Why is WotC Introducing a New Card Type, Now?
General forum
Posted on March 16, 2023, 8:37 p.m. by DemonDragonJ
WotC shall be introducing a new card type, battle, in March of the Machines, but I wonder why it is necessary to do that, since there is no real need to do so, as each existing card type fulfills a specific purpose or niche. It is true that planeswalkers were not a card type for the early years of the game, but they now have been in the gamer for longer than they were not in the game, and they have become a beloved part of it, since then, but this year is the game's 30th anniversary, so I think that WotC should not have waited for so long to introduce a new card type; if they had intended to introduce a new card type, they should have done so, earlier, but it is now far too late into the game.
What does everyone else say about this? Why is WotC introducing a new card type, now?
From what I hear, planeswalkers were met with a similar response when the type was printed on Tarmogoyf, but they have drastically changed (and even warped it in some cases) the game. As wallisface said I'm inclined to wait and see before making judgements.
March 17, 2023 12:05 a.m.
RiotRunner789 says... #4
Best guess is that the new card type is like tribal. Tribal was mostly just tacked onto instants and sorceries and battle will probably be the same for enchantments and sagas.
March 17, 2023 6:46 a.m.
wallisface says... #5
RiotRunner789 nah i think best guesses so far is that it’s more elaborate than that. “Skirmish”, the in-house card-type its probably expanding on, involved both players gaining points in various ways (usually attacking), with the overall winner (first to x points) getting some kind of reward. Battle is very likely to be some kind of offshoot of this - likely where the reward is on the back-side of the card (there’ve been some leaks which suggest all battles are double-sided).
March 17, 2023 8:26 a.m.
I don't think all sets are going to contain battles. I'm even going to say that battles in Standard legal or premier sets will be unusual; they'll be mostly in supplemental sets, to be used when needed.
Since they can be revealed from the library, they're not like Planes or Schemes or Dungeons or anything outside the game.
March 17, 2023 10:14 a.m.
This thread seems premature - until we know what a Battle card does, we will not be able to make a determination as to why they are added.
They could be something like Tribal - Tribal exists to fill a very specific mechanical function, where part of the game would otherwise not function (adding creature types to non-creature cards). If that is the case, it should be pretty easy to figure out why they are added - you just look at the problem the type was created specifically to solve.
Or they could be something like Planeswalkers, which fundamentally work differently. In that case, the answer is probably “because they wanted to add a new element to the game” and we could figure out more based on their functionality. Whether that element is good or not Will be debated for years (I still am not convinced planeswalkers improved the game, but whether it was a good change is an independent inquiry from “why was this added?”
Either way, we will not know until we see some of them be spoiled and get a little more information about the rules. Until then, there’s only wild speculation which misses any actual data from which we could extrapolate intent.
March 17, 2023 10:46 a.m. Edited.
TypicalTimmy says... #8
Given that the new card type is called Battle, and we are seeing an inter-planer war unfold across all planes simultaneously, it wouldn't surprise me if Battle cards were some sort of "mini-game". Like you pay at sorcery speed and the game you are currently playing is put on pause and you all do something else.
Like draw 7 cards and play a game like that or something.
Isn't that a draft game? Like Booster Wars or Battle Boosters or something dumb like that, where you only use cards in your opening booster pack to play?
Anyway, that seems different enough to me to warrant its own card type. My previous idea really was an Enchantment with modes.
If they are making brand new card types, the card itself must be different from any of the other card types we currently have.
But even still, my example here could easily be a sorcery. Oh wait, it is.
March 17, 2023 11:50 a.m.
plakjekaas says... #9
We also already have enchantments with modes: Outpost Siege
Fair to say, a siege is a kind of battle, so it's not impossible, but with the dual-faced suggestion, and the fact that it's an entire new card type, I hope a battle is more than just an MDFC enchantment.
March 17, 2023 12:32 p.m.
Here’s a boring answer: they’re adding a new card type because marketing dudes always push for newer, flashier mechanics. It’s a statistically proven method of drawing more people to the game and therefore more profits. On an even more pessimistic note, they will probably keep doing this until the game eventually becomes oversaturated and people may move on to something else.
the optimist in me hopes that the new mechanic ends up being really fun and interesting. Personally, I’ve liked a lot of the new products Wotc has been launching, so I have high hopes.
March 17, 2023 12:37 p.m.
TypicalTimmy says... #11
You know, if they are bringing back Planechase cards, I wonder if Battle works in tandem with them?
March 17, 2023 1:48 p.m.
that_dude33 says... #12
Respectfully, your explanation of the addition of planeswalkers completely makes your point irrelevant. In 30 years Battle cards may be beloved to the game of Magic and have been apart of it more than they have not been. The timing isn’t the issue, wait til you see what their impact is.
March 18, 2023 1:37 a.m.
FormOverFunction says... #13
Some of us still don’t like planeswalkers, but you just roll with the changes. Why did they make “flanking” and get rid of “interrupts?” Why did they make “Ecto Cooler” flavored Hi-C? Generally creative people (some of whom make games) like to continue creating things. As long as they don’t actually get rid of original Orange flavored Hi-C we’ll all be fine. ;p
March 18, 2023 10:51 a.m.
DemonDragonJ says... #14
What colors can destroy battles? There is a green card that does that, but I hope that other colors shall be allowed to do so, as well (preferably black and white), since green is already sufficiently powerful as it currently is.
April 18, 2023 9:02 p.m.
DemonDragonJ says... #15
nhhale, I wish that WotC would not pander to players like that; I know that, in the past, I have wished that WotC would give the players what they want, but I do not wish for them to do it, this way, as it only encourages immaturity and a constant need for something new and flashy, which is not the type of personality that I feel should be indulged.
April 18, 2023 9:07 p.m.
plakjekaas says... #16
Everything that targets "nonland permanents" can destroy a battle, from Assassin's Trophy to Windgrace's Judgment.
I've played prereleases, and I'm not sure yet about Battles. They are fun, but make for longer games and more options to choose from, at least in limited. Half of the tables went to time every round. They do feel pretty natural as a target to attack, in that sense they're similar to Planeswalkers.
April 19, 2023 6:01 a.m.
It’s probably worth noting that reality does not really support nhhale’s slipper slope scenario.
In the thirty years of this game there have really only been three card types added - Tribal, Planeswalkers, and now Battles. Each was only introduced as a new card type because their intended function could not be accomplished through the existing card types.
Now, one could dislike them as a card type and debate over whether they are good for the game or not, but trying to derive a pattern that leads to over saturation of card types? From the current data available, that is not a sound argument and looks a lot more like the gamer cliché of spouting off ill-reasoned conjecture instead of considering fact.
The simple reality is that Wizards has been incredibly conservative with adding new card typing. Now, perhaps if they add another couple in rapid succession, then there would be cause for alarm - but adding just the third new card type in three decades? The first new card type in sixteen years?
Really hard to say we are on a slippery slope when the last new card type is old enough to drive a car.
April 19, 2023 9:20 a.m.
plakjekaas says... #18
Both other previous added card types were introduced in the same year, so there's precedent for multiple types introduced in a short time. The game is probably more popular now than it has ever been, just give it 16 years to sink in :P
April 19, 2023 10:53 a.m.
I didn’t really claim we are on a slippery slope nor do I take issue with Wotc making a new card type.
The only point I intended to make was that popular entertainment products in general (video games, board games, whatever) tend to become oversaturated with content over time, and there is plenty of data to support that. And why shouldn’t they? At the end of the day, marketing dudes like to see profits and creatives like to create.
The frequency with which we get new game mechanics make it hard to claim that Mtg will be the exception that proves the rule. I actually like the majority of what Wotc has been doing in light of the rather pessimistic nature of my comment. Nothing lasts forever though. You’re welcome to look on the bright side, I won’t stop you ;)
wallisface says... #2
Some reasons:
some mechanics take time to surface. Wotc are continually adapting and changing many aspects of the game, and its inevitable that a new card type would be created eventually. It’s also inevitable we’ll see more in the distant future.
sometimes it makes sense to “hold-on” to mechanics until the setting/theme feels right for them, their implications are fully understood, and/or to create set-hype.
they already wanted to make a new card type in WarOfTheSpark. The set was already pretty packed, and the new card type (skirmish) didn’t end up feeling appropriate for the setting. It’s likely that “battle” is a reworked version of that “skirmish” card type, finally now being introduced in a set that makes sense.
You mention ”there is no real need to do so” without even knowing what this new card type is - thar is a very naive way of looking at things. At least understand what the new card type is before deciding whether its necessary. There are innumerous things the game could do if it weren’t confined to the current existing card types.
March 16, 2023 10:56 p.m.