The mechanic is from cards like Light Up the Stage and Act on Impulse. Now there is a difference there between end of your next turn or end of turn, but to prevent memory issues for a widespread mechanic I chose end of turn. Additionally, instead of leaving those cards in exile I chose to have them be sent to your graveyard)
Name X [Exile the top X cards of your library, until the end of the turn, you may play those cards. At the end of the turn place all cards that are in exile that have been exiled this way into your graveyard)
I don't have a name yet - just wondering if this is a mechanic that can be used. My main concerns are:
1) This mechanic is currently solidly in red. But, does the graveyard portion and/or the fact that it is so similar to scry able to move this mechanic to other colors as well? Like if Act on Impulse didn't exist, would this be an acceptable mechanic to slap onto a white boosting spell like Stand Firm:
~ W
Instant (C)
Target creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn. Name 1 [Exile the top card of your library, until the end of the turn, you may play that card. At the end of the turn place all cards that are in exile that have been exiled this way into your graveyard)
Is that too much of a color shift for white?
2) My other concern is that cards like Light Up the Stage and Act on Impulse are relatively rare - is it concerning to have this type of mechanic show up in large quantities in a single set?
I would not make this a white ability. There's very little white about it philosophically. If it had to go into a second color it'd be black ("get the job done with the tools at hand, and if something gets thrown away in the process then so be it").
I also wouldn't make it a keyword action - there are too many different variants, you see - unless it were somehow a set theme, like you planned to interact with the cards exiled in that way.
Well, the idea is that there is nothing really philosophically white about scry either, or even drawing cards. Scry and card draw appear on all colors and artifacts. This ability is less than card draw and perhaps more than scry (not sure about that as it doesn't let you sculpt your hand) - either way in that philosophy (not in terms of "does this ability feel like this color" but in terms of "card draw/scry is allowed - why not this").
In terms of variants - I agree which is why this mechanic is different in the sense that it sends the exiled cards into the graveyard at end of turn. In terms of interacting no need to interact with exile as this mechanic can double as self mill.
Philosophically there isn't an actual problem with it being in white, the actual problem with it being in white is that it is essentially card draw which white doesn't get. Red got this 'temporary' draw because it was a way to play into red strengths without undermining its weaknesses. However in White it actually does undermine the weakness so it can't be added at a reasonable level. It would just replace whites current meager draw with less efficient impulse draw.
That said the main problem against keywording such an ability is that you want to actually choose when you do EOT and EONT. Obviously the one giving more time is significantly stronger so you don't want to default to that, but you also don't want to bind yourself to never using the stronger version, which is what would happen if you keyworded.
For a single set you could keyword the ability that has the added graveyard dump. Because it is a combination of self mill and draw you would put this in Red and Black, and Green when linked specifically to creatures.
Cantriping(of which this is a weaker version of) is extremely difficult to cost at lower costs. A cantripping standfirm for a small additional cost is fine, but a cantripping lightning bolt is ember shot (IMO, embershot costs too much, but certainly abusive if costed on the same lines as a cantripping stand firm).
Is it concerning if this shows up a lot in a set? Yes, especially if there's a lot of mana acceleration, or exile/graveyard interaction.
Private Mod Note
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Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"Sometimes, the situation is outracing a threat, sometimes it's ignoring it, and sometimes it involves sideboarding in 4x Hope//Pray." --Doug Linn
I think there was a misunderstanding in this post - I'm not trying to have my keyword become evergreen or replace the wording of future impulse type cards. My ask was essentially whether this could be a 5 color mechanic in a single set. (I was mostly thinking of have [Name] 2 to 3 replace cantrips in a hypothetical set. )
As a set mechanic it could work, but I don't know if you want to replace cantrips and scry as an add-on to spells. Considering this is generally a worse ability than cantripping at a parameter of 1, and at a parameter of 2 or more it's a bit of a color bleed, I would advise being careful with it.
Name X [Exile the top X cards of your library, until the end of the turn, you may play those cards. At the end of the turn place all cards that are in exile that have been exiled this way into your graveyard)
I don't have a name yet - just wondering if this is a mechanic that can be used. My main concerns are:
1) This mechanic is currently solidly in red. But, does the graveyard portion and/or the fact that it is so similar to scry able to move this mechanic to other colors as well? Like if Act on Impulse didn't exist, would this be an acceptable mechanic to slap onto a white boosting spell like Stand Firm:
~ W
Instant (C)
Target creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn. Name 1 [Exile the top card of your library, until the end of the turn, you may play that card. At the end of the turn place all cards that are in exile that have been exiled this way into your graveyard)
Is that too much of a color shift for white?
2) My other concern is that cards like Light Up the Stage and Act on Impulse are relatively rare - is it concerning to have this type of mechanic show up in large quantities in a single set?
Thanks!
I also wouldn't make it a keyword action - there are too many different variants, you see - unless it were somehow a set theme, like you planned to interact with the cards exiled in that way.
I̟̥͍̠ͅn̩͉̣͍̬͚ͅ ̬̬͖t̯̹̞̺͖͓̯̤h̘͍̬e͙̯͈̖̼̮ ̭̬f̺̲̲̪i͙͉̟̩̰r̪̝͚͈̝̥͍̝̲s̼̻͇̘̳͔ͅt̲̺̳̗̜̪̙ ̳̺̥̻͚̗ͅm̜̜̟̰͈͓͎͇o̝̖̮̝͇m̯̻̞̼̫̗͓̤e̩̯̬̮̩n͎̱̪̲̹͖t͇̖s̰̮ͅ,̤̲͙̻̭̻̯̹̰ ̖t̫̙̺̯͖͚̯ͅh͙̯̦̳̗̰̟e͖̪͉̼̯ ̪͕g̞̣͔a̗̦t̬̬͓͙̫̖̭̻e̩̻̯ ̜̖̦̖̤̭͙̬t̞̹̥̪͎͉ͅo͕͚͍͇̲͇͓̺ ̭̬͙͈̣̻t͈͍͙͓̫̖͙̩h̪̬̖̙e̗͈ ̗̬̟̞̺̤͉̯ͅa̦̯͚̙̜̮f͉͙̲̣̞̼t̪̤̞̣͚e̲͉̳̥r͇̪̙͚͓l̥̞̞͎̹̯̹ͅi͓̬f̮̥̬̞͈ͅe͎ ̟̩̤̳̠̯̩̯o̮̘̲p̟͚̣̞͉͓e͍̩̣n͔̼͕͚̜e̬̱d̼̘͎̖̹͍̮̠,͖̺̭̱̮ ̣̲͖̬̪̭̥a̪͚n̟̲̝̤̤̞̗d̘̱̗͇̮͕̳͕͔ ͖̞͉͎t̹̙͎h̰̱͉̗e̪̞̱̝̹̩ͅ ̠̱̩̭̦p̯̙e͓o̳͚̰̯̺̱̰͔̘p̬͎̱̣̼̩͇l̗̟̖͚̠e̱͉͔̱̦̬̟̙ ̖͚̪͔̼̦w̺̖̤̱e͖̗̻̦͓̖̘̜r̭̥e͔̹̫̱͕̦̰͕ ̗͔̠p̠̗͍͍̱̳̠r̰͔͎̰o͉̥͓̰͚̥s̟͚̹̱͔̣t͉̙̳̖͖̪̮r̥̘̥͙̹a͉̟̫̟̳̠̟̭t͈̜̰͈͎e̞̣̭̲̬ ͚̗̯̟͙i͍͖̰̘̦͖͉ṇ̮̻̯̦̲̩͍ ̦̮͚̫̤t͉͖̫͕ͅͅh͙̮̻̘̣̮̼e͕̺ ͙l͕̠͎̰̥i̲͓͉̲g̫̳̟͈͇̖h̠̦̖t͓̯͎̗ ̳̪̘̟̙̩̦o̫̲f̙͔̰̙̠ ̹̪̗͇̯t͖̼̼͉͖̬h̹͇̩e͚̖̺̤͉̹͕̪ ͚͓̭̝̺G͎̗̯̩o̫̯̮̟̮̳̘d̜̲͙̠-̩̳̯̲̗̜P̹̘̥͉̝h͍͈̗̖̝ͅa͍̗̮̼̗r̜̖͇̙̺a̭̺͔̞̳͈o̪̣͓̯̬͙̯̰̗h̖̦͈̥̯͔.͇̣̙̝
In terms of variants - I agree which is why this mechanic is different in the sense that it sends the exiled cards into the graveyard at end of turn. In terms of interacting no need to interact with exile as this mechanic can double as self mill.
That said the main problem against keywording such an ability is that you want to actually choose when you do EOT and EONT. Obviously the one giving more time is significantly stronger so you don't want to default to that, but you also don't want to bind yourself to never using the stronger version, which is what would happen if you keyworded.
For a single set you could keyword the ability that has the added graveyard dump. Because it is a combination of self mill and draw you would put this in Red and Black, and Green when linked specifically to creatures.
Is it concerning if this shows up a lot in a set? Yes, especially if there's a lot of mana acceleration, or exile/graveyard interaction.
"Sometimes, the situation is outracing a threat, sometimes it's ignoring it, and sometimes it involves sideboarding in 4x Hope//Pray." --Doug Linn
I̟̥͍̠ͅn̩͉̣͍̬͚ͅ ̬̬͖t̯̹̞̺͖͓̯̤h̘͍̬e͙̯͈̖̼̮ ̭̬f̺̲̲̪i͙͉̟̩̰r̪̝͚͈̝̥͍̝̲s̼̻͇̘̳͔ͅt̲̺̳̗̜̪̙ ̳̺̥̻͚̗ͅm̜̜̟̰͈͓͎͇o̝̖̮̝͇m̯̻̞̼̫̗͓̤e̩̯̬̮̩n͎̱̪̲̹͖t͇̖s̰̮ͅ,̤̲͙̻̭̻̯̹̰ ̖t̫̙̺̯͖͚̯ͅh͙̯̦̳̗̰̟e͖̪͉̼̯ ̪͕g̞̣͔a̗̦t̬̬͓͙̫̖̭̻e̩̻̯ ̜̖̦̖̤̭͙̬t̞̹̥̪͎͉ͅo͕͚͍͇̲͇͓̺ ̭̬͙͈̣̻t͈͍͙͓̫̖͙̩h̪̬̖̙e̗͈ ̗̬̟̞̺̤͉̯ͅa̦̯͚̙̜̮f͉͙̲̣̞̼t̪̤̞̣͚e̲͉̳̥r͇̪̙͚͓l̥̞̞͎̹̯̹ͅi͓̬f̮̥̬̞͈ͅe͎ ̟̩̤̳̠̯̩̯o̮̘̲p̟͚̣̞͉͓e͍̩̣n͔̼͕͚̜e̬̱d̼̘͎̖̹͍̮̠,͖̺̭̱̮ ̣̲͖̬̪̭̥a̪͚n̟̲̝̤̤̞̗d̘̱̗͇̮͕̳͕͔ ͖̞͉͎t̹̙͎h̰̱͉̗e̪̞̱̝̹̩ͅ ̠̱̩̭̦p̯̙e͓o̳͚̰̯̺̱̰͔̘p̬͎̱̣̼̩͇l̗̟̖͚̠e̱͉͔̱̦̬̟̙ ̖͚̪͔̼̦w̺̖̤̱e͖̗̻̦͓̖̘̜r̭̥e͔̹̫̱͕̦̰͕ ̗͔̠p̠̗͍͍̱̳̠r̰͔͎̰o͉̥͓̰͚̥s̟͚̹̱͔̣t͉̙̳̖͖̪̮r̥̘̥͙̹a͉̟̫̟̳̠̟̭t͈̜̰͈͎e̞̣̭̲̬ ͚̗̯̟͙i͍͖̰̘̦͖͉ṇ̮̻̯̦̲̩͍ ̦̮͚̫̤t͉͖̫͕ͅͅh͙̮̻̘̣̮̼e͕̺ ͙l͕̠͎̰̥i̲͓͉̲g̫̳̟͈͇̖h̠̦̖t͓̯͎̗ ̳̪̘̟̙̩̦o̫̲f̙͔̰̙̠ ̹̪̗͇̯t͖̼̼͉͖̬h̹͇̩e͚̖̺̤͉̹͕̪ ͚͓̭̝̺G͎̗̯̩o̫̯̮̟̮̳̘d̜̲͙̠-̩̳̯̲̗̜P̹̘̥͉̝h͍͈̗̖̝ͅa͍̗̮̼̗r̜̖͇̙̺a̭̺͔̞̳͈o̪̣͓̯̬͙̯̰̗h̖̦͈̥̯͔.͇̣̙̝