Now that we know that the new Magic: The Gathering set, Throne of Eldraine, will feature more colored Artifact cards that previous sets, people in the MTG community are discussing the distinction between Artifact and Enchantment with many criticizing Wizards of the Coast's decision to have more colored Artifact cards that mechanically do the same things as Enchantment cards. With the latest designs, some fans don't see the point of having Arifacts and Enchantments different card types other than flavor but Magic head designer Mark Rosewater has recently responded to these criticisms and explained the decision to make more colored Artifacts for the upcoming expansion.
When an MTG fan asked Rosewater to take back the decision, here's what the Magic head designer said on his Blogatog: "Artifacts and enchantments have *always* overlapped mechanically," Rosewater wrote. "This isn't something new. It's been true for the entire 26-year history of the game.The only major difference was the color in the mana cost and for play design reasons, that's no longer viable. So, there is no "going back". There isn't really that much 'going back' to go back to."
When Rosewater revealed the Throne of Eldraine card "Glass Casket" yesterday, some people on Twitter brought up how the card is mechanically too similar to other white Enchantments printed before.
When a fan criticized how its ability is strongly associated with Enchantments, here's what Rosewater said on his Blogatog:
"I do understand the disconnect. Every time we do something we haven't done before, it feels unfamiliar. The point I've been trying to make is this ability is not an enchantment ability, it's a white ability. Any white permanent has access to it. For example, we've done it just as much on creatures as we have enchantments.
We've even done it on artifacts, but because of the natural of colorless things, it had to cost a bunch more. The beauty of doing it in artifacts in white is we now give white a new option with what kind of permanent it has access to.
Have a white deck with an artifact theme? Now you have access to an ability white regularly uses, but with a new synergy. Now, you're protected against certain effects but vulnerable to others. It gives white a familiar tool, but in a new package.
The nature of a trading card game is we're going to keep reinventing how colors do things. The ability is still available to the same color it's always been, but now with a new twist. Yeah, maybe last year, we gave you the ability on a creature type we never have before. Today, you get it on s new card type. Essentially, that's Magic. It's a feature, not a bug."
When another fan complained about the lack of delineation between Artifacts and Enchanements, Rosewater went on to explain how delineation could take away the fun implmentations on card types.
"Dilineating effects between card types just means you keep seeing the same effect presented in the same way again and again. Making card draw just an instant and sorcery thing would definitely make instants and sorceries feel more different, but at what cost? All sorts of cool implementations on other card types would go away.
One of the things that makes Magic shine is we can take effects you've seen many times before, but present it in a way that feels new and different.
In short, I think some of you are asking for something that, in the end, you wouldn't like the impact on the game it would actually have. And for designers, you would be unnecessarily making it a lot harder to deliver quality sets and especially flavorful top-down designs."
On a separate post, Rosewater pointed out the fact that Magic has been making artifacts with continuous effects for twenty-six-years.
"Interestingly, back in original Mirrodin, Tyler Bielman and I made a bold proposal where we made a very firm delineation between what artifacts and enchantments could do, but it meant that we couldn't ever reprint things like Howling Mine and R&D shot down the plan.
Essentially, this is a fight I once tried to have, but I lost that fight sixteen years ago. The delineation that you seem to think exists, never really has, except in mana cost, and as I've explained, for the good of the game, Magic needs to adapt in this area."
It looks like a lot of MTG fans want to see more mechanical distinctions between artifacts and enchantments while the design team just wants to create something flavorfully unique even if the card types are mechanically similar.
What's your opinion when it comes to the designs of Throne of Eldraine's colored Artifacts? Feel free to discuss in the comments section below.
Throne of Eldraine, the 82nd Magic expansion, is set to release on October 4. Prerelease events will take place on September 27 to 29.
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