Some other ideas that have sprouted from the Hocus Pocus thread that have some potential. Thoughts? Remember our current design goal:
Hocus is a set that focuses on innovation and shocking designs while exploring the distinct nature of a two set block structure.
Voltron DFC
Creatures that transform when a group condition is meet to voltron into something more powerful. The example below uses tribal (Monks) and turns into equipment, but there are numerous other directions to take it. There could even potentially be several different variations in the same block to have different "teams." What I do like about the tribal example is that you could have non transforming monks (much like non rally allies) to round out the environment and keep the numbers high without the same recurring mechanics.
Zhizoa Wanderer2W
Creature - Human Monk (C)
Vigilance
At the beginning of your upkeep, if you control three or more Monks, you may transform any number of them.
2/2
////
Wanderers Staff
Artifact - Equipment (C)
Equip 1
Equipped creature gets +2/+2 and has vigilance.
Zhizoa Mystic1U
Creature - Human Monk (C)
Hexproof
At the beginning of your upkeep, if you control three or more Monks, you may transform any number of them.
2/1
////
Mystics Shroud
Artifact - Equipment (C)
Equip 1
Equipped creature gets +2/+1 and has hexproof.
Zhizoa Light FootR
Creature - Human Monk (C)
Haste
At the beginning of your upkeep, if you control three or more Monks, you may transform any number of them.
1/1
////
Light Foots Sandal
Artifact - Equipment (C)
Equip 1
Equipped creature gets +1/+1 and has haste.
Zhizoa Master2RWU
Creature - Djinn Monk (R)
Double strike
At the beginning of your upkeep, if you control three or more Monks, you may transform any number of them.
3/3
////
Masters Persona
Artifact - Equipment (R)
Equip 1
Equipped creature gets +3/+3 and has double strike.
Whenever the equipped creature attacks, you may put a 0/0 red, white, and blue Monk creature token onto the battlefield tapped and attacking. If you do, attach Masters Persona to it.
Insanity Counters
Like poison counters, but instead of losing the game, you mill. An insanity counter would read "At the beginning of your upkeep, put the top card of your library into your graveyard." Insanity counters could be added or as a drawback to certain spells, but never removed. Encourages graveyard mechanics and an alterante win. Downside being a lot of milling can create a negative/polarizing experience. Not the most original idea, feels sorta like innistrad. Examples:
Psychosis Ward1U
Creature - Human Wizard (C)
Traumatize (This creature deals damage to players in the form of insanity counters)
1/3
Living Dead2B
Sorcery (U)
Return target creature from your graveyard to the battlefield. You gain 2 insanity counters.
Forlorn Wisdom3UU
Creature - Avatar (R)
Flying
When Forlorn Wisdom enters the battlefield, you gain 2 insanity counters.
Forlorn Wisdoms power and toughness are both equal to the number of nonland cards in your graveyard.
*/*
Merge
Take your creatures and merge them together for some interesting/varied design space, from tribal, to color, to, well, look:
Blessed Soul1W
Creature - Human Soldier (C)
Merge (When this enters the battlefield, look at the top 5 cards of your library. You may exile a creature card among them. Put the rest on the bottom in a random order.)
Blessed Soul gets +1/+1 if it merged with a Cleric or an Angel.
2/2
Prism Gale Elemental2UG
Creature - Elemental (C)
Flying
Merge (When this enters the battlefield, look at the top 5 cards of your library. You may exile a creature card among them. Put the rest on the bottom in a random order.)
Prism Gale Elemental gets +1/+1 for each color it shares with the merged creature.
Twin Heart Warrior1RR
Creature - Human Warrior (R)
Merge (When this enters the battlefield, look at the top 5 cards of your library. You may exile a creature card among them. Put the rest on the bottom in a random order.)
Double Strike
Twin Heart Warrior gets +X/+0, where X is the merged creatures power.
0/2
Ultimate Adapter3UU
Creature - Shapeshifter (R)
Merge (When this enters the battlefield, look at the top 5 cards of your library. You may exile a creature card among them. Put the rest on the bottom in a random order.)
Ultimate Adapter has the abilities of the card its merged with.
4/4
This thread is for the discussion of these three mechanics only. For other ideas and suggestions, or if you're interested in the project. Check out the main thread here.
Voltron DFC: The idea seems solid, but the implementation doesn't sit right to me. I'd rather see artifact creatures turn into equipment, or regular creatures turn into auras/enchantments/creatures. Or have it go the other way, where you amass a critical number of enchantments and they can turn into creatures.
Insanity Counters: I remember seeing this idea posted a while back, and I really like the idea of them. I never had a chance to playtest them, but the mental playtest is pretty unique. I think I would've liked it if Ingest was Insanity instead (with changes to processing of course). Seems like a decent idea, doesn't quite work in the same set as Voltron DFC imo.
Merge: Feels like it could be a fixed version of Kinship. Doesn't seem all that "out there" to me, but it probably plays well.
At least outside of limited I dislike the idea of insanity counters. Insanity counters are always a downside against opponents until they actually die from being milled out, as the graveyard is a resource that is often abused.
Voltron DFC: The idea seems solid, but the implementation doesn't sit right to me. I'd rather see artifact creatures turn into equipment, or regular creatures turn into auras/enchantments/creatures. Or have it go the other way, where you amass a critical number of enchantments and they can turn into creatures.
I like the idea of inverting these and narrowing the theme focus, good suggestion
Insanity Counters: I remember seeing this idea posted a while back, and I really like the idea of them. I never had a chance to playtest them, but the mental playtest is pretty unique. I think I would've liked it if Ingest was Insanity instead (with changes to processing of course). Seems like a decent idea, doesn't quite work in the same set as Voltron DFC imo.
I Belive I've propose them before or something similar, and I wouldn't be surprised if others have as well. I agree the two mechanics may not be compatible.
Merge: Feels like it could be a fixed version of Kinship. Doesn't seem all that "out there" to me, but it probably plays well.
Yeah, not out there. May fit as an additional mechanic depending on the forerunner.
The voltron idea sounds like something that would be in Yugioh. Not a fan at all.
First, drawing refrences to another game isnt a bad thing. I know a lot of magic players have a stigma towards Yugioh, but it has been succesful for more reason than having a show. It has some good ideas embedded in among chaff.
Second, what does it even mean in this case to be "something that would be in Yugioh"?
At least outside of limited I dislike the idea of insanity counters. Insanity counters are always a downside against opponents until they actually die from being milled out, as the graveyard is a resource that is often abused.
Not always, no. Not in a block where you would design constructed with mechanics and cards that would punish your opponent for having said graveyard. Which would make sense given a block with insanity counters.
The set would have a "graveyard matters" theme, but perhaps an inverse one where having a graveayard/losing things made it worse. That would be quite different then what we are used to an what you're proposing.
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Hocus is a set that focuses on innovation and shocking designs while exploring the distinct nature of a two set block structure.
Voltron DFC
Creatures that transform when a group condition is meet to voltron into something more powerful. The example below uses tribal (Monks) and turns into equipment, but there are numerous other directions to take it. There could even potentially be several different variations in the same block to have different "teams." What I do like about the tribal example is that you could have non transforming monks (much like non rally allies) to round out the environment and keep the numbers high without the same recurring mechanics.
Zhizoa Wanderer 2W
Creature - Human Monk (C)
Vigilance
At the beginning of your upkeep, if you control three or more Monks, you may transform any number of them.
2/2
////
Wanderers Staff
Artifact - Equipment (C)
Equip 1
Equipped creature gets +2/+2 and has vigilance.
Zhizoa Mystic 1U
Creature - Human Monk (C)
Hexproof
At the beginning of your upkeep, if you control three or more Monks, you may transform any number of them.
2/1
////
Mystics Shroud
Artifact - Equipment (C)
Equip 1
Equipped creature gets +2/+1 and has hexproof.
Zhizoa Light Foot R
Creature - Human Monk (C)
Haste
At the beginning of your upkeep, if you control three or more Monks, you may transform any number of them.
1/1
////
Light Foots Sandal
Artifact - Equipment (C)
Equip 1
Equipped creature gets +1/+1 and has haste.
Zhizoa Master 2RWU
Creature - Djinn Monk (R)
Double strike
At the beginning of your upkeep, if you control three or more Monks, you may transform any number of them.
3/3
////
Masters Persona
Artifact - Equipment (R)
Equip 1
Equipped creature gets +3/+3 and has double strike.
Whenever the equipped creature attacks, you may put a 0/0 red, white, and blue Monk creature token onto the battlefield tapped and attacking. If you do, attach Masters Persona to it.
Insanity Counters
Like poison counters, but instead of losing the game, you mill. An insanity counter would read "At the beginning of your upkeep, put the top card of your library into your graveyard." Insanity counters could be added or as a drawback to certain spells, but never removed. Encourages graveyard mechanics and an alterante win. Downside being a lot of milling can create a negative/polarizing experience. Not the most original idea, feels sorta like innistrad. Examples:
Psychosis Ward 1U
Creature - Human Wizard (C)
Traumatize (This creature deals damage to players in the form of insanity counters)
1/3
Living Dead 2B
Sorcery (U)
Return target creature from your graveyard to the battlefield. You gain 2 insanity counters.
Forlorn Wisdom 3UU
Creature - Avatar (R)
Flying
When Forlorn Wisdom enters the battlefield, you gain 2 insanity counters.
Forlorn Wisdoms power and toughness are both equal to the number of nonland cards in your graveyard.
*/*
Merge
Take your creatures and merge them together for some interesting/varied design space, from tribal, to color, to, well, look:
Blessed Soul 1W
Creature - Human Soldier (C)
Merge (When this enters the battlefield, look at the top 5 cards of your library. You may exile a creature card among them. Put the rest on the bottom in a random order.)
Blessed Soul gets +1/+1 if it merged with a Cleric or an Angel.
2/2
Prism Gale Elemental 2UG
Creature - Elemental (C)
Flying
Merge (When this enters the battlefield, look at the top 5 cards of your library. You may exile a creature card among them. Put the rest on the bottom in a random order.)
Prism Gale Elemental gets +1/+1 for each color it shares with the merged creature.
Twin Heart Warrior 1RR
Creature - Human Warrior (R)
Merge (When this enters the battlefield, look at the top 5 cards of your library. You may exile a creature card among them. Put the rest on the bottom in a random order.)
Double Strike
Twin Heart Warrior gets +X/+0, where X is the merged creatures power.
0/2
Ultimate Adapter 3UU
Creature - Shapeshifter (R)
Merge (When this enters the battlefield, look at the top 5 cards of your library. You may exile a creature card among them. Put the rest on the bottom in a random order.)
Ultimate Adapter has the abilities of the card its merged with.
4/4
This thread is for the discussion of these three mechanics only. For other ideas and suggestions, or if you're interested in the project. Check out the main thread here.
Insanity Counters: I remember seeing this idea posted a while back, and I really like the idea of them. I never had a chance to playtest them, but the mental playtest is pretty unique. I think I would've liked it if Ingest was Insanity instead (with changes to processing of course). Seems like a decent idea, doesn't quite work in the same set as Voltron DFC imo.
Merge: Feels like it could be a fixed version of Kinship. Doesn't seem all that "out there" to me, but it probably plays well.
Tragic Memory
U
Sorcery
Draw a card. Traumatize.
When this enters the battlefield, traumatize.
Etc.
Link to Discord server where anybody from MTGS can keep up with thread topics while everything is being sorted out with the new site.
I like the idea of inverting these and narrowing the theme focus, good suggestion
I Belive I've propose them before or something similar, and I wouldn't be surprised if others have as well. I agree the two mechanics may not be compatible.
Yeah, not out there. May fit as an additional mechanic depending on the forerunner.
Perhaps, but not as is since the current wording references damage. A traumatize action word does have appeal though.
First, drawing refrences to another game isnt a bad thing. I know a lot of magic players have a stigma towards Yugioh, but it has been succesful for more reason than having a show. It has some good ideas embedded in among chaff.
Second, what does it even mean in this case to be "something that would be in Yugioh"?
Not always, no. Not in a block where you would design constructed with mechanics and cards that would punish your opponent for having said graveyard. Which would make sense given a block with insanity counters.
The set would have a "graveyard matters" theme, but perhaps an inverse one where having a graveayard/losing things made it worse. That would be quite different then what we are used to an what you're proposing.