Lessons Learned, Part 9

The Mana Forge Digest

In 'Lessons Learned' part 9, Mike Turczyn discusses The Lost Caverns of Ixalan, highlighting its design challenges and the importance of vision design in Magic sets.

Key points

• The Lost Caverns of Ixalan was significantly altered from its original concept
• It failed to establish a clear set identity due to Vision Design's oversight
• Mike Turczyn led or co-led almost 50 Magic sets before this one

What you get

• An honest look at the design process of The Lost Caverns of Ixalan
• Understanding the importance of vision design in Magic set creation
• Learning from past mistakes to improve future designs

Why it matters

This article provides valuable insights into the challenges faced during Magic set development and emphasizes the critical role of vision design.

Details

The Lost Caverns of Ixalan was initially planned for a new plane, but changed to take place on Ixalan late in the process

Mike Turczyn led or co-led almost 50 sets before this one and recognized The Lost Caverns as the set where he most lost his way

The change from a new plane to Ixalan caused significant alterations to the design, leading to an identity crisis for the set

Good to know

• The article discusses lessons learned from the design of Magic sets, focusing on The Lost Caverns of Ixalan in particular

Read the original on Wizards (https://magic.wizards.com/en/news/making-magic/lessons-learned-part-9) • Source: Wizards of the Coast