblind Clique, Doran the Siege Tower, Arcbound Ravager. Continue reading “Too Rare or Not Too Rare, That is the Question”
This is the 5th State of Design that MaRo released since his tenure as Head Magic Designer who is the mouthpiece of Wizards. But this is quite an important one as now, after this amount of time, he has developed a pattern. Before we look at the present (and the “future”), we must look at the past.
MaRo always has goals that he wants to do for design for the upcoming block. This is always an easy task because *shock* they have already designed and close to printing the future block that MaRo is wanting to make goals for. It’s easy to make goals for something you’ve already done. Maybe goal in the traditional sense (the act of throwing, carrying, kicking, driving, etc., a ball or puck into such an area or object), should be replaced with another definition (Synonyms:1.target; purpose, object, objective, intent, intention. 2.finish). Um, let’s use intent. It’s their intent (goal) to do hit these marks and make them go over well.
Taking a look at the past year’s “goals” there is a pattern going on here (MaRo says humans like patterns). Let’s take a look at them for each year and see what the goals were with what they accomplished:
2005 – Ravnica: City of Guilds Block
1. Institute block design (Have colored pairs throughout the block rather than one set)
2. Design between blocks (Don’t have Ravnica beat up Champions, let them work together)
3. Design and create integration (Create more Spirits!)
2006 – Time Spiral Block
1. Continue with the past goals (Past-present-future, cards that work with multicolor, mix dredge/hellbent with flashback)
2. Embrace the tools of the past (Use old mechanics)
3. Find ways to surprise (Surprise! Psionic Blast is back! Surprise! Wrath of God is now Black! Surprise! Magic is making contraptions!)
2007 – Lorwyn/Shadowmoor Blocks
1. Go back to our roots (Creatures smash and Blue/Black get the best spells)
2. Find innovation that doesn’t shock (Besides that four sets a year thing. Two/two blocks (race-class, friendly hybrid/enemy hybrid))
3. Be all inclusive (Spikes got Faeries/Cryptic Command, Johnnys got hybrid and Timmys got the entire Lorwyn block)
You gotta diversify your bonds!
2008 – Shards of Alara Block
1. Give things more time and space to breathe (The middle set? No new mechanics)
2. Embrace Flavor (5 shards each with their own keyword/theme)
It’s time for my weekly call to Wizard’s Headquarters to talk to Mark Rosewater (MaRo). Good thing it’s a local call, or my phone bill would be pretty bad. As always, this is a parody. Or a good ribbing; I guess you could call it that.
Mark Rosewater speaking.
Hi Mr. Rosewater, this is Robby…
Yeah I know who you are. You call every Monday now. I know your voice. What is it this time?
Yeah, I almost forgot since you haven’t mentioned it since the beginning of April (Tropical Blend 3 voting doesn’t count (and yes, I searched that fact up)). That’s pretty cool. I’ve got a ton of ideas that I want to make either as TV shows or movies, so I’m wicked jealous that you had the chance.
Since April, hunh? I’ll get right on that. But I love my job now, it’s one of the best jobs ever.
I can imagine.
So, yeah, I like movies. Why do you ask?
Did you see the card that you previewed today? I mean really look at it?
It’s time for my weekly call to Wizard’s Headquarters to talk to Mark Rosewater (MaRo). Good thing it’s a local call, or my phone bill would be pretty bad. As always, this is a 
MTG Color Pie 
