Mock Block

[Shiro, Time Devourer]

I was thinking that CPA could create a "Mock Block", a self-sufficient set of Magic cards, much like unglued and in no way affiliated w/Wizards. If this idea's supported, we could use a block name, some backstory, and several cycles. This is also a good way to use everything from past cycles. So, what do you think? We could even expand on Casualties of War.

I already have a few ideas:

Mechanics:

Emulation- (Creature type). This states that the creature in question has "0: This creature loses this creature type" and "0: This creature gains this creature type". You choose whether it is that type or not when a spell or ability checks for the emulated creature type.

Overdrive. Equivalent to "Kicker: Remove this spell from the game as you play it." Spells removed from the game this way are made better some way.

Ex:

Eternal Flame
XRR
Sorcery
Rare
Eternal Flame deals X damage to target creature or player.

Overdrive- Eternal Flame also deals X damage to each creature that player controls.

Another red example, from the Decrees cycle
Miranda's Decree
RRRRR
Instant
Rare
Miranda's Decree can't be the target of spells or abilities
Miranda's Decree deals 5 damage to target player.
Overdrive- Miranda's Decree deals 20 damage to that creature or player and 5 damage to you, and the damage can't be prevented.

The 5 to you thing keeps it honest, so it doesn't get broken. If it still is, or if I went too far, let me know.

BTW. Hetemti, I would have told you this earlier, but I was crunched for time. Your defense v. Regulate can also be a game-winning combo with one of your own. Also, the moment a red card is dropped into the yard, I get to put a card from my yard back into my library. Also, what's to say I couldn't braingeyser for 1 or mill you with a millstone or a laquatus. Suicide then becomes homicide.

I'll post the other Decrees later.

 

[Thallid Ice Cream Man]

Those Overdrive effects look a little powerful, but Overdrive seems like it could really be a powerful and interesting concept. You could make cards designed to be recurred, with negligible ordinary effects and great Overdrive effects. The only problem with Overdrive is that in many cases it isn't a big drawback; decks might gladly throw away cards for incredibly powerful effects.

Take, for example, Miranda's Decree. Even assuming that you meant to say "Overdrive - Miranda's Decree instead deals 20 damage..." it could still end any game in which a mono-red deck draws it and five other mountains in... oh, let's be generous... 7 turns (probably a high estimate). Now, maybe the red player is sitting there with 9 life instead of 14, but the game's still over. So Overdrive probably shouldn't increase a spell's damage capabilities by 15.

Eternal Flame's Overdrive is not as bad, but it's still a little iffy. Maybe instead of "to each," put "to target".

Emulation looks like a subtheme at this point, but depending on how creature type is used it could be really effective.

Still, these are good cards, and they show interesting concepts.

The CPA forums have a section dedicated to member-made cards, and some of us there have been working on (and off and on -- mostly off ) a block of cards for about a year or so now. Some cards get contributed regularly every week or so, mostly by FoundationOfRancor, but there hasn't really been any big effort about the set for about 8 months. With the coming of spring break, I might get some more work done on it, and an infusion of fresh card ideas could really help.

Go to the "Home-Made Cards" section of the forums and look for threads with "Subterfuge" in the name -- especially "Subterfuge -- post revision." The only problem is that we've started the main set already and we haven't used any made up mechanics, nor, we decided, would we in the future; Overdrive and Emulation cards wouldn't go in. You can certainly post other cards though, and there's usually at least one other person working on a set at any time.

I don't think people would want to expand on Casualties of War, though. I personally have no preference, but I suspect that most of the people who did the creative work for it have moved to other things, and so a different set would have a very different flavor from CoW.

 

[Hetemti]

What's to say is it's hard to summon up 3WUUUBG in one turn to pull off that braingeyser.

Also, all these cards seem to be "I win" cards. They don't have much use other than as a bomb. I'd much prefer cards like...

Fortune Flash XRR
Instant
Target opponent and you each reveal the top X cards of your libraries. The player who's removed cards have the greatest sum of casting costs deals damage equal to the difference between totals to target creature or player.
Chaotic battles are often decided by luck of the draw.

Sure, it'd probably suck in Sligh, but a R/G deck could get a lot of cheap damage fast. And it's chaotic red zanyness.

And if any mods are in earshot, please relocate this to the char creation forum.

 

[theorgg]

That was tried a few years ago.

Dig up the "Casualties of War" article to see the aalmost-completed card set. It just kinda fell through...

Mabe it will work this time,,,

 

[Shiro, Time Devourer]

Now, to clean up the mess het was talking about:


First, Fortune Flash is a good red card that can stay away from a cycle, or can be part of another one. It belongs in the mock block, and I vote for out of a cycle. What about you guys?

New 4-color instants, the "problems" cycle:

Confuse
WUBG
instant
Uncommon
Target attacking creature deals damage equal to its power to its controller. If that creature was red, then permanently gain control of that creature. When the creature is put into a graveyard from play, flip a coin. If you win the flip, it stays in the grayeyard. If you lose the flip, return it to the top of its owner's library.
"The problem with chaos is that it can never make up its mind."
-Shiro

Eliminate
WURB
instant
Uncommon (as are all the 4c instants in the cycle)
Destroy target non-land permanent. It can't be regenerated. If that permanent was green, it deals damage equal to its casting cost to its controller. "The problem with nature is that it's easy to disrupt."
-Sean, Dragon Master

Vaporize
WBRG
instant
Remove target creature or artifact from the game. If that target was blue or had an activation ability that costs or can produce blue mana, Vaporize deals damage equal to its casting cost to each creature its controller controls.
"The problem with water is that when it gets too hot, it boils and blisters everything."
-Ayrton, Ice Breaker

Punish
WURG
instant
Remove all attacking creatures from the game. You gain 2 life for each black creature removed from the game in this way.
"The problem with war is that so much evil is justified in order to get rid of itself."
-Marquez, Blight Killer

Stupify
UBRG
instant
Target player discards his hand. That player loses 2 life for each white card discarded this way.
"The problem with wisdom is that its loss almost always compounds itself."
-Stannum, Soul Cutter

Decrees will come in due time.

 

[FoundationOfRancor]

Both emulation and overdrive seem like neat mechanics (I really like both) but they both seem to me like unnamed mechanic material.

These 4c cards look ok, but most look underpowered.
A card I suggest for overdrive:

Spark
R
Instant
Spark deals 1 damage to target creature or player.
RR: Return Spark to your hand. Play this ability only during your upkeep and only if Spark is in your graveyard.
Overdrive (Or whatever) - Spark may deal 2 damage to target creature, and an additional 2 damage to target player. Spark cannot be countered.

And for this Emulation thing...

Zombie
2B
Creature - Zombie
Emulation - Goblin or Merfolk
During your upkeep, target oppenent chooses either Merfolk, Goblins, or Zombies. Until end of turn, all creatures that player controls gain protection from the chosen creature type.
5/5

*Shrugs* What do you think?

 

[Shiro, Time Devourer]

Actually, this is quite good. I'll call it Excarian Zombie.

I found a name for the set: Upheaval.
The symbol would be a quartered circle in a round shield, if this even warranted a symbol.

Anyhow. Here are the decrees. These are all instants and uncommons.

Miranda's now uses XRR, standard X with Overdrive- X dmg To target creature and target player.
"Any intruders in Doram will immediately be thrown out. By that, we mean catapulted right back to the fool who sent them."
-Miranda, Early Riser

Suza's Decree
UUU
Counter target spell
Overdrive- Counter all other spells played by target opponent since the beginning of the turn.
"Anyone who dares trespass into Triskell shall ban all he sends there, whether directy or indirectly."
Suza, Grand Davina

Thorme's Decree
BBB
Target player sacrifices a creature
Overdrive- All players sacrifice all creatures instead.
"A plague on all the enemies of Excary and all they surround."
Thorme- Master of Illness

Wang's Decree
GGG
Prevent all damage that would be dealt to target player this turn
Overdrive- Instead, that player gains 1 life for each 1 damage that would be dealt to him/her this turn.
"Those who would tear down Xinwa shall repay double the damage they have caused."

Shizuka's Decree
WWW
Target creature you control gains protection from a color or a card type until end of turn.
Overdrive- All creatures you control gain protection from all colors and artifacts until end of turn.

"Tsumara's enemies will have all their efforts, and even themselves, reduced to nothing."

Here's a few joke cards, independent of the set.

Battle of Oinks
Enchantment
As Battle of Oinks comes into play and during your upkeep, put an oink counter on it.
During each player's upkeep, choose one word for every oink counter on ~this~. Whenever a player would normally say a word, they either say "oink" instead or ~this~ deals 3 damage to that player.
Pay 20 life: Destroy Battle of Oinks. Any player may play this ability.
"You pigs! Clean up your language! One would think that the lot of you were a bunch of animals!"
-Captain Shizuka- to her 32nd division.

Plane Shift
Enchantment
Players may play spells without paying their mana cost if their name shares a word with the name of a Magic expansion set.
"You'd be surprised at the amount of spells that this would help."

 

[Shiro, Time Devourer]

Here are 10 creature types I want to put in upheaval. These are the 10 castes of the Continent, and 2 for each color/region.

Color Region Type
Blue Triskell Davina
Dragoon
Red Doram Starlet
Commando
White Tsumara Protector
Samurai

Green Xinwa Preserver
Wurmite
Black Excary Defiler
Ninja
How's it?

 

[Thallid Ice Cream Man]

At this point, they're names.

 

[Shiro, Time Devourer]

Look at the Upheaval Castes posts for more information, Thallid.