iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Jess Dunks @wotcjess.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

*long sigh* I really didn’t need a new project, but surely I’ll finish this one.

Jess Dunks @wotcjess.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

No, you see, I’m working from home today, so my plans are *checks notes* something different than that. Definitely something different.

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Jess Dunks @wotcjess.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

Okay, can’t have too much of that. Gotta play more games next league.

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Jess Dunks @wotcjess.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

Yes, if paying the cost of a spell or ability you control causes you to lose exactly 1 life, that counts as that spell or ability causing you to lose exactly 1 life, so the ability will trigger. #WotCstaff

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Jess Dunks @wotcjess.bsky.social · 09/08/2026

My dude, she is twelve months old, she barely knows the difference between a cat and a dog.

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Jess Dunks @wotcjess.bsky.social · 09/08/2026

For an 8-minute children’s show, far too many episodes of Bluey make me want to cry a little bit.

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Jess Dunks @wotcjess.bsky.social · 09/08/2026

I’m making dinosaur chicken nuggets for my one year old and realized I didn’t include any pterodactyls. I know she isn’t old enough to care, yet. However, looking at a plate sadly bereft of any flying reptile-shaped chicken, I feel this might be the beginning of her villain arc’s tragic backstory.

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Jess Dunks @wotcjess.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

In terms of new mechanics, hone counters are more outside-the-box than they appear at first. This is the first time a counter directly affects an object *other* than the one the counter is on. This was a clever design and presented a unique set of challenges and considerations. I love it. #WotCstaff

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Jess Dunks @wotcjess.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

You’re right wrt blades. Having been in at least some of those conversations during development, I can tell you that sharpen felt good at first glance, but the flavor was just a little too dissonant when so many Equipment don’t have an edge; a lot of them aren’t even weapons!

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Jess Dunks @wotcjess.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

The power is checked after you finish casting the spell, but before any player gets priority and before the spell resolves. If, at that time, the spell has an appropriate power, the relevant ability triggers. #WotCstaff

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Jess Dunks @wotcjess.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

There are currently no special mulligan rules for jumpstart as a format, but many casual events have explicitly allowed it. In researching this, I also discovered there’s no official Jumpstart format page, and that page would be where the answer to this question lives. I’ll poke at that. #WotCstaff

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Jess Dunks @wotcjess.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

Both templates override rule 903.5c, which talks about color identity. However, Gruzzegom’s rules text needed to be general enough to also override rule 903.5d, which limits what lands with basic land types you can play. Rules text that mentions color identity is too specific for that. #WotCstaff

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Jess Dunks @wotcjess.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

If Grizzlegom is your commander, you may play any land cards that are legal in the Commander format, regardless of whether they have any colors in their color identity or what those colors are. This includes Celestial Colonnade. #WotCstaff

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Reposted by Jess Dunks

Matt Tabak @wotcmatt.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

So, about Tolabow… Tobalow? Two Below? I really should learn that card’s name. My previous posts on it, which have been rendered incorrect, have been deleted so as not to confuse folks. magic.wizards.com/en/news/anno... #WotCstaff

magic.wizards.com

Update to Tolabow, Loch Rascal's Rules Text

An update to the Oracle text of Tolabow, Loch Rascal is swimming toward Magic's newest Otter!

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Jess Dunks @wotcjess.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

Ooh, good question. I’ll have to dig into that. One of these answers is probably wrong. #WotCstaff

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Jess Dunks @wotcjess.bsky.social · 02/08/2026

1) Off the top of my head, that looks like it should be a simultaneous event. I might be missing something, I’ll look into that sometime after I’m back in the office next week. 2) One

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Jess Dunks @wotcjess.bsky.social · 02/08/2026

Eli once offered to pick up a sandwich for me, but then almost changed their mind when I asked them to order one with mayo, looking like I’d asked them to take part in a murder. (But even I don’t want the package in the sandwich, gross)

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Jess Dunks @wotcjess.bsky.social · 02/08/2026

The controller of Tempt with Bunnies does the whole series of instructions once for each opponent. It isn’t “draw N cards, then create N tokens,” it’s “draw a card and create a token N times.” Since that set of actions cant be performed simultaneously, it must be a sequence. #WotCstaff

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Jess Dunks @wotcjess.bsky.social · 01/08/2026

Every year the office closes for a week during the summer. This year is one where I’m really excited about the break. I’m going to read some books, work on some hobby projects, and take some well-needed naps.

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Jess Dunks @wotcjess.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

I know this isn’t the point, but I cannot get past “Num num cookie?” It’s killing me.

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Jess Dunks @wotcjess.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

This end result is correct, yes. You can cast an Adventure this way and have it go into exile because it’s an Adventure, ready to be cast again from exile using the normal characteristics. #WotCstaff

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Jess Dunks @wotcjess.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

Broken Wings is kind of relying on player knowledge that artifacts and enchantments don’t normally have flying to properly parse it, as the other meaning would be kind of weird. There are a few such cases in Magic, and it causes minor disagreement among our editors whenever it comes up. #WotCstaff

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Jess Dunks @wotcjess.bsky.social · 26/07/2026

I realize that is closer to an RPG’s game master than to a Magic judge, but the bones are still there, if that makes sense.

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Jess Dunks @wotcjess.bsky.social · 26/07/2026

TIL that to fairly handle disputes and facilitate what we now call fog of war in tabletop war games, “umpires,” who were neutral players that had memorized all the complex rules, were employed as far back as the 1800s. It makes me wonder what the first instance of something like a Magic judge was.

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Jess Dunks @wotcjess.bsky.social · 19/07/2026

Interesting. I could have sworn that there was a rule for that. I’ll look into it.

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Jess Dunks @wotcjess.bsky.social · 19/07/2026

Thanks! I’m usually bad at being active on social media while previews are happening, actually, but generally I’m also optimistic that the release notes we write will clarify most confusion for players before anyone is physically playing with new cards.

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Jess Dunks @wotcjess.bsky.social · 19/07/2026

I also don’t think we’re saying conflicting things, for what it’s worth.

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Jess Dunks @wotcjess.bsky.social · 18/07/2026

Similar, but with an important distinction. This ability doesn’t actually change your commander’s color identity, for any effects that care (Like that of Command Tower). #WotCstaff

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Jess Dunks @wotcjess.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

Any basic lands are allowed; you could have 5 different basic lands in one deck. You could even have 12 different basic lands in one deck if you’re willing to play Snow-Covered lands and Wastes! #WotCstaff

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Jess Dunks @wotcjess.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

That would still be two additional colors, so it wouldn’t be allowed. #WotCstaff.

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Jess Dunks @wotcjess.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

GR would be two additional colors, so no GR cards for Tolabow. #WotCstaff

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Jess Dunks @wotcjess.bsky.social · 16/07/2026

"The number of differently named tokens" is still a number of tokens, not a number of names those tokens have. Since you only have two such tokens, X is two. #WotCstaff

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Jess Dunks @wotcjess.bsky.social · 26/06/2026

That’s a legit feeling (I do love a good loophole myself). I’ll certainly double check with our play design teams and see how we collectively feel about it, but I suspect patching it out will be the consensus. #WotCstaff

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Jess Dunks @wotcjess.bsky.social · 24/06/2026

That's certainly interesting! False Orders was never intended to let you do that (this is abundantly clear from its original Alpha text), but it may be falling into an accidental hole in the combat rules. I imagine a small update to make the function explicit in multiplayer is in order. #WotCstaff

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Jess Dunks @wotcjess.bsky.social · 24/06/2026

Yes, the triggered ability from decayed is a triggered ability that the creature card has, so it is one that Koh can gain. #WotCstaff

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Jess Dunks @wotcjess.bsky.social · 22/06/2026

Exchanges are simultaneous, so I would expect this to work, yes. #WotCstaff

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Jess Dunks @wotcjess.bsky.social · 22/06/2026

Unless I'm missing something, it should always be a Goblin Zombie that's black only. The effect of Conspiracy's ability is dependent on the effect of Opalescence's, and the type-changing effect of Dralnu's Crusade's last ability is dependent on the effect of Conspiracy's. #WotCstaff

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Jess Dunks @wotcjess.bsky.social · 21/06/2026

I’ve decided I’m just going to call Matt a Principle Gix Designer from now on.

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Reposted by Jess Dunks

Joy Content 🏳️‍⚧️🐒 @joycontent.bsky.social · 12/06/2026

do you think gamers would be less upset if they replaced yellow paint with a trail of bananas coloured specifically for the character that needs to go in that direction

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Jess Dunks @wotcjess.bsky.social · 31/05/2026

There’s… uh… well… Embiggen? Sort of? It makes the fact that Elk is a type matter. Slightly. 🤷‍♂️

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Jess Dunks @wotcjess.bsky.social · 29/05/2026

Little known fact that the Rules Management team doesn’t handle the tournament rules. But we are a fine place for feedback on them! #WotCstaff

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Jess Dunks @wotcjess.bsky.social · 27/05/2026

This is a good point; an inconsistency to be considered and remedied for sure. I think there’s a subtle distinction between gaining control of something and a control-change effect starting if no actual change of control occurring, but that distinction might not be founded in precedent. #WotCstaff

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Jess Dunks @wotcjess.bsky.social · 27/05/2026

The “If they do” here is looking for that player to actually gain control of Kain from another player, not just the for the start of a control-changing effect. #WotCstaff

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Jess Dunks @wotcjess.bsky.social · 24/05/2026

I would Turn Against such an on-Brand Act of Aggression. I would almost be Blind with Anger, but not quite.

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Jess Dunks @wotcjess.bsky.social · 24/05/2026

If the opponent that was dealt damage already controls Kain as the ability resolves (which can happen a number of ways, including your scenario), you will not draw any cards, create any treasures, or lose any life. #WotCstaff

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Jess Dunks @wotcjess.bsky.social · 22/05/2026

Not a bad metaphor. Basically one of my core functions is to view the Magic rules holistically, beyond the scope of a single set’s mechanics, making sure all the new things in the pipeline work just as well with each other as they do with existing rules. Sometimes that means fixing the foundation.

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Jess Dunks @wotcjess.bsky.social · 22/05/2026

Is… is that not also true in Seattle?

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Reposted by Jess Dunks

Valentine Powell @valentineirl.bsky.social · 21/05/2026

Alright, I'm going to talk about one of my biggest reasons for unionizing on the Arena team. Forced relocation, aka "RTO" (Return to Office), "WFH protections" (Work From Home protections), or more recently "Ways of Working." Buckle in for a thread.

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