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Magic Data Science

@mtgds.bsky.social

2.9K followers 90 following 1.9K posts

Doing math with Magic; doing Magic with math. (Chromatic Lantern; Julie Dillon)

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Magic Data Science @mtgds.bsky.social · Jul 28

A thread that serves as a directory for articles I've written, links to things I've created, and recurring themes.

This is a good place to start if you're new to Magic Data Science.

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Magic Data Science @mtgds.bsky.social · 4h

Every time MaRo tells the story, I find it absolutely hilarious that "Customer Service" played such an outsized role in early Magic development conversations -- such as in the Alliances story in this talk.

maro254.bsky.social @maro254.bsky.social · 6h

My 20 Most Influential Magic Expansions talk from MagicCon Atlanta is up.

#WotCStaff

youtu.be/RDk0z8nm-kg?...

Mark Rosewater Presents The 20 Most Influential Magic Expansions

YouTube video by Magic: The Gathering

youtu.be

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Magic Data Science @mtgds.bsky.social · 4h

... and I think that's it?

Some of these were judgment calls, and it's definitely possible I missed some, I was literally just scrolling through Scryfall.

But I hadn't noticed these before, and I think it's a cool thing to watch out for.

Magic Data Science @mtgds.bsky.social · 4h

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Magic Data Science @mtgds.bsky.social · 4h

All of the set symbols I could find with both "the gradient" and "the solid" fills.

Please let me know if you find one I've missed!

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Magic Data Science @mtgds.bsky.social · 8h

varied/novel silhouettes, which really helps with identifiability/distinctiveness.

Magic Data Science @mtgds.bsky.social · 8h

Very cool. I've always found icon design fascinating, and this is very adjacent. Something about stripping down a visual identity to its minimum/essence, while maximizing distinctiveness. It's an interesting challenge.

I think a lot of the recent set symbols have had ...

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Magic Data Science @mtgds.bsky.social · 9h

Interesting! I'll try to track those down.

I also feel like the common symbol is further constrained, right? You can't just directly apply the M/R/U fill patterns to the common symbol.

(The common is usually my favorite of the four)

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Magic Data Science @mtgds.bsky.social · 11h

...this secondary/accent hue a new thing? Or have I just not been paying close enough attention?

Magic Data Science @mtgds.bsky.social · 11h

I noticed that these have one primary orange and then one darker/reddish orange accent hue, and looking at the gold and silver symbols, that pattern holds. My (incomplete) recollection is that previous symbols had essentially one primary color (sometimes with a gradient) + black + white. Is...

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Magic Data Science @mtgds.bsky.social · 11h

The 90s was definitely one of the most aesthetically gooey decades. Not really sure why.

Having trouble thinking of another decade that even comes close.

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Magic Data Science @mtgds.bsky.social · 11h

These set symbols are quite possibly the best thing about the TMNT UB.

Although I'm so curious about the art direction on any depiction of pizza -- it's consistently treated as semi-liquid, almost deliberately unappealing 😬

Daniel Holt @imdanielholt.bsky.social · 11h

Now that the “unannounced UB” has been totally announced…here’s a detailed shot of the set symbols! 😬 #WOTCStaff

These are some of the last ones I created before handing the task off to the Product Creative team, and I’m so happy with how they turned out! ❤️ #MTGxTMNT

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Magic Data Science @mtgds.bsky.social · 13h

This Reddit thread reminded me that I actually looked into this!

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Magic Data Science @mtgds.bsky.social · 17h

Good news/bad news:
Good news: A modern-day grassroots #flavoracle movement just popped up: www.hipstersofthecoast.com/2025/10/a-st...

Bad news: no one invited me! 😔

Love this, tho. My kind of nonsense

A Story Halfway Told: On the Through the Omenpaths Flavoring Project

Ryan explores the grassroots campaign to add flavor text to digital-only cards.

www.hipstersofthecoast.com

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Magic Data Science @mtgds.bsky.social · 2d

I guess the new willingness to just use different names for the UW version of identical UB mechanics now means that we don't have to get too hung up on the portability of those mechanics' names.

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Reposted by Magic Data Science

Magic Data Science @mtgds.bsky.social · 3d

Pizza returns to Magic for the first time since M19.

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Reposted by Magic Data Science

Magic Data Science @mtgds.bsky.social · 3d

Tired: "Every mechanic is kicker"

Wired: "Every mechanic is Ninjutsu"

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Magic Data Science @mtgds.bsky.social · 3d

With "a turtle in every pack!", are you taking over/under 36 cards with creature type Turtle in this main set?

36 being, of course, the number of planeswalkers in War of the Spark. I suspect the numbers will be different, since Turtles might run into the commons, but 🤷‍♂️

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Magic Data Science @mtgds.bsky.social · 3d

I'm impressed you can remember it, from one pretty obscure (and horizontally flipped) frame!

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Magic Data Science @mtgds.bsky.social · 3d

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Magic Data Science @mtgds.bsky.social · 3d

I'm not 100% sure this is definitive. The basic lands are in the 250s. Could just be lots of multicolor? Or could be some other unorthodox numbering scheme. 🤞

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Magic Data Science @mtgds.bsky.social · 3d

Cleaner image, from the CIG

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Magic Data Science @mtgds.bsky.social · 3d

Pizza returns to Magic for the first time since M19.

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Magic Data Science @mtgds.bsky.social · 3d

I have long wanted an artifact token that turns into counters. I hope "Mutagen" is plane-agnostic enough that we can get it in Ikoria or even for the Simic...

Jason Fanelli 🔜 NYCC @jasonfanelli.com · 3d

The secret of the ooze, apparently, is +1/+1 counters.

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Magic Data Science @mtgds.bsky.social · 3d

Tired: "Every mechanic is kicker"

Wired: "Every mechanic is Ninjutsu"

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Magic Data Science @mtgds.bsky.social · 3d

What's your P1P1? Vote here: cubecobra.com/cube/p1p1/77...

This one is a little tougher... I'm not really seeing any power outliers.