<a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Drought" href="#" target="_blank">Drought</a> | Illustrated by <a href="https://www.nenethomasart.com/">NeNe Thomas</a>
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For the past few sets, Magic: The Gathering has had a profound lack of flavor text. Compared with expansions sets from the 2000s and 2010s, the past year or so suffered from a distinct level of <a href="https://commandersherald.com/solitaired-study-declares-magic-worlds-most-complex-tabletop-game/">rules complexity</a> and mechanical creeping. But according to Magic Head Designer Mark Rosewater, the end of the flavor text drought is just beyond the horizon.
<h2>Mark Rosewater's Statement on Flavor Text</h2>
On Wednesday, August 6th, a Tumblr user asked Rosewater about the current lack of flavor text on most cards in recent years. This was noted especially for "fancy cards" that lacked reminder text. Rosewater replied, "We are making a conscious effort to prioritize having more cards with flavor text."
<div class="tumblr-post" data-href="https://embed.tumblr.com/embed/post/t:DfYWVw3OWM7GYSz0pPuL-Q/791164763967242240/v2" data-did="da39a3ee5e6b4b0d3255bfef95601890afd80709" ><a href="https://www.tumblr.com/markrosewater/791164763967242240/is-it-possible-that-we-could-see-more-flavor">https://www.tumblr.com/markrosewater/791164763967242240/is-it-possible-that-we-could-see-more-flavor</a></div>
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The present reality is that yes, flavor text is on a strict decline. With the game growing more and more complex with each passing year, there's so little room for flavor text now. However, if this is to change, it will only do so slowly and gradually overall. After all, the Magic Design team works roughly two and a half years ahead of a set's release.
<h2>Thoughts in the Notes Section</h2>
Nevertheless, this statement, as brief as it is, bodes well for fans of the story of each set. One especially grateful Tumblr user left a note on this statement, saying to Mark Rosewater directly, "I don’t have all the thanks this deserves, but take all the thanks I can give. Regardless, I’ll be sending more on a daily basis."
Another Tumblr user added, "Please add more flavor text. It is especially annoying for me when one card out of a cycle of five doesn’t have flavor text because it is wordier than the other four. It breaks the feel of the cycle." This is a sentiment that rings true to many Magic players, to be sure.
So now, let's hear from you, dear readers. Do you want Magic to eschew complexity in favor of lore and flavor text? Sound off below!

Mark Rosewater: Flavor Text Drought Will Soon Lift

<h6 style="text-align: right;">Image credit: Wizards of the Coast</h6>
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Magic Head Designer Mark Rosewater is no stranger to public relations. He's teased multiple sets for players ahead of the debut of their preview seasons in years past. This is normally done through <a href="https://markrosewater.tumblr.com/">his Tumblr account</a>, known as "Blogatog". On this social media account, Rosewater often answers important Magic design questions from curious players. On Tuesday, July 1st, Rosewater gave players <a href="https://markrosewater.tumblr.com/post/787882322917801984/maros-edge-of-eternities-teaser">a teaser for what to expect</a> in the next Magic set, Edge of Eternities.
<h2>Mark Rosewater’s Edge of Eternities Teaser</h2>
To directly quote Rosewater's post, here are a few notable abilities you can expect from the new set:
<blockquote>• repeatable activated ability that lets you draw two cards and create a 2/2 creature token
• white card that can return noncreature, nonland cards from the graveyard to the battlefield
• another “Arch” charm
• card that makes you choose odd or even
• new artifact token called Munitions
• variant on devour
• card that lets you take control of an opponent
• legendary five-color artifact
• poison card
• card that grants an ability to Slivers</blockquote>
After these, Rosewater showcased some rules text, albeit many likely only in part:
<blockquote>• “Whenever you play a land or cast a spell, draw a card.”
• “If it’s not a creature, it becomes a 0/0 Robot artifact creature.”
• “You may play lands from your graveyard.”
• “you may instead create that many tokens that are copies of enchanted permanent.”
• “Artifact cards and red cards in your hand have”
• “put target creature from defending player’s graveyard onto the battlefield under your control tapped and attacking.”
• “The first spell each player casts during each of their turns may be cast without paying its mana cost.”
• “X is the number of differently named lands you control.”
• “Artifacts you control are Foods in addition to their other types”
• “Spells you cast have affinity for artifacts.”</blockquote>
After that, Mark gave us a few creature typelines for Edge of Eternities:
<blockquote>• Creature – Jellyfish Scientist
• Creature – Insect Artificer
• Creature – Plant Scorpion
• Creature – Drix Assassin
• Creature – Elemental Lhurgoyf
• Creature – Mite
• Artifact Creature – Robot Pangolin
• Legendary Creature – Kavu Scout
• Legendary Creature – Lobster Citizen
• Creature – Eldrazi</blockquote>
Finally, Mark provided some names in the set:
<blockquote>• Close Encounter
• Command Bridge
• Decode Transmissions
• Emergency Eject
• Invasive Maneuvers
• Lost in Space
• Nebula Dragon
• Space-Time Anomaly
• Systems Override
• Tractor Beam</blockquote>
<h2>Thoughts on the Teaser</h2>
Overall, we're excited to see all the new cards! Players seem especially interested in what a Munitions token will do.
We are also quite intrigued about the (probably) attack trigger that puts a creature from the defending player's graveyard onto the battlefield tapped and attacking. Are there strings attached to that trigger?
Furthermore, it is very cool that we will be seeing a return of the Eldrazi in the set. However, we are fairly aware of the number crunch for colors in the set. Because colorless nonartifact cards come first in the set number order, we can anticipate only one Eldrazi, if not a very small handful more.
In addition, we also seriously cannot wait to see the Lobster Citizen legendary creature, and what it is capable of. Is it just a "silly little guy"? Could it be a menace in Constructed? We'll just have to wait and find out!
Finally, what in the world(s) could Nebula Dragon do? That name is amazing!
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
We're super excited for Edge of Eternities here at EDHREC. Are you? Let us know in the comments what teasers you're most hyped for!

Magic Head Designer Provides Teaser for Edge of Eternities

<h6 style="text-align: right;">Magic Head Designer Mark Rosewater | Image Credit: Wizards of the Coast</h6>
It's not surprising to many that Tarkir Dragonstorm is selling quite well right now. The sales data that Wizards of the Coast has access to seems to give credence to that idea. However, a few questions happen to spring from this well-received set, one of which we will cover here. In short, Magic Head Designer Mark Rosewater is busy on social media answering questions about Magic's design process and its reception. Very specifically, on <a href="https://www.tumblr.com/markrosewater">Blogatog</a>, Rosewater's work-oriented Tumblr blog, he has been addressing inquiries about exactly why Tarkir Dragonstorm has sold so well.
<div class="tumblr-post" data-href="https://embed.tumblr.com/embed/post/t:DfYWVw3OWM7GYSz0pPuL-Q/781025267501137920/v2" data-did="da39a3ee5e6b4b0d3255bfef95601890afd80709" ><a href="https://www.tumblr.com/markrosewater/781025267501137920/re-ub-has-made-players-want-in-universe-sets-to">https://www.tumblr.com/markrosewater/781025267501137920/re-ub-has-made-players-want-in-universe-sets-to</a></div>
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In his most in-depth reply, posted on Thursday, April 17th, Rosewater addressed a slight inaccuracy within his previous answers. In earlier replies, he mentioned the need for Magic sets to push boundaries. However, upon users such as the one in the embedded Tumblr post above calling Rosewater out on this, Rosewater admitted he misspoke. The crux of his point was that players want Magic to feel like Magic. Pushing bounds is still a valid design choice when designing for the game, and that holds true for "in-Multiverse" Magic sets.
<div class="tumblr-post" data-href="https://embed.tumblr.com/embed/post/t:DfYWVw3OWM7GYSz0pPuL-Q/781082769582358534/v2" data-did="da39a3ee5e6b4b0d3255bfef95601890afd80709" ><a href="https://www.tumblr.com/markrosewater/781082769582358534/just-wanted-to-chime-in-that-im-incredibly">https://www.tumblr.com/markrosewater/781082769582358534/just-wanted-to-chime-in-that-im-incredibly</a></div>
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But this brings us to why this all came together the way it did, from all this discussion of bounds and nostalgia to the roaring success of Tarkir Dragonstorm. During this whole discussion thread, Rosewater mainly tried to say that in-Multiverse Magic: The Gathering sets should, appropriately, feel like Magic.
This is something that Tarkir Dragonstorm has done exceptionally well in many players' eyes. It is entirely plausible that, to use a bit of redundant speech, Magic players want Magic cards. Many of those players are not particularly enthused by the Universes Beyond initiative or its many tie-ins. And to reuse a slight cliche, they often just want Magic the way its creator Richard Garfield originally intended.
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Breaching Dragonstorm"></div></div>
<h2>Mark Rosewater's Response Is A Good Sign</h2>
Rosewater, addressing these accolades and questions, feels like a good step towards this goal. It at the very least means that the good people at Wizards of the Coast are listening to players' concerns. Does this mean that in the next 2.5 years, we will start getting in-Multiverse sets that definitively feel more like Magic of old? This may be true. At the same time, it could be a shorter span, or even a longer one, until we get that again. Furthermore, some in-Multiverse Magic sets may end up missing the mark on that concept. Such is the way of design-based experimentation. But suffice it to say, we should focus on the here and now and continue to celebrate the critical and commercial successes of Tarkir Dragonstorm.
Let's open the floor to you. How do you feel about the new set? Do you think it "feels" like Magic: The Gathering? Additionally, what is your opinion of Universes Beyond? Sound off below!

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Mark Rosewater: Flavor Text Drought Will Soon Lift

Magic Head Designer Provides Teaser for Edge of Eternities

Mark Rosewater: In-Multiverse Sets Should Feel Like Magic