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==Overview==
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[[Image:color_pie.jpg|frame|right|The Color Pie. © Wizards of the Coast]] The '''Color Wheel''' also known as the ''Color Pie'' is how [[Wizards of the Coast|Wizards]] categorize mechanics in the game of magic. It is also how one differentiates the philosophies behind the colors.  
'''Color''' is a basic [[property]] of [[card]]s in ''[[Magic: The Gathering]]'', forming the core of the game's [[mana]] system and overall strategy.


[[Image:color_wheel.jpg|frame|center|The Color Wheel. © Wizards of the Coast]]
==General==
There are five colors, sequenced [[white]] ({{W}}), [[blue]] ({{U}}), [[black]] ({{B}}), [[red]] ({{R}}), and [[green]] ({{G}}); this arrangement is called the "'''color pie'''" or "'''color wheel'''". Devised by ''Magic'' creator [[Richard Garfield]], the color system is one of the game's most fundamental and iconic elements. It gives the game diversity in its cards, effects, and play styles, while preventing any one deck from having every tool in the game.<ref name="Value Pie" /><ref name="Flavor Burst" /> [[Mark Rosewater]] considers the invention of the [[#The color pie|color pie]] to be part of the [[Golden Trifecta]] that made the game successful.<ref>{{DailyRef|making-magic/looking-back-part-1|Looking Back, Part 1|[[Mark Rosewater]]|March 11, 2024}}</ref>


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Each color signifies an ideological faction, whose culture defines the [[flavor]] and gameplay of its cards, as well as its relations with the other colors. Each color has its own means and motivation for doing battle in ''Magic'', which tie into its strengths, weaknesses, and unique [[mechanic]]s.<ref name="Pie Fights" /><ref name="Golden Girls" /> Head designer [[Mark Rosewater]] has written many articles about the color pie, both on its portrayal in-universe and its implications on the [[R&D|design and development of cards]]. In fact, there is a quotation from Mark Rosewater at the start of each color's section on this page that briefly describes that color's philosophical goal, "X", and means of achieving it, "Y", in the form of "X through Y".


==White==
Note that [[colorless]] is by definition not a color.<ref>{{EzTumblr|http://markrosewater.tumblr.com/post/181969816393/where-would-you-put-colorless-mana-on-the-color|title=Where would you put colorless mana on the color pie?|January 13, 2019}}</ref>
===Flavor===


White is an easy to define color, judging by the fact that you can simply grab a hand full of White cards and be able to get a feel for what White is about. To be clear, White puts value in the group, the community, and its civilization as a whole. White's ultimate goal is peace and harmony- a world where everyone gets along and no one seeks to disturb the bonds of unity that White had worked so long to forge. To govern and protect it's community, White makes use of and puts value in a number of broad concepts; morality (ethics, religion), order (law, discipline), uniformity (conformity), and structure (government, planning). In White's belief, there is very little gray area in morality (as morality is defined, clarified, and guided by rules of ethics) and thus very little room for straying from the path. White does not focus on the individual, but instead on the whole. Individuals are indeed encouraged to act on behalf of White and stop those who oppose it, even inside its own borders, but their personal views and feelings are often disregarded and even discouraged in a manner, in order to preserve the health and bond of the group. To expand on that note, while Black can be perceived as an advocate of the underdog (the individual who stands against the group), White does stick up for the little guy, and feels that it deserves a fair share of the pie as much as anyone else. It doesn't care so much what the little guy has to say about anything, but it doesn't want anyone picking on the little guy, because that wouldn't be fair or moral. One can view White as a large clock tower composed of many cogs, which is structured rigidly to the point that there is no room for divergence or deviation, and on the outside looks striking, beautiful, strong, and glorious, attempting to make others want to come into its fold and under its wing. White says "Look at us, we're doing great in here, nothing could be better. Come join us, come be a part of this magnificence." Inside, every cog is content with it's job, because it's job is no more important than any other cog's job, and each cog is kept entertained by what it's supposed to do. However, not one cog can see outside those walls to see what the grass on the other side of the fence is like, so they won't ever know if they're truly happy as they can be. To the cynical on the outside of the tower, they recognize it as a symbol of fascism, a lack of individuality or divergence, oppressive, and generally un-fun.
==Rules==
{{CR+G|Color|s}}


Leaving that analogy, White cannot afford to allow the individual much power in its jurisdiction, for the individual inherently holds it's own well-being and satisfaction above all else. This is dangerous to White's way of life, and thus White uses more tangible civil laws, so that individuals do not disturb the whole with their ambitions (Black) or their craving for freedom (Red). This shows that White is very concerned with the society it watches over, in that the good of the society is much more important than the rights and welfare of a single individual. The term, "''The needs of the many, outweigh the needs of the few''", certainly applies to the White way of living. This again implies that any dissident will be dealt with swiftly, so that no opposition can form within the White society (where such a "cancer" is most dangerous and most difficult to remove). To defend itself from such an occurrence, White creates a deeply immersed political system, a bureaucracy littered with taxes in the fees, in order to prevent much changing of the ways of its society from within. White is typically very open and honest about what it is doing, and tends to enjoy displaying its laws for all to see and to obey without question. The fact that these laws are so widely available and so often reminded justifies White, in it's opinion, to enforce them to any degree they deem fit and to warrant punishment of equal veracity. White is also very defensive, and chooses to strike only when struck first or when a significant threat is posed. However, it has been known to stretch this belief with the reasoning that a preemptive strike is the best way to defend itself- "the best defense is a good offense" one might say.
==Representation and meaning==
Each of the five colors represents a set of beliefs and principles, giving identity to ''Magic''<nowiki/>'s characters and organizations. A color's philosophy explains how it sees the world, what objectives it hopes to realize, and what resources and tactics a color has at its disposal. This dictates which card types and [[Ability|abilities]] thematically fit within a color, allowing the game's [[flavor]] to connect with and even define its functionality.<ref name="Value Pie" /><ref name="Flavor Burst" /> The basic concepts related to each color are:


White also holds balance and equality in high regard in order to maintain it's society, likely based on the functions  and workings of its enemies. Equality, if disregarded, can result in diversity and individuality. While not a clear problem to most, it is a worry on White's mind, because it fears that diversity and individuality will cause for tensions between people and make people uncomfortable with one another due to the fact they are no longer visibly united. Regardless of whether or not these fears and suspicions are grounded, White finds it smarter to play it safe and not chance it. Balance, though synonymous with Equality, is important for much the same reasons. If one citizen excels above the others, the others will desire to become something more (or worse, feel inadequate and suffer a loss of morale), which also leads to others fearing for their own positions with the threat of being replaced. White attempts to prevent this not only through Equality and Balance, but through intolerance for nonconformity. Of course, White's enemies are not expected to play nicely, so sometimes the scales need to be balanced by force.
*{{W}} [[White]]: Peace, law, structure, selflessness, equality<ref name="White Again" />
*{{U}} [[Blue]]: Knowledge, deceit, caution, deliberation, perfection<ref name="Blue Again" />
*{{B}} [[Black]]: Power, self-interest, death, sacrifice, uninhibitedness<ref name="Black Again" />
*{{R}} [[Red]]: Freedom, emotion, action, impulse, destruction<ref name="Red Again" />
*{{G}} [[Green]]: Nature, wildlife, connection, spirituality, tradition<ref name="Green Again" />


The colors form the cornerstone of ''Magic'''s [[mana]] system. Each color's way of thinking and acting are reflected via cards of that color having access to exclusive [[abilities]] and an affinity for certain aspects of play.<ref name="Flavor Burst" /><ref name="Colored Removal" /><ref name="Colored Damage" /> But these are balanced by natural vulnerabilities, in that a color may lack a given skill set or have trouble handling certain problems.<ref name="Enemy Mine" /><ref name="Bleed Story" /> A player can offset these weaknesses by adding cards of another color, but this versatility comes at the expense of a consistent [[mana base]].<ref name="Bleed Story" /><ref name="Basic Mana" />


'''White individuals'''
===The color pie===
[[File:Color Wheel.jpg|thumb|300px|The color wheel]]
The color pie is portrayed as a circular pattern, clockwise in order: [[White]], [[Blue]], [[Black]], [[Red]], and [[Green]]. The back of each ''Magic'' card depicts the color wheel in the form of round colored gems. Adjacent colors in the wheel will be relatively similar in ideology and are known as [[allied color]]s (e.g. White's allies are Green and Blue).<ref name="Golden Girls" /> In contrast, colors on opposite sides have radically conflicting views and are called [[enemy color]]s (e.g. White's enemies are Black and Red).<ref name="Pie Fights" />


When pulled apart from the rest of its kin, any individual can be observed to discover similar traits to its color or guild, yet toned down to a smaller, more 'realistic' scale. For such an example, White as a group works toward peace, harmony, and unity for the world. However, for White as an ordinary individual or citizen, these goals can easily be considered "too large" for their day-to-day life. To clarify the difference, a White group would believe in order and ethics, and would enforce its belief by enacting rules, ordinances, and laws. However, a White individual would do something on a much smaller scale, like prefer that his or her family eat at the dinner table and not in front of the television, would put value in etiquette and proper manners. A White group can outcast a troublesome individual, but an individual has little to no power in doing such a thing on his or her own. ''(See Gaze of Justice for a perfect representation of this.)''
While a [[set]] may occasionally feature enemy colors working together, a color is much more likely to work with its allies and against its enemies, more so if two allied colors join together against their shared enemy. Most [[block]]s feature at least one [[cycle]] of [[hoser]] cards, typically with abilities that negatively affect one or both of a color's enemies.<ref name="Enemy Mine" /> For example, this cycle from ''[[Coldsnap]]'' later reprinted in ''[[10th Edition]]'': <c>Luminesce</c>, <c>Flashfreeze</c>, <c>Deathmark</c>, <c>Cryoclasm</c>, and <c>Karplusan Strider</c>. In contrast, very rarely will cards in a color have effects detrimental to an ally (i.e. <c>Glissa's Courier</c>).


===Individualism within each color===
The ''Magic'' [[book]]s provide readers and players with greater insight and perspective on characters that represent a certain color or color combination at a personal level. When pulled apart from their kin, individuals can be shown to have traits in common with their color or guild, yet toned down to a smaller, more "realistic" scale.


''(For the sake of not overusing the term, the White individual in question will be named Charlotte. The two terms are interchangeable.)''
For example, [[White]] as a group works toward peace, harmony, and unity. But for white as a lone soldier or citizen, these goals may be considered "too large" for their everyday life. A White organization may believe in order and ethics, enforcing its beliefs through government, religion, and other large-scale institutions. However, White individuals may mirror this on a smaller scale, such as preferring their family eat together at the dinner table, or putting value in dining etiquette and proper manners. A White group can outcast a troublemaker, but individuals have little to no power to do so on their own. (Example: <c>Gaze of Justice</c>)


''Strengths:'' Charlotte typically acts in conjunction with the group, and thus (for a rough example) if you were to get into an argument with her, you would likely be the underdog in the fight, since it's not a 1-on-1 argument anymore; it's you versus everyone. The group is not Charlotte's only strength though- Religion may often play a strong role in her views, resulting in a dangerous situation in which the argument can quickly grow uncomfortably heated. In that sense, standing against Charlotte can seem much like standing against the majority, in addition to any profound higher power that may or may not exist.
However, there are some guidelines and some rules for determining the identity of a character. First, there are five flexible traits, visible in characters of all colors but primarily represented in one color:


Aside from the argument example, a White individual is also very easily accepted by groups. Charlotte is into what's popular and what is well-accepted by everyone. Charlotte's image (e.g. style of dress) often reflects that of the general populace, and unlike the ugly duckling that was not accepted by its "family", Charlotte fits in well with her friends. That said, getting into a fight with Charlotte (or any popular person for that matter) will likely result in more of Charlotte's friends joining in the fight against you, which brings us to another example. Charlotte will not act out against the law or the rules. This puts a White individual's enemies at a disadvantage- though they are both restricted by the same laws, Charlotte is accustomed to them and they do not bother him.
*Organization ([[white]])
*Curiosity ([[blue]])
*Self-concern ([[black]])
*Emotion ([[red]])
*Instinct ([[green]])


An organized character is not automatically White. A character that ''values'' organization, however, could be White. For reference, Black/Red has shown signs of organization in such cases as the mathematically designed destruction of <c>Void</c> and the efficiently-costed, targeted destruction of <c>Terminate</c>. Green/White has shown self-concern in the form of life gain (<c>Heroes' Reunion</c>), but that does not make Green/White selfish — that would be comparable to saying that a person is selfish for brushing their teeth. Instinct is unavoidable in all forms of non-artificial life, as even [[vampire]]s must feed to sate their natural hunger. [[Wizard]]s cannot learn on an empty stomach and even they are drawn to sexual partners — it is as nature wills, but that does not make them Green. It is the value of these traits that defines a character to a color, not the presence of them. That said, their presence should not be taken into heavy consideration.


''Attributes:'' A White individual is often proper, has a strong sense of morality and religion, is faithful, loyal, and honest, and is typically willing to help others before he or she helps themselves. A White individual is not only comfortable with the law, it encourages its enforcement and is very cooperative. Charlie is optimistic and strives for purity of all forms (spiritual, physical, and a clean living area). Charlie is also organized, and prefers a sense of balance to things. Remember, however, that all traits of an individual reflect the color but to a lesser, more humane degree. Unless an obsessive compulsive disorder is present, if there isn't an exactly even number of bristles on Charlotte's toothbrush, she will probably shrug it off. White is also somewhat focused on appearances, both of itself and of others since appearances can be used to generalize, group, and categorize others, thus preserving a ''feeling'' of order. Charlotte's own appearance is focused upon in order to attract others to the group and to increase it's numbers and thus it's strength. Card examples of this would be Celestial Convergence (which also displays unity and conformity) and the flavor text in Cyclopean Snare (Orzhov's focus on appearances).
Second, influence must be taken into account. If non-Black characters spend a great deal of time around Black characters, they will likely do some things that can be considered selfish or outright Black. This does not make the former group Black, as they may have been suffering under peer pressure, they may have lost or could be losing sight of morality, they may not be entirely aware of what they're doing, or they could perhaps be in the process of reconsidering their own views and making a shift into or toward the color. Influences also come from bloodline, race, and occupation. If the character is a [[goblin]] in the [[Azorius Senate]], they may be Blue/White, but will likely have a Red influence that will surface in their actions, words, responses, or thoughts. Typically, when an opposing influence surfaces, it serves only to dilute the character's other colors. For example, a Black/Red character with a White influence would be a much more toned-down version of a Black/Red character.




''Weaknesses:'' Charlotte, being a part of a likely similar group, will have difficulty developing significantly new ideas (or trends, if you must) due to a lack of exposure to individuals unlike herself. In addition to this, there is a certain fear and caution amongst White individuals that if they take any ideas or suggestions from outside sources they may be cast out from their group for dealing in such things (an extreme example would be the Salem Witch Trials, a common example being a popular girl who talks to a nerdy girl because she's wearing a nice skirt, and loses the respect of her friends as a result). That said, Charlotte is rather uncreative, though note that this trait shows up in other colors in other forms and for other reasons (Spike in Black, for example). However, a White individual without a group is often a helpless cog without a spindle or other cogs to hold it in place. That said, a White individual without a group, if offered companionship by someone (e.g. a black individual) looking for a subordinate (''not'' an equal) would surely accept this offer, in need of a group like an orphan to a family. With that, Charlotte is impressionable, and will adapt to current popular trends in order to fit in and belong- even if they are in opposition to her other traits and beliefs.
=={{W}} White==
{{Main|White}}{{cquote|{{W}}&nbsp;&nbsp;'''Peace through Structure'''&nbsp;&nbsp;{{W}}<ref>{{WebRef|url=https://share.transistor.fm/s/aea0ff28|title=Drive to Work #1043: Green-White-Blue|author=[[Mark Rosewater]]|date=June 16, 2023}}</ref>}}
===Flavor===
White puts value in the group, the community, and its civilization as a whole. White believes that suffering is a by-product of individuals not prioritizing the good of the group. White's ultimate goal is peace—a world where there is no unnecessary suffering; a world where life is as good as it can be for each individual; a world where everyone gets along and no one seeks to disturb the bonds of unity that White has worked so long to forge. To govern and protect its community, White makes use of and puts value in a number of broad concepts: morality (ethics, grace, truth), order (law, discipline, duty), uniformity (conformity, religion), and structure (government, planning, reason). More than every other color, White believes there is clear good and evil in the world and it is not too hard to distinguish them.


White individuals are stubborn for varying reasons; partly due to faith and partly due to the belief that the majority is often or always correct. In Charlotte's eyes, "everyone's doing it" is a solid reason to do something, and if everyone jumps off a cliff, Charlotte will do it too, because Charlotte wants to belong. It's important for parents to note this when a child engages in questionable behavior because his or her friends also engage in said behavior- it is based upon a need to '''belong''', and belonging should be encouraged, but not if it opposes other White traits, such as ethics and morality. If this occurs, then a conflicted (enemy color) personality will likely develop, which can result in confusion and self-conflict. Charlotte can also be considered shallow, due to her focus on appearances and lack of will to consort with outside forces so much as it wants to conform them to it's community. Appearances are also used to hide Charlotte's weakness as an individual by intending to look as if it belongs to something greater (the popular crowd).
White is a color commonly associated with fairness and justice but, if left unchecked or if everyone is not working toward the same unified goal, White can become totalitarian, inflexible, and capable of sacrificing a small group for the sake of a larger one: everything necessary to preserve the laws, rules, and governance that White has created. White is able to convince people to work together in a way no other color can, but White must be ever vigilant that it does not become the very evil it hopes to eradicate from the world. Withal, White is stereotyped as being the "vanilla" or boring color, yet each White character or society embodies but one iteration of a panoply of conflicting political and economic views about the best way to pragmatically actualize White's ideals; the struggle within and between White characters and societies to uphold their own interpretations of White's principles is what makes the color so interesting. What all White beings have in common is a belief in the power of social organization and in the common good.


White has an ally in Green, which appreciates White's defense of life and tradition, and in Blue, which understands White's need for science and progress. However, Red's belief in anarchy and freedom puts it at odds with White's goal of supporting institutions, and White's altruism puts it directly at odds with Black's egoism.


'''What White loves about its allies and hates about its enemies'''
===Mechanics===
*'''Damage prevention and life gain:'''  White is a protector first; it has many cards that prevent damage to itself and/or its creatures ("healing").  In addition, White places great emphasis on the continuity of life, and endurance.  It can restore life to a player, allowing that player to shake off the attacks of the opponent.  To contrast, whereas Green life gain cards always have life gain as the main effect, there are White cards whose principal effect is not life gain but have that as an added bonus, making White the best choice for keeping up a life total ''while'' fighting off the opponent.  Note the [[keyword ability]] [[lifelink]], primary in [[White#Mechanics|white]].  Examples: <c>Healing Salve</c>, <c>Angel of Salvation</c>, <c>Ancestor's Chosen</c>, <c>Reverse Damage</c>.


''White and Green:'' White and Green converge due to what represents their common enemy; Black. Black represents the need of the individual, and at it's worst, selfishness. White enjoys the companionship of Green because it agrees that the value of the group outweighs the value of the individual. White also enjoys the idea of an agrarian society, which both serves to employ many of White's citizens while simultaneously feeding everyone, further encouraging the idea of selflessness and extending it to a concern for nature as well. Green also values other White ideals, such as peace and tranquility, which White strives to work toward. White and Green both seek to protect Order, though of different forms. White can see that Green cares as much for the denizens of the forest as White is concerned about its people, and most fascinating of all, Green puts as much emphasis on Spirituality as White, though it is admittedly more free-form than Religion.
*'''Total protection:''' White is an inherently defensive color, various protective mechanics supports defensive strategies. White's protective abilities ranging from universal [[protection]] abilities (colors or creature types), defensive combat abilities ([[flanking]], [[exalted]]) and global creature boosting. Examples: <c>Bathe in Light</c>, <c>Spare from Evil</c>, <c>Benalish Cavalry</c>, <c>Aven Squire</c>, <c>Glorious Anthem</c>.


*'''Small creatures (''Weenies''):'''  White uses the strength of cooperation and discipline to assemble a powerful army out of small creatures. Often these creatures have abilities ([[banding]], [[first strike]], [[vigilance]]) that make the whole group stronger. Examples: <c>Benalish Hero</c>, <c>Knight of Meadowgrain</c>, <c>Steadfast Guard</c>, <c>Veteran Armorer</c>.


''White and Blue:'' White and Blue join to quell and control a common enemy; Red. Red fights for personal freedoms, for the right to express its emotions, whether it be through screaming as loud as it can or through a pen or paintbrush. This threatens both Blue and White's ways of life, because together they find common ground in thought, planning, and discipline, both in the form of self-restraint and rules. White enjoys the company of Blue because of it's thoughtfulness, it's recognition of the importance of law, structure, and rules, and it's ability to plan for the future. All of these traits are undoubtedly useful for White's society, and thus it values Blue's assistance. Blue would prefer things be done in a quiet, neat, and orderly fashion, and though it may lack the warmth that White would occasionally like to display, such is the price it pays to control its citizens and to prevent them from getting ''too'' comfortable. White seeks peace and Blue seeks prosperity, together falling hand-in-hand for what they believe to be the common good of the people.  
* '''Rules-setting and "Taxing":'''  White values order and law, and so it has ways of restricting the actions of players so that they do not do anything which White considers unnecessary or unfair. This can be an outright denial of privileges (rules), or imposition of some form of "cost" on a regular part of gameplay (taxing).  Rules-setting on players is commonly [[symmetric effects|symmetric]], while taxation is asymmetric. Examples: <c>Rule of Law</c>, <c>Humility</c>, <c>Windborn Muse</c>, <c>Ghostly Prison</c>, <c>Land Tax</c>.


*'''Artifact and enchantment destruction:'''  Although White is attached to both these types, it sees vice in their excess.  White mana has the ability to purge what is false, to take away the vestments in which wickedness hides.  Recently (with the rotation of <c>Disenchant</c> from [[Standard]]), White is able to destroy enchantments with much less effort (less mana) than for artifacts.  Examples: <c>Demystify</c>, <c>Tempest of Light</c>, <c>Dispeller's Capsule</c>.


''White versus Black:'' White and Black do battle on several premises that divide them; many of which are obvious, some of which that are more subtle. In Black, White sees a foe who spits on the moral laws that White proudly displays, making a strong statement about itself and where it stands. In White's opinion, Black selfishly disregards morals for its own benefit and must be destroyed lest Black set a dangerous example for White's impressionable citizens. This is not the only issue at hand, however, as Black and White despise one another not only because of what they fight for, but how they act. Black's amorality and dishonesty means Black uses underhanded tactics in fighting, while White fights with honor and respect. White sees Black as deceitful, malignant, and believes it to be a cancerous seed, while White believes itself to be open and honest. However, the most subtle but most intrinsic difference is Black's value in the needs individual over the needs of the group, which flies directly in the face of all that White holds dear. After all, how will White ever maintain and uphold a civilization if it must tend to the whims and needs of every citizen within its borders, one at a time? To White, the ideal is absurd, and its believers must be vanquished.
*'''Balance and uniformity:'''  White has a sense of honor and fair play, which is seen in its use of mass destruction effects, and other 'equality' spells.  "Mass destruction" spells reduce all players to possessing no more of any resource than that of the player with the least, and oftentimes, they set that quantity to zero. In addition, White believes in making the world uniform. Differences cause individuals to dissent and dislike one another.  Differences only allow for unrest. In sameness, there is fairness, and the way to consider a person justly is clearer. Examples: <c>Wrath of God</c>, <c>Balance</c>, <c>Mirror Entity</c>.


*'''Peacemaking:''' White is a peacemaker, the first step of maintaining peace is to avoid combat. Peacemaking can be presented by prohibiting attacking/blocking, locking down activated abilities, and converting hostility to peace. Examples: <c>Pacifism</c>, <c>Recumbent Bliss</c>, <c>Arrest</c>, <c>Condemn</c>, <c>Swords to Plowshares</c>, <c>Peacekeeper</c>.


''White versus Red:'' White and Red clash on simpler, but much less recognized grounds. White looks at Red and sees an enemy that does not respect civil laws and does at it pleases with little regards to the rules and well-being of the community, let alone itself. Red is unnecessarily aggressive and its brash and unthinking action often leaves White's citizens injured, homes burnt, and crops ruined. As a contrasting defensive figure, White will not tolerate such action. In combat, White favors strategy, structured ranks, and planning while Red prefers not to plan ahead and strike without warning or lines, before the opportunity leaves. Red claims to be an advocate of Freedom, but in White's ears the word is synonymous with Chaos. White believes that if Red is to be allowed freedom to express its often radical and inherently selfish emotions, it will incite similar emotions in others within White's community, leading to unrest, or worse, insurrection. If White is to ever achieve Peace and Order within its community, the forces of Chaos must be destroyed.
*'''Combat superiority:'''  Ultimately, White wants to create peace. It has no interest in prolonging warfare and hates to kill even its enemies. As a result, White emphasizes the need for strong, effective methods to bring an engagement to a close - or at least bring the enemies offensives, and resistance, to an end. In addition to spells which banish or utterly destroy attackers or blockers, White has creatures with abilities representing skills (''e.g''., "archery") that allow white's team to break up stalemates, protect each other from the enemy, and in general, facilitate the end of the hostilities.  Examples: <c>Hail of Arrows</c>, <c>Ballista Squad</c>, <c>Loxodon Mystic</c>.


*'''Total defense:'''  Above and beyond the degree to which White seeks options to expedite combat, it has every ability to stop attackers and other aggressors in their tracks.  It will punish anything which causes - or even threatens to cause - pain.  In this way, white magic sends a clear message, and it is that those who dare to inflict harm, will soon meet their maker.  Examples:  <c>Chastise</c>, <c>Neck Snap</c>, <c>Reciprocate</c>, <c>Retaliate</c>.


'''What White dislikes about its allies and respects about its enemies'''
=={{U}} Blue==
{{Main|Blue}}{{cquote|{{U}}&nbsp;&nbsp;'''Perfection through Knowledge'''&nbsp;&nbsp;{{U}}<ref>{{WebRef|url=https://share.transistor.fm/s/d4d5ee73|title=Drive to Work #1048: White-Blue-Black|author=[[Mark Rosewater]]|date=June 30, 2023}}</ref>}}
===Flavor===
Blue is the color that wants perfection and looks on the world and sees ''opportunity'' to achieve that: figuring out what one could achieve with the right education, experience, and tools. For Blue, life is constant discovery as one keeps seeking to better oneself. This requires one to be open to possibilities, but to also not be too hasty to act. Blue is methodical and exact and recognizes that there are many forces, even some that come from within, that lead an individual astray: better to think one's options out carefully and select correctly than to rush. Consequently Blue is, at times, excessively patient in the face of adversaries, but Blue regards this as a virtue rather than a vice.


''White and Black:'' White respects Black on several different issues, some obvious and physical, and some not so apparent. White respects Black because it puts importance on religion- Black individuals are not necessarily godless, and thus not without aim or sense, like Red. Black's faith also demonstrates loyalty and a desire for self-improvement- aspects White can relate to. They, too, are fighting for the values they believe in, and that deserves acknowledgment and respect. White respects Black's affinity for sacrifice; the grim necessity for death in order to achieve one's ultimate goal. White also understands Black's stance in terms of its conflict with Green, Parasitism vs. Interdependence, working together as opposed to leeching from others. While within it's walls, White encourages cooperation amongst it's citizens and will work together with allies, but on larger scales outside of the community, it understands that in order for it's nation to win another nation must lose, the grim facts of life that Black has already grown well-accustomed to.  
Implicit in its world-view, blue believes in ''tabula rasa'': every one of us is born a blank slate with the potential to become anything; one need only understand the ''how'' to make the change. Blue then reasons that if it is to make itself better, it must acquire the knowledge necessary to become capable of everything it ''could'' be capable of: to discern the ''potential'' for any conscious action. Conceiving itself capable of changing anything if it both understands the change and knows how to achieve every capability it could have, Blue concludes that it must also control change itself. As such, Blue is the color most interested in technology and wants the latest and greatest version of whatever it is using. Moreover, Blue believes in logic, as it is the only tool that Blue regards as being truly objective: Blue has little use for sentimentality. Beyond its devotion to logic and direction of change, blue seeks to understand ''everything''; for truly, comprehension can only improve one's effectiveness in any task. Since acquiring knowledge will inform every other decision, blue thusly forms its ultimate goal: ''omniscience'', the knowledge of all.


Blue is allied with White, which shares its desire to promote civilization, and Black, which shares its value of individualistic self-improvement. Blue is opposed to Green, which it regards as savage and afraid of progress, and Red, which it regards as insane and destructive to itself and everything else.


''White and Red:'' White respects Red for the simple similarities that the two share. White can see that Red is very driven and that it's followers are willing to die for the cause it fights for, and can relate because White's followers can be equally zealous and will proudly die in the name of Religion or Morality. White is fascinated by Red because it shows respect for the power of numbers and the group, while Black stands alone and for itself. Red also has a "strike first, ask questions later" mentality that White can understand, because it recognizes a preemptive strike as an effective strategy for self-defense. White also respects Red because of the importance it places on emotion, because White wants to show its followers that it cares and is concerned for them. White is also aware of the dangers of inaction and realizes that to achieve peace, it must prepare for war- truths that Red embraces.
===Mechanics===
* '''Card draw:''' Blue is the color of knowledge and research. As such, it is the best at expanding its mind, represented by unconditional drawing additional cards by minimum mana cost. This also comes about via card selection (i.e. the "looter" ability), which enables Blue to keep its ideas and plans relevant and up to date. Examples: <c>Inspiration</c>, <c>Telling Time</c>, <c>Merfolk Looter</c>.


*'''Counterspells:''' Blue is disposed to deny or reverse its opponents' actions, rather than take actions of its own. Blue's logic empowers it to prevent others from taking actions it deems foolish. The use of "[[counterspell|countermagic]]" reflects Blue's understanding of magic itself: dismantling opposing spells at their fundamental level. Examples: <c>Cancel</c>, <c>Mana Leak</c>.


''White versus Green:'' Like all allies, differences rarely surface but will surface none-the-less. Between Green and White, the conflict is thinking versus feeling. White believes that Green should spend more time thinking on its actions and not act so brashly at times. Green acts based on instincts (a word White generalizes as being synonymous with Emotion), which will heed to no law and knows nothing of morality. This ruffles White's feathers, because Law and Morality are fundamental to White's working. If Green were to have it's way, only the strongest and the fittest would survive, and the weak and those with no natural purpose would be consumed. This goes against White's interest in giving everyone a fair chance, no matter what the size.
*'''Mimicry:''' Blue is the color of knowledge, where imitation of other cards can reflect its nature of desire to learn. Blue's [[copy|mimicry]] effects are spell duplication and cloning. Examples: <c>Twincast</c>, <c>Clone</c>, <c>Shape Stealer</c>.


*'''"Return to hand" ("[[Bounce]]") effects:''' Blue is the color most adept at manipulating time. The use of bounce effects net crucial [[tempo]] for Blue, slowing its opponents long enough for a permanent solution to be found. It is an element of Blue's technological aspect: changing the environment, in precise ways, to its advantage, such as by removing an attacker or blocker or preserving one of its own permanents. Examples: <c>Boomerang</c>, <c>Evacuation</c>.


''White versus Blue:'' White and Blue do not always see eye-to-eye either. The conflict between the two is interdependence versus parasitism. White is very interested in working with the community in order for it prosper and succeed, but what Blue sees when it looks at the community are merely subjects to be observed and notes to be recorded. The people are merely a means to acquire the knowledge Blue seeks and it's not particularly ''concerned'' about them beyond that. This upsets White, because it believes that Blue should be more actively involved and open about its projects, but Blue is secretive and often deceitful, which makes White even less comfortable. Above this, Blue sees value in the individual, but White feels that putting any value in the individual can only serve to devalue the group, which is simply intolerable.
*'''Tapping and untapping permanents:''' These effects come from Blue's tricky nature. The untapped status is necessary for certain actions, and for some of those, it is expended (the permanent becomes tapped). Due to this, Blue can slow or disrupt its opponent with [[tap]] effects, or [[untap]] its own permanents for extra and perhaps unexpected uses. Examples: <c>Dehydration</c>, <c>Stasis</c>, <c>Twitch</c>, <c>Puppeteer</c>.  


*'''Gain control ("Stealing") effects:''' Blue is a controlling color. It believes it knows best how to use others' resources. It is also very practical about combat, turning its knowledge of the mind toward controlling it. Examples: <c>Persuasion</c>, <c>Take Possession</c>, <c>Annex</c>.


'''Misconceptions and Controversies'''
*'''Trickery tactics:''' Blue's tricky nature also reflected by various tactical skills, including library destruction ([[mill]]ing), power reduction and power/toughness switching. Examples: <c>Traumatize</c>, <c>Meishin, the Mind Cage</c>, <c>Merfolk Thaumaturgist</c>.


A common misconception is that White stands for Good and it is a fact without doubt. Granted, if you take a random lot of White cards and compare them with Black cards or Red cards, they will likely give off more of a "Good" feel than the others. However, taking the time to really look into what White is based upon, then you will see that White is not always good. There have been several popular movies where White has been the fascist oppressor, the overpowering government, and the antagonist. Daimyo Konda from the Kamigawa book cycle was a prime example for a White antagonist, obsessed with the mysterious disk he held and bringing his nation glory, but losing sight of the individual; his very own daughter. In many movies White has been an antagonist in the form of law enforcement, government, or a cult (The Fugitive, 1984, and the Wickerman, respectively).  
*'''Combat trickery:''' Besides tactical skills, trickery attributes ([[unblockable]]) or combat abilities ([[flying]], [[shroud]], [[phasing]]) also mostly possess or grant by blue creatures and spells. Examples: <c>Infiltrate</c>, <c>Jump</c>, <c>Spectral Cloak</c>, <c>Cloak of Invisibility</c>.


For the sake of a real life example, however, fascism is very White in essence, and many would argue that fascism is quite evil, though others would certainly disagree. Suicide-bombers are also very White, demonstrating self-sacrifice and zealotry for their Religious beliefs, and it's certainly difficult to say that they demonstrate "Good," though there are people who would also contest this as well.
*'''Reality changing:''' Blue is the color of changing things at will. Reality changing can be reflected by [[text-changing effect|changing text]], color, creature and land type of the caster's choice. Examples: <c>Mind Bend</c>, <c>Quickchange</c>, <c>Mistform Mask</c>, <c>Shimmering Mirage</c>.


===Rules===
=={{B}} Black==
<!-- Which mechanics are associated with this color and how does this color differentiate from the rest -->
{{Main|Black}}{{cquote|{{B}}&nbsp;&nbsp;'''Power through Ruthlessness'''&nbsp;&nbsp;{{B}}<ref>{{WebRef|url=https://share.transistor.fm/s/9c5a022e|title=Drive to Work #1051: Blue-Black-Red|author=[[Mark Rosewater]]|date=July 14, 2023}}</ref>}}
White is an inherently defensive color, which can bee seen throughout the color, and if one looks closely is what motivates nearly all of white's mechanics.  
===Flavor===
To Black, the only measure of right and wrong should be whether or not an approach leads to success: amorality, rather than morality or immorality. Unnecessary suffering in Black's view is the result of a counterproductive approach, yet in different circumstances the same approach could be the right one. Black understands the value of selfishness, so it is open to opportunities and strategies rejected by others as taboo or forbidden—undeath, torment, infection, betrayal. Black characters will ensure their own well-being even at the expense of others; to Black, anything less only allows others to do the same. Thus, Black does everything possible to gain the only commodity that can secure it from weakness and ensure its ability to get whatever it needs or wants—power, even ''omnipotence''. The only thing Black values more than its own life is its own will, as it sees the self as that which is most precious to all beings.  


One of these defensive mechanics is ''Life Gain'' and its ilk. This comes in the form of life gain directly to the player, life gain to a creature (also know as healing) and damage prevention. Examples of cards that do this are: <c>Healing Salve</c> and <c>Heart of Light</c>.  
Black's selfishness and lack of ethical restraint can result in tragedy if misapplied, but Black is not inherently evil: egoism and pragmatic ambition are the source of much good in the world, especially when coupled with self-growth, and are the basis of individual rights. Unfortunately, the association of Black with villains and anti-heroes masks the other colors' potential for tremendous evil (a misconception that their own villains and anti-heroes gleefully abuse), yet Black's heroes often reach the highest pinnacles of self-actualization and personal growth out of all heroes: Black's virtues, including self-love, self-reliance, and willingness to face the ugly side of things, are all great seeds of heroic potential. Black has a very cynical world-view, and its core philosophy is that of self-determination and release from society's imposed limitations, so when things truly go awry, a Black hero capable of waking people up to reality is ''exactly'' what the world needs. This is because, beneath its wall of cynicism, Black is the color that most believes that it can change fate against the most impossible odds—even if it must stand alone.  


Furthermore, White can be quite rough on attackers, which all of its newer removal targets. Cards that exemplify this includes: <c>Chastise</c> and <c>Condemn</c>.
Black has an ally in Blue, as it appreciates its subtlety and use of cold logic. Black is also allied with Red, respecting its desire to do things on its own terms. However, Black's disregard for other members of the group, spirituality/religion, and the sanctity of life oppose it to Green and White.<ref name="Black Again" /> This is ironic in Green's case, as Black and Green agree that each alone is merely surviving and adapting to the world as it is: they just disagree upon what "the world as it is" is.


White is also the foremost color of [protection]], show in cards such as <c>White Knight</c>, <c>Paladin in-vec</c> and <c>Absolute Grace</c>.
===Mechanics===
*'''Creature destruction''': Black sees death not as a necessary evil, but as an effective tool. This gives it a variety of effects that kill creatures, many less expensive and with fewer conditions than those available to other colors. Also, black's mass removal is more calculated than average, often selectively destroying enemies while keeping its own most valuable creatures alive (Examples: <c>Royal Assassin</c>, <c>Murderous Cut</c>, <c>Reckless Spite</c>, <c>Plague Wind</c>).


White also features defensive enchantments that again punishes attackers, such as <c>Teferi's Moat</c> and <c>Worship</c>.
*'''Culling the weak''': Black has no qualms going after vulnerable targets, and its abilities can single out weaker or damaged enemies (<c>Wretched Banquet</c>, <c>Final-Sting Faerie</c>). It can also force opponents to [[sacrifice]] creatures, making them abandon their own weakest members. Once lesser creatures are dealt with, forced sacrifice can also eliminate threats that have abilities—such as [[hexproof]] or [[indestructible]]—that are resistant to black's direct removal (<c>Call to the Grave</c>, <c>To the Slaughter</c>).<ref name="Colored Removal" />


White is the bane of enemy enchantments, which serve to prevent White from having its way. This comes in the form of <c>Demystify</c>, <c>Erase</c> and <c>Scour</c> and more.
*'''Malaise''': Black can use disease and suffering to debilitate creatures, potentially leaving them too weak to survive. Instead of inflicting [[damage]] to creatures, it will often give them -N/-N, reducing their [[power and toughness]].<ref name="Defining Black" /> Mechanically, this lets black get around effects that would [[Prevention effect|prevent]] or [[Replacement effect|replace]] damage. Similarly, where red would deal damage to players, black's abilities typically cause direct loss of life (<c>Grasp of Darkness</c>, <c>Death's Approach</c>, <c>Mutilate</c>, <c>Wicked Akuba</c>).<ref name="Colored Damage" />


White also uses "taxing", which are spells that stop an opponnent from doing something unless they pay a price. Examples of this are <c>Kataki, War's Wage</c> and <c>Ghostly Prison</c>.
*'''Parasitism''': Black method of gaining life is to leech it from others, using effects that drain health from creatures and players. Additionally, many of its creatures—particularly [[vampire]]s—have [[lifelink]], feeding off of their victims (<c>Consume Spirit</c>, <c>Consuming Vapors</c>, <c>Gifted Aetherborn</c>).<ref name="Colored Damage" />


As the most political of colors, White also uses rule-setting enchantments that change how the game of Magic is played. Cards like <c>Rule of Law</c> and <c>Humility</c> do this.
*'''Cloak & dagger''': Where others see underhanded tactics, black sees advantages in combat. It employs [[deathtouch]], using poisons and necrotic effects to kill creatures that would have an edge in a direct assault. Black also uses darkness and apprehension to circumvent enemy creatures with [[Evasion ability|evasion abilities]] such as [[flying]], [[fear]], and [[menace]] (<c>Fetid Imp</c>, <c>Razortooth Rats</c>, <c>Graf Harvest</c>).


White is also, historically, the global resetter, which means that it has ability to reset the board so that all sides have an equal playing ground. Cards like <c>Wrath of God</c>, <c>Armageddon</c> and <c>Balance</c> show this mechanic, which comes in many different forms.  
*'''Necromancy''': Black has no compassion for the dead, and will raise an army of [[zombie]]s and other undead to serve beyond the grave. Black can also return fallen creatures from the graveyard to its hand, and can even [[Reanimation|reanimate]] them directly to the battlefield (<c>Nether Traitor</c>, <c>Disturbing Plot</c>, <c>Grim Return</c>).


White's army is made up of small individual pieces, which mechanically explains why White has the most small (weenie) creatures. The color can, however, use its organizational skills to build a massive, united whole. Most of the mechanics the white creatures have makes them work better together. These mechanics include [[First Strike]], [[Vigilance]] and [[damage prevention]]. It also include, what Mark Rosewater calls "Rangestrike", which is {T}: deal damage to target attacking or blocking creature, and boosting from creature to creature ({T}: Target creature gains +x/+x).  
*'''Card advantage''': Black's connections to the occult gives it alternate means to pay for power, trading its own life for mana-efficient card draw (<c>Read the Bones</c>, <c>Dark Confidant</c>). Conversely, black's ability to cause mental trauma in others lets it force players to [[discard]] cards (<c>Hypnotic Specter</c>, <c>Gruesome Discovery</c>).


''(To be expanded.)''
*'''Faustian Bargain''': Black will enter into agreements with [[demon]]s and other beings like itself—power-hungry and self-serving. These give it access to some of ''Magic''<nowiki>'s</nowiki> best card search, or [[tutor]]s (<c>Sidisi, Undead Vizier</c>; <c>Demonic Consultation</c>). These are strong but dangerous accomplices, however, with drawbacks that can destroy their summoner if not managed carefully (<c>Lord of the Pit</c>, <c>Phyrexian Negator</c>, <c>Immortal Coil</c>).<ref name="Defining Black" />


==Blue==
=={{R}} Red==
{{Main|Red}}{{cquote|{{R}}&nbsp;&nbsp;'''Freedom through Action'''&nbsp;&nbsp;{{R}}<ref>{{WebRef|url=https://share.transistor.fm/s/80605724|title=Drive to Work #1055: Black-Red-Green|author=[[Mark Rosewater]]|date=July 28, 2023}}</ref>}}
===Flavor===
===Flavor===
<!-- A bit about what drives this color and the people in it -->
Above all else, Red values freedom. It wants to do what it wants when it wants, and to whom it wants, and nobody can tell it otherwise. In summary, Red thinks that all you have to do is listen to your heart and simply act accordingly, letting your emotions guide you. Red loves life much more than any other color and so it believes that all people must live it to the fullest. Red believes that life is an adventure, and that it would be much more fun if everyone stopped caring about rules, laws, and personal appearances and just spent their time indulging their desires through experience. Red doesn't live its life questioning choices it has made and lives in the moment; Red is spontaneous and embraces every adventure put before it. Red is often charismatic, even as its antics upturn the established order.
Blue is the colour that looks out on the world and sees one thing, though it may encompass all: Opportunity. In Blue's eyes, the world is a vast place with countless things to learn and to do. Blue wants to become a part of that perfectly running machine which is the universe.  To do so, it learns to value one commodity - knowledge. Knowledge gives order to the universe. Knowledge allows one to make an informed decision. Knowledge is the supreme good, at least to Blue. With all knowledge (omniscience), Blue can shape the universe into its perfect form, and mold itself to fit perfectly into that perfect universe.
 
Recurring themes in Blue are artifice over nature, inaction over action, nurture over nature, and the future over the past or present.
Red is the color of immediate action and immediate gratification. If it wants something, it will act on its impulses and take it, regardless of the consequences. On the other hand, Red may also seek to make amends: Red embraces relationships and knows passion and loyalty and camaraderie and lust. When Red bonds with another, it bonds strongly and fiercely. To outsiders, Red might seem a bit chaotic; that's only because others can't see what's in Red's heart. Red tendencies differ greatly: they may exist anywhere on the spectrum between loving empathy and vile hate, plus everything in-between. In general, Red sees the concept of external order of any kind as pointlessly inhibiting, believing that only by embracing anarchy can everyone really be free to enjoy life to the maximum with no regrets.
 
Red gets along well with Green, which understands the value of listening to one's inner voice, and Black, which agrees with Red's lack of adherence to social norms. But Red does not get along with White, which regards Red's quest for ultimate freedom as a threat to civilization, nor with Blue, which sees Red's brand of creativity as extremely destructive rather than productive. Red, for its part, feels that White and Blue strip people of what makes them unique.


Blue is the enemy colour of Green and of Red. Green opposes Blue on the viewpoint that Blue is obligated to shape the universe. Green sees that as an affront to Nature and highly presumptuous.  Blue looks on Green's resistance and sees someone stuck in the past.  This appears mechanically in the game where Blue tends to construct complicated board positions and uses interesting effects from nonliving sources, while Green tries to destroy those complications and substitute more basic, primal, living creatures.
===Mechanics===
*'''Direct damage ([[Burn]]):''' Red favors direct action. It doesn't waste time looking for ways 'around' a problem—it blasts a path clean through. When the obstacle is a physical thing, Red employs this solution literally, throwing fire, rocks, or anything else at the problem until it goes away. Examples: <c>Shock</c>, <c>Pyroclasm</c>, <c>Char</c>, <c>Fireball</c>, <c>Barbed Lightning</c>.


''(Please expand this if you have the info.)''
*'''Artifact and land destruction:''' Red's use of destruction goes to a deep philosophical origin, although it is frequently explained as unthinking glee. Briefly put, order arises from tradition, which occurs when some things are constant or expected. Chaos is the counter to order because chaos is change - unsettling change. When everything is changing, people are free, because there is no tie to "the way things were." Since Red wants freedom, it uses chaos. Destruction is clearly a force of chaos; it changes the world by removing something from it. Additionally, since Red is in every other respect a short-term thinker, the disruption effect of destroying your opponent's resources before they are used can be quite valuable. Examples: <c>Shattering Spree</c>, <c>Manic Vandal</c>, <c>Volcanic Awakening</c>.
===Rules===
<!-- Which mechanics are associated with this color and how does this color differentiate from the rest -->


There is only one sacred rule to Blue's mechanics in the game - destroy nothing. What can be learned from a shattered machine, a dead body, or a broken enchantment?  Nothing.  Blue's abilities tend to be focused on manipulating time and information. The three central mechanics which have made Blue what it is today are:
*'''Aggressive creatures:''' Red is capable of mounting a quick offensive, hoping to blitz its opponents before they have a chance to react. Unlike White, Red's creatures are focused almost entirely on the attack; little to no thought is given to blocking or endurance. Red creatures can be fast, but often at the cost of consistency, long-term resources, or harm to the controller. Examples: <c>Ball Lightning</c>, <c>Jackal Pup</c>, <c>Goblin Cohort</c>.
1) Card drawing
2) Counterspells
3) "Return to hand" effects (informally called bounce effects)


Blue can draw cards simply by paying mana because cards represent knowledge, and Blue knows how to gain knowledge. This sets it apart from other colours because Black has to pay some life to draw cards, Green needs to draw cards by using its creatures, and White and Red have very little card drawing at all.  Because Blue can draw cards at any time regardless of how it is doing in the game, this allows it to climb out of seemingly hopeless game situations, representing how the right information can solve any problem.
*'''Martial superiority:''' Red is the color of action, red creatures possess several aggressive fighting abilities which shows speed ([[first strike]], [[double strike]]), prowess ([[flanking]]), aggression ([[haste]]), overwhelming ([[trample]]), blind rage ([[rampage]]), and power enhancing ([[firebreathing]]). Examples: <c>Anaba Bodyguard</c>, <c>Ridgetop Raptor</c>, <c>Agility</c>, <c>Fervor</c>, <c>Sunrise Sovereign</c>, <c>Ærathi Berserker</c>, <c>Fatal Frenzy</c>.


Blue has the ability to counter spells if it reacts to them at the time they are cast. This represents how Blue can prevent people from taking action and causing chaos; some may see it as keeping things the way they are so you can study it fully.
*'''Gambits and short-term mana acceleration:''' Red wants to act on its desires without delay, whatever the cost. As such, its magic can give itself sudden, potent, but short-lived boosts of energy, or create high-risk-high-reward effects. This enables Red to do powerful things quickly and easily, though they carry the risk that, if the opponent recovers, Red's resources will "burn out." Examples: <c>Fiery Gambit</c>, <c>Final Fortune</c>, <c>Seething Song</c>, <c>Desperate Ritual</c>.  


Blue can return things to their owners' hands.  Flavourfully, this represents how Blue dabbles in magic which manipulates time.  Mechanically, it is a way for Blue to have "removal" (control over what is affecting the game) without actually destroying the unwanted card.  Blue is simply delaying the problem until it has a more permanent solution. Sometimes Blue may even find ways to turn a powerful card to its advantage.
*'''Randomness:''' Red is the color of chaos; it can hurt itself and others randomly. Randomness spells can be reflected through coin flips and random card discard. Examples: <c>Tide of War</c>, <c>Mana Clash</c>, <c>Barbarian Bully</c>, <c>Gamble</c>.


Other signature mechanics of Blue include "stealing" (gaining control of opponent's cards or effects) and copying (duplicating effects, plagiarism, cloning). This represents how Blue is also amoral much like Black. The only difference is that Blue is much more inclined to a lawful, orderly sort of amorality than Black.  Furthermore, copying your enemy is the best way to understand what he or she is like.
*'''Trickery:''' Red is the color of pranksters; Red enjoys playing tricks on its enemies and changing the effects of their magic. Blue interferes with magic, too, but it specifically controls the magic for its own long-term profit. Red is concerned more with taking control away from its enemies - forcing them to deal with the unexpected. Sometimes Red can dictate the new effect, sometimes it is random. Such trickery includes temporarily gaining control of permanents, preventing creatures from blocking ("[[Panic]]"), and changing the targets of spells, though some cards in this category are truly unique.  Examples: <c>Threaten</c>, <c>Stun</c>, <c>Reroute</c>, <c>Confusion in the Ranks</c>.


==Black==
=={{G}} Green==
<!-- I don't think any text should be written here, but prove me wrong -->
{{Main|Green}}{{cquote|{{G}}&nbsp;&nbsp;'''Growth through Acceptance'''&nbsp;&nbsp;{{G}}<ref>{{WebRef|url=https://share.transistor.fm/s/11eaeaa4|title=Drive to Work #1062: Red-Green-White|author=[[Mark Rosewater]]|date=August 18, 2023}}</ref>}}
===Flavor===
===Flavor===
<!-- A bit about what drives this color and the people in it -->
Green loves the world just the way it is. This is because Green is convinced that nature has gotten everything right fundamentally, and that it merely needs to be allowed the time and opportunity to develop its growth into further perfection. Green tries to coexist with the ecosystem instead of trying to change it, regulate it, norm it, or take advantage of it. As such, Green is the color of nature and interdependence. It believes that the truth of sentient beings is grounded in the natural order: a thing of beauty that has all the answers to life's problems as long as one listens closely enough to hear them. Green thinks that obeying our instincts is the best way to exist: that we, as part of the ecosystem, have a responsibility to protect it and to honor our natural selves. Wherever nature is lost, so are the available answers to us in the struggle to survive; so what affects one part of the ecosystem affects every part.
''(To be written.)''
 
===Rules===
Green favors a simplistic way of living: being in harmony and communion with the natural world. This can lead to it being perceived as a pacifistic color, as it prefers to avoid extraneous conflict. Yet it is fierce when threatened and can be predatory and aggressive if its instincts dictate, and it may embrace change in the service of expanding nature and its cause. Green believes individuals are each born with a purpose: imprinted in their genes and interconnected with the physical and spiritual worlds. As everyone is born with unique roles, people's goal is to find what theirs are and do what they are destined to do. Each thread is woven into the web of life: we are not alone, but part of a complex system of inter-dependency. Green truly believes that every individual organism is part of this bigger picture—nature, the tapestry of life, fate and destiny—but that individuals may get too caught up in the details to see it.
<!-- Which mechanics are associated with this color and how does this color differentiate from the rest -->
 
A black card is defined as any card that has {B} in its mana cost. Black is oriented on obtaining power - ultimate power at any cost. In the game of Magic, this means that black cards sometimes uses resources that other colors don't dare touch. Sacrificing permanents and paying life is certainly do-able for the right effect. A simple card such as <c>Greed</c> exemplifies black's determination to get any advantage.
White and Red understand Green's desire to protect nature better than the other colors, being representative of its order and freedom respectively, so this forms the basis of their alliance with Green. On the other hand, in Green's view Black's liberal use of death, and of undeath, is a violation of the cycle of life and a rejection of Black's role in the grand scheme, causing them to be enemies. Finally, Green regards technology as both a frequent threat to nature and an often hubristic attempt to replace the natural order with an artificial one; Green therefore comes into conflict with Blue which seeks to actively reshape and improve the world by means of technology.
 
===Mechanics===
*'''Powerful creatures:''' As the color of nature and growth, green is able to field mighty creatures with ease. Although other colors have access to cheap creatures or strong creatures, Green alone has access to efficiently-costed and well-rounded creatures at any cost. Examples: <c>Elvish Warrior</c>, <c>Leatherback Baloth</c>, <c>Verdant Force</c>.
 
*'''Token creatures:''' Tying in with green's creature focus and emphasis on growth is its ability to generate large numbers of token creatures. In green, these effects are often repeatable and represent an ever-expanding community of creatures. Examples: <c>Thallid</c>, <c>Centaur Glade</c>.


Up until and including [[Mercadian Masques (set)|Mercadian Masques]] black had acces to temporary mana boosts, primarily in the form of <c>Dark Ritual</c>. This mechanic has since moved to the color Red.
*'''"Pump" effects:''' Green's philosophies of growth and strength both mean it can boost the power and toughness of its creatures, making them more effective in combat. These boosts can either be temporary, through instants and sorceries or permanent through enchantments and +1/+1 counters. Green also has creatures that can provide a temporary boost to another creature or gain a temporary boost when blocking.  Examples: <c>Giant Growth</c>, <c>Thrive</c>, <c>Briarhorn</c>, <c>Giant Badger</c>.


Black is the color which uses every resource it can get, which is exemplified in cards such as <c>Grinning Demon</c>, <c>Phyrexian Negator</c> and <c>Dark Confidant</c>.
* '''Instinct attack:''' Green relies on instinct, which is reflected in the tactics of combat. Excess damage to creatures and its controller results as [[trample]] and even extreme as [[super trample]]. [[Lure]] is a passive ability to force opposing creatures to block, making smaller creatures to be killed by the larger creatures. Examples: <c>Endless Wurm</c>, <c>Rhox</c>, <c>Lure</c>, <c>Elvish Bard</c>, <c>Hunt Down</c>.


Black is the only color that causes a player to discard as an effect, not a cost. (Certain other colors use discard as cost, but that is different.) Notable discard cards are <c>Hymn to Tourach</c>, <c>Wrench Mind</c>, <c>Persecute</c> and <c>Cabal Therapy</c>.
*'''Natural evasion:''' Green creates its own way to achieve evasion to prevent damage from the other colors. It has the ability to be "[[uncounterable]]" and "untargetable" (reflected by [[shroud]] and ultimately [[hexproof]]) by spells or abilities. Unique "[[anti-flying]]" tactics including dealing damage/destroying creatures with flying, removal of flying ability, punishing opponent for having flying creatures, and the keyword ability [[reach]]. Examples: <c>Argothian Enchantress</c>, <c>Plated Slagwurm</c>, <c>Hurricane</c>, <c>Canopy Claws</c>, <c>Wing Storm</c>, <c>Giant Spider</c>.
* '''Natural blessing:''' Green-aligned tribes can gain benefits from nature. [[Regeneration]] is a protective ability for survival. On the other hand, Green has offensive abilities as lethal damage from nature like [[deathtouch]], "[[venom]]" ability, and using poison counters. Examples: <c>Gorilla Chieftain</c>, <c>Acidic Slime</c>, <c>Venom</c>, <c>Thicket Basilisk</c>, <c>Marsh Viper</c>  


Black is the foremost color in spot destruction, illustrated in cards as <c>Terror</c> and <c>Dark Banishing</c>. Recently black has been attributed several "weakness" type spells that gives creatures -x/-x (<c>Last Gasp</c>, <c>Hideous Laughter</c> and <c>Sickening Shoal</c>). A possible reason for this is that Wizards have obsoleted the term ''Bury'' (="Destroy, no regeneration") and is phasing out destruction spells that does not allow regeneration, such as <c>Terror</c>, and this is a different way of avoiding Regeneration, in that a creature with 0 or less toughness is put directly into the graveyard.
*'''Permanent mana acceleration:''' Green's focus on growth enables it to permanently expand its mana base, varying from creatures that produce mana, enchantments that generate additional mana, land tutors, and putting additional lands into play. Examples: <c>Llanowar Elves</c>, <c>Overgrowth</c>,  <c>Sylvan Ranger</c>, <c>Exploration</c>.


*'''Mana fixing:''' Green's community aspect means it is the best color at creating other colors of mana, either through being able to search for other lands or through changing one color of mana into another. Examples: <c>Birds of Paradise</c>, <c>Farseek</c>, <c>Orochi Leafcaller</c>.


''(Please expand this if you have the info.)''
*'''Artifact and enchantment destruction:''' Green hates illusions and the artificial, seeing them as perversions of the natural world. Thus, green actively works to destroy such things. Examples: <c>Naturalize</c>, <c>Viridian Shaman</c>.


==Red==
=={{C}} Colorless==
{{main|Colorless}}
===Flavor===
===Flavor===
<!-- A bit about what drives this color and the people in it -->
Colorlessness is the absence of color. Most [[artifact]]s, being run on science and technology rather than magic (though exceptions on planes like [[Kaladesh (plane)|Kaladesh]] do exist), are colorless.<ref name="Metal World" /> In terms of alliances artifacts can be considered neutral, though green generally dislikes artifacts as a concept, while blue is more than happy to work with them extensively. However, there are some [[colored artifact]]s, which have a stronger connection to their respective color.  
''(To be written.)''
===Rules===
<!-- Which mechanics are associated with this color and how does this color differentiate from the rest -->
The following keywords are primarily associated with the color red:
*[[Haste]], [[Double Strike]], [[First Strike]].


Red is the color that has the most direct damage (e.g. <c>Lightning Bolt</c> and <c>Fireball</c>) and is often used in aggressive decks. The creature types Goblin and Ogre are primarily red, and severeal decks based on Goblins have been created.  
Besides artifacts, the [[Eldrazi]] tribe is also colorless. This ancient race is native to the [[Blind Eternities]] and their nature is ceaseless hunger, so they travel between planes devouring the [[mana]] and life energy until the [[plane]]'s destruction. Before the complete destruction of a plane, they first destroy its color leaving behind [[Wastes]], sources of colorless mana.


''(Please expand this if you have the info.)''
[[Ugin]] is also colorless, tied with his ancientness that gives him a transcendence over the colors. Accordingly, he has developed colorless magic like [[Morph|concealment magic]] or his <c>Ghostfire</c>.


==Green==
===Mechanics===
===Flavor===
Although colorless mana sources exist, colorless is not a color. Colorless cards either lack colored mana symbols in their [[mana cost]] or have an effect like [[devoid]]. The presence of the colorless mana symbol in the cost is not required; most colorless cards have entirely [[generic mana]] costs. Because generic costs don't need a specific type of mana, colorless cards can be played in decks of any color.
<!-- A bit about what drives this color and the people in it -->
 
''(To be written.)''
Colorless cards can have mechanics usually reserved for a specific color, but typically at a higher [[mana value]] for a given effect. For instance, colorless [[equipment]] can grant otherwise color-exclusive effects to any deck, but with less mana efficiency than a colored [[aura]]. Artifacts can be considered a "Jack of all trades, master of none," though they too have unique strengths; in the case of equipment, it doesn't leave the battlefield with its attached creature like auras do.<ref name="AskWizSep03" />
===Rules===
 
<!-- Which mechanics are associated with this color and how does this color differentiate from the rest -->
As another example, [[haste]] is primary in [[red]]. Red can get a 2/2 with haste for three mana in <c>Raging Cougar</c>, <c>Goblin Chariot</c>, or <c>Suq'Ata Lancer</c>, the latter of which also has [[flanking]]. It can even have a 2/2 haste for just 1 red mana with <c>Goblin Guide</c>. Meanwhile, <c>Arcbound Hybrid</c>, a 2/2 [[artifact creature]] with [[haste]], costs {{4}}, albeit with the artifact-exclusive mechanic [[modular]].
''(To be written.)''
 
Artifacts are often [[indestructible]], but there are a set of mechanics unique to them like [[modular]], [[imprint]], and [[sunburst]]. Many of these mechanics involve combining with other cards like [[equip]], [[fortify]], [[crew]] or [[living weapon]].
 
The Eldrazi on the other hand have their very own tribal mechanics like [[annihilator]], [[devoid]] and [[ingest]].
 
[[Face-down spells and permanents|Face-down cards]] placed by [[morph]] and [[manifest]] are also colorless.
 
=={{M}} Multicolored==
{{Main|Multicolored}}
Some cards are multicolored (sometimes called "gold" due to their [[card frame]]), meaning they require more than one type of mana to use. Although [[Invasion block]], the first set prominently themed around multicolor, was a smashing success (as evidenced by a definite spike in tournament attendance), in [[Mark Rosewater]]'s words, it wasn't really a mechanic they explored much. The card pool was dominated by "Chinese menu" cards, meaning they took one ability from two colors, scrunched them together on one card, and saw what happened. (the old adage of "one from column A, one from column B")
 
The "guild model" from [[Ravnica block]] has given way to a new era of understanding color combinations (especially two-color combinations). Mark Rosewater boldly campaigned to showcase all ten two-color combinations equally. Later the "small plane model" ([[shard]]s) from [[Alara block]] and the "clan model" ([[wedge]]s) from [[Tarkir block]] added a deeper understanding of the three-color combinations. The "[[Ikoria#Triomes|triomes]]" from [[Ikoria]] gave new names to the wedge colors but the colors are not tied to factions or existing wedge identities.
 
Finally ''[[Commander 2016]]'' gave an Identity to the notoriously hard to design four-color combinations.
 
{{flexbox-header}}
{| class="wikitable" style="margin: 0px"
! Ravnica Guilds<br/>(Allied Colors)
|-
|style="width: 200px;"|
*{{mana|WU}} [[Azorius Senate]]
*{{mana|UB}} [[House Dimir]]
*{{mana|BR}} [[Cult of Rakdos]]
*{{mana|RG}} [[Gruul Clans]]
*{{mana|GW}} [[Selesnya Conclave]]
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="margin: 0px"
! Ravnica Guilds<br/>(Enemy Colors)
|-
|style="width: 200px;"|
*{{mana|WB}} [[Orzhov Syndicate]]
*{{mana|UR}} [[Izzet League]]
*{{mana|BG}} [[Golgari Swarm]]
*{{mana|RW}} [[Boros Legion]]
*{{mana|GU}} [[Simic Combine]]
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="margin: 0px"
! Strixhaven college<br/>(Enemy Colors)
|-
|style="width: 200px;"|
*{{mana|WB}} [[Silverquill]]
*{{mana|UR}} [[Prismari]]
*{{mana|BG}} [[Witherbloom]]
*{{mana|RW}} [[Lorehold]]
*{{mana|GU}} [[Quandrix]]
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="margin: 0px"
! Alara Shards<br/>(Arcs)
|-
|style="width: 200px;"|
*{{mana|GWU}} [[Bant]]
*{{mana|WUB}} [[Esper]]
*{{mana|UBR}} [[Grixis]]
*{{mana|BRG}} [[Jund]]
*{{mana|RGW}} [[Naya]]
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="margin: 0px"
! Tarkir Clans<br/>(Wedges)
|-
|style="width: 200px;"|
*{{mana|WBG}} [[Abzan Houses]]
*{{mana|URW}} [[Jeskai Way]]
*{{mana|BGU}} [[Sultai Brood]]
*{{mana|RWB}} [[Mardu Horde]]
*{{mana|GUR}} [[Temur Frontier]]
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="margin: 0px"
! Ikoria Triomes<br/>(Wedges)
|-
|style="width: 200px;"|
*{{mana|WBG}} [[Indatha]]
*{{mana|URW}} [[Raugrin]]
*{{mana|BGU}} [[Zagoth]]
*{{mana|RWB}} [[Savai]]
*{{mana|GUR}} [[Ketria]]
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="margin: 0px"
! New Capenna Families<br/>(Arcs)
|-
|style="width: 200px;"|
*{{mana|GWU}} [[Brokers]]
*{{mana|WUB}} [[Obscura]]
*{{mana|UBR}} [[Maestros]]
*{{mana|BRG}} [[Riveteers]]
*{{mana|RGW}} [[Cabaretti]]
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="margin: 0px"
! Four-color<br/>Identities
|-
|style="width: 200px;"|
*{{mana|WUBR}} Artifice
*{{mana|UBRG}} Chaos
*{{mana|BRGW}} Aggression
*{{mana|RGWU}} Altruism
*{{mana|GWUB}} Growth
|}
{{flexbox-footer}}
 
The last color combination is [[WUBRG]] ({{mana|WUBRG}}) which combines aspects from each color.
 
==Deviations==
===Changes over time===
Over the course of the game, the ''Magic'' development team has occasionally moved mechanics already established in one color to another. This is usually for balance reasons, particularly if a color has enough tools to negate its weaknesses, or has a disproportionate amount of design space. A major mechanical shift was made around 2003; at the time, blue and black had too many mechanics at the expense of the other colors.<ref name="Small Change" />
 
Change can also result from a re-examination of flavor; for instance, efficient artifact destruction was moved from white (<c>Disenchant</c>) to green (<c>Naturalize</c>) in order to better emphasize green's conflict with blue regarding technological progress.<ref name="Small Change" /> Similar effects can be merged into a color to better highlight the mechanical distinctions between colors. Conversely, effects broad in scope can be split in order to prevent widely used mechanics from being tied to a single color.<ref name="Core Work" />
 
In terms of flavor black and red tended to be portrayed as evil in early lore while white, blue and green were generally good, but not soon after nuances were introduced and protagonists and antagonists became represented in all colors.
 
===Color bleed===
While the color pie is the foundation of ''Magic'', from time to time, [[R&D]] stretches what mechanically and creativity is allowed in each color. When cards in a certain color do something that the color doesn't normally do, it is called '''color bleed'''. When the bleeding goes too far it is called a '''color bend''' or in the worst case a '''color break'''. A bend pushes in a direction that falls within color philosophy but outside of normal mechanical implementation. A break undermines a weakness that is core to the color.<ref name="Bleed Story" /><ref name="Bleed Cool" /><ref name="Bleed vs Bend" /><ref name="Even More R&D">{{DailyRef|making-magic/even-more-words-rd-2022-01-10|Even More Words From R&D|[[Mark Rosewater]]|January 10, 2022}}</ref>
 
===Un-colors===
The ''[[Unhinged]]'' set features additional colors. <c>Water Gun Balloon Game</c> can create a pink permanent, and <c>Avatar of Me</c> is the color of its caster's eyes. Because of this, when using abilities which produce mana of "any color", you may choose literally any color. However, there is no ''Unhinged'' (Basic) Land card that can produce mana of these colors and no cards which actually require these colors of mana in any form.
 
The ''[[Unstable]]'' set uses [[Gold (disambiguation)|gold]] as the color of a [[dragon]] token produced by <c>Sword of Dungeons & Dragons</c>.
 
===Sixth color===
A more serious discussion of a new color took place during the design of ''[[Planar Chaos]]''. The sixth color, [[purple]], would have been in opposition to [[green]], but the idea never made it past the concept stage.<ref>{{EzTumblr|http://markrosewater.tumblr.com/post/93362071998/what-color-were-you-thinking-of-adding-in-planar-chaos|title=What color were you thinking of adding in Planar Chaos?|July 30, 2014}}</ref>  
 
Even though colorless is not a color, the appearance of the colorless mana symbol ({{C}}) in ''[[Oath of the Gatewatch]]'' birthed the idea of colorless as the sixth ''Magic'' color. With the expansion ''[[Kaladesh]]'', [[energy]] ({{E}}) was introduced as a [[resource|way to pay ability costs]] rather than traditional mana.
 
==Notes and references==
{{reflist|refs=  
<ref name="Value Pie">{{DailyRef|making-magic/value-pie-2003-08-18-0|The Value of Pie|[[Mark Rosewater]]|August 18, 2003}}</ref>
<ref name="Flavor Burst">{{DailyRef|making-magic/making-magic/bursting-flavor-2003-02-24|Bursting with Flavor|Mark Rosewater|February 24, 2003}}</ref>
<ref name="Basic Mana">{{DailyRef|level-one/basics-mana-2015-07-06|The Basics of Mana|[[Reid Duke]]|July 6, 2015}}</ref>
<ref name="Pie Fights">{{DailyRef|making-magic/pie-fights-2016-11-14|Pie Fights|Mark Rosewater|November 14, 2016}}</ref>
<ref name="Golden Girls">{{DailyRef|making-magic/thank-you-being-friend-2017-03-20|Thank You for Being a Friend|Mark Rosewater|March 20, 2017}}</ref>
<ref name="White Again">{{DailyRef|making-magic/great-white-way-revisited-2015-07-13|The Great White Way Revisited|Mark Rosewater|July 13, 2015}}</ref>
<ref name="Blue Again">{{DailyRef|making-magic/true-blue-revisited-2015-07-20|True Blue Revisited|Mark Rosewater|July 20, 2015}}</ref>
<ref name="Black Again">{{DailyRef|making-magic/black-revisited-2015-07-27|In the Black Revisited|Mark Rosewater|July 27, 2015}}</ref>
<ref name="Defining Black">{{DailyRef|latest-developments/defining-black-2004-02-06-0|Defining Black|[[Randy Buehler]]|February 6, 2004}}</ref>
<ref name="Red Again">{{DailyRef|making-magic/seeing-red-revisited-2015-08-03|Seeing Red Revisited|Mark Rosewater|August 3, 2015}}</ref>
<ref name="Green Again">{{DailyRef|making-magic/its-not-easy-being-green-revisited-2015-08-10|It's Not Easy Being Green Revisited|Mark Rosewater|August 10, 2015}}</ref>
<ref name="Colored Removal">{{DailyRef|making-magic/acts-destruction-2014-08-11|Acts of Destruction|Mark Rosewater|August 11, 2014}}</ref>
<ref name="Colored Damage">{{DailyRef|feature/feel-burn-2010-11-15|Feel the Burn|Mark Rosewater|November 15, 2010}}</ref>
<ref name="Enemy Mine">{{DailyRef|making-magic/enemy-mine-2002-02-18|Enemy Mine|Mark Rosewater|February 18, 2002}}</ref>
<ref name="Small Change">{{DailyRef|making-magic/small-change-2003-07-21|Small Changes|Mark Rosewater|July 21, 2003}}</ref>
<ref name="Core Work">{{DailyRef|making-magic/working-your-core-2013-07-08|Working Your Core|Mark Rosewater|July 8, 2013}}</ref>
<ref name="Bleed Story">{{DailyRef|feature/bleed-story-2011-06-13|The Bleed Story|Mark Rosewater|June 13, 2011}}</ref>
<ref name="Bleed Cool">{{DailyRef|making-magic/bleeding-cool-2015-04-06|Bleeding Cool|Mark Rosewater|April 6, 2015}}</ref>
<ref name="Bleed vs Bend">{{EzTumblr|http://markrosewater.tumblr.com/post/157886630883/|title=Could you define what makes something a color pie bend versus a break?|March 1, 2017}}</ref>
<ref name="AskWizSep03">{{DailyRef|ask-wizards-september-2003-2003-09-01|Ask Wizards - September, 2003|Wizards of the Coast|September 1, 2003}}</ref>
<ref name="Metal World">{{DailyRef|savor-flavor/world-sculpted-metal-2011-03-22 |A World Sculpted from Metal|[[Doug Beyer]]|March 23, 2011}}</ref>
}}
 
==External links==
===General===
*{{DailyRef|making-magic/lets-talk-color-pie|Let's Talk Color Pie|[[Mark Rosewater]]|October 11, 2021}} (A collection of links)
*{{DailyRef|making-magic/value-pie-2003-08-18-0|The Value of Pie|[[Mark Rosewater]]|August 18, 2003}}
*{{DailyRef|magic-style-guide-part-1-2005-09-07|The Magic Style Guide (Part 1)|[[Matt Cavotta]]|September 7, 2005}}
*{{DailyRef|arcana/history-color-pie-2010-09-02|The History of the Color Pie|[[Monty Ashley]]|September 2, 2010}}
 
====Allied colors====
*{{DailyRef|making-magic/thank-you-being-friend-2017-03-20|Thank You for Being a Friend|[[Mark Rosewater]]|March 20, 2017|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20230723045100/https://magic.wizards.com/en/news/making-magic/thank-you-being-friend-2017-03-20|archivedate=July 23, 2023}}
 
====Enemy colors====
*{{DailyRef|hate-enough-2002-02-19|Hate Is Enough|Mark Rosewater|February 19, 2002}}
*{{DailyRef|making-magic/pie-fights-2016-11-14|Pie Fights|Mark Rosewater|November 14, 2016}}
 
====Artifacts====
*{{DailyRef|making-magic/domo-arigato-mr-roboto-2003-09-29|Domo Arigato, Mr. Roboto|Mark Rosewater|September 29, 2003}}
*{{DailyRef|making-magic/just-artifacts-ma’am-2005-02-28|Just the Artifacts, Ma'am|Mark Rosewater|February 28, 2005}}
 
====Downsides====
*{{DailyRef|making-magic/more-maro-maro-2019-12-02|More Maro on Maro|[[Mark Rosewater]]| December 2, 2019}}
 
===Mechanical implementation===
*{{DailyRef|ask-wizards-september-2003-2003-09-01|Ask Wizards - September, 2003|[[Wizards of the Coast]]|September 1, 2003}}
*{{DailyRef|making-magic/acts-destruction-2014-08-11|Acts of Destruction|Mark Rosewater|August 11, 2014}}
*{{DailyRef|making-magic/mechanical-color-pie-2017-2017-06-05|Mechanical Color Pie 2017|Mark Rosewater|June 5, 2017}}
*{{DailyRef|making-magic/mechanical-color-pie-2021-changes-2021-10-18|Mechanical Color Pie 2021 Changes|[[Mark Rosewater]]|October 18, 2021}}
 
====Color bleed====
*{{DailyRef|feature/bleed-story-2011-06-13|The Bleed Story|Mark Rosewater|June 13, 2011}}
*{{DailyRef|making-magic/bleeding-cool-2015-04-06|Bleeding Cool|Mark Rosewater|April 6, 2015}}
 
====''Planar Chaos'' (Timeshifted cards)====
* {{DailyRef|making-magic/american-pie-2006-10-23|American Pie|Mark Rosewater|October 23, 2006}}
*{{DailyRef|making-magic/chaos-theory-2007-01-08|Chaos Theory|Mark Rosewater|January 8, 2007}}
 
====Color hosers====
*{{DailyRef|making-magic/enemy-mine-2002-02-18|Enemy Mine|Mark Rosewater|February 18, 2002}}
*{{DailyRef|latest-developments/role-hate-2009-01-02|The Role of Hate|[[Erik Lauer]]|January 2, 2009}}
 
===Monocolored===
====White====
*{{DailyRef|making-magic/great-white-way-2003-02-03|The Great White Way|Mark Rosewater|February 3, 2003}}
*{{DailyRef|making-magic/peace-love-and-understanding-2008-10-06|Peace, Love and Understanding|Mark Rosewater|October 6, 2008}}
*{{DailyRef|making-magic/great-white-way-revisited-2015-07-13|The Great White Way Revisited|Mark Rosewater|July 13, 2015}}
 
====Blue====
*{{DailyRef|making-magic/true-blue-2003-08-11|True Blue|Mark Rosewater|August 11, 2003}}
*{{DailyRef|making-magic/troubled-one-2005-03-21-0|The Troubled One|Mark Rosewater|March 21, 2005}}
*{{DailyRef|making-magic/striving-for-perfection|Striving for Perfection|Mark Rosewater|November 17, 2008|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20230621225004/https://magic.wizards.com/en/news/making-magic/striving-for-perfection|archivedate=June 21, 2023}}
*{{DailyRef|making-magic/true-blue-revisited-2015-07-20|True Blue Revisited|Mark Rosewater|July 20, 2015}}
 
====Black====
*{{DailyRef|making-magic/black-2004-02-02|In the Black|Mark Rosewater|February 2, 2004}}
*{{DailyRef|latest-developments/defining-black-2004-02-06|Defining Black|[[Randy Buehler]]|February 6, 2004|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20040224072348/http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=mtgcom/daily/rb109|archivedate=February 24, 2004}}<!-- Really showing off the utter destructiveness of WotC's webmasters here. This got wiped off the face of the internet *three redesigns ago*. -->
*{{DailyRef|making-magic/looking-out-number-one-2008-10-17|Looking Out For Number One|Mark Rosewater|October 20, 2008|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20230206002358/https://magic.wizards.com/en/news/making-magic/looking-out-number-one-2008-10-17|archivedate=February 6, 2023}}
*{{DailyRef|making-magic/black-revisited-2015-07-27|In the Black Revisited|Mark Rosewater|July 27, 2015}}
 
====Red ====
*{{DailyRef|making-magic/seeing-red-2004-07-19-0|Seeing Red|Mark Rosewater|July 19, 2004}}
*{{DailyRef|making-magic/following-your-heart-2008-12-01|Following Your Heart|Mark Rosewater|December 1, 2008}}
*{{DailyRef|making-magic/seeing-red-revisited-2015-08-03|Seeing Red Revisited|Mark Rosewater|August 3, 2015}}
 
====Green====
* {{DailyRef|making-magic/its-not-easy-being-green-2002-10-21-0|It's Not Easy Being Green|Mark Rosewater|October 21, 2002}}
*{{DailyRef|feature/searching-within-2008-11-03|Searching Within|Mark Rosewater|November 3, 2008}}
*{{DailyRef|making-magic/its-not-easy-being-green-revisited-2015-08-10|It's Not Easy Being Green Revisited|Mark Rosewater|August 10, 2015}}


==Off color - Artifacts==
===Multicolor===
===Flavor===
====General====
<!-- A bit about what drives this "color" and the people in it -->
*{{DailyRef|making-magic/colorful-replies-2018-07-16|Colorful Replies|[[Mark Rosewater]]|July 16, 2018|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20230723045613/https://magic.wizards.com/en/news/making-magic/colorful-replies-2018-07-16|archivedate=July 23, 2023}}
''(To be written.)''
*{{DailyRef|making-magic/return-colorful-replies-2019-07-29|Return of Colorful Replies|[[Mark Rosewater]]|July 29, 2019|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20230606015631/https://magic.wizards.com/en/news/making-magic/return-colorful-replies-2019-07-29|archivedate=July 23, 2023}}
===Rules===
*{{DailyRef|making-magic/im-legend-2008-06-09|IM Legend|[[Mark Rosewater]]|June 9, 2008|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20230723045904/https://magic.wizards.com/en/news/making-magic/im-legend-2008-06-09|archivedate=July 23, 2023}}
<!-- Which mechanics are associated with this color and how does this color differentiate from the rest -->
''(To be written.)''
==Multicolor==
<!-- This should probably be sort of a recap of the guild articles. -->


Some cards can be multicoloured, meaning they require more than one type of mana to use.  Until recently, that was about all that the players could really know about multicolour. Though Invasion Block, the first set to introduce widespread multicolour-ism, was a smashing success (as evidenced by a definite spike in tournament attendance), in Mark Rosewater's words, it wasn't really a mechanic they explored much.  The card pool was dominated by "Chinese menu" cards, meaning they took one ability from two colours, scrunched them together on one card, and saw what happened.
====Allied<!-- All these articles have been Waybacked as of June 2023 but adding the links by hand is tedious and I'm lazy. -->====
<p>Recently though, with the finalization of the Ravnica block, the "guild model" has given way to a new era of understanding colour combinations.  Mark Rosewater boldly campaigned to showcase all ten two-colour combinations equally.  Those combinations, and the names of the guild associated with them in Ravnica block, are:
*{{mana|WU}} {{DailyRef|making-magic/slow-and-steady-2006-05-01|Slow and Steady|Mark Rosewater|May 1, 2006}}
[[http://forums.mtgsalvation.com/images/smilies/manawu.gif|frame|left]]</p>White-Blue  [[Azorius Senate]]
*{{mana|WU}} {{DailyRef|making-magic/designing-azorius-2012-10-29|Designing for Azorius|Mark Rosewater|October 29, 2012}}
<p>White-Black  [[Orzhov Syndicate]]
*{{mana|UB}} {{DailyRef|making-magic/pretty-sneaky-sis-2005-11-07-0|Pretty Sneaky Sis|Mark Rosewater|November 7, 2005}}
</p>Blue-Black  [[House Dimir]]
*{{mana|UB}} {{DailyRef|making-magic/designing-dimir-2013-03-18|Designing for Dimir|Mark Rosewater|March 18, 2013}}
<p>Blue-Red  [[Izzet League]]
*{{mana|BR}} {{DailyRef|making-magic/hedonism-attitude-2006-08-14-0|Hedonism With Attitude|Mark Rosewater|August 14, 2006}}
</p>Black-Red  [[Cult of Rakdos]]
*{{mana|BR}} {{DailyRef|making-magic/designing-rakdos-2012-12-10|Designing for Rakdos|Mark Rosewater|December 10, 2012}}
<p>Black-Green  [[Golgari Swarm]]
* {{mana|RG}} {{DailyRef|making-magic/aaaargh-2006-01-30-0|Aaaargh!!!|Mark Rosewater|January 30, 2006}}
</p>Red-Green  [[Gruul Clans]]
*{{mana|RG}} {{DailyRef|making-magic/designing-gruul-2013-03-04|Designing for Gruul|Mark Rosewater|March 4, 2013}}
<p>Red-White  [[Boros Legion]]
*{{mana|GW}} {{DailyRef|making-magic/group-think-2005-10-03-0|Group Think|Mark Rosewater|October 3, 2005}}
</p>Green-White  [[Selesnya Conclave]]
*{{mana|GW}} {{DailyRef|making-magic/designing-selesnya-2012-10-01|Designing for Selesnya|Mark Rosewater|October 1, 2012}}
<p>Green-Blue  [[Simic Combine]]
*{{DailyRef|feature/allies-conflict-2008-06-11|Allies in Conflict|[[Doug Beyer]]|June 11, 2008|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20220804233034/https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/feature/allies-conflict-2008-06-11|archivedate=August 4, 2022}}


</p>According to a new set of "colour pie philosophy" articles by Mark Rosewater (which isn't yet finished), each two-colour combination is defined as the intersection of the two colours.
====Enemy<!-- All these articles have been Waybacked as of June 2023 but adding the links by hand is tedious and I'm lazy. -->====
*{{mana|WB}} {{DailyRef|making-magic/playing-their-own-rules-2006-03-27|Playing By Their Own Rules|Mark Rosewater|March 27, 2006}}
*{{mana|WB}} {{DailyRef|making-magic/designing-orzhov-2013-03-25|Designing for Orzhov|Mark Rosewater|March 25, 2013}}
*{{mana|UR}} {{DailyRef|making-magic/creative-differences-2006-02-27|Creative Differences|Mark Rosewater|February 27, 2006}}
*{{mana|UR}} {{DailyRef|making-magic/designing-izzet-2012-11-12|Designing for Izzet|Mark Rosewater|November 12, 2012}}
*{{mana|BG}} {{DailyRef|making-magic/life-and-death-2005-10-24-0|Life and Death|Mark Rosewater|October 24, 2005}}
*{{mana|BG}} {{DailyRef|making-magic/designing-golgari-2012-11-26|Designing for Golgari|Mark Rosewater|November 26, 2012}}
*{{mana|RW}} {{DailyRef|making-magic/disorderly-conduct-2005-12-05|Disorderly Conduct|Mark Rosewater|December 5, 2005}}
*{{mana|RW}} {{DailyRef|making-magic/designing-boros-2013-02-04|Designing for Boros|Mark Rosewater|February 4, 2013}}
*{{mana|GU}} {{DailyRef|making-magic/improving-upon-nature-2006-05-29|Improving Upon Nature|Mark Rosewater|May 22, 2006}}
*{{mana|GU}} {{DailyRef|making-magic/designing-simic-2013-02-18|Designing for Simic|Mark Rosewater|February 18, 2013}}
*{{DailyRef|feature/enemies-harmony-sorta-2008-08-06|Enemies in Harmony... Sorta|Doug Beyer|August 6, 2008|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20220628092116/https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/feature/enemies-harmony-sorta-2008-08-06|archivedate=June 28, 2022}}


''(Please expand this article using the appropriate info)''
====Wedges====
*{{mana|WBG}} {{DailyRef|mm/we-will-survive-2014-09-29|We Will Survive|Mark Rosewater|September 29, 2014}}
*{{mana|URW}} {{DailyRef|making-magic/smart-thinking-2014-11-03|Smart Thinking|Mark Rosewater|November 3, 2014}}
*{{mana|BGU}} {{DailyRef|making-magic/whatever-it-takes-2015-02-02|Whatever it Takes|Mark Rosewater|February 2, 2015}}
*{{mana|RWB}} {{DailyRef|making-magic/finishing-first-2014-11-17|Finishing First|Mark Rosewater|November 17, 2014}}
*{{mana|GUR}} {{DailyRef|making-magic/what-doesnt-kill-you-makes-you-stronger-2015-02-23|What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Stronger|Mark Rosewater|February 23, 2015}}


=='''"Sources"''' or '''"Things I Should Read Before Writing in this Article and Learning to Love the Wheel'o'Color"'''==
====Four Colors====
''(These should be deleted when the article is complete, and references have been made properly.)''
*{{DailyRef|card-preview/designing-commander-2016-edition-2016-10-24|Designing Commander (2016 Edition)|[[Ethan Fleischer]]|October 24, 2016}}


Color wheel
{{Colors|state=collapsed| }}
*http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=mtgcom/daily/mr85
{{CR Navbox|100}}
*http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=mtgcom/askwizards/0903 (september 26th)
* ~ http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=mtgcom/daily/mc3
Black
*http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=mtgcom/daily/mr109
*http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=mtgcom/daily/rb109
Blue
*http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=mtgcom/daily/mr84
Hosing of Blue
*http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=mtgcom/daily/mr168a
Green
*http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=mtgcom/daily/mr43
Red
*http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=mtgcom/daily/mr133
White
*http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=mtgcom/daily/mr57
Artifacts
*http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=mtgcom/daily/mr91
*http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=mtgcom/daily/mr165
Color hate
*http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=mtgcom/feature/14
*http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=mtgcom/daily/mr8
Multicolor
*UB http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=mtgcom/daily/mr201
*GW http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=mtgcom/daily/mr196
*GB http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=mtgcom/daily/mr199
*RW http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=mtgcom/daily/mr205
*BW http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=mtgcom/daily/mr221
*RG http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=mtgcom/daily/mr213
*RU http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=mtgcom/daily/mr217
*GU http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=mtgcom/daily/mr229


{{stub}}[[Category:Magic Rules]][[Category:The Game of Magic]]
[[Category:Magic theory]]

Latest revision as of 00:48, 5 April 2024

Color is a basic property of cards in Magic: The Gathering, forming the core of the game's mana system and overall strategy.

General

There are five colors, sequenced white ({W}), blue ({U}), black ({B}), red ({R}), and green ({G}); this arrangement is called the "color pie" or "color wheel". Devised by Magic creator Richard Garfield, the color system is one of the game's most fundamental and iconic elements. It gives the game diversity in its cards, effects, and play styles, while preventing any one deck from having every tool in the game.[1][2] Mark Rosewater considers the invention of the color pie to be part of the Golden Trifecta that made the game successful.[3]

Each color signifies an ideological faction, whose culture defines the flavor and gameplay of its cards, as well as its relations with the other colors. Each color has its own means and motivation for doing battle in Magic, which tie into its strengths, weaknesses, and unique mechanics.[4][5] Head designer Mark Rosewater has written many articles about the color pie, both on its portrayal in-universe and its implications on the design and development of cards. In fact, there is a quotation from Mark Rosewater at the start of each color's section on this page that briefly describes that color's philosophical goal, "X", and means of achieving it, "Y", in the form of "X through Y".

Note that colorless is by definition not a color.[6]

Rules

From the glossary of the Comprehensive Rules (June 7, 2024—Modern Horizons 3)

Color
1. A characteristic of an object. See rule 105, “Colors,” and rule 202, “Mana Cost and Color.”
2. An attribute mana may have. See rule 106, “Mana.”

From the Comprehensive Rules (June 7, 2024—Modern Horizons 3)

  • 105. Colors
    • 105.1. There are five colors in the Magic game: white, blue, black, red, and green.
    • 105.2. An object can be one or more of the five colors, or it can be no color at all. An object is the color or colors of the mana symbols in its mana cost, regardless of the color of its frame. An object’s color or colors may also be defined by a color indicator or a characteristic-defining ability. See rule 202.2.
      • 105.2a A monocolored object is exactly one of the five colors.
      • 105.2b A multicolored object is two or more of the five colors.
      • 105.2c A colorless object has no color.
    • 105.3. Effects may change an object’s color or give a color to a colorless object. If an effect gives an object a new color, the new color replaces all previous colors the object had (unless the effect said the object became that color “in addition” to its other colors). Effects may also make a colored object become colorless.
    • 105.4. If a player is asked to choose a color, they must choose one of the five colors. “Multicolored” is not a color. Neither is “colorless.”
    • 105.5. If an effect refers to a color pair, it means exactly two of the five colors. There are ten color pairs: white and blue, white and black, blue and black, blue and red, black and red, black and green, red and green, red and white, green and white, and green and blue.

Representation and meaning

Each of the five colors represents a set of beliefs and principles, giving identity to Magic's characters and organizations. A color's philosophy explains how it sees the world, what objectives it hopes to realize, and what resources and tactics a color has at its disposal. This dictates which card types and abilities thematically fit within a color, allowing the game's flavor to connect with and even define its functionality.[1][2] The basic concepts related to each color are:

  • {W} White: Peace, law, structure, selflessness, equality[7]
  • {U} Blue: Knowledge, deceit, caution, deliberation, perfection[8]
  • {B} Black: Power, self-interest, death, sacrifice, uninhibitedness[9]
  • {R} Red: Freedom, emotion, action, impulse, destruction[10]
  • {G} Green: Nature, wildlife, connection, spirituality, tradition[11]

The colors form the cornerstone of Magic's mana system. Each color's way of thinking and acting are reflected via cards of that color having access to exclusive abilities and an affinity for certain aspects of play.[2][12][13] But these are balanced by natural vulnerabilities, in that a color may lack a given skill set or have trouble handling certain problems.[14][15] A player can offset these weaknesses by adding cards of another color, but this versatility comes at the expense of a consistent mana base.[15][16]

The color pie

The color wheel

The color pie is portrayed as a circular pattern, clockwise in order: White, Blue, Black, Red, and Green. The back of each Magic card depicts the color wheel in the form of round colored gems. Adjacent colors in the wheel will be relatively similar in ideology and are known as allied colors (e.g. White's allies are Green and Blue).[5] In contrast, colors on opposite sides have radically conflicting views and are called enemy colors (e.g. White's enemies are Black and Red).[4]

While a set may occasionally feature enemy colors working together, a color is much more likely to work with its allies and against its enemies, more so if two allied colors join together against their shared enemy. Most blocks feature at least one cycle of hoser cards, typically with abilities that negatively affect one or both of a color's enemies.[14] For example, this cycle from Coldsnap later reprinted in 10th Edition: Luminesce, Flashfreeze, Deathmark, Cryoclasm, and Karplusan Strider. In contrast, very rarely will cards in a color have effects detrimental to an ally (i.e. Glissa's Courier).

Individualism within each color

The Magic books provide readers and players with greater insight and perspective on characters that represent a certain color or color combination at a personal level. When pulled apart from their kin, individuals can be shown to have traits in common with their color or guild, yet toned down to a smaller, more "realistic" scale.

For example, White as a group works toward peace, harmony, and unity. But for white as a lone soldier or citizen, these goals may be considered "too large" for their everyday life. A White organization may believe in order and ethics, enforcing its beliefs through government, religion, and other large-scale institutions. However, White individuals may mirror this on a smaller scale, such as preferring their family eat together at the dinner table, or putting value in dining etiquette and proper manners. A White group can outcast a troublemaker, but individuals have little to no power to do so on their own. (Example: Gaze of Justice)

However, there are some guidelines and some rules for determining the identity of a character. First, there are five flexible traits, visible in characters of all colors but primarily represented in one color:

An organized character is not automatically White. A character that values organization, however, could be White. For reference, Black/Red has shown signs of organization in such cases as the mathematically designed destruction of Void and the efficiently-costed, targeted destruction of Terminate. Green/White has shown self-concern in the form of life gain (Heroes' Reunion), but that does not make Green/White selfish — that would be comparable to saying that a person is selfish for brushing their teeth. Instinct is unavoidable in all forms of non-artificial life, as even vampires must feed to sate their natural hunger. Wizards cannot learn on an empty stomach and even they are drawn to sexual partners — it is as nature wills, but that does not make them Green. It is the value of these traits that defines a character to a color, not the presence of them. That said, their presence should not be taken into heavy consideration.

Second, influence must be taken into account. If non-Black characters spend a great deal of time around Black characters, they will likely do some things that can be considered selfish or outright Black. This does not make the former group Black, as they may have been suffering under peer pressure, they may have lost or could be losing sight of morality, they may not be entirely aware of what they're doing, or they could perhaps be in the process of reconsidering their own views and making a shift into or toward the color. Influences also come from bloodline, race, and occupation. If the character is a goblin in the Azorius Senate, they may be Blue/White, but will likely have a Red influence that will surface in their actions, words, responses, or thoughts. Typically, when an opposing influence surfaces, it serves only to dilute the character's other colors. For example, a Black/Red character with a White influence would be a much more toned-down version of a Black/Red character.


{W} White

Main article: White
“  {W}  Peace through Structure  {W}[17]  ”

Flavor

White puts value in the group, the community, and its civilization as a whole. White believes that suffering is a by-product of individuals not prioritizing the good of the group. White's ultimate goal is peace—a world where there is no unnecessary suffering; a world where life is as good as it can be for each individual; a world where everyone gets along and no one seeks to disturb the bonds of unity that White has worked so long to forge. To govern and protect its community, White makes use of and puts value in a number of broad concepts: morality (ethics, grace, truth), order (law, discipline, duty), uniformity (conformity, religion), and structure (government, planning, reason). More than every other color, White believes there is clear good and evil in the world and it is not too hard to distinguish them.

White is a color commonly associated with fairness and justice but, if left unchecked or if everyone is not working toward the same unified goal, White can become totalitarian, inflexible, and capable of sacrificing a small group for the sake of a larger one: everything necessary to preserve the laws, rules, and governance that White has created. White is able to convince people to work together in a way no other color can, but White must be ever vigilant that it does not become the very evil it hopes to eradicate from the world. Withal, White is stereotyped as being the "vanilla" or boring color, yet each White character or society embodies but one iteration of a panoply of conflicting political and economic views about the best way to pragmatically actualize White's ideals; the struggle within and between White characters and societies to uphold their own interpretations of White's principles is what makes the color so interesting. What all White beings have in common is a belief in the power of social organization and in the common good.

White has an ally in Green, which appreciates White's defense of life and tradition, and in Blue, which understands White's need for science and progress. However, Red's belief in anarchy and freedom puts it at odds with White's goal of supporting institutions, and White's altruism puts it directly at odds with Black's egoism.

Mechanics

  • Damage prevention and life gain: White is a protector first; it has many cards that prevent damage to itself and/or its creatures ("healing"). In addition, White places great emphasis on the continuity of life, and endurance. It can restore life to a player, allowing that player to shake off the attacks of the opponent. To contrast, whereas Green life gain cards always have life gain as the main effect, there are White cards whose principal effect is not life gain but have that as an added bonus, making White the best choice for keeping up a life total while fighting off the opponent. Note the keyword ability lifelink, primary in white. Examples: Healing Salve, Angel of Salvation, Ancestor's Chosen, Reverse Damage.
  • Rules-setting and "Taxing": White values order and law, and so it has ways of restricting the actions of players so that they do not do anything which White considers unnecessary or unfair. This can be an outright denial of privileges (rules), or imposition of some form of "cost" on a regular part of gameplay (taxing). Rules-setting on players is commonly symmetric, while taxation is asymmetric. Examples: Rule of Law, Humility, Windborn Muse, Ghostly Prison, Land Tax.
  • Artifact and enchantment destruction: Although White is attached to both these types, it sees vice in their excess. White mana has the ability to purge what is false, to take away the vestments in which wickedness hides. Recently (with the rotation of Disenchant from Standard), White is able to destroy enchantments with much less effort (less mana) than for artifacts. Examples: Demystify, Tempest of Light, Dispeller's Capsule.
  • Balance and uniformity: White has a sense of honor and fair play, which is seen in its use of mass destruction effects, and other 'equality' spells. "Mass destruction" spells reduce all players to possessing no more of any resource than that of the player with the least, and oftentimes, they set that quantity to zero. In addition, White believes in making the world uniform. Differences cause individuals to dissent and dislike one another. Differences only allow for unrest. In sameness, there is fairness, and the way to consider a person justly is clearer. Examples: Wrath of God, Balance, Mirror Entity.
  • Combat superiority: Ultimately, White wants to create peace. It has no interest in prolonging warfare and hates to kill even its enemies. As a result, White emphasizes the need for strong, effective methods to bring an engagement to a close - or at least bring the enemies offensives, and resistance, to an end. In addition to spells which banish or utterly destroy attackers or blockers, White has creatures with abilities representing skills (e.g., "archery") that allow white's team to break up stalemates, protect each other from the enemy, and in general, facilitate the end of the hostilities. Examples: Hail of Arrows, Ballista Squad, Loxodon Mystic.
  • Total defense: Above and beyond the degree to which White seeks options to expedite combat, it has every ability to stop attackers and other aggressors in their tracks. It will punish anything which causes - or even threatens to cause - pain. In this way, white magic sends a clear message, and it is that those who dare to inflict harm, will soon meet their maker. Examples: Chastise, Neck Snap, Reciprocate, Retaliate.

{U} Blue

Main article: Blue
“  {U}  Perfection through Knowledge  {U}[18]  ”

Flavor

Blue is the color that wants perfection and looks on the world and sees opportunity to achieve that: figuring out what one could achieve with the right education, experience, and tools. For Blue, life is constant discovery as one keeps seeking to better oneself. This requires one to be open to possibilities, but to also not be too hasty to act. Blue is methodical and exact and recognizes that there are many forces, even some that come from within, that lead an individual astray: better to think one's options out carefully and select correctly than to rush. Consequently Blue is, at times, excessively patient in the face of adversaries, but Blue regards this as a virtue rather than a vice.

Implicit in its world-view, blue believes in tabula rasa: every one of us is born a blank slate with the potential to become anything; one need only understand the how to make the change. Blue then reasons that if it is to make itself better, it must acquire the knowledge necessary to become capable of everything it could be capable of: to discern the potential for any conscious action. Conceiving itself capable of changing anything if it both understands the change and knows how to achieve every capability it could have, Blue concludes that it must also control change itself. As such, Blue is the color most interested in technology and wants the latest and greatest version of whatever it is using. Moreover, Blue believes in logic, as it is the only tool that Blue regards as being truly objective: Blue has little use for sentimentality. Beyond its devotion to logic and direction of change, blue seeks to understand everything; for truly, comprehension can only improve one's effectiveness in any task. Since acquiring knowledge will inform every other decision, blue thusly forms its ultimate goal: omniscience, the knowledge of all.

Blue is allied with White, which shares its desire to promote civilization, and Black, which shares its value of individualistic self-improvement. Blue is opposed to Green, which it regards as savage and afraid of progress, and Red, which it regards as insane and destructive to itself and everything else.

Mechanics

  • Card draw: Blue is the color of knowledge and research. As such, it is the best at expanding its mind, represented by unconditional drawing additional cards by minimum mana cost. This also comes about via card selection (i.e. the "looter" ability), which enables Blue to keep its ideas and plans relevant and up to date. Examples: Inspiration, Telling Time, Merfolk Looter.
  • Counterspells: Blue is disposed to deny or reverse its opponents' actions, rather than take actions of its own. Blue's logic empowers it to prevent others from taking actions it deems foolish. The use of "countermagic" reflects Blue's understanding of magic itself: dismantling opposing spells at their fundamental level. Examples: Cancel, Mana Leak.
  • Mimicry: Blue is the color of knowledge, where imitation of other cards can reflect its nature of desire to learn. Blue's mimicry effects are spell duplication and cloning. Examples: Twincast, Clone, Shape Stealer.
  • "Return to hand" ("Bounce") effects: Blue is the color most adept at manipulating time. The use of bounce effects net crucial tempo for Blue, slowing its opponents long enough for a permanent solution to be found. It is an element of Blue's technological aspect: changing the environment, in precise ways, to its advantage, such as by removing an attacker or blocker or preserving one of its own permanents. Examples: Boomerang, Evacuation.
  • Tapping and untapping permanents: These effects come from Blue's tricky nature. The untapped status is necessary for certain actions, and for some of those, it is expended (the permanent becomes tapped). Due to this, Blue can slow or disrupt its opponent with tap effects, or untap its own permanents for extra and perhaps unexpected uses. Examples: Dehydration, Stasis, Twitch, Puppeteer.
  • Gain control ("Stealing") effects: Blue is a controlling color. It believes it knows best how to use others' resources. It is also very practical about combat, turning its knowledge of the mind toward controlling it. Examples: Persuasion, Take Possession, Annex.

{B} Black

Main article: Black
“  {B}  Power through Ruthlessness  {B}[19]  ”

Flavor

To Black, the only measure of right and wrong should be whether or not an approach leads to success: amorality, rather than morality or immorality. Unnecessary suffering in Black's view is the result of a counterproductive approach, yet in different circumstances the same approach could be the right one. Black understands the value of selfishness, so it is open to opportunities and strategies rejected by others as taboo or forbidden—undeath, torment, infection, betrayal. Black characters will ensure their own well-being even at the expense of others; to Black, anything less only allows others to do the same. Thus, Black does everything possible to gain the only commodity that can secure it from weakness and ensure its ability to get whatever it needs or wants—power, even omnipotence. The only thing Black values more than its own life is its own will, as it sees the self as that which is most precious to all beings.

Black's selfishness and lack of ethical restraint can result in tragedy if misapplied, but Black is not inherently evil: egoism and pragmatic ambition are the source of much good in the world, especially when coupled with self-growth, and are the basis of individual rights. Unfortunately, the association of Black with villains and anti-heroes masks the other colors' potential for tremendous evil (a misconception that their own villains and anti-heroes gleefully abuse), yet Black's heroes often reach the highest pinnacles of self-actualization and personal growth out of all heroes: Black's virtues, including self-love, self-reliance, and willingness to face the ugly side of things, are all great seeds of heroic potential. Black has a very cynical world-view, and its core philosophy is that of self-determination and release from society's imposed limitations, so when things truly go awry, a Black hero capable of waking people up to reality is exactly what the world needs. This is because, beneath its wall of cynicism, Black is the color that most believes that it can change fate against the most impossible odds—even if it must stand alone.

Black has an ally in Blue, as it appreciates its subtlety and use of cold logic. Black is also allied with Red, respecting its desire to do things on its own terms. However, Black's disregard for other members of the group, spirituality/religion, and the sanctity of life oppose it to Green and White.[9] This is ironic in Green's case, as Black and Green agree that each alone is merely surviving and adapting to the world as it is: they just disagree upon what "the world as it is" is.

Mechanics

  • Creature destruction: Black sees death not as a necessary evil, but as an effective tool. This gives it a variety of effects that kill creatures, many less expensive and with fewer conditions than those available to other colors. Also, black's mass removal is more calculated than average, often selectively destroying enemies while keeping its own most valuable creatures alive (Examples: Royal Assassin, Murderous Cut, Reckless Spite, Plague Wind).
  • Necromancy: Black has no compassion for the dead, and will raise an army of zombies and other undead to serve beyond the grave. Black can also return fallen creatures from the graveyard to its hand, and can even reanimate them directly to the battlefield (Nether Traitor, Disturbing Plot, Grim Return).

{R} Red

Main article: Red
“  {R}  Freedom through Action  {R}[21]  ”

Flavor

Above all else, Red values freedom. It wants to do what it wants when it wants, and to whom it wants, and nobody can tell it otherwise. In summary, Red thinks that all you have to do is listen to your heart and simply act accordingly, letting your emotions guide you. Red loves life much more than any other color and so it believes that all people must live it to the fullest. Red believes that life is an adventure, and that it would be much more fun if everyone stopped caring about rules, laws, and personal appearances and just spent their time indulging their desires through experience. Red doesn't live its life questioning choices it has made and lives in the moment; Red is spontaneous and embraces every adventure put before it. Red is often charismatic, even as its antics upturn the established order.

Red is the color of immediate action and immediate gratification. If it wants something, it will act on its impulses and take it, regardless of the consequences. On the other hand, Red may also seek to make amends: Red embraces relationships and knows passion and loyalty and camaraderie and lust. When Red bonds with another, it bonds strongly and fiercely. To outsiders, Red might seem a bit chaotic; that's only because others can't see what's in Red's heart. Red tendencies differ greatly: they may exist anywhere on the spectrum between loving empathy and vile hate, plus everything in-between. In general, Red sees the concept of external order of any kind as pointlessly inhibiting, believing that only by embracing anarchy can everyone really be free to enjoy life to the maximum with no regrets.

Red gets along well with Green, which understands the value of listening to one's inner voice, and Black, which agrees with Red's lack of adherence to social norms. But Red does not get along with White, which regards Red's quest for ultimate freedom as a threat to civilization, nor with Blue, which sees Red's brand of creativity as extremely destructive rather than productive. Red, for its part, feels that White and Blue strip people of what makes them unique.

Mechanics

  • Direct damage (Burn): Red favors direct action. It doesn't waste time looking for ways 'around' a problem—it blasts a path clean through. When the obstacle is a physical thing, Red employs this solution literally, throwing fire, rocks, or anything else at the problem until it goes away. Examples: Shock, Pyroclasm, Char, Fireball, Barbed Lightning.
  • Artifact and land destruction: Red's use of destruction goes to a deep philosophical origin, although it is frequently explained as unthinking glee. Briefly put, order arises from tradition, which occurs when some things are constant or expected. Chaos is the counter to order because chaos is change - unsettling change. When everything is changing, people are free, because there is no tie to "the way things were." Since Red wants freedom, it uses chaos. Destruction is clearly a force of chaos; it changes the world by removing something from it. Additionally, since Red is in every other respect a short-term thinker, the disruption effect of destroying your opponent's resources before they are used can be quite valuable. Examples: Shattering Spree, Manic Vandal, Volcanic Awakening.
  • Aggressive creatures: Red is capable of mounting a quick offensive, hoping to blitz its opponents before they have a chance to react. Unlike White, Red's creatures are focused almost entirely on the attack; little to no thought is given to blocking or endurance. Red creatures can be fast, but often at the cost of consistency, long-term resources, or harm to the controller. Examples: Ball Lightning, Jackal Pup, Goblin Cohort.
  • Gambits and short-term mana acceleration: Red wants to act on its desires without delay, whatever the cost. As such, its magic can give itself sudden, potent, but short-lived boosts of energy, or create high-risk-high-reward effects. This enables Red to do powerful things quickly and easily, though they carry the risk that, if the opponent recovers, Red's resources will "burn out." Examples: Fiery Gambit, Final Fortune, Seething Song, Desperate Ritual.
  • Randomness: Red is the color of chaos; it can hurt itself and others randomly. Randomness spells can be reflected through coin flips and random card discard. Examples: Tide of War, Mana Clash, Barbarian Bully, Gamble.
  • Trickery: Red is the color of pranksters; Red enjoys playing tricks on its enemies and changing the effects of their magic. Blue interferes with magic, too, but it specifically controls the magic for its own long-term profit. Red is concerned more with taking control away from its enemies - forcing them to deal with the unexpected. Sometimes Red can dictate the new effect, sometimes it is random. Such trickery includes temporarily gaining control of permanents, preventing creatures from blocking ("Panic"), and changing the targets of spells, though some cards in this category are truly unique. Examples: Threaten, Stun, Reroute, Confusion in the Ranks.

{G} Green

Main article: Green
“  {G}  Growth through Acceptance  {G}[22]  ”

Flavor

Green loves the world just the way it is. This is because Green is convinced that nature has gotten everything right fundamentally, and that it merely needs to be allowed the time and opportunity to develop its growth into further perfection. Green tries to coexist with the ecosystem instead of trying to change it, regulate it, norm it, or take advantage of it. As such, Green is the color of nature and interdependence. It believes that the truth of sentient beings is grounded in the natural order: a thing of beauty that has all the answers to life's problems as long as one listens closely enough to hear them. Green thinks that obeying our instincts is the best way to exist: that we, as part of the ecosystem, have a responsibility to protect it and to honor our natural selves. Wherever nature is lost, so are the available answers to us in the struggle to survive; so what affects one part of the ecosystem affects every part.

Green favors a simplistic way of living: being in harmony and communion with the natural world. This can lead to it being perceived as a pacifistic color, as it prefers to avoid extraneous conflict. Yet it is fierce when threatened and can be predatory and aggressive if its instincts dictate, and it may embrace change in the service of expanding nature and its cause. Green believes individuals are each born with a purpose: imprinted in their genes and interconnected with the physical and spiritual worlds. As everyone is born with unique roles, people's goal is to find what theirs are and do what they are destined to do. Each thread is woven into the web of life: we are not alone, but part of a complex system of inter-dependency. Green truly believes that every individual organism is part of this bigger picture—nature, the tapestry of life, fate and destiny—but that individuals may get too caught up in the details to see it.

White and Red understand Green's desire to protect nature better than the other colors, being representative of its order and freedom respectively, so this forms the basis of their alliance with Green. On the other hand, in Green's view Black's liberal use of death, and of undeath, is a violation of the cycle of life and a rejection of Black's role in the grand scheme, causing them to be enemies. Finally, Green regards technology as both a frequent threat to nature and an often hubristic attempt to replace the natural order with an artificial one; Green therefore comes into conflict with Blue which seeks to actively reshape and improve the world by means of technology.

Mechanics

  • Powerful creatures: As the color of nature and growth, green is able to field mighty creatures with ease. Although other colors have access to cheap creatures or strong creatures, Green alone has access to efficiently-costed and well-rounded creatures at any cost. Examples: Elvish Warrior, Leatherback Baloth, Verdant Force.
  • Token creatures: Tying in with green's creature focus and emphasis on growth is its ability to generate large numbers of token creatures. In green, these effects are often repeatable and represent an ever-expanding community of creatures. Examples: Thallid, Centaur Glade.
  • "Pump" effects: Green's philosophies of growth and strength both mean it can boost the power and toughness of its creatures, making them more effective in combat. These boosts can either be temporary, through instants and sorceries or permanent through enchantments and +1/+1 counters. Green also has creatures that can provide a temporary boost to another creature or gain a temporary boost when blocking. Examples: Giant Growth, Thrive, Briarhorn, Giant Badger.
  • Instinct attack: Green relies on instinct, which is reflected in the tactics of combat. Excess damage to creatures and its controller results as trample and even extreme as super trample. Lure is a passive ability to force opposing creatures to block, making smaller creatures to be killed by the larger creatures. Examples: Endless Wurm, Rhox, Lure, Elvish Bard, Hunt Down.
  • Permanent mana acceleration: Green's focus on growth enables it to permanently expand its mana base, varying from creatures that produce mana, enchantments that generate additional mana, land tutors, and putting additional lands into play. Examples: Llanowar Elves, Overgrowth, Sylvan Ranger, Exploration.
  • Mana fixing: Green's community aspect means it is the best color at creating other colors of mana, either through being able to search for other lands or through changing one color of mana into another. Examples: Birds of Paradise, Farseek, Orochi Leafcaller.
  • Artifact and enchantment destruction: Green hates illusions and the artificial, seeing them as perversions of the natural world. Thus, green actively works to destroy such things. Examples: Naturalize, Viridian Shaman.

{C} Colorless

Main article: Colorless

Flavor

Colorlessness is the absence of color. Most artifacts, being run on science and technology rather than magic (though exceptions on planes like Kaladesh do exist), are colorless.[23] In terms of alliances artifacts can be considered neutral, though green generally dislikes artifacts as a concept, while blue is more than happy to work with them extensively. However, there are some colored artifacts, which have a stronger connection to their respective color.

Besides artifacts, the Eldrazi tribe is also colorless. This ancient race is native to the Blind Eternities and their nature is ceaseless hunger, so they travel between planes devouring the mana and life energy until the plane's destruction. Before the complete destruction of a plane, they first destroy its color leaving behind Wastes, sources of colorless mana.

Ugin is also colorless, tied with his ancientness that gives him a transcendence over the colors. Accordingly, he has developed colorless magic like concealment magic or his Ghostfire.

Mechanics

Although colorless mana sources exist, colorless is not a color. Colorless cards either lack colored mana symbols in their mana cost or have an effect like devoid. The presence of the colorless mana symbol in the cost is not required; most colorless cards have entirely generic mana costs. Because generic costs don't need a specific type of mana, colorless cards can be played in decks of any color.

Colorless cards can have mechanics usually reserved for a specific color, but typically at a higher mana value for a given effect. For instance, colorless equipment can grant otherwise color-exclusive effects to any deck, but with less mana efficiency than a colored aura. Artifacts can be considered a "Jack of all trades, master of none," though they too have unique strengths; in the case of equipment, it doesn't leave the battlefield with its attached creature like auras do.[24]

As another example, haste is primary in red. Red can get a 2/2 with haste for three mana in Raging Cougar, Goblin Chariot, or Suq'Ata Lancer, the latter of which also has flanking. It can even have a 2/2 haste for just 1 red mana with Goblin Guide. Meanwhile, Arcbound Hybrid, a 2/2 artifact creature with haste, costs {4}, albeit with the artifact-exclusive mechanic modular.

Artifacts are often indestructible, but there are a set of mechanics unique to them like modular, imprint, and sunburst. Many of these mechanics involve combining with other cards like equip, fortify, crew or living weapon.

The Eldrazi on the other hand have their very own tribal mechanics like annihilator, devoid and ingest.

Face-down cards placed by morph and manifest are also colorless.

{M} Multicolored

Main article: Multicolored

Some cards are multicolored (sometimes called "gold" due to their card frame), meaning they require more than one type of mana to use. Although Invasion block, the first set prominently themed around multicolor, was a smashing success (as evidenced by a definite spike in tournament attendance), in Mark Rosewater's words, it wasn't really a mechanic they explored much. The card pool was dominated by "Chinese menu" cards, meaning they took one ability from two colors, scrunched them together on one card, and saw what happened. (the old adage of "one from column A, one from column B")

The "guild model" from Ravnica block has given way to a new era of understanding color combinations (especially two-color combinations). Mark Rosewater boldly campaigned to showcase all ten two-color combinations equally. Later the "small plane model" (shards) from Alara block and the "clan model" (wedges) from Tarkir block added a deeper understanding of the three-color combinations. The "triomes" from Ikoria gave new names to the wedge colors but the colors are not tied to factions or existing wedge identities.

Finally Commander 2016 gave an Identity to the notoriously hard to design four-color combinations.

Ravnica Guilds
(Allied Colors)
Ravnica Guilds
(Enemy Colors)
Strixhaven college
(Enemy Colors)
Alara Shards
(Arcs)
Tarkir Clans
(Wedges)
Ikoria Triomes
(Wedges)
New Capenna Families
(Arcs)
Four-color
Identities
  • {W}{U}{B}{R} Artifice
  • {U}{B}{R}{G} Chaos
  • {B}{R}{G}{W} Aggression
  • {R}{G}{W}{U} Altruism
  • {G}{W}{U}{B} Growth

The last color combination is WUBRG ({W}{U}{B}{R}{G}) which combines aspects from each color.

Deviations

Changes over time

Over the course of the game, the Magic development team has occasionally moved mechanics already established in one color to another. This is usually for balance reasons, particularly if a color has enough tools to negate its weaknesses, or has a disproportionate amount of design space. A major mechanical shift was made around 2003; at the time, blue and black had too many mechanics at the expense of the other colors.[25]

Change can also result from a re-examination of flavor; for instance, efficient artifact destruction was moved from white (Disenchant) to green (Naturalize) in order to better emphasize green's conflict with blue regarding technological progress.[25] Similar effects can be merged into a color to better highlight the mechanical distinctions between colors. Conversely, effects broad in scope can be split in order to prevent widely used mechanics from being tied to a single color.[26]

In terms of flavor black and red tended to be portrayed as evil in early lore while white, blue and green were generally good, but not soon after nuances were introduced and protagonists and antagonists became represented in all colors.

Color bleed

While the color pie is the foundation of Magic, from time to time, R&D stretches what mechanically and creativity is allowed in each color. When cards in a certain color do something that the color doesn't normally do, it is called color bleed. When the bleeding goes too far it is called a color bend or in the worst case a color break. A bend pushes in a direction that falls within color philosophy but outside of normal mechanical implementation. A break undermines a weakness that is core to the color.[15][27][28][29]

Un-colors

The Unhinged set features additional colors. Water Gun Balloon Game can create a pink permanent, and Avatar of Me is the color of its caster's eyes. Because of this, when using abilities which produce mana of "any color", you may choose literally any color. However, there is no Unhinged (Basic) Land card that can produce mana of these colors and no cards which actually require these colors of mana in any form.

The Unstable set uses gold as the color of a dragon token produced by Sword of Dungeons & Dragons.

Sixth color

A more serious discussion of a new color took place during the design of Planar Chaos. The sixth color, purple, would have been in opposition to green, but the idea never made it past the concept stage.[30]

Even though colorless is not a color, the appearance of the colorless mana symbol ({C}) in Oath of the Gatewatch birthed the idea of colorless as the sixth Magic color. With the expansion Kaladesh, energy ({E}) was introduced as a way to pay ability costs rather than traditional mana.

Notes and references

  1. ↑ a b Mark Rosewater (August 18, 2003). "The Value of Pie". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  2. ↑ a b c Mark Rosewater (February 24, 2003). "Bursting with Flavor". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  3. ↑ Mark Rosewater (March 11, 2024). "Looking Back, Part 1". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  4. ↑ a b Mark Rosewater (November 14, 2016). "Pie Fights". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  5. ↑ a b Mark Rosewater (March 20, 2017). "Thank You for Being a Friend". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  6. ↑ Mark Rosewater (January 13, 2019). "Where would you put colorless mana on the color pie?". Blogatog. Tumblr.
  7. ↑ Mark Rosewater (July 13, 2015). "The Great White Way Revisited". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  8. ↑ Mark Rosewater (July 20, 2015). "True Blue Revisited". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  9. ↑ a b Mark Rosewater (July 27, 2015). "In the Black Revisited". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  10. ↑ Mark Rosewater (August 3, 2015). "Seeing Red Revisited". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  11. ↑ Mark Rosewater (August 10, 2015). "It's Not Easy Being Green Revisited". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  12. ↑ a b Mark Rosewater (August 11, 2014). "Acts of Destruction". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  13. ↑ a b c Mark Rosewater (November 15, 2010). "Feel the Burn". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  14. ↑ a b Mark Rosewater (February 18, 2002). "Enemy Mine". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  15. ↑ a b c Mark Rosewater (June 13, 2011). "The Bleed Story". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  16. ↑ Reid Duke (July 6, 2015). "The Basics of Mana". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  17. ↑ Mark Rosewater (June 16, 2023). "Drive to Work #1043: Green-White-Blue"
  18. ↑ Mark Rosewater (June 30, 2023). "Drive to Work #1048: White-Blue-Black"
  19. ↑ Mark Rosewater (July 14, 2023). "Drive to Work #1051: Blue-Black-Red"
  20. ↑ a b Randy Buehler (February 6, 2004). "Defining Black". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  21. ↑ Mark Rosewater (July 28, 2023). "Drive to Work #1055: Black-Red-Green"
  22. ↑ Mark Rosewater (August 18, 2023). "Drive to Work #1062: Red-Green-White"
  23. ↑ Doug Beyer (March 23, 2011). "A World Sculpted from Metal". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  24. ↑ Wizards of the Coast (September 1, 2003). "Ask Wizards - September, 2003". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  25. ↑ a b Mark Rosewater (July 21, 2003). "Small Changes". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  26. ↑ Mark Rosewater (July 8, 2013). "Working Your Core". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  27. ↑ Mark Rosewater (April 6, 2015). "Bleeding Cool". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  28. ↑ Mark Rosewater (March 1, 2017). "Could you define what makes something a color pie bend versus a break?". Blogatog. Tumblr.
  29. ↑ Mark Rosewater (January 10, 2022). "Even More Words From R&D". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  30. ↑ Mark Rosewater (July 30, 2014). "What color were you thinking of adding in Planar Chaos?". Blogatog. Tumblr.

External links

General

Allied colors

Enemy colors

Artifacts

Downsides

Mechanical implementation

Color bleed

Planar Chaos (Timeshifted cards)

Color hosers

Monocolored

White

Blue

Black

Red

Green

Multicolor

General

Allied

Enemy

Wedges

Four Colors

Monocolored
Multicolored ({M})
See also
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