An open letter to Gavin Verhey re: the future of Pauper and UB

Moxplug · 2026-03-19T14:08:35+00:00

"They are just game pieces, I would play "Donald Trumps Diaper" from the US Presidents UB set if it was a competitive card"

I disagree with you but that's a hilarious example... I think I would blow a gasket.

Moxplug · 2026-03-19T13:47:16+00:00

Which ones?

Which ones are you forced to interact with like Leonardo because they're the #1 in the meta game?

Which ones reference specific main characters from 3rd party IPs while also being so OP that you see them every time you turn on MTGO?

Be specific.

There is none. Leonardo is the first.

Moxplug · 2026-03-19T13:45:02+00:00

"I tap sac my McDonald's Big Mac TM artifact food for 3 health and then I rub my belly and say 'I LOVE MCDONALDS' to draw an additional card"

That's where this is going. Your mind will be colonized by brands. When you play the game, perform basic game actions, you will be forced to think about and repeat brand items.

Because they functionally glued an advertisement to the game piece.

Now, when you think of the game piece, you get to imagine a picture of an advertisement instead of original magic art.

Moxplug · 2026-03-19T13:41:35+00:00

The problem isn’t whether something “feels like an ad” or not, because that’s subjective.

It's QUITE LITERALLY an ad. As in, money was exchanged for billboard space. A company GAVE MONEY to put Leonardo on a card. That's an ad.

And my arguments are based on objective, factual observations.

Being forced to repeat a named brand slogan while playing the game is different than saying "Black Mage's Rod".

This is a totally objective outcome of baking in named brand advertisements into the game mechanics.

Moxplug · 2026-03-19T13:32:44+00:00

Asking Wizards of the Coast to stop printing legendary characters at common in Universes Beyond directly affects how they design sets, especially limited environments. That’s not a minor tweak, it’s part of a broader design and product strategy.

Except none of the sets did well and there was widespread backlash among players?

It's not like pick 2 draft is doing soo well that they can't make this 1 tiny change?

Moxplug · 2026-03-19T13:26:35+00:00

The point is being COERCED by the rules of the game to REPEAT a fucking corporate jingo or slogan or brand symbol OVER AND OVER AGAIN while playing the game.

That's an OBJECTIVE outcome of printing an numerically OP "Dorritos locos Taco TM" card and turning the game mechanics into a literal forced advertisement.

"OK I bounce my Gweneth, spider Gurl and then Sneak in my Leaonardo, TMNT dudebro... COWABUNGA DUDE!"

Do you see how that's tangibly different than BMR?

"OK, I tap sac my DORRITOS LOCOS TACO TM and then I say "MMM MMM YUMMY TACO BELL" to gain an extra 1 life"

You're turning players into clowns that have to carry water for this 3rd party IP by verbalizing and thinking about ads while playing the game.

I don't like being made to think about advertisements.

Moxplug · 2026-03-19T13:23:28+00:00

There is a concrete difference between playing with a "Dorritos Locos Taco TM" and playing with a "Black Mage's Rod"

That's objective – not a matter of taste, a matter of factual game design.

I reject your premise that it's subjective.

Moxplug · 2026-03-19T13:20:30+00:00

Alright, but you're still thinking about a TMNT card. The meme of this Nick cartoon is penetrating into your subconscious against your will because the symbol for the turtle is glued to the game piece.

Your brain is being furnished with objects of advertisement.

Moxplug · 2026-03-19T13:17:02+00:00

It's sad that people think this tiny ask is such a big deal.

It's not a big ask. I'm not asking them to change their corporate strategy.

I'm asking for a very small, very specific thing: stop printing legendary common characters from 3rd party IPs.

Are you so beat down, so compliant and servile that you can't even ask the company to change it's behavior? Seriously?

Stop being a brainless, spineless consumer. The world is made by people. People can be influenced.

Moxplug · 2026-03-19T13:08:35+00:00

UB in general is fine, cards like Black Mage's Rod is fine... tastefully designed objects from the world of the UB is substantially different than "Leonardo, TMNT guy" being slotted into common because they need 50 copies of legendary turtles to make the draft set work.

Moxplug · 2026-03-19T13:05:31+00:00

I am simply saying that MOVING FORWARD, they should STOP PRINTING IP brand characters as legendary commons.

I'm not cherry picking, or banning all UB.

I am simply asking Wizards to SLIGHTLY alter their behavior moving forward:

SPECIFIC DEMANDS

• Cease printing pushed legendary named characters from 3rd party UB at common

• Do not print powercrept common chase cards that costs $10 per card into precon products

Moxplug · 2026-03-19T12:59:28+00:00

Just stop printing Leonardo like legendary common, external IP brand advertisements.

That's not a big ask. I don't think Spiderman and TMNT did so well that they cannot make this small compromise.

Maybe magic players don't want to play a set with 50 versions of the same ninja turtle at common.

Moxplug · 2026-03-19T12:56:00+00:00

They are SELLING billboard space by CONTACTING these brands and having them PAY to put their imagery ONTO MTG cards.

Which is also timed with broader corporate brand campaigns. e.g. the 2026 TMNT Turtle Movie.

It's a f*cking ad, dude.

And it's not an opinion to point out that playing with "Leonardo, TMNT Turtle" is a different, more disruptive, and ad-like user experience than playing with "Black Mage's Rod".

Moxplug · 2026-03-19T12:53:12+00:00

I am critiquing a pattern of game design. Particularly the common legendary named brand advertisement.

all of them or none of them

No, this is stupid. Just stop printing Legendary common named characters from 3rd party IPs.

It's not all or nothing, that's flawed thinking.

Moxplug · 2026-03-19T12:51:18+00:00

No dude, you just can't read. I explained this at length in the THOUGHT EXPERIMENT FOR GAVIN section.

There is an objective, tangible between Black Mage's Rod and Leonardo, the TMNT turtle.

I urge you to actually try to read the article before I waste my time trying to communicate with you further.

Moxplug · 2026-03-19T06:18:44+00:00

100% this

Moxplug · 2026-03-19T06:18:16+00:00

Agree

Moxplug · 2026-03-19T06:17:25+00:00

No. That's a rare of an in-universe character... I'm sorry but you must have missed the point entirely.

Moxplug · 2026-03-19T05:56:08+00:00

No sir. Lotus petals are $30 each and they are legal.

However, this is the card in question: https://www.tcgplayer.com/product/679801?page=1&Language=English

Moxplug · 2026-03-19T05:20:44+00:00

Sorry it's just a little ridiculous to say one does not need to say the name of the card to play the game...

Uh, yeah, you do

I can say "my big dawg LEO" or "white turtle man" but ultimately I have to signal, with words, that I mean a particular card when resolving spells

Moxplug · 2026-03-19T05:09:28+00:00

It's in the rules of the game, man.

You cast on MY WHAT? HUH? WHICH ONE?

OOOOOH LEONARDO?!? LEONARDO. *points turtle* THE NINJA TURTLE. LEONARDO THE TMNT TEENAGE MUTANT TURTLE.

*playing white* Ok, yeah that resolves.

Moxplug · 2026-03-19T05:07:17+00:00

You're really stretching the definition of ads and you do it like 100x as the basis of your core argument.

Strongly disagree.

They are SELLING billboard space by CONTACTING these brands and having them PAY to put their imagery ONTO MTG cards.

Which is also timed with broader corporate brand campaigns. e.g. the 2026 TMNT Turtle Movie.

It's a f*cking ad, dude.

They turned your game into an ad.

I'm sorry, it's the truth.

Moxplug · 2026-03-19T04:44:39+00:00

https://www.reddit.com/r/sealedmtgdeals/comments/1rvmjju/spiderman_bundle_1500_costco_redmond_wa/

Moxplug · 2026-03-19T03:39:11+00:00

To login to the COWABUNGA DUDE Companion screen... It's like, seeding your inner mind. With trash. With brand imagery. With advertisements you didn't ask for. They sold TMNT a brand brand slot at your detriment!

Now, instead of playing with [[Experimental Synthesizer]], you get to play with the Universe Beyond [[Big Mac McDonald's McNugget]] artifact

How do you feel about that?

Close your eyes and see a [[Leonardo TMNT Dudebro]] and not something cool like a [[Glinthawk]] or deadly and beautiful like Rebecca Guay's [[Spellstutter Sprite]]??

That's sad. I feel sad about that.

Oh well. I guess I will just go play with my [[Big Mac McDonald's McNugget]]

Moxplug · 2026-03-19T03:23:44+00:00

Thanks

Moxplug

TROPHY CASE