In Maro's article "Designing for Dimir," I saw this phrase:
"I bring this up because my love of grafting has led me to design numerous mechanics that incorporate it. Two of the most famous are imprint, from Mirrodin, and splice, from Champions of Kamigawa (best known for its original use, "splice onto Arcane")
I thought this was a strange turn of phrase, given that it has never been used for splicing onto anything but Arcane spells. Given when the article was written and the way they design sets several years into the future, I was wondering: what do you think the chances are of a returning splice mechanic in some future set, that they may have been doing predesign on or something at the time?
Seems unlikely, which is why it's here, but... hey, it'd be cool if it were true.
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"It is better for all the world if, instead of waiting to execute degenerate offspring for crime or to let them starve for their imbecility, society can prevent those who are manifestly unfit from continuing their kind. The principle that sustains compulsory vaccination is broad enough to cover cutting the Fallopian tubes... Three generations of imbeciles are enough."
--Buck v Bell, 1927. This case, regarding the compulsory sterilization of inmates at mental institutions, has -- somehow -- never been overturned. Just a wee PSA for ya.
They could probably do things like 'Splice into creature', 'splice into artifact', 'splice into enchantment', 'splice into instant', 'splice into sorcery', 'splice into aura', 'splice into equipment', 'splice into dragon' (or other creature type), etc.
Or they could come up with new special splice subtypes to use other than arcane. Like 'splice into psionic' or 'splice into metaspell'
i doubt they'd do the latter since arcanes biggest issue is how parasitic it is. I thought they said something about wanted to avoid that in the future? (I hope that sorta design does return for my beloved allies though)
Alright so my thinking on this is that they chose that phrase just to indicate 'we don't have to go back to Kamigawa to get Splice back.'
The way it's worded in the rules "702.46a Splice is a static ability that functions while a card is in your hand. 'Splice onto [subtype] [cost]'" means that you can't have a Splice onto Creature or Splice onto Instant. However, it would allow for a return of tribal; you could have a "Splice onto Goblin" spell and Splice it with Goblin Piker or Tarfire because both have the Goblin subtype.
Alright so my thinking on this is that they chose that phrase just to indicate 'we don't have to go back to Kamigawa to get Splice back.'
The way it's worded in the rules "702.46a Splice is a static ability that functions while a card is in your hand. 'Splice onto [subtype] [cost]'" means that you can't have a Splice onto Creature or Splice onto Instant. However, it would allow for a return of tribal; you could have a "Splice onto Goblin" spell and Splice it with Goblin Piker or Tarfire because both have the Goblin subtype.
MaRo has stated that if he had to do Ravnica with only returning mechanics, Izzet would be Splice onto Instant. The rules can be reworded. A bigger problem with "Splice onto [Permanent]" is marking it, as it wouldn't stop at end of turn.
I think you're mistaken, the rules say "702.46e The spell loses any splice changes once it leaves the stack (for example, when it's countered, it's exiled, or it resolves)" so you don't have to worry about marking cards.
Not that I doubt you, but I don't find where Maro said that either.
rjcarello
If you could have re-used an existing mechanic for one of RtR's guilds, which would it be?
maro254
I've been asked this quite a bit. Here's what I would have done if all the mechanics had to be returning ones rather than original. (I cheated a bit as two of them are Future Sight future-shifted mechanics and two others are variants that we've never done.)
MTGS Wikia Article about "New World Order"
Every time I read a comment about "Well if this card had card draw/trample/haste/indestructible/hexproof/life gain...", I think "You're missing the point." They're armchair developer comments that fail to take into account the card's role in the greater Limited and Standard environment. No, it may not be as good as whatever card you're comparing it to. There's a reason for that. Not every burn spell is Lightning Bolt, nor does it need to be or should be.
PSA to everyone who keeps forgetting about the Reserved List:
You're on a website dedicated to talking about MtG. You're only a few keystrokes away from finding out what cards are on the Reserved List. You're also only a few keystrokes away from finding out why some cards on the Reserved List got foil printings in FtV, as Judge promos, or whatnot, as well as why that won't happen again. Stop doing this.
The way it's worded in the rules "702.46a Splice is a static ability that functions while a card is in your hand. 'Splice onto [subtype] [cost]'" means that you can't have a Splice onto Creature or Splice onto Instant. However, it would allow for a return of tribal; you could have a "Splice onto Goblin" spell and Splice it with Goblin Piker or Tarfire because both have the Goblin subtype.
Affinity can look for both types and subtypes, so the rules change to allow Splice onto [type] would be trivial.
The idea of Splice onto creature intrigues me a lot. Imagine something like
Life Splicer 2W
Creature -- Whatever
When Land Splicer enters the battlefield, you gain 2 life.
Splice onto creature W
2/2
"I bring this up because my love of grafting has led me to design numerous mechanics that incorporate it. Two of the most famous are imprint, from Mirrodin, and splice, from Champions of Kamigawa (best known for its original use, "splice onto Arcane")
I thought this was a strange turn of phrase, given that it has never been used for splicing onto anything but Arcane spells. Given when the article was written and the way they design sets several years into the future, I was wondering: what do you think the chances are of a returning splice mechanic in some future set, that they may have been doing predesign on or something at the time?
Seems unlikely, which is why it's here, but... hey, it'd be cool if it were true.
--Buck v Bell, 1927. This case, regarding the compulsory sterilization of inmates at mental institutions, has -- somehow -- never been overturned. Just a wee PSA for ya.
Or they could come up with new special splice subtypes to use other than arcane. Like 'splice into psionic' or 'splice into metaspell'
The way it's worded in the rules "702.46a Splice is a static ability that functions while a card is in your hand. 'Splice onto [subtype] [cost]'" means that you can't have a Splice onto Creature or Splice onto Instant. However, it would allow for a return of tribal; you could have a "Splice onto Goblin" spell and Splice it with Goblin Piker or Tarfire because both have the Goblin subtype.
Not that I doubt you, but I don't find where Maro said that either.
Every time I read a comment about "Well if this card had card draw/trample/haste/indestructible/hexproof/life gain...", I think "You're missing the point." They're armchair developer comments that fail to take into account the card's role in the greater Limited and Standard environment. No, it may not be as good as whatever card you're comparing it to. There's a reason for that. Not every burn spell is Lightning Bolt, nor does it need to be or should be.
http://markrosewater.tumblr.com/post/23741404765/what-do-you-think-of-the-splice-mechanic-from
I loathe creatures! Praise Prison and Land Destruction!
My Peasant Cube (looking for feedback)
Affinity can look for both types and subtypes, so the rules change to allow Splice onto [type] would be trivial.
The idea of Splice onto creature intrigues me a lot. Imagine something like
Life Splicer 2W
Creature -- Whatever
When Land Splicer enters the battlefield, you gain 2 life.
Splice onto creature W
2/2
Or even
Quick Splicer 3R
Creature -- Whatever
Haste
Splice onto creature 1R
2/2
Text-changing effects on permanent spells continue to apply to the permanent it becomes, so this should work fine.