Multiverse: Gate to Eternity

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CardName: Gate to Eternity Cost: 4U Type: Instant Pow/Tgh: / Rules Text: Target spell's controller activates a mana ability of each permanent he or she controls. Then, counter target spell unless its controller pays {5}. Flavour Text: Set/Rarity: Multiverse Design Challenge Rare

Gate to Eternity

Instant

Target spell's controller activates a mana ability of each permanent he or she controls. Then, counter target spell unless its controller pays {5}

Updated on 10 May 2012 by jmgariepy

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2012-05-10 05:20:39: jmgariepy created the card Gate to Eternity

by jmgariepy:

For Challenge # 038. I really wanted to see {4} {u} get used because it's really impractical using the normal methods. In theory, hard counters require double blue, while soft counters - counters your opponent can somehow avoid - cost a single blue. Since Cancel costs {1} {u} {u} , though, {4} {u} would be silly as a soft counter unless you tack another ability on there. Even "Counter target spell unless its controller chooses to lose the game" wouldn't be better than Cancel (Mindslaver not withstanding).

I worked hard to find one ability that would work. There seemed to be three camps I could follow:

You gain a great benefit (like drawing 4 cards)... so much so that the card is relevant in group games, where you aim this at teammates, or you just aim it at your own spell, countering it for the benefit.

The card is a diplomatic choice: For example, a card that counters a spell, unless all of that player's opponents agree to do thing X.

The option to not counter the spell is a trap: For example, you get to put a creature from your hand onto the battlefield, or you gain control of your opponent's next turn. Since that player doesn't know exactly what the ramifications for these actions are, he could be setting himself up for disaster.

Option 1 and 2 feel kind of cheap. It's a joke that works once, but hangs out on the card and becomes an old joke afterwards. Plan 3... I kind of like plan 3. I think Plan 3 may be for an un-set, though. It's the sort of card that could make people very angry when it works right. I don't know if that's a good thing, or just funny.

I eventually landed on this card, which is technically "counter with a benefit", but, hopefully, still gets the theme of soft-counter, and thus still deserves the casting cost it has. Can't win them all, I guess. Thanks for the existance of Drain Power... I shouldn't be able to make this mechanic work, but it does. Does anybody know what this does to an Azorius Signet however?

2012-05-10 05:36:52: jmgariepy edited Gate to Eternity

by Vitenka:

Hang on, it doesn't drain their mana pool? So this pretty much Power Sink for 5? (Only 1 cheaper, which is fine as it's fixed cost and forces them to use all their mana on something....) Ok, I like it. Probably doesn't work, as you point out, but I like it anyway.

by Alex:

I think this does work. I think the opponent can choose to not have it work on their Signets, but I'm not sure; I asked a rules question to investigate :)

It is indeed a very clever way to make a soft counter that's worth paying more than {1} {u} for.

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