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'''Errata''' are official changes to [[rules text]]s on [[card]]s, often to clarify card [[effects]] or to preserve the effects of cards as the [[rules]] of the [[game]] change. The official texts of all ''[[Magic]]'' [[card]]s are stored in a document maintained by [[Wizards of the Coast]] called the [[Oracle]]. In the early days of ''[[Magic]]'' it wasn't unusual for cards to get huge gameplay-changing errata. <ref>{{NewRef|latest-developments/developmental-mistakes-2014-06-13-0|Developmental Mistakes|[[Sam Stoddard]]|June 13, 2014}}</ref>
'''Errata''' are official changes to [[rules text]]s on [[card]]s, often to clarify card [[effects]] or to preserve the effects of cards as the [[rules]] of the [[game]] change. The official texts of all ''[[Magic]]'' [[card]]s are stored in a document maintained by [[Wizards of the Coast]] called the [[Oracle]]. The only official way to get the Oracle wordings is from [http://gatherer.wizards.com/ Gatherer].In the early days of ''[[Magic]]'' it wasn't unusual for cards to get huge gameplay-changing errata.<ref>{{NewRef|latest-developments/developmental-mistakes-2014-06-13-0|Developmental Mistakes|[[Sam Stoddard]]|June 13, 2014}}</ref> Nowadays, '''functional errata''' (errata that changed functionally what the card did from its original printing) are mostly avoided. Sometimes overall rules are changed, and than may impact how particular cards work. The functionality of individual cards is not tempered with, anymore.<ref>{{TumblrRef|author=[[Mark Rosewater]]|URL=http://markrosewater.tumblr.com/post/105843974703/doesnt-keywording-abilities-potentially-cause|title=Doesn't keywording abilities potentially cause some functional changes?|tumblr-title=Blogatog|date=December 22, 2014}}</ref>
 
==Continuous artifacts==
[[Continuous]] artifacts used to have a special rule that said they turned off when [[tap]]ped.<ref>{{NewRef|making-magic/my-day…-2014-05-12|In My Day…|[[Mark Rosewater]]|May 12, 2014}}</ref>  This caused us all sorts of problems, because designers and players kept forgetting that this rule existed and broken decks kept exploiting it. A classic example of this problem in action was the card <c>Sands of Time</c>, from ''[[Visions]]''. The first premier event to use ''Visions'' cards was the first [[Magic Invitational]], held in Hong Kong. Sands of Time tapped things untapped and untapped things tapped. It was designed as a weird card that you had to work around. Unfortunately, the "shut it off" rule allowed players to abuse the card by only having it work on the opponent's turn. After some abuse, R&D was forced to issue errata.
 
When R&D was working on the [[6th Edition/Rules changes|''Sixth Edition'' rule change]], it was brought up that the "tapped artifacts shut off" rule was confusing, non-intuitive, and constantly causing problems. In the new rules all artifacts worked the way they were worded regardless of tapped status. The solution at the time was that the handful of cards that R&D wanted to turn off when tapped received extra rules text.<ref>{{NewRef|feature/and-2002-04-10|Off and On|[[Ben Bleiweiss]]|April 10, 2002}}</ref> Both <c>Howling Mine</c> and <c>Winter Orb</c> got errata to read "if this is untapped," allowing the same tricks to work on them without having to have the general rule.
 
Years later, R&D made the choice to undo functional errata and some of the cards, like </c>Winter Orb</c>, went back to their original wording, no longer shutting off when tapped.<ref>{{NewRef|feature/may-2011-update-bulletin-2011-05-04|May 2011 Update Bulletin|[[Matt Tabak]]|May 4, 2011}}</ref>  They left alone cards like <c>Howling Mine</c> and <c>Static Orb</c>, though, that had been reprinted with the new errata, as there were more cards with the errata in print than without.<ref>{{TumblrRef|author=[[Mark Rosewater]]|URL=http://markrosewater.tumblr.com/post/85567915933/in-your-article-today-you-mentioned-that-both|title=Howling Mine definitely was, but Winter Orb doesn't say that on Gatherer. What gives?|tumblr-title=Blogatog|date=May 12, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{TumblrRef|author=[[Mark Rosewater]]|URL=http://markrosewater.tumblr.com/post/109367975598/gasp-howling-mine-had-functional-eratta|title=Gasp! Howling Mine had functional eratta!|tumblr-title=Blogatog|date=January 28, 2015}}</ref>
 
==Lion's Eye Diamond==
<c>Lion's Eye Diamond</c> was issued the errata text 'Play this ability only any time you could play an instant' because R&D didn't want players to be able to use the mana from Lion's Eye Diamond to play a card from their hand. With the errata text, players couldn't pull shenanigans like that.<ref>{{NewRef|ask-wizards-december-2003-2003-12-01|Ask Wizards: question about the errata text on Lion's Eye Diamond.|[[Mark Gottlieb]]|December 9, 2003}}</ref><ref>{{TumblrRef|author=[[Mark Rosewater]]|URL=http://markrosewater.tumblr.com/post/154524447803/any-chance-well-see-chromanticore-erratad-to|title=The "Activate only as an instant" clause is functional errata, no?|tumblr-title=Blogatog|date=April 22, 2016}}</ref> 
 
==Creature types==
The [[Grand Creature Type Update]] (when R&D “added creature types all over older cards”) was an attempt to make all the cards do what people believed they did.<ref>{{TumblrRef|author=[[Mark Rosewater]]|URL=http://markrosewater.tumblr.com/post/11336250592/i-found-this-on-the-internet-can-someone-explain|title=Except when it comes to creature types getting added all over older cards?|tumblr-title=Blogatog|date=October 11, 2011}}</ref> R&D now considers the Grand Creature Update to have been a mistake. Too many cards don’t do what they say.<ref>{{TumblrRef|author=[[Mark Rosewater]]|URL=http://markrosewater.tumblr.com/post/79828447495/is-the-number-of-cards-that-would-have-to-be|title=Is the number of cards that would have to be rewritten really more than the Grand Creature Type Update?|tumblr-title=Blogatog|date=March 16, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{TumblrRef|author=[[Mark Rosewater]]|URL=http://markrosewater.tumblr.com/post/79843986189/the-grand-creature-update-was-a-mistake-why|title=The Grand Creature Update was a mistake? Why?|tumblr-title=Blogatog|date=March 17, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{TumblrRef|author=[[Mark Rosewater]]|URL=http://markrosewater.tumblr.com/post/50547467117/is-retroactively-applying-creature-types|title=Is retroactively applying creature types considered "functional errata"?|tumblr-title=Blogatog|date=May 15, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{TumblrRef|author=[[Mark Rosewater]]|URL=http://markrosewater.tumblr.com/post/163697454263/rd-seems-pretty-adamant-in-not-making-functional|title=Why is it that creature types get a pass, given that they do have gameplay repercussions?|tumblr-title=Blogatog|date=August 01, 2017}}</ref>
 
This is also the reason, that R&D doesn't want to retroactively make <c>Chromanticore</c> or the [[Nephilim]] [[legendary]].<ref>{{TumblrRef|author=[[Mark Rosewater]]|URL=http://markrosewater.tumblr.com/post/154524447803/any-chance-well-see-chromanticore-erratad-to|title=Any chance we'll see Chromanticore errata'd to legendary?|tumblr-title=Blogatog|date=December 15, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{TumblrRef|author=[[Mark Rosewater]]|URL=http://markrosewater.tumblr.com/post/143649894068/could-the-nephilim-not-just-be-errated-to-be|title=Could the Nephilim not just be errated to be legendary?|tumblr-title=Blogatog|date=April 30, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{TumblrRef|author=[[Mark Rosewater]]|URL=http://markrosewater.tumblr.com/post/87711909858/if-you-can-change-creature-types-for|title=Why can't you change card types to be legendary such as the case for the Nephilim?|tumblr-title=Blogatog|date=June 03, 2014}}</ref>
 


There are two official ways to get the Oracle wordings, from the [http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dci/oracle Oracle Card Reference] or from [http://gatherer.wizards.com/ Gatherer].
==References==
==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Reflist}}


[[Category:Magic rules]]
[[Category:Magic rules]]

Revision as of 07:19, 25 August 2017

Errata are official changes to rules texts on cards, often to clarify card effects or to preserve the effects of cards as the rules of the game change. The official texts of all Magic cards are stored in a document maintained by Wizards of the Coast called the Oracle. The only official way to get the Oracle wordings is from Gatherer.In the early days of Magic it wasn't unusual for cards to get huge gameplay-changing errata.[1] Nowadays, functional errata (errata that changed functionally what the card did from its original printing) are mostly avoided. Sometimes overall rules are changed, and than may impact how particular cards work. The functionality of individual cards is not tempered with, anymore.[2]

Continuous artifacts

Continuous artifacts used to have a special rule that said they turned off when tapped.[3] This caused us all sorts of problems, because designers and players kept forgetting that this rule existed and broken decks kept exploiting it. A classic example of this problem in action was the card Sands of Time, from Visions. The first premier event to use Visions cards was the first Magic Invitational, held in Hong Kong. Sands of Time tapped things untapped and untapped things tapped. It was designed as a weird card that you had to work around. Unfortunately, the "shut it off" rule allowed players to abuse the card by only having it work on the opponent's turn. After some abuse, R&D was forced to issue errata.

When R&D was working on the Sixth Edition rule change, it was brought up that the "tapped artifacts shut off" rule was confusing, non-intuitive, and constantly causing problems. In the new rules all artifacts worked the way they were worded regardless of tapped status. The solution at the time was that the handful of cards that R&D wanted to turn off when tapped received extra rules text.[4] Both Howling Mine and Winter Orb got errata to read "if this is untapped," allowing the same tricks to work on them without having to have the general rule.

Years later, R&D made the choice to undo functional errata and some of the cards, like </c>Winter Orb</c>, went back to their original wording, no longer shutting off when tapped.[5] They left alone cards like Howling Mine and Static Orb, though, that had been reprinted with the new errata, as there were more cards with the errata in print than without.[6][7]

Lion's Eye Diamond

Lion's Eye Diamond was issued the errata text 'Play this ability only any time you could play an instant' because R&D didn't want players to be able to use the mana from Lion's Eye Diamond to play a card from their hand. With the errata text, players couldn't pull shenanigans like that.[8][9]

Creature types

The Grand Creature Type Update (when R&D “added creature types all over older cards”) was an attempt to make all the cards do what people believed they did.[10] R&D now considers the Grand Creature Update to have been a mistake. Too many cards don’t do what they say.[11][12][13][14]

This is also the reason, that R&D doesn't want to retroactively make Chromanticore or the Nephilim legendary.[15][16][17]


References

  1. ↑ Template:NewRef
  2. ↑ Error on call to {{WebRef}}: Parameters url and title must be specifiedMark Rosewater (December 22, 2014). "". Tumblr.
  3. ↑ Template:NewRef
  4. ↑ Template:NewRef
  5. ↑ Template:NewRef
  6. ↑ Error on call to {{WebRef}}: Parameters url and title must be specifiedMark Rosewater (May 12, 2014). "". Tumblr.
  7. ↑ Error on call to {{WebRef}}: Parameters url and title must be specifiedMark Rosewater (January 28, 2015). "". Tumblr.
  8. ↑ Template:NewRef
  9. ↑ Error on call to {{WebRef}}: Parameters url and title must be specifiedMark Rosewater (April 22, 2016). "". Tumblr.
  10. ↑ Error on call to {{WebRef}}: Parameters url and title must be specifiedMark Rosewater (October 11, 2011). "". Tumblr.
  11. ↑ Error on call to {{WebRef}}: Parameters url and title must be specifiedMark Rosewater (March 16, 2014). "". Tumblr.
  12. ↑ Error on call to {{WebRef}}: Parameters url and title must be specifiedMark Rosewater (March 17, 2014). "". Tumblr.
  13. ↑ Error on call to {{WebRef}}: Parameters url and title must be specifiedMark Rosewater (May 15, 2013). "". Tumblr.
  14. ↑ Error on call to {{WebRef}}: Parameters url and title must be specifiedMark Rosewater (August 01, 2017). "". Tumblr.
  15. ↑ Error on call to {{WebRef}}: Parameters url and title must be specifiedMark Rosewater (December 15, 2016). "". Tumblr.
  16. ↑ Error on call to {{WebRef}}: Parameters url and title must be specifiedMark Rosewater (April 30, 2016). "". Tumblr.
  17. ↑ Error on call to {{WebRef}}: Parameters url and title must be specifiedMark Rosewater (June 03, 2014). "". Tumblr.
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