Cool Card Design of the Day 8/26/2015 - How about half a Negate?
There's a very good chance this isn't printable. I'd be happy to hear your thoughts on that, but I'm also curious what you think of this effect if it is.
Two ways this could be printed. 1.) It's in a set which features a keyword that is augmented by it. That would be a keyword on instants and sorceries that involves numbers. Clash, cascade, and delve work, but not not cycling or reinforce. 2.) Its in a supplemental product like Commander which will have a lot of big splashy instants and sorceries which could be targeted.
Is it just me, or is this a little too weird for current Magic? I could see it in a Future Sight or Un-set, but probably not, for example, a supplemental or Standard-legal set.
I kind of feel that intuitively, but I can't explain precisely why. I guess both division and messing with numbers printed on other cards are outside the normal scope of Magic. Even saying that I still feel like I'm missing something.
It's kind of a pity that this doesn't affect things like "deal damage to target creature equal to its power" or whatever, but of course there's no sensible way to cover that.
Actually, does this work on X spells? I could imagine it going either way.
"Draw three cards, then put a card from your hand on the bottom of your library."
What happens when you cast Attenuate on it??? Do you draw one (originally three) card(s), then put one (originally "a card") card in your hand on the bottom of your library? Do you draw one, then put zero cards (half of "a card") on the bottom of your library? I think, intuitively, 3 and three are both numbers and are both affected by this card, but "a card" is isomorphically "one card" in many cases too. It's very ambiguous, at best. That's at best.
At it's worst Attenuate actually just makes some cards have no text. Like, I think it might counter Time Walk by virtue of messing with the card's grammar? Time Walk reads "Take an extra turn after this one." but what exactly does "Take an extra turn after this zero." mean? It's like... counterspell by DaDa. Part of me loves that with a shining passion, but it's simply too good for this world.
TL;DR You would need reminder text along the lines of:
(A number affected by this card has to be written as a number, so 4 becomes 2, and four does not change.)
This solves the "a card" problem and the Time Walk Problem.
At that point the effect is so narrow that I'd want it to be an enchantment, then at least you could combo it with Beast Within or Sign in Blood for value.
This reminder text would require some creative translation into Japanese (which writes "target player" as "choose 1 target player" for instance), but should work fine otherwise.
How about this reminder text? (A number affected by this card must be explicit and qualitative, so 4 becomes 2 and 'four' becomes 'two,' but 'a' doesn't change and neither does "the next one.")
Still doesn't answer X or "the number of [thing] you have." Yeah, ultimately, it's just too ambiguous and while we could explain every possibility, the result just isn't worth the effort.
Tried to break this targeting your own spell. The best thing I could find to target was Hellfire (assuming that it doesn't affect costs and that permanent spells are off limits).
I think it's rare, and I think this is one of those spells that could get printed but probably wouldn't (outside of an un-set) because, like Strionic Resonator, it would cause headaches. Personally, I'd like to see it printed. I like a little chaos in my Magic.
Given that doubling is four times as fun as halving :) I think the real question is whether this is printable:
Intensify ??? Instant (rare) Double each number in target instant or sorcery's text.
Which color this effect would go? My guess is Red or Red/green. This should cost enough more then Attenuate, at least four or five total mana. Provided it's even printable...
That's definitely much more fun, as well as simpler (because we never round). Nice. It still needs to clarify what exactly qualifies as a number, unfortunately.
I like the idea, but I do expect this to break things. If it turns "a" into "zero", lots of spells will just... not really resolve properly ("Choose zero numbers. Then...")
If it only works on actual numbers, I expect to still have lots of rules issues, ("Put a black rat creature token OTB for each 0 life paid this way"...? "Exile all nontoken permanents. Starting with you, each player chooses zero of the exiled cards and puts it onto the battlefield tapped under his or her control."..?). And if not, probably broken combos SOMEWHERE. If not with existing cards, with cards that R&D would like to be able to print.
Although, come to think of it, just saying "a spell an opponent controls" would remove most of the combo potential -- there might still be some spells it's especially effective against, but that's true of most spells.
Cool Card Design of the Day
38 references to "half" in gatherer. That's 38 more than I was expecting to find (: Most are half of a life total.
ReplyDeleteIf my spell creates a 1/1 token, and you cast this, does it create 0/0 tokens instead?
Since we're rounding down, yes it does.
DeleteI think technically it might create zero 0/0 tokens. Judge?
Delete"A" is not a number (I believe by precedent from Look At Me, I'm R&D). But Raise the Alarm would create one 0/0.
DeleteTwo ways this could be printed.
ReplyDelete1.) It's in a set which features a keyword that is augmented by it. That would be a keyword on instants and sorceries that involves numbers. Clash, cascade, and delve work, but not not cycling or reinforce.
2.) Its in a supplemental product like Commander which will have a lot of big splashy instants and sorceries which could be targeted.
This is hilarious.
ReplyDeleteIs it just me, or is this a little too weird for current Magic? I could see it in a Future Sight or Un-set, but probably not, for example, a supplemental or Standard-legal set.
I kind of feel that intuitively, but I can't explain precisely why. I guess both division and messing with numbers printed on other cards are outside the normal scope of Magic. Even saying that I still feel like I'm missing something.
DeleteIt's kind of a pity that this doesn't affect things like "deal damage to target creature equal to its power" or whatever, but of course there's no sensible way to cover that.
ReplyDeleteActually, does this work on X spells? I could imagine it going either way.
This doesn't work in normal Magic.
ReplyDeleteLook at Amass the Components.
"Draw three cards, then put a card from your hand on the bottom of your library."
What happens when you cast Attenuate on it??? Do you draw one (originally three) card(s), then put one (originally "a card") card in your hand on the bottom of your library? Do you draw one, then put zero cards (half of "a card") on the bottom of your library? I think, intuitively, 3 and three are both numbers and are both affected by this card, but "a card" is isomorphically "one card" in many cases too. It's very ambiguous, at best. That's at best.
At it's worst Attenuate actually just makes some cards have no text. Like, I think it might counter Time Walk by virtue of messing with the card's grammar? Time Walk reads "Take an extra turn after this one." but what exactly does "Take an extra turn after this zero." mean? It's like... counterspell by DaDa. Part of me loves that with a shining passion, but it's simply too good for this world.
TL;DR You would need reminder text along the lines of:
(A number affected by this card has to be written as a number, so 4 becomes 2, and four does not change.)
This solves the "a card" problem and the Time Walk Problem.
At that point the effect is so narrow that I'd want it to be an enchantment, then at least you could combo it with Beast Within or Sign in Blood for value.
This reminder text would require some creative translation into Japanese (which writes "target player" as "choose 1 target player" for instance), but should work fine otherwise.
DeleteTake no extra turns after this none.
DeleteVery good point, Devin.
DeleteHow about this reminder text?
(A number affected by this card must be explicit and qualitative, so 4 becomes 2 and 'four' becomes 'two,' but 'a' doesn't change and neither does "the next one.")
Still doesn't answer X or "the number of [thing] you have." Yeah, ultimately, it's just too ambiguous and while we could explain every possibility, the result just isn't worth the effort.
The enchantment version is extremely close to Look At Me, I'm R&D.
DeleteTried to break this targeting your own spell. The best thing I could find to target was Hellfire (assuming that it doesn't affect costs and that permanent spells are off limits).
ReplyDeleteNice.
DeleteBonus that I've never seen Hellfire before.
I think it's rare, and I think this is one of those spells that could get printed but probably wouldn't (outside of an un-set) because, like Strionic Resonator, it would cause headaches. Personally, I'd like to see it printed. I like a little chaos in my Magic.
ReplyDeleteI think I'm okay with this only being silver-bordered.
DeleteGiven that doubling is four times as fun as halving :) I think the real question is whether this is printable:
ReplyDeleteIntensify ???
Instant (rare)
Double each number in target instant or sorcery's text.
Which color this effect would go? My guess is Red or Red/green.
This should cost enough more then Attenuate, at least four or five total mana. Provided it's even printable...
That's definitely much more fun, as well as simpler (because we never round). Nice. It still needs to clarify what exactly qualifies as a number, unfortunately.
DeleteIt does need to clarify somewhere, but I think that could perhaps be relegated to an FAQ entry.
DeleteI agree this is more fun and more printable. I think red is likely the best colour for it. About 4 mana seems about right, as per Overblaze.
I like the idea, but I do expect this to break things. If it turns "a" into "zero", lots of spells will just... not really resolve properly ("Choose zero numbers. Then...")
ReplyDeleteIf it only works on actual numbers, I expect to still have lots of rules issues, ("Put a black rat creature token OTB for each 0 life paid this way"...? "Exile all nontoken permanents. Starting with you, each player chooses zero of the exiled cards and puts it onto the battlefield tapped under his or her control."..?). And if not, probably broken combos SOMEWHERE. If not with existing cards, with cards that R&D would like to be able to print.
Although, come to think of it, just saying "a spell an opponent controls" would remove most of the combo potential -- there might still be some spells it's especially effective against, but that's true of most spells.
'Round up' also solves a number of those (seriously broken) issues.
Delete