This set is interesting for several design aspects. For a while, WotC was being quite cautious about complexity, both in terms of mechanics and in terms of how many complex cards would show up in...
This set is interesting for several design aspects. For a while, WotC was being quite cautious about complexity, both in terms of mechanics and in terms of how many complex cards would show up in a set and how complex card faces were “as fan” (i.e., if you were to fan out the cards you open in a booster pack of the set). The Adventure cards not only are visually complex, essentially being two spells in one, but the Adventure mechanic is not self-evident, nor even easily predictable (lots of speculation occurred before it was revealed, and I didn’t see anyone get it totally correct). I think it’s OK for MTG to have some rules like this, but as time goes on and more of them accrue, the game can seem overbearing with complexity to new players. It’s probably already well past the point where a new player could pick up the game by randomly sampling cards from a store’s penny bin, but if a new set in Standard is too complex it might be a bad sign (for new players). For me, as an enfranchised player, I’m loving the spoilers so far, and I’m especially excited that they’re printing mechanically interesting cards across different rarities. I don’t mind being catered to, but I also worry if the game will be able to attract new players (that’s what keeps WotC/Hasbro in business as older players age out/take a break). For a long while there was little to no hope of having interesting cards outside of rare or mythic rare rarities, but in the set we’ve already seen Syr Konrad as an uncommon (and we know he’s a part of a cycle of mono-colored knights representing the 5 courts of Eldraine).
The mere fact that this token is included in boosters means that they know it's not a clear mechanic as printed. I really hope that iffy mechanics like this are a product of WotC intentionally...
there's a dedicated token for Adventure cards in exile
The mere fact that this token is included in boosters means that they know it's not a clear mechanic as printed. I really hope that iffy mechanics like this are a product of WotC intentionally shaving off new mechanics from the remaining design space very slowly, as opposed to them reaching for mechanics because they feel like there is little design space left to mine.
This set is interesting for several design aspects. For a while, WotC was being quite cautious about complexity, both in terms of mechanics and in terms of how many complex cards would show up in a set and how complex card faces were “as fan” (i.e., if you were to fan out the cards you open in a booster pack of the set). The Adventure cards not only are visually complex, essentially being two spells in one, but the Adventure mechanic is not self-evident, nor even easily predictable (lots of speculation occurred before it was revealed, and I didn’t see anyone get it totally correct). I think it’s OK for MTG to have some rules like this, but as time goes on and more of them accrue, the game can seem overbearing with complexity to new players. It’s probably already well past the point where a new player could pick up the game by randomly sampling cards from a store’s penny bin, but if a new set in Standard is too complex it might be a bad sign (for new players). For me, as an enfranchised player, I’m loving the spoilers so far, and I’m especially excited that they’re printing mechanically interesting cards across different rarities. I don’t mind being catered to, but I also worry if the game will be able to attract new players (that’s what keeps WotC/Hasbro in business as older players age out/take a break). For a long while there was little to no hope of having interesting cards outside of rare or mythic rare rarities, but in the set we’ve already seen Syr Konrad as an uncommon (and we know he’s a part of a cycle of mono-colored knights representing the 5 courts of Eldraine).
The mere fact that this token is included in boosters means that they know it's not a clear mechanic as printed. I really hope that iffy mechanics like this are a product of WotC intentionally shaving off new mechanics from the remaining design space very slowly, as opposed to them reaching for mechanics because they feel like there is little design space left to mine.