Phasing is an old Magic: The Gathering keyword mechanic that Wizards of the Coast brought back in recent years, and in the latest Good Morning Magic! video, Senior Magic Designer Gavin Verhey has explained why Wizards decided to bring back Phasing thirteen years after it was first introduced in the Mirage block in 1996-1997.
Verhey looks back at various creatures with Phasing, which lets simultaneously lets creatures that are “phased out” phase-in, and creatures that are “phased-in” phase-out, and when creatures are phased out, it is as if they don’t exist in the game, so they can’t be affected in some way. While Phasing can be strong in certain strategies, this ability is a huge downside for creatures as they are not able to attack the turn after they come into play, so they’re pretty slow.
Verhey went on to talk about how he played a part on Phasing’s return. When he was working on Commander 2017 decks, he designed a powerful card that acts as a protection spell, but there was one problem: it flickers all of your permanents, which could re-trigger multiple enter-the-battlefield effects. However, Magic Rules Manager Eli Shiffrin brought up Phasing, and pitched the first-ever black-bordered Phasing card, Teferi’s Protection
Teferi’s ProtectionUntil your next turn, your life total can't change and you gain protection from everything. All permanents you control phase out. (While they're phased out, they're treated as though they don't exist. They phase in before you untap during your untap step.)
Exile Teferi's Protection., which was originally printed for Commander 2017.
“Permanents with phasing were a failure, they were weak, confusing, and not that fun,” Verhey said, but he said that spells (Sorcery and Instants) with Phasing are viable because their one-time effect was lot more clearer. Verhey also explains how bringing back Phasing solves the problem of flickering (re-trigggering ETB effects) with exile-and-return effects.
In last year’s Magic 2021, Wizards brought back Phasing in Standard with the printing of Teferi’s Master of Time.
Just recently, Wizards printed new cards with Phasing: Guardian of Faith and Blink Dog.
Related:
MTG Tournament Rules Updates Brings Answers About Forgotten Realms MTG Mechanics
What do you think about the new cards with Phasing? Do you want to see more cards with Phasing? Let us know what you think about Phasing in the comments section below before I phase out.
Adventures in the Forgotten Realms is set to release for tabletop worldwide on July 23, 2021. It’s now available digitally on MTG Arena and Magic Online. The Adventures in the Forgotten Realms products are now available for preorder.
