Cast types
July 10th 2009 06:37
“Establishing an African, Mesoamerican, or Arabian campaign can be rewarding and entertaining. Don’t, however, feel limited by the culture you have chosen.”
-- Dungeon Master’s Guide (v3.5), chapter 5
It’s too bad Wizards of the Coast didn’t take their own advice when concepting Champions of Kamigawa, as they faced issues of adaptation parallel to the Dungeon Master’s Guide’s hypothetical game manager. I can’t help but feel that if Kamigawa’s theme had been any mythology other than Japan’s, they would have dealt with many creature-type issues by finding one that already existed in Magic. Not only is there an odd sort of Orientalism around whose proponents insist that anything Japanese (or Chinese or Indian or whatever) is entirely unique and incomparable to anything that has ever existed, as though it were from another planet or something, but this is exactly what Wizards of the Coast did in at least three other sets.
A valkyrie is different enough from an angel that any theologian would classify them separately. Yet they didn’t get a separate creature type in Coldsnap.
A redcap is different enough from a goblin that any folklorist would classify them separately. Yet they didn’t get a separate creature type in Shadowmoor.
A selkie is different enough from a mermaid that any marine biologist would classify them separately. Yet they didn’t get a separate creature type in Eventide.
I don’t doubt there are pros to the Kamigawa approach. The concept of building an army of Samurai to face off against hordes of rampaging kami spirits from the same set was not uncool. On the other hand, it makes Kamigawa seem less like a part of Magic continuity, both mechanically and flavorwise, and it was easy when playing with Kamigawa cards to feel detached and isolated from the last eleven years (and also, when revisiting it now, from the five years since). As demonstrated in M10 and Shards of Alara, the offbeat, unique, or unusual creature type is by no means gone from Magic, but they’re saved for things that are themselves offbeat, unique, or unusual. And of course, things like this have much more impact when used relatively sparingly.
Enjoy the M10 pre-release tomorrow!
-- Dungeon Master’s Guide (v3.5), chapter 5
It’s too bad Wizards of the Coast didn’t take their own advice when concepting Champions of Kamigawa, as they faced issues of adaptation parallel to the Dungeon Master’s Guide’s hypothetical game manager. I can’t help but feel that if Kamigawa’s theme had been any mythology other than Japan’s, they would have dealt with many creature-type issues by finding one that already existed in Magic. Not only is there an odd sort of Orientalism around whose proponents insist that anything Japanese (or Chinese or Indian or whatever) is entirely unique and incomparable to anything that has ever existed, as though it were from another planet or something, but this is exactly what Wizards of the Coast did in at least three other sets.
A valkyrie is different enough from an angel that any theologian would classify them separately. Yet they didn’t get a separate creature type in Coldsnap.
A redcap is different enough from a goblin that any folklorist would classify them separately. Yet they didn’t get a separate creature type in Shadowmoor.
A selkie is different enough from a mermaid that any marine biologist would classify them separately. Yet they didn’t get a separate creature type in Eventide.
I don’t doubt there are pros to the Kamigawa approach. The concept of building an army of Samurai to face off against hordes of rampaging kami spirits from the same set was not uncool. On the other hand, it makes Kamigawa seem less like a part of Magic continuity, both mechanically and flavorwise, and it was easy when playing with Kamigawa cards to feel detached and isolated from the last eleven years (and also, when revisiting it now, from the five years since). As demonstrated in M10 and Shards of Alara, the offbeat, unique, or unusual creature type is by no means gone from Magic, but they’re saved for things that are themselves offbeat, unique, or unusual. And of course, things like this have much more impact when used relatively sparingly.
Worthy.
Enjoy the M10 pre-release tomorrow!
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