I'm asking specifically in the context of Limited environments. I'm considering using cascade in a set, and I don't expect or desire to ever play any Constructed games with those cards. If I remember correctly, the big problem with cascade was that it enabled decks like Hypergenesis and the Blightning/Mind Rot deck. Bloodbraid Elf was overpowered, but I think that's a card-specific problem (I've never heard anyone complain about Captured Sunlight or Demonic Dread.)
Again, I'm specifically concerned about Limited here, as I didn't play much Limited during that time. So, yeah, please let me know what you think.
I think cascade can be safe with a little caution. It's pure card advantage that tutors at low CMC and can cheat powerful spells at higher CMC, so you have to take that into consideration with costing spells to avoid making something a little too efficient. I'd cut back on the amount of scry and other topdeck manipulation in your set, since the other half of cascade's strength comes from whether it can be controlled or not. You can also cut loose a little if your set is designed for conspiracy-style multiplayer limited games.
What BlazingRagnarok said is spot-on. If you make sure all cascade cards themselves have mediocre effects then it seems unlikely that it'll be broken. And since you're working on a set exclusively for Limited, you can just balance each cascade card by designing them with the spells that cost less in mind. So if you where to design something like Demonic Dread, you'd just need to see if there aren't any cards with converted mana cost 2 or less that could interact way too much with it, like some powerful pump spell. Or "Ancestral" anything.
Cascade is an exciting mechanic that I think will fit very well with what I'm trying to do, so I'm glad to hear that it should work out as long as I'm careful with how I use it. I think the main key is to stick with effects that feel like small bonuses, but aren't something you'd usually want to spend a card slot on.
I would try to design your set so that the decks that use your reactive cards don't suck too hard to cascade into so that people still have lots of choices in draft. If you do a 2/2 for 4 cascade and it turns out that's really good and people tend to draft decks where they get a couple of those, one of the others, and then change their drafting algorithm to "Built to Smash, Cancel, and Skywhaler's Shot are blank for me" you are reducing draft decision trees more than you need to. Replace Cancel with some kind of Unsubstantiate, Built to Smash with Titan's Strength or somesuch, etc.
I would try to design your set so that the decks that use your reactive cards don't suck too hard to cascade into so that people still have lots of choices in draft. If you do a 2/2 for 4 cascade and it turns out that's really good and people tend to draft decks where they get a couple of those, one of the others, and then change their drafting algorithm to "Built to Smash, Cancel, and Skywhaler's Shot are blank for me" you are reducing draft decision trees more than you need to. Replace Cancel with some kind of Unsubstantiate, Built to Smash with Titan's Strength or somesuch, etc.
Good observation. Thanks.
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Again, I'm specifically concerned about Limited here, as I didn't play much Limited during that time. So, yeah, please let me know what you think.
I'm using cascade in my Mercadian Mysteries set and nobody's raised any concerns about the cards it's on.
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Cascade is an exciting mechanic that I think will fit very well with what I'm trying to do, so I'm glad to hear that it should work out as long as I'm careful with how I use it. I think the main key is to stick with effects that feel like small bonuses, but aren't something you'd usually want to spend a card slot on.
Good observation. Thanks.