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Magic: The Gathering Head Designer Asks If He Was Wrong to Put Companions in Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths


The new Companion Magic: The Gathering cards from the latest set Ikoria: Lair of Behemothshave been dominating various formats, including Standard, Pioneer, Modern, Legacy, and Vintage, and the result tournament results prove it. This new type of cards that lets you play the card from exile as if you have an eighth card in hand, as long as you follow its specific deck-building restrictions, has been criticized for ruining the metagames of these formats for the cards' insane power levels, and now lead designer Mark Rosewater is asking fans if he's wrong to include Companions in Ikoria.

Responding to MTG pro Eric Froehlich's tweet about balancing the game, Rosewater said that he is focused on introducing innovative mecahnics in Magic, but questions his decision to include Companions in Ikoria:

"I'm the innovation guy. The only way I can help balance is by pushing less into unexplored space," Rosewater said. "I'm trying to get a sense from the audience if that's what they want. I put companion into Ikoria. Was I wrong to do so?"

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Credit: Wizards of the Coast/ Totallynottimturner

"Lurrus of the Dream-Den" has been the most impactful Companion across multiple formats while "Yorion, Sky Nomad" is breaking Standard right now with Bant Yorion or Jeskai Fires Yorion decks infesting the metagame's diversity. Many players would agree that making Companions was a mistake even though some consider it fun, but it seems that their restrictions are not restrictive enough to limit the power levels of certain strategies.

Do you think it was a mistake for Rosewater to add Companions to Ikoria? Let us know in the comments section down there.

Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths is now available on Magic: The Gathering Arena, and it's also available for tabletop play in China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong, and everywhere else on May 15. Commander 2020 will also be released on May 15.

Related: The Best MTG Block/Set/Year, According to Fans

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