Manipulating the top card of an opponent’s library is very powerful. Fateseal was created as a mechanic that lets you “negative scry”, that is, scry your opponent’s library instead of your own.
Read moreSingleton formats (also known as Highlander) have grown in popularity over the last decade, especially with Commander’s immense growth. But what exactly makes a format a singleton format and what other options are out there beyond just Commander...
Read moreBetween 2003-2010, MTG had an era of design where sets had to fit into a pre-chosen mechanical theme, with a world and cards that were shaped to satisfy that idea. In this way, Shadowmoor, the color-matters set was created, and one of the set’s...
Read moreReady for some Sleight of Hand to keep your opponents on their toes? For a bit of “aura-justu”, if you will, since aura swap was inspired by the ninjas from Kamigawa?
Read moreHello Planeswalkers! There are a few definitions for the word graft that could make sense as a mechanic in MTG. Graft can mean a way to get sap from a tree, gain a business advantage through nefarious ways, or transplant living tissue surgically...
Read moreIn the midst of the Masques block was Nemesis, a 143-card set that introduced the fading keyword to Magic. Step through the veil with me back to the turn of the century and welcome the ephemeral permanents of Nemesis.
Read moreKilled, destroyed, buried, sacrificed. Almost all of these terms in MTG relate to a creature ending its lifespan, so to say, and thus going to the graveyard. Bury is a flavorful match since MTG’s already have the graveyard as a game zone, so it...
Read moreMagic consistently tries out new keyword mechanics. Some of these are successful and go on to become evergreen mechanics, while others prove too difficult to understand or sometimes even too powerful to continue getting printed. Then there are...
Read moreFuture Sight dropped a ton of new mechanics that R&D were interested in testing out but couldn’t commit to designing an entire set around. Frenzy was one of these short-lived, one-off mechanics that would never again see the light of day.
Read moreOptions in a game are always good, and entwine is one of those mechanics where the more options you have, the merrier. Cards that are flexible in their mana cost and their use are always good in my book.
Read moreWhile haunt is a keyword ability that’s often seen on creatures, it can be placed on any type of card. When a permanent or a resolved spell with haunt goes to the graveyard, you exile it, targeting a creature. When this creature dies, the ability...
Read moreReturn to Ravnica introduced five new mechanics to Magic: The Gathering, one for each of the ally-colored guilds featured in the set. Designers were determined to get Azorius () right this time after the huge air-ball of a mechanic that was...
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