MTG For Older Players Trivia Quiz

Answer: Green

Black, White, and Red all had a 2/2 for 2B/W/R. These three were Scathe Zombies, Pearled Unicorn, and Gray Ogre, respectively. Actually, red had two, because it also had Dwarven Warriors. Blue's common creature for 3 was Tim, that Prodigal Sorcerer fellow.

He's 1/1 and pokes people for the small cost of tapping. Blue had another 2U creature that was significantly better, namely, the horribly-misprinted Serendib Efreet, although it was first printed in Arabian Nights, so wasn't in Alpha/Beta/Unlimited, and wasn't common. Red had three more creatures that were 2R, none of them common and all of them discussed below in question 15.

Answer: 5

The cards were: Arena (Land 3T: Tap two creatures and have them fight), Sewers of Estark (2BB Instant Target creature can't be blocked or it and all creatures it blocks deal no damage), Giant Badger (1GG Summon Badger 2/2 +2/+2 when it blocks), Windseeker Centaur (1RR Summon Centaur 2/2 Attacking does not cause it to tap), and Mana Crypt (0 Artifact During your upkeep, flip a coin, if it's un your opponent's favor, get hit for 3. T: 2 colorless).

The cards were black-bordered and had a pen as a symbol.

The artists were Rob Alexander, Melissa Benson, Liz Danforth, Anson Maddocks, and Mark Tedin, respectively, creating one of the best collections of artists in a set (if it can be called that).

Answer: Michael Whelan

Michael Whelan has won 3 Howard awards (that's the maximum), a fantasy art award, 14 Hugo awards (that's not the maximum), a science-fiction art award, and the SuperHugo, naming him the best in the last 50 years. The card's name is "Nalathni Dragon" and is a 1/1 Dragon Whelp that bands. Whoopee.

The other three are well-known artists: Elmore has done numerous illustrations for DragonLance, among other things, and the other two were both nominated for the Hugo in 2002. To my knowledge, none of them has done a Magic card except for Whelan and Elmore. Elmore (I discovered recently) has actually done at least one piece (a 7th Swamp) for Magic, and I can only assume that he's done more. I guess that's just what I get for not following it any more.

At any rate, he certainly never did anything back around 1994.

Answer: Ifh-Biff Efreet

The Revised edition Serendib Efreet had a green border, a casting cost of 2U, and the artwork of Ifh-Biff Efreet, by Jesper Myrfors (who was correctly credited on the card). The correct art, by Anson Maddocks, can be found on the AN version. Ydwen Efreet is the blocking counterpart of Mijae Djinn, complete with reversed power and toughness. City in a Bottle is the anti-Arabian Nights card, like Golgothian Sylex or Apocalypse Charm, but sticks around and continues to keep us free of the evil stories of Shahrazad rather than discarding itself from play.

Answer: Magenta

The back is actually quite nice. I don't know where else it's been reprinted, but I have a picture of it in the first Official Encyclopedia (I can only assume that they've put out subsequent editions) from 1996. Just so you know, no, most of these questions did not come from the book (although this one did); I really do keep this much useless information in my head.

Answer: Cyclopean Tomb

Ya just gotta love those uncastable artifacts, don't ya? This one, when you got it into play, let you turn a land into a swamp each turn. It cost 4 and had an activation cost of 2, although it was a mono artifact. Elvish Archers was also misprinted in Alpha, being 1/2 instead of 2/1. Orcish Artillery, which appears later in an answer, had a casting cost of 1R instead of 1RR. Lich, to my knowledge, was not misprinted, but gets mentioned because it's cool.

Answer: Wyvern

There's not much to say here. Of the four games listed, I only ever played Netrunner, which is a very good game. I think I have some cards from each game floating around somewhere, though.

Answer: Word of Command

Orcish Oriflamme was printed with a casting cost of 1R in Alpha; it is now 3R Enchantment All attacking creatures you control get +1/+0. Orcish Artillery was also printed with a casting cost of 1R; apparently they didn't think red was strong enough. It is now 1RR Summon Orcs 1/3 T: Deal 2 damage to something and 3 to you. Elven Archers is that 1G 2/1 First strike thing that was printed as 1/2 in Alpha. Word of Command, to my knowledge, was not misprinted, but gets mentioned because it's cool.

Answer: Dan Frazier

Yes, it is spelled "Shuler," not "Schuler"; his name was misspelled in Alpha, Beta, and Unlimited. These four artists have all done large amounts of very good work for Magic and should be sought out whenever possible.

Answer: Uthden Troll

The complete flavor text is, "'Oi oi oi, me gotta hurt in 'ere, / Oi oi oi, me smell a ting is near, / Gonna bosh 'n gonna nosh / 'n da hurt'll disappear.' / -Troll chant" Yeah, there should be an apostrophe after "'n," but I didn't write it. Anyway, I've always smiled at that flavor text, and now you get to, too. Okay, okay, the flavor text of Sedge Troll is, "The stench in the hovel was overpowering; something loathsome was cooking. Occaisonally something surfaced in the thick paste, but my host would casually push it down before I could make out what it was." Evocative, yes, if only of the flavor text of Ow (the Unglued card).

The flavor text of Goblin Digging Team is, "'From down here we can make the whole wall collapse!' 'Uh, yeah, boss, but how do we get out?'" Goblins of the Flarg has no flavor text.

Answer: Bog Wraith

I suspect that this is the art on the cover of the Alpha rulebook, too, but I don't know. Shivan Dragon is the art on the cover of the Revised rulebook. I don't think that either of the others has ever been on a rulebook, although Nightmare was on a little bag WotC produced that can carry a few decks.

Answer: Volcanic Island

The otehr card that wasn't printed was Circle of Protection: Black. To my knowledge, the omission of these cards was simply an oversight. There was also a third version of each basic land added to Beta, for reasons I don't know, although I'm not complaining, as I like all of the original land illustrations.

The other three dual lands are in there because they sound close enough to each other to cause confusion.

Answer: Persistent

Continuous artifacts are artifacts that act like enchantments, e.g., Black Vise. Mono artifacts are artifacts that can be used once per turn and now must be tapped to use. Poly artifacts are artifacts like Ivory Cup that can be used once per trigger. Persistent artifacts are an artifact. The fourth type of artifact is still around, namely, those pesky creatures.

Answer: Time Vault

Time Vault's errata made it use counters and Giant Fan moves counters. So, we'd get a Time Vault out and move counters from it to something else, usually a Blue Mana Battery. It had a number of ways to win, although the most enjoyable way was to use Claws of Gix and The Cheese Stands Alone. Basically, the Giant Fan and Time Vault, with the appropriate support, grant infinite turns. We had things like Timetwister, Time Walk, Regrowth, and Recall to help keep cards going through our hand until we got what we needed. Amnesia and Tormod's Crypt is a funny little combo, leaving the opponent with nothing but land after you've brought your graveyard back a few times. (The reason I chose to include those three cards is that they also figured prominently in the deck.) It was basically a deck made up of as many expensive and rare cards as you can possibly find--I don't think anything was common (Tormod's Crypt was uncommon in The Dark)--with things like the power nine making a significant showing.

But that's all beside the point. The point is that Time Vault ended up using counters, which meant that Giant Fan was way too much fun.

Answer: Raging River

Dwarven Demolition Team is 1/1 T: Destroy a wall. Granite Gargoyle is 2/2 Flying R: +0/+1. Sedge Troll is 2/2 Gets +1/+1 while you have a swamp in play. B: Regenerates. Yeah, I know, it's not written tehnically, but none of this has been. Just so you know, Sedge Trolls really are that fun, Granite Gargoyles really are that odd, and Dwarven Demolition Teams really were pulled after Unlimited. Why did I have to choose Raging River? That thing has such a huge amount of text.

But it's a cool card, so it deserves mention. Basically, it's RR Enchantment When you attack, your opponent has to place his or her non-flying creatures on either side of the river. You then place your attackers on either side of the river and attacking creatures can only be blocked by creatures on the appropriate side of the river.

The erratum also says that they can be blocked by creatures that don't hit the table until after the division has been set up.

Answer: Plateau

Plateau's original art was painted by Drew Tucker, whose watercolor work is rather distinctive. It was used through Unlimited but was replaced by Cornelius Brudi's piece in Revised; they lost the original. Unholy Strength's artwork was edited, but not until Fourth Edition. Mountain wasn't changed until even later; the AN Mountain is one of the original three. Volcanic Island has never had, to my knowledge, another illustration.

Answer: Boris Devilboon

Boris Devilboon is 3BR Summon Legend 2/2 2BRT: Put a minor demon token into play. Treat this token as a 1/1 red and black creature. Chromium is the BUW dragon and has rampage: 2. Palladia-Mors is the WGR dragon and has trample. Vaevictis Asmadi is the BRG dragon and has B/R/G: +1/+0.

The other two Elder Dragon legends are Arcades Sabboth, the WGU dragon with W: +0/+1, your untapped, non-attacking creatures get +0/+2; and Nicol Bolas, the truly legendary Elder Dragon Legend, the UBR dragon that makes opponents that are damaged by it discard their hands. All Elder Dragon Legends have flying, an upkeep of one of each of their colors, and a casting cost of 2 and two of each of their colors.

Answer: Red

White has Balance, which makes people get rid of hands, creatures, and lands until they're equal; blue has Timewalk, which gives its caster another turn; and green has Regrowth, which brings anything you want from your graveyard to your hand. The closest red can come is Fork (RR, copy any sorcery, instant, or interrupt) or Wheel of Fortune (2R, everybody ditches his or her hand and draws a new one of 7 cards). For the record, black has one, too, namely, Demonic Tutor, that 1B Sorcery that lets you fish through your deck and put any one card you want into your hand. Notice that, to my knowledge, all of these cards were pulled by Fourth Edition except for Balance.

Answer: Runesword

Reportedly, some copies of this card were printed with a hair across the image. Runesword is 6 Artifact 3T: Target creature gets +2/+0. Any creature damaged by the target creature cannot be regenerated this turn and any such creature that is placed in the graveyard this turn is removed from the game. If the target dies, so does the sword. Safe Haven is a land 2T: Remove target creature from the game. During your upkeep, you may remove Safe Haven from the game to bring 'em all back. (Of course, you have to treat them as though they were just summoned. How often have we heard that before?) Maze of Ith is a land that taps to make a target attacking creature deal no damage (yeah, it's kind of good). Stone Calendar is 5 Artifact all your spells cost 1 less to cast.

Answer: Phelddagrif

"Phelddagrif" is an anagram of "Garfield, Ph.D." (omitting punctuation, of course). Even if it wasn't intentional (and I doubt that it wasn't), it's a neat fact. As an aside, Jayemdae Tome's name comes from James Michael Davis's name ("Jayemdae" is pronounced JMD), who is a longtime friend of Richard Garfield and was the head of R&D for a while.

Many cards have received their names in similar fashions, but I'll leave those for another quiz. Phelddagrif is 1WUG Summon Legend 4/4 W: Flying until end of turn, target opponent gains 2 life. U: Return Phelddagrif to owner's hand, target opponent may draw a card. G: Trample until end of turn, put a Hippo token into play under target opponent's control; treat it as a 1/1 green creature.

The picture is of a purple hippo with green angel-like wings and blue toenails prancing along merrily (in the air, I think).