Cool Card Design of the Day8/8/2013 - Enchantment/Aura copying/token-making is generally avoided because there haven't been any good ways to mark what's what and avoid memory issues so far. I'm honestly not sure how you could do that as a multi-card mechanic. Essence Reflection is a shot at doing it on a single rare.
If you really wanted to avoid memory issues (which I don't think are a big problem for this particular card) you can search out your own auras:
ReplyDelete"You may have ~ enter the battlefield as a copy of any creature on the battlefield. For each aura attached to that creature, you may search your library for a card with the same name and put it onto the battlefield attached to ~. Shuffle your library afterwards."
Which brings to mind a way to make an aura-copying mechanic:
Reflected Strength {2}{G}
Enchantment - Aura (C)
Enchant Creature
Reflect (when you cast this, you may search your library for a card with the same name and put it onto the battlefield attached to target creature. Shuffle your library afterwards.)
Enchanted creature gets +2/+2
That's a clever solution for Constructed. Not sure what to do for Limited? Let them draw a card instead?
Delete"search your library for a card with [mechanic name]"?
DeleteI would only put that version of Reflect in a large set drafted alone like RoE or Avacyn Restored, so that you could draft two of an aura. Riffing off Circéus's idea, a cascady version of Reflect that can go on auras or other card types. It's texty, but I could see this working in some type of Mirror/Enchantment world.
DeleteStrength Reflection {2}{G}
Enchantment - Aura
Enchant Creature
Enchanted Creature gets +2/+2
Reflect (When you cast this spell from your hand, exile cards from the top of your library until you exile a card with Reflect. You may cast it without paying its mana cost. Put the exiled cards on the bottom in a random order.)
Interesting alternative to Surging Might.
Deletecopy enchantment from OG ravnica copies enchantments and can become an aura. this is an interesting but it doesn't work as it's written now.
ReplyDeleteYou may have Essence Reflection enter the battlefield as a copy of any creature on the battlefield. if you do, for each enchantment enchanting that creature, put a token onto the battlefield that is a copy of that enchantment and attach them to Essence Reflection.
Enchantment
ReplyDeleteYou may have Essence Reflection enter the battlefield as a copy of any aura on the battlefield. Put a token onto the battlefield that is a copy of the permanent that aura is enchanting, and attach Essence Reflection to it.
Creature tokens of existing creatures seem a lot simpler than aura tokens. I'm pretty sure this should be a non-aura that becomes an aura, but I'm not positive on the wording.
Why not just gain control of the Auras and attach them to Essence Reflection? More upside for the player who casts it, fewer memory issues.
ReplyDelete"Gain control of target enchanted creature. [Its controller puts a token OTB that's a copy of it. (Its auras are not copied.)]"
DeleteOf course, that card just makes playing beneficial auras worse.
This brings up a color pie question I had from when I dabbled around with an Enchantment set. What do people think of a Red creature that steals an enchantment when it ETB?
Delete{2}{R}{R}
Creature (U)
When ~ enters the battlefield, you may attach target aura to it.
2/2
if Glamer Spinners is still blue/ white... no I don't think red can get that.
Deletered's inability to deal with enchantments runs deeper than it's inability to destroy them. by definition red is the physical color and red doesn't understand how one would interact with something you can't punch or set fire to.
Steal the aura only until EOT, and I'm in.
Delete{1}{W}{R}
DeleteLegendary Creature (R)
When ~ enters the battlefield, you may attach target aura and target equipment to it.
Haste
2/2
I agree with TehWERR on this, Red not only can't destroy enchantments, it doesn't understand them.
DeleteI think it should punish enchanted creatures and enchantments controllers, nothing else; I'm not even sold on aura Threaten.
In any normal set any kind of aura stealing/threatening in Red would raise some eyebrows. In an Enchantment set, I'm not sure... you can only print so many Aura Barbs. I'll be curious what comes out in Theros.
DeleteSo will I! Probably I'm very weird, but the Enchantment-Red relationship is THE thing I'm most curious about Theros design (Yeah I'm weird!)
DeleteRed can't destroy enchantments; it doesn't hate them.
Delete