Thursday, October 2, 2014

Tesla: Breaking the Mould

It's been a while since I actually managed to get anything written about Tesla. A few weeks back we were looking for a different way to care about artifacts.

I'm not going to discuss every solution you offered here; you can read the comments for that. What I will do is cover some areas you proposed and discuss their merits and challenges.

Easy as Pie

AlexC proposed taking a step back and instead of focusing on artifacts, looking at colorless cards more generally.


In order to justify this level of comprehension complexity, the mechanic would need to hit more than just artifacts and lands, though those could certainly account for the bulk of the interaction. Clearly it plays nicely with Eldrazi, but also with Morph, some type of token we make colorless because every color makes them, or Ghostfire (which may well be preempted by Khans of Tarkir block). The idea doesn't really work with colored Mechs either, but if we forego that approach it's a nice way to support an artifact-heavy environment that creates different decks from those we've seen before.

Untapped Potential

The first suggestion took its cues from the more linear artifact mechanics Magic has seen thus far. It took us one step beyond the obvious in asking what artifacts are. The next area comes from asking another question: what do artifacts do?

As we discussed a week ago, there's not exactly a clear answer.

Are they colorless? We have Onyx Goblet. Do they tap? Just ask Carnage Altar. Then perhaps they have activated abilities. Obelisk of Urd. Or continuous impact on the board: Kaleidostone. Nevertheless, most artifacts have most of those qualities and it's not crazy to try to play into them. We could look for activations:

Tapping:



Or a combination of the two:

These mechanics are not without their challenges. It's not easy to make multiple Glue cards that you want to stick together, but still offer some incentive to cast them normally. Charged cards feel like they're getting worse. Artifactbond is every bit as texty and rules-intensive as Soulbond. Chain doesn't quite capture the Rube Goldberg feel it's going for. And Empowered shifts too abruptly in power level with each subsequent tapping artifact. Some of those we might be able to work with, while others are death knells, but all of them could use at another round of iteration before we move on.

Because I Said So

But an artifact mechanic can offer different incentives than Affinity and Metalcraft without needing to uncover some great truth about artifacts in general. It can just say it cares about artifacts.


Scrap comes from a long tradition of red "helping" artifacts, but it reads poorly to LSPs. Then again, less punishing versions tend to be more complex.


Of course those mechanics still push you towards jamming Memnites and Ornithopters into a deck. We could easily skew the opposite direction.


While we're at it, we could even address an underlying issue with artifact blocks: strong colorless cards end up as 4-ofs in every deck.


Jay Treat has even proposed we go really out there and forget putting artifacts in our decks altogether.


Again, we have work to do. Imbue makes awfully wordy commons. Prominence demands that we agree on a solution to the Converted Mana Cost problem in order to appear at common. Invent adds a bunch of text that rarely matters in limited and affects constructed deckbuilding, but rarely gameplay. Cobble confuses players about what they can and cannot get at home vs. at FNM.

None of this is meant to preclude any of the mechanics here. In fact, I like a lot of them quite well. But even if we use one of them as is we'll need to be cognizant of their weak points, and if we continue iterating these shortcomings are good places to focus our tweaking. For this week please design commons with mechanics that play well in a block filled with artifacts. The featured mechanics can be ones we've already discussed, tweaks to those, or brand new. In true Tesla spirit: let's get tinkering!

38 comments:

  1. This comment has been removed by the author.

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    1. Armed Brawler 1W
      Creature - Human Warrior (C)
      Augment 1 (When this comes into play, you may attach an Equipment card from your hand or in play with CMC 1 or less to this creature)
      2/2

      Tinker Rogue 2U
      Creature - Human Artificer (C)
      Resourceful - As long as Tinker Rogue has a permanent attached to it, it can't be blocked.
      2/2

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    2. If we're selling mechs as the center point of the set, some sort of equipment matters specifically might work as a mechanic alongside more general artifact mechanics (like the Leonin guys from Mirrodin). At least those have clear mechanical definitions.

      Dakari Renegade 1R
      Creature - Elf Warrior (C)
      Salvage (Whenever an artifact is put into a graveyard from the battlefield, put a +1/+1 counter on this)
      2/1

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    3. I put that on mostly red and green things in an artifact set, because a lot of Spellbombs/Wellsprings type stuff etc were common in that set, and the Limited format also had a lot of killing your opponent's artifacts.

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    4. Augment seems like fun when it works, but I have a hard time envisioning a limited environment it really works in. I guess we could try a lot of very cheap equipment with high equip costs.

      Resourceful definitely seems like a good fit for some sort of "taking advantage of new technology vs. being stuck in the past" flavor space.

      Salvage looks like fun, but I'm worried it will be hard to balance at common depending on the artifact density. Certainly something that we could test.

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  2. What about making Charged feel like it's getting better?

    Wind-Up Bouncer 4
    Artifact Creature - Construct (C)
    Power-Up (Whenever this creature becomes tapped, put a charge counter on it.)
    Wind-Up Bouncer has trample as long as it has three or more charge counters on it.
    3/3

    Volt Gifter 1R
    Creature - Goblin Artificer (U)
    Power-Up (Whenever this creature becomes tapped, put a charge counter on it.)
    Whenever Volt Gifter attacks, if it has two or more charge counters on it, it deals 2 damage to target creature or player.
    2/1

    It would necessitate not using +1/+1 counters in a set, unless we wanted to restrict it to artifact creatures, or even just noncreature artifacts.

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    1. This feels Outlast, but different in a sort of annoying way. You'd expect the counters to be +1/+1 counters, but then, the ability is too powerful. What if Power-Up is the Bloodshot Trainee ability as an ability word? So The creature just says "Power-up — As long as Wind-up Bouncer's power is 4 or more, it has trample." This makes it work great with pump effects, but also, Equipment and can go on the common creatures of the set.

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    2. The issue I have with Power-Up is that you're going to keep getting more counters that don't do anything. Perhaps they could do something like "Whenever a charge counter is placed on ~, if there are N or more, you may remove them all. If you do, DO X."

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    3. Or Valukut style,
      "Whenever a charge counter is placed on ~, if there are N or more, DO X."

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  3. How about a variant of Eldrazi Spawn or Gold tokens?

    "Put a colorless Battery artifact token onto the battlefield with 'Sacrifice this token: Untap target permanent.'"

    So you can build up your Batteries to "go off" on a turn with your lands or artifact mana, or to do other crazy things like play Nevinyrral's Disk or Mindslaver or Door to Nothingness and have it "go off" the turn you play it, or untap your attacks, etc.

    Plus, Inspired makes some thematic sense for a Steampunk world and this could enable that mechanic.

    It's probably just broken.

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    1. It seems to me that the "Rube Goldberg" mechanic wants to be a very Johnny-friendly thing, and untapping permanents seems to be the most generic Johnny think to take advantage of. The other is flickering. Untapping is more to do with artifacts than flickering, though.

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    2. I really like the idea here, but having things untapping left and right is going to cause way too much board complexity. Is this still interesting enough at Sorcery speed? I think so.

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    3. Ooh. This does seem interesting, even at sorcery speed. I like the idea of doing more Inspired triggers too - as you mention the name works rather well.

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    4. Did we dislike artifactfall=untap?

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    5. I like it if we can find enough NWO compliant activations, but not if it's almost always just Vigilance. Batteries have the upside of filling the Eldrazi Spawn role really well while still allowing for Johnny moments, but at this point I could see doing either.

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    6. I believe it was mostly intended for artifacts with tap abilities.

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  4. Leans toward transcendance, which is a subtheme the group has been less than enthused about, but based on http://goblinartisans.blogspot.com/2014/09/ccdd-092314setessan-stalwart-lady-of.html, and focusing on equipment over "global" artifacts…

    Governor of Winds {2}{U}
    Creature-Vedalken Scholar (cmn)
    Transcend — As long as CARDNAME has power greater than its base power, it has flying.
    2/3

    Thief of Death {1}{B}
    Creature-Human Rogue (cmn)
    Transcend — As long as CARDNAME has power greater than its base power, it has intimidate.
    2/1

    Scary Beast {2}{G}
    Creature-Beast (cmn)
    Transcend — As long as CARDNAME has power greater than its base power, it has trample.
    3/2

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    1. Transcend doesn't wow me, but I think it's solid. These are all good; I just want to reiterate what Jay already noted: we can't do P/T bonuses because players won't be sure what happens with the power boost when the original source goes away and moving equipment post-combat will cause feel-bad moments with toughness boosts going away.

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    2. I still like Transcend. It's a nice way to give players cookies for doing something they want to do already (equip their guys with equipment or use combat pumps on them).

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    3. For completeness only:
      "As long as another effect is increasing ~'s power or granting it an ability, ~ gets +2/+2."
      And by 'completeness,' I mean that we want to have considered all the possibilities and their costs.
      This wording allows us to use P/T boosts, or to key off of any boost a creature enjoys rather than just to P/T, but it's also pretty weird looking and uses a game term that usually hidden.

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  5. A lot of casual players build decks that meet the criteria of a real format, whether it's Commander, Standard, or Vintage. I believe 'most' but have no hard data, obviously. All of those, even Commander apparently allow for a sideboard. If we just explicitly use that term, it'll be instantly clear to all of those players, and the rest can ask "What's a sideboard?" and find out in ten seconds.

    Goblin Hobbyist {R}
    Creature-Goblin Artificer (cmn)
    When ~ ETB, cobble. (You may cast an artifact card from your sideboard. It gains haste. Sacrifice it at end of turn.)
    1/1

    Secretive Inventor {1}{U}
    Creature-Vedalken Artificer (cmn)
    When ~ dies, cobble. (You may cast an artifact card from your sideboard. It gains haste. Sacrifice it at end of turn.)
    1/2

    Ideate {U}
    Sorcery (cmn)
    Draw a card.
    Cobble. (You may cast an artifact card from your sideboard. It gains haste. Sacrifice it at end of turn.)

    Improvise {2}{R}
    Sorcery (cmn)
    Add {R}{R}{R}{R} to your mana pool.
    Cobble. (You may cast an artifact card from your sideboard. It gains haste. Sacrifice it at end of turn.)

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    1. I'm less convinced that most casual players adhere to a format, but it's certainly something I'd like more data on. Assuming that works, I like all of these except Secretive Inventor. It has a lot of potential to feel bad when it dies attacking or blocking and you can't get an artifact creature into combat. We also have had a lot of discussion of having sorcery-speed activations which enables more feel-bad when it dies at any other time.

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    2. I also am not at all convinced that "most" casual constructed decks are in a specific format. But I can get behind a mechanic that requires a deck to have a 15-card sideboard. Marginally fiddly, but not much more so than having a bunch of tokens or +1/+1 counters.

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  6. We could use artifactfall in the same thematic realm as Invent and Prominence.

    Blesser of Relics {1}{W}
    Creature-Human Cleric (cmn)
    Technophile — Whenever an artifact ETB under your control, gain 3 life.
    1/3

    Gadget Enthusiast {3}{B}
    Creature-Elf Shaman (cmn)
    Technophile — Whenever an artifact ETB under your control, put a +1/+1 counter on ~.
    2/2

    Power Converter {2}{U}
    Creature-Vedalken Wizard (cmn)
    Technophile — Whenever an artifact ETB under your control, add {1} to your mana pool.
    2/3

    Not terrible. Has to be stronger per trigger in Limited, but not so strong it improves the Modern Affinity deck.

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    1. Artifactfall is almost sure to do the job if we can't find something more fitting, but as discussed in the column linked at the top, I'm worried it will encourage decks too similar to those created by Metalcraft and Affinity. Certainly not identical, but if we get equally good gameplay with something with fresher incentives, I'd prefer that.

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  7. Flying Kettles 1U
    Enchantment - Aura
    Enchant artifact
    Animate (If CARDNAME enchants a noncreature artifact that artifact becomes a creature with power and toughness equal to its converted mana cost)
    Enchanted creature has flying.

    Watchful Guardian 1W
    Enchantment Aura
    Enchant artifact
    Animate
    Enchanted creature has vigilance.

    Curse of Life 1B
    Enchantment Aura
    Animate
    Enchanted creature gets -2/-2

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    1. Hoping this can make Johnny artifacts a little more interactive, and a little less dead when you don't have the combo. Also answers the question "how does black kill artifacts?"

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    2. There's something magical about Animate.

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    3. Another mechanic that demands that we make CMC work under NWO, but assuming we vault that hurdle it's really cool. My two remaining concerns are:

      1. Are we okay bleeding this ability into a bunch of colors?
      2. How confusing will this get with equipment?

      For the record, the rules don't allow a creature to be attached to another permanent (presumably to avoid unreadable board states), but that doesn't do much to help us if it's not intuitive to players and I seriously doubt that it is.

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    4. I could see this in a few colors, or all in the right set.

      Too awkward to specify "enchant non-equipment artifact"? Pretty awkward.

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    5. I don't think the nonbo with equipment can be expressed in rules text; players would just have to learn the interaction. It is a pretty complex mechanic from a rules perspective (I hope the layers work with setting something's power and toughness and then giving it -2/-2), but the play pattern shouldn't be too confusing.

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    6. If this was in a set that also had common equipment (as I'd expect it to be), it'd need the reminder text from Ensouled Scimitar, " (Equipment that's a creature can't equip a creature.)" But that's pretty benign. You could add it inside the Animate reminder text on commons and uncommons.

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    7. @AlexC wouldn't it be simpler to put the "Equipment that's a creature can't equip a creature" reminder text on Common and Uncommon Equipment in the set rather than the Auras with Animate?

      Or, we could be sneaky and include an Uncommon five card cycle of Ensouled Scimitar-riffing creatures with that reminder text the answers the question in case it ever comes up via Animate.

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    8. I think it's a very bad idea to put reminder text on the Strider Harnesses and Bonesplitters of the set saying "Equipment that's a creature can't equip a creature". That would just really confuse people if they /don't/ see any Animate cards. Either stick the reminder on Animate cards, on a tips & tricks card in boosters, or your last idea which is very cunning.

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    9. Animate (If CARDNAME enchants a noncreature artifact, that artifact becomes a creature with power and toughness equal to its converted mana cost. Animated equipment unattaches and can't be equipped.)

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  8. Outside the box:

    Consumer Culture (If you control no artifacts, search your library [or sideboard] for an artifact card, put it OTB, and lose life equal to its CMC.)

    The idea is that you (a) get something for having no artifacts; (b) stop having no artifacts as a result, requiring you to work to get back to zero; and (c) have some cost or limitation to what you get.

    Alternative execution:

    Improvise — If you control no artifacts, put a colorless artifact token named Scrap OTB, and then [effect].

    There are some weird implications to this idea, but if you want something /really/ different to do with artifacts, here's a jumping off point.

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    1. That's pretty cool. I'd play 3-4 spells or permanents with Consumer Culture if it meant I could pay 6 life to play a singleton Phyrexian Hulk from my sideboard whenever I cast them. Improvise really begs for a major sacrifice mechanic in the set though, because getting rid of a non-creature artifact token is significantly more challenging. What are the Scrap tokens used for? And how do you cost a spell with improvise? You have to assume the ability is costed into the card cost, because anyone could just play a single spell with Improvise in their deck. But that makes them very unappealing when the Improvise can't trigger. At least Consumer Culture is cost balanced with the life payment. Unlike other threshold mechanics, these both seem like they are very likely to not trigger during normal gameplay, meaning they'll take up space on the card for nothing.

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    2. I like this idea from a gameplay perspective, but I think the scrap token is going to feel hacky. It's more natural with an implementation like Consumer Culture. That said, I don't think we can fill decks with Tinkers, and Reanimate has shown this life restriction to be inadequate.

      Spitballing:

      Socialism (If you control no artifacts, reveal cards from the top of your library until you reveal an artifact card. Put that card into your hand and the rest on the bottom in a random order.)

      This still causes repetitive gameplay issues for decks looking for one specific artifact.

      Catalyst (Return an artifact you control to its owner's hand. If you do, reveal cards from the top of your library until you reveal an artifact card with a different name. Put that card onto the battlefield and the rest on the bottom in a random order.)

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