"Functional reprint cards serve the exact same function as the card they resemble, except they differ in name or name and subtype. This usually has little effect on the game, hence their consideration as a kind of reprint[...] Functional reprints are often used to give a new block- or set-themed flavor to a card that plays an important role in defining a particular color.
"A functional reprint must have the same power and toughness if it is a creature, but may differ in creature type. The mana cost must be same for colored and colorless mana."
Added Spirit Advocate, since this seemed like the sort of challenge I should do first, so people could 'get' what I meant. I really wanted to showcase a functional reprint that jumped from one world, and landed in another known world, since those seem the most interesting to me. But the Spirit Advocate just wanted to do it's own thing, so I let it be.
It's possible neither or both would be a functional reprint.
I think "functional reprint" normally includes changing the card text to match the other changes: a functional reprint of Wild Cantor called "Goblin Firechanneller" would say "sacrifice Goblin Firechanneller" not "sacrifice Wild Cantor" :)
By parallel reasoning, I assume a functional reprint with a relevant creature type would naturally change the card text to match the new creature type.
But I think it's possible that's less of a functional reprint. Eg. it might be technically true, but I don't think it would be very meaningful to describe a colourless Gray Ogre as a functional reprint of Stonework Puma, because so much of the implicit rules are wrapped up in the type.
(I'm not sure about Sliver Construct -- that's a lot closer than Gray Ogre! :))
So I think, if the creature type is irrelevant (eg. Steamflogger Boss if there weren't so many fan-versions of rigger creatures), it's a functional reprint. If it's semi-relevant (eg. moving between two tribal types of different sizes), it's mostly a functional reprint. And if it's extremely relevant, there's no good comparison.
It should be noted that the MTGSalvation Wiki has a list of functional reprints and takes things like the 'Human Prospector' into consideration with additional notes attached to their list. If I'm to follow their logic, then color palette swaps (and colorless swaps) are also acceptable in the definition of functional reprint (an 'extreme' example would be Priest of Gix to Priest of Urabrask, which not only changes color, but also the color of mana added to the pool. I find it interesting that that didn't need to happen. Priest of Urabrask could have just added black mana...)
As far as I'm concerned, it's all fair game, as long as the focus is flavor, and not function. Black Zur's Weirding is cool. Now come up with an appropriate name, and a bit of story. ;)
I have hard time with "functional reprints." To me, Lightning Strike is a functional reprint of Searing Spear, but Cylian Elf has a much more relevant creature type than Runeclaw Bear, and is therefore better. Something similar can be observed with Judge's Familiar and Cursecatcher. In a vacuum, Judge's Familiar looks better all around, but Cursecatcher is much more relevant because of its creature type.
Why do you say Priest of Urabrask could have added black mana? Not only does that make little sense flavor-wise, it would really change the nature of the card and what deck you would play it in. It's actually truer as a color shift to shift the added mana as well. And honestly, I wouldn't consider a color shift a functional reprint, but perhaps I just don't understand the term very well.
Me neither, really. I just figured that if MTGSalvation lets it fly, then I wouldn't stop a person who wanted to do it. It's not something I would choose to do, though, no. And, had this been the Discussion thread, I would have argued against it. In the Challenges thread, though, I'd rather just see someone complete the challenge, whether or not they have a different opinion than I do.
Hmmm. To me, this isn't really a design challenge. There's, well, not much design to do. Coming up with card names and flavour text is an important part of card design, but not the part that I enjoy the most.
The only way I can think of to make this interesting is to try to do a Terror/Shatter in Mirrodin, reprinting a card in a set where it would play significantly differently to how it played wherever it was printed before.
Noted. I don't think the challenge is a bad one, per se. I just overestimated people's desire to do a flavor text based challenge. Evidently, I enjoy working on flavor text more than anyone else on this board. Fair enough. I won't submit any flavor challenges in the near future.
That, of course, doesn't stop myself from liking the challenge, so maybe I'll submit a few more entries over the week. I added Unerring Ballista off of a happy accident from Gatherer. Aladdin's Ring really needed that update.
From MTGSalvation's Wiki:
"Functional reprint cards serve the exact same function as the card they resemble, except they differ in name or name and subtype. This usually has little effect on the game, hence their consideration as a kind of reprint[...] Functional reprints are often used to give a new block- or set-themed flavor to a card that plays an important role in defining a particular color.
"A functional reprint must have the same power and toughness if it is a creature, but may differ in creature type. The mana cost must be same for colored and colorless mana."
Some examples of functional reprints: Cultivate, Cylian Elf and Vampire Aristocrat.
Added Spirit Advocate, since this seemed like the sort of challenge I should do first, so people could 'get' what I meant. I really wanted to showcase a functional reprint that jumped from one world, and landed in another known world, since those seem the most interesting to me. But the Spirit Advocate just wanted to do it's own thing, so I let it be.
Hmm. If I make a functional reprint of Skirk Prospector into a Human Shaman, should it have "sacrifice a Goblin" or "sacrifice a Human"?
It's possible neither or both would be a functional reprint.
I think "functional reprint" normally includes changing the card text to match the other changes: a functional reprint of Wild Cantor called "Goblin Firechanneller" would say "sacrifice Goblin Firechanneller" not "sacrifice Wild Cantor" :)
By parallel reasoning, I assume a functional reprint with a relevant creature type would naturally change the card text to match the new creature type.
But I think it's possible that's less of a functional reprint. Eg. it might be technically true, but I don't think it would be very meaningful to describe a colourless Gray Ogre as a functional reprint of Stonework Puma, because so much of the implicit rules are wrapped up in the type.
(I'm not sure about Sliver Construct -- that's a lot closer than Gray Ogre! :))
So I think, if the creature type is irrelevant (eg. Steamflogger Boss if there weren't so many fan-versions of rigger creatures), it's a functional reprint. If it's semi-relevant (eg. moving between two tribal types of different sizes), it's mostly a functional reprint. And if it's extremely relevant, there's no good comparison.
It should be noted that the MTGSalvation Wiki has a list of functional reprints and takes things like the 'Human Prospector' into consideration with additional notes attached to their list. If I'm to follow their logic, then color palette swaps (and colorless swaps) are also acceptable in the definition of functional reprint (an 'extreme' example would be Priest of Gix to Priest of Urabrask, which not only changes color, but also the color of mana added to the pool. I find it interesting that that didn't need to happen. Priest of Urabrask could have just added black mana...)
As far as I'm concerned, it's all fair game, as long as the focus is flavor, and not function. Black Zur's Weirding is cool. Now come up with an appropriate name, and a bit of story. ;)
I have hard time with "functional reprints." To me, Lightning Strike is a functional reprint of Searing Spear, but Cylian Elf has a much more relevant creature type than Runeclaw Bear, and is therefore better. Something similar can be observed with Judge's Familiar and Cursecatcher. In a vacuum, Judge's Familiar looks better all around, but Cursecatcher is much more relevant because of its creature type.
Why do you say Priest of Urabrask could have added black mana? Not only does that make little sense flavor-wise, it would really change the nature of the card and what deck you would play it in. It's actually truer as a color shift to shift the added mana as well. And honestly, I wouldn't consider a color shift a functional reprint, but perhaps I just don't understand the term very well.
Yeah, I wouldn't count colourshifts as functional reprints.
Me neither, really. I just figured that if MTGSalvation lets it fly, then I wouldn't stop a person who wanted to do it. It's not something I would choose to do, though, no. And, had this been the Discussion thread, I would have argued against it. In the Challenges thread, though, I'd rather just see someone complete the challenge, whether or not they have a different opinion than I do.
Hmmm. To me, this isn't really a design challenge. There's, well, not much design to do. Coming up with card names and flavour text is an important part of card design, but not the part that I enjoy the most.
The only way I can think of to make this interesting is to try to do a Terror/Shatter in Mirrodin, reprinting a card in a set where it would play significantly differently to how it played wherever it was printed before.
ya it's entirely up to the block design and flavor
Noted. I don't think the challenge is a bad one, per se. I just overestimated people's desire to do a flavor text based challenge. Evidently, I enjoy working on flavor text more than anyone else on this board. Fair enough. I won't submit any flavor challenges in the near future.
That, of course, doesn't stop myself from liking the challenge, so maybe I'll submit a few more entries over the week. I added Unerring Ballista off of a happy accident from Gatherer. Aladdin's Ring really needed that update.
Yeah, I think it's an interesting challenge, I just suck at it :)
No, I think it's a great idea - just been completely swamped and haven't had any good entries.
Floating Library of Lisperia, based on Isperia
Stunted Drake, based on Flamekin Brawler
And Floor is Lava based on Æther Flash. This is fun once I got started.
Extreme Haruspicy, based on Vanquish the Foul
Added Circle of Guilt.
Joint Air Control based on Windborn Muse
Grimacing Vampire renamed from Face of Fear