MTG Salvation

I think out of all the Legends 2 planes, this one is my favorite. Fantastic work by the whole team on the direction for all these planes, and the project as a whole. As an observer, it's been really fun to watch the whole project shape up. Dropping by with my two cents, I really like the idea of beasts who literally change with the telling of the tales around them. Suuuuuuper juicy on the flavor end. As I thought more and more about the concept, the idea for a beast tribal subtheme really started to take shape in my head as a possibility for the set, if focused in a particular drafting color pair. I'm not sure how viable this would be with all the different pieces floating around in this set, but I could see it having support in this plane and the arctic plane at least. To support that vision of even the tiniest beast subtheme, it might be cool to have some cool beast boosters that reflect the changing narrative of beasts on the plane of Alezenim. For instance:

Fanciful Publisher 1U
Creature — Human Wizard[UC]
Beasts you control have flying.
"It soared across the sky with a wings bigger than the river's span." -The Almanac of Beast and Critters Vol. III
[1/2]

Like I said, not sure if there's room for this kind of thing, but it might be a neat point of flavor that ties worlds, mechanics, and themes together in a simple yet interesting way. Happy designing!

Quote from BlazingRagnarok »

I like the idea, but I can't help but think that there's a better template option for this kind of effect. Modular cards exist to provide a level of choice, while this card wants players to perform specific actions in a specific order. I suggest that, instead of calling them modes, call them steps. The card would look like a level-up card except with the step number where the level would be. Players would be instructed to perform the steps sequentially, without confusing the cards with modular ones. You could also make it so the step cards sacrifice themselves automatically upon the final step, if all of the Saga cards end the same way.

Thank you for the input! Yes, I think the idea of going in order is what we were looking for in concept. Would a custom template be better than re-using level up though? I think I remember hearing that the template didn't go over well. Would you have any ideas about how to create a better format? And as the the sacrifice at the end, no. We sort of went running with the idea, and while most will sacrifice themselves (especially the enchantments) I think it would limit the space of the mechanic. Thanks for the input!

Quote from saneatali »

Questions:
Do you want them to always be upkeep triggers? If so, we can condense the action word into a keyword.
Do you want them to always sacrifice upon completion of the stages? If so, we can put a sacrifice clause into the ability text instead of making it a separate stage.
Do you want them to all be enchantments? If so, then a subtype -Saga would be appropriate.

I've put together a quick example of all of this together using your example.

Runwyrd's Insights 1U
Enchantment - Saga [C]
Saga (At the beginning of your upkeep, perform the next step not performed. When the last step resolves, sacrifice this.)
Step 1: Scry 3.
Step 2: Draw a card.

I can imagine this being applied to Auras, or even to Creatures, in which case the sacrifice clause wouldn't be desirable. In which case I would make the sacrifice part of the last step rather than it's own step (no point in having a do-nothing enchantment hang around).

Runwyrd's Insights 1U
Enchantment - Saga [C]
Saga (At the beginning of your upkeep, perform the next step not performed.)
Step 1: Scry 3.
Step 2: Draw a card, then sacrifice this.

This is a creative idea, a nice blending of the Demonic Pact and Level Up concepts, it reminds me of the Ordeals in flavor. You could make this a set-defining major mechanic in a heroism, adventure, or exploration themed setting, very much like Theros or the original Zendikar, or as you indicate a Norse theme. Sagas would get their own text box template, and maybe even a special card frame to set them apart, really be the face of the set.

This has got my creative juices flowing, if you want, I'll come back with some of my own ideas.

Thanks for the kind words! In answer to your first three questions:
Yes, for uniformity's sake, I think we do want them to all trigger on upkeep, although my friend and I are playing with a mythic that would have its trigger on upkeep but have its effects happen at different parts of the turn.
No. As you stated, I think that this has broader applications than just static enchantments, so I think that your idea of a combined last step would help formatting if we did want it to sacrifice itself.
As for the last one... I'm not sure. This Norse world involves gods, so my friend and I are trying to be careful to distinguish it from Theros, and even from Amonkhet, which we've done by designing them broadly to be creatureish incarnations of larger Norse themes and thought patterns, almost a la elementals form Llorwyn, if more grandiose and humanoid. One God (Runwyrd) embodies the cyclical concept of time. Actually, let me just post him.

Runwyrd, Eternity's Form 3UU
Legendary Enchantment Creature - God
Saga — At the beginning of your upkeep, choose the next mode that hasn’t been chosen, starting with the first mode:
Shuffle your hand and graveyard into your library, then draw seven cards.
At the beginning of the next end step, untap each nonland permanent you control.
Exile Runwyrd, Eternity’s Form. Return it to the battlefield under it’s owner’s control at the beginning of your next upkeep.
2/7

Definitely a little pushed, definitely needs a little refining. I don't know if we want him to be an enchantment, as the Theros gods were, but on the other hand, he is for sure the most abstract of the five gods we designed.

With all this in mind, I think your second saga design best fits our template for the moment. I would however, love to see what you come up with it. To help get you on the general wavelength we are on, we were purposefully centering saga in G/U, although I'm intrigued by your idea for its wider application in the set as a flagship mechanic, as well as fancy ideas for templates. Brainstorming is always appreciated! Thank you for your time!

Hey all, a buddy and I throw around mechanics and ideas for cards all the time, and we were trying to capture the essence of a journey in a single card to reflect the poems and songs of heroes in Norse mythology. We sort of stewed on it for a while when a card hit me, Demonic Pact. The card reflects multiple steps of Liliana's coming of power, and with a slight tweak, could reflect a linear story. Behold, Saga!

Runwyrd’s Insights 1U
Enchantment common
Saga - At the beginning of your upkeep, choose the next mode that hasn’t been chosen, starting with the first mode:
Scry 3.
Draw a card
Sacrifice ~.

We both really like the idea, and wanted to use it for a custom set we're making, but thought that a little advice wouldn't hurt. Thank you for your time, and I hope to hear your thoughts on saga!

Stonecrowe. You run research assistant over Merfolk Looter? Why? I can't stand the assistant.

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Quote from destinytrigger

My favorite trick in the deck is using Cloaker/Lion to bounce Reveillark while I have a Mystic Snake in the yard. Coolest counterspell ever.

I prefer using Riptide Shapeshifter naming Illusion.

As for effects, pretty much everything I use has been listed except Myr Battlesphere