And now to live the dream of copying Flametongue Kavu. I'm also interested in how you decided to go for this version as opposed to a more expensive one that can copy anyone's creature closer to Evil Twin.
While you can balance anything by increasing the cost (to a degree—see Emrakul), that shouldn't be the first thing we try. If you can copy any creature, then this is just a Mind Control that's less effective against creatures with high toughness. At this lower cost, we have an effect that can still be a two-for-one, but you have to work for it, and it's not guaranteed to always do the same thing. Given the choice, I think the latter design is better for the game.
I doubt it's just Mind Control: You'll often have the best creature. That said, your point is valid that you probably get more diversity of gameplay with the ability to copy fewer things.
Unrelated to the quality of the design, I wonder if part of the reason we haven't seen this type of effect is that it has to be worded so awkwardly since the card won't actually have the etb ability by the time it would trigger.
Fiery Likeness UURR Sorcery R Put a token onto the battlefield that's a copy of target creature you control. Fiery Likeness deals damage equal to its power to target creature or player.
If Black gets Evil Twin and Red gets this, then I wonder what Green and White get.
Subsuming Spirit - UUWW Creature - Spirit Shspeshifter (R) 0/0 You may have ~ enter the battlefield as a copy of any creature on the battlefield. Exile that creature. When ~ leaves the battlefield, return the exiled card to the battlefield under its owner's control.
Sliming Mime - GGUU Creature - Ooze Shapeshifter (R) 0/0 You may have ~ enter the battlefield as a copy of any creature on the battlefield. Whenever ~ attacks, you may have all attacking creatures become a copy of ~.
Spellform - UURR Creature - Weird Shapeshifter (R) Flash You may have ~ enter the battlefield as a copy of any creature on the battlefield. When ~ enters the battlefield, copy target instant or sorcery spell. You may choose new targets for the copy.
Cool Card Design of the Day
/thumbs up
ReplyDeleteAnd now to live the dream of copying Flametongue Kavu. I'm also interested in how you decided to go for this version as opposed to a more expensive one that can copy anyone's creature closer to Evil Twin.
ReplyDeleteWhile you can balance anything by increasing the cost (to a degree—see Emrakul), that shouldn't be the first thing we try. If you can copy any creature, then this is just a Mind Control that's less effective against creatures with high toughness. At this lower cost, we have an effect that can still be a two-for-one, but you have to work for it, and it's not guaranteed to always do the same thing. Given the choice, I think the latter design is better for the game.
DeleteThis is a good point; probably more than 80% of the time, you want to copy their biggest guy and then kill it.
DeleteUURR is pretty ugly; maybe 1UUR or 3UR?
I doubt it's just Mind Control: You'll often have the best creature. That said, your point is valid that you probably get more diversity of gameplay with the ability to copy fewer things.
DeleteUnrelated to the quality of the design, I wonder if part of the reason we haven't seen this type of effect is that it has to be worded so awkwardly since the card won't actually have the etb ability by the time it would trigger.
Surely there's a way around the clunky wording.
DeleteSomething like making it a sorcery?
Fiery Likeness UURR
Sorcery R
Put a token onto the battlefield that's a copy of target creature you control. Fiery Likeness deals damage equal to its power to target creature or player.
Nice!
DeleteIf Black gets Evil Twin and Red gets this, then I wonder what Green and White get.
ReplyDeleteSubsuming Spirit - UUWW
Creature - Spirit Shspeshifter (R)
0/0
You may have ~ enter the battlefield as a copy of any creature on the battlefield. Exile that creature.
When ~ leaves the battlefield, return the exiled card to the battlefield under its owner's control.
Sliming Mime - GGUU
Creature - Ooze Shapeshifter (R)
0/0
You may have ~ enter the battlefield as a copy of any creature on the battlefield.
Whenever ~ attacks, you may have all attacking creatures become a copy of ~.
This makes me want to see a fork variant.
ReplyDeleteSpellform - UURR
Creature - Weird Shapeshifter (R)
Flash
You may have ~ enter the battlefield as a copy of any creature on the battlefield.
When ~ enters the battlefield, copy target instant or sorcery spell. You may choose new targets for the copy.
Very nice.
DeleteWhy is this {U}{U}{R}{R} instead of {2}{U}{R}? Solid design, though.
ReplyDeleteI like it though the wording is slightly off.
ReplyDeleteAlso, George, that UUGG needs to say "and has [SECOND ABILITY]" or it won't matter.