CCDD 011513—Pistolera Vs The Locals

Cool Card Design of the Day
1/15/2013 - The myriad of attack mechanics we came up with discussing Bloodcall inspired me that we must surely be able to find a combat mechanic for Frontier. Whether it's called Desperado or not, there must be something fun, new and Western. I still haven't nailed it, but today I share two executions of Cover, a mechanic meant to simulate the necessity to take cover when in a shootout.

This first version says that damage against your creature doesn't count unless your opponent pays to make it count. Once you get it, I think it makes enough sense, but reading it is confusing: "all damage that isn't paid for." Say what?

The second execution puts the onus on you, but makes sense as soon as you read it.

It's unfortunate that you have to pay instead of your opponent, but now you control whether the creature lives or dies. You also only have to pay enough to keep your creature alive. Four damage coming at your 3/3? Pay 2 and you're fine.

Guns in Magic
Now is as good a time as any to discuss guns in Magic as it relates to the Western genre. There's a general rule that Magic card art should never involve guns because they are too modern a technology and push Magic from Magepunk to Steampunk or SciFi. There have been exceptions over the years, but none that the Creative team will defend as good choices for mainstream Magic.

So we have three choices for Frontier: We can break that rule boldly and give our cowboy wizards some Winchesters; We can try to make the Western Magic set without firearms; Or we can give up entirely on the premise and never make Frontier. Whether the last option is correct or not, it's not an interesting choice for us because it doesn't challenge us. The second option is definitely a challenge; How do you express a genre while omitting it's largest motif? The first option doesn't require any fancy design solutions, but will require some impressive justification.

My gut says that guns won't ruin Magic and that the Western Magic set not only justifies but deserves guns. Magic is no way a traditional Fantasy IP. We've had Alpha Tyrranax, Gomazoa, Clone, Arcbound Crusher, Etherium Sculptor, Insectile Aberration, Phyrexian Digester and countless other flavor bleeds. The trick is that when Magic introduces a non-Fantasy concept, there's always a spin that makes it work. Guns could be wands with an ergonomic design. Guns could be the same magepunk technology that powers constructs and golems. Maybe instead of bullets, they fire darksteel pebbles, brimstone (or flowstone) or even the souls of the damned.

If we keep hard and fast with the no-guns rule, what does Frontier look like? We can still put gritty heroes in a dusty frontier, where the comforts of civilization have been prioritized after basic survival. We can still focus on the conflict between outlaws and justice, or the misunderstandings between settlers and natives. You lose a lot of the cowboy when you take away his ability to murder poker cheaters with a single action or for a gang to ambush the law in the middle of the street, but remember, we're not just taking the gun out of the Western, we're also putting Magic in. Quick, deadly Magic that perhaps everyone has easy access to.

Maybe that's our hook: Why sacrifice the comforts and safety of the city to venture into the wild desert? Haven't you heard? It's a Mana Rush! There's mana flowing through the veins of the red earth out there like home has never seen. And though you will have to fight for it, there's mana enough to make a lucky and hard-working prospector rich beyond their wildest dreams. And hey, even if you don't feel like digging in dangerous places for a chance at untold wealth, all those crazy prospectors are going to need a place to rest their head and a hot meal to eat. You've always wanted to open an inn, right?