orb-warded-kor-warlord

[orb-warded-kor-warlord]

So, Winter almost being "freed" from Duskmourn to Innistrad is a great bit, but being freed into Ravnica would be some fun slow-burn horror

"I'm finally out of the Infinite House! Say, what's outside this city?"

And then coming to grips with the fact that this isn't even magically-enforced, people chose to do the same thing Valgavoth did

[orb-warded-kor-warlord]

Meta-Magic Design, or, "'Restart The Game' Is A Complete Sentence"

@patricia-taxxon's new video essay on Celeste modding has a great bit about mods as fanfiction of a game's mechanics, and it's interesting to use that lens on thirty years of variably-canonical Magic: The Gathering design. (As with her video, this will necessarily have a lot of game jargon but the broad strokes should hopefully be clear.)

Level One: Standard-legal expansions, the most accessible and promoted sets, which generally follow an ongoing storyline and introduce/reuse named mechanics. (Standard is one of the game's most-played competitive formats, made up of the last ~two years of main sets.) They have their set of characters who may show up in new incarnations, turned evil, turned good, etc. but are mostly constrained by who's currently alive and relevant.

In addition to the named mechanics, there are plenty of established design tropes at both the card and set levels: Cancel With Upside. a 2/1 for B that can't block, or ETBs tapped, and has some way to recur itself. Common tapped dual lands with marginal upside. An instant for 1B that kills most creatures in the game but with enough relevant exceptions for interesting counterplay. A cycle of two-color uncommons that clearly signpost draft archetypes. At the set level, R&D has frameworks for the quantity and efficiency of removal, the range of creature sizes, the mix of payoffs and enablers and counterplay for the set's mechanics.

These frameworks can be nudged depending on the feel the set's going for: Innistrad's creatures were a bit squishier to better set up Morbid, multicolor-themed sets will (usually) have better mana-fixing, etc. Sometimes R&D just fucks up, like making a set way too aggressive or way too grindy, but usually these deviations have some cleverness behind them.

Level Two: Supplemental sets, like Modern Horizons and Commander products. They have greater leeway to make weirder, wordier cards, bringing back and remixing old mechanics, and featuring long-dead or obscure characters, all in service of targeting a more enfranchised audience. Standard-legal sets will have their fair share of cards that look alright but truly shine if you're aware of the game's high-level strategy and rules implications, but these sets can have cards that only make sense if you do, or push those rules to the limit. Standard-legal sets have flirted with this zone, like the polarizing meta-jokes of Time Spiral block - hell, Modern Horizons was internally pitched as Time Spiral 2. This is the zone of cards with no mana cost - not zero, but nonexistent - and design puns like combining the Splice mechanic with the established motif of Splicers-who-make-golems. These sets will also bring back both underused and notoriously-broken mechanics and themes, aiming to readjust the power level up or down as needed. These sets have admittedly produced some spectacularly broken cards, but it is pretty neat to see a banned card that literally says "You can't spend mana to cast this spell."

---THE THRESHOLD OF TOURNAMENT LEGALITY---

Level Three: Non-tournament-legal cards printed by Wizards of the Coast. Most of these are in the Un- sets, with a wacky tone poking fun at the game's self-serious lore, and designs ranging from "intuitive to say plainly, but do not work in the game's rules grammar" to "Slaying Mantis enters the battlefield by being thrown from a distance of at least three feet." There are also the more deadpan Playtest Cards, which are closer to the casual way card text is written out before editors hammer it into the game's rules language. They reference past design experiments and ideas from the Great Designer Search competitions alongside things that would make the rules manager stab you if you proposed them seriously. (Though, much as Un- sets have often been a testing ground for Level Two designs, one playtest card has already been reprinted under a new name in a standard-legal set.) These are free to be fully disregard the fourth wall and play in bizarre territory, and all levels of the game are richer for it.

Level Four: Fanmade cards that Wizards employees legally cannot look at or acknowledge, except for very specific circumstances like Great Designer Searches or the You Make The Card events. These are free to seriously imitate any of the above levels, reference media Wizards never could or would, be straight-up jokes rather than game pieces, or just riff on the Custommagic subreddit's abiding love of Colossal Dreadmaw. A few brave souls make whole custom sets meant to be drafted, which demands a rigorous level of design and playtesting but also frees them from the cards having to be playable (or non-broken) in broader formats. Maybe the perfect payoff card the set needs would break Modern in half; that's not their problem. Although this level is almost completely walled off from the conversation among the first three, plenty of Great Designer Search finalists (and winners!) came up in this realm and bring its sensibilities with them.

On one hand there are the game's textual rules, named mechanics, design tropes, and established tone; on the other, the set of brain-melting rules interactions, the mechanics that flopped, play patterns considered brutally unfun, and Noggin Whack. The game would calcify if R&D stayed safely within the first realm, and although they have been rightfully criticized for some of their ventures outside it, there's a lot to learn from the wilderness.

[orb-warded-kor-warlord]

I'm willing to sell off the contents of my Magic binder, mostly stuff for commander/cube/casual decks; I'll charge 2/3rds of the price Scryfall lists (plus shipping), DM me for an inventory list

(I'm on Discord at Cryptovexillologist#8578)

[orb-warded-kor-warlord]

I'm willing to sell off the contents of my Magic binder, mostly stuff for commander/cube/casual decks; I'll charge 2/3rds of the price Scryfall lists (plus shipping), DM me for an inventory list

(I'm on Discord at Cryptovexillologist#8578)

[orb-warded-kor-warlord]

Nice to see Yorion go, since I think it's an especially bad Companion design - its condition actively works against playing a weird, constrained deck and towards "just play a heap of all the best ETB triggers in the format"

[orb-warded-kor-warlord]

Found some New Capenna cards in a grimy tunnel in the Chicago metro, which feels Apropos

[orb-warded-kor-warlord]

Between Unfinity and two back-to-back Standard sets pushing Magic's aesthetics as far afield as they've ever gone, I wonder if the waters are being tested for a black-border space opera set, and if so I have some Ideas and Hopes

Each color is associated with a different planet in a solar system, with multicolor cards being flavored as interplanetary travelers or space station residents

White: A harsh but beautiful land with vanguard scouts of a distant homeworld that has long since fallen silent, (midcentury NASA/Soviet Futurism aesthetics)

Blue: A gas giant with immense geometric structures perched in its atmosphere, full of deeply secretive astronomers who monopolize the secrets of FTL travel (70s-80s pulp paperback aesthetics)

Black: A half-shattered dwarf planet with precious and deadly minerals exposed, drawing pirates and profiteers (80s-90s grungy cyberpunk aesthetics)

Red: A craggy planet with impossibly huge canyons and mountains, with John Carter-y warrior cultures (30s pulp serial aesthetics)

Green: A planet like what we used to think Venus was, with sweltering jungles and overgrown megafauna (late 19th-century sci-fi aesthetics)

Mechanically, this could have a vehicles theme with rovers and spaceships, and a phasing-matters theme with mechanics like Warp (At the beginning of your end step, you may pay [warp cost]. If you do, this permanent phases out.)

It could also have sagas based on the history of astronomy, the Space Race, and various sci-fi classics (Race for the Stars, The Final Question, The Ninth Plan, etc)

Some sample designs:

Terraforming Node

2G

Artifact (Uncommon)

When ~ ETBs, rampant growth.

1, T: Add one mana of any color.

Rippling Ruin

3WW

Sorcery (Rare)

All permanents phase in. Up to one target creature or Vehicle phases out. Then destroy all creatures and all Vehicles.

[orb-warded-kor-warlord]

Kessig’s Hunger

2G

Sorcery (Uncommon)

Destroy target artifact, enchantment, or creature [with flying].

Cleave 1BG

Erdwal Bargain

1U

Sorcery (Uncommon)

Target player [draws two cards, then] discards two cards.

Cleave 2B

Stensia’s Summons

3B Sorcery (Uncommon) Return target creature card from your graveyard to the battlefield. It gains haste. [Exile it at the beginning of the next end step.]

Cleave 3BR

[orb-warded-kor-warlord]

Sword of Opal and Lead

(3)

Artifact - Equipment

Equipped creature gets +2/+2 and has protection from multicolored and from colorless. This effect doesn’t remove ~.

Whenever equipped creature deals combat damage to a player, target player sacrifices a multicolored permanent and you return up to one target colorless card from your graveyard to your hand.

Equip 2

Sword of Coal and Cosmos

(3)

Artifact - Equipment

Equipped creature gets +2/+2 and has protection from artifacts and from enchantments. This effect doesn’t remove ~.

Whenever equipped creature deals combat damage to a player, manufacture and apparate. (Create a token that’s a copy of an artifact token you control, then create a token that’s a copy of an enchantment token you control.)

Equip 2

Sword of Shimmer and Sulphur

(3)

Artifact - Equipment

Equipped creature gets +2/+2 and has protection from instants and from sorceries.

Whenever equipped creature deals combat damage to a player, exile all instant and/or sorcery cards from target player’s graveyard and copy the next instant or sorcery spell you cast this turn. You may choose new targets for the copy.

Equip 2

[orb-warded-kor-warlord]

Since it’s established now that “poorly-received set/plane + cyberpunk = beloved smash hit,” I eagerly await Ulgrotha: Neon Barony

[orb-warded-kor-warlord]

Potion designs (Artifact tokens with "2, T, Sacrifice this artifact: Put a +1/+1 counter on target creature. Activate only as a sorcery.")

I really liked how Eldraine had both nontoken Foods and a whole economy of other things to do with them, both of which I wanted to replicate here. I don't have many splashy Potion designs for higher rarities yet, though.

---

Apothecary Apprentice

G

Creature - Vedalken Shaman (Common)

When ~ enters the battlefield, create a Potion token.

1/2

---

Soaring Sipper

2U

Creature - Bird Shaman (Common)

Flying

When ~ ETBs, create a Potion token.

2/1

---

Backwoods Brewer

GU

Creature - Vedalken Shaman (Uncommon)

When ~ ETBs, create a Potion token.

2, T, Sacrifice a Potion: Put two +1/+1 counters on target creature. Activate only as a sorcery.

2/3

---

Alchemical Blaze

1RR

Instant (Uncommon)

You may sacrifice a Potion. If you do, ~ deals 5 damage to any target. Otherwise, it deals 3 damage to that target instead.

---

Cryptic Fumes

1U

Instant (Uncommon)

You may sacrifice a Potion. If you do, counter target spell. Otherwise, counter that spell unless its controller pays (1).

---

Liquid Courage

1G

Instant (Uncommon)

Target creature you control gets +3/+3 until end of turn. Then you may sacrifice a Potion. When you do, it fights another target creature.

---

Nourishing Brew

G

Artifact - Potion (Common)

When ~ ETBs, you gain 3 life.

(Potion text)

---

Clarifying Brew

U

Artifact - Potion (Common)

When ~ ETBs, scry 2.

(Potion text)

---

Voltaic Brew

R

Artifact - Potion (Common)

When ~ ETBs, it deals 2 damage to target player.

(Potion text)

---

Reprocessed Brew

---

1

Artifact - Potion (Common)

(Potion text)

Reclaim (3) ((3), Exile this card from your graveyard: Draw a card.)

[orb-warded-kor-warlord]

Some mythics of Kharkassakh:

Spire Hive

3WW

Artifact (Mythic)

At the beginning of your end step, create a 1/1 colorless Thopter artifact creature token with flying and put a charge counter on ~.

X, T, Remove X charge counters from ~: Create X 3/3 colorless Golem artifact creature tokens.

---

Fate Rewoven

4UU

Sorcery (Mythic)

Exile ~, then choose one:

-Take an extra turn after this one.

-Choose a player enchanted by three or more Curses. You control that player during their next turn.

---

Terminal Contract

1BB

Enchantment (Mythic)

If you would lose the game, instead exile ~ and the top ten cards of your library face-down, draw four cards, and your life total becomes 4.

6BB: You lose the game.

---

Tapestry of Slaughter

4RRR

Enchantment - Aura Curse (Mythic)

Enchant player

Whenever a player attacks enchanted player for the first time each turn, untap all attacking creatures. After this phase, there is an additional combat phase.

---

Transcendent Tiller

1GG

Creature - Vedalken Druid (Mythic)

~'s power and toughness are each equal to the number of different names among lands you control and land cards in your graveyard.

Whenever ~ attacks, sacrifice a land, then search your library for a land card and put it onto the battlefield, then shuffle.

---

Titan of Industry

6

Artifact Creature - Giant Artificer (Mythic)

Whenever ~ enters the battlefield or attacks, choose one:

-Create two 1/1 colorless Thopter artifact creature tokens with flying.

-Put two +1/+1 counters on target artifact creature.

-The next artifact spell you cast this turn costs (2) less to cast.

4/4

[orb-warded-kor-warlord]

Cycles of Kharkassakh (For Now)

Five wedge-colored legendary creatures (Mythic)

Five monocolored legendary creatures (Rare)

Five Desert-type enemy-color dual lands (Rare)

Ten splashy two-color cards (Rare)

Ten signpost two-color cards (Uncommon)

Five enemy-color hybrid creatures (Common)

Five monocolor Deserts that enter the battlefield tapped, tap for one color, and have Reclaim 3 (3, Exile this card from your graveyard: Draw a card.) (Common)

[orb-warded-kor-warlord]

Per request from @skxtyd - some design ideas for the Jeskai Artificers!

Mechanics: Artifact/Artificer tribal, Manufacture (Create a token that's a copy of an artifact token you control.)

Anisa, Artifex Maxima

URW

Legendary Creature - Human Artificer (Mythic)

Whenever an artifact enters the battlefield under your control, Artificers you control get +1/+1 until end of turn.

Tap any number of untapped Artificers you control with total power 10 or greater: You may put an artifact card from your hand onto the battlefield. Activate only as a sorcery.

3/3

---

Violet-Eyes, Quicksmith

2RR

Legendary Creature - Viashino Artificer (Rare)

First strike, haste

Whenever ~ attacks, manufacture. If a creature token is created this way, it enters the battlefield tapped and attacking.

4/2

---

Custom Order

4UU

Instant (Rare)

Create a token that's a copy of an artifact you control, then manufacture.

---

Citadel Podium

1WW

Artifact (Rare)

Artifact creatures and Artificers you control get +1/+1.

2W, T, Tap two untapped Artificers you control: Manufacture.

---

Assembly Line

1

Artifact (Uncommon)

When ~ ETBs, create a 1/1 colorless Thopter artifact creature token with flying.

5, T: Manufacture.

---

Walking Workshop

7

Artifact Creature - Golem Artificer (Uncommon)

~ can't be blocked by creatures with power 2 or less.

When ~ dies, create a 3/3 colorless Golem artifact creature token, then manufacture.

---

Chemistry Technician

1U

Creature - Human Artificer (Uncommon)

When ~ enters the battlefield, choose one--

-Create a Potion token.

-Manufacture.

1/3

---

Overhead Whir

2U

Sorcery (Common)

Create a 1/1 colorless Thopter artifact creature token with flying, then manufacture.

---

Factory Frenzy

2R

Instant (Common)

Manufacture. Artifact creatures you control get +2/+0 and gain trample and haste until end of turn.

[orb-warded-kor-warlord]

I've been playing with some ideas for a custom set, tentatively called Kharkassakh

The plane of Kharkassakh once held a magnificent, sprawling civilization until it all came crashing down. Nobody's quite sure how it happened, or how long ago it was, other than 'well beyond living memory.' Any clues to its history are either tightly censored or reduced to ash.

In the rubble of the old world, a multipolar cold war has emerged. No single power can conquer the wastes, so they either strike uneasy alliances or make themselves necessary as middlemen.

Mechanics

RWB: Curses (and punitive Auras in general)

GUR: Potion tokens (Artifacts with "2, T, Sacrifice this artifact: Put a +1/+1 counter on target creature. Activate only as a sorcery.)

WBG: Deserts

URW: Artificers, artifacts, and Manufacture (Create a token that's a copy of an artifact token you control.)

BGU: Graveyard synergy and Reclaim ([Cost], Exile this card from your graveyard: Draw a card.)

Which mechanic/faction would people like to see showcased first?

[orb-warded-kor-warlord]

I can try it! https://cryptovexillologist.carbonmade.com

I need a new icon.

Money’s not super great, but I can spend a little bit on something. If you’re an artist with an idea (and, hopefully, also play Magic), HMU and we can talk. Picrew can only do so much, y’know?

[orb-warded-kor-warlord]

Two riffs on red Spreading Seas/Blood Moon effects.