Werewolf Problems, WOTC Neglect of Tribe and Resolution Going Forward

So as the title suggests this is going to be a round up of werewolf related issues. As someone who got into the game for Werewolves. I feel it all needs laying out to show just how poorly it's being handled or rather, not handled at all. Much to the frustration and disappointment of werewolf players and people who love the tribe. Which turns out is A LOT of the community. Werewolves are in fact right up there as one of Magics most loved tribes.

So going back to the original Werewolves (by this I'm referring to Innistrad, not the original original werewolves) we get a cool concept of a flip mechanic, spells that can interact with it at instant speed and overall it's a cool idea. However it has one Achille's heel. The mechanic allows ANY player to cast to interact with it during any turn. And so a simple opt is enough to crumble the werewolf players game plan.

This was around 2011.

Werewolves would then be ignored for a decade until the release of [[Werewolf Packleader]] in the DnD set in 2021. Which I might add is a great single sided werewolf, arguably one of the best werewolves ever printed.

Fortunately Midnight Hunt followed that very year. A full werewolf advertised set. Now here comes what we've been waiting for. A fixing of the mechanic... Only it didn't turn out that way. Sure we got some cool new werewolves, mildly increased power level etc but no fixing to the mechanic. Infact a new mechanic that they decided doesn't work with the old one AND werewolf staples like [[Moonmist]] don't work with it. What a shambles. At least werewolves... Some werewolves can now enter transformed. But now we have to track day/night all game? Yikes. Additionally there wasnt nearly enough new werewolves for a set themed around them. A set which the very logo is a werewolf head.. Crimson Vow comes out a short while later with much the same. Few cool werewolves locked into the new mechanic.

And that is unfortunately where werewolves have been left. In the years after, they've had no support at all. Despite this all the other horror tribes (vampires, zombies, spirits) have had many, many supporting pieces. This was also true in the decade between Innistrad visits between 2011 and 2021.

But the salt in the wounds doesn't stop there. There has been many opportunities to give us even a single sided werewolf like Packleader but to no avail.

Next we had the Dominaria/phyrexia arch continuity. Now in the lore, there are werewolves on Dominaria. This was an expensive story. 1 card surely? A common black werewolf nodding to the originals, right? Nope. Other horror tribes get support? Of course.

Well you wouldn't do a big bad wolf/red riding hood storyline in Wilds of Eldraine without giving us a werewolf would ya? Of course we would, instead we'll just do some guy in wolf shaped armour.

Well you wouldn't tease us with mention o werewolves in storyline and artwork during the Invasion of Innistrad and not give us even one phyrexian werewolf would you? Of course, in fact we'll do a vampire who's art is depicted kicking phyrexian werewolves. So you can see how cool it would have been to have a card I one but we won't actually give you one.

Well you wouldn't base an entire story of Bloomburrow around a fire wolf elemental, make cards for every single other elemental then not give us a proper card for it right? Of course, we'll just give you a lame commander card with mediocre ability and art and nothing in the main set.

Well would you give us a werewolf in MH3? Nah.

Well, what about Duskmourn, 80s horror, you're surely going to give us a nod to American Werewolf in London or The Howling right? Nope, it's not a classic horror set. So, why does I have vampire, spirits and zombies? Don't worry about that. Just no Werewolves.

Well at least in Innistrad Remastered you'll errata the old Werewolves. Naaahh, we're just going to ignore the problem, avoid any of the day/night werewolves, throw in 3 equinox prints and call it a day.

And so you see, werewolves as a tribe are not exactly a thriving tribe right now. Their mechanics don't work together, their spells don't work for all werewolves and WOTC are trying to brush them under the rug instead of fixing the problem. Which concept wise, I believe is quite straight forward. Fulfillment of I will have it's effort but would be completely worth it.

So the original mechanic is weak and the day/night tracking is annoying. So we get rid of both. Or rather we merge them and add [[Tovolar, Dire Overlord]] ability as th function of day/night. To explain that properly;

It becomes day as a day/night permanent enters. If no spells are cast by the turn player it becomes night next upkeep. If two or more spells are cast by turn player it becomes day in the next upkeep.

However we add in if you control three or more wolves or Werewolves it becomes night as a functioning part of day/night as opposed to just on Tovolar.

This way we can errata the old werewolves to day/night AND we remove the need for tracking.

Throw in errata of Moonmist and [[Waxing Moon]] to turn it to night and next Innistrad visit give us some low mana werewolves with flash that turn it to night and you've then given the tribe the strength boost it should have been given in 2021.

But also just give us werewolves in sets in the mean time. We will take more single sided werewolves like Packleader. Would be so good I went got a RR and BB werewolf to match.

Cheers anyone who reads! Would be cool if anyone at wotc stumbled upon this. Doubtful but aye, something just needs sorting for werewolves going forward and I believe something along the lines I what I suggested is the simplest and most realistic manner of fixing the mechanic and bringing all werewolves into one mechanic.