This idea isn't fully formed, but I was returning to the idea of how to show a player making a complicated plot, as featured in Dimir, or the chess-like strategy in Code Geass.

The idea is that you can pay 2 to get a bit of card advantage, but you need to try to arrange what turn you want to cast this card in advance.

So it's a bit similar to Alex's prepare, except that instead of a cost discount for preparing it at all, you get "draw a card" if you prepare it, but it may vary in how convenient the time you have to play it is.

I also considered casting this card and letting you then add a DIFFERENT card (from your hand or the deck?) to your scheme deck. That would also work on triggers other than casting, e.g. on creatures.

One problem is obviously unless you have lots of scheme cards, you'll usually only have one card, so is the "force the next one" worth it, as opposed to just letting all spells be delayed by one turn and discarded if not used?

Something like "Prepare . (: Exile ~ face down and draw a card. At the beginning of your next first main phase, cast ~ or put it into your graveyard.)"

But the feel I'm going for is, "if you can plan your strategy well enough in advance, you can get an advantage"

Not really seeing how this gets you card advantage? It gets this card cast next turn instead of right now. Is scheme meant to also draw a card?

Currently it feels like it's playing in the same space as suspend. Downcost for delayed gratification.

Scheming away other cards... that could work; but then you'd really need to have to pay for them when cast that way. So the only advantage would be seeing it.

Dunno. It (evil plans in advance!) is a thing there really should be a mechanic to support. But this doesn't feel like it is it.

You pay to cycle this for another card; and then later you get to cast this anyway. Seems like a Spikey mechanic that could work.

So is this supposed to work with the Archenemy scheme deck? That's what I thought upon first read and that could be a okay idea, maybe?

Assuming this is a separate scheme deck... Well, this clearly is "Cycling When you cycle this, add it to a queue of spells to be cast over the course of the game."

Since you actually get the spell effect after a waiting period I suggest not making the cost to scheme all generic and include an appropriate colored man symbol.

Let's focus on the "queue" though (avoiding the term "scheme deck" due to above mentioned confusion) - okay, it's not a strict quee since you can add your card at any position, but here is the main issue with it: You can add any number of cards to it, but you get only one back per turn, so in a very real way this is an antilinear mechnanic that discourages you from scheming, because the more you scheme, the more of your schemes do not get to do their thing and get downgraded to actual cycling.

The core prinicple of setting up spells for later turns is valid and there are a myriad of variants you could do on this. I think a mechanic that is basically just "Rather than cast this right now, you may ecile this for its mana cost. Cast it at the beginning of your next turn's first main phase." (let's call that one "bound" because it's rebound, bot you get it only now OR later rather than both) is an entirely valid mechanic that allows players to set up big turns (e. g. setting up a mass pump spell for next turn and casting another one during that turn for a massive alpha strike).

I wonder whether the "queue" (which might be better called "sequence", but I'm not going back on it now) is a principle that could be utilized better. One way I'd go about this might be an ability like this: Whisper Campaign.

I rather like this idea. I hope it's okay if I make a variant on it.

I rather like this idea. I hope it's okay if I make a variant on it.

See Long-Term Analysis.

Good points. In my head, the advantage of multiple cards was increased flexibility, that you could exile an expensive or situational spell, and then postpone it to avoid casting it next turn.

But I think it won't actually play out like that, so I should find another way of doing it.

(And I do need to clarify the wording so it's not the same as archenemy, and make it clear you do pay have to the cost to cast it, I'll see if I can tidy up the wording if i make another version)

It has been pointed out to me this card lacks "until end of turn".