Keeping It Simple: The One-Word Cards of 2024
Listen, readers, we're going to be wading into the fen today.
As you may know, I'm a big fan of Magic, and I'm a big fan of the English language, and often I can't help but try to combine those two interests. The result usually falls somewhere in the Magic: The Glossary range. But what if we looked at things from a different, more precise angle?
First, the Magic. It's been another big year for the game, with a whopping 2,061 new cards (or non-reprint cards) printed in paper in 2024. Compare that to years past, like only a decade ago in 2014 there were 820 new cards printed, or even last year's 1,923.
This year isn't the most of all time, however, as that honor goes to the 2,118 new cards appearing in 2022. I wouldn't consider this year's slight dip from that total to be an indicator of anything slowing down, however.
As for the word aspect, I've always been intrigued by one-word Magic cards. There can only be so many of them, and if you're looking closely, you'll realize that the majority of nonlegendary Magic cards tend to follow the convention of "adjective noun": Ancient Cornucopia, Patchwork Banner, Undercity Sewers, Accursed Marauder. Even from just 2024, the list is extensive.
Designers have to be very careful when selecting a single word to name a Magic card so they don't waste a particularly juicy word on a lackluster card. See Zap as an example of when it goes wrong.
So how many new one-word Magic cards were printed in 2024? Well, quite a few, actually. Let's make a list, sorted by the year's releases.
Murders at Karlov Manor/Murders at Karlov Manor Commander
Probably the most important thing when considering a one-word name for a card is reprintability. It's tough sledding to use up a good word on a card that will be nigh-impossible to reuse freely in the future. Deduce is an example of a good application of brevity, as there's nothing on the card that requires it to be used sparingly.
It's very appropriate for a set like MKM, but it's not locked in, despite the current art featuring a detective. At least there aren't any fedoras.
Regarding the trio of Equipment in Wrench, Candlestick, Knife and Rope, it's a cycle (along with multi-word Lead Pipe) that is an obvious homage to Clue. There's nothing on the cards themselves that require being limited to MKM or similar themes. We could theoretically see a Wrench in a future set where our favorite characters go to trade school.
Lastly, there's Galvanize. You'd be forgiven in thinking it was a reprint, but no, it's a brand-new card only appearing here in MKM. We'll definitely see it again. It's not going to wow anyone in Commander, but it's a pretty solid Limited card that doesn't hem itself into detectiveland.
And speaking of Clue, there are a few one-worders in the associated crossover, namely in the room-lands:
We won't be seeing these anywhere else, so it's a good thing Duskmourn didn't need to use any of these words.
Fallout
Here's an interesting case that we'll be discussing in the years to come. Do we want to burn a one-word name on a Universes Beyond property? I guess it depends: if it's a proper noun, as we'll see, then it doesn't hurt too badly. But what if it's a solid verb for an instant or sorcery spell, like Atomize? With conflicting information from Wizards of the Coast regarding the likelihood of UB reprints, that's a risky proposition.
No, I don't consider V.A.T.S. or C.A.M.P. one-word cards since they're acronyms.
Outlaws of Thunder Junction/OTJ Commander/The Big Score
That's it for Cowboyland section of the Multiverse Theme Park. They were very conservative in the use of one-word names here, limiting themselves to just three, and two of them are portmanteaus, which are the loosest definition of "one word" you can have without an apostrophe. As for Rumbleweed, it's a pun, obviously, which is again stretching it. All three words here are very unlikely to appear again.
They did allow themselves a pretty massive dessert buffet of one-word treats on the reprint front, however, with Skulduggery, Decimate, Explore, Guttersnipe, Harrow, Hex, Opt, Ponder, Pongify, Preordain, Propaganda, Pteramander, Putrefy, Scaretiller, Skullwinder, Vandalblast, and Windfall.
Modern Horizons 3/MH3 Commander
This is a pretty extensive list, but there's one thing that immediately jumps out at you. All of them, except for Six, are made-up words. Mostly portmanteaus, and mostly references to older, similar cards: Nulldrifter to Mulldrifter, et cetera. That's one way to burn single-word names without running the risk of eliminating a "real" word from the future naming pool.
We can see several of these again one day, specifically Powerbalance or Gravedig, but we probably won't. Like many of this style of one-word names, they adhere to a joke or reference, and reprinting them limits the novelty, and if we ever get a Sesame Street crossover, they might regret using "Six" if they introduce a cycle of "Count"-ing cards.
Assassin's Creed
Nearly all of these are so Assassin's Creed-specific that they almost don't qualify as one-word names, in the sense that there's almost zero chance they'll ever need to use these words for anything other that what they are used for here.
Except, possibly, for Tranquilize. We'll almost certainly see this one again in the future, assuming we see any UB cards reprinted in the future.
Bloomburrow/Bloomburrow Commander
Finally, we get to some meaty ones. Joining a long line of black targeted-removal instants is Fell, a card that we will definitely see many times in the future. It immediately becomes part of a rotation with Annihilate, Defenestrate, Disembowel, Eliminate, Execute, Expunge, Mob, Murder, Slaughter, Slay, Smother, Swat, Terrorand Vendetta (but not Doom Blade, which is two words, remember).
Obviously some of those are better than others, but you can't argue that they're to the card perfect uses of the word they go by.
We also get a few other black cards in Savor and Stargaze, which both stake claim to heretofore unused words; especially in the case of Savor, it's another perfect alignment of word and card.
I also really enjoy the use of Murmuration, a word you can read more about here.
Oh, and if you're wondering, Mystery Booster 2 only had one "new" card (which isn't even really new) in Velukan Dragon, which as you see is two words.
Duskmourn: House of Horror/Duskmourn Commander
I'm not counting Attack-in-the-Box and its egregious use of hyphens.
With Duskmourn, we get one instant classic one-worder, and a bunch of one-worders that are likely already forgotten. It's quite surprising that to this point, they've never printed a card simply titled "Exorcise," but it fits perfectly with the themes of this set. The card itself is generic enough that we're guaranteed to see it again anywhere, though probably not with art featuring the ghost-catching contraption currently on the card.
The rest of the choices, even Saw and Chainsaw, aren't going to appear very often, if at all, and fit into that "smash two words into one word and call it a day" camp of one-word cards.
Next up chronologically is the Marvel Secret Lair, but the only non-reprint cards offered there are the legendary creatures, and very rarely are those ever in Six territory of singular names. That brings us to the most recent and last set of 2024.
Foundations/Foundations Jumpstart
It's a surprisingly sparse list, but all four are excellent uses of their individual words.
Foundations isn't technically a Core Set, but in line with the tradition established by those discontinued annuals, Foundations has that "pure" Magic feel. Core Sets usually had quite the extensive array of one-word card names, both new and reprinted, so I find it odd that they didn't go for it more with creating new cards for singular names. It certainly has plenty of one-word reprints, from Abrade to Zombify, too many to name here.
I suppose there's nothing wrong with a little restraint, otherwise you end up filling your set with a bunch of cards like Spiritualize that no one remembers.
The Auratog Enjoys Eating Its Words
Is all of this an exercise in self-indulgence? Maybe. But I know I'm not the only one who keys in on singular-worded card names. Wizards of the Coast themselves have discussed the topic before (through the context of revealing the card Damn), and there have been plenty of Reddit posts over the years about it. So I'm not the only weirdo. There are dozens of us. Dozens!
All told, there are 75 new additions to the one-word Magic card canon. You could make a very terrible Commander deck with these cards, should you ever dare.
And if you're curious, adding these 75 new ones brings the grand total in all of Magic to 1,242.
Any particular favorite from the year? Is this a topic you have ever even thought about? Let me know below.
