Cool Card Design of the Day12/15/2015 - Dan Felder was discussing the 0 ability on Chandra's newly spoiled card and it got me wishing there was a modern version of Goblin Lore.
As it happens, there are a bunch of them, including Burning Inquiry, Dangerous Wager, Faithless Looting, Desperate Ravings & Tormenting Voice.
Pfft. Like that's going to stop me.
Tormenting Voice works because people often sandbag a land when they're playing off the top. But who hold three cards that they don't want in their hand? Seems like the window where you actually want to cast this is pretty narrow.
ReplyDeleteDredge? :P
DeleteI feel like if this discarded two cards it'd be perfect. As it is, this is just really clunky cycling while Chandra is a strict +1 (probably more, because you get to keep Chandra around for another go next turn).
Anything that says "draw four" needs to be narrow, risky, or expensive. I agree this is much harder to use than Tormenting Voice, but it serves a very different role. And it compares rather well to Goblin Lore (without being a strict upgrade).
DeleteChandra costs six and is mythic. I'm okay printing a more limited ability on a two mana uncommon.
My point is that it compares poorly to Goblin Lore, because it's straight-up blank when you draw it without a hand. Goblin Lore is still castable with 0-2 other cards in hand.
DeleteLike I said, it's not a strict upgrade and it serves a very different role: When you do have three cards to discard, Aunti's Lore is better; When you have Auntie's Lore in your deck, you're never trying to empty your hand.
DeleteMy main fear with this (aesthetically nice) design is that it will be correct to play this card most of the time (probably even in Modern?) but that it will almost always feel bad to play it, because you will have to discard something you like.
ReplyDeleteI worry about designs that will be correct to play but generate anti-fun for the person playing them. It would totally address this if the effect was "discard one, two, or three cards and draw one more card than the number of cards you discarded," but that would clearly cost more.
Will it feel worse to play than Goblin Lore?
Delete"Okay, I've got three lands in hand, I cast Goblin Lore. I draw a land and three spells. I randomly discard… all three spells."
No, but no one is arguing Goblin Lore is a well designed or fun card are they?
DeleteOn the other hand, I really love Desperate Ravings.
DeleteFair. I do like Goblin Lore, but it would be a stretch to say it's particularly good by most measures.
Delete