ORIGINAL:
REDESIGN:
Ow. Major headache. Here's the card.
Saturday, June 15, 2013
Daily Card Redesign #164: Symbiotic Deployment
Daily Card Redesign is a daily Magic: The Gathering design exercise where I randomly choose a card for the scenario of it being scrapped late during its own set's development. I design a replacement card that uses the same art, is the same color(s), is the same rarity, and has a name that, alphabetically, keeps it within the same collector number for the set.
Ow. Major headache. Here's the card.
Ow. Major headache. Here's the card.
Thursday, June 13, 2013
Daily Card Redesign #163: Cyclopean Tomb
Daily Card Redesign is a daily Magic: The Gathering design exercise where I randomly choose a card for the scenario of it being scrapped late during its own set's development. I design a replacement card that uses the same art, is the same color(s), is the same rarity, and has a name that, alphabetically, keeps it within the same collector number for the set.
Shuteye. Get it? Because it's an eye, and when it shuts, it encases the opponent for just a wink? And the planeswalker within this little bed/cradle/den looks like it's sleeping? As in, it's getting some shuteye? As in, it's getting forty winks - thus the wink counters?!
...Ah, satisfying.
I didn't feel like wording this card according to the olden ways of wording cards. Too much of a hassle!
Also, I feel like this may potentially be busted, and I'm just not seeing the loophole. Otherwise, hooray, it's safe and great. Keep in mind that this doesn't completely shut down a player - they can still activate abilities and attack with creatures.
I wanted to make the player skip their turn, but that was too weird to do for Alpha. I'll keep in mind some kind of sleeping spell for the player (like the spell Sleep for creatures) for a future card design.
ORIGINAL:
REDESIGN:
Shuteye. Get it? Because it's an eye, and when it shuts, it encases the opponent for just a wink? And the planeswalker within this little bed/cradle/den looks like it's sleeping? As in, it's getting some shuteye? As in, it's getting forty winks - thus the wink counters?!
...Ah, satisfying.
I didn't feel like wording this card according to the olden ways of wording cards. Too much of a hassle!
Also, I feel like this may potentially be busted, and I'm just not seeing the loophole. Otherwise, hooray, it's safe and great. Keep in mind that this doesn't completely shut down a player - they can still activate abilities and attack with creatures.
I wanted to make the player skip their turn, but that was too weird to do for Alpha. I'll keep in mind some kind of sleeping spell for the player (like the spell Sleep for creatures) for a future card design.
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
Daily Card Redesign #162: Liliana of the Veil
Daily Card Redesign is a daily Magic: The Gathering design exercise where I randomly choose a card for the scenario of it being scrapped late during its own set's development. I design a replacement card that uses the same art, is the same color(s), is the same rarity, and has a name that, alphabetically, keeps it within the same collector number for the set.
ORIGINAL:
REDESIGN:
First, I thought of Liliana's story - she's actually triple-digits old but made dark deals with demons to preserve her youth. To reflect this, I designed her ultimate of you not being able to die, just like her. This emblem's effect is Platinum Emperion's ability.
However, getting an emblem that just says "Your life total can't change." is dangerous because that essentially wins the game for you. Ultimate abilities of planeswalkers aren't supposed to just outright enable you to win (or never lose). So, just like with the weakness of Platinum Emperion, I placed a restriction where you have to have Liliana around. A good thing is that if your Liliana dies to a creature, you can cast whatever other Liliana cards you have to retake your hold on not being able to die.
To help stop players from sending creatures toward Liliana to disable your emblem, the first ability was designed. Help fight off threats!
Additionally, this first ability being the only + ability meant that it was important that it was a + ability that added an even number of counters. This is because we want to not create that moment where a player feels bad for not activating Liliana's ultimate ability because it would mean Liliana would die making the emblem that only works while Liliana is alive. Well, assuming there is no intervention from the opponent to mess with the loyalty numbers. With a +2 ability, the starting loyalty and ultimate ability's loyalty cost were designed accordingly to enable Liliana being alive after activating her ultimate.
Lastly, the second ability is a flavorful nod toward her history - the effect is Sign in Blood. As a bonus, if you use this ability while you have the emblem - you won't lose life!
Daily Card Redesign #161: Brawlers
Daily Card Redesign is a daily Magic: The Gathering design exercise where I randomly choose a card for the scenario of it being scrapped late during its own set's development. I design a replacement card that uses the same art, is the same color(s), is the same rarity, and has a name that, alphabetically, keeps it within the same collector number for the set.
ORIGINALS:
REDESIGNS:
I enjoyed how the original designs represented the idea of having the same kind of fighters, except one of the cards representing seasoned versions of the fighters. I wanted to make sure to keep the link between these two cards, which is why I chose an execution that did this.
I thought that if these Beginner Brawlers were not yet veteran - what WOULD make them veteran? Killing someone else and living. If they manage to do that, then they should be on par with the Veteran Brawlers card. So, I had the card replace itself, improving itself and representing this becoming-a-veteran phenomenon.
When it came to redesigning the Veteran Brawlers, however, I needed to have something unique or exciting enough that would be fit for a rare. Also, since these guys are the upgraded version of the common design, I wanted to make sure to represent that as well as possible. Sure, I could have tacked on First strike or haste or something. But that didn't feel as good of an execution.
I depended upon the power/toughness to represent their Veteran-ness. They're twice as large because of each of them fight as well as 2/2s - on par with Grizzly Bears.
BUT, I still needed an effect that would merit this as a rare card. I thought of keying off of having the creature enter the battlefield from the library. That's not a condition that you'd see often in the rules text of a Magic card, so - rare! This would give another toy for Johnny types to play with.
To ensure that this card is still exciting without having that edge case of its effect fulfilled, I costed the mana cost with a bunch of red mana symbols to keep the converted mana cost down to make this not-so-sucky to cast. I did the same with the common creature.
ORIGINALS:
REDESIGNS:
I enjoyed how the original designs represented the idea of having the same kind of fighters, except one of the cards representing seasoned versions of the fighters. I wanted to make sure to keep the link between these two cards, which is why I chose an execution that did this.
I thought that if these Beginner Brawlers were not yet veteran - what WOULD make them veteran? Killing someone else and living. If they manage to do that, then they should be on par with the Veteran Brawlers card. So, I had the card replace itself, improving itself and representing this becoming-a-veteran phenomenon.
When it came to redesigning the Veteran Brawlers, however, I needed to have something unique or exciting enough that would be fit for a rare. Also, since these guys are the upgraded version of the common design, I wanted to make sure to represent that as well as possible. Sure, I could have tacked on First strike or haste or something. But that didn't feel as good of an execution.
I depended upon the power/toughness to represent their Veteran-ness. They're twice as large because of each of them fight as well as 2/2s - on par with Grizzly Bears.
BUT, I still needed an effect that would merit this as a rare card. I thought of keying off of having the creature enter the battlefield from the library. That's not a condition that you'd see often in the rules text of a Magic card, so - rare! This would give another toy for Johnny types to play with.
To ensure that this card is still exciting without having that edge case of its effect fulfilled, I costed the mana cost with a bunch of red mana symbols to keep the converted mana cost down to make this not-so-sucky to cast. I did the same with the common creature.
Sunday, June 9, 2013
Daily Card Redesign #160: Shock
Daily Card Redesign is a daily Magic: The Gathering design exercise where I randomly choose a card for the scenario of it being scrapped late during its own set's development. I design a replacement card that uses the same art, is the same color(s), is the same rarity, and has a name that, alphabetically, keeps it within the same collector number for the set.
ORIGINAL:
REDESIGN:
This is as simplified of a burn spell you can get. And it's difficult to play this as anything other than a direct damage spell with that kind of art. So, we need to put yet another spin on a direct damage spell. I looked for what mechanics were in Stronghold. Buyback exists in this set.
Next, I searched all red buyback cards to see what direct damage cards have already been designed. There's been a fireball variant, and a burn spell that deals just one damage to either players or creatures. There doesn't exist yet one that only damages creatures. ...I got my card.
Daily Card Redesign #159: Skirk Commando
Daily Card Redesign is a daily Magic: The Gathering design exercise where I randomly choose a card for the scenario of it being scrapped late during its own set's development. I design a replacement card that uses the same art, is the same color(s), is the same rarity, and has a name that, alphabetically, keeps it within the same collector number for the set.
ORIGINAL:
REDESIGN:
I noticed a lack of creatures that destroy artifacts. So, I decided on this. "Arsonist" fit alphabetically, even if it feels a bit off. But I had to make use of what the fire in its hands is for - destroying things with fire.
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