One of the most controversial aspects of Magic: The Gathering is its digital formats. Explorer on MTG Arena exists solely because the platform hasn’t totally caught up to Pioneer yet, but other formats, like Historic and Alchemy, use digital cards that don’t exist in paper. This allows game designers at Wizards of the Coast to explore concepts that experience limitations due to paper-play elements.
Of course, some MTG players get annoyed at the appearance of digital cards in older MTG Arena formats like Historic and Timeless. They often have effects that are difficult to follow, are not easily recognizable, and have no nostalgic value. That said, some players love the design space that can be explored by these cards.
For those reasons, digital-only cards are a little controversial. That’s why when a mistake from MTG Designer Mark Rosewater alluded that he, in the words of interpreters, “doesn’t consider alchemy cards to be part of “All of Magic,””, a large reaction followed. In the end, this was simply a misunderstanding.
Everyone Makes Mistakes
On Bluesky, Mark Rosewater shared an MTG trivia question that asked players to find a card that used all 26 letters in the alphabet. According to Rosewater, when factoring in rules and reminder text, only one MTG card fulfills this condition. It didn’t take long for savvy MTG players to respond, stating that there are actually two different cards that utilize all 26 letters. As you may have guessed by this point, one of the cards is a digital-only Alchemy card. To demonstrate the card, we will have to give the digital answer away. As a result, consider this your spoiler warning.
The digital card that utilizes all 26 letters of the English alphabet is Brazen Boarding. Released in Alchemy: Ixalan, this sorcery makes use of the randomized Conjure mechanic that cannot be used in paper play. It is impossible to randomly generate a creature of a certain mana value in a way that is easily usable in paper play. This card doesn’t seem very impressive, and its dismal play rate suggests that this is indeed the case.
We’ll leave the other card a mystery for purposes of readers who want to try the puzzle out. For those who are curious, you can click here to find out what the paper card is that uses all 26 letters of the alphabet.
It didn’t take long for Tumblr user funnyjoemana to ask the question that many were wondering: does Mark Rosewater really consider Alchemy as something outside of ‘Real Magic’? Rosewater responded quickly, saying that another Tumblr user was responsible for the question, and likely only searched the database for paper cards. As Rosewater states: “It’s an easy thing to miss.” Rosewater quickly asserted his stance on Alchemy cards, they are indeed part of Real Magic.
Alchemy is Real, After All
Even if some die-hard paper players dislike the idea of digital-only cards, they only add to Magic’s overall experience. The opportunity to explore mechanics that aren’t restricted by paper play answer some cool what-if? scenarios when one asks what Magic might look like if it were a digital TCG like Hearthstone.
If anything, this is a reminder that honest mistakes aren’t only possible, they, regardless of who made it, happen all the time. Nadu, Winged Wisdom is a much more problematic example of a mistake made by Wizards of the Coast. Alchemy might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it is a part of Magic: The Gathering.
