Why is Dockside Extortionist Red and Not Black?
General forum
Posted on Feb. 11, 2021, 9:12 p.m. by DemonDragonJ
Dockside Extortionist is definitely one of the best creatures to be printed in recent years, but I wonder why it is red, since the flavor of the card, extorting payment from its controller's opponents based upon their material wealth, feels much more black than red (or possibly even blue), to me.
What does everyone else say about this? Why is Dockside Extortionist red and not black?
It interacts with artifacts and enchantments (something that black has historically sucked at) and has nothing to do with life loss/gain. And treasure tokens are a very red effect in that they're effectively just rituals. The card seems perfectly fine in red.
February 11, 2021 10:09 p.m.
plakjekaas says... #4
Firstly, I do understand where the sentiment originates though, red is the color of passion and impulsiveness, where extortion is a very calculated and premeditated crime.
Secondly, Revel in Riches proved that black can care about treasures if the flavor demands it.
And thirdly, the color pie is more what you'd call "guidelines" than actual rules. Welcome aboard pirate flavor in Magic the Gathering, Miss Turner .
February 11, 2021 10:33 p.m.
DemonDragonJ says... #5
plakjekaas, I wish that I could upvote your post more than once!
As a side note, I do hope that WotC reprints that card, sooner, rather than later, because it will always be in demand.
February 11, 2021 11:13 p.m.
DemonDragonJ says... #6
enpc, red is not supposed to be able to interact with enchantments, either, because they lack physical substance, and red specializes in physically destroying things.
February 12, 2021 8:01 a.m.
DemonDragonJ: interacting does not mean destroying. And you're not seeing the forest for the trees here.
February 12, 2021 9:57 a.m.
The card is very piratical. And given other pirate printings this is very much in the red and black houses.
I do feel it's more red than black though. Red excels in taking things away from you. Temporarily in many cases but nonetheless. And, lately, interacting with artifacts.
In the case of the flavor of this card, it's treating enchantments like another kind of loot, booty or treasure ripe for the Pillaging!
February 12, 2021 11:45 a.m.
Omniscience_is_life says... #9
I kind of agree with DemonDragonJ here. Enchantments aren't really something Red can interact with--and they're certainly not just something that can be taken as easily as a statuette.
enpc You're right that interaction is not synonymous with destruction... but I struggle to find a Red card that does anything with enchantments.
February 12, 2021 1:27 p.m.
ShaDoWz_6677 says... #10
Red: You think Pirates. What do Pirates like? Treasure.
Black, I think about death. Pitiless Plunderer comes to mind for treasure more than an ETB treasure effect.
February 12, 2021 1:51 p.m.
Dockside Extortionist isn't really interacting with enchantments beyond counting them. Flavorwise, it's collecting "import duties" on magical effects. I agree it could fit into black, but claiming that it shouldn't be red because it interacts with enchantments isn't quite right. It interacts with enchantments less than Aura Barbs or Enchanter's Bane .
February 12, 2021 1:58 p.m.
king-saproling says... #12
I think it fits well in red because it's a gamble. When you slot dockside in a deck, you're never really sure how much treasure you're gonna get from him. A turn 2 dockside could nab you 0 treasures, or it might nab 6! Randomness is definitely a red thing
February 12, 2021 2:19 p.m.
DemonDragonJ says... #13
Omniscience_is_life, Enchanter's Bane is an excellent example of how red can interact with enchantments, because it punishes a player for having them without actually destroying them. Personally, I feel that black should have been given its own version of that card, rather than a card that could outright destroy enchantments (i.e., Feed the Swarm ).
February 12, 2021 4:40 p.m.
RealLifeBear says... #14
in addition to Omniscience_is_life and DemonDragonJRed is the color of "aggro hate", if they're not blowing it up Abrade , Ancient Grudge , red is taxing the opponent for having them Price of Progress , Enchanter's Bane . Even sometimes yourself Braid of Fire (when mana burn was a rule).
February 12, 2021 5:42 p.m.
Omniscience_is_life says... #15
legendofa I actually don't think that the cards you mentioned are flavorfully interacting with enchantments, they just see them and punish their owner, but don't physically do anything to/with them. Dockside is literally putting hands on and stealing enchantments--very different and a little more questionable color-pie-wise.
I'm playing Devil's Advocate here though, I'm fine with the card
February 12, 2021 5:54 p.m.
Omniscience_is_life I get your point, but what would be the best way to flavorfully show any physical interaction with a non-Aura enchantment, in any color? It seems like one of those things that's just going to be an abstraction for simplicity's sake.
February 12, 2021 6:07 p.m.
Omniscience_is_life says... #17
legendofa you're right about simplicity, we definitely don't need the flavor of the card to muck up gameplay or anything.
I guess I just think the way one interacts with an enchantment needs to be through magical means (take Deglamer as an example--the mage in the art is removing the obscuring sheen from an enchantment with a spell, not tearing it off forcefully with his hands).
February 12, 2021 8:48 p.m.
TriusMalarky says... #18
to be fair, would the effect be different if it read "artifacts your opponents control plus one/two"?
I can think of, say, fourish heavily played enchantments off the top of my head.
February 16, 2021 4:41 p.m.
Red is the main color of treasure generation and spells that are/sometimes are mana-positive.
Omniscience_is_life says... #2
Idk, maybe it it added mana straight to your pool rather than gave you Treasure.
February 11, 2021 9:42 p.m.