@Houlding: given our discussion in (((Darrowhill Dissident))), what's your take on using the mechanic as a way to expand timing for sorceries?

I think we had discussed it back when Industrial Sabotage was LD — definitely an angle that I like, as it adds just the tiniest bit of strategic flexibility without feeling like the card should just be an instant.

For Display of Strength in particular, I like how Feinting it will typically mean that you're going to pump a blocked creature, rather than as I way to sneak in 4 extra points of damage, as the cost of removing an unblocked creature leads to diminished value if you cast this on an unblocked creature.

And that was largely my intent. Either make a "must block" creature, or drastically swing a head-to-head combat interaction. It can potentially finish off an opponent in an alpha-strike scenario, but it's less likely.

Aargh. Problem. (((Rhox Fists))) is already in the set, and the set needs that more than this. I really like the design of this card, but I'm doubting there's room for this.

Back to the drawing board.

Maybe this card could be pushed back to the second set. Or if that's still too much the same idea could be redesigned in white / blue and say prevent damage or some similar combat trick effect.

Is the primary Feint pairing? That is, are you trying to reinforce such a notion by putting feint on the cards?

If you definitely want this to have Feint, how about making this a team-boost vs. (((Rhox Fists))) individual boost?

Display of Strength
­
Sorcery
Creatures you control get +1/+0 and gain trample until end of turn.
Feint

Sorcery-speed it's a mini-overrun, Feint-speed is a tactical choice to sucker your opponent into bad blocks.

That's an interesting step in the right direction I think. But really aren't there no instant speed over run effects other than on creatures?

It's probable that such an effect would have to be Uncommon, but the creatures of Soradyne are fairly weak and defense-oriented, so there's a chance that this would be a good opportunity to try such a thing. +1/+0 isn't typically sufficient for a legitimate alpha-strike.

I'm also of the mindset that Overrun analogs of almost any power level should be at least uncommon. You've got me thinking though; I'll have to take a look at the collective balance of p/t in creatures so far.

To go back to a previous question, yes, R/G is supposed to get the best Feint tricks, with white also getting a reasonable share. For the most part, it represents a tie to Marrick's renegades and supporters. They're at war with the government, but their philosophical goal (story-wise) isn't to kill, it's to get Houk to acknowledge the covering up of Tarkot's Cross (the Crossblight). They're more or less "Occupy Debronia", but with military experience, a ten-year grudge, and brothers dying of a strain of homicidal insanity. Green and Red are the parts that want truth and restitution, white is the side that wants justice and aid.

Average Power of Common Creatures (Soradyne vs. Shards):

W - 1.55 / 1.75
U - 1.86 / 2
B - 1.14 / 2.1
R - 2.43 / 2.67
G - 2.75 / 2.55

Now, I excluded P/T affecting abilities from those calculations, so they may appear a bit closer than they really are. I also counted Mindstrike creatures as having a power of 0, as Mindstrike is largely irrelevant in this situation. That said, Shards had the 5-power theme Naya, so you'd expect its RGW stats to be significantly higher, and they aren't. This is probably due to overlap with Exalted.

That said, you only have two creatures in R/G that naturally possess greater than 4 power, as you're sacrificing a bit of top-end in order to compensate for aggressive feint costs. So, I do think it could be pulled off at common without too much fuss, but that obviously doesn't mean it's correct to do so.

You, sir, are an analysis machine, and quite the asset.