Been playing for awhile now (10+ years) and it's always interesting to me when phrases get turned into mechanic names. (Such as doesn't tap to attack turning into Vigilance.) There are a few common repeat phrases that I think should have their own name as well. Here a few examples and the respecting cards that use it currently. I picked new cards because I would like to see modern strategy with modern terminology.
There are a lot of recurring mechanics that could be keyworded but are not frequent enough to really be worth it because it doesn't save a whole lot of space like other keywords. I think all of these fit into that category. They are infrequent enough that every time they occur they would need to have reminder text, thus defeating the purpose of being keyworded.
Ferocity - "can't be blocked except by two or more creatures." Radical difference from what you wrote. There usually aren't that many cards per set with this kind of ability, and the occasional variation with "three or more" would make me shy away from wanting to keyword it. Otherwise, it could be an okay choice for keywording. The name ferocity doesn't really fit. I would want something that cues into the creature being wile-y or hard to contain.
Fatigue - Not something that needs to be keyworded, and your examples wouldn't really keyword well anyway. Something similar that might be worth keywording is "You may choose not to untap this permanent during your untap step" like on Amber Prison, although those kinds of cards are infrequent enough that they would probably always have reminder text thus defeating the purpose of keywording it.
Warding - Infrequent enough that it doesn't save that much space. The fact that it would need to have a parameter to cover cards like Hundred-Handed One even though most of the cards would just have Warding 1 is unappealling.
- The difference between this and your ferocity is also worth pointing out: this mechanic is cummulative where as ferocity is redundant. If you activate Coastline Chimera twice, then it can block two extra creatures. If you enchant Purphoros's Emissary with Madcap Skills, then it still only takes two creatures to block it. Keywording such similar mechanics would make it seem like they should function more similarly than they really are.
They all kind of started that way though. I think it would be interesting if creature cards have a more 'number based conscious' mechanic to it. Like how the Chimera can block and extra creature, Hundred-Handed can block 100, a couple cerebus have doublestrike. Maybe later 2014 set cards will have things like more Phalanxes, etc that can block extra creatures or have to be blocked by other creatures. And having Warding 2 if it can block 2 or Ferocity 2 if has to be blocked by two might help.
Yea some of the things I wrote could probably be worded better- but you may know where I'm coming from. If Wall of Frost had something like fatigue blocked creature or Breath of Frost had tap target creature, fatigue 1, i would find it convenient.
Things that are ferocious seem like they would be hard to contain. And gruul war chant, almost screams being fierce IMO.
Reconnaissance:
When this creature deals combat damage to a player, draw a card.
(Thassa's Emissary, Sword of Fire and Ice, Stealer of Secrets)
Ferocity:
This creature must be blocked by two or more creatures.
(Purphoros's Emissary, Gruul War Chant, Madcap Skills
Fatigue:
Permanent does not untap during it's owner's next untap phase.
(Triton Tactics, Frost Breath, Wall of Frost)
Warding X:
Can block X additional creature(s).
(Vanguard's Shield, Coastline Chimera, Warding 99 Hundred-Handed One
I'll add more later depending on the response to this thread. P.S. I'm new here.
Reconnaissance - Thassa's Emissary:Reconnaissance::Spirit Link:Lifelink. Thassa's Emissary and Sword of Fire and Ice don't have this ability. About half of the creatures with this ability have a "you may" in it, so it would not cover uniformly.
Ferocity - "can't be blocked except by two or more creatures." Radical difference from what you wrote. There usually aren't that many cards per set with this kind of ability, and the occasional variation with "three or more" would make me shy away from wanting to keyword it. Otherwise, it could be an okay choice for keywording. The name ferocity doesn't really fit. I would want something that cues into the creature being wile-y or hard to contain.
Fatigue - Not something that needs to be keyworded, and your examples wouldn't really keyword well anyway. Something similar that might be worth keywording is "You may choose not to untap this permanent during your untap step" like on Amber Prison, although those kinds of cards are infrequent enough that they would probably always have reminder text thus defeating the purpose of keywording it.
Warding - Infrequent enough that it doesn't save that much space. The fact that it would need to have a parameter to cover cards like Hundred-Handed One even though most of the cards would just have Warding 1 is unappealling.
- The difference between this and your ferocity is also worth pointing out: this mechanic is cummulative where as ferocity is redundant. If you activate Coastline Chimera twice, then it can block two extra creatures. If you enchant Purphoros's Emissary with Madcap Skills, then it still only takes two creatures to block it. Keywording such similar mechanics would make it seem like they should function more similarly than they really are.
P.S. Welcome to MTGS.
Thanks for the welcome and reply.
They all kind of started that way though. I think it would be interesting if creature cards have a more 'number based conscious' mechanic to it. Like how the Chimera can block and extra creature, Hundred-Handed can block 100, a couple cerebus have doublestrike. Maybe later 2014 set cards will have things like more Phalanxes, etc that can block extra creatures or have to be blocked by other creatures. And having Warding 2 if it can block 2 or Ferocity 2 if has to be blocked by two might help.
Yea some of the things I wrote could probably be worded better- but you may know where I'm coming from. If Wall of Frost had something like fatigue blocked creature or Breath of Frost had tap target creature, fatigue 1, i would find it convenient.
Things that are ferocious seem like they would be hard to contain. And gruul war chant, almost screams being fierce IMO.