Trading Card Games, or TCGs, have been around for decades. Many people may be familiar with Pokemon, Yu-gi-oh, or even Magic: The Gathering. As the Witchwood looms on the horizon I can’t help but get this King Solomon feeling (“what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun”). I came to Hearthstone after finally putting down Magic. I loved the game but the physical cards were becoming a burden. I decided that for me it was time to trade in my heavy boxes and binders for a hobby that fit my otherwise digital life. I tried MTG online, but the interface and experience was archaic, to put it nicely. I gravitated to Hearthstone due to convenience and aesthetics. My collection was sortable, searchable, and malleable. I could take one copy of a card and but it in any number of decks without the burden of multiple redundant playsets. Animations and voice acting in brought Hearthstone to life in a way that the quippy flavor text of Magic never could achieve. Nonetheless, I see glaring similarities between the two brands.
Hold the hate. This will not be some pseudo hipster post (“Dude, I was into that before it was mainstream”) or a South Park rerun (“Simpsons did it”). Nor will it be a manifesto declaring one franchise the lesser clone (DOTA vs League of Legends). My intention is to note creative inspiration that Hearthstone likey takes from Magic. After all, I like cake AND pie. Hearthstone is where I spend my time, but Magic will always have a place in my heart.
Rush, the other new Witchwood mechanic, has no counterpart in MTG. That is a function of how attacks work in Magic. You don’t attack X or Y creature. Instead you send a general attack at a player and they “block” how they see fit. But cmon, Rush and Charge are both just clones of the MTG keyword Haste. In fact the whole idea of summoning sickness (you can’t attack with a minion played this turn) in MTG made a direct cross over into HS.
As I meander into combat mechanics, Taunt in HS bears resemblance to Provoke in MTG, in terms of function. I’m thinking about cards like [Goblin Grappler](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=45125). Both Taunt and Provoke create a situation where two minions must clash. The purpose of taunting someone in battle is to provoke them to attack you.
Before I get going down the keyword rabbit hole any further, we can also look at set designs. Witchwood in HS feels like Innistrad in MTG. Spooky places with Vampires, Ghost, and Werewolves (i mean Worgen). While there is no keyword for Werewolf in either game both will operate in a similar manner. In MTG we had cards like [Lambholt Elder/Silverpelt Werewolf](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=242537). HS will see cards like [Pumpkin Peasant](https://www.hearthpwn.com/cards/89339-pumpkin-peasant) in the upcomming set. Both can be played the turn you draw them as humans. Both require you to skip your turn in order to transform into the werewolf. As the game goes on both with flp back and forth between wolf and human. There is noticeable difference. In HS werewolves flip in hand while in MTG they flip on the field. You don’t have to completely skip your turn in HS to get the werewolf. You can simply play something else, wait for the transform, and werewolf the next turn. MTG give your opponent the option to play out and revert the werewolf, where HS doesn’t.
So what’s going on here. Does Blizzard have a mole at Wizards? Or the other way, is Wizards scrying the company emails of the competition? Should I grab my tinfoil hat? Probably not. I think 3 other explanations are more likely. First, both games (maybe card games in general), are about math. Ultimately it's about competing rates and which function can reach the life total number first. The variables in the function are the cards, and any given function is influenced by a competitor, namely the other deck you are against. Peter Whalen for HS is a math guy, and Richard Garfield, the original MTG creator, also a math guy. I’m seeing convergent evolution. Think dogs/wolves and hyenas. Hyenas are actually derivatives of cats, despite the appearance. But dogs and hyenas have similar things going one because similar environmental demands selected “dog-like” traits as those most fit to pass on to future generations. Maybe people that like fantasy, or like cards games, create pressure that drives both companies to similar end products. Maybe math at some point limits what can be done with cards, and that constraint drives mechanics towards a convergence.
Second, cross pollination. I’m not sure of every single person that works at both companies, but it is possible that several have worked at each in the course of their careers. The pool of card design experts can’t be to large, and if I was looking to get a new hire I would definitely look at former employees of the competition. Another take on this would be influences growing up. Maybe HS designers played MTG themselves growing up, and were inspired to create a game from those cherished memories. Maybe new grads missed out on MTG as kids (darn millennials and the interwebs), played HS instead, and found work at Wizards. Maybe both groups have common historical interest to draw from. In another context, the Zerg in Starcraft (90s) are just Tyranids from Warhammer:40k (late 80s) are just Bugs from Ender’s Game (mid 80s) and just Bugs from Starship Troopers (60s) are just...you get the idea.
Third, the tribe of elders. In the era of modern business metadata about current and potential clients is at a premium. Knowing not just what consumers want today, but what they want tomorrow is key to success. Spotting trends and trajectories is what focus groups and consulting is all about. I can easily see the third party consults of both Wizards and Blizzard finding common answers to the question “What should we do next?” Maybe the data pointed to Eldritch Horror, followed by Dinosaurs for both parties. I see this in film also. You get one year with lots of bio-pics, then space, then westerns, then rom-coms, then war films, then zombies, then musicals. Creators of all kinds ride the wave and shift with the tides. If last year was heavy drama, people are oversaturated and want something lighter, or maybe something closer to home. With HS and MTG I also see this with the current expansions. Witchwood is fantasy which harkens back to the original themes of Warcraft. MTG is did Unstable (a revisit of Unglued and Unhinged), and will return to Dominaria, the original setting of the MTG universe. Both MTG sets are giving a nod to the nostalgia of the older player base but giving younger players something fresh they missed out. Maybe the third party data is pointing both companies towards “I miss the old days,” or “reconnect with your roots.”
As spoiler season starts I know a post like this is poorly timed. It will likely be overshadowed by the excitement and banter around the several new cards released each day. But I thought I’d share my musings regardless.
Thanks for reading.
GL HF
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
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Howdy,
Let’s Talk Hearthstone.
Trading Card Games, or TCGs, have been around for decades. Many people may be familiar with Pokemon, Yu-gi-oh, or even Magic: The Gathering. As the Witchwood looms on the horizon I can’t help but get this King Solomon feeling (“what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun”). I came to Hearthstone after finally putting down Magic. I loved the game but the physical cards were becoming a burden. I decided that for me it was time to trade in my heavy boxes and binders for a hobby that fit my otherwise digital life. I tried MTG online, but the interface and experience was archaic, to put it nicely. I gravitated to Hearthstone due to convenience and aesthetics. My collection was sortable, searchable, and malleable. I could take one copy of a card and but it in any number of decks without the burden of multiple redundant playsets. Animations and voice acting in brought Hearthstone to life in a way that the quippy flavor text of Magic never could achieve. Nonetheless, I see glaring similarities between the two brands.
Hold the hate. This will not be some pseudo hipster post (“Dude, I was into that before it was mainstream”) or a South Park rerun (“Simpsons did it”). Nor will it be a manifesto declaring one franchise the lesser clone (DOTA vs League of Legends). My intention is to note creative inspiration that Hearthstone likey takes from Magic. After all, I like cake AND pie. Hearthstone is where I spend my time, but Magic will always have a place in my heart.
Let’s start with the new Hearthstone (from now on HS) keyword, Echo. It shares a name with one Magic: The Gathering (from now on MTG) keyword but feels like another. Echo in MTG means “pay for this again next turn.” For an example look at the card [Hunting Moa](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=220563). Echo in MTG is actually Overload in HS. If you do something now we will tax you in the future. The difference being that in MTG you can choose not to pay, while I can’t undo an Overload in HS. In the instance of Hunting Moa, choosing not to pay has some upside because the creature will instantly die but has “battlecry and deathrattle: give a friendly minion +1/+1.” Echo in HS is actually Buyback in MTG. Both abilities let you recast the same spell over and over. Look at a card like [Evincar's Justice](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=430277). This compares to the new HS card [Warpath](https://www.hearthpwn.com/cards/89344-warpath) and the old one [Headcrack](https://www.hearthpwn.com/cards/135-headcrack). Echo, as discussed in the a hearthside chat with Peter Whalen (https://www.hearthpwn.com/news/4478-hearthside-chat-echo-w-peter-whalen-two-new), began in development as Investigate. MTG has an ability by the same name on cards like [Humble the Brute](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=409762) and both would have served to give card advantage.
Speaking of Combo in HS, that looks alot like Storm in MTG. While you might look at MTG cards like [Careful Consideration](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=370531) due to similar wording, very few MTG cards fit this design and HS doesn’t have turn phases. Instead look at [Edwin VanCleef](https://www.hearthpwn.com/cards/3-edwin-vancleef) and [Astral Steel](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=45833). If I didn’t know better….
Rush, the other new Witchwood mechanic, has no counterpart in MTG. That is a function of how attacks work in Magic. You don’t attack X or Y creature. Instead you send a general attack at a player and they “block” how they see fit. But cmon, Rush and Charge are both just clones of the MTG keyword Haste. In fact the whole idea of summoning sickness (you can’t attack with a minion played this turn) in MTG made a direct cross over into HS.
As I meander into combat mechanics, Taunt in HS bears resemblance to Provoke in MTG, in terms of function. I’m thinking about cards like [Goblin Grappler](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=45125). Both Taunt and Provoke create a situation where two minions must clash. The purpose of taunting someone in battle is to provoke them to attack you.
MTG has Cascade. We can showcase that on [Bituminous Blast](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=423508) and [Bloodbraid Elf] (http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=423509). I get a similar feel on the HS cards [Deck of Wonders](https://www.hearthpwn.com/cards/76942-deck-of-wonders) and [Fal'dorei Strider](https://www.hearthpwn.com/cards/76914-faldorei-strider). In both cases I’m getting multiple pulls from the top of the deck that has this fun rain of cards feel.
HS has lifesteal. MTG has lifelink. HS Windfury vs MTG Double strike. HS has hero cards or Death Knights. MTG has planeswalkers. HS has “chose one” in druid, while MTG has “chose one” on charms. HS has secrets and MTG gets instants, that’s [Counterspell](https://www.hearthpwn.com/cards/531-counterspell) and [Counterspell](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=442039).
Before I get going down the keyword rabbit hole any further, we can also look at set designs. Witchwood in HS feels like Innistrad in MTG. Spooky places with Vampires, Ghost, and Werewolves (i mean Worgen). While there is no keyword for Werewolf in either game both will operate in a similar manner. In MTG we had cards like [Lambholt Elder/Silverpelt Werewolf](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=242537). HS will see cards like [Pumpkin Peasant](https://www.hearthpwn.com/cards/89339-pumpkin-peasant) in the upcomming set. Both can be played the turn you draw them as humans. Both require you to skip your turn in order to transform into the werewolf. As the game goes on both with flp back and forth between wolf and human. There is noticeable difference. In HS werewolves flip in hand while in MTG they flip on the field. You don’t have to completely skip your turn in HS to get the werewolf. You can simply play something else, wait for the transform, and werewolf the next turn. MTG give your opponent the option to play out and revert the werewolf, where HS doesn’t.
I’m also seeing other set design parallels. Un’Goro was release first, but both games put out Dinosaur themed sets last year. Ixalan for MTG was in development at the same time that Un’Goro was for HS. Magic made a return to Zendikar in late 2015 and spring 2016. While Zendikar as a whole isn’t a Lovecraft horror set, it does have the Lovecraft eldritch old gods in the big Eldrazi. Look at [Emrakul, the Promised End](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=414295), [Kozilek, the Great Distortion](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=407514), and [Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=402079). Three OP tentacle monsters of madness/chaos/destruction that sit right alongside [Yogg-Saron, Hope's End](https://www.hearthpwn.com/cards/33168-yogg-saron-hopes-end), [N'Zoth, the Corruptor](https://www.hearthpwn.com/cards/33134-nzoth-the-corruptor), and [Y'Shaarj, Rage Unbound](https://www.hearthpwn.com/cards/33156-yshaarj-rage-unbound). HS Old gods was released in spring 2016, and no doubt both sets were in development around the same time.
So what’s going on here. Does Blizzard have a mole at Wizards? Or the other way, is Wizards scrying the company emails of the competition? Should I grab my tinfoil hat? Probably not. I think 3 other explanations are more likely. First, both games (maybe card games in general), are about math. Ultimately it's about competing rates and which function can reach the life total number first. The variables in the function are the cards, and any given function is influenced by a competitor, namely the other deck you are against. Peter Whalen for HS is a math guy, and Richard Garfield, the original MTG creator, also a math guy. I’m seeing convergent evolution. Think dogs/wolves and hyenas. Hyenas are actually derivatives of cats, despite the appearance. But dogs and hyenas have similar things going one because similar environmental demands selected “dog-like” traits as those most fit to pass on to future generations. Maybe people that like fantasy, or like cards games, create pressure that drives both companies to similar end products. Maybe math at some point limits what can be done with cards, and that constraint drives mechanics towards a convergence.
Second, cross pollination. I’m not sure of every single person that works at both companies, but it is possible that several have worked at each in the course of their careers. The pool of card design experts can’t be to large, and if I was looking to get a new hire I would definitely look at former employees of the competition. Another take on this would be influences growing up. Maybe HS designers played MTG themselves growing up, and were inspired to create a game from those cherished memories. Maybe new grads missed out on MTG as kids (darn millennials and the interwebs), played HS instead, and found work at Wizards. Maybe both groups have common historical interest to draw from. In another context, the Zerg in Starcraft (90s) are just Tyranids from Warhammer:40k (late 80s) are just Bugs from Ender’s Game (mid 80s) and just Bugs from Starship Troopers (60s) are just...you get the idea.
Third, the tribe of elders. In the era of modern business metadata about current and potential clients is at a premium. Knowing not just what consumers want today, but what they want tomorrow is key to success. Spotting trends and trajectories is what focus groups and consulting is all about. I can easily see the third party consults of both Wizards and Blizzard finding common answers to the question “What should we do next?” Maybe the data pointed to Eldritch Horror, followed by Dinosaurs for both parties. I see this in film also. You get one year with lots of bio-pics, then space, then westerns, then rom-coms, then war films, then zombies, then musicals. Creators of all kinds ride the wave and shift with the tides. If last year was heavy drama, people are oversaturated and want something lighter, or maybe something closer to home. With HS and MTG I also see this with the current expansions. Witchwood is fantasy which harkens back to the original themes of Warcraft. MTG is did Unstable (a revisit of Unglued and Unhinged), and will return to Dominaria, the original setting of the MTG universe. Both MTG sets are giving a nod to the nostalgia of the older player base but giving younger players something fresh they missed out. Maybe the third party data is pointing both companies towards “I miss the old days,” or “reconnect with your roots.”
As spoiler season starts I know a post like this is poorly timed. It will likely be overshadowed by the excitement and banter around the several new cards released each day. But I thought I’d share my musings regardless.
Thanks for reading.
GL HF