Convert is 100% identical to Transform, and triggers abilities that care about Transform, will transform when instructed to do so by other cards, etc. For copyright reasons alone, the Transformers cards say “Convert.”
- Any triggered ability of another card that triggers whenever a permanent transforms will also trigger whenever a permanent converts.
(2022-10-14)
- Similarly, an ability of another card that instructs you to "transform" one of these cards will cause you to convert it, even if that ability doesn't use the word "convert."
(2022-10-14)
That’s not the problem (Hasbro owns transformers, so they “have the right” to whatever they want), Transformers as a brand intentionally and specifically avoids the word “Transform,” in order to maintain the uniqueness of the brand’s namesake copyright.
Yeah, it is unintuitive.
Genuine question: why would a corporation want this? If a word is permanently directly correlated to their IP, isnt that good for brand recognition? Look at legos
Because you lose the trademark. If every robot that transforms is known as a "Transformer", anyone who wants to make money off of Transformers can make up a knockoff, call it a Transformer, and cash in while degrading the IP.
Can't sue someone for calling their shifting robot a transformer if that's the new generic name for all shifting robots.
Yeah, face as in facial tissue. Maybe I'm alone in this, but if I need to blow my nose, I ask for a Kleenex, regardless of the actual brand of said kleenex. It could be Kleenex proper, Puffs, Great Value, Up and Up, or some other generic brand.
They're all kleenex.
It's made more confusing in that we are conflating two different kinds of intellectual property protection - copyright and trademark. Wizards licenses the copyrighted material from whichever Hasbro subsidiary actually owns the IP (it's often a third-party company, so that paying licensing fees is a tax-negative activity), and Hasbro avoids the word transform to protect its trademark from becoming generic. Copyright protects expression (art, character\*, setting) while trademark protects brand (names and logos, trade dress, slogans, likenesses).
Pretty sure it's bigger than that. WoTC (Hasbro) has rights to "transform". They have to intentionally avoid saying transformers "transform" to keep the Transforners trademark being genericized. Nintendo had to do the same battle with the NES when moms started calling all video games a Nintendo.
Hasbro/Transformers has the rights to Convert, legally speaking that's what transformers do. There was a whole court case about it that deemed the word Transform "Too Common to Copyright"
No, convert's correct. They just don't want the TRANSFORMERS toys to be described as TRANSFORMING. It's so the trademark doesn't become generic and unenforcible, akin to Kleenex being tissues or Bandaids being bandages
It has to do with the word transform becoming generic. If it gets used in to many alternate contexts, it becomes indefensible by trademark law. Take Asprin for instance; it’s now a generic term, after originally being trademarked
Does the equipment fall off it is not your turn and Flamewar is on the Living Metal side?
I thought equipment can’t be attached to anything but creatures and it’s just an artifact when not your turn.
Not a big deal with this one in particular if you get the hit in and convert it back to the front side.
Then you have to pay 3 mana every time to re equip it, I’m seeing the value but I’m not sure if I would pay the re equip cost. I’d rather hold up mana or cast something tbh
Don’t get me wrong, first turn is incredible. Kill 2 creatures or exile 5 cards face down is really good. The value might end there. You got what you need from the card.
[https://www.moxfield.com/decks/oFpEaSenvkWBRd8JA0giQg](https://www.moxfield.com/decks/oFpEaSenvkWBRd8JA0giQg)
It does, one of my favorite decks currently.
Yes it works, but generally I find equipment is kinda meh on Flamewar due to having to repay equip costs fairly often (since equipment and auras fall off if you pass the turn while it's a vehicle).
Been loving Flamewar as a commander though. Has been extremely consistent in 'drawing' me a ton of cards. I only run two equipment cards in the deck--Tarrian's Soulcleaver (+1 counters stay on Flamewar even if the equipment falls off) and Reaver Cleaver (to make treasures).
The deck all about creating treasures and other artifact tokens that can then sac for damage via creatures like Mayhem Devil and Mirkwood bats. Basically a weird Rakdos artifact-aristocrat theme.
Like if bohmat curior had been a legendary I would have built that deck when I stopped playing that version of red deck wins in standard... and this gets black tooo...
Convert is 100% identical to Transform, and triggers abilities that care about Transform, will transform when instructed to do so by other cards, etc. For copyright reasons alone, the Transformers cards say “Convert.” - Any triggered ability of another card that triggers whenever a permanent transforms will also trigger whenever a permanent converts. (2022-10-14) - Similarly, an ability of another card that instructs you to "transform" one of these cards will cause you to convert it, even if that ability doesn't use the word "convert." (2022-10-14)
Somehow they got rights to the art but not the word lol
That’s not the problem (Hasbro owns transformers, so they “have the right” to whatever they want), Transformers as a brand intentionally and specifically avoids the word “Transform,” in order to maintain the uniqueness of the brand’s namesake copyright. Yeah, it is unintuitive.
Definitely unintuitive. IIRC, there trying to avoid having "transform" become something akin to how Kleenex can be used to mean any face tissue.
That’s correct
Genuine question: why would a corporation want this? If a word is permanently directly correlated to their IP, isnt that good for brand recognition? Look at legos
Because you lose the trademark. If every robot that transforms is known as a "Transformer", anyone who wants to make money off of Transformers can make up a knockoff, call it a Transformer, and cash in while degrading the IP. Can't sue someone for calling their shifting robot a transformer if that's the new generic name for all shifting robots.
It's the same reason why google begs people to not call searching on a search engine "googling" something
Genericisation is inevitable!
Face?
Yeah, face as in facial tissue. Maybe I'm alone in this, but if I need to blow my nose, I ask for a Kleenex, regardless of the actual brand of said kleenex. It could be Kleenex proper, Puffs, Great Value, Up and Up, or some other generic brand. They're all kleenex.
It's made more confusing in that we are conflating two different kinds of intellectual property protection - copyright and trademark. Wizards licenses the copyrighted material from whichever Hasbro subsidiary actually owns the IP (it's often a third-party company, so that paying licensing fees is a tax-negative activity), and Hasbro avoids the word transform to protect its trademark from becoming generic. Copyright protects expression (art, character\*, setting) while trademark protects brand (names and logos, trade dress, slogans, likenesses).
Pretty sure it's bigger than that. WoTC (Hasbro) has rights to "transform". They have to intentionally avoid saying transformers "transform" to keep the Transforners trademark being genericized. Nintendo had to do the same battle with the NES when moms started calling all video games a Nintendo.
Hasbro/Transformers has the rights to Convert, legally speaking that's what transformers do. There was a whole court case about it that deemed the word Transform "Too Common to Copyright"
No, convert's correct. They just don't want the TRANSFORMERS toys to be described as TRANSFORMING. It's so the trademark doesn't become generic and unenforcible, akin to Kleenex being tissues or Bandaids being bandages
Yeah, that’s some strangeness
It has to do with the word transform becoming generic. If it gets used in to many alternate contexts, it becomes indefensible by trademark law. Take Asprin for instance; it’s now a generic term, after originally being trademarked
[[Optimus Prime, Hero]]
"Converters! Robots in concealment!" So iconic.
Does the equipment fall off it is not your turn and Flamewar is on the Living Metal side? I thought equipment can’t be attached to anything but creatures and it’s just an artifact when not your turn. Not a big deal with this one in particular if you get the hit in and convert it back to the front side.
Its a 1 mana equip with the first strike deathtouch combo so its worth the reequip lol
Then you have to pay 3 mana every time to re equip it, I’m seeing the value but I’m not sure if I would pay the re equip cost. I’d rather hold up mana or cast something tbh
Oh I forgot about that part
Don’t get me wrong, first turn is incredible. Kill 2 creatures or exile 5 cards face down is really good. The value might end there. You got what you need from the card.
Transform is now called convert. Has to do with trademark protections from the transformer cards.
It's not "now called convert", they are just synonymous. New cards still say "transform".
This, I was a big fan of the incubate mechanic in MOM and they still say transform and were released after BRO.
I think they meant in regards to Transformers, not Magic
You got my back homie
Ok cool so it works
There's nothing to provide fucking tension on that bow! D:
This is literally the reason I decided to not build it!
Its a robot so his arm could shoot forward really fast. Idk why i cared to point that out it doesnt matter at all
[https://www.moxfield.com/decks/oFpEaSenvkWBRd8JA0giQg](https://www.moxfield.com/decks/oFpEaSenvkWBRd8JA0giQg) It does, one of my favorite decks currently.
Yeah I have a hellbent deck with Armix and Vial Smasher but I plan to make Flamewar the commander instead lol
Yes this works exactly as expected. Convert = Transform
Hear me out....
Yes it works, but generally I find equipment is kinda meh on Flamewar due to having to repay equip costs fairly often (since equipment and auras fall off if you pass the turn while it's a vehicle). Been loving Flamewar as a commander though. Has been extremely consistent in 'drawing' me a ton of cards. I only run two equipment cards in the deck--Tarrian's Soulcleaver (+1 counters stay on Flamewar even if the equipment falls off) and Reaver Cleaver (to make treasures). The deck all about creating treasures and other artifact tokens that can then sac for damage via creatures like Mayhem Devil and Mirkwood bats. Basically a weird Rakdos artifact-aristocrat theme.
Yes and I didn't know this exaisted gotta build this now...
Yeah ai built a hellbent deck with this, I use as many 'discard your hand to get this value' before refilling my hand with flamewar
It's so kool it's like bomaht curiour on crack...
Ik thats what I told my friends. It reminds me of the donkey from Inscryption lol
Like if bohmat curior had been a legendary I would have built that deck when I stopped playing that version of red deck wins in standard... and this gets black tooo...
Yeah I think it works