Drop and Give Me 2010

Welcome to Magic 2010 Previews, Week Two. Today I'm going to explain how the design process for Magic 2010 differed from every other design I've ever worked on (after almost fourteen years, that's a lot of sets). I'll tell a few stories. And, as always, I have another shiny new preview card to show you. In fact, let's get that out of the way right now.

This card really doesn't need any set-up other than I think it does an excellent job of demonstrating the shift we've made in our approach to the core set (and beyond).

Let me give a few random thoughts on Baneslayer Angel before we get to the meat of today's article.

* The aesthetic in me loves the fact that she's a five mana 5/5 with five abilities.
* We've come a long way since Serra Angel was removed from the core set for being too good.
* If this was an Un card, the creature would clearly have protection from dungeons rather than demons.
* Didn't I once say I wouldn't put "protection from dragons" on a card? Why yes I did in my article Design Language. Here's what I said:

The tricky part of designing for Vorthos is that R&D has shifted over the years away from mechanical aspects that don't have any application. Yes, it's flavorful if a knight has protection from dragons, but if the line never comes up in play, R&D has generally decided not to put it on the card. This is a blow to Vorthos, because to him "protection from dragons" adds value to the card.

Comment:
I think Baneslayer Angel is better than (both) Akroma. It easier to cast and it's not a legendary creature so you can play 4 Baneslayers!

Baneslayer image from magicthegathering.com

Read full article...