For my Titans of Physics cycle on my second account, I ended up making 2 new mechanics: Collapse X (Exile X random cards from your graveyard. If you can't, mill 2 first.) Displacement (Whenever another creature enters the battlefield, its controller returns a land they control to its owner's hand.) Both are very niche.
@AboveAndAbout That could be interesting, but I think if its gonna be a ability word, then I’d keep it as is. If i were to change it, I’d be looking at a Keyword.
maybe something like:
Endure (At the beginning of your upkeep, put an age counter on this permanent, then if it has three or more age counters on it, scry 1.)
-Pair this with effects that check the number of age counters on a permanent overall.
;Thoughts? @joemamajoe I like the second version of the mechanic more, it would give whole new meaning to cards like cremate and shamble back, not to mention Tormod, and his respective crypt. Is there a way that this would interact with red damage spells that exile your creatures? When you Red Sun Zenith something, does it technically hit the yard? Cause if so, that would definitely make this mechanic even more interesting than it already is. @KorandAngels I think with both of these mechanics, the problem that I have with them is that I can’t really imagine them on a common. Collapse because it doesnt do anything on its own (its all downside), and Displacement because it seems better suited for an unkeyworded effect on a rare or mythic. If you’re doing a cycle that all make use of these effects, I’d say do it, but the necessity of using a keyword isn’t really there. I do like the flavor you’re going for with them however.
@Rayne-Lord Actually, with Exile Matters FINALLY becoming an archetype, Collapse may not be a downside. It's an upside the way I use it. And Displacement is only a keyword for flavour.
@KorandAngels It may well be that by pairing it with effects that proc of it you can turn it into an advantage, no doubt. My point is that on its own its a net loss. All the keyword mechanics that we’ve seen that self mill (Dredge, Surveil,) do a thing besides simply milling. All the keyword mechanics that we’ve seen with exiling cards from the yard (escape) the exiling is there as a downside to the main effect. The effect should have some upside to it on its own, without any additional effects looking at your exile. I do think that the idea philosophically that you’re going for (entropy?) is an interesting area to explore 4sure! But I think there may be a better way.
Take for instance an effect I just came up with for a current set I’m working on (with the help of @Tomigon), you could totally use it and just change the Keyword name if you like.
Incantation (Each card you exile from your hand as you cast this spell pays for {2})
Actually the individual titan is Estiphort, who represents Inertia. All the titans are 2-colour, one of the colours being red. This ends up with one of them being red/red, and he, Amithool, represents entropy. https://mtgcardsmith.com/user/KorandSecond/sets/57796
I see. Love the art choices, but I have reservations about all of them mechanically. I think if you could come up with a succinct unifying mechanic that tied them all together, plus could conceivably be on cards of lesser rarity I’d be more hype for them. Either that, or just don’t put keywords on them, there really isn’t any need to, though even then I think the mechanics, keyword or no, could use some work. Btw, I really love the names of these guys!
Blissful (Whenever this creature deals combat damage to a player, you may create a token that's a copy of an Aura attached to this creature. It's attached to the creature.)
Tormentor N (Whenever this creature attacks, you may discard any number of cards. Put N +1/+1 counters on this creature for each card discarded this way.)
Ritual X (Put a ritual counter on this creature at the beginning of each upkeep. When it reaches X ritual counters, sacrifice it at the beginning of the next end step.)
Hi there everyone. I love this creative thread but it does not mean the utility mu OCD tendencies demand. Search/Sort is impossible. Can't make my own comments, etc.
So bored on long couple if snow says. Now have an Excel files with 1701 mechanical from this thread. I only cut out a few that I judged irredeemably complied to unworkable This file lets you sort by name A-Z, Author A-Z, and use Find on page. Powerful fins a mechanic you want tools in a data set thig big.
Problem - I have no idea how/where to post this so you guys to access it.
PS - I have made a lot of mechanics so phase 2 would be putting together an index of mine. So carrot of on oncomming rules candy treat if anyone can help me.
I've never posed my mechanics anywhere but I had a more directly similar type of villainous from when I first touched on cards from Theros. Heroic is when you target your creatures, Villainous is when an opponent does.
Villainous:<i>(When
an opponent targets a creature you control, trigger one Villainous ability
among the permanents you control.)</i>
Usually this is followed by one Villainous ability like heroic is. A card might even have none of it's own. In which case it needs another card with Villainous for an effect to happen. ( Don't target my sidekick Igor there or my monster will zap you.) A hefty card might have more than one, for guys with more than one plan.
This way the more different cards you have, the more choices of effect you get. The more colors in your deck, the more choices are available to put into the deck. It acts like a rattlesnake with all the burn/kill/twiddle type spells which seem to me to hit more often than spells targeting a player.
Yours is interesting, but does not really seem like a dark mirror to Heroic that I think Villainous ought to be
The way yours is, you are in control of when it triggers and can stack your deck so each trigger produces more than one effect. That means the power curve for each trigger goes up fast as you gain more cards with it. Things like that tend to wind up in dedicated decks rather than out in the general design space of the game.
The choose a player other than your only generates a choice in multiplayer, but that example shows potential for wheeling and dealing around the table. Those format often have the highlander rule, limiting the # of Villanous cards. Asks for cards with buyback or flashback that target an opponent to partner with.
Smooth card altogether though. The card has no Greek going on though, but it Does have a dope Prof.Moriarty vibe. If you're open to suggestion I'd rename it "Mastermind", which will also serve to thematically highlight to the multi-player flexibility. Even you quote hints this, "a plan for him too" is more a mastermind's saying than a less intellectual villainous one.
@mmm3creator Wow... I’m honored that you took the time to write all that in response to my tiny post.
Firstly, you noted that the mechanic really isn’t a mirror of Heroic. That is true, it’s more flavorfully different than mechanically, as I noted in my comment on the card’s page. And yours is interesting, too, but it too is very different from Heroic. For one, it’s a keyword ability, not an ability word. Secondly, I don’t know what a “Villainous ability” is, except an ability word, and if that’s what it is, you would never need the keyword in the first place.
You also said that this card only really works in multiplayer, and introduces some politics around the table. Both of those things were intended, once again as written in my comment on the card.
Lastly, you noted that the card has absolutely no Theros flavoring, which is fine, since it wasn’t meant for Theros. And yes, Vael is indeed a mastermind, which is alluded to by the word “conniving” in his title. I understand you couldn’t possibly have known about his backstory or who he is, but he’s a character from a book I’m writing, and I’m considering using him for the next Tournament of Legends (If there ever is one).
Discord (Whenever this creature attacks, target permanent an opponent controls phases out.)
Ritual {cost} (You may cast this spell for its ritual cost. If you do, exile it with X time counters on it. It gains suspend and "Whenever you remove a time counter from this card, copy it. You may cast the copy without paying its mana cost.")
Just a few of the mechanics I’ve been playing with for the past long while. I’ve tried to credit those who helped.
Hibernate [Cost] — ([Cost], {T}: Put a +1/+1 counter on this creature. It doesn’t untap during your next untap step and gains hexproof until it becomes untapped.)
Muster N (Put a +1/+1 counters on each of up to N target creatures you control with power 1 or less. If you can’t, create N 1/1 white Warrior creature token.)
Endure (At the beginning of your postcombat main phase, put an age counter on this permanent, then if it has three or more age counters on it, add {c}.)
MTG Cardsmith Community Forums
Comments
Endure- During your end step, if you didn't lose life this turn, [effect]
OR;
Underworld [Cost] (If this card would be exiled from your graveyard, instead you may cast it for its underworld cost. Otherwise, exile it.)
Collapse X (Exile X random cards from your graveyard. If you can't, mill 2 first.)
Displacement (Whenever another creature enters the battlefield, its controller returns a land they control to its owner's hand.)
Both are very niche.
maybe something like:
Endure (At the beginning of your upkeep, put an age counter on this permanent, then if it has three or more age counters on it, scry 1.)
-Pair this with effects that check the number of age counters on a permanent overall.
;Thoughts?
@joemamajoe I like the second version of the mechanic more, it would give whole new meaning to cards like cremate and shamble back, not to mention Tormod, and his respective crypt. Is there a way that this would interact with red damage spells that exile your creatures? When you Red Sun Zenith something, does it technically hit the yard? Cause if so, that would definitely make this mechanic even more interesting than it already is.
@KorandAngels I think with both of these mechanics, the problem that I have with them is that I can’t really imagine them on a common. Collapse because it doesnt do anything on its own (its all downside), and Displacement because it seems better suited for an unkeyworded effect on a rare or mythic. If you’re doing a cycle that all make use of these effects, I’d say do it, but the necessity of using a keyword isn’t really there. I do like the flavor you’re going for with them however.
Take for instance an effect I just came up with for a current set I’m working on (with the help of @Tomigon), you could totally use it and just change the Keyword name if you like.
Incantation (Each card you exile from your hand as you cast this spell pays for {2})
Maybe you could call it Entropic?
https://mtgcardsmith.com/user/KorandSecond/sets/57796
beginning of each upkeep. When it reaches X ritual
counters, sacrifice it at the beginning of the next end
step.)
an opponent, that opponent takes control of this permanent.
So bored on long couple if snow says. Now have an Excel files with 1701 mechanical from this thread. I only cut out a few that I judged irredeemably complied to unworkable This file lets you sort by name A-Z, Author A-Z, and use Find on page. Powerful fins a mechanic you want tools in a data set thig big.
Problem - I have no idea how/where to post this so you guys to access it.
PS - I have made a lot of mechanics so phase 2 would be putting together an index of mine. So carrot of on oncomming rules candy treat if anyone can help me.
Created to be like the opposite of Heroic. Here’s an example:
I've never posed my mechanics anywhere but I had a more directly similar type of villainous from when I first touched on cards from Theros. Heroic is when you target your creatures, Villainous is when an opponent does.
Villainous:<i>(When an opponent targets a creature you control, trigger one Villainous ability among the permanents you control.)</i>
Usually this is followed by one Villainous ability like heroic is. A card might even have none of it's own. In which case it needs another card with Villainous for an effect to happen. ( Don't target my sidekick Igor there or my monster will zap you.) A hefty card might have more than one, for guys with more than one plan.
This way the more different cards you have, the more choices of effect you get. The more colors in your deck, the more choices are available to put into the deck. It acts like a rattlesnake with all the burn/kill/twiddle type spells which seem to me to hit more often than spells targeting a player.
Yours is interesting, but does not really seem like a dark mirror to Heroic that I think Villainous ought to be
The way yours is, you are in control of when it triggers and can stack your deck so each trigger produces more than one effect. That means the power curve for each trigger goes up fast as you gain more cards with it. Things like that tend to wind up in dedicated decks rather than out in the general design space of the game.
The choose a player other than your only generates a choice in multiplayer, but that example shows potential for wheeling and dealing around the table. Those format often have the highlander rule, limiting the # of Villanous cards. Asks for cards with buyback or flashback that target an opponent to partner with.
Smooth card altogether though. The card has no Greek going on though, but it Does have a dope Prof.Moriarty vibe. If you're open to suggestion I'd rename it "Mastermind", which will also serve to thematically highlight to the multi-player flexibility. Even you quote hints this, "a plan for him too" is more a mastermind's saying than a less intellectual villainous one.
Firstly, you noted that the mechanic really isn’t a mirror of Heroic. That is true, it’s more flavorfully different than mechanically, as I noted in my comment on the card’s page. And yours is interesting, too, but it too is very different from Heroic. For one, it’s a keyword ability, not an ability word. Secondly, I don’t know what a “Villainous ability” is, except an ability word, and if that’s what it is, you would never need the keyword in the first place.
You also said that this card only really works in multiplayer, and introduces some politics around the table. Both of those things were intended, once again as written in my comment on the card.
Lastly, you noted that the card has absolutely no Theros flavoring, which is fine, since it wasn’t meant for Theros. And yes, Vael is indeed a mastermind, which is alluded to by the word “conniving” in his title. I understand you couldn’t possibly have known about his backstory or who he is, but he’s a character from a book I’m writing, and I’m considering using him for the next Tournament of Legends (If there ever is one).
Zen (Whenever a creature you control attacks alone, draw a card.)
Ritual {cost} (You may cast this spell for its ritual cost. If you do, exile it with X time
counters on it. It gains suspend and "Whenever you remove a time counter from this card, copy it. You may cast the copy without paying its mana cost.")
Recycling [Cost] - ([Cost], Exile this card from your graveyard: Draw a card.)
OR
Turf — If only mana produced by basic lands was spent to cast this spell, ...
OR
Turf — ... If only mana produced by basic lands was spent to activate this ability, ...
Example:
I’m not sure who created it, but here it is-
Primal [COST] (You may cast this spell for its primal cost. Spend only mana produced by basic lands to pay that cost.)
Just a few of the mechanics I’ve been playing with for the past long while. I’ve tried to credit those who helped.
- Created with the help of @Tomigon and @MemoryHead
creature you control that shares a color with it. If
you do, this spell becomes ordained.)
- Created with the help of @joemamajoe and @Tomigon
phase, put an age counter on this permanent, then if
it has three or more age counters on it, add {c}.)
- Created with the help of @Tomigon and @MemoryHead ;
Thaw (Put a thaw counter on target snow permanent. It becomes thawed and isn’t snow as long as it has a thaw counter.)