Wednesday, October 9, 2013

CCDD 100913—Unkillable Karl

Cool Card Design of the Day
10/9/2013 - Absorb 1 proved too powerful to use as a common keyword. Absorb X-1 is clearly absurd, so let's put it on a rare. And just in case that's not scary enough, we'll throw trample on too. 'Cause that's how rares roll nowadays.


18 comments:

  1. I'm thinking if you cost it as a weaker indestructible it'd be safe.

    This gives me an idea for a blue combat keyword though:
    Domesticate (Whenever a creature blocks or becomes blocked by this creature, it gets -1/-0 until end of turn)

    A smaller flanking that can be used on block. Does it seem reasonable?

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    Replies
    1. I like the idea of this, making group blocks more effective, and I like how it's generally more useful on defense for a blue keyword.

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    2. Why not?

      Domesticate (Whenever ~ blocks or becomes blocked, it gets +0/+1 until end of turn)

      Or?

      +0/+1

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    3. Unless your 1/3 domesticate and a 2/3 double block a 3/3. Does that come up often enough to be worth it? Maybe, but probably not.

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    4. Giving other creatures -1/-0 feels more exciting to me than giving my own +0/+1, and I'd imagine it'd be the same for others, but I can't be sure. And as James mentioned it's more powerful for both being double blocked while attacking and for two Domesticate creatures double blocking. Is that a good thing? I don't know.

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  2. I think triggered abilities are always worded with the "whenever" (or if, as, when, etc.) first. So it could be: "If a source would deal damage to ~, prevent all but one of that damage".
    That said, I think the ability is interesting, but maybe it feels to much like indestructible, and "weird to be weird". (But maybe I'm ovethinking: I'm always the one who loves overly simple, elegant [often boring...] designs)
    As worded, Karl can be taken down by four creatures, is it intended?

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    Replies
    1. Being taken down by four creatures is exactly what I intended.

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  3. I'm feelin' mono green on this guy... I feel it would be better that way.

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  4. Alternative text box:

    CARDNAME can't be blocked.
    Interactive removal spells can't kill CARDNAME.

    OK, that's overly harsh, but I want to point this out: the design is good in a vacuum, but it discourages players from doing a lot of things that we normally would want to encourage (attacking, blocking, fighting, casting direct-damage spells). More interesting as a 8/2 or similar, maybe?

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    Replies
    1. I''m okay with any criticism that is less true of this than it is of indestructible.

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    2. Except that indestructible also stops unconditional stuff like Wrath and Doom Blade. The thing about "prevent all but 1 damage" on a high-toughness creature is that it turns off only the 'interesting' ways of dealing with a creature. I don't think that's a place design wants to be.

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    3. I don't mean to be overly critical. As AlexC said, this would be better at 3 toughness-- then it's more feasible (and less painful) to triple-block this, double-block and Shock it, double-block with a double-striker, etc. That would definitely create interesting play decisions. At 4 toughness, though, almost any 'honest' way of dealing with Karl results in you getting 3-for-1'd or worse.

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    4. One cannot be overly critical of a design or idea. One can be overly critical of a person, but there was no personal critique here. So keep it coming!

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  5. I'm not convinced that this ability should be printed on a non-white card, but green would certainly be my second choice. It's also interesting as an enchantment:

    Representative Government {4}{W}{W}
    Enchantment (R)
    If a source would deal 2 or more damage to a creature or player, it deals 1 damage to that creature or player instead.

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  6. Reminds me of Ogre Enforcer, though it's kind of the opposite. I agree it'd probably be better at 2 or 3 toughness.

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