Conversation

Down-top set/block with the main idea being to apply/justify the "Great Noncreature Type Update". That is, to add flavorful ("tribal") subtypes for instants, sorceries, and possibly enchantments.

~ is a variant of phasing.
In addition to the usual effects of phasing, if a permanent enters the battlefield while it has ~, a phased out token is created that is a copy of it, at the same time. Its status is the same except that the copy is phased out.

"~--[text]" is a static keyword ability. As a permanent with this ability enters the battlefield or is faced up, add the specified ability text to this permanent as a layer 3 effect. This effect ends if this permanent is faced up after being faced down. If multiple ~ abilities are linked to each other, then the abilities added in this way are also similarly linked.

"Chain from [quality]--[text]" means that this spell has the specified ability (usually a spell ability, but it might not be) from when you start to cast it until it leaves the stack, if all of the following conditions are met:
- Either you had cast a spell with the specified quality, or played a land with the specified quality, or a spell with the specified quality that you had cast has resolved.
- You did not do anything else with your priority (including passing) since the most recent such event occurred, other than cast the spell with this chain ability, and optionally mana abilities.
- The event occurred during the same step of the same turn (e.g. you cannot chain from the resolution of a spell that ends the turn).
Once it gains the ability, it does not lose it until it leaves the stack, so changing the conditions so that they are violated will not remove it (nor will changing its text, e.g. if the quality is "red", then Sleight of Mind cannot change whether or not the chain condition is met.

Why does WotC consider dice mechanics something not serious? I.E. being relegated to an "Un-" set instead of a real MTG set. Most player's have them, and I don't think it's any less convenient than attempting to find counters and tokens for things. Seems like it has potential.

How to download the official Oracle texts (as JSON, SQLite, or other data-oriented format) with all italic texts (reminder texts, ability words, flavor words) excluded (or marked in some way as being italic, so that they can be removed afterward if wanted)? What I had found (including JSON in Scryfall) doesn't do.

Evolutionary is a static ability which affects the process of casting a spell that has this ability. During the mode selection step of a spell with "Evolutionary [cost]", you can choose any combination of the following options any number of times; it is done before selecting modes. Each choice makes this spell cost an additional [cost] to cast.
- Change the text of this spell by replacing all instances of one color word with another.
- Change the text of this spell by replacing all instances of one creature type word with another.
- Change the text of this spell by replacing all instances of one basic land type word with another.
- Change the text of this spell by replacing all instances of one nonbasic land type word with another.

If you could make an existing keyword evergreen, what would it be and why?
Which keyword would you remove from the evergreen keywords?
What keyword was received the most poorly but has the most potential?

In English there has been a push for a singular gender-neutral pronoun. If one is "officially" added to English how do you think it would alter the format of how cards are phrased? If a "new" pronoun, like xe is added, would the cards be "he, she, or xe discards..."? If they were to also become a singular gender-neutral pronoun would that just become the default "that they controls"? Alternatively pronouns could probably be avoided entirely with by just referencing a person as player "unless that player pays..."

been moving away from it myself, mainly because if my sets ever get played it sure won't be by newbies. might as well give myself license to ratchet up the complexity

do you guys design as if you're a WOTC employee, or do you do it for yourselves/your friends?

M15 will introduce slight modifications to the card frames. However I don't suggest this site follow along because their slim borders make it very hard to discern a card's color, especially on a monitor screen. Keep the borders solid and highly contrasted from the text box.