Ok Ok, so I'm mostly just theory crafting because I'm slowly becoming Origins hype crazy (I'm excited for MM2 but that's mostly just waiting to see if they make the smart reprint choices or not, nothing "new") but we know there are going to be two new mechanics. One of the two has been described as a "leveling up" type mechanic that may enhance the cards or even the players. Two things about that are interesting, the fact that it's a new mechanic and therefor can't be the leveling up mechanic that we already have and that it's suggested that it may be the player that "levels up". So my theory is that it acts sort of like reverse Poison Counters. Spark Counters are counters placed on players through various card effects. Ordinarily they mean nothing but once a player has hit 10 Spark Counters his/her "Spark Ignites". This would kind of function like Monstrous in that it can only happen once but once it does you're Spark is Ignited for the rest of the game. With that comes many various benefits and drawbacks. Cards could have added effects if it was cast by a players who's already Ignited their Spark or just have huge effects if they're the card cast that finally ignited your Spark. A drawback that might be interesting is that now your Spark Counters are a new danger. Certain cards and effects can take away Spark Counters on a player. This means nothing before they hit 10 for the first time in a game other than delaying a triggered Spark igniting, but once you hit 10 and have an active spark they are a new necessary resource and if your pile of Spark Counters is ever reduced to 0 it's an alternate way of losing. This makes igniting your spark a double edged sword and there can be card's with effects that attack and opponents Spark Counters or cards with Spark Counters as additional costs with big effects but at a steadily more dangerous cost.
I have no concrete evidence for this speculation, obviously this is all baseless, but thematically I'm hoping for something similar. Players in Magic the Gathering are "Planeswalkers", that's the intended fluff right? The story of Magic Origins is how planeswalkers first ignited their spark and I believe the talk about players "igniting their spark" in the sense of the game could be just a hint of the upcoming mechanic. That's it. Let me know what you think of my baseless theory and if you'd like or dislike a mechanics like that. I'm gonna go brew some imaginary cards for this...
Doesn't work flavor wise, because players in the game are considered to be already planeswalkers, with very rare and specific exceptions usually involving special game modes.
I was thinking it would be something more along the lines of various ways for players to get emblems without using planeswalker cards. Like perhaps something along the lines of Luminarch Ascension, where once you get enough counters on it, it gives you an emblem granting the ability. Or spells with special weird and difficult additional casting conditions that if you pull them off you get an emblem in addition to their normal effects. Things that are challenging to do, and can be prevented by the opponent, and give you some kind of emblem, although most of these would probably be weaker emblems somewhat easier to get.
Some examples:
Beastcalling1GG Sorcery
Search your library for a creature card, reveal it, then put it into your hand. Shuffle your library.
If a creature you control with the same name as the revealed creature deals combat damage this turn, you gain an emblem with: "You may look at the top card of your library at any time, you may cast creature cards from the top of your library."
Meditative RestWW Instant
You gain 3 life. Draw a card.
If you gain at least six life this turn, you gain an emblem with: "At the start of your upkeep, gain 1 life."
Telepathic IntrusionU Sorcery
Look at target opponent's hand.
Draw a card.
If you have another card named Telepathic Intrusion in your graveyard when you cast this spell, you gain an emblem with "Your opponents play with their hands revealed to you."
Firebirth1R Enchantment
Whenever a red spell you cast deals damage to a creature or player, put a mastery counter on Firebirth, you may discard a card, if you do, draw a card.
If you have three or more mastery counters on firebirth, you may sacrifice it, if you do, you gain an emblem with: "Whenever a red spell you cast deals damage to a creature or player, you may put a 1/1 red elemental creature token onto the battlefield."
Doesn't work flavor wise, because players in the game are considered to be already planeswalkers, with very rare and specific exceptions usually involving special game modes.
I was thinking it would be something more along the lines of various ways for players to get emblems without using planeswalker cards. Like perhaps something along the lines of Luminarch Ascension, where once you get enough counters on it, it gives you an emblem granting the ability. Or spells with special weird and difficult additional casting conditions that if you pull them off you get an emblem in addition to their normal effects. Things that are challenging to do, and can be prevented by the opponent, and give you some kind of emblem, although most of these would probably be weaker emblems somewhat easier to get.
Some examples:
Beastcalling1GG Sorcery
Search your library for a creature card, reveal it, then put it into your hand. Shuffle your library.
If a creature you control with the same name as the revealed creature deals combat damage this turn, you gain an emblem with: "You may look at the top card of your library at any time, you may cast creature cards from the top of your library."
Meditative RestWW Instant
You gain 3 life. Draw a card.
If you gain at least six life this turn, you gain an emblem with: "At the start of your upkeep, gain 1 life."
Telepathic IntrusionU Sorcery
Look at target opponent's hand.
Draw a card.
If you have another card named Telepathic Intrusion in your graveyard when you cast this spell, you gain an emblem with "Your opponents play with their hands revealed to you."
Firebirth1R Enchantment
Whenever a red spell you cast deals damage to a creature or player, put a mastery counter on Firebirth, you may discard a card, if you do, draw a card.
If you have three or more mastery counters on firebirth, you may sacrifice it, if you do, you gain an emblem with: "Whenever a red spell you cast deals damage to a creature or player, you may put a 1/1 red elemental creature token onto the battlefield."
Jeez though, Emblems are a powerful thing. It's impossible (to my knowledge) to get rid of them so any effect they grant is non-intractable and I think that gives your cards FAR too much power. I mean, that Blue card would be an automatic four of in every blue deck ever to come. One mana, look at opponents hand, cantrip and if you have two in your opening hand you're pretty much guaranteed to have access to your opponents resources for the rest of the game.
I can see you're argument for "doesn't work flavor wise" but I don't think that would stop a mechanic like this from being possible. I think you are still a planeswalker before your spark ignites you just don't know it. It'd make sense that our sparks are already ignited flavor wise from the first moment we start playing. But honestly, looking back, the first time I played Magic felt a lot like I was just some random green mage fighting a white mage on whatever home plane we came from who would in time travel many planes and see many sights. The "Magic Origins" block seems very reminiscent of exploring that first moment your sparks ignited and thematically some of the mechanics could treat us as if we were "pre-spark" planeswalkers.
I have no concrete evidence for this speculation, obviously this is all baseless, but thematically I'm hoping for something similar. Players in Magic the Gathering are "Planeswalkers", that's the intended fluff right? The story of Magic Origins is how planeswalkers first ignited their spark and I believe the talk about players "igniting their spark" in the sense of the game could be just a hint of the upcoming mechanic. That's it. Let me know what you think of my baseless theory and if you'd like or dislike a mechanics like that. I'm gonna go brew some imaginary cards for this...
CUBE: http://www.cubetutor.com/viewcube/73964;jsessionid=2DE1F5FF41A24820A137448A2FD5CF8F
I LIKE DRAGONS!
I was thinking it would be something more along the lines of various ways for players to get emblems without using planeswalker cards. Like perhaps something along the lines of Luminarch Ascension, where once you get enough counters on it, it gives you an emblem granting the ability. Or spells with special weird and difficult additional casting conditions that if you pull them off you get an emblem in addition to their normal effects. Things that are challenging to do, and can be prevented by the opponent, and give you some kind of emblem, although most of these would probably be weaker emblems somewhat easier to get.
Some examples:
Beastcalling 1GG
Sorcery
Search your library for a creature card, reveal it, then put it into your hand. Shuffle your library.
If a creature you control with the same name as the revealed creature deals combat damage this turn, you gain an emblem with: "You may look at the top card of your library at any time, you may cast creature cards from the top of your library."
Meditative Rest WW
Instant
You gain 3 life. Draw a card.
If you gain at least six life this turn, you gain an emblem with: "At the start of your upkeep, gain 1 life."
Telepathic Intrusion U
Sorcery
Look at target opponent's hand.
Draw a card.
If you have another card named Telepathic Intrusion in your graveyard when you cast this spell, you gain an emblem with "Your opponents play with their hands revealed to you."
Firebirth 1R
Enchantment
Whenever a red spell you cast deals damage to a creature or player, put a mastery counter on Firebirth, you may discard a card, if you do, draw a card.
If you have three or more mastery counters on firebirth, you may sacrifice it, if you do, you gain an emblem with: "Whenever a red spell you cast deals damage to a creature or player, you may put a 1/1 red elemental creature token onto the battlefield."
I can see you're argument for "doesn't work flavor wise" but I don't think that would stop a mechanic like this from being possible. I think you are still a planeswalker before your spark ignites you just don't know it. It'd make sense that our sparks are already ignited flavor wise from the first moment we start playing. But honestly, looking back, the first time I played Magic felt a lot like I was just some random green mage fighting a white mage on whatever home plane we came from who would in time travel many planes and see many sights. The "Magic Origins" block seems very reminiscent of exploring that first moment your sparks ignited and thematically some of the mechanics could treat us as if we were "pre-spark" planeswalkers.
CUBE: http://www.cubetutor.com/viewcube/73964;jsessionid=2DE1F5FF41A24820A137448A2FD5CF8F
I LIKE DRAGONS!