All B/R update speculation.

[Scott]

While you're right in saying that Red doesn't have a monopoly on the effect (Blue and Red both share the sphere of "metamagic", or interacting with Instants/Sorceries), it generally had greater precedent from earlier cards like Recoup to a spell that sat in the same set as Snappy, Past in Flames. Not to mention, Snappy is aggressively costed and would fit better in the color of aggression.

It's not so much that Snappy didn't fit in Blue mechanically, it's more that Blue really didn't need Snappy nearly as much as Red did. That's a story that seems to have been playing out far too often the past few blocks, what with Blue getting toys they'll hardly even play with while other colors get dirty hand-me-downs.

I don't play Limited or Standard, did blue need Snapcaster in those? I'm curious how good a job WotC has done at balancing (yes, a fucked up balance in which blue doesn't get good counters but gets creatures it shouldn't, and messes with Legacy) in the formats it does most of its designing for.

[TheInfamousBearAssassin]

While you're right in saying that Red doesn't have a monopoly on the effect (Blue and Red both share the sphere of "metamagic", or interacting with Instants/Sorceries), it generally had greater precedent from earlier cards like Recoup to a spell that sat in the same set as Snappy, Past in Flames. Not to mention, Snappy is aggressively costed and would fit better in the color of aggression.

It's not so much that Snappy didn't fit in Blue mechanically, it's more that Blue really didn't need Snappy nearly as much as Red did. That's a story that seems to have been playing out far too often the past few blocks, what with Blue getting toys they'll hardly even play with while other colors get dirty hand-me-downs.

In addition to the above, blue had heretofore had almost no graveyard recursion to its name. A very efficient Witness variant therefore was quite bizarre.

[Barook]

Wizards admitted later on that Snapcaster probably would have fit better into red, but they wanted to stick to the original blue design of the Invitational winner Tiago, so it ended up in blue.

[Amon Amarth]

Wizards admitted later on that Snapcaster probably would have fit better into red, but they wanted to stick to the original blue design of the Invitational winner Tiago, so it ended up in blue.

They have had absolutely no qualms in the past about changing the color (or even more!) of Invitational cards so I don't know why they even bothered to use that BS excuse.

[HSCK]

Yeah, why would they listen to their last invitational winner? Didn't they know people on The Source would complain it's blue?

[TheInfamousBearAssassin]

Yeah, why would they listen to their last invitational winner? Didn't they know people on The Source would complain it's blue?

People complained in Standard too.

And why indeed? They've changed or nerfed most of the invitational designs, why not fix this one too?

[Will_L]

People complained in Standard too.

And why indeed? They've changed or nerfed most of the invitational designs, why not fix this one too?

I could be wrong but I think Chan's initial concept was called Denying River or something?

It was a land that tapped for colorless and you can pay 2UU, discard it and counter target spell. If that is the case then they did already change one of his designs.

[JPoJohnson]

I could be wrong but I think Chan's initial concept was called Denying River or something?

It was a land that tapped for colorless and you can pay 2UU, discard it and counter target spell. If that is the case then they did already change one of his designs.

This was the original idea:

Denying Channel
Land
Tap: Add 1 Mana to your mana pool.
2UU, Discard Denying Channel: Counter target spell.

They decided that an uncounterable counter spell was too potent.

Edit: Actually, the description that was chosen for the picture of the card is pretty funny:

"Color: Blue creature
Action: Start with the reference. Design a bad-ass human mage based on the reference. He is wearing a metal arm enhancement with glass tubing that contains ghost energy. We can see the ghosts swirling around inside the glass. The mage should look smart and powerful.
Focus: The mage
Mood: Powerful, smart, dangerous"

[Arsenal]

Lol at a 4 mana uncounterable counter spell as too strong. Didn't they print a 4 mana uncounterable counter spell in Last Word? I realize the diff between a spell and land slot, but still, if that's their rationale, that doesn't make sense.

Instead, they print a Flash 2/1 Recoup... that can be pitched to Force of Will.

[(nameless one)]

Instead, they print a Flash 2/1 Recoup... that can be pitched to Force of Will.

Although you have to admit, its a great design! /////

[Barook]

Although you have to admit, its a great design! /////

Snapcaster is strong, but Bob is GOAT design.

People complained in Standard too.

And why indeed? They've changed or nerfed most of the invitational designs, why not fix this one too?

Because it's blue and Wizards is a bunch of dicks.

I don't even know which invitational card was mangled the most by Wizards - my vote goes to Rakdos Augermage.

[Holly]

Didn't Finkel wanted some kind of Wrath of God effect?

Edit:
For winning, Jon Finkel will see the card he created get added to an upcoming expansion. Finkel's submitted card is: "Wrath of LekniF", a 1WWU Sorcery with the text "Destroy all creatures. They can't be regenerated. Untap up to four lands.

[JPoJohnson]

Didn't Finkel wanted some kind of Wrath of God effect?

Edit:
For winning, Jon Finkel will see the card he created get added to an upcoming expansion. Finkel's submitted card is: "Wrath of LekniF", a 1WWU Sorcery with the text "Destroy all creatures. They can't be regenerated. Untap up to four lands.

Where did you see this?

[testing32]

Watching the PT coverage reminds me what a healthy format looks like.

[Darkenslight]

Where did you see this?

IIRC, it was the preview article for Shadowmage Infiltrator, all the way back in 2001.

[Dzra]

Now we're complaining about Snapcaster Mage? While it's undoubtedly good, the card barely makes a ripple in the format. Is there any particularly reason for hating Blue cards other than them simply being Blue? Honestly, I understand wanting to make the colors a little more balanced, but some of you people sound like you have a personal vendetta against Blue as a color, like WotC is personally attacking you every time there is a playable Blue card.

[TheInfamousBearAssassin]

Now we're complaining about Snapcaster Mage? While it's undoubtedly good, the card barely makes a ripple in the format. Is there any particularly reason for hating Blue cards other than them simply being Blue? Honestly, I understand wanting to make the colors a little more balanced, but some of you people sound like you have a personal vendetta against Blue as a color, like WotC is personally attacking you every time there is a playable Blue card.

So you understand people wanting color balance, you just don't understand why people would want... say... cards with a historically not-blue effect... to be in not-blue colors... to say... maybe... balance the colors more?

[Dzra]

So you understand people wanting color balance, you just don't understand why people would want... say... cards with a historically not-blue effect... to be in not-blue colors... to say... maybe... balance the colors more?

I understand wishing they'd have made Snapcaster Mage Red or wishing they'd never printed True-Name Nemesis in the first place, but they aren't going to errata a card's color for crying out loud, so why waste time fussing about it? There's no point in filling up endless threads complaining about Blue cards when people could be making constructive posts brainstorming new card ideas that might actually get picked up. I'm under the impression that rather than having the will or knowledge to actually make constructive posts, the majority of the anti-Blue crowd simply likes to hear themselves bitch without actually saying anything new or interesting, probably because it makes them feel more special to be counter to "popular" opinion (or color as it may be).

[Barook]

when people could be making constructive posts brainstorming new card ideas that might actually get picked up.

They should make a white Imperial Recruiter - fits the color pie and D&T would probably play the shit out of it. Non-creature-heavy blue decks probably wouldn't get much use out of it.

[TheInfamousBearAssassin]

I'm pretty sure we already have plenty of fan creation conversations, although fan created cards tend to be dumb. So this is really just trying to silence an argument by labeling it "bitching" or "whining," and not dealing with the actual substance.