Evince

CBunklesCBunkles
in Custom Card Sets
My favorite thing in Magic so far has been cards that have twists in how you chose to play them. Overload, Kicker/Multikicker, Morph, these are mechanics I find most interesting. Using them, I tried to create my own mechanic Evince.

Evince is worded as so, "You may cast this spell for its Evince cost. If you do, it is also a creature spell and resolves as a creature."

This would be a complicated mechanic to allow because it changes the type of spell you are casting, but not the spell when it is in your hand, and could probably create some combos that are unbreakable that I don't know about yet. However, I want to toy with the idea and see how it'd come out in playtesting when I make some proxies and would like to see if any of you Also want to add onto this mechanic.

Here are some base rules for the mechanic:

1) All evince creatures I have created are elementals, because as creatures they are manifestations of magic. However, if the creature type you put into the card is not an elemental that is fine, as long as it isn't a corporal being like a Human or Zombie.
2) Evince should be a 5 color mechanic, including artifacts and colorless creatures if you can make it work.
3) Creature tutors cannot find Evince spells, because they are only creatures when on the stack or the board.
4) Spells that refer only to creature spells would work against them but technically spells that only refer to Noncreature spells wouldn't, because it is now a creature spell in addition to an instant or sorcery while on the stack.
5) When the spell enters the graveyard and it wasn't "evinced" it enters as an instant or sorcery. If it is on the battlefield as a creature and it enters the graveyard, treat it as if the creature Died.
6) If the creature has keywords they will be displayed Next to the evince cost with a long dash beside it

Here are some example cards:
image image image image

I will continue the discussion and will post more cards as they are made in the comments, and am very willing to receive criticism to improve the design of the mechanic.

Comments

  • Faiths_GuideFaiths_Guide
    I'd use the reminder text from Bestow to simplify your wording just a bit:
    Evince [cost] (If you cast this card for its evince cost, it's a creature spell.)

    However, I think you need to reword any other abilities of the cards to make them "when you cast {name}" abilities (which means that they're essentially uncounterable when cast without evince... Interesting.

    @DomriKade?
  • MemoryHeadMemoryHead
    @Faiths_Guide I do wonder whether it might be preferable to work it around "As this spell resolves", though I'm aware that it's less conventional and unsure as to what the precise wording would be.

    I also feel like somebody did a bunch of cards with an extremely similar mechanic a while ago, but I can't remember who.
  • Faiths_GuideFaiths_Guide
    @MemoryHead
    Yes, we've tried this multiple times before on the site.
  • CBunklesCBunkles
    @MemoryHead, all instants and sorceries could have "As this spell resolves" slapped onto them with no change, so I didn't include it. I never saw the mechanic before so if it exists I didn't intend to steal the idea from someone.

    @Faiths_Guide I didn't make them "When you cast" spells because that'd be absurdly unfair. The way I worded the abilities stretches the idea of how instants and sorceries resolve. I guess the "Resolves as a creature" just doesn't let the ability work so I could just say "As this spell resolves, it enters the battlefield as a creature"?
  • CBunklesCBunkles
    How about this, to make it work: You may cast this spell for its Evince
    cost. If you do, it is also creature spell and it enters the battlefield as a creature before the actions stated in its rules text resolve.

    This would have the "Noncreature" effect of the spell go off while still allowing it to stay in the field as a creature after it resolves.

  • MemoryHeadMemoryHead
    @CBunkles That'd make more complex cards using the mechanic (such as a card with a passive ability that'd only work when it was a creature) into ruling nightmares and so it doesn't really work. To give an example of what I was thinking:

    CARDNAME {1}{B}{B}
    Sorcery - Horror
    Evince {5}{B} (You may cast this spell for its evince cost. If you do, it's a creature spell.)
    When CARDNAME resolves, target player draws two cards and loses 2 life.
    3 / 2

    It adds on a minimal number of words onto the card, while being easily understood and functioning in more complex scenarios. Well, functioning as far as I can tell. It's probably got some sort of major flaw that I've missed.
  • ArchieTaylorArchieTaylor
    @CBunkles Evince is a great idea!
  • CBunklesCBunkles
    @ArchieTaylor Thank you! Still working out the kinks, as you can see lol

    @MemoryHead I think for sake of ruling properly, that may be the best wording I can give. All future cards I'll make with that text and I'll see how it feels in game.

    Also, this:
    image
  • ArchieTaylorArchieTaylor
    image
  • DomriKadeDomriKade
    Thanks for the ping, @Faiths_Guide ! Based on my quick read, this is functional but not particularly intuitive. It's strange that these aren't ETB triggers and that all of your spells essentially function by creating triggers with those effects. It's also worth noting that none of these would function as creature cards except while they were on the stack.

    Unrelated, but The Southern Tide is bonkers strong - far too much value and complexity for an uncommon three drop. In fact, all of the examples are quite complex, this one just stands out.
  • CBunklesCBunkles
    edited February 2020
    @DomriKade Is there a way to make the cards enter the battlefield and stay as creatures? I was thinking they'd have a counter on them and as long as it's there they are a creature, but I'm unsure if counters maintain from stack to battlefield, and of course, I could do "Sorcery Creature" like elemental creatures, but I want them to function primarily as sorceries that can be creatures vs. always functioning as both.
  • CBunklesCBunkles
    Another Idea I had was a method of representing them as creatures like 2 sided cards or City's Blessing, where you get a card and just slip it underneath them and it has "This is a creature" or something worded like that
  • ScaccogamingScaccogaming
    edited February 2020
    I guess the wording of Evince could be fixed a bit, like so:
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Card Name {cost}
    Sorcery/Instant/Enchantment
    Evince {cost}

    (Normal effect, if the card has any)

    If you casted this spell for its Evince cost, it enters the battleflield as a (insert creature type, power and toughness). It's still a (Sorcery/Istant/Enchantment).
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    If I'm not mistaken, that way the card becomes a creature ONLY after it enters the battlefield, but it must be treated as its normal spell type while in the hand, graveyard, library and stack.

    Overall I'm quite interested, Evince has a lot of potential, but needs to have a spot-on wording in order to be at least realistic.
  • TezzeretofCarmot21TezzeretofCarmot21
    Interesting mechanic. However this really feels a lot like reverse-Evoke or Bestow to me, although going on noncreature, non-Aura enchantments does lend this a bit of its own space. Looking forward to seeing what you do with it!
This discussion has been closed.