Host - Pseudo-keyword mechanic referencing that the Host permanent gains an additional effect from being infested, or grants some additional boon to creatures infesting it. Like many such mechanics, the full text is spelled out on each card, the word Host simply serves as a mechanical reminder to highlight its interaction with Infest.
The questions:
Does this warrant an reminder word?
Or would it be just as well to not include it, since the effects would be totally different per card?
If a permanent has two separate abilities that interact with Infest, would each deserve a Host tag, or just one?
Protective Host1G
Creature - Human Host - Creatures infesting ~ have hexproof.
2/2
Overeager Host1RR
Creature - Goblin
Haste Host - Players may pay 0 instead of the infest cost of Infest abilities that target ~.
1/1
Addicted HostB
Creature - Human Host - At the beginning of your upkeep, you lose 2 life unless ~ is infested.
2/2
Covetous HostRW
Creature - Dwarf Host - When ~ enters the battlefield, target creature with Infest infests it.
Creatures infesting ~ can't activate Infest abilities.
2/3
This mechanic is incredibly parasitic, both literally and from a design standpoint. It also fares extremely poorly outside of the context of its set/block due to referencing only one mechanic. A cycle or so of cards that care about being infested would be fine, but it shouldn't be common enough to warrant an ability word.
This mechanic is incredibly parasitic, both literally and from a design standpoint. It also fares extremely poorly outside of the context of its set/block due to referencing only one mechanic. A cycle or so of cards that care about being infested would be fine, but it shouldn't be common enough to warrant an ability word.
That's what I was thinking, but other mechanics have gotten action words when there's a few examples in a set. Chroma comes to mind, there's only nine Chroma cards in Eventide, but it still received an action word.
Either way, I would expect a single cycle and a couple more not part of the cycle, not a major set mechanic, just a companion to the Infest mechanic.
Based on that, I should make certain that they are all at least playable in their own right without the Host effect. The mechanic can be parasitic without making the whole card parasitic.
So Protective Host and Addicted Host look like the right direction, but Overeager Host is trending too parasitic.
That's what I was thinking, but other mechanics have gotten action words when there's a few examples in a set. Chroma comes to mind, there's only nine Chroma cards in Eventide, but it still received an action word.
Either way, I would expect a single cycle and a couple more not part of the cycle, not a major set mechanic, just a companion to the Infest mechanic.
Keep in mind that Chroma was the first time Wizards asked players to care about the number of mana symbols in casting cost outside of actually casting spells. The ability word was a handy reminder that this was what the card asked players to do, and it paved the way for being refined into devotion. Your mechanic builds on creatures that care about being equipped or enchanted, and both of those types of abilities usually came without ability words. It's your call for this, since you don't lose anything in using one.
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Host - Pseudo-keyword mechanic referencing that the Host permanent gains an additional effect from being infested, or grants some additional boon to creatures infesting it. Like many such mechanics, the full text is spelled out on each card, the word Host simply serves as a mechanical reminder to highlight its interaction with Infest.
The questions:
Does this warrant an reminder word?
Or would it be just as well to not include it, since the effects would be totally different per card?
If a permanent has two separate abilities that interact with Infest, would each deserve a Host tag, or just one?
Protective Host 1G
Creature - Human
Host - Creatures infesting ~ have hexproof.
2/2
Overeager Host 1RR
Creature - Goblin
Haste
Host - Players may pay 0 instead of the infest cost of Infest abilities that target ~.
1/1
Addicted Host B
Creature - Human
Host - At the beginning of your upkeep, you lose 2 life unless ~ is infested.
2/2
Covetous Host RW
Creature - Dwarf
Host - When ~ enters the battlefield, target creature with Infest infests it.
Creatures infesting ~ can't activate Infest abilities.
2/3
That's what I was thinking, but other mechanics have gotten action words when there's a few examples in a set. Chroma comes to mind, there's only nine Chroma cards in Eventide, but it still received an action word.
Either way, I would expect a single cycle and a couple more not part of the cycle, not a major set mechanic, just a companion to the Infest mechanic.
Based on that, I should make certain that they are all at least playable in their own right without the Host effect. The mechanic can be parasitic without making the whole card parasitic.
So Protective Host and Addicted Host look like the right direction, but Overeager Host is trending too parasitic.
Keep in mind that Chroma was the first time Wizards asked players to care about the number of mana symbols in casting cost outside of actually casting spells. The ability word was a handy reminder that this was what the card asked players to do, and it paved the way for being refined into devotion. Your mechanic builds on creatures that care about being equipped or enchanted, and both of those types of abilities usually came without ability words. It's your call for this, since you don't lose anything in using one.