Cool Card Design of the Day9/13/2012 - Prey Tracker is the result of this recent conversation. The first version is needlessly complicated but demonstrates my attempt to duplicate the ability to attack tapped creatures instead of players in Kaijudo. The main problem is the awkward wording, but even without that, we also lose something in translation: In Kaijudo, creatures with blocker can intercept any attack, even against one of your other creatures.
This is very similar to Axxle's Brawling Goblin:
Jack completes the general observation that the attack trigger is a bit confusing by proposing the effect in its simplest form. Like this:
I added the sorcery-speed clause because fighting at instant speed works differently than players expect. It's the same reason Prey Upon is a sorcery.
Is this simpler than an ETB guy? Something like:
ReplyDeleteFight Yeti
2RR
creature - yeti
When CARDNAME enters the battlefield, you may have it fight target creature.
3/3
The "ahah! I killed your guy in response to fight trigger, now it does nothing!" is sort of a problem; I'm not sure if it's worse here than anywhere else.
I think the "fight on ETB" is probably the simplest fight creature, and a good one. I assumed Jay meant, the simplest "creature which could attack another creature instead of a player".
DeleteTechnically, there's no such thing as the "combat step" - it's the "combat phase" divided into five steps. You'd need to make it tap "at the beginning of combat" (trigger) or "during the beginning of combat step (activated). An alternative would be to have it tap during the declare attackers step, so that cards like Gideon's Lawkeeper could stop it from "attacking."
ReplyDeleteEasy fix: "Activate this ability only during the beginning of combat step."
DeleteI like the sorcery speed activation better though.
Karplusan Yeti and Stalking Yeti would like a word with you. As would Durkwood Tracker and Living Inferno.
ReplyDeleteNightfall Predator means that this effect is fine at instant speed at Rare. See also Tahngarth, Talruum Hero and Vein Drinker.
We're not looking for a rare card though. And Stalking Yeti's not something that would get printed at common again.
DeleteIf you really want to duplicate the effect, you could go for the simple version:
ReplyDelete"Whenever ~ attacks and isn't blocked, you may remove ~ from combat. If you do, ~ fights target tapped creature." (The if statement allows it to still be affected by cards like Hollowhenge Spirit, etc.)
It gets more complicated if you want to select the attacked creature during or after the Declare Attackers step. For the sake of this this comment, I'm going to assume that you can attack hexproof creatures much like you can attack hexproof players (that also greatly simplifies templating, and makes the illusion interaction intuitive):
"Whenever ~ would be declared as an attacker, you may instead declare ~ as an attacker and choose a tapped creature controlled by defending player. If you do, whenever ~ isn't blocked this combat, ~ fights the chosen creature and deals no combat damage until the end of this combat phase."
The only time it gets any stickier than that is if the defending player has ways to block with a tapped creature, or if the timing of the fight trigger in relation to combat damage matters. However, I think that the text required to make the fight trigger happen during combat damage would be outrageously complex if done correctly.
Brawling Wall 1R
ReplyDelete"Whenever a creature attacks you, ~ fights it."
4/1
Neat design. I'd like to see a mana cost on the ability, though, for creating a few more "shields-down" moments.
ReplyDeleteMaybe cost the creature at 1G and have the ability cost G to activate? This also puts it in "strictly better Bear" territory, which is good uncommon space.
1G 2/2 that costs G,T: to use itself fighting seems like a plausible uncommon in comparison to Ulvenwald Tracker.
DeleteHowever, I guess that any card that gives you multiples opportunities to fight should be weighed against the push away from pingers at uncommon.
I figure Prey Tracker is probably going to kill itself in its first fight, since it'll probably be used to take out something meaningful.
DeleteI think you could stay true to the "this creature can only attack a creature directly instead of players" by using an attack trigger.
ReplyDeleteYou could even do so the creature doesn't even have the choice, which is worse in that it can't get in to hit the player but better in that it can't be blocked.
2G Prey Tracker
Whenever ~ attacks, it fights target creature instead.
2/2
Another option would be use tokens. This is what Ulvenwald Tracker would be if he was designed top down from his artwork! This might be overpowered as a 3 drop or at least need to be rare since there are ways to get extra value out of the creature token.
2G Bear Tosser
Whenever ~ attacks, put a 2/2 green bear token into play until end of turn. If you do, it fights target creature.
2/2
I think Trevor hit it here with "When ~ attacks, you may have it fight target tapped creature instead." Making it manditory is unnecessary, and it certainly doesn't need to only hit tapped guys. That feels pretty "Gruuly" to me, even if it's just one card.
DeleteAgreed. I would only add one thing:
Delete2G Prey Tracker
Whenever ~ attacks, you may have it fight target creature defending player controls instead.
2/2
While Bear Tosser is nearly Master of the Wild Hunt, I still quite like it. Definitely rare+.
Oh, yay, you quoted me.
ReplyDeleteWhat do people expect to happen with an instant-speed fight trigger?
Block (or attack with vigilance), giant growth (or not), tap and kill two creatures. Fight at EOT and in response to removal. Anyone who's played against Nightfall Predator knows how troublesome that is.
DeleteOh yeah, blocking and then fighting is ridiculous. I wish there were a better solution than "sorcery speed" which I always think is ugly, but I can't think of one.
DeleteI like jack's solution best. Sorcery speed is the best speed.
ReplyDelete