After a fun evening playing different board and card games and discussion about trying out EDH, I thought about something silly for a MtG format inspired on the game Smash-Up. To summarize, Smash-Up brands itself as a "Shuffle-building games": There are 20 card decks of very diverse and zany factions such as Ninjas, Zombies, Pirates, Super Spies, Vampires, Kitty Cats, etc. Each player takes 2 of those 20 card decks and shuffles them together to make their 40 card pile which they use to play the game. So yeah, this is where we are headed to:
Set-up and Rules
1. Build several 30 card decks, these 30 card decks include lands. As a guideline, each deck should have a way to win on their own (If you duplicated each card on the deck, could it still have a gameplan to win a game?)
2. Basic lands are replaced by another identifiable card, like a token or a checklist card (For the purpose of the following examples, I will be using Command Tower). These count as basic lands of every type in all zones. When you play one of these lands, you take it out of the game and replace it with any normal basic land. This is to prevent people from feeling forced to pick decks with the same color (Alternatively, use any basic land and they straight out count as an "Utopia" basic lands that are each type of basic lands)
3. Decks can still have non-basic lands. Consider that mana-fixing is almost unnecesary because of the basic lands mechanic, so lands should have some other kind of upside to be useful
4. At the start of the game, randomly select 2 decks*the number of players and put them in the middle. Add more decks if you want more choices. Choose a player to pick a deck first at random and it goes clockwise, when the last player picks, they pick again and it moves counterclockwise (Modify this process as your playgroup finds fancy)
5. Each player shuffles those two decks and plays with the result
This Gw deck comprised entirely of Scouts aims to get an advantage by building a consistent manabase, then throw down Realm Seeker or Revenge of the Hunter to mow down enemies
This UW Spirit deck stalls the game and keeps it life total up, to then take over the game slowly with elusive creatures and an increasing amount of fliers.
So if you take both of these decks together, some synergies start to show up. The land-searching elves can chump block for time while building your manabase, and the Ghost-Lit Channelers give you another mana-outlet to do with all these lands. Drogskol Reaver can also net you great card advantage to power up your Realm Seekers (Or even return them to your hand with Silent Departure to recast them for more counters).
The idea of this format is to add some interesting replayable dynamics to a smaller card collection within a play-session without having to go through the long set-up of, say, a traditional Limited format or a Cube. You can set the power level as high or low as you want and build the decks around 1v1 or Multiplayer. I think it has a lot of knobs to turn and tweak as one sees fit and would help as an easier to set-up and tear down version of cube for play-groups that can't invest heavily on the subject
I´d like to know your thoughts of the subject, and thanks in advance
I enjoy Smash-Up, and I think this could be a pretty fun format.
It would certainly be easier to pull together than a full flight on a cube!
I can see one factor that may need consideration. If two factions share one or more colors, you'll spend a bit of time separating them after play. I guess different color sleeves wouldn't be a big issue, everyone would get the same type of partial info. Or I guess you could just stamp your cars as they do in GPs.
This does seem like an issue. A possible solution is different colored paper placed between the card and the sleeve. That way you just separate all "pink" backed cards with each other and all "orange" backed cards with each other, etc..
Here is my take on the Smash Up variant. I built the decks to be played in multiplayer, so some cards have dethrone or are only decent in a multiplayer format. Also, you will notice a lot of Terramorphic Expanses. Brief playtesting showed that mana would be a bit of an issue especially when you don't know how far to lean into each of the two colors you will potentially be playing. The terramorphic expanses are meant to fix that issue.
Any feedback would be great, especially if you feel a certain race is underpowered or overpowered.
I like how the deck with Steppe Lynx doesn't has Terramorphic Expanse. It's probably for the best
I honestly hadn't considered dropping the card count to 40 (As Shmup operates), but having only average 16 lands, out of which an average of 6 are Terramorphic Expanses that thin out your lands (Which actually hinders you in such a low card count) seems like it would make it very difficult to cast those high cost cards. That's why I established that basic lands are rainbow lands to circumvent this, and to also allow you to get more creative when it comes to building the factions rather than staying for a single color.
I actually had written a few drafts of some decks based on the original 8 Smash-Up factions, it turned out to be more difficult that I first expected which is why I stopped briefly, but chances are I'll get to it again when I have the time
I honestly hadn't considered dropping the card count to 40 (As Shmup operates), but having only average 16 lands, out of which an average of 6 are Terramorphic Expanses that thin out your lands (Which actually hinders you in such a low card count) seems like it would make it very difficult to cast those high cost cards. That's why I established that basic lands are rainbow lands to circumvent this, and to also allow you to get more creative when it comes to building the factions rather than staying for a single color.
I admit there is a land problem. Just having Command Towers like you did would probably be for the best. I think I'll just revise it to Command Towers when I get a chance to revisit these decks.
I had also put this idea on the back burner for a while. What factions do you think need adding still? Something like Slivers won't really work if you have to dilute them with another faction.
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Set-up and Rules
1. Build several 30 card decks, these 30 card decks include lands. As a guideline, each deck should have a way to win on their own (If you duplicated each card on the deck, could it still have a gameplan to win a game?)
2. Basic lands are replaced by another identifiable card, like a token or a checklist card (For the purpose of the following examples, I will be using Command Tower). These count as basic lands of every type in all zones. When you play one of these lands, you take it out of the game and replace it with any normal basic land. This is to prevent people from feeling forced to pick decks with the same color (Alternatively, use any basic land and they straight out count as an "Utopia" basic lands that are each type of basic lands)
3. Decks can still have non-basic lands. Consider that mana-fixing is almost unnecesary because of the basic lands mechanic, so lands should have some other kind of upside to be useful
4. At the start of the game, randomly select 2 decks*the number of players and put them in the middle. Add more decks if you want more choices. Choose a player to pick a deck first at random and it goes clockwise, when the last player picks, they pick again and it moves counterclockwise (Modify this process as your playgroup finds fancy)
5. Each player shuffles those two decks and plays with the result
Just as an example, consider these two decks:
2 Realm Seekers
3 Wood Elves
4 Sylvan Ranger
2 Revenge of the Hunted
2 Harmonize
1 Exploration
1 Slice in Twain
9 Command Tower
This Gw deck comprised entirely of Scouts aims to get an advantage by building a consistent manabase, then throw down Realm Seeker or Revenge of the Hunter to mow down enemies
2 Custodi Soulbinders
3 Azorius Herald
4 Ghost-Lit Redeemer
1 Spirit Away
2 Silent Depature
2 Crippling Chill
2 Remove Soul
10 Command Tower
This UW Spirit deck stalls the game and keeps it life total up, to then take over the game slowly with elusive creatures and an increasing amount of fliers.
So if you take both of these decks together, some synergies start to show up. The land-searching elves can chump block for time while building your manabase, and the Ghost-Lit Channelers give you another mana-outlet to do with all these lands. Drogskol Reaver can also net you great card advantage to power up your Realm Seekers (Or even return them to your hand with Silent Departure to recast them for more counters).
The idea of this format is to add some interesting replayable dynamics to a smaller card collection within a play-session without having to go through the long set-up of, say, a traditional Limited format or a Cube. You can set the power level as high or low as you want and build the decks around 1v1 or Multiplayer. I think it has a lot of knobs to turn and tweak as one sees fit and would help as an easier to set-up and tear down version of cube for play-groups that can't invest heavily on the subject
I´d like to know your thoughts of the subject, and thanks in advance
It would certainly be easier to pull together than a full flight on a cube!
I can see one factor that may need consideration. If two factions share one or more colors, you'll spend a bit of time separating them after play. I guess different color sleeves wouldn't be a big issue, everyone would get the same type of partial info. Or I guess you could just stamp your cars as they do in GPs.
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Any feedback would be great, especially if you feel a certain race is underpowered or overpowered.
3 Terramorphic Expanse
5 Plains
2 Luminarch Ascension
2 Baneslayer Angel
1 Angel of the Dire Hour
1 Herald of the Host
1 Gideon, Champion of Justice
2 Angelic Renewal
1 Entreat the Angels
1 Angelic Destiny
2 Elite Vanguard
1 Elspeth, Knight-Errant
1 Frontline Medic
1 Akroan Horse
1 Kytheon, Hero of Akros
1 Vow of Duty
1 Deploy to the Front
2 Timely Reinforcements
5 Plains
1 Archetype of Courage
1 Gideon, Battle-Forged
3 Terramorphic Expanse
2 Brimaz, King of Oreskos
1 Ajani, Caller of the Pride
1 Jazal Goldmane
2 Oreskos Explorer
1 Oreskos Swiftclaw
2 Steppe Lynx
1 Whitemane Lion
8 Plains
1 White Sun's Zenith
2 Dakra Mystic
1 Jace, Vryn's Prodigy
1 Youthful Scholar
1 Daring Apprentice
5 Island
3 Terramorphic Expanse
1 Compulsive Research
1 Archetype of Imagination
1 Meloku the Clouded Mirror
2 Rhystic Study
1 Teferi, Temporal Archmage
1 Illusory Angel
1 Illusory Ambusher
2 Jace's Phantasm
1 Phantasmal Dragon
2 Phantasmal Image
1 Phantom Beast
1 Ætherling
1 Mirror Match
3 Terramorphic Expanse
5 Island
1 Jace, Memory Adept
2 Phyrexian Metamorph
2 Thopter Spy Network
1 Solemn Simulacrum
1 Memnarch
3 Terramorphic Expanse
4 Island
2 Bottle Gnomes
1 Mishra's Factory
2 Hangarback Walker
1 Chronomaton
1 Sorin Markov
1 Bloodline Keeper
1 Lord of Lineage
4 Blood Artist
1 Exquisite Blood
1 Drana, Kalastria Bloodchief
2 Bloodchief Ascension
5 Swamp
3 Terramorphic Expanse
1 Vow of Malice
1 Herald of Torment
1 Bloodgift Demon
1 Demonic Pact
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Desecration Demon
1 Skirsdag High Priest
1 Mark of the Oni
3 Terramorphic Expanse
6 Swamp
1 Reaper from the Abyss
1 Reign of the Pit
1 Unholy Grotto
4 Swamp
3 Terramorphic Expanse
1 Butcher Ghoul
1 Gravedigger
1 Phyrexian Delver
1 Wight of Precinct Six
1 Living Death
1 Diregraf Ghoul
2 Fleshbag Marauder
1 Reanimate
1 Gray Merchant of Asphodel
1 Liliana Vess
1 Furyborn Hellkite
1 Scourge of the Throne
1 Thundermaw Hellkite
5 Mountain
1 Roast
1 Sarkhan, the Dragonspeaker
2 Slumbering Dragon
2 Dragon Hatchling
3 Terramorphic Expanse
2 Awaken the Sky Tyrant
1 Siege-Gang Commander
1 Ignition Team
1 Goblin Game
2 Krenko, Mob Boss
2 Goblin Assault
3 Terramorphic Expanse
5 Mountain
1 Goblin Diplomats
2 Goblin Rabblemaster
2 Akoum Firebird
1 Ashcloud Phoenix
1 Firewing Phoenix
2 Flame-Wreathed Phoenix
1 Flamewake Phoenix
1 Magma Phoenix
6 Mountain
1 Chandra Nalaar
3 Terramorphic Expanse
1 Freyalise, Llanowar's Fury
1 Oracle of Mul Daya
1 Realm Seekers
1 Reclamation Sage
1 Selvala's Enforcer
1 Llanowar Elves
1 Elvish Mystic
1 Wood Elves
5 Forest
1 Nissa, Worldwaker
3 Terramorphic Expanse
1 Dwynen, Gilt-Leaf Daen
1 Endless Swarm
1 Mire Boa
1 River Boa
1 Mold Adder
1 Skullwinder
1 Snake Pit
2 Sosuke's Summons
1 Lotus Cobra
1 Patron of the Orochi
3 Terramorphic Expanse
5 Forest
2 Brushstrider
1 Vow of Wildness
1 Terra Stomper
1 Thragtusk
1 Ezuri's Predation
6 Forest
1 Nessian Demolok
1 Garruk, Caller of Beasts
3 Terramorphic Expanse
2 Pulse of the Tangle
I honestly hadn't considered dropping the card count to 40 (As Shmup operates), but having only average 16 lands, out of which an average of 6 are Terramorphic Expanses that thin out your lands (Which actually hinders you in such a low card count) seems like it would make it very difficult to cast those high cost cards. That's why I established that basic lands are rainbow lands to circumvent this, and to also allow you to get more creative when it comes to building the factions rather than staying for a single color.
I actually had written a few drafts of some decks based on the original 8 Smash-Up factions, it turned out to be more difficult that I first expected which is why I stopped briefly, but chances are I'll get to it again when I have the time
Hahahaha yup. There will still be Terramorphic Expanses from the other half of the deck but there's nothing you can do about that.
I admit there is a land problem. Just having Command Towers like you did would probably be for the best. I think I'll just revise it to Command Towers when I get a chance to revisit these decks.
I had also put this idea on the back burner for a while. What factions do you think need adding still? Something like Slivers won't really work if you have to dilute them with another faction.