Mechanic Encyclopedia for ALL

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  • [ Example ] "Scrolls spells you control costs less {x} to cast until end of turn." (Instants and Sorceries are scrolls.)

    Scrolls is a word designed to save some room on the card. Specifically, for planewalkers. I hope that helped!
  • edited March 2023
    All keywords provided in this list can be found with an example card(s) here in my Custom Keywords set: https://mtgcardsmith.com/user/MarvelousHavel/sets/67424

    Absent 
    (This creature has no creature type and can't gain creature types.)
    Adorn (After this spell resolves, it enters the battlefield under its owner's control as a colorless enchantment. Exile it at the beginning of the next end step or if it becomes the target of a spell or ability.)
    Ardent (This spell's generic mana cost must be paid with mana of different colors.)
    Bounteous (Damage dealt by this creature also causes each player to gain that much life.)
    Brutalize (Whenever this creature attacks for the first time each turn, you may untap it. If you do, after this combat phase, there is an additional combat phase. Only creatures with brutalize may attack during that combat phase.)
    Clemency (Whenever a source an opponent controls deals damage to this creature, you gain that much life.)
    Coalition (While an opponent is choosing targets as part of casting a spell they control or activating an ability they control, that player must choose at least one Flagbearer on the battlefield if able.)
    Corpulent (Whenever this creature blocks, it assigns combat damage equal to its toughness rather than its power until end of turn.)
    Elusive (If you find this card while searching your library, or look at it while it's in your library, put it on the bottom of your library instead of putting it anywhere else.)
    Fragmentize  (When a creature with fragmentize dies, exile it and create a number of 1/1 black Void creature tokens equal to its base power.)
    Great Rune (If this permanent would enter the battlefield from your graveyard, it loses its name, colors, and card types and becomes an emblem.)
    Hypersonic (You may put this card from your hand onto the battlefield during your declare attackers step. If you do, you lose the game at the beginning of your next upkeep unless you pay this card's mana cost.)
    Integrate (Whenever a permanent becomes attached to this creature, you may exile that permanent. If you do, put X +1/+1 counters on this creature, where X is the exiled permanent's mana value.)
    Intensify X (Numerical values printed on this card are increased by 1 for each opponent you have beyond the first. This does not include costs.)
    Outer (This card can't be in your starting deck as the game begins.)
    Overawe (If this creature enters the battlefield and its mana cost isn't paid, its controller loses the game.)
    Overburden (Permanents tapped for mana to cast this spell don't untap during their controller's next untap step.)
    Recurring (You may play this card from your graveyard if it left the battlefield this turn.)
    Stalwart (This permanent can't be returned to its owner's hand from the battlefield.)
    Sure Strike (This creature deals first strike damage when assigning combat damage and deals its damage first when it fights a creature.)
    Valor X (Whenever this creature blocks, it gets +X/+X for each creature it blocks beyond the first.)
    Vanguard {mana cost} ( {mana cost}, Return a blocking creature you control to its owner's hand. Put this card onto the battlefield from your hand or from the command zone blocking the creatures the returned creature blocked.)
    Voracious (This spell costs {1} less to cast for each creature your opponents control.)
    World-Spun (This card is every card type while in your library.)


    Mechanics that require further explanation:

    Behold the Divine -
    Behold the Divine is meant to play as a Domain sort of keyword, in which the condition of requiring only mana from basic lands to be spent to cast a spell is consistent between all cards with the keyword, but the effect when doing so changes from card to card.
    Example card: https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/beseech-the-mountaintop?list=set&set=67424

    Core -
    A Core is a Legendary permanent that represents something integral and often sacred to the associated creature tribe in the lore of MTG. Similar in a way to the World enchantments of old, you can only control a single Core permanent at a time, regardless of its tribe. If a Core permanent enters under your control while you already control one, you choose one from among them to Exile. Core permanents also include a Core ability. While you control a Core permanent, creatures of the associated type (including any you own that aren't on the battlefield) gain the listed ability.

    For example:
    Realmbreaker, Hand of Phyrexia has "Affinity for Phyrexians" as its Core ability. As long you control Realmbreaker, any Phyrexians you own on or off the battlefield also have Affinity for Phyrexians until Realmbreaker leaves your control.
    Example card: https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/realmbreaker-hand-of-phyrexia?list=set&set=67424

    Orbit (Permanents in orbit can't attack and have protection from non-orbiting sources. If a source would cause both orbiting and non-orbiting permanents a player controls to leave the battlefield, that source's controller must choose for either the orbiting permanents or the non-orbiting permanents that player controls to leave the battlefield instead.)

    The Orbit keyword is unique among the other's I've made in that it's complicated enough to be bound to a single card built specifically for it. That being said, it could potentially still be applied to other cards, though with no small amount of difficulty in terms of rulings and game state clarity.

    Example card: https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/angel-of-horizons?list=set&set=67424
  • edited March 2023
    Gutless (This creature cannot be assigned to block any creature with power greater than or equal to this creature's toughness)  

    A downside inspired by the original cowardly orcs of Dominaria

    Example:
    Stoneclaw Bullies
  • If Gutless is meant to keep the creature alive and is a callback to Ironclaw cards, it should prevent the blocking of creatures "with power equal to or greater than this creature's toughness."
  • New keyword: Beloved (This permanent can't be sacrificed.)


  • MarvelousHavel I like the mechanic, I would limit it to preventing you from sacing it because only you love it.
  • That's true, but I can't think of many instances in which a player that doesn't control the Pendant can have it sacrificed. I feel like 99% of the time the way its worded plays the same as "sources you control can't cause you to sacrifice this permanent."
  • I now realize you probably meant that it should read that ONLY the Pendant's owner can't sac it. With how many ways to sac artifacts WotC has printed over the last few sets, I thought it would play poorly if you gave a player control of the legendary artifact you just cast, only to have it sacrificed by them to gain advantage off of. Also in reference to this specific card, the joke is that the Pendant belongs to Ayara, the Widowed Queen from Eldraine, who in the lore has many suitors that they hate, hence this pendant being "Beloved" by all of them. 
  • edited April 2023
    Detritus {cost} ( Pay {cost} and return a land from your graveyard to the battlefield tapped in addition to paying this spell's mana cost.  Exile it as it resolves.)

    This is the mechanic that will be the mechanical identity of the plane Pacificannus in my final two custom sets.

    Example:

    Seabed Stir up     {X}{1}{u}{u}{r}
    Sorcery                            Rare
    Detritus {b}{b}

    Shuffle X non-permanent spells from your graveyard into your library.  If you cast this spell for its Detritus cost, shuffle X permanent spells from your graveyard into your library.
  • I was considering making a mechanic that would take advantage of the land walks. I know that the land walks are not a very popular theme. So, I am not sure whether this would be feasible.

    The mechanic I was thinking of is called ManipuLand: (During combat on your turn, you may change a land you don't control to a different land type until your combat ends.)

    It would allow you to change an opponent's land so that you could use a land walk and not be blocked by an opponent when you attack,

    I haven't made any cards with it yet.  I wanted to get people's thought on the idea.
  • @SkamosBlackbard

    ManipuLand seems like an interesting mechanic that could potentially make land walks more viable and add an element of surprise to combat. However, it could also create some balance issues if not implemented carefully.

    One concern is that this mechanic could make it too easy to bypass an opponent's defenses, especially if the opponent has invested heavily in their lands. It could also be difficult to balance the power level of ManipuLand cards, as changing an opponent's land type can have a significant impact on the game.

    Overall, it could be a fun and unique addition to the game if done well, but it would require careful balancing and testing to ensure it doesn't create any overwhelming or frustrating gameplay experiences.


  • ManipuLand would probably be on artifacts or instants. it would be a once per turn interaction and the land would revert back to its original type at the end of that combat turn. As for the land walks, I would only have two or three per color in the entire set, probably mostly small powered commons and uncommons, that I was going to put it in. The set would encourage monocolored decks so this would be only a small part of the set as a whole.
  • edited May 2023

    Here is an example:




  • edited June 2023
    I was inspired by "venture into the dungeon" and the upcoming "the Ring tempts you" mechanics, and designed "gaze into the Abyss." Any thoughts would be appreciated.

    Gaze into the Abyss The Abyss

    And here's two normal cards which use the mechanic:

    Doomed Warrior Enlightenment in the Dark

    And lastly, here's a set which will include all my cards that use this mechanic: https://mtgcardsmith.com/user/TenebrisNemo/sets/72023

    Edit: Changed the words "activate" to "trigger" on Gaze into the Abyss, Doomed Warrior, and Enlightenment in the Dark. Rearranged the abilities on The Abyss emblem from least to most detrimental.
  • edited June 2023
    Here's one more example card using the mechanic. And I also rearranged the order of the effects on The Abyss emblem from least to most detrimental, thanks to the feedback Jadefire had shared.

    War of the Abyss The Abyss

    Edit: Increased War of the Abyss mana value by {1}.

    Edit 2: Changed the words "activate" to "trigger" on War of the Abyss.
  • I have but only the one, more to come soon though. This one's Despoil- Whenever an opponent loses life, you may discard up to that many cards.
  • Parastic [ X ] (You may pay [ X ] to activate this ability. If you do, attach this card to target noninkling creature you control. Treat it as if it's an equipment and attached creature is its host.)

    Its controller will have to treat it as if it's a equipment until its host dies. Controller cannot treat it as a creature, but opponents can treat it as a creature attached to another creature.
  • ExoParasitic [ X ] (You may pay [ X ] to activate this ability. If you do, attach this creature to target noninkling creature blocking or blocked by this creature. When this creature transforms, you gain control of it. Activate ability only during combat phase.)

    Will this ability work?

  • Official updated, it's for example now. 

    ExoParasitic {2}{b} - Reduce {2} (You may pay {2}{b} to activate this ability. If you do, attach this to target creature you control, target creature being blocked by this creature, or this creature blocking target creature. This ability costs {2} less to activate, if target creature is under your control. Treat this attaching creature as if it's an equipment and the attached creature is a host of this creature.)
  • edited July 2023
    Inscribe - "To inscribe, create a Pact token. It's an artifact with "{4}, Sacrifice this artifact: Draw a card. This ability costs {1} less to activate for each other creature or Pact you've sacrificed this turn."

    E.g;

    Shadowy Occultist
    Dismal Seraph

    The goal of this mechanic is to try to make a balanced and fun sacrifice strategy that wouldn't be toxic like mechanics such as "Cat-oven" in 60 card formats or Treasure tokens in literally all formats. (Korvold, you hold a dear place in my heart, but...)

    "Inscribing" is similar to "Investigating", except with a neat twist. The token cost TWICE more to activate than a regular Clue token, BUT, it gets discounted for each creature and Pact you would sacrifice in a turn. So get your critters out; you'll need to have lots of creatures to sacrifice! Your Pacts can even discount each other if you're in a tight spot. But no treasure tokens this time! Those are no good for discounting your Pacts.

    I decided to meld this mechanic with a Cleric tribe, mainly in Orzhov. This group of "Inscribing" fanatic are called the Grey Cult, and they are out for your blood! Sacrifice your own (willing) cult members for MEGA VALUE to unleash the power of your PACTS! But make sure you activate some of your Pacts for one mana; they could trigger POWERFUL abilities from your own creatures! (Dismal Seraph)

    https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/shadowy-occultist-1?list=user
    https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/dismal-seraph?list=user
  • I've got a couple mechanics that I could use some feedback on, as I'm designing a set that would make regular use of them. The one I think most needs review is:
    Transplant [Eye/Arm/Heart] N (To transplant, put N -1/-1 counters on target creature or exile target creature card from a graveyard, then create an [Eye/Arm/Heart] equipment artifact token with "Equipped creature gets +N/+N and has all the abilities of the targeted creature or creature card" and Equip {3+N})
    This would show up mostly in black and red, helping with an artifacts archetype in those colors. Other potential organs could be used in place of eyes, arms, and hearts, and creatures will have interaction based on the type of equipment attached to them.

    I've also got:
    Invigorate N (Choose a creature you control with the least power or tied for the least power among creatures you control. Put N +1/+1 counters on that creature.)
    This one's basically just Bestow for power instead of toughness, for a white and red archetype. Going along the same philosophical lines as Mentor, this archetype strengthens and protects less powerful creatures, eventually turning them into more powerful creatures.

  • edited July 2023
    I wanted to create something along the lines of treasures, clues, food, etc. but I made it an enchantment, since, well, there's enough artifact interaction in the game.  Here's what I came up with.

    Book token (A colorless enchantment token with {t}, sacrifice this token: Scry 1)
  • edited July 2023
    I also thought of an "evergreen" enchantment token, the storm tokens.

    Storm token (A colorless enchantment token with "{1}, sacrifice this enchantment: It deals 1 damage to any target)

    Here is an example card:

  • Piercing (Permanents and spells with either protection, hexproof, or shroud can be target, destroyed, exiled, or countered by this card.)
  • edited October 2023
    Here’s some of my favorite mechanics I’ve come up with:

    Bounty — [___] (When this creature dies, the controller of the permanent, spell, or ability that caused this creature to die claims the bounty.)

    Fuse [cost] (When you cast this spell, you may cast it for its fuse cost, if you do, attach it to a creature, it cannot be unequipped or re-equipped. When equipped creature dies, sacrifice any fused equipment.)

    Offering (Each creature you sacrifice while casting this spell pays for {1}.)

    Altered (A permanent is altered when its power or toughness changes, it loses or gains abilities, or
    if it changes its name or types.
    )

    Here are some example cards for the mechanics:




  • Bounty looks fine here, but

    There is a wording issue for Fuse. I would for;
    Fuse [X] (You may cast this spell for its Fuse cost. If you do, when it enters the battlefield, attach it to a creature you control. This Equipment cannot be unattached or reattached. When equipped creature dies, sacifice this artifact.) 
    But cool idea!

    I am unsure about how alter works, but...

    "Put X +1/+1 counters on target creature. If it was altered, then put twice X +1/+1 counters on it instead. (A permanent that lose at least an ability and/or its base power and toughness been changed are altered.)"
  • The way alter works, is basically whenever a permanent changes some way, it is “altered”.  Alter triggers when that happens and can trigger any number of times
  • I do find it confusing with passive effects such as Night of Souls' Betrayal and Glorious Anthem... it's rlly cool though.
  • With passive effects it works when the creature gets the effect. If the creature is already on the battlefield, its p/t is changed so it is altered. But if the enchantment is already on the battlefield, the creature just passive enters with the effect so it is never changed, so it isn’t altered.
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