I could see something like this being a thing, given the right flavor justification. Do note that this mechanic would come with some design limitations. The versatility of the idea means, to compensate, the power level of these cards can't be too high, and it also runs the risk of being extremely wordy. At base, you already have a static ability and two activated abilities (or the other way around, depending on what you want the card to do while unequipped), one of which needs a line of text to limit activation. That leaves precious little space for the card to do anything really interesting.
I don't think an effect that discourages you from doing what you're supposed to with Equipment is a good idea. Haunted Plate Mail is one thing, but when your Equipment works better as a non-Equipment artifact, you're doing it wrong.
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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 the card is fine as it is, but it's rather narrow design space, here is my thought on how to make it feel right.
Forgotten Armor 2
Artifact Equipment
T: Exile target card in a graveyard
Equipped creature gains <Bonsu> and "Whenever this creature deals combat damage to a player, exile target card in that players graveyard."
Equip 2
That way, it encourages using it as equipment, but it for some reason it has to sit fallow, it can still enhance the board state.
I like this idea. I think it would work better if the extra ability worked whether it was equipped or not.
For example:
Blade of the Eternal Crusade 4
Legendary Artifact - Equipment
White creatures you control get +1/+1.
Equip 2
Equipped creature gets vigilance, lifelink, and is white in addition to it's other colors.
Swarm Matrix 5
Artifact - Equipment
At the beginning of your upkeep, create a 0/1 Construct token.
Equip 3
Equipped creature gets +3/+2.
I like this idea. I think it would work better if the extra ability worked whether it was equipped or not.
For example:
Blade of the Eternal Crusade 4
Legendary Artifact - Equipment
White creatures you control get +1/+1.
Equip 2
Equipped creature gets vigilance, lifelink, and is white in addition to it's other colors.
Swarm Matrix 5
Artifact - Equipment
At the beginning of your upkeep, create a 0/1 Construct token.
Equip 3
Equipped creature gets +3/+2.
I think this is the right idea, and these are pretty neat designs.
Regardless, I also do think that tap abilities on Equipment should be restricted to when they're not attached to a creature for comprehension reasons (a lot of people naturally turn the Auras and Equipment on their creatures sideways when they tap the creatures).
Maybe a static effect when unequipped, similar to whats seen in Coat of arms
or maybe maybe a tap effect when unequipped.
example.
cc= 2
Name= Forgotten Armor
1-tap= exile target card from a graveyard.
Activate only if forgotten armor is not equipped.
Equip= 3
Attach to target creature you control. Equip only as a sorcery.
Equipped creature gets +1/+0 and lifelink.
In researching the idea. Heartseeker is kinda similar.
does anyone know of a few more?
I got the idea while playing Godo, Bandit Warlord I was tutoring up batterskull and started dreaming
...the equip reminder text is way too big can we please remove it like we do with evergreen abilities .
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.
Forgotten Armor 2
Artifact Equipment
T: Exile target card in a graveyard
Equipped creature gains <Bonsu> and "Whenever this creature deals combat damage to a player, exile target card in that players graveyard."
Equip 2
That way, it encourages using it as equipment, but it for some reason it has to sit fallow, it can still enhance the board state.
Behind the eyes of truth, is a world of illustions.
Dragon Riderof a Mist Dragonn anyway with the Dragon Riders Clan.
For example:
Blade of the Eternal Crusade
4
Legendary Artifact - Equipment
White creatures you control get +1/+1.
Equip 2
Equipped creature gets vigilance, lifelink, and is white in addition to it's other colors.
Swarm Matrix
5
Artifact - Equipment
At the beginning of your upkeep, create a 0/1 Construct token.
Equip 3
Equipped creature gets +3/+2.
Corrupt Control B | Burn R | UG Turbofog UG | White Weenie W | GW Tethmos WG | BG Cycling Combo BG
Enchantress GBW | Colorless Tron C | Red Deck Wins R | UG Madness UG | Mono-G Tron G | UR Puzzlehorns UR
Rhystic Tron WU| WU Prowess WU | BR Reanimator BR | Mono-R Control R | Stompy G | Temur Tron URG
Mardu Infinite Priest WBR | 85-Card Dredge BRG | Elves GU | Boros Bully RW | Jeskai Familiars RWU
Regardless, I also do think that tap abilities on Equipment should be restricted to when they're not attached to a creature for comprehension reasons (a lot of people naturally turn the Auras and Equipment on their creatures sideways when they tap the creatures).
I̟̥͍̠ͅn̩͉̣͍̬͚ͅ ̬̬͖t̯̹̞̺͖͓̯̤h̘͍̬e͙̯͈̖̼̮ ̭̬f̺̲̲̪i͙͉̟̩̰r̪̝͚͈̝̥͍̝̲s̼̻͇̘̳͔ͅt̲̺̳̗̜̪̙ ̳̺̥̻͚̗ͅm̜̜̟̰͈͓͎͇o̝̖̮̝͇m̯̻̞̼̫̗͓̤e̩̯̬̮̩n͎̱̪̲̹͖t͇̖s̰̮ͅ,̤̲͙̻̭̻̯̹̰ ̖t̫̙̺̯͖͚̯ͅh͙̯̦̳̗̰̟e͖̪͉̼̯ ̪͕g̞̣͔a̗̦t̬̬͓͙̫̖̭̻e̩̻̯ ̜̖̦̖̤̭͙̬t̞̹̥̪͎͉ͅo͕͚͍͇̲͇͓̺ ̭̬͙͈̣̻t͈͍͙͓̫̖͙̩h̪̬̖̙e̗͈ ̗̬̟̞̺̤͉̯ͅa̦̯͚̙̜̮f͉͙̲̣̞̼t̪̤̞̣͚e̲͉̳̥r͇̪̙͚͓l̥̞̞͎̹̯̹ͅi͓̬f̮̥̬̞͈ͅe͎ ̟̩̤̳̠̯̩̯o̮̘̲p̟͚̣̞͉͓e͍̩̣n͔̼͕͚̜e̬̱d̼̘͎̖̹͍̮̠,͖̺̭̱̮ ̣̲͖̬̪̭̥a̪͚n̟̲̝̤̤̞̗d̘̱̗͇̮͕̳͕͔ ͖̞͉͎t̹̙͎h̰̱͉̗e̪̞̱̝̹̩ͅ ̠̱̩̭̦p̯̙e͓o̳͚̰̯̺̱̰͔̘p̬͎̱̣̼̩͇l̗̟̖͚̠e̱͉͔̱̦̬̟̙ ̖͚̪͔̼̦w̺̖̤̱e͖̗̻̦͓̖̘̜r̭̥e͔̹̫̱͕̦̰͕ ̗͔̠p̠̗͍͍̱̳̠r̰͔͎̰o͉̥͓̰͚̥s̟͚̹̱͔̣t͉̙̳̖͖̪̮r̥̘̥͙̹a͉̟̫̟̳̠̟̭t͈̜̰͈͎e̞̣̭̲̬ ͚̗̯̟͙i͍͖̰̘̦͖͉ṇ̮̻̯̦̲̩͍ ̦̮͚̫̤t͉͖̫͕ͅͅh͙̮̻̘̣̮̼e͕̺ ͙l͕̠͎̰̥i̲͓͉̲g̫̳̟͈͇̖h̠̦̖t͓̯͎̗ ̳̪̘̟̙̩̦o̫̲f̙͔̰̙̠ ̹̪̗͇̯t͖̼̼͉͖̬h̹͇̩e͚̖̺̤͉̹͕̪ ͚͓̭̝̺G͎̗̯̩o̫̯̮̟̮̳̘d̜̲͙̠-̩̳̯̲̗̜P̹̘̥͉̝h͍͈̗̖̝ͅa͍̗̮̼̗r̜̖͇̙̺a̭̺͔̞̳͈o̪̣͓̯̬͙̯̰̗h̖̦͈̥̯͔.͇̣̙̝