Introduced alongside existing keywords such as Landfall and Kicker, Magic: The Gathering‘s latest expansion, Zendikar Rising, also brought us two brand new mechanics in the form of Modal Double-Face Card Cards (MDFCs) and Party, but there was almost a third to go along with them. On the latest episode of Good Morning Magic, Wizards of the Coast’s Gavin Verhey discussed various aspects of the design process behind cards introduced with the final third of Magic‘s 2020 block, including how members of the team had originally intended for one called Titan to make it in.
In terms of lore, Verhey explains how the keyword was created as a means to represent the remnants of the Eldrazi’s – an ancient alien race inspired by the works of H.P. Lovecraft – influence on the plane of Zendikar, specifically in reference to the three titans once trapped there: Emrakul, Ulamog and Kozilek. Similarly to Kicker, Titan would have given players two different casting cost options when playing a card, one of which would bestow an additional effect after tapping any land color.
As for why the mechanic was cut during production, Verhey says Titan was simply too familiar in terms of gameplay to Kicker and was ultimately left on the cutting room floor. That’s not to say the idea won’t be revisited some time in the future, of course, but it looks like Wizards’ focus is on streamlining the design process for Kicker before it introduces anything of the sort again.
As for MDFC and Party cards, fans have received no indication as yet whether either will eventually become an evergreen (i.e. a mechanic that isn’t just restricted to a single set) addition to Magic: The Gathering‘s ever-expanding rules, though feel free to let us know in the meantime whether you’d like to see either return in future releases down below!
Source: Wizards of the Coast (via YouTube)