In Ravnica in Chaos, guilds are paired up in rivalries. One such pair of rivals are Boros vs. Dimir. Their guild mechanics and sample cards below.
RW Boros: Boros are aggressive and direct. Being the colors least about card drawing, they willingly sacrifice logic for their cause.
Zeal N (When ~ enters the battlefield, you may discard a card to put N +1/+1 counters on a creature you control. That creature gains haste until end of turn.)
Boros Spearmaster W
Creature - Human Soldier
First strike
Zeal 1 (When ~ enters the battlefield, you may discard a card to put a +1/+1 counter on a creature you control. That creature gains haste until end of turn.)
1/1
Flame-Kin Flamethrower 2RR
Creature - Elemental Wizard
Zeal 2 (When ~ enters the battlefield, you may discard a card to put two +1/+1 counters on a creature you control. That creature gains haste until end of turn.)
When ~ enters the battlefield, it deals damage equal to its power to target creature or player.
2/2
District Captain 4WW
Creature - Angel
Flying
Zeal 2 (When ~ enters the battlefield, you may discard a card to put two +1/+1 counters on a creature you control. That creature gains haste until end of turn.)
When ~ enters the battlefield, creatures you control gain indestructible until end of turn.
4/4
UB Dimir: I was disappointed with Cipher and Encode. Doesn't quite match what those words mean. A more fitting ability is to change the text on a card. So introducing Cryptic, which is an ability word so it can go on different types of cards. On permanents, they're activated or triggered abilities. On instant and sorcery spells, they're additional costs.
Cryptic--Change the text of this card by replacing all instances of something with another.
Fishy Tourist Guide 2U
Creature - Merfolk Rogue
Islandwalk Cryptic--1UU: Change the text of this card by replacing all instances of one basic land type with another. (For instance, change Island to Swamp. This effect lasts indefinitely.)
2/2
Dinrova Specter 1BB
Creature - Specter
When ~ deals combat damage to a player, look at that player's hand and choose a red card from it. The player discards that card. Cryptic--At the beginning of combat, you may pay 2B. If you do, change the text of this card by replacing all instances of one color word with another. (For instance, change red to white. This effect lasts indefinitely.)
2/3
Decrypt 1B
Sorcery
Return target creature card from your graveyard to your hand. Cryptic--As you cast this spell, you may change the text of this card by replacing all instances of one card type with another. If you do, pay an additional 1U. (For instance, change creature to artifact.)
Zeal N (When ~ enters the battlefield, you may discard a card to put N +1/+1 counters on a creature you control. That creature gains haste until end of turn.)
Funny to see this right now. A couple of days ago I was looking into existing cards with "any amount" in their rules/reminder text and came across Nantuko Cultivator and derived the following mechanic from it (as a possible Golgari mechanic.)
Cultivate (When this creature enters the battlefield, you may discard a land card. If you do, put a +1/+1 counter on this creature and draw a card.)
I think this ability (whatever it's form) is more suited to BG in any context (but especially in Rav) as W isn't a discarding color not does it get haste. I could see such a discard ability along these lines in any of the Jund colors though.
EDIT: Cryptic is cool. It looks like it will be a challenge to develop into a fun, competitive mechanic because the effects are so specific and situationally dependent.
Zeal - Between the discard and the haste, this feels more like a black-red ability. I think black-red is the color combination that most likes to sacrifice long term resources for something bigger now. And haste is primary in red and secondary in black.
- Should this be targeting the creature that the counters are put on?
Cryptic - Seems really fiddly and prone to having a lot of hosing mechanics.
RW Boros: Boros are aggressive and direct. Being the colors least about card drawing, they willingly sacrifice logic for their cause.
Zeal N (When ~ enters the battlefield, you may discard a card to put N +1/+1 counters on a creature you control. That creature gains haste until end of turn.)
Boros Spearmaster W
Creature - Human Soldier
First strike
Zeal 1 (When ~ enters the battlefield, you may discard a card to put a +1/+1 counter on a creature you control. That creature gains haste until end of turn.)
1/1
Flame-Kin Flamethrower 2RR
Creature - Elemental Wizard
Zeal 2 (When ~ enters the battlefield, you may discard a card to put two +1/+1 counters on a creature you control. That creature gains haste until end of turn.)
When ~ enters the battlefield, it deals damage equal to its power to target creature or player.
2/2
District Captain 4WW
Creature - Angel
Flying
Zeal 2 (When ~ enters the battlefield, you may discard a card to put two +1/+1 counters on a creature you control. That creature gains haste until end of turn.)
When ~ enters the battlefield, creatures you control gain indestructible until end of turn.
4/4
UB Dimir: I was disappointed with Cipher and Encode. Doesn't quite match what those words mean. A more fitting ability is to change the text on a card. So introducing Cryptic, which is an ability word so it can go on different types of cards. On permanents, they're activated or triggered abilities. On instant and sorcery spells, they're additional costs.
Cryptic--Change the text of this card by replacing all instances of something with another.
Fishy Tourist Guide 2U
Creature - Merfolk Rogue
Islandwalk
Cryptic--1UU: Change the text of this card by replacing all instances of one basic land type with another. (For instance, change Island to Swamp. This effect lasts indefinitely.)
2/2
Dinrova Specter 1BB
Creature - Specter
When ~ deals combat damage to a player, look at that player's hand and choose a red card from it. The player discards that card.
Cryptic--At the beginning of combat, you may pay 2B. If you do, change the text of this card by replacing all instances of one color word with another. (For instance, change red to white. This effect lasts indefinitely.)
2/3
Decrypt 1B
Sorcery
Return target creature card from your graveyard to your hand.
Cryptic--As you cast this spell, you may change the text of this card by replacing all instances of one card type with another. If you do, pay an additional 1U. (For instance, change creature to artifact.)
........................
Funny to see this right now. A couple of days ago I was looking into existing cards with "any amount" in their rules/reminder text and came across Nantuko Cultivator and derived the following mechanic from it (as a possible Golgari mechanic.)
Cultivate (When this creature enters the battlefield, you may discard a land card. If you do, put a +1/+1 counter on this creature and draw a card.)
I think this ability (whatever it's form) is more suited to BG in any context (but especially in Rav) as W isn't a discarding color not does it get haste. I could see such a discard ability along these lines in any of the Jund colors though.
EDIT: Cryptic is cool. It looks like it will be a challenge to develop into a fun, competitive mechanic because the effects are so specific and situationally dependent.
Nantuko Cultivator would like to have a word with you.
- Should this be targeting the creature that the counters are put on?
Cryptic - Seems really fiddly and prone to having a lot of hosing mechanics.
That looks like a fun mechanic for smoothing in limited.