“Gimmie Five”
4/4/07
The first design challenge for the Great Designer Search was called “Gimmie Five” and it was looking for three 5-card cycles with randomly chosen card types. I rolled a die and then followed the rules Mark Rosewater outlined.
* Each of the cycles has to be designed for a different rarity (common, uncommon and rare). Each cycle must meet the needs of its rarity. (I'll explain these below.)
At least one of the cycles has to be a tight cycle. At least one has to be a loose cycle. (I'll also define these terms below.)
* Each cycle has to be all the same card type. No mixing and matching. Not even instants and sorceries.
* The card types for each cycle will be randomly assigned to you. This is listed below. Note that every player gets to make a cycle of creatures and enchantments. No one was given a cycle of lands.
* No effect may be repeated. If, for example, you use a discard effect on a common black card, you may not use a discard effect on either the uncommon or rare black cards. You can't even use it on cards of another color. Each of the fifteen cards has to use a different type of effect.
* Each cycle must be accompanied by a paragraph of no more than fifty words explaining what you were up to. This means you will be writing three paragraphs.
http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=mtgcom/designersearch/episode2
Anyway, here's what I submitted as I followed along with the contest.
1.) Common Instant (Tight Cycle) For purposes of this test, a tight cycle is a
cycle that matches in mana cost (with the exception of the swap of what colored
mana is used) as well as at least one other quality of the card (activation
cost, power/toughness, keyword, repeated template, etc.) Card type does not
count as this second quality.
Rules: First and foremost this cycle must be simple. This means that it doesn't
require too much text and is easily graspable when you first see it. The cards
must also be relevant for Limited without being too swingy.
Honor Verse, W, Common
Instant
Creatures you control gain Bushido 1 until end of turn.
Preview - W, Reveal ~ from your hand: Creatures you control gain Bushido 1 until
end of turn. You can’t play spells during your next turn.
Gliding Verse, U, Common
Instant
Creatures you control gain flying until end of turn.
Preview - U, Reveal ~ from your hand: Creatures you control gain flying until
end of turn. You can’t play spells during your next turn.
Lethal Verse, B, Common
Instant
Creatures you control gain lethal until end of turn. (whenever these creaures
deal damage to a creature, destroy that creature.)
Preview - B, Reveal ~ from your hand: Creatures you control gain lethal until
end of turn. You can’t play spells during your next turn.
Striking Verse, R, Common
Instant
Creatures you control gain first strike until end of turn.
Preview - R, Reveal ~ from your hand: Creatures you control gain first strike
until end of turn. You can’t play spells during your next turn.
Splitting Verse, G, Common
Instant
Until end of turn, creatures you control gain “Sacrifice this creature: Target
creature gets +2/+2 until end of turn.”
Preview - G, Reveal ~ from your hand: Until end of turn, creatures you control
gain “Sacrifice this creature: Target creature gets +2/+2 until end of turn”.
You can’t play spells during your next turn.
“I think combat tricks at common are useful if they allow flexibilty in
playing them. Is a repeating ability worth being able to play cards later? The
ability can be paid over and over, and aside from Honor Verse, doesn't stack
meaningfully. Other preview cards could play with stackable abilities.”
2.) Uncommon Artifact (Tight Cycle) For purposes of this test, a tight cycle is
a cycle that matches in mana cost (with the exception of the swap of what
colored mana is used) as well as at least one other quality of the card
(activation cost, power/toughness, keyword, repeated template, etc.) Card type
does not count as this second quality.
Rules: These cards can be slightly more complicated than the common cards, but
still not that much more complex. The cards should be meaningful for limited.
Unlike commons, it is fine if they are a little more on the swingy side. These
cards should be desirable for budget players who treat them much as other
players would treat rares.
Hypnotic Lawstone, 3, Uncommon
Artifact
Instead of paying ~’s mana cost, you may reveal your hand to target opponent. If
you do, that player may choose up to three cards in it. Discard those cards.
T: Add W to your mana pool.
Hypnotic Lorestone, 3, Uncommon
Artifact
Instead of paying ~’s mana cost, you may reveal your hand to target opponent. If
you do, that player may choose up to three cards in it. Discard those cards.
T: Add U to your mana pool.
Hypnotic Wastestone, 3, Uncommon
Artifact
Instead of paying ~’s mana cost, you may reveal your hand to target opponent. If
you do, that player may choose up to three cards in it. Discard those cards.
T: Add B to your mana pool.
Hypnotic Passionstone, 3, Uncommon
Artifact
Instead of paying ~’s mana cost, you may reveal your hand to target opponent. If
you do, that player may choose up to three cards in it. Discard those cards.
T: Add R to your mana pool.
Hypnotic Bountystone, 3, Uncommon
Artifact
Instead of paying ~’s mana cost, you may reveal your hand to target opponent. If
you do, that player may choose up to three cards in it. Discard those cards.
T: Add G to your mana pool.
“Uncommons are chase cards when they fill important utility slots. These can
be played for free, and the loss of your best three cards may be a useful trade
in a pinch, or even fill a role in the right deck. Free mana sources are always
problematic, but these seem balanced.”
3.) Rare Enchantment (Loose Cycle) For purposes of this test, a loose cycle is a
cycle in which the mana costs are not the same between the cards (aka they do
not all have the same mana cost minus the color switch) and match no more than
one quality (see above). Once again, matching in card type does not count as a
matching quality.
Rules: Rare cycles exist to sell sets. We don't waste five rare slots unless we
feel it's worth it. This means that the rare cycle should be splashy and
exciting. They are allowed to be irrelevant to Limited so it's okay if they're
bombs.
Infusion of Charity, 2W, Rare
Enchantment
When ~ comes into play, target opponent may search your library for any number
of Aura cards and remove them from the game. If he or she does, shuffle your
library, then put a +1/+1 counter on a creature you control for each Aura card
removed from the game in this way.
Whenever you play an Aura, put two +1/+1 counters on a creature you control.
Fate Mapping, 3U, Rare
Enchantment
When ~ comes into play, target opponent may search your library for any number
of Arcane cards and remove them from the game. If he or she does, shuffle your
library, then look at the top X cards of target player’s library and put them
back in any order, where X is the number of Arcane cards removed from the game
in this way.
Whenever you play an Arcane, look at the top two cards of target player’s
library and put them back in any order.
Swarming Plague, 2B, Rare
Enchantment
When ~ comes into play, target opponent may search your library for any number
of Rat cards and remove them from the game. If he or she does, shuffle your
library, then remove a card in target graveyard from the game and put a 1/1
black Rat creature token into play for each Rat card removed from the game in
this way.
Whenever you play a Rat, remove a card in target graveyard from the game and put
a 1/1 black Rat creature token into play.
Heat Permeation, 3R, Rare
Enchantment
When ~ comes into play, target opponent may search your library for any number
of Mountain cards and remove them from the game. If he or she does, shuffle your
library, then add R to your mana pool for each Mountain card removed from the
game in this way.
Whenever you put a Mountain into play, you may add RR to your mana pool.
Infestation of Vipers, 3G, Rare
Enchantment
When ~ comes into play, target opponent may search your library for any number
of Snake cards and remove them from the game. If he or she does, shuffle your
library, then put a 1/1 green Snake creature token into play for each Snake card
removed from the game in this way.
Whenever you play a Snake, put two 1/1 green Snake creature tokens into play.
“My Rares are fun to play, and have skill testing CIP effects. Like the
Betrayer's Patrons they are meant to be "centerpeices" for constructed decks.
They all key off of subtypes, and change the board once they are in play.”
Looking back, I don’t think my loose cycle was loose enough, but otherwise I was
very happy with how quickly and completely I created these 15 cards. The focus
of the rares on subtype was something I built upon when designing Conquest, and
as you have already seen Arcane is back in this set.