Post your favorite custom mechanics here. (For Mechanix Challenge #30)

The next mechanix challenge is 30th! So I want to make it something special.

So, if you want your mechanics to be used in Mechanix Challenge 30, post that mechanic and a card that uses it to this thread. (We will show that card as an example in the challenge page.)

You may post up to 3 mechanics. Feel free to tell us which one is your favorite or ask people for how to make it better.

When we think we can pick 12 good mechanics from 12 different cardsmiths, this discussion is closed and MC-30 starts!
Cards with the chosen mechanic will get a favorite.
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Comments

  • edited May 2018
    If you don't know what Mechanix Challenge is, it's something like this
    http://forums.mtgcardsmith.com/discussion/2627/mechanix-challenge-eighteen/p1
  • edited May 2018
    Here is an old mechanic of mine that is multiplayer-oriented but still plays fine in 1-vs-1:

    Trust of the Council—Each player votes for A or B at the same time.
    If you voted for A, for each A vote, EFFECT A.
    If you voted for B, for each B vote, EFFECT B.

    image image

  • edited May 2018
    @ningyounk
    Thanks! Yeah I remember those. Very interesting mechanic.
  • Cooperation is a keyword without a specific mechanic. What it means is, if you control permanents of two different colors (usually specific ones but sometimes general), you get an added effect.

    @tomigon , does this count for this contest?

  • Legion N (When this creature enters the battlefield, summon N tokens that are copies of this creature, but without the Legion ability)
    Example
    image
  • By @TezzeretofCarmot21 Seaworthy (Whenever this creature deals combat damage to a player, if it isn't seaworthy, put a +1/+1 counter on it and it becomes seaworthy.)


    By @ Shadow123 Elder Circle - Each upkeep, as long as you control 3 or more creatures with the ability Elder Circle
  • edited May 2018
    @Scott_Anderson
    "Cooperation is a keyword without a specific mechanic." Do you mean it's a an ability word like Landfall, Revolt, or Delirium?

    image image image


    If that's what you mean, you can template it like so:

    Cooperation—If you control permanents of at least two different colors, EFFECT.

    That seems really easy to do though, monocoloured decks are a very small percentage of both limited and constructed decks in most formats, and the restriction doesn't even have to be refreshed every turn (which makes Landfall and Revolt interesting even when they are much easier to turn on compared to Delirium for instance).

    @pjbear2005
    I believe Seaworthy is actually the mechanic Renown N without the design space offered by the N:

    image

  • edited May 2018
    @ningyounk you are always very helpful. You are light-years ahead of me in these things. Thank you. cooperation is not usually "any other color" nor is it always colors. Usually it more specific, and it doesn't always count card color.
  • edited May 2018
    @ningyounk Check out my comment on the Mechanics Encyclopedia. It has more triggers, so it has more flexibility.
    Seaworthy (Whenever this creature deals combat damage to a player, if it isn't seaworthy, put a +1/+1 counter on it and it becomes seaworthy.)
    OR
    {cost}: If this creature isn't seaworthy, put a +1/+1 counter on it and it becomes seaworthy.
    OR
    Whenever {event}, if this creature isn't seaworthy, put a +1/+1 counter on it and it becomes seaworthy.
  • edited May 2018
    Also, my entry:
    Ritual {cost} (Rather than pay this spell’s mana cost, you may pay {cost} and sacrifice a creature.)
  • edited May 2018
    Here are two versions of cooperation that may work.

    image image

    And here is an ability called Thorns.

    image
  • @TezzeretofCarmot21
    Seaworthy (Whenever this creature deals combat damage to a player, if it isn't seaworthy, put a +1/+1 counter on it and it becomes seaworthy.)
    Renown 1 (When this creature deals combat damage to a player, if it isn’t renowned, put a +1/+1 counter on it and it becomes renowned.)


    They are the exact same trigger, unless I'm missing something?
    Do you mean you can trigger it in other ways than combat damage? If so it cannot be a keyword ability (keyword abilities always work the same), it will likely need to become an action keyword. For instance, it would be worded like this:

    - Whenever this creature deals combat damage to a player, ACTION. (If it isn't seaworthy, put a +1/+1 counter on it and it becomes seaworthy.)

    - {2W},T: ACTION. (If this creature isn't seaworthy, put a +1/+1 counter on it and it becomes seaworthy.)

    - At the beginning of your upkeep, if you control three or more creatures, ACTION. (If this creature isn't seaworthy, put a +1/+1 counter on it and it becomes seaworthy.)
    - Etc...
  • edited May 2018
    @ningyounk Fair point.
  • @sorinjace I want to recommend Spy and Restore - what great work

  • edited May 2018
    ⭐️ My favorite

    Peaceful (This creature can't attack. It deals damage to creatures in the
    form of -1/-0 counters.)

    Dawn Blossom
    https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/dawn-blossom-1?list=user

    Dawn Blossom {w}

    Sacrifice Dawn Blossom: Target creature
    gains peaceful until end of turn. (It can't attack. It deals damage to creatures in the
    form of -1/-0 counters.)
  • edited May 2018
    I have two.
    This one I don't really want to see.
    #1: Tutor for Creature type (cost): (Cost), Sacrifice [This Creature], (Search your library for a [creature type]creature card and put that card into your hand. Then shuffle your library.)
    image

    The second one I would like to see in MC-30
    (Fixed with the help of @Tomigon)
    That is: #2: Retribution(Whenever a creature you control dies, put a +1/+1 counter on it[this creature].)

    image
  • edited May 2018
    Pact (This card can't be sacrificed or targetted by spells or abilities you control.)

    -It's perfect for demons and other power spells with terrible drawbacks so they aren't easy to get rid of.

    Psychic (If this creature would deal combat damage to a player, instead that player puts that many cards from the top of their library into their graveyard.)

    -A mainly blue mechanic to weaponize milling. Can color bleed into black and white, but not really meant for red or green. https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/mooncrystal-unicron?list=set&set=30974

    Harness N (Whenever an opponent casts a planeswalker spell or activates a loyalty, or a planeswalker is put in the any graveyard from play put N +1/+1 counter on this creature.)

    This game needs more Planeswalker hate! https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/notos-punishing-storm?list=set&set=15387

    Elude (Can not be blocked by creatures with defender or flying)

    I wanted to create a mechanic to punisher flyers, as normally granting evasion rarely has a downside. The idea is the creature is sneaking quickly thru dense surrounding whether be a forest or city and being flying over it wouldn't notice or stationary objects wouldn't get in their way. https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/fafhniel-shadow-claw?list=set&set=15387

    My counter measure package here..


    Aegis N (Whenever this creature becomes the target of a spell or ability an opponent controls, that player pays {N} or the effect is countered.)

    What a Frost Titan has heh. https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/moon-rune-regent-2?list=set&set=16273

    Magnitude N (If you pay {N} when casting this spell, it can't countered or targeted of a spell or ability an opponent controls on the battlefield unless that player pays {N} or the effect is countered. Put N +1/+1 counters on it when it enters the battlefield.)

    A mix of uncounterable and hexproof for a kicker cost. https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/rex-lionedas?list=set&set=15387

    Feedback N (If a spell or ability an opponent controls would counter or causes you to discard this card, exile it instead of putting it into your graveyard unless your opponent pays {N}. You may play it with paying it's mana cost.)

    A mechanic to punish disacrding and countering. Example of Feedback: https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/ruby-rand-dwarf-pyromancer

    another example of Feedback on a spell https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/what-dreams-may-come

    Massacre- At the end of your combat phase, if three or more creatures died this combat, *Powerful effect*

    Examples https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/konima-the-calamity?list=set&set=15387 and https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/rampos-winged-death?list=set&set=15387

    And Last one, as I think this something alot of people like.

    *Creature/type* Slayer (Whenever this creature assigns damage to a *Creature of chosen type*, it deals double damage instead.)

    https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/rashida-the-dragonslayer?list=set&set=15387








  • edited May 2018
    @Scott_Anderson
    -Cooperation
    Yes, ability word counts. From your two examples, I think cooperation is..
    Cooperation - If you control ___'text'___ , (effect..)
    Correct? This feels a bit too wide and people might not see the concept..

    -Thorns
    "damage" isn't action in MtG, so "damaged it" part is wrong. How about this?
    Thorns N (Whenever this creature is dealt combat damage by creature, this creature deals N damage to that creature.)


    @TigerFang8
    Looks good! I have a wording suggestion;
    Legion N (When this creature enters the battlefield, if it's not a token, create N tokens that are copies of it.)


    @pjbear2005 @Shadow123
    Elder Circle isn't keyword ability. It's an ability word. so "creatures with the ability Elder Circle" part is wrong X(


    @sorinjace
    So devastate is
    Devastate - At the beginning of each end step, if a source you don't control dealt damage to you this turn, (effect..)
    Correct?


    @TezzeretofCarmot21
    What if seaworthy said
    Seaworthy (Whenever this creature's activated ability resolves, if it isn't seaworthy, put a +1/+1 counter on it and it becomes seaworthy.)
    just my idea..

    I like Ritual! This wording is more right, I think. Check out Force of Will.
    Ritual {cost} (You may pay {cost} and sacrifice a creature rather than pay this spell’s mana cost.)


    @saveria201
    Thanks!⭐️


    @Dechujoh64
    Retribution should be a keyword ability. Not ability word like landfall, Battalion, Fateful hour..
    Retribution (At the beginning of each player's upkeep, you may put X +1/+1 counters on this creature, where X is the number of creatures under your control that died last turn.)

    Ability words are used to label mechanics that cannot be keyworded, because a part of the effect changes on each card.

    Retribution mechanic isn't bad I think, but maybe it's less confusing if it says;
    Retribution (Whenever a creature you control dies, put a +1/+1 counter on this creature.)
    This way you don't need to keep track the number of death until the next upkeep.

    ..or if you want to make it ability word;
    Retribution - Whenever a creature dies, (effect...)



  • @Lastjustice
    I said up to 3 mechanics, but you made 12 cards for MC29, so I'll make an exception for you!
  • @Tomigon, Sorry I just saw share and so I did. I missed the number part. I can thin the herd if you want.
  • @Lastjustice
    I choose only one mechanic from one cardsmith's post, so the less mechanics you put there the more likely you see your favorite mechanic in MC30
  • @Tomigon I will just leave to chance whatever you pick then.
  • I've not created a whole lot, but here are two of my favourite from among the ones I've created:

    Reverberate N - Cost (Cost: Exile this card from your hand with N wave counters on it. At the beginning of your upkeep, remove a wave counter from it. If you do, copy the exiled card. You may cast this copy without paying its mana cost.)

    Here's some examples:

    image

    image


    Insular: an ability word that rewards you for spending only mana of one colour on a spell. As in:

    Example Blue Spell

    4U

    Effect

    Insular -- if you spent only blue mana to cast Example Blue Spell, bigger effect.

    A couple examples of this:

    image

    image








  • edited May 2018
    @Tomigon that's correct!
  • Mechanic 1

    Dreadful (This creature can only be blocked by creatures with total power greater than or equal to this creature's toughness.)

    image

    Mechanic 2 (my favorite)

    Forge N (Create N colorless Sword Equipment artifact tokens with "Equipped creature gets +1/+0" and equip {1}.)

    OR

    Forge N Swords (Create N colorless Sword Equipment artifact tokens with "Equipped creature gets +1/+0" and equip {1}.)

    OR

    Forge N Shields (Create N colorless Shield Equipment artifact tokens with "Equipped creature gets +0/+1" and equip {1}.)

    image

    Mechanic 3

    Specialty -- As long as equipped creature shares a creature type with this artifact, (effect)

    image
  • @Tomigon Okay, thanks for the feedback!
  • edited May 2018
    @Tomigon Thanks for the feedback. I'll take the short and sweet version. I even made the mechanic for the playmat.
  • image

    What do you guys think of this flooded mechanic? I haven't really developed this mechanic much, I kind of dropped it as I made more cards here, so it would be interesting to see what everyone else would do with it!
  • edited May 2018
    @TigerFang8
    Anytime!

    @Dechujoh64
    Ok!

    @ManaChrome
    That's a cool one. But I don't think that's a mechanic. I think it's more like a name for characteristic, like monstrous, renowned, city's blessing, monarch,, It especially reminds me of monarch, because it has an effect. https://mtg.gamepedia.com/Monarch

    MagicalMagic made an action mechanic named flood with similar concept, and we already used it in MC27.
    "Flood target land. (Put a flood counter on it. It's an Island for as long as it has a flood counter on it.)"
    I like this mechanic, but it doesn't have so much design space and it wasn't so popular.. It helps Islandwalk creatures, but I think people don't like to use landwalk because it was declared obsolete altogether with the release of Magic Origins

    I think if Flood has more effects other than turning lands into Islands, it might become a bit more interesting. Some ideas:
    Flood - Battlefield's characteristic.
    (All lands are Islands in addition to their other types and have "{5}, {t}: Return target permanent to its owner's hand.")
    ..or..
    (All lands have "{t}: Add {u}" and "Whenever this land becomes tapped, it doesn't untap during its controller's next untap step.")
This discussion has been closed.