Big-Picture Questions, Part 2

The Mana Forge Digest

In a two-part article, Magic designer Mark Gottlieb discusses why enchantment creatures are not considered a staple like artifact creatures, citing historical precedence and design choices.

Key points

• Enchantment creatures took 27 years to be widely accepted in Magic after their initial creation.
• Artifacts were the first creatures in Magic, setting a precedent.
• Enchantment creatures were initially harder to design due to their generic mana costs.
• Designers eventually relied more on flavor to justify enchantment creatures' status.

What you get

• Understanding the historical context of enchantment creatures in Magic.
• Learning about the design challenges and choices that led to their acceptance.
• Gaining insight into how flavor and mechanical elements influence creature design in Magic.

Why it matters

This article helps players and designers understand the evolution of enchantment creatures in Magic, providing context for their current status and design considerations.

Details

Richard Garfield created artifact creatures first, setting a precedent for their inclusion in Magic.

Lucent Liminid was designed as a French vanilla creature, meaning it was a basic creature with enchantment abilities.

The original Theros set made a conscious effort to make enchantment creatures feel like enchantments, making them harder to design.

Theros Beyond Death, another 13 years later, was the first set to fully embrace and justify the enchantment nature of enchantment creatures.

Good to know

• The article discusses the evolution of enchantment creatures in Magic over 27 years.
• The design challenges and choices made over time influenced the current status of enchantment creatures.

Read the original on Wizards (https://magic.wizards.com/en/news/making-magic/big-picture-questions-part-2) • Source: Wizards of the Coast