"Spellcraft {cost} (As you cast an instant or sorcery spell, you may exile this card from your graveyard and pay this cost. If you do, add this card's effect to that spell.)"
So this is basically Splice onto Arcane, but tweaked to be a one-time use from your graveyard. It can also be applied to any spell, not just a specific subtype. This fixes a few major problems with Splice, mainly the parasitism and the repetitive gameplay that comes with mechanics like Splice and Forecast. It also involves more decision-making, as one-time effects make for more compelling decisions. Finally, it encourages more player action by making the player cast the spell with Spellcraft to get it into the graveyard, rather than waiting with a bunch of Splice cards in-hand till they find the right combo.
In a vacuum, Spellcraft is a little weaker than Splice, with all of the added restrictions. However, that allows us to cost it more aggressively, making for much more attractive cards.
I designed this for a spell-themed set (instants and sorceries), so given that I would want it to be in all five colors in some volume, weighing most heavily in UR. Here are some common examples I can think of off the top of my head:
Lifegain CraftW
Sorcery C
You gain 5 life.
Spellcraft W
Pump Craft1G
Instant C
Put two +1/+1 counters on target creature.
Spellcraft G
Draw CraftU
Instant C
Draw a card.
Spellcraft 0
Discard CraftB
Sorcery C
Target player discards a card.
Spellcraft-Discard a card
Scare CraftR
Sorcery C
Target creature can't block this turn.
Spellcraft R
I like this a lot and I think you're right about this solving the major issues with splice onto arcane. I'm not sure about the spellcraft costs on these though; keep in mind that you're basically getting a free card from each of these.
An interesting design but you have over estimated how aggressively you can or should cost this. It is a harder to use flashback, so your cards should start at what it would cost if your spell had flash back and then cut 1 or 2 at most.
Draw Craft needs to cost quite a bit more. Think Twice is a good card, Draw Craft is leaps and bounds better.
Scare Craft doesn't really seem worth it on either end. I'm not sure how to scale this effect so its worth using.
An interesting design but you have over estimated how aggressively you can or should cost this. It is a harder to use flashback, so your cards should start at what it would cost if your spell had flash back and then cut 1 or 2 at most.
Draw Craft needs to cost quite a bit more. Think Twice is a good card, Draw Craft is leaps and bounds better.
Scare Craft doesn't really seem worth it on either end. I'm not sure how to scale this effect so its worth using.
You have a point here. Basically the costing needs more balancing, which can be done during playtesting.
Aside from that, though, you don't see any issue with the mechanic itself?
I'm not certain why you choose the "up to" wording in the first place - it doesn't get around getting countered due to lack of legal targets, so it has no benefit over your choice to just not add the effect to the spell in the first place.
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Planar Chaos was not a mistake neither was it random. You might want to look at it again.
[thread=239793][Game] Level Up - Creature[/thread]
With this kind of copy effect you run into the immediate problem of the overload spells, and while that needs to be resolved it shouldn't be an immediate end to this line of thought. I hadn't noticed on Pump and Scare you use "up to one target". This is rather awkward because there is no additional effect that you would need no target to gain, other than possibly splicing other spells on them. The "up to" wording is used on abilities or spells that you want to be able to cast without a target, meaning they have a benefit that would make using them worthwhile without their targeted function. Ajani Steadfast's +1 uses "up to" because it wants to give you the ability to add loyalty without the need of having creatures, Duneblast is the same you need to get the benefit of destroying all of your opponents creatures without having your own to save.
Yall have a point. My thought process was using that wording to avoid having the target removed to counter the whole spell, but it doesn't quite work that way, does it.
I'll change the wording.
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So this is basically Splice onto Arcane, but tweaked to be a one-time use from your graveyard. It can also be applied to any spell, not just a specific subtype. This fixes a few major problems with Splice, mainly the parasitism and the repetitive gameplay that comes with mechanics like Splice and Forecast. It also involves more decision-making, as one-time effects make for more compelling decisions. Finally, it encourages more player action by making the player cast the spell with Spellcraft to get it into the graveyard, rather than waiting with a bunch of Splice cards in-hand till they find the right combo.
In a vacuum, Spellcraft is a little weaker than Splice, with all of the added restrictions. However, that allows us to cost it more aggressively, making for much more attractive cards.
I designed this for a spell-themed set (instants and sorceries), so given that I would want it to be in all five colors in some volume, weighing most heavily in UR. Here are some common examples I can think of off the top of my head:
Lifegain Craft W
Sorcery C
You gain 5 life.
Spellcraft W
Pump Craft 1G
Instant C
Put two +1/+1 counters on target creature.
Spellcraft G
Draw Craft U
Instant C
Draw a card.
Spellcraft 0
Discard Craft B
Sorcery C
Target player discards a card.
Spellcraft-Discard a card
Scare Craft R
Sorcery C
Target creature can't block this turn.
Spellcraft R
Draw Craft needs to cost quite a bit more. Think Twice is a good card, Draw Craft is leaps and bounds better.
Scare Craft doesn't really seem worth it on either end. I'm not sure how to scale this effect so its worth using.
Aside from that, though, you don't see any issue with the mechanic itself?
I'm not certain why you choose the "up to" wording in the first place - it doesn't get around getting countered due to lack of legal targets, so it has no benefit over your choice to just not add the effect to the spell in the first place.
Finally a good white villain quote: "So, do I ever re-evaluate my life choices? Never, because I know what I'm doing is a righteous cause."
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I'll change the wording.