This story isn't really about design but it's become such a classic story (and it involves kicker) that I felt obliged to tell it once again. (And yes, I know I told it during my Invasion Week article, Body Snatchers of the Invasion.) During Invasion development I played frequently in the FFL (the Future Future League, where we play many months ahead to try and figure out what the future environment will be like). Because I wasn't the best of deck builders (at least a Spike deck builder; I could hold my own in a Johnny world), I usually got decks from other developers. Randy Buehler was running the FFL at the time, and he gave me a red-green deck to play. In it were four Grizzly Bears. I didn't think anything of it at the time. I then went on to go 4-0 that week. I was the only person with an undefeated record.

During my last match, Randy watched. At some point late in one of the games, I played my Grizzly Bears. After the match was over, Randy informed me that the Grizzly Bears weren't actually Grizzly Bears. They were proxies for Kavu Titan. Armed with this information, the next week I went 2-2. Suffice to say that the R&D guys thought this was the funniest thing ever. The lesson I learned was the importance of using the Kavu Titans as 2/2s. When I was aggressive with Kavu Titan, my deck performed much better. When I waited to maximize the Kavu Titans as 5/5 creatures, I lost much of the aggression of my deck and thus some of its power. Week 3, I went 4-0 again.

Midrange creatures have taken over legacy cubes. 3 mana 3/4 that always make a map or tuck a graveyard? 2 mana 2/3s that return lands to play or make a clue? Midrange nerfed, leaning into aggro, control, combo. We're bringing Baneslayer Angel back. Lots of fun old cards don't get to shine because their rates aren't good enough.

Aggro decks are exciting when they have to take a leap of faith that the top of their deck has enough reach to close a game.

Control is exciting when the opener doesn't quite have all the right tools to control the game.

Combo is exciting.... when you don't know how to win.

SO MUCH CYCLING BUT NO ZENITH FLARE
SOME +1+1 COUNTERS BUT NO HARDENED SCALES