Magic Core Alpha is a custom core set, meant for limited play, adding cards to my custom standard format, and establishing some small changes to Magic that I would introduce if given ability.
I have started preparing to play custom standard (constructed combining multiple custom made blocks) multiple times and never really finished, though I have irl friends and posters on this forum that seemed interested. I'm currently stuck at my parents' house recovering from a strange vasculitis, so I thought it would be a good opportunity to finish that project.
Wizards is killing off core sets, and I agree with their reasoning but I think if sales and marketing factors are thrown out, the core set is good for balancing standard. It's also a good way for me to establish a baseline for some changes I want to make, so I decided to make a core set. After playing standard with it and two 2-set blocks, I will then decide to either make Magic Core Beta or abandon core sets like Wizards have.
The main theme is promoted monocolor play in limited and constructed. I'm hoping for about half the limited decks to be monocolor, like Khans had half enemy color decks and half tricolor.
The set has 1.5 returning mechanics. The normal returning mechanic is Landfall. It's simple, robust, and goes along with the Seismic Strikestyle basic land type checkers that are promoting monocolor.
The "half" returning mechanic is hybrid. It's simple, popular, and helps building monocolor decks in limited.
I want to further push the display of different planes in the core set. Most cycles use one card from a different plane, and I'm trying to represent as many factions as possible, though I have slightly pushed one faction for each two color combination.
W/U: Bant
U/B: Faeries (Lorwyn/Shadowmoor)
B/R: Minotaurs (Theros)
R/G: Allies (Zendikar)
G/W: Dromoka
W/B: Spirits (Innistrad)
B/G: Phyrexia
G/U: Alchemists (Innistrad)
U/R: Izzet
R/W: Duergar (Shadowmoor)
These factions are just for flavor. If there are any good factions from planes I haven't explored, let me know. I'd like to have as much of a spread as possible.
I'm going to try to implement an idea that Maro has mentioned: spell subtypes. I'm going to errata all previously printed cards I'm using to have these subtypes when necessary. A few cards may refer to these types in the core set, and I may make this a major subtheme in an expansion. The spell types are: Light(W), Shadow (B), Earth (R/G), Wind (U/G), Fire (R), and Frost(U). I'm giving Blue and Red an extra half of an element because those two colors have more instants and sorceries than the other colors. These subtypes will also appear on Elemental creatures, i.e. Creature - Fire Elemental. Most but not all Elementals will use one of these subtypes. Earth spells empower creatures, deal 1 damage to multiple creatures, prevent blocking, and give hexproof or indestructible. Wind spells grant flying, bounce permanents, draw cards, or prevent combat damage. Not all spells with these effects will have these subtypes, only when appropriate.
This change is highly experimental and subject to be scrapped, but I love the potential.
I'm making Unblockable an evergreen keyword and shifting it to B > R > U. Blue is already the master of flying, so why does it need unblockability as well? I like replacing Intimidate/Fear with Unblockable because it's much simpler. It also firmly places "can't block" on both your creatures and opponents' creatures into R/B, which I think helps the color pie.
Regenerate is gone. It's replaced by Indestructible in green and in black will be replaced by effects that return creatures from the graveyard to the battlefield or hand i.e. Reassembling Skeleton.
I want red to care more about instants and sorceries. The most obvious way I'm doing this is giving Negate to red.
The main areas that I need feedback on are: my choice of mechanics; limited synergies and archetypes; depth of colors in limited; and of course individual card evaluations.
I plan on following this set up with two 2-set blocks. They will be two of these three:
Top-down Egyptian
Creature Class tribal
Caribbean/Pirates theme
Question - on your set links, why do you put color indicators on all hybrid cards? They're redundant and unneeded especially when they're the SAME COLOR as you'd normally get from that card.
The only legitimate use for color indicators is to put a color on a card with a zero or nonexistent mana cost.
As this sounds like a Reboot project of sorts, have you given any thought to MaRo's comments on wishing Instant was a supertype and all existing instant cards were Instant Sorcery cards instead? Is this something you'd implement in your Reboot?
If this is meant to be a reboot, I'd recommend a more core game mechanic than Landfall for the set - either Kicker or Cycling. If it isn't a reboot though, Landfall works great.
@Minoke
My Magic Set Editor does that. I'm not really sure why.
@Piar
I'm not really going for a true reboot, just introducing some changes like M10 did.
I decided I didn't want to do Instant Sorcery and the elemental subtypes at the same time. After using the elemental subtypes in some sets, I'm starting to think that the extra fluff isn't worth it. I may remove the elemental subtypes and instead use the Instant Sorcery change because it's something I agree with Maro on.
@TrueFFIke
Demons can be big if they have drawbacks. I'll keep this guy on the watchlist but I think he's probably fine.
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I have started preparing to play custom standard (constructed combining multiple custom made blocks) multiple times and never really finished, though I have irl friends and posters on this forum that seemed interested. I'm currently stuck at my parents' house recovering from a strange vasculitis, so I thought it would be a good opportunity to finish that project.
Wizards is killing off core sets, and I agree with their reasoning but I think if sales and marketing factors are thrown out, the core set is good for balancing standard. It's also a good way for me to establish a baseline for some changes I want to make, so I decided to make a core set. After playing standard with it and two 2-set blocks, I will then decide to either make Magic Core Beta or abandon core sets like Wizards have.
The set has 1.5 returning mechanics. The normal returning mechanic is Landfall. It's simple, robust, and goes along with the Seismic Strikestyle basic land type checkers that are promoting monocolor.
The "half" returning mechanic is hybrid. It's simple, popular, and helps building monocolor decks in limited.
W/U: Bant
U/B: Faeries (Lorwyn/Shadowmoor)
B/R: Minotaurs (Theros)
R/G: Allies (Zendikar)
G/W: Dromoka
W/B: Spirits (Innistrad)
B/G: Phyrexia
G/U: Alchemists (Innistrad)
U/R: Izzet
R/W: Duergar (Shadowmoor)
These factions are just for flavor. If there are any good factions from planes I haven't explored, let me know. I'd like to have as much of a spread as possible.
This change is highly experimental and subject to be scrapped, but I love the potential.
I'm making Unblockable an evergreen keyword and shifting it to B > R > U. Blue is already the master of flying, so why does it need unblockability as well? I like replacing Intimidate/Fear with Unblockable because it's much simpler. It also firmly places "can't block" on both your creatures and opponents' creatures into R/B, which I think helps the color pie.
Regenerate is gone. It's replaced by Indestructible in green and in black will be replaced by effects that return creatures from the graveyard to the battlefield or hand i.e. Reassembling Skeleton.
I want red to care more about instants and sorceries. The most obvious way I'm doing this is giving Negate to red.
Day of Judgment is black. White will have Planar Cleansing or Hallowed Burial variants. Black will still occasionally have expensive wraths like Life's Finale.
Top-down Egyptian
Creature Class tribal
Caribbean/Pirates theme
Full Set (209/249)
Part 2
The only legitimate use for color indicators is to put a color on a card with a zero or nonexistent mana cost.
If this is meant to be a reboot, I'd recommend a more core game mechanic than Landfall for the set - either Kicker or Cycling. If it isn't a reboot though, Landfall works great.
Spell subtypes make me really nervous.
Decks:
Modern
RGWBU Amulet Bloom
G Infect
Screw other formats.
My Magic Set Editor does that. I'm not really sure why.
@Piar
I'm not really going for a true reboot, just introducing some changes like M10 did.
I decided I didn't want to do Instant Sorcery and the elemental subtypes at the same time. After using the elemental subtypes in some sets, I'm starting to think that the extra fluff isn't worth it. I may remove the elemental subtypes and instead use the Instant Sorcery change because it's something I agree with Maro on.
@TrueFFIke
Demons can be big if they have drawbacks. I'll keep this guy on the watchlist but I think he's probably fine.