神河当時 - ASK WIZARDS 黒のカードパワー

昨日の記事の続きです。

August 9, 2005
Q: "I was wondering if you could provide a little history on the playtesting of Shinen of Fear’s Chill. Traditionally, ’CARDNAME cannot block’ is a sufficient drawback that it provides a discount to the casting cost (Villainous Ogre) or at least keeps it mana-efficient (Spineless Thug). But this creature technically costs two mana more than a 3/2 creature ’should’, with a serious drawback. Most of the other channeling cards seem to be more cost-effective despite the Channel ability (Shinen of Life’s Roar, for instance). Since the channel cost is so low, I assume there’s a story behind why a seemingly crippled creature is so expensive?"
--Nicholas
Spokane, Washington, USA

A: From Randy Buehler, Director of Magic R&D:

"We find that Limited play (both Booster Draft and Sealed Deck) is more interesting when there is a bell curve of power level amongst the commons. Some of the commons should be very efficient while others should be mediocre and some should be so bad that they almost always wind up in your sideboard. We knew the black Shinen was over-costed, but we did it on purpose anyway because we needed to curve the set properly for Limited play. I actually chose the Shinen as one of the specific black commons to put ’below the curve’ because the channel ability is actually out of flavor for black. When you play it, you get the very red effect ’target creature can’t block’ and I thought it was fair to charge a black card extra for bleeding that ability out of its normal color."

August 11, 2005

Q: "I thought that Black was not supposed to get efficient small creatures anymore unless they have a drawback? If so, doesn’t Hand of Cruelty go against this?"
--Ryan
Washington, D.C.

A: From Mike Turian, Magic R&D:

"Hand of Cruelty does bend the rules slightly but we have a good reason. Up until Fifth Edition, White Knight and Black Knight were natural enemies year after year. Sixth Edition was the end of this very popular pairs’ run. With the Saviors of Kamigawa design we wanted to revisit that natural rivalry with Hand of Cruelty and Hand of Honor. Of course, this was no problem from a white creature, white is known for its efficient weenies, but as you noted black is not. We wanted to make the pair mirror each other but the only way this was possible was to make them each 2-mana 2/2’s; anything else wouldn’t emphasize their rivalry. In the end the color pie took a back seat to make Magic a more flavorful game."

August 15, 2005

Q: "Was Footsteps of the Goryo printed correctly? As currently worded the card is nearly useless; in order to do anything at all in most situations, it would need to either give Haste or be an instant."
--Jeff
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

A: From Devin Low, Magic R&D:

Footsteps of the Goryo is a great example of a card that requires some creativity and/or sneakiness to make it ’do’ something. Sure, if you cast it on Hill Giant, it seems pretty pointless. But if you cast it on Keiga, the Tide Star, it’s a(2)(B) Persuasion. If you cast it on Forked-Branch Garami, it’s (2)(B) ’Return two target Spirits with converted mana cost 4 or less to your hand.’ Cast it on Kagemaro, First to Suffer as a (2)(B)(B) Wrath of God. In a pinch, cast it on Sakura-Tribe Elder as a (2)(B) Rampant Growth. But how do you get all those creatures into your graveyard? Gifts Ungiven, Dampen Thought, Traumatize... the list goes on. And it’s arcane! Which means it does approximately 344% more things than I already said. Like countless other Magic players, I’ve had a lot of fun taking seemingly “useless” cards and winning the game with them. (Go go Creature Bond!)

引用元
ASK WIZARDS - AUGUST, 2005 Posted in Feature on August 1, 2005
https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/ask-wizards-august-2005-2005-08-01

黒のカードパワーについての質問が３つあったのでまとめて扱います。

August 9, 2005の質問
Q.《恐怖の悪寒の思念/Shinen of Fear’s Chill》はなぜあんなに弱いのか？
A.リミテッドのため、あえて弱く作った。《恐慌/Panic》効果は本来赤なので割高。

August 11, 2005の質問
Q.黒の小型クリーチャーは、デメリットなしでは弱いのがルールなのに《残虐の手/Hand of Cruelty》はいいのか？
A.ルールを意図的に曲げた。第６版で終わった《白騎士》と《黒騎士》のライバル関係を、再現したかったため。

August 15, 2005の質問
Q.《御霊の足跡/Footsteps of the Goryo》はインスタントか速攻付与ないと無意味では？
A.一見役に立たないが実際には様々な応用ができる、想像力を掻き立てるカードである。ドラゴン・スピリットや転生などのPIGを誘発させたり、自分を生け贄に捧げる能力を起動したりできる。そして、秘儀であるため、多様なシナジーが発生する。

弱い・強い・弱そうで強い、と三者三様の評価が面白いところです。
強いカードが好まれやすいのは確かですが、弱いカードもまたリミテッドには必要とされます。
また、パッと見ただけでだけで強さが分かりきってしまうのも、意外な強カードを発見する面白さがありません。
強そうだと思って弱かったガッカリもついてきますが、そうした当たり外れがあってこそだとも言えます。


補足
記事として取り上げることはありませんが、同記事で触れられている神河の事柄について、付記しておきます。

August 17, 2005の質問
Q.「Onna」の意味は？
A.女性。日本の民間伝承で有名な「雪女」を元にしたサイクル。