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Opposite of Proliferate?
If you were going to design a mechanic that removed counters from things,
how would you implement it, and what would you keyword it with?
Keep in mind the various types of keywords -- how Ferocious and Imprint differ from Flying and Shroud, which differ from terms like devotion.
how would you implement it, and what would you keyword it with?
Keep in mind the various types of keywords -- how Ferocious and Imprint differ from Flying and Shroud, which differ from terms like devotion.
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Comments
Proliferate allows users to add an additional counter of whatever type of counters are already on their permanents. If you wanted to remove of any type from an opponent's permanents, that's probably how the 'opposite' would work. The rule would probably read:
To Diminish means to choose any number of target permanents and/or players that have a counter, then remove from each exactly one counter of a kind that permanent or player already has.
If a set were to house a mechanic such as this, I can picture a couple of scenarios.
An icy plane. Riddled with tundras, snow, and unbelievable cold. Weakening strength in the frozen grip of ice.
A desolate plane. Void of nutrition or food, life weakening in the face of starvation.
It's hard to find an 'opposite' of proliferate, since blue is the main colour for proliferate, followed by black. (I know artifacts have a lot, but that's easy enough to avoid in an opposite.)
Removing counters and what not are primarily black and blue, so it's weird to think that both adding and removing are blue and black. I was trying to think of a way to incorporate white red and green. Green can work in a graveyard aspect for the starvation, as well as the feeding of lesser to strengthen the greater. White can do the same, but on the chivalrous front, sacrificing themselves to help others. Red can promote a great deal of these effects, since destruction and land destruction fall under red easily. Blue and black can be used in their normal fashion to use this ability, but I find a true opposite of proliferate would steer away from those colours. Also, you could incorporate enchantments for an opposite of artifacts.
These points lead me to think that a desolate plane would offer way more possibilities in making an opposite of proliferate more possible. You could even get white in there to hinder growth, i.e. kill spells.
Scalpel(I realize this is a weird name)
Instant
Weaken
Draw a card.
The hands of healers can drain poison from a wound, or inflict grievous wounds of their own.
^So, with this. You can use it to counter proliferate and poison counters, which would be the healing hands. Or to remove +1/+1 counters or any other counter that offers benefits.
I am a little torn though, since the removal of counters can be rather detrimental. Counters which are one of a kind, hard to put on, or meant to not be removed now become obsolete. Divinity and blaze counters are nothing with the casting of a simple spell. Proliferate offers a way to boost something you initially needed to put there. An opposite needs to have the ability to remove those counters to zero, that seems more powerful overall.
My ideas anyways. I'm sure you can guess that I took a shine to weaken as a name. Ha ha. It felt more appropriate in terms of working across the board. Since we need to take into effect mechanical beings with modular and the like, as well as growth, life, and also weakening the effects of poison and negative counters.
Deteriorate(Chose any number of permanents or players with a counter, remove one counter from each permanent or player.)
I see this possible new mechanic having backfire damage, considering it's aligned as a negative effect, with it taking away counters, and not giving them. So this mechanic would have something that hurts the user in a way. Say....
Let the Blood Run
Sorcery
Deteriorate
For each permanent or player this card effects, you lose 1 life.
For blood to flow, something, or someone, must force it to do so.
I feel like the mechanic would probably end up being pretty parasitic to the game.
It would be hard to work it into something fun. It would only do things in the presence of counter shenanigans of some kind, and then it would function solely to limit or deny those strategies in particular.
'Counter'-productive, if you will.
I think the closest you would get to something like this are things like Shrewed Hatchling, Etched Monstrosity, and the like.
http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=389735
AEther Snap
http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=389425
Spike Cannibal
http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=6092
Fate Transfer
http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=147411
Hex Parasite
http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=218008
http://mtgcardsmith.com/user/Xenthori/sets/1615
Immune (This creature can't gain counters and cannot be blocked by creatures with counters on it.)
not exactly the opposite of Proliferate, but it's anti-counter, both -1/-1 and +1/+1
I suppose I meant keyword rather than mechanic. I'm super-aware of Fate Transfer, Vampire Hexmage and Hex Parasite. Aether Snap always falls out of my consciousness and then I come across it every now and again.
Omniscience
Cast Through Time
Scrambleverse
Quicken
Howl of the Horde
Reverberate (On Scrambleverse)
Most people concede rather than sit through that.