Code Geass: Introduction and General Invitation
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Welcome to Code Geass the Magic set! The set is in early design, but my aims are that the set will:
- Be a reasonably faithful adaptation into Magic of the epic anime series Code Geass. If you haven't watched it, don't worry - I believe there are still many ways in which you can help design the set.
- Provide a gameplay experience that feels like Code Geass. In the same way that the experience of playing Innistrad led to feeling afraid, and the experience of playing Theros led to feeling triumphant, I want the experience of playing Code Geass the Magic set to feel like you're a master strategist, a tactical mastermind: making plans, predicting your opponents' moves, and perhaps thinking on your feet, to come out ahead.
- Be a full size large set, fully-designed and developed (as much as is practical for an amateur cardset). I know Wizards of the Coast don't do tie-in sets to other IP, but let's imagine they did, while keeping as many others of their current design principles as possible.
- Have a lot of focus on the combat step, with most players having at least one combat trick available a lot of the time. I think this is the most natural way to reflect the feeling of tactical planning mentioned earlier. Cantrips and/or some kind of preparation mechanic will be needed here, to allow this to be true given deckbuilding constraints. See discussion at Instants theme.
- Reflect the events, factions and characters from the series. The anime has a lot of named characters (one of the reasons I thought it'd make a good basis for a set). This doesn't necessarily mean we have legends at uncommon or common, though that's one possibility (like Masters Edition III did) - discussion over at Named Characters / Legendary Creatures.
Current Design Challenges
At this stage, the set needs to establish its mechanical identity. I believe the set will want four or five keyword mechanics: one for Geass, one for mecha, one for the Britannian faction, one for the Black Knights faction, and perhaps one on combat tricks or instants.
More details on the five possible areas for keyword mechanics follow! In each case I've linked to a "card" thread with more discussion of the issue, but please don't feel you have to do more reading if you don't want to: my aim is that this page here will have all you need to create a design.
The Britannian Faction is the dominant world power who've conquered most of the world. They're decadent aristocrats with a great concern for class and hierarchy. Many of the Britannian characters are soldiers who are also nobles. The faction is black-white, so ideally a keyword mechanic for them would fit in both colours. Possible mechanic names include things like: Decadence, Conqueror, Superior Technology, Oppression, Aristocracy, Arrogance, Dominance, etc.
- The Goblin Artisans held a design challenge in November to design a keyword mechanic for the Britannians. The Multiverse community have already made several suggestions, including options demonstrated on Vicious Imperialist, Cocky Knight, Benevolent Landowner, Brutal Oppressor and Kewell Soresi. The Goblin Artisans challenge produced many more, including Incursion Force, Harsh Taskmaster, Elite Squadman, Devoted Soldiers, Britannian Occupiers, Britannian Beachstormers and Regiment Initiate.
The Black Knights Faction are rebels fighting against the Britannians. They used to be mere terrorists until Lelouch formed them into a rebel army. They believe in freedom, and they're clearly red in MtG colour terms (despite their name). Possible mechanic names include things like: Underdog, Overthrow, Guerrilla Warfare, Sabotage, Infiltrate, Populist, Oust, Overturn, Rebellion, Enrage, etc.
- The Goblin Artisans held a design challenge in September to design a keyword mechanic for the Black Knights. The results were fertile. Some of my favourite possibilities are shown off on cards like Defiant Victim, Inspired Bladecaptain, Partisan Saboteur, Rebel Recruiter, Reluctant Rebel, The People's Sword and Black Knight Informant.
Mecha combat is a big part of the series. The mecha are called "Knightmares" (as in a steed for a knight) and the mecha combat is pretty fluid and dynamic, often close-quarters. Knightmares are always piloted by a human, so my current thought is to have in-game mecha be a variation on Equipment, but it's not an especially interesting approach (certainly not original). More discussion on Mecha.
Eject (If equipped creature would be destroyed, instead remove all damage from it and destroy this Equipment.)
Equip
Eject (If equipped creature would be destroyed, instead remove all damage from it and destroy this Equipment.)
Equip
Eject (If equipped creature would be destroyed, instead remove all damage from it and destroy this Equipment.)
Equip
Whenever equipped creature blocks, you may pay
. If you do, Gawain deals 5 damage to each attacking creature.
Equip
- "Geass", the only supernatural effect in the series, really has to have a mechanic named after it. The protagonist Lelouch has the ability to compel any person to do whatever Lelouch wants... but only with eye contact, and only once ever for each person. This is clearly powerful, but the uses Lelouch makes of it in the series are spectacular. The natural Magic mechanic for this would involve temporary control change, but that seems too powerful an effect to be on multiple commons in the set. My current approach is to make lots of instants, sorceries and Auras be Geasses, with a minor rule to enforce the "only once ever" effect, but again, I'm not particularly tied to that approach: it's not very splashy or exciting, though I think the gameplay will be interesting. (I would note that Khans of Tarkir demonstrates that Wizards of the Coast are happy with mechanics that look unexciting but lead to interesting and deep gameplay.) More discussion over on Geass.
Enchant creature
Whenever enchanted creature becomes tapped, you draw a card.
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature has haste.
When Geass to Betray enters the battlefield, untap enchanted creature and gain control of it until end of turn.
(Enchanted creature has protection from other Geasses.)
Target creature gets +1/+1 and first strike until end of turn.
Enchant creature
If enchanted creature would be destroyed, instead it gains indestructible until end of turn and its controller sacrifices another permanent or discards a card.
- Finally, the series has big themes of tactical combat, making plans, predicting your opponent's plans, and so forth. Lelouch is a master at predicting what his enemies will do and setting plans in place to counter them. It'd be nice to reflect this on the cards. I've considered a few variations on prediction mechanics, but not found anything great so far. More suggestions gratefully received: post a comment over on Prediction / planning mechanic!
( as a sorcery: Exile this face down from your hand. On future turns you may cast it from exile for its prepare cost as if it had flash.)
If you control a Mountain or a Plains, target creature gets +1/+0 and gains first strike until end of turn.
( as a sorcery: Exile this face down from your hand. On future turns you may cast it from exile for its prepare cost as if it had flash.)
As long as you're being attacked by a creature with toughness 2 or less, Prepared Guardian has lifelink.
If you have comments on any of these individual issues, please do comment on the threads in question. For wider comments on the cardset as a whole, you can post them here!