After returning as a core mechanic in Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty, Enchantment Creatures have been more popular than ever. With their impact on Standard and the resurgence of Naya Enchantment decks, there’s no doubting their potency either. This had led some players to question if Enchantment Creatures should have a more significant role in MTG’s future. However, we have to ask ourselves if this is what Magic needs.
Mark Rosewater Has Spoken
Surprisingly, for once, it isn’t just Magic: the Gathering players demanding the return of a mechanic they enjoy. On top of the regular crowd of voices, Magic’s lead designer, Mark Rosewater, also wants to see Enchantment Creatures more. This is excellent news for those who enjoyed Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty’s Enchantment escapades, as it almost guarantees the mechanics’ return.
In a recent Blogatog post, Rosewater replied to a fan who questioned the current status of Enchantment Creatures, confirming that they’re “deciduous.” This deciduous status means that, while they’re not planned for every set, they can be included when needed. As if that wasn’t enough for Enchantment Creature fans, Rosewater stated, “my dream is for them one day to be evergreen.” This means we’re likely to see many Enchantment Creatures in the future, although Rosewater also noted that “we’re not quite there yet.” This possibly implies that future sets that R&D has worked on already will not have Enchantment Creatures as an Evergreen mechanic.
Currently, it’s not entirely clear how Enchantment Creatures would be implemented into Magic as an evergreen mechanic. Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty, for instance, featured Enchantment Creatures like Saga’s as well as more regular creatures such as Spirited Companion. We’d assume Enchantment Creatures would typically be creature-first cards once evergreen. However, we’d have to wait and see.
Would Evergreen Enchantment Creatures Be Good for Magic?
With Enchantment Creatures looking guaranteed to be an evergreen mechanic, we have to wonder: is this a good thing? Adding more evergreen mechanics to MTG, especially those that modify creature types, may lead to a more confusing experience for new players. There’s no doubt that Magic also suffers from substantial power and feature creep, with every card needing to be the next best thing. This isn’t always a good thing, as overpowered cards like Displacer Kitten prove.
While we’re wary about embracing potential feature creep, Enchantment Creatures seem relatively harmless. Having been included in several sets already, they’ve proven themselves not to be utterly overpowered. On their own, Enchantment Creatures are often little more than basic creatures that are extra susceptible to removal. Only when combined with other powerful effects does the potential of Enchantment Creatures begin to shine and threaten to become overbearing. While this may make them a little bit pointless, it’d be pointless not to have them be an evergreen mechanic.
The only major downside of making Enchantment Creatures evergreen is that they’d be less special. This issue can be mitigated by making this mechanic the focus of a set. Kaladesh, for instance, had Artifacts and Artifact Creatures at its core, which made them exciting through synergy and flavor. Enchantment Creatures being evergreen wouldn’t stop them from occasionally stealing the limelight of a set in the same way.
Read More: Does MTG Need Another Delay?
Ultimately, making Enchantment Creatures an evergreen mechanic would likely open up more freedom in design for Wizards of the Coast. This should lead to more exciting sets for players and more archetypes available in Standard. With plenty of Enchantment Creatures around, a Naya Enchantments Brawl deck also seems like a guarantee. This may lead to a more varied Standard metagame, which definitely sounds like a good thing to us.
