Premise

...

Color Shifts

• Delusions of Mediocrity
• Illusions of Grandeur.

Examples:

• Infernal Contractor
• Network Informant
• Venal Deployment
• Promise of Virility

Ooh, I like this mechanic. I can see it being a block mechanic, but I don't see it being very popular if it was evergreen. The lifegain would have to be fairly substantial to be worthwhile in an average set without any life payments.

For example, I can see this working as a race mechanic for the Vampires in Ixalan, with all of their life payment cards. High risk, high reward type gameplay.

You know why there are so few examples of this ability in the game despite the fact that some prolific designs with it came up early on? Because it sucks. It's either exploited or not worth the card text.

I don't understand the premise.

Wow, that came of as quite spiteful.

It's quite flavorful ability and fits into 's theme of false promises - ie. Demonic Pact. Liliana especially is a good example of this with her eternal youth that she lost temporally when her deal wore of or whatever.

Basically a demon keeps you alive and it makes itself necessary for your existence (addiction).

This could also be turned the other way around ala nightmares like Soul Scourge.

You seem to miss the point. I don't disagree on the flavor axis. I'm entirely fine on the flavor axis.

It's just that the gameplay does not hold up. Gameplay determines whether a mechanic should exist.

­Soul Scourge is a better mechanic since it can be used to end the game. I'm not sure how much design space there is in it though. I feel while it worked as part of a greater theme where Nightmares could steal conceptually really different things like life, cards and permanents, there is probably not enough design space in just the life aspect.

Note also that the other aspects have since shifted towards (partially) towards white.

Added three examples to OP:

• Infernal Contractor, Network Informant, Venal Deployment

I would call this a more dynamic form of lifegain. Where as might give you "freely", expects something in return - such as its own survival.

I can see this being in black's pie. I also see it as incredibly hard to balance. It's either free life; or it's just nothing.

I can see this as something black could do on a one-of rare or mythic rare, but I don't see it appearing at all below those rarities.

I didn't see anyone else reference these two cards, but I thought it might be important to recognize Illusions of Grandeur and Delusions of Mediocrity.

Tahazzar mentioned them above.

Well yes; this has previously been a thing blue has done a couple of times. That seems to be a common thread of these proposals, actually.

Oh, yes, my error. I was looking at the conversation and not the bullet list.

I agree with both thoughts, that this ability feels at home in black pie-wise, but it's hard to make it mechanically meaningful without being too combo-focused.

If it was, you don't lose the game until you have three less life than you otherwise would, would that work any better? I remember that being suggested, although I'm not sure it improves the situation much.

I find this conversation hard to follow. Is it OK if we rename this card from "temporal life" (which means "life to do with time") and call it "temporary life" instead?

I agree this mechanic doesn't have very much place in modern design because it doesn't contribute towards ending the game.

I'm not sure I get the arguments against this. Sure, life gain can drag a game along, but does that mean any life gain effects are unacceptable all of a sudden? Should lifelink be shunned now? Surely this is then the 'better' variant of life gain since the isn't just given to you, but can be counter played by removing these life giving / 'maintaining' permanents (more interaction).

That aside, this would play well into 's temptation themes and could/would probably lure even newer players to use those life points as resources.

Oh; now THAT works. Make it a card with life on it that you can pay towards costs; but lose that life when it leaves play.

> "Sure, life gain can drag a game along, but does that mean any life gain effects are unacceptable all of a sudden? Should lifelink be shunned now? Surely this is then the 'better' variant of life gain since the isn't just given to you, but can be counter played by removing these life giving / 'maintaining' permanents (more interaction)."

Except lifelink gains life at the "cost" of interaction - and often damage that will not increase the total amount of life since it's moved only from one player to another. If you suggested life drain, then I'd argue that is more like lifelink.

And yet... while lifelink shouldn't be entirely shunned it's still something to use cautiously at common exactly because of the effect it can have - it's best when it encourages more offensive gameplay by making racing more attractive.

I mean most of these would be some along 4-6 life, which you might equate with Inspiring Cleric but the actual net total with these cards is 0 life since it's all lost when these leave play. The keyword here being "temporary" plus many if not all would come with abilities that would encourage spending life so these might in fact increase the speed of games.

Have you ever played with them? I feel the extreme risk to lose the life again to removal will undo any benefit from the virtual life total - they don't benefit you in a race unless you can avoid trading them etc.

No, that's something I would have to do. Actually, I could do that in this digital card game I'm currently involved in that's in alpha and people can make custom cards for.

Note on the example designs that there are cards that are sitting around (1/1 flying can nip at the enemy in the air, an enchantment just sits unless hit by enchantment removal) and a dude that are akin to utility looters. Deployment probably wants to trade so it might be into racing as well idk (also I think it might need a buff).

This isn't limited to one type of deal/design.