Designing for Johnny and Jenny

This article is the second of my three-part article series about designing for the Magic player psychographics. Check out the one about Timmy and Tammy, as well!

CCDD 042220 - Mutate and Defender

Jeremy's Cool Bird post had me thinking about other interesting designs that Morph opens up. I of course came up with the Jennyest of Jenny designs.

CCDD 022620 – Rouse the Rabble

I got inspiration from Divine Visitation, but I took it in a different direction.

CCDD 022520 - Reality Pillar

What do you do with a fun static ability that isn't worth a whole card? You could put it on a card anyway and cost it aggressively, but that might make it too swingy-- oppressive when it works, disappointing when it doesn't. You could put it on a creature, but that might change how it reads and plays. Or you could staple it to other kinds of effects. Cantrips are a popular example (e.g. Blood Sun) but depending on the context there might be better choices. With today's card I ended up taking an unusual approach.

CCDD 032317—Sorting Hat

Cool Card Design of the Day
3/23/2017 - Top-down Jenny strangeness.

CCDD 032813—Universal Twine

Cool Card Design of the Day
3/28/2013 - Dear Johnny, I know how you like wacky effects like Mind Bend, Artificial Evolution or overload that change the text of spells and let you do things no one ever intended or expected. Universal Twine does let you change how an entire class of cards works, but it really just makes them do more, rather than different.

I understand if you're mad that this card is for other people. But don't be mad at Spike or Melvin; they didn't even know you and I were together. Instead, be mad at me. I'm the one to blame. Even so, I do hope you'll be able to forgive me one day, because I still care about you. I always will.

CCDD 122012—Deep Contemplation

Cool Card Design of the Day
12/20/2012 - I'm guessing Deep Contemplation is broken in a couple combo decks and nearly unplayable in everything else. Of course, that's true for most cards made to be combo pieces.

Somewhere between Hatching Plans and Cloudshift, I can see this getting some decent use in Limited. Bounce an ETB creature so you can recast it with a cantrip attached. Maybe two if you're mad for value.