MTG Colors and the GB Crew

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thatpinguino

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Edited By thatpinguino  Staff

During my last written blog post I discussed how MTG builds characters and settings through card art, mechanics, and flavor text. I tried to break down how MTG tells its stories through subtle shifts in mechanics, names, and art over time. However, in that post I largely avoided one of the most fundamental tools that MTG uses to construct its characters and its worlds: color. The cards of MTG are divided into 5 colors: White, Blue, Black, Red, and Green. Each of these colors has different mechanics and play styles that fall within their portion of MTG’s “color pie;” for example, blue creatures tend to have higher toughness than power and green creatures tend to be larger than creatures of equal cost in other colors. The different play styles of MTG’s colors happen to flow naturally from the different philosophies and worldviews of each color. If you aren’t too familiar with MTG you might be surprised to hear that each of the game’s colors has a worldview associated with it. Luckily the lead designer of MTG, Mark Rosewater, wrote a bunch of columns about the philosophies of each color, so let me get you up to speed.

“Like what you like! And if some asshole like me tell’s you it’s stupid, tell ‘em to fuck off!”
“Like what you like! And if some asshole like me tell’s you it’s stupid, tell ‘em to fuck off!”

White-

“what does white value most? Harmony. White wants a world where everyone gets along. White enjoys community. White wants what is best for the whole. White looks out for everyone. White would be happiest in a utopian society where everyone shares and cooperates with one another. White’s ultimate goal is peace.”

Blue-

“Blue looks out and sees opportunity. To blue, the world is a collection of resources that allow an individual the ability to transform himself into whatever he wishes. Each person is born as a blank slate. The purpose of life is to learn what you want to be and how to achieve that goal.

To accomplish this, the blue mage learns to value the most important resource in the world: information. In order to find one’s place in the world, a wizard must collect as much knowledge as he can. With this tool at his disposal, he will find the answer to any and every problem. Thus, blue’s end goal is omniscience. Blue wants to know everything. For he who knows all has no weakness.”

Black-

“Black’s view of the world is quite self-centered. In essence, black defines the world by how it affects him or her. Thus, to black, each individual has their own purpose in life: making their life as good as it can be. And this is fair as far as black is concerned, as everyone has someone looking out for their own best interest (themselves). Now, this way of life has many victims (after all someone has to lose for others to gain), but black feels this is simply the world’s way to weed out the weak.

To accomplish its goals, black seeks power. Why? Because unlike all the other colors, black doesn’t feel a need to restrict what it’s allowed to do. To black, an individual is allowed to use any means necessary to get what it wants. Thus, the true measure of success to black is the ability to do whatever you wish. If someone else is keeping you from your wants and desires, then you aren’t properly meeting your number one goal.”

Red-

I couldn't decide between “Your startup is doomed!” and “Science is fucked up. Science doesn’t give a fuck. Science isn’t on anyone’s side, it’s just fucking science.”
I couldn't decide between “Your startup is doomed!” and “Science is fucked up. Science doesn’t give a fuck. Science isn’t on anyone’s side, it’s just fucking science.”

“To red, life is the ultimate adventure. Red feels that living life to its fullest means taking advantage of every opportunity. And what better means to drive this goal than one's own emotions? Red acts on its gut and follows its heart. If red is happy, it celebrates. If red is sad, it cries. If red is angry, it smashes things. Life is very simple for red. It does what it feels.

To accomplish its goal, red uses action. If something is preventing you from doing what you want, knock it out of the way. If it comes back? Eh, blow it up. Red is a big proponent of force. If you want something to change, make it happen. Not later, now!

In the end, red's ultimate goal is freedom. Red wants everyone free to act however they wish. And red is more than willing to take action to ensure that this happens.”

Green-

“What does green value most? Nature. The way green sees it, the world has gotten it right. There is no force more powerful, more peaceful, or more elegant than nature. Its end goal is simply to let the natural way evolve. Green, in its heart, wants nothing more than to sit back and watch life unfurl around it. Thus, green's ultimate goal is growth. Green would be happiest in a world where nature has been allowed to run rampant.”

“You can’t have it both ways… You can’t fall back on live and let live when people get super upset about the declamatory statements you’re making, if you’re going to troll then troll.”
“You can’t have it both ways… You can’t fall back on live and let live when people get super upset about the declamatory statements you’re making, if you’re going to troll then troll.”

The different combinations of all of these five basic colors results in all sorts of personality types and MTG uses this colorful psychological shorthand to define its characters through something as fundamental their mana cost. To illustrate how these colors can be used to define characters I’m going to do a little exercise. I’m going to use the GB staff as an example and I’m going to define each of the core members of the staff based on which color or colors I feel best describes them. But first a small disclaimer: all human beings are all five colors. We all have moments where we align more strongly with one or two colors, but each of the colors captures some fundamental part of the human experience that we all share. So while I am going to reduce the staff as part of this exercise, I want to make it clear that a reduction is happening. I consider myself largely Blue/Red (passionate to learn about the world and driven to share that knowledge however I can) in my thinking, but that doesn’t mean that my actions and worldviews are solely contained by those two colors.

With that out of the way, let’s get to the fun part!

Dan – Red – Dan is just about the most mono-red person I’ve ever seen and his philosophies align with Red’s so strongly that I feel like I barely need to explain it. He is a man of action first, second, and third and only contemplates his actions long after they are done (you can hear some of this post-processing on Danswers). He is great at seizing opportunities and creating them where none exist as evidenced by his ability to turn a GameStop ad shoot (that he talked his way into) at the Game Informer offices into a job at Game Informer. He is also prone to being myopic and shortsighted, often denying the possibility of liking things outside of his comfort zone until he is wrenched out of it. His passionate pursuit of personal goals results in high highs (hello self-help book and game industry job) and self-damaging lows (hello permanently ruined vision and burnt pants).

"Snake"

Jeff- Black/Green – Jeff is Black/Green because he is a master of the cycle of life and death in the game industry. He has survived the burst of the .com bubble, site closures, and even a firing relatively unscathed. He is one of the longest tenured videogame critics and he has maintained his position by rooting his critique in the product reviewer’s mindset of game criticism’s old guard, while selectively tossing off things that don’t work anymore. His perspective has largely stayed the same, but his delivery method is constantly shifting. To Jeff, the internet is the internet and the game industry is the game industry and all of the goods and ills that come from each are just part of their natural cycles (the internet is just being the internet when people get outraged online). Jeff knows the rules of the current system and he is using them well, warts and all. As other sites fall by the wayside, GB soldiers on due to Jeff’s knowing guidance and cynical perspective. It is that cynicism that moves Jeff from mono-Green into Black/Green.

“Please don’t tell people that they have no right to be offended. It’s super dismissive and not helpful when people feel like airing their concerns.”
“Please don’t tell people that they have no right to be offended. It’s super dismissive and not helpful when people feel like airing their concerns.”

Brad- Blue/White/Green- The White/Blue element of Brad is most obvious in his role as the podcast host. As the host of the Bombcast, Brad is constantly trying to bring order to the chaos that is a 3 hour podcast about gaming and Dominos Pizza franchises. Brad tries his best to keep the show on topic and on schedule. Brad also tends to be the opposing voice when Dan starts speaking in absolutes (providing a nice example of Red and its two enemy colors clashing). Brad often asks a ton of informational questions when sitting in on a Quick Look and he guides Deep Looks in a more factual direction (which leads to him losing focus on the action and dying as a result). Brad’s Green element comes from his hippy-dippy bent, what with his organic food preferences and his audible displeasure at Dan’s fast food habits. Brad is the most likely person to talk about a new scientific discovery or some deadly spider, sounds Green/Blue to me.

???
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Drew- Green/Red/Blue- Drew is the most outdoorsy and open minded of the bomb crew and he tends to take an enthusiastic, but logical approach to most gaming topics. Drew will give games a chance that no one else will even look at, such as flight sims and mobile games. He somehow simultaneously finds true joy in creating pdf manuals for digital airplanes, hiking, and going to North Korea. Drew blends a love of history, thrill seeking, and book learning to form a Red, Green, and Blue persona. While Brad tries to reinforce order and control during the bombcast (white), Drew is off in his own corner having a good time (red).

Rorie- White/Blue - As the community manager of Giantbomb, Rorie is the voice of the law and he strives to keep the site as open and friendly to as many people as possible. Rorie is literally the face of the forum rules and he often acts as a moderator on the most hot-button of forum posts. Using rules to restrict problematic behavior is an entirely Blue/White concept and Rorie makes great use of this tool. Rorie’s time as the GM of GB Unplugged also shows his Blue/White alignment; he is in full control of the situation and has all available knowledge, but his goal is to use that knowledge to make sure everyone has a good time.

"That was terrible"

Jason – Colorless- I have no idea where Jason fits on the color pie. I don’t know him well enough and as of now I can’t even venture a guess. Maybe one day we’ll know.

I hope you found this little breakdown of how the colors of MTG can be used to define characters. It is amazing how much information you can communicate with something as simple as color if you establish a cohesive symbolic language.

Also if you like MTG, sign up for the Giantbomb Community Endurance Run FNM and Royal Rumble! There is a fatpack and a championship belt on the line!

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Gaff

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I would peg them slightly differently...

  • Dan, Red / Black: Avatar of Discord. Just look at that come into play effect.
  • Jeff, Black / Blue: Lazac, Dimir Mastermind. Jeff's experience and knowledge in the field gives him the uncanny ability to be authorative yet still himself when stuff goes down, both figuratively and more often literally.
  • Brad Red / Green / Black. Adun Oakenshield. Green his piggies and that circle of life Brad, red his power to filibuster his way through GotY discussion and games, black his salt in competitive multiplayer and the circle of life Brad.
  • Drew, Red / Blue / Green. Animar, Soul of Elements. Red being the colour of freedom and traditionally the colour of goblins (the MTG universe's race of tinkerers, with sometimes disastrous results), blue the thirst for knowledge, green his outdoor nature. And the whole self-improvement angle fits the mechanic of Animar.
  • Rorie, White / Blue / Green. Angus Mackenzie. White the colour of law and harmony, blue the colour of information, green for animals (puppies!!!). Also, that mechanic fits.
  • Jason, Red / Blue. Nivix Cyclops. Red the colour of competition (fighting games), bending nature to his will (Monster Hunter and its ilk), blue for information and manipulation... Holds down the fort but can also spring into action when needed (see the card mechanic). Also, probably the most versatile card here!

Also, kind of disappointed Vinny (Red / Green, Rock Basilisk, red for chaos and free will, green for bringing life into this world, and the mechanic is an accurate reflection of his ability to seemingly break every game he plays!), and Alex (Black / Blue, still trying to find a fitting card)!

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majormitch

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#2  Edited By majormitch

Fun post! I've actually done something similar with my friend group before, and this kind of thing is generally a fun exercise :) I think you've done a pretty good job at capturing the spirit of the bombcrew too!

I wish I could help with Jason, but I don't feel like I know him well enough yet either. I will add my 2 cents to some of the other ones though, at least from my perspective :) I might consider removing the red from Drew. Red acts on impulse and passion a lot, which is a bit counter to how Drew really likes to plan things out. A true red would never stand to take the time creating long, detailed manuals for playing flight sims, for example :P Drew almost seems too methodical to be red! I see what you're getting at with the thrill seeking idea, but green can cover that too.

Jeff is the only one I might seriously contest though! The black I can kind of see in some spots, but Jeff is also very interested in community too often to be a true black in my eyes. For example, he has stated that what he loved most about Trackmania was the community. And he obviously loves having Giant Bomb be a very community focused site. I can see some of your other points about black though. More importantly, I think green is basically the anti-Jeff! :P I kind of see the idea about Jeff surviving and adapting to the industry as it evolves... but green is so nature focused, and Jeff is not. That's a huge part of green, along with hating technology. Green despises machines and technology (hence all the artifact destruction it gets), but Jeff loves technology. He always loves fiddling with new gadgets, and has expressed a strong interest in augmenting his body with technology many times before. Green would never stand for that! :)

My off the cusp pick for Jeff might be red/blue, though I may have to think on it more. Red because, like Dan, Jeff has an appreciation for jumping in feet first and getting things done. He seems to enjoy riding out the crazy adventure of his life, and when he plays games he's as offensively red as anyone I've seen. At the same time, he is capable of looking ahead and scheming when needed, and that's where blue comes in. Blue is also the anti-green in the sense that it loves technology and science, which Jeff absolutely does. Finally, blue and red are the creative, passion colors. Combining them is the ultimate combination of being creative and passionate at "making things". And in the way he's built out Giant Bomb, Jeff has shown that he's certainly up to the task of diving into the deep end, figuring out how to make things work, and build something creative and fun in a way that's both spontaneous and calculated. :D

Anyway, take or leave my lengthy comments, it's all in good fun :) Entertaining read!

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Oscar__Explosion

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Jason is as Black as a person can be. HE CONTROLS THE CONTROL ROOM. HE CAN DO WHATEVER HE WANTS AND NO ONE COULD STOP HIM.

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ArbitraryWater

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#4  Edited By ArbitraryWater

I'd say Vinny is Red/White, Red for his penchant for chaos, white for his positive and upbeat attitude. Alex is Black/Blue, for his unrelenting cynicism and snark tempered by being a very thoughtful and contemplative person. If Patrick was still here he'd be White/Blue for sure.

Jason? Not sure about Jason. I could see him being a artifact deck guy, definitely with some blue in him as well, given the way he's a hard counter to Dan.

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#5 thatpinguino  Staff

@oscar__explosion: But he doesn't destroy everything for his own gain. So he isn't mono-black. Not yet at least.

@gaff: Yeah I forgot to do Vinny and Alex since I haven't heard from them in a while, but I agree with your Vinny take. I think Alex has to have some white in there because of how much he considers other people's perspectives and needs, but I agree with the Black/Blue.

@majormitch: Yeah Jeff was hard since he can on the one hand love technology and on the other say destroy all video games and the internet. I thought the Green/Black master of undeath worked considering he is basically one of the last standing old school reviewers from the 90s who hasn't changed his review style. I saw the more conservative nature of Green in him, not necessarily the nature loving part. The black part came in to form the Green/Black Golgari thing I was going for. I could see the Blue/Red argument too though. Honestly for all of the older crew members I have known them for so long that I could argue any color combination depending on the day.

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@oscar__explosion: I once saw Jason pay 3 life to gain more skill at Street Fighter II.

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Oscar__Explosion

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Slag

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Hunh Interesting post @thatpinguino.

I don't know MTG very well but going off how I interpret what you said...

Jason strikes me as Green/Blue to me. Dude is Zen and likes to learn and explore. Listening to the way he talks about combo systems and fighting mechanics he goes pretty deep into stuff in his very calm manner.

Ryan struck me as a mono-white guy. He seemed like the ultimate team player. What he always seemed to enjoy most was other people.

Dave seemed maybe mono-blue? Definitely was always talking about designing and creating things. Seemed what motivates and consumes him.

as for myself I'm probably a mix of White/blue would be my guess.

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thatpinguino

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#9  Edited By thatpinguino  Staff

@slag: I think you have to have red in with Ryan because of how much he loved to have a good time and sew chaos. A mono-white person doesn't flush a pie down a toilet. I think he would also have to be blue because of how knowledgeable he was. He was always the driving force behind spoilercasts and he asked a lot of good questions. Good ol' Red/White/Blue! Freedom!

I think you are right on Dave and I think Alexis would be Blue/Red.

@bisonhero: Devious. I heard he once sacrificed a co-worker to increase his Monster Hunter character's attack strength for 5 minutes.

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generic_username

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#10  Edited By generic_username

Awesome post. The color pie is one of the best things about MTG, and applying it to non-MTG things is always a really entertaining exercise.

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thatpinguino

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#11 thatpinguino  Staff

@generic_username: It really is amazing how much information MTG is able to condense thanks to the color pie. It is a useful example of how symbolism can be employed both narratively and practically. Symbols save space and they allow the human mind to think more naturally by engaging its ability to associate disparate things based on rules and experience instead of exposition.

I love the color pie and Planar Chaos is probably my favorite expansion because of how it plays with the abilities of each color. Planar Chaos is alienating as heck to new players and it was probably a mistake on Wizards' part, but I'm glad they made that mistake.

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Y2Ken

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#12  Edited By Y2Ken

I love this post a lot. Would definitely have Drew's red as a splash at best though. Some good speculations on others in here, I think I like White/Red Vinny (maybe splash Black) and Black/Blue (or perhaps even Black/White) Alex. It starts to get even more interesting if you branch out from each individual colour and start contemplating specific ramifications of two or three colour combo factions. As for Jason, I think there has to be some Blue in there, maybe Blue/Green or Blue/Artifacts. I kinda like the latter, it's a good combination MtG-wise and I think it fits with his use of constructs and technology to control everything from the shadows.

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#13 thatpinguino  Staff

@y2ken: I'm not really sure what to do with someone who thrill-seeks in an intelligent and measured way. Are they definitely red because they are looking for fun thrills for the sake of fun or does their measured approach make them more blue? I lean towards the red splash being necessary, so I added the red for Drew.

I think Vinny as Red/White or Red/White/Green makes the most sense and I can't see Alex without a bit of white. Honestly white/black/blue might be the best color combo.