Custom Magic Card Thread 2020: Original Set, Do Not Steal

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Traditional Games > The Game Room > Custom Magic Card Thread 2020: Original Set, Do Not Steal

GoutPatrol: Oct 17, 2009; *Stupid Babby*

So this is an idea I've been thinking of in my head, ever since the last great designer search. One of the questions asked was something to the effect of "how would you fix an already printed mechanic?" and the idea that I came up with was for Haunt.

Haunt has alot of problems with complexity, remembering what is being targeted...but the flavor is a pretty good idea. You're a ghost loving around with a creature that is still on the battlefield. So how can you have this flavor while still doing close to the same thing? My original idea was to make them like Amonkhet creature tokens, where you exile them from the graveyard and make a new creature that is the same thing. But I think just have double-sided cards should work, according to the rules. I'm also calling them curses for flavor reasons, though I think curses may only be allowed to target players, and these are creature only.

All Unfinished creatures have an ETB, and then their transformed side is related to that based on what it was. This then can be salable has there are an infinite number of Etbs, and could fit in all colors. I've made one in each color here, split among common and uncommon for power reasons. I've also thought about a couple more (green creature that adds counters on etb and when dealing damage, white having an ETB +1+1 for the team and when it attacks doing that as well...I think it could work for alot of things.) The harder part for this is finding effects that are OK in a vacuum once but don't get too broken when repeated.

# ¿ Jun 28, 2020 03:52

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# ¿ Apr 29, 2024 09:30

GoutPatrol: Oct 17, 2009; *Stupid Babby*

Orange Fluffy Sheep posted:

Hi templating nerd here.

The wording for that Unfinished ability is "return it to the battlefield transformed" because cards not on the battlefield are always the face side.

The Curse type is always enchant player auras. Two cards tutor curses and attach them directly to players and the third only counts curses on players. Making the auras curses doesn't add much. They're not much of curses either since they're positive effects. Why the subtype?

I out curse just for flavor reasons, they are connecting themselves to another creature. It doesn't need to be there and can be taken out. But thanks for the templating point.

Anshu posted:

Not only are the effects always positive, but they're even limited to creatures you control. Wandering Yew in particular could be entertaining attached to an opponent's creature.

This was partially due to how they were templated, because I was turning them into an aura and attaching it. I said "creature you control" because auras don't target coming back from the graveyard, and I didn't want them coming back on an opponent's creatures, because the return clause must happen even if you don't have any creatures. Technically the effects could be negative too. Something like a 2R 5/4 with "whenever this attacks or blocks, deals two damage to you" and comes back for that effect on an opponent's creature?

edit:

edit edit: just c/p the same template for yours only, but this could be for both now. Don't know if something like this should be first round all positive, and then at higher rarities have negatives, or just a mix and match of both.

GoutPatrol fucked around with this message at 05:30 on Jun 28, 2020

# ¿ Jun 28, 2020 05:12

GoutPatrol: Oct 17, 2009; *Stupid Babby*

Mikl posted:

The idea is fine but I think the mana costs for the creatures and the effect for all of these are way, way off. Paying GGG for just untapping 1 creature seems super over-costed.

So I decided to try a series of rares in each color for my mechanic. I ended up putting the red under mythic if we are playing by WotC's rules.

# ¿ Jun 28, 2020 15:25

GoutPatrol: Oct 17, 2009; *Stupid Babby*

Anshu posted:

Vengeful Strike, Jedi Strike, Prismatic

Vengeful Strike seems very powerful for an aggro deck because it means that 90% of the time their creatures can trade up. Last Strike is currently not in the rules in real though, only in paper in the Unsets because they don't need to actually work the way the rules are, they can just say it happens.

Counter Strike may not work because that would mean you would already need a huge amount of first strike in the set for it to matter in any way, in constructed or limited. Having too much first strike in limited warps combat in very negative ways - people never want to attack.

And Prismatic has the Devoid problem - saying its all colors will mean...what? None of your cards and their designs care about being all five or no colors.

# ¿ Jun 29, 2020 01:49

GoutPatrol: Oct 17, 2009; *Stupid Babby*

ungulateman posted:

I was going to go back and resubmit 'mirror' from that contest I won ages ago but I like this templating better

I think there can be plenty of room for a mechanic that let's you copy stuff or cares about having 2 of the same thing on the battlefield. It kind of amazes me that there hasn't been one made already (I guess they feel like making something kinda close to impossible for EDH means its a no-go now.)

But the mirror idea gave me an idea for something else. In M21, they made a new card that cares about having 2 of the same thing on the battlefield:

Why can't this be its own thing? And it pays well with the Twin idea. I see it working primarily in white and black and tertiary in green. I'm making this quick at work so I didn't find time to get a picture.

(I had totally forgotten they just made a red card with that name in M21, whoops)

# ¿ Jun 29, 2020 04:42

GoutPatrol: Oct 17, 2009; *Stupid Babby*

PMush Perfect posted:

I was thinking about it, and realized we need some mechanics that are exclusive to certain colors, so things don't feel same-y. Instead of just complaining, I came up with something:

Imbue! Inspired by Scavenge, Bestow, and Lottery of Babylon's Bequeath, Imbue is a mechanic for white and green (mostly) that involves sacrificing creatures to grant another creature you control its power and toughness, and sometimes other effects. Black may occasionally get Imbue as well, given their desire to sacrifice creatures, but it would be more rare. This also counts as a Stupid Combat Trick mechanic, to some degree!

The biggest problem is the incredibly complex boardstate something like this would do in multiples. Because this can be done at instant speed, it also leads to some of least favorite kinds of gameplay: the Arcbound Ravager/Walking Balista can't-block-one-you're-dead trick. You're playing against affinity with a Ravager out, they attack with everything, you can block everything but one, they sac everything and put all the counters on that one thing, oops you're dead.

Sorry to sound to angry about this, but a mechanic like this seems very unfun to play against. I also wish that more people would comment on my ideas and tell them what's they don't like about it, then I would try and tweak them some.

# ¿ Jul 3, 2020 07:14