Dear Magic the Gathering

Our letters

On this website Hanjo writes a love letter for a Magic the Gathering card every day. Danny writes hate letters for a Magic the Gathering card every now and again. You can read about our feelings here.

  • Dear Chalice of the Void,

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    Can someone please explain to me the sheer cosmic mystery that is Chalice of the Void? Like, why on earth was this card ever printed? What twisted design philosophy led to the creation of a card that is simultaneously obnoxious, confusing, and borderline anti-fun? Seriously, what purpose does this card serve, other than to turn what could be a dynamic game into a slow, miserable slog where both players are constantly on edge to play magic cards and second-guessing if they missed a trigger?

    Is it fun to print cards that force players into this bizarre mental gymnastics of remembering triggers? Because the trigger window is so awkward it’s practically an invitation for both players to forget it exists and then spend the next five minutes arguing over whether the trigger was missed or not. How many judge calls have been made over this exact issue? How much time has been wasted trying to rewind the game and fix a missed Chalice trigger? And don’t even get me started on the chaos this causes when you realise you only have a few seconds to remember it before it’s too late. 

    Is it really the kind of gameplay experience Wizards wants to encourage? Cards that create these weird “gotcha” moments, where winning or losing hinges on whether someone remembered the  Chalice trigger? It’s not clever. It’s not skill-testing. It’s just headache-inducing.

    And what about the sheer quality of the actual card? Why do we want a colorless card that hoses aggro decks that rely on cards costing 1? Why, oh why, would anyone think it’s a good idea to print a card that completely shuts down entire decks based solely on the number of cards in their hand or on the casting cost, rather than any meaningful interaction? Just “Stop playing spells of this cost.” Great design. So much interaction. So much fun.

    In summary: Chalice of the Void is everything that’s wrong with Magic the Gathering design: convoluted triggers, anti-fun stalemate potential, and a never-ending source of judge calls and player frustration. Please, next time you whip up a new card, maybe leave the Chalice in the past where it belongs.

    Yours in relentless frustration and casting cost misery, 

    Danny

  • Dear Keen Buccaneer,

    <3

    I love you. I love that you fit perfectly in my Hanjo Masters #1 cube. For years and years Stormbound Geist held your seat in that cube until the day came for you to claim it. Why? Because I have loved the Proliferate mechanic ever since it was printed. I loved it because in my Hanjo Masters #1 Cube Proliferate is a Red and Blue aggro/tempo oriented strategy. Using Thrummingbird to build up a big Splatter Thug. Or clearing a blocker with Volt Charge while making your Gore-House Chainwalker a 4/3. But a good Blue common creature with a Proliferate synergy has always been lacking. Stormbound Geist was the best there was, and let me tell you, it was bad. Very bad. It got picked last so many times. It sat in sideboards so many times. But not anymore, because now, you are here. 

    You have the Proliferate synergie. You fit perfectly in the aggro/tempo strategy with your potential 3/4 body and vigilance. Making it hard to compete with you in combat. And you are even a crossover card for other strategies. Blue and Green Madness would love for you to come join them. Blue and Black Psychatog could also really use your help. Hell even Blue and White Blink can reset your Exhaust ability to keep getting value out of you. I love it that all those strategies are interested in you. As a designer that is. Because when I am drafting Blue and Red Proliferate, you are all mine. 

    With love,

    Hanjo