Cheap green mana elves should make green mana. The fact that this one doesn't hints that you're worried about the interaction with Rancor being too good. Make her a 1/2 for {1}{G}?
Boreal Druid, Magus of the Library, and Drumhunter (kinda) disagree that elves can only produce {G}. I'm not worried about Rancor, but about making something too much better than Llanowar Elves.
There were solid design reasons behind a couple of those decisions. Boreal Druid exists to create {S}. Magus of the Library has the exact same rules text as Library of Alexandria.
As for Drumhunter, I don't think it's a very good design. It's an expensive mana thing that doesn't provide fixing in a multicolor set, and the card-drawing and mana-producing abilities don't seem at all related.
Because it's an established part of their mechanical identity. Don't go mucking with the player's expectations without a cool reason, either flavor (e.g. Elves of Deep Shadow) or developmental (e.g. Boreal Druid.)
What's the difference between Boreal Druid and Verduran Mystic? Both would be better than Llanowar Elves if they produced {G}. Either could cost {G} and produce {1} or cost {1}{G} and produce {G}.
First, Drumhunter is not a cheap green mana elf. It's a somewhat expensive mana human.
Second, the reason Drumhunter makes colorless is because the other two cards in its pseudo-cycle, Sunseed Nurturer and Exuberant Firestoker, also make colorless. I'm guessing the point of the cycle was to help make casting Gargantuans a little easier, not to bleed colored mana production into red and white.
Boreal Druid produces {1} because {S} is not a kind of mana you can produce but a type of cost you must pay, which is a bit of a rules headache IMHO. They should have just made {S} something that can be produced.
As a designer you can break any rule you please, but you have to have a good reason for doing so.
Take Goblins for example. You could make a monoblue Goblin. You could make a Goblin with vigilance. You could make an 8/8 Goblin. But Goblins are, by tradition, mechanically defined to be none of those things, and you can't just go breaking those traditions (and player expectations) without being able to sell your idea from a creative perspective.
If I'm not mistaken, in the time before Arbor Elf, R&D considered it a problem to make a third Fyndhorn/Llanowar Elves for older formats. Obviously with Elvish Mystic, this is outdated, but that is a contention for why Boreal Druid produced colorless instead of Green.
For what it's worth, I like elves occasionally producing {1} as the set demands. As long as Green is the mana-producing color, making {1}, {G}, or one mana of any color are all options to adjust the power level of a card and breadth of a format.
Doesn't kor spirit dancer do something similar but without the concern thatyou could reduce its cost below zero (I suppose this ramps you witho9ut any enchantments) I could suggest an etheium sculpter for enchantments for an uncommon as well.
Cool Card Design of the Day
Cheap green mana elves should make green mana. The fact that this one doesn't hints that you're worried about the interaction with Rancor being too good. Make her a 1/2 for {1}{G}?
ReplyDeleteWho produces {G}, of course.
DeleteBoreal Druid, Magus of the Library, and Drumhunter (kinda) disagree that elves can only produce {G}. I'm not worried about Rancor, but about making something too much better than Llanowar Elves.
DeleteThere were solid design reasons behind a couple of those decisions. Boreal Druid exists to create {S}. Magus of the Library has the exact same rules text as Library of Alexandria.
DeleteAs for Drumhunter, I don't think it's a very good design. It's an expensive mana thing that doesn't provide fixing in a multicolor set, and the card-drawing and mana-producing abilities don't seem at all related.
I agree with all of that. What I don't get is why a Llanowar Elves that can produce multiple mana in a turn has to produce {G}.
DeleteMy point was that if you're concerned about it being too good, cost it higher. Mana elves should make {G}.
DeleteI'm asking why mana elves have to make {G}?
DeleteBecause it's an established part of their mechanical identity. Don't go mucking with the player's expectations without a cool reason, either flavor (e.g. Elves of Deep Shadow) or developmental (e.g. Boreal Druid.)
DeleteWhat's the difference between Boreal Druid and Verduran Mystic? Both would be better than Llanowar Elves if they produced {G}. Either could cost {G} and produce {1} or cost {1}{G} and produce {G}.
DeleteFirst, Drumhunter is not a cheap green mana elf. It's a somewhat expensive mana human.
DeleteSecond, the reason Drumhunter makes colorless is because the other two cards in its pseudo-cycle, Sunseed Nurturer and Exuberant Firestoker, also make colorless. I'm guessing the point of the cycle was to help make casting Gargantuans a little easier, not to bleed colored mana production into red and white.
Boreal Druid produces {1} because {S} is not a kind of mana you can produce but a type of cost you must pay, which is a bit of a rules headache IMHO. They should have just made {S} something that can be produced.
DeleteAs a designer you can break any rule you please, but you have to have a good reason for doing so.
Take Goblins for example. You could make a monoblue Goblin. You could make a Goblin with vigilance. You could make an 8/8 Goblin. But Goblins are, by tradition, mechanically defined to be none of those things, and you can't just go breaking those traditions (and player expectations) without being able to sell your idea from a creative perspective.
Elves make green mana.
Boreal Druid could produce {G} and it would still be snow mana.
DeleteIf I'm not mistaken, in the time before Arbor Elf, R&D considered it a problem to make a third Fyndhorn/Llanowar Elves for older formats. Obviously with Elvish Mystic, this is outdated, but that is a contention for why Boreal Druid produced colorless instead of Green.
DeleteFor what it's worth, I like elves occasionally producing {1} as the set demands. As long as Green is the mana-producing color, making {1}, {G}, or one mana of any color are all options to adjust the power level of a card and breadth of a format.
Doesn't kor spirit dancer do something similar but without the concern thatyou could reduce its cost below zero (I suppose this ramps you witho9ut any enchantments) I could suggest an etheium sculpter for enchantments for an uncommon as well.
ReplyDeleteThat works too. Depending on the set, probably better.
Delete