Rapid fire is a mechanic I'm testing out for a Western set, designed with the idea that spellslingers would be Magic's version of gunslingers. The mechanic was inspired by Kindle and similar cards. The basic concept is that whenever you cast a spell with Rapid fire, you may copy that spell for each card in your graveyard with the same name. So when you cast the second copy, you copy the spell once. When you cast the third copy, you copy the spell twice. And when you cast the fourth copy, you copy the spell three times.
CountershotU
Instant
Rapid fire (When you cast this spell, copy it for each card in your graveyard named ~. You may choose new targets for the copies.)
Counter target spell unless its controller pays 1.
Think FastU
Instant
~ costs 1 more to cast for each card in your graveyard named ~.
Rapid fire (When you cast this spell, copy it for each card in your graveyard named ~.)
Draw a card.
FireshotR
Instant
Rapid fire (When you cast this spell, copy it for each card in your graveyard named ~. You may choose new targets for the copies.)
~ deals 1 damage to any target.
Shattershot2R
Instant
Rapid fire (When you cast this spell, copy it for each card in your graveyard named ~. You may choose new targets for the copies.)
Destroy target artifact.
This can be accompanied by cards that care about whenever you cast or copy spells.
Trigger-Happy Spellslinger2R
Creature - Dwarf Wizard
Whenever you cast or copy an instant or sorcery spell, ~ deals 1 damage to each opponent.
2/2
Private Mod Note
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Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
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.
I think you need to scale these effects better to take the intensification into account. Just look at the cycle of cards you're basing this mechanic on. Kindle is slightly subpar with no copies in the grave, on-curve with 1 copy in the grave, and above-curve with 3 or more copies in the grave. Accumulated Knowledge starts out worse and scales much faster. The point is, these types of cards should start out weak to make up for how strong they are in multiples.
Now let's look at what you have here:
Countershot is definitely too strong even with no copies in the grave. Force Spike is a very solid piece of early-game countermagic even when it isn't a mini-Flusterstorm. Cutting Rune Snag in half actually makes it much stronger just because of the power of 1 mana countermagic.
Think fast is fine due to its scaling cost. It starts out better than Accumulated Knowledge, but it has a lower ceiling.
Fireshot is too strong. The ability to split the damage to take out multiple creatures is a huge upgrade over Kindle, and starting from CMC 1 pushes it over the top.
Shattershot is fine. It's typically worse than Shattering Spree and Vandalblast, but you don't have to beat the best red artifact removal ever printed.
In all likelihood, you'll draw any particular card maybe twice at most. You'd need a ton of support in both Limited and Constructed: the former would require an absolutely huge amount of self-mill, library-searching, etc. in order to make it remotely feasible to play these cards as a deck archetype; and the latter seems just a litle bit impossible considering that there's 4 cards out of 60 in a deck, and there's so much consistency in Constructed otherwise.
Of course, you could just design the cards to be perfectly fine if you draw just one of them, great if you draw 2, and don't really expect to draw 3 of them somehow. And actually, I think you've done a great job with that:
-comparing Countershot to Force Spike, as well as Flusterstorm, Stubborn Denial, and Spell Pierce, suggests it's pretty well-balanced;
-Think Fast might be a little powerful (compare Accumulated Knowledge, and considering that Ponder and Preordain are banned in Modern; I'd probably make it a sorcery, to keep the attractive cost and bring it close to the power level of those cards), but it might be fine in a contained, casual format (not sure your plans for the set).
-Fireshot might be a little weak, but then again might also be too strong. Compare Forked Bolt, Geistflame, and Lightning Bolt/Shock/Lightning Strike/Open Fire -- the power level of direct damage seems to fluctuate a lot depending on the format. Given the lack of things to change without significantly affecting the card, I think it's pretty safe as it stands.
-Scattershot is weird to me just because it's unlikely in most formats (besides, say, Commander, where Rapid Fire doesn't work anyway) that you'll have so many artifacts to deal with that you'll want to play 4 of a card that deals with them. It's just not an effect that seems super desirable to see more than once or twice a game, so putting Rapid Fire on it is just weird to me. It'd be like putting Mentor on a 1/1, Evolve on a 10/10, or Affinity for artifacts on a creature that mostly costs colored mana.
All in all, besides Scattershot, these all seem like really great designs in that vein -- "good once, great twice, don't expect anything more than that". I just wonder if that's an exciting enough theme to build a whole mechanic around -- it seems very feels-bad for the Johnnies who want to brew around a cool mechanic, it's not at all impressive for the Timmies, it's kinda-ish flavor justified -- pretty much only serious optimizing Spikes want to play this mechanic, and even then the randomness might be a turn-off.
Regardless, cool idea for a mechanic. And whether you use this mechanic or not, I think Trigger-Happy Spellslinger is one of the coolest designs I've seen in ages here -- it's perfectly costed for its abilities, has cool types and name, and it's a unique, balanced ability that can be good on its own but can also be built around pretty interestingly, and it's new. I love it!
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"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.
Yeah, my Quickdraw mechanic is probably ovarall better from both a deckbuilding and flavor standpoint. Quickdraw would be another spellslinger mechanic I've designed for a Western set:
Countershot2U
Instant
Quick draw U(You may cast this spell for its quick draw cost if two or more cards have been drawn this turn.)
Counter target spell unless its controller pays 2.
Fireshot2R
Instant
Quick draw R(You may cast this spell for its quick draw cost if two or more cards have been drawn this turn.)
~ deals 3 damage to any target.
Unlike Rapid-fire, it's easy to build around, and its name has a more Western flavor. I do like the idea of a copying mechanic accompanied by a copy matters theme, but it seems a different approach would be preferable.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
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.
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Countershot U
Instant
Rapid fire (When you cast this spell, copy it for each card in your graveyard named ~. You may choose new targets for the copies.)
Counter target spell unless its controller pays 1.
Think Fast U
Instant
~ costs 1 more to cast for each card in your graveyard named ~.
Rapid fire (When you cast this spell, copy it for each card in your graveyard named ~.)
Draw a card.
Fireshot R
Instant
Rapid fire (When you cast this spell, copy it for each card in your graveyard named ~. You may choose new targets for the copies.)
~ deals 1 damage to any target.
Shattershot 2R
Instant
Rapid fire (When you cast this spell, copy it for each card in your graveyard named ~. You may choose new targets for the copies.)
Destroy target artifact.
This can be accompanied by cards that care about whenever you cast or copy spells.
Trigger-Happy Spellslinger 2R
Creature - Dwarf Wizard
Whenever you cast or copy an instant or sorcery spell, ~ deals 1 damage to each opponent.
2/2
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.
Now let's look at what you have here:
Countershot is definitely too strong even with no copies in the grave. Force Spike is a very solid piece of early-game countermagic even when it isn't a mini-Flusterstorm. Cutting Rune Snag in half actually makes it much stronger just because of the power of 1 mana countermagic.
Think fast is fine due to its scaling cost. It starts out better than Accumulated Knowledge, but it has a lower ceiling.
Fireshot is too strong. The ability to split the damage to take out multiple creatures is a huge upgrade over Kindle, and starting from CMC 1 pushes it over the top.
Shattershot is fine. It's typically worse than Shattering Spree and Vandalblast, but you don't have to beat the best red artifact removal ever printed.
Of course, you could just design the cards to be perfectly fine if you draw just one of them, great if you draw 2, and don't really expect to draw 3 of them somehow. And actually, I think you've done a great job with that:
-comparing Countershot to Force Spike, as well as Flusterstorm, Stubborn Denial, and Spell Pierce, suggests it's pretty well-balanced;
-Think Fast might be a little powerful (compare Accumulated Knowledge, and considering that Ponder and Preordain are banned in Modern; I'd probably make it a sorcery, to keep the attractive cost and bring it close to the power level of those cards), but it might be fine in a contained, casual format (not sure your plans for the set).
-Fireshot might be a little weak, but then again might also be too strong. Compare Forked Bolt, Geistflame, and Lightning Bolt/Shock/Lightning Strike/Open Fire -- the power level of direct damage seems to fluctuate a lot depending on the format. Given the lack of things to change without significantly affecting the card, I think it's pretty safe as it stands.
-Scattershot is weird to me just because it's unlikely in most formats (besides, say, Commander, where Rapid Fire doesn't work anyway) that you'll have so many artifacts to deal with that you'll want to play 4 of a card that deals with them. It's just not an effect that seems super desirable to see more than once or twice a game, so putting Rapid Fire on it is just weird to me. It'd be like putting Mentor on a 1/1, Evolve on a 10/10, or Affinity for artifacts on a creature that mostly costs colored mana.
All in all, besides Scattershot, these all seem like really great designs in that vein -- "good once, great twice, don't expect anything more than that". I just wonder if that's an exciting enough theme to build a whole mechanic around -- it seems very feels-bad for the Johnnies who want to brew around a cool mechanic, it's not at all impressive for the Timmies, it's kinda-ish flavor justified -- pretty much only serious optimizing Spikes want to play this mechanic, and even then the randomness might be a turn-off.
Regardless, cool idea for a mechanic. And whether you use this mechanic or not, I think Trigger-Happy Spellslinger is one of the coolest designs I've seen in ages here -- it's perfectly costed for its abilities, has cool types and name, and it's a unique, balanced ability that can be good on its own but can also be built around pretty interestingly, and it's new. I love it!
--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.
Countershot 2U
Instant
Quick draw U (You may cast this spell for its quick draw cost if two or more cards have been drawn this turn.)
Counter target spell unless its controller pays 2.
Fireshot 2R
Instant
Quick draw R (You may cast this spell for its quick draw cost if two or more cards have been drawn this turn.)
~ deals 3 damage to any target.
Unlike Rapid-fire, it's easy to build around, and its name has a more Western flavor. I do like the idea of a copying mechanic accompanied by a copy matters theme, but it seems a different approach would be preferable.
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.