CardName: Puzzles
Cost:
Type:
Pow/Tgh:
Rules Text: Magic: the Puzzling, and cards that can be used in puzzles
(Rosewater's "Magic: the Puzzling" book says that cards that
are hardly of any use except puzzles are called "rosewater"
cards).
Flavour Text:
Set/Rarity: Conversation None
Puzzles
Magic: the Puzzling, and cards that can be used in puzzles (Rosewater's "Magic: the Puzzling" book says that cards that are hardly of any use except puzzles are called "rosewater" cards).
I would want also if more cards will be good mainly for use in puzzles, too (not necessarily if exclusively so).
Can a Magic: the Gathering puzzle be made up as good as Mitrofanov's chess study? Is there anything like the Babson task? Are some puzzles with unofficial cards, or unusual stipulations, or unusual rules?
Although, even real rules and cards can be used as well. For example, it does not have to be a usual game since a puzzle (that specifically says so) could use Team vs Team, Archenemy, etc. When teams and subgames are possible, then there is also the possibility that a puzzle might involve conceding, too.
Will you make up any new puzzles? I have made up some puzzles, and I have a NNTP set up to post any new puzzles that you or I might make up, too.
I also wrote the Codex of Magic: the Gathering, which describes some conventions for puzzles. (There are a few puzzles whose solutions only work because of the Codex, e.g. because unknown cards are put directly into the graveyard from the library.)
Pseudo-Vintage and Extended pseudo-Vintage are also relevant for puzzles.
Some ideas about making puzzles (I don't know if some of these might have already puzzles that use such things or not):
You have to concede a subgame in order to win.
You have to force opponent to copy Phage the Untouchable. (I had an idea, but had not actually done it: It could be Archenemy, the next scheme card being Ignite the Cloneforge, and one player on your team has to play Phage the Untouchable and get rid of all other permanents that player controls, and the other players on their team have to concede. Other cards/effects could be added to make this difficult.)
It has no solution (due to a mistake in its construction), but more than a year later, the rules are changed (or errata is issued) which makes it valid.
A selection of cards that hides an elaborate secret message.
A theme which significantly involves timestamps.
A puzzle where you have to spend all of your mana even though there is no mana burn (perhaps involving Omnath, Locus of Mana).
A "orthodox helpmate" puzzle involving Mindslaver.
Something similar to the "Babson task". (Maybe, opponent has several cards that they can play; to win, you must play the card that is the same as that one; e.g. if they play Thoughtlace then you must play Thoughtlace, and if they play One With Nothing then you must play One With Nothing, etc; other cards don't help)
The stipulation says you have to force a draw; a win isn't good enough.
You have to play so that, if neither player concedes, you are guaranteed to lose regardless of what opponent does.
Some puzzles that I had made involve such things as:
You have to concede the main game in order to win.
The only thing about a card that matters is that it has madness.
You have to cast a spell only because it has split second, not because of its effect when it resolves.
The restriction "The new creature type can't be Wall" in Artificial Evolution is relevant, despite the fact that there are no Walls or anything else that cares about Walls in the puzzle.
Judges disagreed on whether or not the solution is valid.
I would want also if more cards will be good mainly for use in puzzles, too (not necessarily if exclusively so).
Can a Magic: the Gathering puzzle be made up as good as Mitrofanov's chess study? Is there anything like the Babson task? Are some puzzles with unofficial cards, or unusual stipulations, or unusual rules?
Although, even real rules and cards can be used as well. For example, it does not have to be a usual game since a puzzle (that specifically says so) could use Team vs Team, Archenemy, etc. When teams and subgames are possible, then there is also the possibility that a puzzle might involve conceding, too.
Will you make up any new puzzles? I have made up some puzzles, and I have a NNTP set up to post any new puzzles that you or I might make up, too.
I also wrote the Codex of Magic: the Gathering, which describes some conventions for puzzles. (There are a few puzzles whose solutions only work because of the Codex, e.g. because unknown cards are put directly into the graveyard from the library.)
Pseudo-Vintage and Extended pseudo-Vintage are also relevant for puzzles.
Some ideas about making puzzles (I don't know if some of these might have already puzzles that use such things or not):
You have to concede a subgame in order to win.
You have to force opponent to copy Phage the Untouchable. (I had an idea, but had not actually done it: It could be Archenemy, the next scheme card being Ignite the Cloneforge, and one player on your team has to play Phage the Untouchable and get rid of all other permanents that player controls, and the other players on their team have to concede. Other cards/effects could be added to make this difficult.)
It has no solution (due to a mistake in its construction), but more than a year later, the rules are changed (or errata is issued) which makes it valid.
A selection of cards that hides an elaborate secret message.
A theme which significantly involves timestamps.
A puzzle where you have to spend all of your mana even though there is no mana burn (perhaps involving Omnath, Locus of Mana).
A "orthodox helpmate" puzzle involving Mindslaver.
Something similar to the "Babson task". (Maybe, opponent has several cards that they can play; to win, you must play the card that is the same as that one; e.g. if they play Thoughtlace then you must play Thoughtlace, and if they play One With Nothing then you must play One With Nothing, etc; other cards don't help)
The stipulation says you have to force a draw; a win isn't good enough.
You have to play so that, if neither player concedes, you are guaranteed to lose regardless of what opponent does.
Some puzzles that I had made involve such things as:
You have to concede the main game in order to win.
The only thing about a card that matters is that it has madness.
You have to cast a spell only because it has split second, not because of its effect when it resolves.
The restriction "The new creature type can't be Wall" in Artificial Evolution is relevant, despite the fact that there are no Walls or anything else that cares about Walls in the puzzle.
Judges disagreed on whether or not the solution is valid.