Thursday, March 20, 2014

CCDD 032014—Blind Levy

Cool Card Design of the Day
3/20/2014 - In some ways better and in some ways worse than Silence, Blind Levy exists because white has dabbled with cost-increase effects for a long time, but never at common. Ironically, this could easily prove broken below rare. At least it's simple.


16 comments:

  1. Would this be too good as an instant?

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    Replies
    1. It would make some players think you could use it like a Mana Tithe. Not sure what it would gain you. Why not cast this at the end of your own turn?

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    2. When I first read the card I didn't realize it wasn't "Until end of turn" like most if not all effects of this type are. I would have just tossed it aside as a card I didn't want to try and make work and not given it a second thought.

      (Were there enough negatives in that thought?)

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    3. Yeah, I forgot about the "next time" clause too. Might run into memory issues.

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    4. I think it should be an enchantment, actually.

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    5. I'd want to playtest it, because it's such a big specter players might not forget. That said, we lose very little by making it an enchantment and giving it physical board presence.

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    6. As an instant, you can cast multiple copies at once to increase the effect.

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    7. Hadn't thought of that. Neat.

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  2. Following Havelock's idea:

    Blind Levy {W}
    Enchantment
    When Blind Levy enters the battlefield, draw a card.
    When a player casts a spell, sacrifice Blind Levy. If you do, counter that spell if its controller does not pay 1.

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    Replies
    1. This is easier to remember, but more punishing when players do forget. Intentional?

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    2. I don't know how to do the "costs 1 more to cast" as a triggered, one-time ability on an enchantment.

      "Spells cost 1 more to cast. Whenever a player casts a spell, sacrifice CARDNAME"?

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  3. I also thought of the enchantment idea, but I really like the elegance of the sorcery.

    The real problem is not that it's a sorcery. The problem is the frame. WotC really ought to have taken the opportunity with M15 to make card frames a little more distinct between the card types. The Instant/Sorcery confusion would be cleaned up so quickly.

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  4. I'm not a fan of "sorcery-ness" of this when it's clearly trying to be an enchantment. I also don't like the symmetry of the effect. Symmetry is a downside mechanic and it dilutes a neat idea.

    Sign me up for:
    Blind Levy W
    Enchantment U
    Sacrifice Blind Levy: Counter target spell unless it's controller pays 1. Draw a card.

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    Replies
    1. I wouldn't print that for less than 1W in the modern era. Force spikes aren't necessarily too strong, they're just unfun, and as an onboard trick, I'm pretty sure the feel-bad is increased.

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    2. While this isn't strictly better than Mana Tithe, it is much better: Force your opponent to keep an extra mana up for every spell until they finally don't *and* you choose to use the levy to counter that spell, AND draw a card.

      It's also no longer white.

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