Friday, January 10, 2014

Weekend [Art] Challenge 011014—Sturmkraft


Weekend Art Challenge
Click through to see this weekend's design challenge. Your final submission is due by Monday morning. Every submission warrants feedback, which I will try to provide, and which everyone is encouraged to provide as well. You may use that feedback to revise your submission any number of times. If and only if you provide a direct link to art for your submission, and the artist's name, will I mock it up and include it in a follow-up review.


Design an uncommon card for Sturmkraft. You may invent new creative or mechanical concepts, or modify existing ones, but try to stay true to the original idea, based on the four cards Havelock made. If you want your card mocked up for a review on Monday, include the artist's name and a direct link to a jpeg or png.

136 comments:

  1. Novice Mechanic 2R
    Creature- Human Rigger (Common)
    2/2
    When CARDNAME enters the battlefield, it assembles a Contraption. (Contraptions are artifact tokens with "Sacrifice this artifact: Add 1 to your mana pool".)

    One major design challenge that this set will face is including adequate support for the artifact-mana mechanic. At first I thought of using 'battery' tokens, but then I realized that calling them Contraptions would make them work with Steamflogger Boss.

    Feedback welcome and appreciated.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. What does it mean that the creature 'assembles' the contraption as opposed to having you put the contraption onto the battlefield?

      Delete
    2. Backwards compatibility with Steamflogger Boss is not anywhere on R&D's radar. A Battery makes way more sense thematically, and doesn't include the awkward "assemble" language.

      Delete
    3. You guys are right about the awkwardness of the wording. One possible way to go is to keyword the mechanic and assume that the Steamflogger Boss template is analogous to Renegade Krasis:

      Assembly (When this creature enters the battlefield, put a Contraption artifact token onto the battlefield with "Sacrifice this artifact: Add 1 to your mana pool.")

      Evan, your point is well taken. Part of me wants to back off and make them Battery tokens-- which is basically the same mechanically and, as you say, is much better in flavor terms. Another part of me wants to double down and make Contraptions that can have many different abilities (along the lines of the Splicers from Scars of Mirrodin):

      Tricky Rigger 2U
      Creature- Human Rigger (Uncommon)
      2/3
      Assembly (When this creature enters the battlefield, put a Contraption artifact token onto the battlefield.)
      Contraptions you control have "T: Target player puts the top card of his or her library into his or her graveyard."

      In any case, I'm unreasonably pleased with the fact that the Contraptions can be sacrificed to Remodel for an extra card. But I realize I'm close to the design trap of too much interaction, and if people want to talk me out of this I'm happy to listen.

      Delete
    4. In most cases, I'd say designing around Steamflogger Boss is more of a restrictions-breed-creativity exercise than a serious attempt at backward compatibility. In this case, though, you guys are right-- it just feels shoehorned in. Official update:

      Novice Mechanic 2R
      Creature- Human Artificer (Common)
      2/2
      When CARDNAME enters the battlefield, put a Battery artifact token with "Sacrifice this artifact: Add 1 to your mana pool" onto the battlefield.

      (Other possible names / concepts for the token: Gear, Coin, Gadget)

      Delete
    5. Art: http://th09.deviantart.net/fs70/PRE/f/2012/325/f/9/factory_worker_by_freshpaint-d5lr1c3.jpg

      Artist: FreShPAiNt

      Delete
  2. Clairvoyance Amplifier (common)
    0
    Artifact - Equipment
    Equipped creature has "T: Add 1 to your mana pool."
    Implant 0 (0: Attach to target creature you control. That creature becomes an artifact in addition to its other types. Implant only if this equipment isn't already attached and only as a sorcery.)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hugely complex for a common but could be a cool uncommon / rare! implant is interesting.

      Delete
    2. My inner Melvin loves the idea of keyword alternatives to 'equip' and 'enchant [thing].'

      I do have to wonder if that's better than just making regular equipment that also have

      Implant—Equipped creature is an artifact. If ~ is unattached, sacrifice equipped creature.

      Delete
    3. Your version does have the cool side-effect where Shattering someone's implants kills them, which has a neat Matrix-ish flavor to it. Unfortunately, it also turns implants into repeatable sac outlets, which isn't really a desirable effect.

      Delete
    4. Art: http://i.imgur.com/QE8yMA1.png

      Delete
    5. Also, this is uncommon now, per the revised rules. It's not like the design couldn't be.

      Delete
    6. I'll grandfather in anyone who submitted before I changed the rules, if they like.

      Delete
    7. Well, cool. What do you think? Paradise Mantle is uncommon. This is common, but only makes colorless (secretly artifact) mana.

      Delete
    8. But is Paradise Mantle uncommon for power reasons? Both require a creature. How much better of a mana rock is "T: Add one mana of any color" over "T: Add 1?" I think it's substantial. Accelerating by a mana is significant, but fixing at the same time enables 3-5 color decks where this really want to be in a 1-2 color deck.

      There's also the question of how much the set needs it. If we really want a lot of artifact mana sources, this should be common.

      Assuming Implant makes the cut at all, I'm not worried about this being too complex for common.

      Delete
    9. Given the Equip cost of Paradise Mantle and casting cost of Springleaf Drum, I'm pretty sure this needs to cost a mana somewhere.

      Delete
    10. I don't think "Equip, and equipped creature is an artifact" is worth keywording. It won't often be relevant, especially outside the context of the set, and it's easy enough to write it in directly.

      Also, I agree with Havelock: turning all your creatures into mana Elves is way too good for a 0-mana (or 1-mana) artifact, so this should cost 1 to equip.

      Delete
    11. Edit: I didn't realize that you can't re-equip the artifact with the current wording. That's very cool, and it pretty much nullifies my critiques above. I still think it should cost one mana somewhere, though (probably on the implant ability).

      Delete
    12. Paradise Mantle has Equip {1} because if it had Equip {0} you could just keep re-equipping it on each of your creatures to get mana out of each one.

      Springleaf Drum costs {1} because if it didn't you could play it and a one-drop on turn 1, then use its ability to immediately get another available mana, which is quite good. You can use the Drum to tap a creature with summoning sickness for mana.

      Clairvoyance Amplifier gives your creature a {T} ability so even if you do have a one-drop you can implant this on, you're still only gettting {3} on turn 2. It's good, but it's no better than Elvish Mystic, and it costs you a card more than the Elf by himself. Whether the Clairvoyance Amplifier should cost {0} or {1} is probably up to Development and how fast they want the limited environment to be. I think there's a decent case to be made for either.

      Delete
    13. I disagree on color pie grounds. Artifact acceleration shouldn't be anywhere near as good as Elvish Mystic. Getting to 3 mana on the second turn is one of green's most important abilities, and it should be really hard for other colors to accomplish.

      Delete
    14. Green can get to {1}{G}{G} on turn 2 with one card. With this, other colors can get to {3} on turn 2 with two cards. Is that not worse enough? (Compare to Paradise Mantle, which gets {1} and one of any color on turn 2.)

      Delete
    15. Real art:
      http://arjnekoijnovski.deviantart.com/art/Steampunk-eye-colour-360774954
      Artist: ArjneKoijnovski

      Delete
    16. I'm confused. Surely the comparison is not between {1}{G}{G} and {3}, but between {G}?? and {1}??, where the question marks denote whatever mana your lands produce.

      Delete
    17. My point is that getting {1} is *much worse* than getting {G} (though whether or not it's worse than ⚙ is dependent on how the set looks) and requiring *two* cards in your opening hand to pull it off is much harder than one. Paradise Mantle is closer to green's territory than this card, I think.

      Delete
  3. I really wanted to offer this, but it's clearly not common, even if it's printable. Which it also isn't.

    Broken Sol Ring {1}
    Artifact
    Sacrifice CARDNAME, {T}: Add {2} to your mana pool.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. funny i also wanted to submit an uncommon / rare

      Stoke the Furnace XRR
      Instant
      Remodel (As an additional cost to cast CARDNAME, you may sacrifice an artifact. If you do, reduce the cost of this spell by that artifact's converted mana cost and draw a card.)

      Delete
    2. Ant: Why would you ever not pick 0 for X?

      Delete
    3. What's funnier, that Ant forgot to write "CARDNAME deals X damage to target creature or player" or that my brain automatically inserted it?

      Delete
    4. My brain assumed that Ant's hypothetical set had a theme of "cast a spell with a big CMC to trigger other effects."

      Delete
    5. Does "Broken" refer to the fact that you only get one use out of it, or the fact that it gives you four mana on turn 2 with no color requirements? :)

      Delete
    6. great minds think alike i guess Jay. haha i did infact mean to add Deal X to target creature or player.

      Delete
  4. Junk Golem 5 (Common)
    Artifact Creature - Golem
    Junk Golem's power and toughness are equal to the number of artifact cards in your graveyard.
    Remodel (As an additional cost to cast CARDNAME, you may sacrifice an artifact. If you do, reduce the cost of this spell by that artifact's converted mana cost and draw a card.)
    */*

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You'll need a new name: http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=29997

      Delete
    2. Now that we are doing uncommons, I think I would rather go with:

      Stoke the Furnace XRR
      Instant
      Remodel (As an additional cost to cast CARDNAME, you may sacrifice an artifact. If you do, reduce the cost of this spell by that artifact's converted mana cost and draw a card.)
      Deal X damage to target creature or player.

      Delete
    3. I'd make this a sorcery. Putting remodel on Blaze is plenty upside for an uncommon fireball.

      Delete
  5. Shut Down 1B (1st Iteration)
    Instant
    Destroy target non-artifact creature.
    Destroy target artifact creature if (GEAR) was spent to cast CARDNAME.

    Naturally (GEAR) would be replaced with the gear symbol shorthand for 'mana from an artifact source.'

    I made mode 2 obligatory because it highlights a dichotomy between normal black magic and black magic that is fueled by artifacts. Another version which has a cleaner template and which plays the same 99% of the time, but is less overt in its flavor could be:

    Shut Down 1B (2nd Iteration)
    Instant
    Destroy target non-artifact creature.
    Destroy target creature if (GEAR) was spent to cast CARDNAME.

    This would give some players an 'ah-ha' moment, but would probably fly under a lot of people's radar as well as make the GEAR mana thing feel even more like kicker.

    The absolute simplest design which incorporates all the strengths and weaknesses of the others is probably:

    Shut Down (GEAR)B (3rd Iteration)
    Instant
    Destroy target creature.

    Which do you think is more suitable and why?

    IMAGE
    http://www.deviantart.com/art/Robot-soul-174353300

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Nice call on a gear being the symbol for artifact mana.

      I'm guessing design 1 and 2 are meant to have an 'instead' rather than killing two creatures for two mana?

      The last one is the most impactful and the right choice for common. If you were to make this uncommon (which I just errata'd this challenge to prefer), #2 would be the most exciting.

      That said, #1 makes me wonder, what if artifact mana is easy to get in this set, but using it sometimes has a small cost. Probably not feasible, but interesting to think about.

      Delete
    2. There's also a Unicode gear symbol: ⚙.

      I'm reluctant to have common spells (or perhaps any spells at all) that straight up require ⚙ mana to cast. I thought that restricting it to bonuses was one of the things Coldsnap got right.

      Delete
    3. Is that what that is? I just see the 'missing character' square.
      I will use {Snow} in the mockups, because I'm too lazy to hack MSE again.

      Delete
    4. Don't you worry that the Gear symbol and the Snowflake symbol look a little too similar?

      Delete
    5. Yes, it is meant to say 'instead.' They are modal given you have GEAR mana, not meant to kill two creatures. I got caught up in the visual symmetry.

      The one time I can see it coming up often enough to matter is when you are splashing for a third color off of Manalith and a late Prophetic Prism. I imagine there are designs (especially cards that cost more so that artifact ramp AND fixing can play a part) where you could make the two modes more drastically different and it would matter.

      A powerful six-drop creature that does two different things depending on what you use to cast it could matter in a world where you can only ramp with artifacts. The difference between a 6 and a 7 can be huge.

      Delete
    6. Possibly. As usual, I'm gonna punt this issue to our imaginary art director.

      Delete
    7. If it's meant to be modal, you probably want something like "If (O) was spent to cast this, destroy target creature. Otherwise, destroy target non-artifact creature."

      Delete
    8. "Choose one -- Destroy target non-artifact creature; or destroy target creature if {GEAR} was spent to cast this."

      You need it to be properly modal, otherwise it requires two targets even if one of them will always be irrelevant.

      Delete
    9. Destroy target creature if it's an artifact or if (GEAR) was spent to cast CARDNAME.

      Delete
    10. Shut Down 1B
      Instant
      Destroy target creature if it is not an artifact or if (GEAR) was spent to cast CARDNAME.

      Thank you for the help and feedback, I'm pretty happy with the final design.

      Delete
  6. I take it back, it's too early to focus on commons. Give me some interesting uncommons instead!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. And by 'early' I mean in this advanced-design-like exercise for a set that no one is promising to design or develop further.

      Delete
  7. Hotwire Goblin 2R
    Creature - Goblin Artificer (U)
    Whenever Hotwire Goblin boards a Vehicle, that Vehicle gains haste and trample until end of turn. At end of turn, sacrifice that Vehicle.
    3/1
    Flavor text:
    "It's just a little test drive! What's the worst that could happen?"

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I adore this card the way I do Goblin Test-Pilot. Awesome.

      Delete
    2. http://fc05.deviantart.net/fs23/f/2007/349/9/8/Flying_Postman_by_DoctorGurgul.jpg

      DoctorGurgul @ deviantART.com

      Delete
    3. This is adorable. I kinda want everyone on the vehicle to die too...

      Delete
  8. King Cog 3
    Artifact Creature - Gnome
    Gnomes you control have "Sacrifice this: Add 1 to your mana pool."
    1/3
    "A crucial part of any engine is an adequate supply of gnomes."

    Gnomes as expendable, recoupable clockwork cuties seem like a good addition to a steampunk-esque set. If there's already a lot of sacrificing going around, perhaps:

    King Cog 3
    Artifact Creature - Gnome
    T: Add 1 to your mana pool.
    Sacrifice a Gnome: put target artifact card from your graveyard on top of your library.
    1/3

    Or just: "At the beginning of your upkeep, return a Gnome card from your graveyard to your hand."

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This is awesome! A race of Gnomes called Cogs with a Sliver-like ability!

      Do their abilities form combos, or do they just provide options of which effect to sac them for?

      Delete
    2. I hadn't thought about all of them having a sliver-like ability! That might enhance the clockwork feel, but it also might be best as an uncommon cycle that you could build like pseudo-Stations.

      At common, I've been trying to figure out the best wording for Cogs that can be mana Myr while still being sufficiently different. There are a lot of options; the cleanest, most eggy is:

      Traurig Cog 2
      Artifact Creature - Gnome (c)
      1, T: Sacrifice CARDNAME: Add UB to your mana pool.
      When CARDNAME dies, draw a card.
      1/1

      But I'm confident there's a more fun way to make these fun and Remodel-fodder without giving you redundant/excessive card draw.

      Delete
    3. I was also thinking about straight-up functional reprints of the five common Myr. They're so perfect.

      Delete
    4. Or perhaps

      Cog Cronie 2
      Artifact Creature - Gnome (c)
      T: Add 1 to your mana pool.
      1/1

      if there's enough reason for most artifact mana to be colorless.

      Delete
    5. To make them act like cogs, maybe they can have an ability like "Cogwork (Whenever this becomes tapped, you may untap an artifact with lesser converted mana cost.)"

      Delete
    6. Cogwork! It's so simple. Love it.

      Delete
    7. Something like:

      Cog Grinder 1
      Artifact Creature - Gnome (c)
      T: Mill for 1. You may untap target artifact with converted mana cost 0.
      1/1

      Cog Grinder 3
      Artifact Creature - Gnome (c)
      2, T: Discard a card, then draw a card. You may untap target artifact with converted mana cost 2 or less.
      2/2

      Delete
    8. The Big Cog 3
      Artifact Creature - Gnome (R)
      Indestructible
      Whenever an artifact you control becomes tapped, put a +1/+1 counter on ~.
      ~ can't attack or block unless its power is 10 or greater.
      3/3

      Delete
    9. I had been thinking of a lot of sacrifice and returning triggers to play off the Bottle Gnomes sort of flavor, but it might be better off focused on tapping/untapping instead. It's definitely much more clock/cogworky that way.

      Silberne Cog 2
      Artifact Creature - Gnome
      T: Add U to your mana pool.
      1/1

      Works well, isn't broken, contributes 3 to Remodelling, and likes to be untapped. Karoo-myr and Signet-myr would both be interesting to try out, but honestly are a lot more complicated to play with, which might not be worth it. I probably wouldn't do Cog Cronie, just because a cycle of five commons would really help ⚙ have a foundation.

      Delete
    10. King Cog 3
      Artifact Creature - Gnome (u)
      T: Add 1 to your mana pool. You may untap target artifact with converted mana cost 2 or less.
      Sacrifice an artifact: Untap CARDNAME.
      1/3

      This is probably ridiculously broken, especially at uncommon, and it would be nice if it was good for something other than piles of mana, but I wanted to get some cogwork creature with "Sacrifice an artifact: Untap CARDNAME" in before the deadline.

      Art: http://www.mattdixon.co.uk/blog/ClockworkGnome.jpg , by Matt Dixon

      Delete
    11. Heh. That's the exact art I had selected for a cog I was working on.

      Delete
  9. I spent a bit a time thinking about how Green fits into this world. My first idea was a vast mold network that has been draped on automatons so they can take advantage of the fungi unified intelligence. This would been green creatures with the GEAR mana activated abilities.

    From that I moved onto Remodel and came up with this concept.

    Hull-Eater Slug (Uncommon)
    3G
    Creature - Slug
    2/5
    Flash
    Remodel (As an additional cost to cast CARDNAME, you may sacrifice an artifact. If you do, reduce the cost of this spell by that artifact’s converted mana cost and draw a card.)
    Before a Luft can unmoor for departure, goblins are sent to clear the cables of slugs.

    with art:

    http://digital-art-gallery.com/picture/15786

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I love this mold hive mind idea!

      Manacharge Byte G
      Artifact Creature - Fungus (Common)
      T: Add G to your mana pool.
      1/1
      Flavor text:
      Bytes, the lowest-ranking members of The Creeper, are tasked with the construction and maintenance of the ever-growing plant.

      Creeper Matriarch 2GG
      Artifact Creature - Fungus (Rare)
      Fungus creatures and Saproling creatures you control get +1/+1.
      {GEAR}{GEAR}GG, T: Put a token that's a copy of another target Fungus creature you control onto the battlefield.
      2/2

      Delete
    2. If we're going to put remodel on non-artifacts, red has to make the most sense, followed by green, right? Both trump the other three by a good bit, no?

      If so, I like this a lot.

      Delete
    3. My official entry is the slug, but here's a fungus idea for fun.

      Defense Nodule (Uncommon)
      GG
      Creature - Fungus
      3/3
      Defender (This creature can’t attack.)
      (GEAR)(GEAR)(GEAR), T: CARDNAME fights target creature an opponent controls. ((GEAR) can be paid with one mana from an artifact permanent.)
      “The mold network is ready defend, and I am ready to tell it who its enemy is.”
      -Security Marshal Kreiger

      Delete
    4. Defender and fight together on a green card. Hang on, I've got to add something ...unrelated... to my CCDD file.

      Delete
  10. We could (rip off) innovate Theros somewhat:

    Razorsharp Automaton
    4
    Artifact Creature - Construct (U)
    First strike
    Suit up 4 (4: Attach to target creature you control. It's an Equipment. It becomes a creature again if it's not attached to a creature. Suit up only as a sorcery.)
    Equipped creature gets +2/+2 and has first strike.
    2/2

    My idea is something like the robo suit used at the end of Alien, though I can't find a clean enough picture to mock it up with.

    But yeah, it's a creature, then an equipment. Reverse living weapon/artifact bestow. I don't imagine this reminder text works too well with commons. Feedback appreciated as always.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kind of a reverse Haunted Plate Mail-- interesting. This strikes me as doing a lot of the same things that Board does, though, and we don't want to step on its toes.

      Delete
    2. Could the wording involve:
      "It becomes a non-creature Equipment artifact as long as it's equipped to that creature"

      Delete
    3. This is really strong. Better than living weapon or bestow by a good bit. Not a deal-breaker at all, just saying.

      Delete
    4. Yeah, if we're sticking with board, this is probably not the set for suit up.

      I'm cool with that wording. It's gonna be some long reminder text. I imagine this isn't a common ability.

      I'm also fine with it being strong. We can cost it safely (go developers!) like scavenge. It might read bad but play well.

      I might try making a different card.

      Delete
    5. This can be like the opposite of Living Weapon! Living Weapon cards had high cost to counterbalance the card advantage. This one can enter the battlefield early with a low cost, but have a very high suit up cost. It's powerful in that it's reusable, but it's not straight-up card advantage; it's more like a Banding that requires a cost. I'm sure it's possible for development to balance it.

      It seems like a good way to create the feel of a technological battle-suit, or a voltron robot. But I agree that having both Suit up and Board might be too many attachments.

      Delete
  11. Archetypal Builder [2GU]
    Artifact Creature – Golem Artificer [uncommon]
    Tap an untapped artifact you control: Add 1 to your mana pool.
    1/3

    The idea behind it is that the Green/Blue draft archetype is "use artifacts to ramp mana into something ridiculous" so this guy turns all your artifacts into lands, allowing you to easily power any of the "artifact mana" abilities that may pop up in the set. He's got low stats so that you don't feel bad for not attacking with him but also easier to remove if he gets out of hand. I phrased the ability this way since the "Tap" ability would look weird: He wouldn't be able to tap for mana since he's a creature and doesn't have haste, but your equipment card would. This way, he can start tapping artifacts straight away in a consistent way, regardless of whether they're creatures or not.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Good call on the ability templating. This strikes me as being a lot like Grand Architect, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. One minor note-- the card doesn't feel green to me, either thematically or mechanically.

      Delete
    2. The original template was "T: Add 1 your mana pool." then gave that to other artifacts, making it more like an Elf. You are quite right, now it looks much more mono-blue than I thought at first. Hmm. Got a solution?

      Delete
    3. More like {3}{G}. What's blue about producing heaps of mana?

      Delete
    4. Blue is the color that makes mana for/from artifacts.

      Delete
    5. That doesn't make sense to me. Vedalken Engineer/Grand Architect seem like they're perpetuating an Apprentice Wizard myth - even if they're not broken, this just isn't something blue should be doing.

      Delete
    6. That always seemed odd to me too.
      {4}?

      Delete
  12. Life Gear
    Artifact
    1, T: Gain 1 life.
    Feed-in (You may play this fed in by another artifact you control. Whenever that artifact becomes tapped, untap this.)

    Steamflogged Tinkerer 2R
    Creature - Goblin Artificer
    2/1
    When Steamflogged Tinkerer enters the battlefield, it assembles a Contraption. (Put an artifact card you own from outside the game with converted mana cost 2 or less onto the battlefield. Exile that card any time you don’t control Steamflogged Tinkerer.)

    (Assemble cards could always fetch cost 2, or it could fetch 1 less than the assembler's cost, in which case I should add a number like Soulshift)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Cost of Life Gear is 1, and is Common.
      Tinkerer is Uncommon.

      Delete
    2. The credits for Feed-in is jumbled: It's very similar to Jay's Jury-Rig. http://goblinartisans.blogspot.jp/2013/03/ccdd-031213jury-rig.html But I had been thinking of posting an idea about merging artifacts in a similar vein and was surprised when Jay posted his just as I was thinking about posting my version.

      Delete
    3. Feed-in gives me a headache, but might turn out to be a lot simpler in practice than I'm thinking. There's also a good demographic of Magic players who will really appreciate being able to build a machine, and hitting that can be worth some complexity points.

      This may not be the ultimate solution to Contraptions, but I think it's the best one I've ever seen so far. It concisely avoids a lot of problems, and is splashy to play with and design around.

      Delete
    4. Feed-in is shorter than jury-rig when you factor in all the requisite parts, and could still be pretty interesting. My only concern is the feel-bad of not being able to cast your card early or not being able to feed-in to it.

      I agree that Steamflogged Tinkerer is the best contraption solution I've seen. I'm inclined toward the variable version. Do we really need to worry about Mind Control?

      Delete
    5. But what you're doing is not "assembling a contraption," you're putting an artifact onto the battlefield. If Steamflogger Boss were never printed, no one would never pick that awkward language for what's going on here.

      Feed-In is a large amount of on-board complexity for what I'm not sure is a lot of interesting gameplay. Constructing Rube Goldberg machines (to what, gain life?) is not what I think we want Magic players to be doing at common.

      Delete
    6. As an aside: I think the lesson from Kamigawa's Arcane is that if you have a new mechanic that relies on parasitic interactions with another new mechanic to be truly useful, you wind up with inconsistent, unsatisfying play.

      "Combine two effects to do something even better" is great design territory, but the standard we should be shooting for linear deckbuilding are mechanics like Heroic (works with *any* targeted spell!) or Soulbond (works with *any* other creature!) or Metalcraft (works with *any* artifacts!)

      Delete
    7. Edit: Metalcraft is a poor example, since it's not really about combining the Metalcraft effect with another effect. But Heroic and Soulbond both work really, really well.

      Delete
    8. Changing this to a Rigger. The "as long as you control" might as well be "as long as ~ is on the battlefield" to be clearer.

      Delete
    9. @Evan
      1) The fetching aspect can feel like inventing a solution to a situation. If there were an artifact-fetching tutor card for example, I would have no hesitation to name it with an inventing flavor.
      2) It can feel more like McGuyvering on cards like "T, Exile an artifact card from your graveyard: Assemble a contraption"
      "Sacrifice an artifact: Assemble a contraption" or "Discard an artifact card: Assemble a contraption"
      3) If the set has mechanics where you want to combine artifacts, such as the Mecha mechanic, you often end up assembling multiple pieces. Unfortunately it doesn't work well with feed-in since they both require tracking linkages between cards, but it's too early to write off finding some such artifact-combining mechanic that does work.

      Delete
    10. @Evan part2
      Feed-in isn't parasitic. I imagine plays like attaching the Life Gear to a 2/2 artifact creature flyer, making your own Sun Droplet. It should be very exciting to formulate these combos on the fly in Limited.

      These should probably all be only activated as a sorcery though, to combat board complexity. Also, the more I think about it, the type of repeatable effects that aren't broken when activated multiple times in a turn tend to be ones that should be limited to sorcery speed, such as granting +1/+1 or flying until end of turn.

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    11. Art for Steamflogged Tinkerer:
      http://feliciacano.deviantart.com/art/Tinker-Imp-for-Talisman-181407624

      Art for Life Gear:
      http://ranarh.deviantart.com/art/Red-swamp-296579546

      Delete
    12. I've also been working a similar mechanic to Feed-in, though I don't presently have access to the exact wording I was using I'd ended up with something wordy like this:

      Cog (Whenever ~ becomes tapped and doesn't have an input, you may have target non-input artifact become it's input. Whenever this card's input becomes tapped, you may activate one of this card's abilities without paying mana.)

      With activated abilities like
      {1}, {T}: Gain 1 life.
      or
      {4}, {T}: Draw a card.
      so that you can add to the chain on one end and drive down the cost on the other. The gameplay adds much less complexity than an untapping version while still having a Rube-Goldberg feel, but I fear it's too texty to print.

      Delete
  13. Ubergolem ⚙⚙⚙
    Artifact Creature - Golem (Uncommon)
    (⚙ can only be paid with one mana from an artifact permanent.)
    Artifact research 4 (4, Discard this card: Reveal cards from the top of your library until you reveal an Artifact card. Put it into your hand and the other revealed cards on the bottom of your library in random order.)
    5/4

    This is meant to be the Woolly Thoctar/Leatherback Baloth of the set. It also showcases my new mechanic for the set, a Cycling/Cascade mix I'm proud of. What do you think?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. art: http://www.deviantart.com/#/art/Golem-415185946?hf=1
      by Nele Diel http://nele-diel.deviantart.com/

      Delete
    2. I'd be curious to see just how big Development ends up making him, based on the availability of artifact mana in the set. I would definitely want research (or some cycling mechanic) on any cards with more than one ⚙ in the mana cost, if not more than zero.

      Research seems solid. Makes sense it costs more than 2. 4 seems like a lot, but might prove fair.

      Delete
    3. This card has weird tension. Gear mana wants to be in a deck with lots of artifacts, but artifact research wants to be in a deck with as few artifacts with different names as possible (to ensure you always get the 'right' one).

      An undercosted vanilla with only gear mana in its cost would be interesting, ala Myr Superion/Fusion Elemental. Not sure whether it would be more appropriate at uncommon or rare.

      Delete
  14. Goblin Tank Storage {2}
    Goblin Artifact

    {T}: Add one mana of any color to your mana pool for each vehicle you control

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Flavour text
      [Nobody knows how they can pile tanks so well.]

      Delete
    2. Welcome!
      Tribal, eh? What do you imagine justifying the use of tribal in this set?
      Mechanically, this seems solid. Not sure I get the flavor of vehicles helping this produce mana, though.

      Delete
    3. Why not make this a Vehicle itself so it's never a dead draw?

      Welcome!

      Delete
    4. Welcome! So many new people recently it seems.

      I second what's been said.

      Delete
    5. hello hello,
      well about making it a vehicle is a good idea actually but maybe I'd add one mana to the cost (so {3} instead of {2} ) ... about the tribal... well I can't imagine a tank without a goblin driving it, but actually it's a bit out of theme...
      And the flavour... well it's just a joke about goblins parking a tank...

      Delete
    6. Sorry, I wasn't questioning the flavor text; I was trying to figure out what kind of artifact gets better at making mana when you have more artifacts.

      If you make this a vehicle, it'll need a board ability.

      Delete
    7. No need to be sorry. I'm always glad of any opinions.
      I don't like making it a vehicle, but I make this add so you can use it even if you have no vehicle on the battlefield

      Goblin Tank Storage {2}
      Goblin Artifact

      {t}: Add {1} to your mana pool.
      {t}: Add one mana of any color to your mana pool for each vehicle you control

      [Nobody knows how they can pile tanks so well.]

      Delete
    8. Wizards considers the tribal type (which is required if you want a Goblin artifact) to be a mistake. The flavor comes through from the name; I would have this just be a regular artifact.

      Delete
    9. Even if they weren't down on Tribal, I'm not convinced this is remotely goblin-y enough for effects that count your goblins or target them.

      Delete
    10. you may have a point... from a goblin artifact I could expect somethung like

      "add one mana of any color for each vehicle boarded by a goblin"

      or something similar... so it's better to delete the Tribal...

      Goblin Tank Storage {2}
      Artifact

      Tap: Add {1} to your mana pool.
      Tap: Add one mana of any color to your mana pool for each vehicle you control

      Delete
  15. Looking for a mechanical identity for ⚙; I think creatures you can untap could be an interesting feel.

    Powersuit Paladin
    {2WW}
    Creature - Human Knight (uncommon)
    ⚙: Untap Powersuit Paladin.
    ⚙: Powersuit Paladin is indestructible until end of turn.
    3/3

    Art:
    http://game-insider.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/white_knight_chronicles_jedineka.jpg
    by by Level-5 and SCE Japan Studio

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Depending on the commonness of artifact mana, this could be perfect or absurd. Decent flavor.

      Delete
    2. Repeatable on-board indestructibility on a 4-drop uncommon is just absurd.

      I want to see more of the power and less of the suit here. What's special about this that isn't just really good armor?

      Delete
    3. Hm, good points. I thought about the activated ability letting it block additional creatures, but couldn't find a card I liked with that ability.

      I'll have to think about something more special, since I'd like the gear cards to be exciting.

      Delete
    4. Maybe it's an artifact with:
      {Snow}: Artifact creatures you control get +1/+1 until EOT.

      Delete
  16. Devious Bountyhunter 2BB
    Creature- Human Assassin (U)
    Inspiration- When Devious Bountyhunter becomes untapped, target creature gets -2/-2
    2/3

    Art: http://31.media.tumblr.com/4797645bf1a7fa1b2c3dfe1b70740c37/tumblr_myuawdozhS1s00opgo3_1280.jpg
    by Bjor Hurri

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Boba's awesome, but what role does inspiration serve in Sturmkraft?

      Delete
    2. Creatures are boarding battle cruisers, don't you want to know what they do when they get off?

      Delete
    3. In some ways inspiration makes much better sense in Sturmkraft than on Theros, since it could be re-concepted to have a mechanical "starting-up" flavor. I also think that inspiration itself has a lot to prove gameplay-wise, but that's a discussion for another day. Here, it's a very reasonable use of a solid mechanic. (Though, looking at the art, I kind of want this to gain flying as part of its inspiration ability.)

      Delete
    4. More serious answer: Inspiration fulfills both a flavorful role and a mechanical role in the set. First, to flavor. While on Theros inspiration is capturing that "Eureka" moment, Sturmkraft is a world of Steampunk artifice. Inspiration here is what the scientists and creators of the world do, it's the inspiration of an industrial age.

      Mechanically, inspiration plays well with several of the themes of the set. Board is the most obvious synergy, and by giving creatures a noncombat method to tap you really enable innovation strategies. If you look at other suggestions on this page, you'll see that other methods for tapping creatures to power machines is a natural impulse and a place the set wants to go. Mechanically, a nice thing that seperates this from Theros is that on Theros the "philosophical thinkers" are Blue and White, while i envision a more mechanical plane would have inspiration in URb.

      Delete
    5. Wow. Looking at the BoG spoilers, it seems you were very "inspired!"

      Delete
  17. Ruby Tinkerer 2R
    Cre- Human Artificer (u)
    When CARDNAME enters the battlefield put an artifact token that counts as a trinket onto the battlefield.
    (O): Until end of turn, trinkets you control have "T: This artifact deals 1 damage to target creature or player."
    1/1

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. http://th07.deviantart.net/fs70/PRE/f/2013/114/5/7/blacksmith_by_txusjfuentes-d62ul3g.jpg

      Artist: Txusjfuentes

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    2. This is part of a cycle, possibly a minor sub-theme for the set? I really couldn't care less what the activated ability ends up doing. The point is the trinket.

      Delete
    3. I like the trinket idea, if there's a way to make sure it has sufficient support. I mentioned a similar idea in the comments under my own design, above. Other things equal, I'd kind of like this guy to be a Rigger and make Contraptions, but opinion is divided on whether this is a good thing for design to do (again, see the discussion above).

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    4. I didn't have time to read all of the other cards, but I finally saw what you were talking about. Pretty darned similar.

      Take 2 (Using the same art)

      Hammer Blow 3R
      Sorcery (Unc)
      Until end of turn, target creature gains double strike and has "Whenever this creature deals combat damage to a player you may destroy target artifact that player controls."

      Delete
    5. Neat, and quite flavorful. I'd kind of like to see it be an instant or cost less, but that's more of a development thing.

      Delete
    6. Hammer Blow seems really cool.

      Delete
  18. Ashfurt Recruiter 1W
    Creature-Human Soldier (U)
    Whenever CARDNAME becomes tapped, put a 1/1 white soldier creature token onto the battlefield.
    1/1

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Please use the figure in this art: http://www.komarckart.com/cov_22.jpg by Michael Komarck

      Delete