Time to Rearrange the Stack!
Custom Cards forum
Posted on May 14, 2015, 6:35 p.m. by ducttapedeckbox
I've been thinking about this while driving home (don't worry my dad's driving!): what if we had a spell to rearrange the stack? In a way...
1
Instant
Exile all spells. Cast each spell exiled this way without paying its mana cost. All spells cast this way resolve under their owner's control.
It's really only useful in counter wars, but I can see it having use in big EDH games. How badly did I mess up the wording? I have a feeling the third clause isn't worded correctly. Is the cost terrible too? Thoughts?
ducttapedeckbox says... #4
"Exile all other spells" yup, that would do it.
EDIT: No it would not... It would have to be "Cast all other spells exiled this way" or else this would still be on the stack.
May 14, 2015 6:49 p.m. Edited.
sergiodelrio says... #5
Maybe give it split second? Would that solve the problem?
May 14, 2015 7:02 p.m.
ducttapedeckbox says... #6
Hmm I'm not sure... This also runs into problems with non-instant speed spells. Super fail on my part.
May 14, 2015 7:05 p.m.
sergiodelrio says... #8
Rearrange
Instant
Split Second
Exile all other spells.
When Rearrange is put into a Graveyard from the stack, return all spells exiled with Rearrange to the stack under their owner's control. Those spells gain flash. You choose the order in which those spells are put on the stack.
Quite wordy and I still don't know if I missed a loophole, or if this even works...
Also, the more I think about it 3cmc is probably too low for this kind of effect. I feel you'd have to skip your next turn for this to be remotely fair at 1UR.
May 14, 2015 7:26 p.m.
ABadMagicPlayer100 says... #9
Here are a few issues I have with the card after adjusting for comments:
1) The word "other" isn't necessary. This spell is not on the stack when it resolves, so it wouldn't exile itself or anything that went on the stack after it. However, you may have to add "As CARDNAME resolves" to the beginning.
2) The card should read something to the effect of: "Exile all spells. For each spell exiled this way, its owner casts it without paying its mana cost." I believe this would allow you to choose the order the spells go on the stack as well.
3) The impact the card has is variable, so I would suggest adding a couple mana to the cost to keep it from being undercosted.
Besides those issues, I really like the idea of this card.
May 14, 2015 7:31 p.m. Edited.
ducttapedeckbox says... #10
What about this?
Exile all spells. Cast all other spells exiled this way without paying their mana costs. Those spells gain flash and resolve under their owners control.
Doesn't that fix everything?
I'm not sure. The only use in 60-card is to win a counter war, but then it's amazing at that. But if its not low, its not playable. What about adding a clause that says you can't cast a spell until your next upkeep? It would be after the first ability resolves, so I don't think it would cause a conflict.
May 14, 2015 7:33 p.m.
ducttapedeckbox says... #11
@ ABadMagicPlayer100, that doesn't change the targets though, which is part of the point. Although that doesn't need to be a part. Hmm.
May 14, 2015 7:35 p.m.
sergiodelrio says... #12
Maybe to solve the cost issue, make it like Commandeer and it could have a normal cost of 
and read "You may discard a blue card and a red card rather than pay [This spell]'s mana cost."
May 14, 2015 7:35 p.m.
becuase you're re-casting each spell, you'd have to choose new targets right? Therefore even if the spell resolves under another player's control, there is nothing to stop that spell from doing something bad to that player. I can technically Lightning Bolt myself after all....
May 14, 2015 7:38 p.m.
ducttapedeckbox says... #14
Hmm that could work too.
I'm not sure about your #2 point ABMP, but then again I'm not the best with the rules.
May 14, 2015 7:39 p.m.
ABadMagicPlayer100 says... #15
So, to clarify, you want to choose the targets for the spells? If that's the case, you would want the wording to be "For each spell exiled this way, its owner casts it without paying its mana cost. You choose all targets for spells cast this way."
May 14, 2015 7:39 p.m.
sergiodelrio says... #16
@ABMP but this doesn't solve the ordering issue. I think the spells are also supposed to be rearranged on the stack.
May 14, 2015 7:41 p.m.
ducttapedeckbox says... #17
I mean, the goal is to choose the order in which they resolve. All the ways I think this would work would mean you would have to cast all of the spells yourself, which would mean you choose a target for each of them. If it can be done without that, I wouldn't mind.
My wording is starting to get so bad hahaha damn long car ride.
May 14, 2015 7:42 p.m.
sergiodelrio says... #18
Hmmm... why do we even bother exiling the spells? Couldn't we just straight out say "(split second) You may rearrange the order of each other spell on the stack. You may choose new targets for each of those spells."?
May 14, 2015 7:45 p.m. Edited.
You'll also run into an issue with 
spells, kickers, etc.
So the spell will have to remember all modes selected, additional costs and x costs.
May 14, 2015 7:45 p.m.
ABadMagicPlayer100 says... #20
There is a typo... I failed at copy-pasta.
May 14, 2015 7:47 p.m. Edited.
sergiodelrio: The ability to choose new targets for each spell, kinda broken. Wild Ricochet costs 4 to copy/retarget 1 spell.
"oh, the stack is full of burn spells, lucky me"
May 14, 2015 7:47 p.m.
sergiodelrio says... #22
enpc I already said that is unfair. The OP wants it that way.
May 14, 2015 7:49 p.m.
ABadMagicPlayer100 says... #23
I'm pretty sure that the wording of the card would cause all of the spells to go on the stack at the same time. You, the caster of the spell, get to order them as you choose.
May 14, 2015 7:49 p.m.
what dictates order? you working off APNAP? Might be worth including a "starting with you, each blah blah... repeat this process until each player chooses not to cast a spell" or something better worded.
May 14, 2015 7:49 p.m.
ABadMagicPlayer100 says... #25
I'm not 100% positive, but doesn't this wording put all of the spells on the stack, cast by their owner. Because of APNAP, you would get to order the stack... Unless that doesn't apply to spells... Man, this card is complicated.
May 14, 2015 7:52 p.m.
ducttapedeckbox says... #26
Retargeting is not the goal of the card. If it can be done without it, then it should be.
May 14, 2015 8:01 p.m.
sergiodelrio says... #27
But the spell wouldn't do much without retargeting, or would it?
May 14, 2015 8:04 p.m.
except that anything who's target is another spell/ability on the stack will lose it's target. New instances of the spells. Welcome to the cluster that is the stack.
May 14, 2015 8:05 p.m.
ducttapedeckbox says... #29
How about it costing XRU, where X is the number of spells on the stack?
May 14, 2015 8:07 p.m.
sergiodelrio says... #30
May 14, 2015 8:07 p.m. Edited.
ducttapedeckbox says... #31
You know. If I remember correctly, Epoch mentioned once that referring to the stack in the text of a card is not meant to be done. So that doesn't work.
May 14, 2015 8:08 p.m.
sergiodelrio says... #32
Split second cards kinda already do so in the reminder text.
May 14, 2015 8:09 p.m. Edited.
ducttapedeckbox says... #33
Fair point, what if we leave the rearrange in and make it cost 1 more for each spell cast this phase or turn?
May 14, 2015 8:09 p.m.
sergiodelrio says... #35
No, let's make it like 
and make it cost one LESS per spell!
May 14, 2015 8:11 p.m.
sergiodelrio: personally I would play another Cancel, or you know, Mindbreak Trap. Fits with the theme...
May 14, 2015 8:23 p.m.
sergiodelrio says... #37
So Mindbreak Trap, ha! I knew all those effects we talked about reminded me of something... Well doesn't the trap actually do all we want the OP spell to do?
May 14, 2015 8:32 p.m.
well exiling everything is a kind of stack manipulation I guess :P
May 14, 2015 9:07 p.m.
SpartanCEL says... #42
How about
copy all other spells, you may choose new targets for those copies
exile all other spells not copied by rearrange or called rearrange
Or somethin like that
May 14, 2015 9:19 p.m.
SpartanCEL says... #43
Or even
- Exile all other spells, you may cast a copy cards exiled with Rearrange without paying their mana costs
ducttapedeckbox says... #2
Ooh wait this goes infinite with itself... Right...? Oops...how do I fix that?
Anddd I don't think the resolving under owner's control clause works either... I think I really botched this one up.
May 14, 2015 6:37 p.m. Edited.