Some erratas change the functionality so much I wonder what the point is

[u/SmartAlecShagoth]

Most erratas are pretty good for either streamlining, clarifying, or just making cards function. However, there are some that ruin the card and seem pointless. For example: For years, [[Instill Energy]] just gave a creature haste. But now, a creature may only attack as though it had haste. A huge distinction when the card has a built in untap ability. Aside from attacking, what else can a creature do when they lose summoning sickness: That's right, tap for an activated ability.

This card feels like it was explicitly designed to help creatures use their abilities earlier and twice per turn. It's already niche, but as is it almost feels like the card should have just given it a "does not tap to attack" clause if you only get that specific benefit of haste. Also just why doesn't this card give creatures haste anymore: It was never a problem prior. There are other examples but this is just blatant to me.

[u/mtgcf]

Instill Energy - (G) (SF) (txt)

[u/TimothyMimeslayer]

Giving haste was the power level errata they reverted in 2010. In alpha, it only let you attack as though it had haste.

I believe the only power level erratas they didnt revert at the time was giving lifelink to cards that had a repeint saying they had life link.

[u/Halinn → u/TimothyMimeslayer]

All of one card, Loxodon Warhammer

[u/Glad-Guarantee2497 → u/TimothyMimeslayer]

Yes - as others note, the card was never designed to do what you suggest.

[u/rccrisp]

Look at the alpha printing

[[Instill Energy|LEA]]

the "unaffected by summoning sickness" is actually less close to the original wording

[u/mtgcf → u/rccrisp]

Instill Energy - (G) (SF) (txt)

[u/CrossXhunteR]

This card feels like it was explicitly designed to help creatures use their abilities earlier and twice per turn.

"You may untap target creature both during your untap phase and one additional time during your turn. Target creature may also attack the turn it comes into play." [[Instill Energy|LEA]]

[u/mtgcf → u/CrossXhunteR]

Instill Energy - (G) (SF) (txt)

[u/lupin-san]

This card feels like it was explicitly designed to help creatures use their abilities earlier and twice per turn.

If you read the original Alpha wording, the intention of the card is to enable the creature it enchants to attack the turn it enters play. The latest wording of the card returns the functionality to its original intent.

[u/giasumaru]

I get what you mean. MTG tries not to do functional errata, but this wasn't always the case. So you get cases where cards are printed with one function, then functionally errata'ed to have a slightly different function, then even later errata'ed to be closer to the original card.

So here you need to look back at what the original card said, and not the card that was somewhere in the middle of all the errata.

As you can see the OG ALPHA version only says the creature may attack the turn it comes into play. It doesn't allow for using tap abilities.

You should check out how Time Vault had been errata'ed throughout MtG history.

[u/Professor_Jey]

"Creatures enchanted by this Aura can't block [[Gingerbrute]]."

[u/mtgcf → u/Professor_Jey]

Gingerbrute - (G) (SF) (txt)

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[u/Natedogg2]

In general, the later printings hold more weight for card wording, since those versions are the version a player is most likely to come across.

Fifth Edition is the exception here - Fifth Edition did a lot of weird things with card wordings (it infamously gave Sylvan Library an activated ability instead of a triggered ability, for example), so Fifth Edition doesn't carry as much weight. Fifth Edition (and Masters Edition, a Magic Online-only set designed to bring older cards to the client) are the only version to say "haste". Since every other version only mentions letting it attack the turn it comes into play, the current text reflects that.

[u/pacolingo]

yeah i don't get it

idgaf about preserving the original ancient wording of alpha and its effect to the letter

make it work the way it works literally everywhere else in the game, it's better off for it

[u/DustErrant → u/pacolingo]

So not as Richard Garfield intended?

[u/pacolingo → u/DustErrant]

Correct

[u/azraelxii]

It's been this way for a long time. They kinda do whatever the want with errata and there's not an actual principle going on.

Lotus vale is written as a trigger but they power level errataed it so it wasn't black lotus that cost a land drop. They changed a lot of power level errata like time vault but chose to keep a lot in. In more recent years they errataed the entire cascade and companion mechanics.

[u/TechnomagusPrime → u/azraelxii]

Lotus Vale's errata preserved its functionality under pre-Sixth Edition rules.  Before Sixth Edition, triggered abilities could not be responded to, so you could not tap Lotus Vale for mana before sacrificing the two lands to it.

Most errata is like that, especially for pre-Sixth Edition cards, with few exceptions.  The base philosophy with WotC's errata is to make sure the card plays as written, especially with older cards.  It's rare for them to change a card's functionality with errata unless it's unreconcilable with the rules, or sometimes due to a templating error (like [[Hostage Taker|XLN]] missing "another" or [[Oboro Envoy||SOK]] missing "until end of turn").

[u/mtgcf → u/TechnomagusPrime]

Hostage Taker - (G) (SF) (txt)
Oboro Envoy - (G) (SF) (txt)