With the new card type coming in a future set, I'm trying to come up with a good design for a battle, that doesn't fall into the typical win-more pitfalls. Here's what I came to...
Quick Rules: Any creature may enter a Battle when either enters the battlefield. Creatures in the battle may only block other creatures in the battle. Damage from unblocked creatures adds or removes initiative counters. If a battle reaches 0 initiative, it's lost. If it reaches its goal number, the battle is won.
However, damage done in a battle is not symmetrical.
- Damaging the controller of the battle removes that much initiative INSTEAD of the damage.
- Damaging other players through the battle adds only 1 initiative, but deals full damage.
Design considerations: Winning is generally better than losing, but the difference shouldn't be huge. If you facing a huge disadvantage, spending 4-5 mana in a battle shouldn't be the end of the game after the next combat step. It should at least divert the opponent, much like a planeswalker may do. This is the main reason the battle conditions are asymmetrical.
Full Rules:
As a battle enters the battlefield, players may move any number of their creatures to its 'zone'.
As a creature enters the battlefield, its controller may have it enter a battle.
As a noncreature permanent becomes a creature, its controller may have it enter a battle.
A battle enters with a number of counters equal to its starting initiative (first number in S/G, or "Start/Goal")
If a creature in a battle would deal combat damage to the battle's controller, it removes an initiative counter INSTEAD.
If a creature in a battle would deal combat damage to another player, it adds an initiative counter AND deals damage.
If a battle's initiative reaches 0, it's lost. If it reaches the goal initiative (second number in S/G) it's won. In both cases the battle is sacrificed, unless it transforms.
Example
Battle of the Peaks2UU
Battle
Flying creatures at this battle have +1/+1.
Win - Draw two cards and transform Battle of the Peaks.
Lose - You may discard a card. If you do, transform Battle of the Peaks. (Otherwise, sacrifice it.)
4/8
-- Windy Peaks
Land
(Transforms from Battle of the Peaks) T: Add U. 3U, T: Create a 1/1 blue Bird creature token. Activate only as a sorcery.
This seems like a good starting point for how these cards might end up working.
The biggest challenge I see with designing and balancing these effect is making the pay off worth the hoops you jump through to get it. In the above, for instance, is the 2 cards and a utility land worth paying 4 mana and then having to send creatures off from attacking my opponent? Planeswalkers give benefit and then your opponent has to decide if stopping you from getting the benefit is worth "wasting" their attacks on killing it. I feel like in the case of battles you'd either need to way undercost the battle or make the pay-off way higher.
This seems like a good starting point for how these cards might end up working.
The biggest challenge I see with designing and balancing these effect is making the pay off worth the hoops you jump through to get it. In the above, for instance, is the 2 cards and a utility land worth paying 4 mana and then having to send creatures off from attacking my opponent?
That's what I tried to address with the "asymmetry."
You don't lose damage for sending into battle, but your opponent does. Converselly, you only gain 1 initiative per connecting creature, but your opponent removes the full amount of damage (that wasn't dealt.)
I think the best way to see it is the Floor and Ceiling of the card (when it's at worst, and at best.)
At worst: You have no creatures. Your opponent ignores the battle completely. This is the same floor of an Equipment/Vehicle, though. At worst, but you have a single creature: You send the creature into battle. You can win in 4 turns unless the opponent sends something too (or removes the creature: see above.) If the opponent sends a creature, you eventually get the LOSE trigger, and saved some life. At best: You have four fliers. They get +1/+1 this turn, attack for full damage, and you immediately win the battle. Pretty powerful for 2UU and why you included this card in your deck, even if it was quite conditional.
In the middle, you could expect to get a bit of a push and pull. How many creatures does your opponent send? I forgot to rule this, but I'd have them commit the creatures before you do, which is quite the upside on a big battlefield.
Who controls the battle?
What if I put a creature into the battlefield but my opponent doesn't?
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pucatrade
big receipts
alpha mox emerald
beta time walk
4 goyfs received
3 liliana of the veil
4 karn liberated
3 force of will
4 grove of the burnwillows
snapcaster mage
3 horizon canopy
2 full art damnation
Only gaining benefit on win or lose removes the opponents incentive to make you lose. Which makes them do nothing cards if they can keep your creature count down. I imagine they would need an ongoing effect to encourage the opponent to interact.
I think you probably won't have to commit creatures to a specific battle, but rather it will be an "object" that can be attacked and blocked for like a planeswalker - the difference being that you control the battle you are attacking rather than the opponent controlling it. It would be nice if the "initiative" is affected by how many things damage it rather than the amount of damage, to create variance in attacking/blocking strategies compared to attacking players/planeswalkers.
I could see them trying to make a thematic way for planeswalkers to contribute as well, like planeswalkers getting an inherent -1: Gain one initiative in a battle.
Private Mod Note
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Quick Rules: Any creature may enter a Battle when either enters the battlefield. Creatures in the battle may only block other creatures in the battle. Damage from unblocked creatures adds or removes initiative counters. If a battle reaches 0 initiative, it's lost. If it reaches its goal number, the battle is won.
However, damage done in a battle is not symmetrical.
- Damaging the controller of the battle removes that much initiative INSTEAD of the damage.
- Damaging other players through the battle adds only 1 initiative, but deals full damage.
Design considerations: Winning is generally better than losing, but the difference shouldn't be huge. If you facing a huge disadvantage, spending 4-5 mana in a battle shouldn't be the end of the game after the next combat step. It should at least divert the opponent, much like a planeswalker may do. This is the main reason the battle conditions are asymmetrical.
Full Rules:
As a battle enters the battlefield, players may move any number of their creatures to its 'zone'.
As a creature enters the battlefield, its controller may have it enter a battle.
As a noncreature permanent becomes a creature, its controller may have it enter a battle.
A battle enters with a number of counters equal to its starting initiative (first number in S/G, or "Start/Goal")
If a creature in a battle would deal combat damage to the battle's controller, it removes an initiative counter INSTEAD.
If a creature in a battle would deal combat damage to another player, it adds an initiative counter AND deals damage.
If a battle's initiative reaches 0, it's lost. If it reaches the goal initiative (second number in S/G) it's won. In both cases the battle is sacrificed, unless it transforms.
Example
Battle of the Peaks 2UU
Battle
Flying creatures at this battle have +1/+1.
Win - Draw two cards and transform Battle of the Peaks.
Lose - You may discard a card. If you do, transform Battle of the Peaks. (Otherwise, sacrifice it.)
4/8
--
Windy Peaks
Land
(Transforms from Battle of the Peaks)
T: Add U.
3U, T: Create a 1/1 blue Bird creature token. Activate only as a sorcery.
The biggest challenge I see with designing and balancing these effect is making the pay off worth the hoops you jump through to get it. In the above, for instance, is the 2 cards and a utility land worth paying 4 mana and then having to send creatures off from attacking my opponent? Planeswalkers give benefit and then your opponent has to decide if stopping you from getting the benefit is worth "wasting" their attacks on killing it. I feel like in the case of battles you'd either need to way undercost the battle or make the pay-off way higher.
That's what I tried to address with the "asymmetry."
You don't lose damage for sending into battle, but your opponent does. Converselly, you only gain 1 initiative per connecting creature, but your opponent removes the full amount of damage (that wasn't dealt.)
I think the best way to see it is the Floor and Ceiling of the card (when it's at worst, and at best.)
At worst: You have no creatures. Your opponent ignores the battle completely. This is the same floor of an Equipment/Vehicle, though.
At worst, but you have a single creature: You send the creature into battle. You can win in 4 turns unless the opponent sends something too (or removes the creature: see above.) If the opponent sends a creature, you eventually get the LOSE trigger, and saved some life.
At best: You have four fliers. They get +1/+1 this turn, attack for full damage, and you immediately win the battle. Pretty powerful for 2UU and why you included this card in your deck, even if it was quite conditional.
In the middle, you could expect to get a bit of a push and pull. How many creatures does your opponent send? I forgot to rule this, but I'd have them commit the creatures before you do, which is quite the upside on a big battlefield.
Who controls the battle?
What if I put a creature into the battlefield but my opponent doesn't?
pucatrade
big receipts
alpha mox emerald
beta time walk
4 goyfs received
3 liliana of the veil
4 karn liberated
3 force of will
4 grove of the burnwillows
snapcaster mage
3 horizon canopy
2 full art damnation
I could see them trying to make a thematic way for planeswalkers to contribute as well, like planeswalkers getting an inherent -1: Gain one initiative in a battle.