General Average Words Per Card

[japahn]

I modified Nemo's script more to get the average of all MtG cards to find a baseline against which to compare, I wasn't sure if my cube was above or below the average of all MtG cards.

This is the average word count of all MtG cards:

Avg Words/Card (no reminders): 19.8
Avg Words/Card (full text): 24.4

Interestingly, this is exactly the line that Zoss drew between Verbose and Non-Verbose!


More stats about all MtG cards:

By color (no reminders):
Non-land colorless: average 22.48 [of 1929 cards]
W: average 17.71 [of 3094 cards]
U: average 19.06 [of 3066 cards]
B: average 19.18 [of 3115 cards]
R: average 19.65 [of 3080 cards]
G: average 18.91 [of 3033 cards]
Multicolor: average 23.15 [of 2684 cards]
Non-basic land: average 20.73 [of 682 cards]


By color (full text):
Non-land colorless: average 26.35 [of 1929 cards]
W: average 22.21 [of 3094 cards]
U: average 24.43 [of 3066 cards]
B: average 24.01 [of 3115 cards]
R: average 23.85 [of 3080 cards]
G: average 23.75 [of 3033 cards]
Multicolor: average 27.30 [of 2684 cards]
Non-basic land: average 23.11 [of 682 cards]


Top 3 most wordy per color (no reminders):

[103 words]________________[88 words]________________[88 words]


[100 words]________________[72 words]________________[71 words]


[89 words]________________[89 words]________________[85 words]


[106 words]________________[89 words]________________[86 words]


[102 words]________________[89 words]________________[80 words]


[109 words]________________[94 words]________________[90 words]


[99 words]________________[99 words]________________[86 words]


[58 words]________________[57 words]________________[55 words]



Least wordy are vanilla creatures and basic lands, naturally.

 

[LadyMapi]

It's interesting that the wordiest cards in each color are the Sparkers... except for in Black.

 

[Nemo]

I've written some new code to look at keyword content of sets and cubes.

Here's a visual:

This won't come as a surprise: cubes usually have more unique keywords than retail draft sets. "Other" sets include masters sets, Jumpstart, Commander Legends, and Modern Horizons. Those sets are almost up to cube levels of keyword inclusion. You can see that blue dot at 50 keywords for Future sight, and other than that, standard legal expansions (blue dots) usually stay in a range of about 18-25 keywords, with core sets including a bit less than that on average.

If anybody wants to help me with a solid list of cubes to use as a baseline for general analysis, that might be fun. I'm working with a list I threw together from browsing back through cube blogs, but it might be fun to have a better list of cubes.

 

[TrainmasterGT]

What cube has 107 unique keywords o_O

 

[Nemo]

What cube has 107 unique keywords o_O

That would be The Elegant Cube. The occasionals bump it from 70 in the core cards to 102 overall. Occasionals are a good place to add a non-overwhelming amount of variety, so that makes sense. Exactly half of the keywords from the core cards appear exactly once, so as expected, a single number doesn't tell the whole story.

At this point, I've just finished making the tools that let me easily access the keyword data in any set or cube, so now I need to think on some fun ways to explore and visualize that data.

 

[japahn]

Yeah, I'm going to have to rename it to The "Elegant" Cube...

I actually like that core+occasionals have a ton of keywords, because variety and comprehensiveness is the point of occasionals. 70 keywords in core, I'm not so sure about. Seems a bit much.

Full report:

Spoiler

Flying (39)
Pteramander
Marsh Flitter
Kor Skyfisher
Hope of Ghirapur
Reveillark
Healer's Hawk
Dawnbringer Charioteers
Bone Picker
Gadrak, the Crown-Scourge
Rorix Bladewing
Oona's Prowler
Siren Stormtamer
Squall Drifter
Vault Skirge
Selfless Spirit
Nimble Obstructionist
Hypnotic Specter
Firemane Avenger
Pestermite
Docent of Perfection // Final Iteration
Zahid, Djinn of the Lamp
Kitesail Freebooter
Nightveil Sprite
Sunblast Angel
Bygone Bishop
Spectral Sailor
Sprite Dragon
Flickerwisp
Oona's Blackguard
Fae of Wishes // Granted
Overseer of the Damned
Kokusho, the Evening Star
Birds of Paradise
Simic Sky Swallower
Ardenvale Tactician // Dizzying Swoop
Emeria Angel
Delver of Secrets // Insectile Aberration
Grateful Apparition
Thieving Skydiver

Haste (14)
Gingerbrute
Zealous Conscripts
Charging Monstrosaur
Hazoret the Fervent
Rorix Bladewing
Tuktuk the Explorer
Lightning Skelemental
Decimator of the Provinces
Bomat Courier
Sprite Dragon
Strangleroot Geist
Monastery Swiftspear
Izzet Chemister
Anger

Scry (12)
Burning Prophet
Magma Jet
Temple of Deceit
Temple of Abandon
Temple of Triumph
Temple of Epiphany
Temple of Malice
Temple of Mystery
Temple of Enlightenment
Temple of Malady
Temple of Plenty
Temple of Silence

Enchant (11)
Curious Obsession
Metamorphic Alteration
Faith's Fetters
Splinter Twin
Cartouche of Ambition
Bonds of Faith
Faith Unbroken
Recumbent Bliss
Curse of Chains
Confiscate
Gift of Orzhova

Flash (11)
Nightpack Ambusher
Wildborn Preserver
Frilled Mystic
Nimble Obstructionist
Liliana's Standard Bearer
Pestermite
Brineborn Cutthroat
Spectral Sailor
Boon Satyr
Merfolk Trickster
Briarhorn

Trample (10)
Charging Monstrosaur
Hinterland Logger // Timber Shredder
Chandra's Incinerator
Lightning Skelemental
Decimator of the Provinces
Honored Hydra
Lone Rider // It That Rides as One
Grismold, the Dreadsower
Honored Hydra
Simic Sky Swallower

Equip (9)
Runechanter's Pike
Cranial Plating
Bonehoard
Stoneforge Masterwork
Ancestral Blade
Lightning Greaves
Mask of Memory
Sylvok Lifestaff
Basilisk Collar

Lifelink (6)
Healer's Hawk
Dawnbringer Charioteers
Knight of Meadowgrain
Vault Skirge
Tomebound Lich
Lone Rider // It That Rides as One

First strike (6)
Knight of Meadowgrain
Porcelain Legionnaire
Kari Zev, Skyship Raider
Lone Rider // It That Rides as One
Aether Chaser
Attended Knight

Menace (5)
Dreadmalkin
Kari Zev, Skyship Raider
Dreamstealer
Glint-Sleeve Siphoner
Dreamstealer

Kicker (5)
Fight with Fire
Rushing River
Vines of Vastwood
Into the Roil
Thieving Skydiver

Deathtouch (5)
Acidic Slime
Bone Picker
Mire Triton
Tomebound Lich
Thornweald Archer

Transform (5)
Hinterland Logger // Timber Shredder
Lone Rider // It That Rides as One
Docent of Perfection // Final Iteration
Kessig Prowler // Sinuous Predator
Delver of Secrets // Insectile Aberration

Cycling (5)
Slice and Dice
Nimble Obstructionist
Stinging Shot
Choking Tethers
Neutralize

Proliferate (4)
Contagion Clasp
Karn's Bastion
Evolution Sage
Grateful Apparition

Reach (4)
Penumbra Spider
Wildborn Preserver
Atzocan Archer
Thornweald Archer

Rebound (3)
Ojutai's Breath
Emerge Unscathed
Great Teacher's Decree

Vigilance (3)
Cataclysmic Gearhulk
Hundred-Handed One
Topan Freeblade

Fight (3)
Savage Stomp
Kogla, the Titan Ape
Atzocan Archer

Flashback (3)
Dread Return
Faithless Looting
Firebolt

Investigate (3)
Ongoing Investigation
Bygone Bishop
Thraben Inspector

Adapt (2)
Pteramander
Incubation Druid

Evoke (2)
Reveillark
Briarhorn

Renown (2)
Relic Seeker
Topan Freeblade

Convoke (2)
Stoke the Flames
Devouring Light

Wither (2)
Twinblade Slasher
Necroskitter

Heroic (2)
Dawnbringer Charioteers
Fabled Hero

Eternalize (2)
Champion of Wits
Dreamstealer

Landcycling (2)
Ash Barrens
Migratory Route

Basic landcycling (2)
Ash Barrens
Migratory Route

Typecycling (2)
Ash Barrens
Migratory Route

Jump-start (2)
Risk Factor
Chemister's Insight

Surveil (2)
Nightveil Sprite
Sinister Sabotage

Morbid (2)
Brimstone Volley
Tragic Slip

Shroud (2)
Blastoderm
Simic Sky Swallower

Amass (1)
Dreadhorde Invasion

Entwine (1)
Blinding Beam

Explore (1)
Merfolk Branchwalker

Indestructible (1)
Hazoret the Fervent

Dash (1)
Zurgo Bellstriker

Mill (1)
Mire Triton

Hexproof (1)
Silhana Ledgewalker

Reinforce (1)
Hunting Triad

Battle Cry (1)
Accorder Paladin

Echo (1)
Mogg War Marshal

Awaken (1)
Sheer Drop

Battalion (1)
Firemane Avenger

Emerge (1)
Decimator of the Provinces

Enrage (1)
Ripjaw Raptor

Living weapon (1)
Bonehoard

Madness (1)
Violent Eruption

Evolve (1)
Experiment One

Spectacle (1)
Light Up the Stage

Monstrosity (1)
Hundred-Handed One

Changeling (1)
Changeling Outcast

Aftermath (1)
Grind // Dust

Bestow (1)
Boon Satyr

Undying (1)
Strangleroot Geist

Exert (1)
Glory-Bound Initiate

Bolster (1)
Elite Scaleguard

Populate (1)
Growing Ranks

Shadow (1)
Looter il-Kor

Fabricate (1)
Cultivator of Blades

Metalcraft (1)
Galvanic Blast

Fading (1)
Blastoderm

Prowess (1)
Monastery Swiftspear

Embalm (1)
Honored Hydra

Landfall (1)
Emeria Angel

Double strike (1)
Fabled Hero

Support (1)
Generous Patron

 

[Brad]

Another thing I noticed while trying to decrease the wordiness of my cube is that some mechanics are one word and you know it: flashback, delve, etc. Others are a flag for a type of effect that has many words involved: landfall, threshold, etc.

The former is obviously gonna be better to decrease wordiness. Much quicker to go "ah, I can delve this" than it is to go "hmm, let's read what happens when I play a land."

 

[jerichoalar]

For my main 360 cube I actually have been doing keyword management for some time (since at least 2016 or so), I try to stay at 20 or so keywords (yes, even including the gimmes like flying) and a minimum of 5 cards for a given keyword.

I got basically only positive feedback on this change, even if the drafters who experienced both the pre and post keyword culling versions could not put their finger on why the cube felt easier to understand. I'd highly recommend trying a 'retail-like' keyword count.

(And yes, I think it's totally in the spirit of complexity management to run custom versions of cards which write out keywords that you're not going to support, or use retail versions of the cards that already do)

 

[Brad]

I've been thinking of words like a price. You wouldn't run a $50 card unless it was REALLY useful to your environment. Similarly, I'm trying not to run anything too wordy unless it's very worth it.

The problem I've personally run into is that The Black Cube thrives off having cards with a base effect AND a graveyard effect, so I've got a lot of cards with double the text and I don't fully know what to do. Flashback and Delve are great keywords, but Diregraf Ghoul vs Dread Wanderer is a huge difference for word budget, but also loses some of what makes the environment special. As a result, I feel like I can't do anything about it.