So, this mechanic is a little bit out there so I wanted to ask for help to make sure that everything is cromulent. With WotC's increased willingness to make "supplemental cards" like the day/night card or dungeons relevant for games, I started trying to design a second a similar mechanic to see what I could come up with that might fit in the general aesthetic of New Capenna.
What I came up with was rough emulation of the Skirmish ability originally imagined for War of the Sparks, playing out as the lovechild of Monarch and Energy by way of Strixhaven Stadium.
Territory (Whenever a creature deals combat damage to you, its controller may claim one of your territories)
That's the mechanic. You can build up multiple territories and potentially expend them to create effects as with energy from Kaladesh but the fact that they can be stolen through combat damage means that almost any player has access to counterplay (rather than being uninteractive).
Example Cards:
Committed Recruit
Creature- Human Rogue (C)
committed Recruit has vigilance as long as you have one or more territories.
2/2
Protection Racket
Creature- Human Warrior (U)
, Sacrifice another creature: Target creature you control gains protection from the color of your choice until end of turn. You gain one Territory.
2/3
From the Inside
Sorcery (R)
From the Inside costs less for each Territory you have.
Destroy all creatures. You lose all territories.
Daring Saboteur
Creature- Vedalken Rogue (C)
Daring Saboteur cannot be blocked while attacking a player with two or more territories.
1/1
Backalley Dealings
Sorcery (U)
Scry 2, then draw two cards.
You gain two Territories.
Secret Dealer
Creature- Human Rogue (R)
When enters the battlefield, you gain a Territory.
Whenever you take a territory from an opponent, you may pay . If you do, draw a card.
2/3
Rat Out
Sorcery (C)
You lose two Territories. For each territory lost in this way, each opponent discards a card.
Create two 1/1 Black Rat creature tokens.
Brutal Retaliation
Enchantment (U)
Whenever you lose one or more territories, create a 1/1 black orc rogue creature token.
: Target rogue gains deathtouch until end of turn.
Backalley Lieutenant
Creature- Orc Rogue (R)
When Backalley Lieutenant enters the battlefield, you gain a Territory.
Whenever you take a territory from an opponent, put a +1/+1 counter on target rogue you control.
1/1
Fervent Enforcer
Creature- Goblin Warrior (C)
When Fervent Enforcer enters the battlefield, you gain one Territory.
As long as you have three or more territories, Fervent Enforcer gets +1/+0 and has haste.
2/2
Staged Accident
Sorcery (U)
Destroy target land. Staged Accident deals 1 damage to its controller for each Territory you possess.
You gain one Territory.
Cash Out
Sorcery (R)
You lose all Territories. For each territory lost in this way, create a treasure token.
Audacious Pet
Creature- Beast (C)
Defender
Audacious Pet can attack as though it didn’t have defender if you have four or more Territories.
6/6
Case the Joint
Sorcery (U)
Look at the top four cards of your library. You may reveal a colorless card from among them and put it into your hand. Put the rest on the bottom of your library in a random order.
You gain one Territory.
Felltimber’s Favored
Creature- Elf Warrior (R)
When Felltimber’s Favored enters the battlefield, you gain one Territory.
Felltimber’s Favored gets +1/+1 for each Territory you possess.
1/1
I think that the general idea of the Territories is fairly straightforward but I feel that it doesn't quite work in magic as I'm not quite sure what Territories actually "are" (energy is a counter, dungeons are actual cards, and City's Blessing/Monarch is a state but I'm not sure what territories would be classified as). Is there any way to make this general concept work within the rules of MTG or is it a bit too nebulous to realistically function?
So you hit the nail on why this is currently nonsense. What is a territory? Is it a permanent type? A counter? A it can't be a state because you don't gather states you either are or aren't.
Let's make the most reasonable assumption. Its a counter like existence in the command zone. You'll probably create territory rather than gain them except when stealing them of course. The main obvious rule that needs to be hammered out is what does it mean to lose a territory. Is an opponent gaining control you losing one? Terminology needs to be decided on to reflect if this is the same thing or different. Possibly sacrifice territory for when your own cards want you to lose them.
Looks like they are counters kind of like energy. I personally don't like territory as it kinda sounds like a land. Is a territory like a smaller plot of land? So it doesn't have enough area to generate mana? If so then why can't you have a few and make mana? Also look at Ravnica block. Lands don't have to be big. There is literally an island kn top of a building in one of the arts. All that to say it kinda doesn't describe a thing all that well. Could you elaborate on what a territory is please?
As I said, this was an idea for a possible New Capenna mechanic. The idea is that different gangs are fighting over territory within New Capenna (for example), though the flavor is intentionally vague enough that it could be used in an expansionist Ixalan-Esque setting or in the backdrop of a war in another set.
Regarding what this is, I suppose that counters work best for what Territory is supposed to be. With that, this is supposed to be a resource that you can steal from others and the language for doing so with counters doesn’t really exist under someone’s control to steal.
I guess that the proper language (or something closer to it) would be.
Territory
Whenever a creature deals combat damage to you, you lose one territory counter. If you do, that creature’s controller gains a territory counter.
Is that a clear way to put things in rules terms. Does this cause any rules headaches in settings like 2HG where creatures controlled by two players may hit you simultaneously or does the rules allow that to work out?
2HG is fine with that wording. When you attack a team you choose which player to attack.
The question now is, is this supposed to lose one territory per creature dealing damage or per player damaging you? Or do you want a threshold built in such as the first damage loses a territory then you don't lose more unless 5 or more damage is dealt. Theres plenty of room for such interactions if your using a token card to be territory. You can even add effects such that owning five territory gives you an extra draw step.
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What I came up with was rough emulation of the Skirmish ability originally imagined for War of the Sparks, playing out as the lovechild of Monarch and Energy by way of Strixhaven Stadium.
Territory (Whenever a creature deals combat damage to you, its controller may claim one of your territories)
That's the mechanic. You can build up multiple territories and potentially expend them to create effects as with energy from Kaladesh but the fact that they can be stolen through combat damage means that almost any player has access to counterplay (rather than being uninteractive).
Example Cards:
Creature- Human Rogue (C)
committed Recruit has vigilance as long as you have one or more territories.
2/2
Protection Racket
Creature- Human Warrior (U)
, Sacrifice another creature: Target creature you control gains protection from the color of your choice until end of turn. You gain one Territory.
2/3
From the Inside
Sorcery (R)
From the Inside costs less for each Territory you have.
Destroy all creatures. You lose all territories.
Daring Saboteur
Creature- Vedalken Rogue (C)
Daring Saboteur cannot be blocked while attacking a player with two or more territories.
1/1
Backalley Dealings
Sorcery (U)
Scry 2, then draw two cards.
You gain two Territories.
Secret Dealer
Creature- Human Rogue (R)
When enters the battlefield, you gain a Territory.
Whenever you take a territory from an opponent, you may pay . If you do, draw a card.
2/3
Rat Out
Sorcery (C)
You lose two Territories. For each territory lost in this way, each opponent discards a card.
Create two 1/1 Black Rat creature tokens.
Brutal Retaliation
Enchantment (U)
Whenever you lose one or more territories, create a 1/1 black orc rogue creature token.
: Target rogue gains deathtouch until end of turn.
Backalley Lieutenant
Creature- Orc Rogue (R)
When Backalley Lieutenant enters the battlefield, you gain a Territory.
Whenever you take a territory from an opponent, put a +1/+1 counter on target rogue you control.
1/1
Fervent Enforcer
Creature- Goblin Warrior (C)
When Fervent Enforcer enters the battlefield, you gain one Territory.
As long as you have three or more territories, Fervent Enforcer gets +1/+0 and has haste.
2/2
Staged Accident
Sorcery (U)
Destroy target land. Staged Accident deals 1 damage to its controller for each Territory you possess.
You gain one Territory.
Cash Out
Sorcery (R)
You lose all Territories. For each territory lost in this way, create a treasure token.
Audacious Pet
Creature- Beast (C)
Defender
Audacious Pet can attack as though it didn’t have defender if you have four or more Territories.
6/6
Case the Joint
Sorcery (U)
Look at the top four cards of your library. You may reveal a colorless card from among them and put it into your hand. Put the rest on the bottom of your library in a random order.
You gain one Territory.
Felltimber’s Favored
Creature- Elf Warrior (R)
When Felltimber’s Favored enters the battlefield, you gain one Territory.
Felltimber’s Favored gets +1/+1 for each Territory you possess.
1/1
I think that the general idea of the Territories is fairly straightforward but I feel that it doesn't quite work in magic as I'm not quite sure what Territories actually "are" (energy is a counter, dungeons are actual cards, and City's Blessing/Monarch is a state but I'm not sure what territories would be classified as). Is there any way to make this general concept work within the rules of MTG or is it a bit too nebulous to realistically function?
Let's make the most reasonable assumption. Its a counter like existence in the command zone. You'll probably create territory rather than gain them except when stealing them of course. The main obvious rule that needs to be hammered out is what does it mean to lose a territory. Is an opponent gaining control you losing one? Terminology needs to be decided on to reflect if this is the same thing or different. Possibly sacrifice territory for when your own cards want you to lose them.
Regarding what this is, I suppose that counters work best for what Territory is supposed to be. With that, this is supposed to be a resource that you can steal from others and the language for doing so with counters doesn’t really exist under someone’s control to steal.
I guess that the proper language (or something closer to it) would be.
Territory
Whenever a creature deals combat damage to you, you lose one territory counter. If you do, that creature’s controller gains a territory counter.
Is that a clear way to put things in rules terms. Does this cause any rules headaches in settings like 2HG where creatures controlled by two players may hit you simultaneously or does the rules allow that to work out?
The question now is, is this supposed to lose one territory per creature dealing damage or per player damaging you? Or do you want a threshold built in such as the first damage loses a territory then you don't lose more unless 5 or more damage is dealt. Theres plenty of room for such interactions if your using a token card to be territory. You can even add effects such that owning five territory gives you an extra draw step.