Few things excite Magic players more for a new set than revealing its new or returning mechanics and the cards built around them. Wizards will usually highlight important mechanics by designing one or more cycles of cards that showcase their best mechanics. Your task is to either design your own new mechanic or choose an existing mechanic that hasn't appeared in the past three years (since Magic 2010 and beyond). Then, design either a horizontal cycle of 5 cards of different colors (the cards can be either mono-colored or multi-colored), or a vertical cycle of 3-4 cards, one of each rarity that show off your mechanic. These cards should be at least loosely related in name and/or function so that attentive players can see that these cards belong to a cycle.
I'm having a hard time thinking of an expired keyword that I like that can go across all colours. Will continue to think; though I did do a cycle of "Protector" in Strike the Earth:
Necrodwarf, Tunnel Runners, Vesuvan Fisherdwarf, Honorary Dwarf, Dwarven Patrol ... they didn't really have much identity. Heck; most of them don't even have flavourtext.
They are all 1/X with protector and a-n-other ability for so maybe that counts?
A cycle of enemy-coloured hybrid morph auras. The idea is that there are (comparatively) simple effects in hybrid colours that wouldn't normally be played, so rather than make them cantrips, I make them morphs, usually to be played as 2/2s (to keep the morph density is fairly high), but with an effect you can use if your morph is going to die.
I decided the comp rules would be tweaked so non-permanent morphs went on the stack. (You still can't act before they go on the stack, but can respond to the aura on the stack.)
I'm still deciding on the blue one, I thought about Jwari Shapeshifter for slivers, but aren't sure if it would be too good and/or not a good candidate for cycling.
I did a vertical cycle with (((Phase Trickster))), (((Phase Manipulator))) and (((Phase Duplicant))). Figured I'd do a mechanic that will likely never see the light of day again. I do have fond memories of Rainbow Efreet though.
Few things excite Magic players more for a new set than revealing its new or returning mechanics and the cards built around them. Wizards will usually highlight important mechanics by designing one or more cycles of cards that showcase their best mechanics. Your task is to either design your own new mechanic or choose an existing mechanic that hasn't appeared in the past three years (since Magic 2010 and beyond). Then, design either a horizontal cycle of 5 cards of different colors (the cards can be either mono-colored or multi-colored), or a vertical cycle of 3-4 cards, one of each rarity that show off your mechanic. These cards should be at least loosely related in name and/or function so that attentive players can see that these cards belong to a cycle.
I'd just like to note that most vertical cycles these days are 3 cards, omitting usually mythic or sometimes rare.
Still, yay for cycle design. I'll give this a little thought and get to it soon.
I'm having a hard time thinking of an expired keyword that I like that can go across all colours. Will continue to think; though I did do a cycle of "Protector" in Strike the Earth: Necrodwarf, Tunnel Runners, Vesuvan Fisherdwarf, Honorary Dwarf, Dwarven Patrol ... they didn't really have much identity. Heck; most of them don't even have flavourtext.
They are all 1/X with protector and a-n-other ability for
so maybe that counts?
While I'm at it - I made a different cycle at uncommon because, uh, I don't know why.
Reader of Entrails, Toy Maker, Dwarven Architect, Trained Mushroomer, Lord of Smoky Mountain
All
, but again, no real identity.
I think the CC 1/X protector cycle definitely counts.
A cycle of enemy-coloured hybrid morph auras. The idea is that there are (comparatively) simple effects in hybrid colours that wouldn't normally be played, so rather than make them cantrips, I make them morphs, usually to be played as 2/2s (to keep the morph density is fairly high), but with an effect you can use if your morph is going to die.
I decided the comp rules would be tweaked so non-permanent morphs went on the stack. (You still can't act before they go on the stack, but can respond to the aura on the stack.)
RU Morph Aura UG Morph Aura GB Morph Aura BW Morph Aura RW Morph Aura
@Alex: Yeah, true. I changed it to be "3-4" cards for the vertical cycle.
@Jack: Interesting idea, and some pretty cool cards. :)
I made Moonlight Spawn, Moonlight Kindred, and Moonlight Paragon. Not my most interesting cycle ever, but it'll do for now. I might try my hand at this challenge again later.
I had an idea...
Solemn Judgment, Systematic Suppression, Mass Murder, Chaotic Storm, Essence of Vigor.
Added Deep Digger Dwarf, Gem Negotiator and Dwarf Drillmaster, because there was clearly not enough dwarves or digging going on in this thread.
Another cycle:
Monstrous Sliver Fearsome Sliver Blinking Sliver Impulsive Sliver
I'm still deciding on the blue one, I thought about Jwari Shapeshifter for slivers, but aren't sure if it would be too good and/or not a good candidate for cycling.
This is poopy but I really wanted to attempt to make a mechanic called famine. Blindhunger Ghoul, Mindreaver, and Blight Plot
Ooh, cycles! I'm partial to my Sky Fish cycle (Sky Minnow, Sky School, and Sky Shark), but they only have evergreen keywords. For this challenge, I made two cycles: a vertical cycle around the Kindle mechanic, which I named Resonate (Nature's Strength, Accelerated Growth, and Yavimaya's Vengeance); and a horizontal cycle around devour, from Alara block (Ancestor of Community, Ancestor of Knowledge, Ancestor of Slaughter, Ancestor of Malice, and Ancestor of Survival).
I've realized that Past, Present, Protector, Destroyer, Nature, and Artifice sort of fit this challenge, so I might as well add them here.
I did a vertical cycle with (((Phase Trickster))), (((Phase Manipulator))) and (((Phase Duplicant))). Figured I'd do a mechanic that will likely never see the light of day again.
I do have fond memories of Rainbow Efreet though.