User:Waderockett/sandbox

Mike Elliott (game designer)

Mike Elliott (sometimes credited as Michael Elliott) is a Seattle-based board game, card game and mobile game designer whose titles include Magic: The Gathering, Thunderstone, and Battle Spirits Trading Card Game. Magic head designer Mark Rosewater called him "one of the most prolific Magic designers in the history of the game."

Career
While living in Phoenix, Arizona in the early 1990s, Elliott and several of his friends were active bridge players and competed regularly in tournaments. One evening after a tournament, a friend introduced the group to the Magic: The Gathering trading card game. When Elliott returned home he purchased the game and began playing in Magic tournaments.

During a tournament at Arizona State University Elliott told two fellow attendees what he thought was wrong with the game. During the conversation they revealed that they worked for Wizards of the Coast. One of them, Joel Mick, invited Elliott to fly to Seattle and interview for a position with the company.

Wizards of the Coast
Elliott started at Wizards of the Coast in January 1996 as a developer. Afterward he was promoted to designer, and then senior designer. He worked on approximately 30 Magic expansions and introduced new mechanics such as slivers. His Magic related expansions and project included:

Mirage (developer), Visions (developer), Weatherlight (design, lead developer), Tempest (design, developer), Stronghold (lead design, lead developer), Exodus (lead design, developer), Urza’s Saga (lead design, lead developer), Urza’s Legacy (Lead design, developer), Unglued (design), Urza’s Destiny (lead developer), Mercadian Masques (lead design, developer), Nemesis (lead design, developer), Fifth Edition (lead design/developer), Prophecy (developer), Invasion (design), Vanguard I/II (lead design), Planeshift (lead design), Apocalypse (lead developer), Odyssey (developer), Torment (design), Judgment (design, developer), Onslaught (lead design), Legions (lead design), Scourge (developer) and Mirrodin (design).

While at Wizards of the Coast he also designed non-Magic games including Harry Potter Trading Card Game, Neopets Trading Card Game, Hecatomb and Duel Masters Trading Card Game. Elliott left Wizards of the Coast at the end of 2005.

WizKids
After leaving Wizards of the Coast, Elliott worked for WizKids until the company closed its Seattle office. His titles for WizKids included Star Wars PocketModel Trading Card Game Halo ActionClix and DC HeroClix: Batman (Alpha).

Freelance Career
As a freelance game designer and developer, Mike Elliott, has designed dozens of games. Notable titles include Battle Spirits Trading Card Game, Thunderstone and Quarriors!.

Battle Spirits
In 2008 Elliott designed the Battle Spirits Trading Card Game for Bandai. Part of the Battle Spirits franchise -- which also includes several anime series, manga serializations and other merchandise such as toys and video games -- the TCG was released in Japan in September 2008. Battle Spirits became one of the top selling trading card games of the year.

The game's popularity led to Elliott's appearance in promotional videos, and a new character based on Elliott being added to the anime series Battle Spirits: Shōnen Toppa Bashin. The "Michael Elliott" character was an eccentric American game designer who created the titular Battle Spirits card game played in the series.

Battle Spirits Trading Card Game was released in the United States by Bandai of America on August 14, 2009.

Thunderstone
In 2009 Elliott designed Thunderstone card game for Alderac Entertainment Group. The game won several awards and nominations, including 2010 Golden Geek Best Card Game Nominee, 2010 Japan Boardgame Prize Voters' Selection Nominee, 2010 JoTa Best Card Game Audience Award, 2010 JoTa Best Card Game Critic Award and 2011 Fairplay À la carte Winner.

Quarriors
In 2012 Elliott designed the Quarriors! dice building game. Published by WizKids, the game won the 2013 Origins Awards for Best Family, Party or Children's Game.

Shadowrun: Crossfire
Eliott is currently working on Shadowrun: Crossfire, The Adventure Deck-building Game for Fire Opal Media and Catalyst Game Labs. The game will be a cooperative card game that combines elements of roleplaying games and deck-building card games.

Personal Life
Elliott is married and lives in Seattle, WA. He has an MS degree in Biological Sciences.