New Mechanics!!!
Custom Cards forum
Posted on April 25, 2021, 9:06 p.m. by Stardragon
Not sure how well they are but these are some Mechanics i thought of some are really old back when i was first was starting MTG others are newer let me know what you think of them.
Stalking: When a creature with Stalking enters the battlefield you choose to a creature to stalk. Creatures you are stalking get -1/-1 while in combat with a card with stalking , while creatures with stalking gets +1/+1 while fighting creatures that are being Stalked.
Mind Break: Whenever you sacrifice a creature add an Insanity Counter to target creature, if target creature has six or more counters on it, that creature’s owner must roll a six sided dice on their turn if the dice rolls even the creature attacks you, if the dice rolls an odd the creature attacks it’s owner and is unblockable.
Soul Stealer- Whenever a creature you don't control dies do something (some draw you a card other return creature from graveyard while other gain +1/+1 counters it depends on the card)
Tribal Power: You may only cast this spell if you control a creature from the tribe stated on the card. They usually slightly cheaper that spells with the same or similar effects since they can clough up your hand if you don't have a creature that shares it tribe and Instants, Sorceries or Enchantments ATM
Contract: Put a contract counter on target creature when a creature with a contract counter dies put X Gold tokens equal to the number of contract counters on the creature
Mind break is not doable as creatures can't attack its controller (outside of uncards). But you can make it an upkeep or at beginning of combat trigger - at beginning of combat if a creature has 6 or more mind break counters flip a coin if heads it must attack you, if tails tap it and it deals damage equal to its power to its controller.
April 25, 2021 9:58 p.m.
"Mind Break" seems like a unique card effect rather than a keywordable ability (and would use pskinn01's wording), and Stalking should put a stalk counter on target creature. Written out, I would template it as
Stalking (When ~ enters the battlefield, put a stalk counter on target creature. Whenever a creature with a stalk counter blocks or becomes blocked by a creature with stalking, the creature with a stalk counter gets -1/-1 until end of turn and the creature with stalking gets +1/+1 until end of turn.)
This seems like an effect for a supplemental set, like Commander or something. It's wordy and multi-layered, but I think it would be easy enough to understand on a small handful of cards.
Soul Stealer might be fair, it depends on the exact effect and power level of the cards it goes on. Grave Betrayal is a proto-version of this.
I'm a little wary of Tribal Power. Something like Goblin Grenade is already at the high end, and anything weaker for any of the most common tribes would be either be still too strong, or overly niche.
Contract would work as a triggered ability on common or activated ability on a rare. This one seems pretty solid.
April 26, 2021 11:27 a.m.
stalking is a bit complicated and its sort of a memory tax with weird interactions for multiple stalkers. like why is stalker 1 getting a bonus against a creature that stalker 2 is stalking? as for flavor it seems weird that theres no real way for the stalker to go after the stalkee as thats what a stalker normally does. i'd suggest pivoting it to -1/-1 counters and do something like
"when this creature enters the battlefield put a -1/-1 counter on target creature.
Stalking - when this creature is blocked by a creature with a -1/-1 counter do X."
this gives you the flexibility to change how -1/-1 counters are given, what you can get out of it though you could make it consistently just give +1/+1 until end of turn. it also allows you to have instants and sorceries that can help interact with the strategy by giving counters or affecting creatures with counters.
mind break has a lot of problems. magic doesn't really do dice rolls outside of un-cards. 6 counters is a lot to not deal with a problem and it would be really hard to not have better payoffs for saccing 6 creatures. as mentioned above attacking yourself isn't a thing. you could go with the rewording suggested but this is a very complicated ability especially for a mechanic. it seems more like a one off card, and even then it still feels like it has too many steps. i don't see a good way of salvaging this mechanic.
soul stealer seems like an offshoot of morbid and probably could work as a mechanic. it might actually give rise to more cards like Hunted Troll to get triggers which i always love seeing.
tribal power could work but i personally don't like it. making requirements to cast isn't usually great for players who will be more likely to have bad play experiences when they can't cast the cards in hand. this is similar to Feast of Blood and i'd want something more like Blood Tribute which encourages the tribal connection but doesn't prevent you from casting it for less value.
For contract I don't think you can leave the wording as is. it can be worded similar to modular and should be fine if it's only on the creature that entered. if you want to put the counters on opponents creatures then the ability probably has to be worded like "... put a contract counter on target creature, that creature gains "when this creature dies, target opponent creates treasure tokens equal to the number of contract counters on this card" since counters themselves have no memory. but even that wording isn't the best as it could stack with multiple instances. you could put the "whenever a creature with a contract counter on it dies, create that many treasure tokens" as an ability on your side but that would definitely stack. though you could make it so that while all types of cards can give contract counters, creatures can have different effects when those creatures die with contract counters on them.
April 26, 2021 11:51 a.m.
Stardragon says... #6
So from what I understand
Mind Break- Is a outright terrible and can't work even if reworded. I do not care about it be too wordy Wizards has made wordy mechanic in the past,but if truthful wasn't a shock it was old and made before i truly got into the game though i still like the idea of making creatures go insane and attacking at random, sound like it could add spice to many a stale board states and while irritating it would also be funny if some died to their commander due to commander damage
Tribal Power- No one liked in the slightest which was a shock to me I thought that would one of the more liked ones at least for edh since tribal is so popular there. (Yes ik Modern has Humans and Legacy has merfolk and elves but tribal really shines in commander)
Soul Stealer is 50/50ish some like even if needs adjustment other don't that's fine. I said only creatures you don't control so people don't just slap it into an aristocrats deck and say there done. That would so boring.
Stalking could work with some major overhaul but most wouldn't like it either again idc about it being wordy. Which is a shame as it a more unigue one and people always seem to want those. Haunting actually was the original base for this mechanic
Contract is only one that the majority like and yes it was mostly with etb or mana/active abilities in mind though it wouldn't hard to have instants sorceries and a few auras give the counters either and I put X on target creature so you intenally put as many on one creature even your own as possible so you can a huge payout or put a single one on a lot creatures than board wipe and get a bunch that way
Omniscience_is_life says... #2
Contract seems great, I don't love the others though
April 25, 2021 9:40 p.m.