Cool Card Design of the Day3/28/2012 - There was a lot of interesting discussion yesterday about Oath to Raze, so I wanted to follow up. There were some readers who felt it could be cheaper at 1R or RR while others felt that even this nerfed Stone Rain would have a negative impact on Constructed formats where nonbasic lands are de-rigeur. I'm fascinated that Demolish at 3R doesn't begin to cause a problem where Stone Rain and Oath to Raze do/could, but ultimately there is a better solution to reach the goal I was aiming for.
George Gone suggested this card and I like it a lot because it is an effective answer to powerful utility- and man-lands that doesn't affect anyone's ability to cast spells. This can't reduce the amount of mana that your lands produce nor the type. It only prevents you from animating your Inkmoth Nexus or targeting it with your Kessig Wolf Run. Maybe this should cost 2R like Magus of the Moon, but since it has less impact I think RR is okay.Since Magus of the Moon was a callback to Blood Moon, maybe it also makes more sense to print this effect as an enchantment. If it warrants a callback years later, then Disgruntled Tour Guide can do his thing. It's awesome that these two versions are better than the other in different ways.
This might be the clearest templating, but I wonder about "Non-mana abilities of lands can't be played." Meh. You already know I'm not templating expert.
Damping Matrix provides the template:
ReplyDeleteActivated abilities of lands can't be activated unless they're mana abilities.
If you go with the creature version, can he still be a Magus. I think George's version was Magus of the Web -- so Magus of the Matrix?
ReplyDeleteGeorge made several card suggestions. I used the exact name of this suggestion, but it's clearly just a placeholder. You will notice I gave it the type wizard…
DeleteTechnically, it wouldn't be appropriate to name it Magus of the Matrix, as Damping Matrix specifically ignored lands. And Magus of the Web doesn't really work either, as Tsabo's Web prevented those lands from untapping, not from activating abilities.
DeleteIn conclusion, you guys shouldn't feel beholden to referencing an earlier card, as there actually isn't an earlier card to reference.
Yeah, but Magus of the Matrix sounds cool.
DeleteWhat if Blanket of Ash stifled triggered abilities as well? I know Valakut and Dark Depths are out of Modern right now, but if you're going to print a card, it might be worth chopping them as well (assuming they may be unbanned in the fullness of time). I suppose the net-damage to fetch-inundated formats is simultaneously unappealing.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, though, I don't find either of these cards to be particularly fun. (Though, that may not be their point.)
Does M13 have any lands with non-mana activated abilities?
ReplyDeleteIt does not. None of these cards will work for M13.
DeleteOh man you know what I just realized? Magus of the Moon says "mountain" on it! That would totally jive with the "hey basic lands are cool" setup of Bond/M13! Wouldn't that be fun?
DeleteFair enough.
DeleteAlso, Tom Lapille did a really good summery about why referring to "mana abilities" on cards is a pretty bad idea here: http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Article.aspx?x=mtg/daily/ld/153
In short: Some people think "mana abilities" are any abilities that cost mana.
Something to think about.
Also, remember "non-mana abilities" hoses cards like Evolving Wilds as well. That may be ok, but remember it may be a bit of a nasty shock for people who think of Evolving Wilds as "fair".
DeleteNich had proposed reminder text for what exactly constitutes a mana ability. Seemed clunky, but may be necessary.
DeleteIt is a bit awkward that this effect stops Evolving Wilds, but every simple effect is going to run into some unfortunate exception in a game this complex.
Yes, Pasteur, it looks Magus of the Moon is still our best bet for M13.
Maybe "mana abilities" can be rephrased as "mana producing abilities."
DeleteI love easy templating solutions. Nice one, Chah.
Delete"Activated abilities of lands can't be activated unless they're mana producing abilities."
Yeah, I like that. (Notice that technically it's not the same as "mana abilities", because mana abilities are defined in the rules to exclude abilities which target or use the stack, but also produce mana, but I don't think there ARE any of those abilities on lands, so it's easy to either ignore the difference, or update the rules so "mana producing abilities" means the same thing as "mana abilities")
DeleteI like Disgruntled Tour Guide a lot. The Evolving Wilds issue is a bit of a problem, but nonetheless he has far more effect on utility lands than on people who just want to cast their spells.
ReplyDelete(Off topic, I don't suppose there's anything you can do about the painful commenting system here? Having to type in a captcha for *every* comment *even when I'm signed in* is such a pain. I assume it's just Blogspot being irritating, but I don't know if there's some setting in the Blogspot control panel somewhere.)
I've turned off the captcha for the time being. For whatever reason it's either "on" or "off", with no ability to have it "on for anonymous comments" or some other logical and efficient anti-spam solution.
Delete"There were some readers who felt it could be cheaper at 1R or RR while others felt that even this nerfed Stone Rain would have a negative impact on Constructed formats where nonbasic lands are de-rigeur."
ReplyDeleteI sort of felt _both_ :) That is, 1R version is more elegant and probably not much more format-defining, but that in fact, using mana-screw to punish people with non-basic lands is possibly not the right answer.
Thinking it over, I think you came to about the right conclusion with Tour Guide. There should be a safety valve for Kessig Wolf Run, etc.
But it's probably not right to hose dual lands. Dual lands aren't "maybe people will play them". People ALWAYS play them, so if wizards wants to tone them down, they'll print fewer dual lands (thus toning down everything) not more hosers (which will make more matches depend on the luck of drawing them and risking forcing people to gamble on "the duals are sufficiently powerful I'll play them, and win, unless they're hosed, when I'll lose").
Since I'm used to playing casually, I have a lingering resentment to competitive decks that have so many good duals they basically don't worry about mana, because I'd _like_ to do that, but don't want to spend £10 per dual land :) So I'd LIKE something that hosed them, but I don't think it makes sense to have a complete hoser.
There should be an answer to utility lands, and Tour Guide seems a good answer. In fact, it could even be uncommon, because it doesn't win games outright, it doesn't color screw people, and it still lets people deal with the creature and then use their lands.
There may or may not be a place for a dual-land-hoser. I think wizards would prefer that people DID play with their lands, so it probably shouldn't be as black and white as stone rain (although I appreciate the elegance), but maybe something like "R. Instant. Deal damage to target creature equal to the number of dual lands its controller controls" so there's a downside to using too many duals, but you're not forbidden from doing it.
I love the creature version. It solves problems with troublesome nonbasics without the negative impact of helping make a dedicated LD strategy possible. Being a creature is the better option, here, because it will always at least be a Bear even if your opponent isn't playing any nonbasics with non-mana abilities.
ReplyDeleteThat's why I like Magus of the Moon. It certainly punishes dual lands more, but it also is less efficient so it shouldn't appear in maindecks as often.
DeleteAnother neat twist could be:
Moon Druid 1G
Creature- Elf Druid (R)
Lands are every basic land type.
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That also turns off "special ability" lands, while not hosing people for colors.
Duncan, I'm pretty sure that doesn't do anything to special abilities, as changing the type doesn't suddenly alter the text of the card. Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth just makes it so my Emeria, the Sky Ruin produces black mana and turns on my Sedge Troll.
DeleteThat's why Magus of the Moon specifically says nonbasic lands are Mountains, with no reference to the type-line.
I'm not entirely clear on this, but the difference between the wording on Prismatic Omen/Urborg from Blood Moon/Magus is "in addition to its other types". That's what allows it to keep its other abilities.
DeleteMagus of the Moon doesn't change the name of the card (Legendary lands still die), just replacing the type is enough to turn off the other abilities. Reminder text (They lose all other abilities) could be added to clarify this, but that's the way I understand the cards to work.
http://draw3cards.com/questions/6576/urborg-tomb-of-yawgmoth-vs-blood-moon
DeleteHere's the relevant rule:
305.7. If an effect sets a land's subtype to one or more of the basic land types, the land no longer has its old land type. It loses all abilities generated from its rules text and its old land types, and it gains the appropriate mana ability for each new basic land type.
Moon Druid 1G
DeleteCreature- Elf Druid (R)
Lands are every basic land type. (They lose all nonbasic types and abilities.)
2/2
How's this reminder text?
I love this solution too, btw.
Magus of the Tron - (3)
ReplyDeleteArtifact Creature - Wizard
Nonbasic lands are Urza's.
2/2
Hmmmmmmmmm?
Urza, Realtor of Dominaria
Delete1UR
Legendary Creature - Human Wizard
2/3
All your nonbasic lands are mine, assuming they're Urza's.
I think the problem we've reached with both these designs is that "Urza's" is a singular noun. What would be the plural? Urza'ss?
DeleteZero Wing 1UR
DeleteLegendary Creature- Cats
All your basic are belong to us.
"You have no chance to survive make your time."
2/3