Just realized: there has been ONE green wizard in the history of the game that has tapped for mana; it was Magus of the Library and it tapped for colorless.

Recommending change in tap ability to colorless, or change in creature type to Druid.

I think the issue is that green doesn't typically have Wizards (only 16, most of which came during Invasion block), not that it produces green instead of colorless. This seems like a situation where the set's emphasis on Wizard tribal interactions sufficiently supersedes mechanical precedents.

Actually, the issue for me is that pretty near every single creature in green that has produced green mana which isn't a wall has had druid or in much smaller numbers, shaman attached to it with the exception of Elvish Aberration. The only one that wasn't an elf or druid: the aforementioned Magus which tapped for colorless-and only did that because it was modeled on a land.

Wizards don't tap for mana, as far as I can tell. Haven't since Apprentice Wizard-which produced colorless and they don't do it in green.

This set's emphasis on those interactions can't break 20 years of tradition/rules/worldbuilding without a much better reason that; well, we wanted to do tribal wizards in green-a tribe that, as you point out, isn't supported in that color.

I feel that this limitation should be accepted and used to leverage what makes the colors interesting-as well as demonstrating a respect for what has been done. Having this become a druid or tap for colorless instead would fit in with the tendency towards research, and the ability keeps it tied into the set's themes without being explicit, with the bonus of fitting into the larger WotC arc of cards.

One of the binding threads throughout Soradyne has been: we don't just break from what R&D would do without some serious consideration. This card, arcing away from what has been a standard for a long time, at common-which suggests that this is the way we think things should be-has not I submit, had that consideration and should be reformatted as a result.

But still, I think it's less "Wizards don't make colored mana" and more "Green doesn't have Wizards, and non-green creatures are rarely able to produce colored mana".

Here's our list of Mana-Producing Wizards: Show Me!

Most of them are outdated, but they do have a common-thread of conversion, with Deranged Assistant being the most recent card demonstrating this philosphy. If maintaining its identity as a Wizard is vital, then the next logical solution would be to find something for it to convert.

"Most of them are outdated"

Right. With 3 that would never see print even in the Silver Age of Magic, two requiring green to activate and convert, and half producing colorless (one of my recommendations); many with restrictions or expenses that demonstrate that this ability is out of it's jurisdiction (if it even should be there at all.)

In a list of twelve cards. Whereas the druid type is chock full of green mana producers with zero complications. It's not like they've shunned the wizards creature type so how do we justify this departure?

So again: this card should be changed, because all the data says it should.

There's a general design rule in R&D: if the player keeps making an incorrect assumption about a card or is naturally inclined to play it differently than the way we intend, then the player is probably right.

Which means that if Phytomancer is a Druid that works well with the Wizard tribe and looks too much like a wizard (he's a worker, not a fighter), then he's probably actually a wizard who's just fooling himself.

To take away his wizard-untap trigger nerfs what makes him a cool variant on the standard mana elf, so that's off the table. Or at least something I REALLY don't want to do. Based on the assumption that there's something wrong with this card, this means the type is wrong, and that is really the point you're making.

Except that I genuinely think that if this guy plays well with wizard and there's a pretty clear "wizard tribal" theme visible, it will be assumed that he is himself a wizard.

From an historical perspective, yes, it's out of character. Here, I think it's the natural shortest path between two points.

Stupid card designers! Make him both!

Right.

BUT SCIENCE AND NATURE DON'T JIVE!

Haven't you guys ever seen Avatar! C'mon!

FACEPALM!!!

I'll take "Worthless Arguments" for $200, Alex.