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CardName: Challenge # 012 Cost: Type: Pow/Tgh: / Rules Text: Top down mechanics design. See comments. Flavour Text: Set/Rarity: Multiverse Design Challenge Common

Challenge # 012
 
 C 
 
Top down mechanics design. See comments.
Updated on 05 Sep 2011 by Camruth

History: [-]

2011-09-04 23:15:02: cmeister2 created the card Challenge # 012

Flush with success from your recent art assignment, Mark Rosewater has given you a sneak peek at the ideas for the new set.

"We've got some names for some new abilities which have focus-grouped really well, but we want a bit more brainstorming on what they could be. Have a shot at coming up with a decent mechanic for that name".

You look at the list:

Galvanize
Multiply
Mutilate

"Erm.. for now, just pick two of those and come up with a mythic for one, and whatever you want for the other. But hey, if you want to make one for the third, feel free".

You may want to choose a different word then Mutilate, as Wizard's generally doesn't come up with mechanic names that have also already been used as card names.

2011-09-05 01:07:29: Camruth edited Challenge # 012

My entries are (((Avatar of Mutilation))) - a Mythic with Mutilate; (((Goblin Horde))) a common red creature with Multiply and I added (((Benalish Braveheart))) a Human Knight with Galvanize.
For eachkeyword I tried to come up with an ability that suited its flavor. Mutilate hands out -1/-1 counters when a creature (or other permanent) with it ETBs, which I feel captures the flavour nicely.
Multiply is also a creature ability, this one allowing you to copy the original creature at the start of your upkeep each turn by paying its multiply cost. I see this working best on "mob" creatures like Goblins, Insects, etc or on creatures that multiply by self dividing like Oozes, slimes, etc. That said, it can be applied to just about any type of creature with a little forethought (on Soldiers it can be flavored as the call to muster going out and individual soldiers reporting for duty in dribs and drabs, etc).
And yes, the token copies have multiply as well :-)
Galvanize is pretty straightforward - drop this & all your creatures have Haste this turn.

@Calus: Good spot, I thought I'd made sure that I didn't duplicate any words, but evidently I failed. Given that Camruth has made a card based on Mutilate I'm going to leave it as is, though.

Camruth: I like the multiply effect.

Very nice challenge! Really got me musing about what kinds of card I could put my mechanics on, which is great fun.

My entries are Protective Captain and Mirror Shards.

I suspect it's best to enter without reading other people's ideas, as the words are fairly suggestive; I suspect they'll clump into fairly closely grouped mechanical areas.

Here's my entries (1 at a time when I think of them!)

1: Assimilation Engine for Galvanize
2: Spreading Vines for Multiply

Humm, probably not gonna make cards for this one - just throw some ideas out.

Galvanize can also mean "Make something get up and act" - we already have 'provoke' for the defending side - but I don't think there's a keyword for "attacks next turn if able". Or maybe even "If it isn't tapped at EOT, controller sacrifices it" (that should make it get off its butt and do SOMETHING) On a similar route there's "untap" (so it can act again) - that's the meaning half the existing galvanic cards use. (The other half just seem to use it for 'to artifacts') But since we already have metalcraft (and it's oh so very broken cousin affinity) I'd avoid that.

I think I'm a bit angry at them for wasting such a lovely keyword as mutiliate on such a niche card. Still, it clearly wants to be something black and infect like. Now, if you're in a set with no counters - I'd really like the idea of being able to move creatures stats with, say, +1/-1 as being a meaning of mutilate (mark with counters, no going below 1 toughness etc.) Mutilate target? Yum. Mutilate this to DO something? VERY yum. On that line - it could just be a -1/-1 counter; but it makes for simpler text to make putting that counter on be a cost.

Multiply it's pretty hard to avoid reading as the self-copying. Let's see what else the dictionary gives us.

Heh. "Made of multiple plies" Aha! "In several ways"

So, let's have a non-functional keyword tagging that the thing its on does something - but that there are several ways to get it to happen. eg. Multiply - When ~ leaves the battlefield, or you are reduced below 5 life; deal 3 damage to target creature. Could even give it meaning if it is explicit about never being able to doubly trigger even if both states become true, or a state becomes true a second time.

(Alex raised an even better one - to make it a modifier on other machanics. "Splice Multiply" (splice as usual, but as many times as you like on a single spell). Would work sanely for anything with a cost. Evoke multiply? Flashback multiply?

War Cry Neural Illusionist

Was half-asleep for that last one...will check it in the morning to see how good it is.

EDIT: Hey, not bad... needed an ETB condition, but otherwise surprisingly good. Would probably have a better flavor in blue, but I like this version better, so there.

EDIT (again): Now it is blue!

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