Imagine celebrating three decades of crafting a game that has captivated millions worldwide—yet the true enchantment emerges from the groundbreaking innovations that propelled it forward! Over the past couple of weeks, in Part 1 and Part 2 of this anniversary reflection, I've been retracing the 30 most pivotal advancements in Magic: The Gathering's design since I joined Wizards of the Coast on October 30, 1995. Today, as we wrap up this trilogy, we're diving into the final 10 entries, kicking off with the 21st one. And trust me, each of these has a story that might just surprise you—let's get started.
- Double-Faced Cards (Innistrad – September 2011)
Bloodline Keeper // Lord of Lineage
Back when we embarked on Innistrad, our standard approach for top-down themed sets kicked in: we brainstormed everything fans might anticipate from the core theme we're emulating. For a Gothic horror vibe, monstrous creatures topped the agenda. Sure, we'd already introduced plenty of Vampire and Spirit monsters in Magic, but Werewolves were scarce—just a couple of forgettable ones before this set. So, I knew nailing the mechanical representation of Werewolves would be crucial to capturing that essence.
I outlined specific goals for my crew: these Werewolf cards needed dual forms—a human side and a monstrous werewolf side—with a mechanism to shift between them. Tom Lapille, part of the Design team, had just wrapped work on Duel Masters, a card game we produce for Japan. They featured double-faced cards (DFCs), essentially cards with artwork and info on both sides. Why not adapt that for our Werewolves?
I'll be honest, I had my doubts when Tom proposed it, but I'm all about experimenting hands-on before passing judgment. And wow, it tested beautifully. After just a few play sessions, the whole Design team was hooked on double-faced cards. I took an unusual early step and consulted our Print team. While Duel Masters could pull off DFCs easily, Magic's massive scale demanded extra scrutiny—things that work for smaller games often don't translate to one as enormous as ours.
As it turned out, we could make it happen, albeit with adjustments. Initially, Magic's DFCs involved a single-sided card in your main deck that pulled a double-faced one from outside the game. But ensuring they paired up in booster packs proved tricky, so we switched to checklist cards.
Now, here's where it gets controversial: internally, there was fierce opposition to DFCs. Several R&D folks at the time believed printing them was fundamentally misguided. Yet we pushed ahead, and they became a massive success. But what do you think—should designers always experiment with unproven tech, even against resistance?
Double-faced cards unlocked vast creative potential. We began with transforming double-faced cards (TDFCs). Later, we introduced modal double-faced cards (MDFCs). And starting with Magic: The Gathering® | Spider-Man, we've expanded to MDFCs that can transform. This is the part most people miss: it's not just about Werewolves; it's a mechanic that keeps evolving, adding layers of strategy and surprise to gameplay.
- Gold Signposts (Theros – September 2013)
Akroan Hoplite, Chronicler of Heroes, Destructive Revelry, Horizon Chimera, Kragma Warcaller, Pharika's Mender, Shipwreck Singer, Spellheart Chimera
Last week, I discussed Erik Lauer's ambition to establish ten two-color draft archetypes as the standard blueprint for sets. That was fantastic for the designers—he set the vision and ensured adherence as lead designer. But here's the catch: we needed the players to embrace it too. We could weave it into the sets, but without player awareness, its full promise wouldn't shine.
The Return to Ravnica block excelled at archetype communication, thanks to its guild system, which boosted gold (multicolor) cards and loudly signaled two-color combos. Khans of Tarkir, being a three-color set, highlighted five enemy-color archetypes with uncommon gold cards. Theros, however, was our first set with ten pure two-color archetypes sans factions, so Erik sought a solution.
Sometimes design fixes call for nuance; other times, blunt force. This was the latter. To spotlight what each two-color pair offered, we crafted a cycle of ten uncommon two-color cards that explicitly outlined their draft strategy. As uncommons, they'd appear frequently in Limited play, but their build-around nature made them unfit for commons.
The concept? When drafting one, it nudged players to prioritize cards in those colors accordingly. Theros built on the Innistrad block's foundation. And this is the part most people miss: uncommon gold signposts have endured, becoming a staple for guiding draft experiences.
- Exploratory Design (Khans of Tarkir – September 2014)
Dig Through Time
In the autumn of 2010, we ran The Great Designer Search 2, where Ethan Fleischer claimed first place and Shawn Main second. We offered both six-month R&D internships, which evolved into permanent roles. This contest emphasized worldbuilding, with finalists pitching their own Magic block ideas, focusing on elements for the inaugural set. Post-competition, I was keen to collaborate with them in this realm.
Coincidentally, I had a grand vision for the upcoming block, destined to become Khans of Tarkir. Early on, I assembled a team including them to explore its structure. The plan: two large sets flanking a small one, with the small set drafting alongside each large one, but never together. I loved the concept, but what kind of block would suit it?
I dubbed this group the Exploratory Design team, and we dedicated months unraveling Khans of Tarkir's structure. They conceived the time-travel narrative—first set in the present, second in the past, third in an altered present—and developed mechanics like manifest for use in the sets. Pleased with the results, I replicated this for Theros.
Exploratory design lets a team probe new set challenges before blueprinting, and its value has made it integral to our process. For beginners, think of it as scouting the terrain before building a house—ensuring everything fits seamlessly.
- Disciplined Subgroups (Council of Colors – August 2015)
As I detailed in this series' opener, early Magic prioritized thrilling individual cards. As the game expanded, R&D consolidated and standardized elements for consistency across products. Beyond rules, the color pie needed major refinement. Its philosophical foundations were present from the start, but we lacked uniform guidelines for each color's mechanics. As a color pie advocate, I took charge.
I invested heavily in refining each color's definitions and directing effects to appropriate colors. For years, I was the ultimate gatekeeper against color pie violations. However, two issues arose: it wasn't official, allowing others to override my decisions, and my growing head designer duties caused oversights.
Mark Gottlieb proposed a dedicated group for color pie oversight, dubbed the Council of Colors, assigning a counselor per color. For a deeper dive, check my prior piece on it.
Watching it flourish into a vital R&D pillar has been rewarding. And this is the part most people miss: the Council's success inspired subgroups for Commander, Universes Beyond, Casual Play, and Acquisition—all thriving. It demonstrates how focused teams can safeguard game's core aspects.
- Vision, Set, and Play Design (Dominaria – April 2018)
Jaya Ballard
When I arrived at Wizards, external parties handled set design, with R&D managing development—a second layer polishing the work. I likened it to Design as the author and Development as a rigorous editor, optimizing and refining.
With Weatherlight, R&D took over design but kept processes distinct, believing handoffs improved quality. This lasted over 20 years until Erik Lauer challenged the norm: could we enhance it?
His idea: evolve the two-step process into three, excluding exploratory design. Early design became Vision Design, late development Play Design, and the crossover Set Design.
This streamlined approach resolved longstanding inefficiencies. It's our current method. For beginners, imagine it as outlining a story (Vision), writing the draft (Set), and polishing for readers (Play).
- Collation as a Design Component (Dominaria – April 2018)
Card production involves printing, and for the uninitiated, cards are printed on large sheets—Magic often uses 11x11 grids—then cut and fed into boosters with varying rarities.
The process of assigning cards to sheets and slots is collation, crucial for design. We use math to balance rarities and minimize sheets, impacting set economics.
Initially, collation was merely a production tool, though improvements influenced design. Dominaria's legendary theme posed an 'as-fan' issue, as commons aren't typically legendary. Increasing uncommons helps, but lead designer Dave Humpherys had a novel idea.
Innistrad's DFCs required dedicated sheets, creating booster slots—similar to Time Spiral's timeshifted cards. Dave saw potential in guaranteed slots for thematic emphasis, like legendary creatures.
Could we engineer collation for a focal point in every pack? Yes, and it succeeded. But here's where it gets controversial: is it fair to manipulate collation for design flair, potentially skewing randomness? For example, some players argue it makes collecting feel less organic. What are your thoughts—does this enhance or undermine the magic of opening a pack?
- Batching (Dominaria – April 2018)
Jhoira's Familiar
Dominaria, Magic's original hub for its first decade, saw us explore the Multiverse, crafting distinct worlds: Ravnica's multicolored city, Innistrad's horror, Zendikar's adventures, Theros' myths.
Returning to Dominaria post-extended travels, we aimed for thematic cohesion amidst its scattered expansions. History emerged as the unifying thread, with the tagline 'A world whose present is defined by its past.'
Vision Design explored mechanical history capture. Graveyards seemed obvious, but recent and upcoming themes overlapped, so we pivoted to artifacts (past relics), legendaries (historical figures), and stories (tales)—introducing Saga enchantments.
An early Jhoira example:
Jhoira, Weatherlight Captain
2UR
Legendary Creature — Human Artificer
3/3
Whenever you cast an artifact, a legendary spell, or a Saga, draw a card.
Playtests revealed confusion: why these three? R&D VP Bill Rose demanded removal, giving me a month to fix it or lose the theme.
Attempts like flavor text or ability words failed. With a week left, I tried keywording without listing in rules text, using reminder text.
Whenever you cast a historic card, draw a card. (Artifacts, legendaries, and Sagas are historic.)
It clicked—players focused on 'historic,' accepting the list.
This birthed batching: grouping diverse elements like types or subtypes. Beyond historic, we've added party, modified, outlaw, with more to come. For beginners, it's like combining ingredients into a new recipe—artifacts, legendaries, and Sagas now form 'historic' synergy. And this is the part most people miss: batching transforms familiar parts into innovative wholes.
- Creation of Producers (October 2018)
R&D long functioned as a support team, focused on card design, while business aspects were handled elsewhere. In late 2018, this shifted: teams consolidated into product groups under Studio X (the name endured).
A new R&D role emerged: producers, assisting designers with non-design tasks like scheduling, logistics, printing test cards. This is the only non-visible change in my top 30, but it's revolutionized our workflow. Kudos to M.K., Nico, and Sam for easing our loads immensely.
- Project Booster Fun, Collector Boosters, and Secret Lair (Throne of Eldraine – October 2019)
Magic thrives as a trading card game, where collecting is as vital as playing. How to boost collectibility? Past efforts included foils and full-art, but we launched a focused initiative.
What visual innovations could we try? New artists, styles? We dubbed it Project Booster Fun, debuting with Throne of Eldraine. Collector Boosters, tested with Ravnica Allegiance, elevated it.
Secret Lair fits here too, with direct-to-fan sales enabling niche, small-run experiments.
All three have soared in popularity. But here's where it gets controversial: while fans love the exclusivity, critics worry it creates divides between casual and dedicated collectors. Does this innovation democratize collecting or exacerbate inequality?
- Universes Beyond (Secret Lair x The Walking Dead – October 2020)
Aaron Forsythe noted fans' fascination with converting favorite characters into Magic cards—my blog brimmed with color queries. This inspired Universes Beyond, adapting external properties.
We piloted in Ikoria with Godzilla cards. The first official release: Secret Lair x The Walking Dead.
It expanded to Commander decks (e.g., Warhammer 40,000) and full sets like The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth™. Polarizing to some, it's a hit.
Magic's entry barrier is steep—thousands of cards vs. chess's few pieces. Universes Beyond attracts newcomers via familiar IPs, easing the learning curve. It also re-engages former players. Yet, controversy swirls: does borrowing IPs dilute Magic's originality? Or is it a savvy bridge for growth? This is the part most people miss: it's not just crossovers; it's a strategic onramp for broader audiences.
30-Something
In roughly 9,500 words, that's our tour of the 30 major design leaps since my Wizards start 30 years back. Hope this retrospective delighted you! As ever, feedback on this or prior topics—or anniversary wishes—is welcome via email or socials (Bluesky, Tumblr, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter).
Next week, we'll explore my writing ethos.
Until then, here's a thought-provoking question: Which of these innovations do you cherish most, and which sparks debate? Does experimenting with mechanics like DFCs or batching push Magic forward, or risk alienating purists? Share your views in the comments—I'd love to hear agreements, disagreements, and fresh perspectives!
May your pursuits bring 30 years of passion.
