I'm wondering if anyone out here has changed keyword abilities, such as level up, to make them more on par with other powerful cards in your cube. It seems like there could be some neat twists out there.
General Changing Keywords to make cards competitive
- Thread starter InfinityBlack14
- Start date
Onderzeeboot
Ecstatic Orb
Could you give an example of what you mean? What would you change about level up?
Ninja edit: Also, I suspect the answer for me is going to be "no". I use cards as is. When I want effects in places where there isn't an existing card that quite fits, I use a custom. If a custom uses an existing mechanic, it will work the same as that mechanic always has.
Ninja edit: Also, I suspect the answer for me is going to be "no". I use cards as is. When I want effects in places where there isn't an existing card that quite fits, I use a custom. If a custom uses an existing mechanic, it will work the same as that mechanic always has.
Exactly the same here.
Our cube environment has changed a few cards that WotC made because the cards were interesting enough but either too strong/weak.
But we never change the actual keyword mechanic. It’s usually the converted mana cost or some other minor stuff that feels more streamlined with the modern era of MtG.
Our cube environment has changed a few cards that WotC made because the cards were interesting enough but either too strong/weak.
But we never change the actual keyword mechanic. It’s usually the converted mana cost or some other minor stuff that feels more streamlined with the modern era of MtG.
Oops. Examples are good to have. Level up at instant speed. Stuff that will obviously change the card, but easy enough to remember. I also recognize that there are a lot of custom cards in this community, so have similar abilities been made then?
Edit: I feel like I should visit the lab for best results now. Still, feel free to list any keywords you made that are similar to others.
Edit: I feel like I should visit the lab for best results now. Still, feel free to list any keywords you made that are similar to others.
Onderzeeboot
Ecstatic Orb
Yes, actually! Chris designed a cool mechanic in his cube that lets the player fight with a creature, and I suggested he keyword it. Here's the post: The Dandy Cube (Chris Taylor's Cube).
Onderzeeboot
Ecstatic Orb
Oh, and how could I forget Scrolls? They recently popped up in the Lab again, and are basically to instants and sorceries what tokens are to creatures. Once again, I can't claim credit for the underlying idea, but I did come up with the keyword and workable Magic rules. So, if anyone has good ideas that they need to keyword, page me and I might be able to come up with something 
I've added mechanics to cards a lot, as well as done the mana-cost-finagling Velrun mentions. My favourite was Spiketail Drakeling but with flash.
Onderzeeboot
Ecstatic Orb
You. I like you!I once tried Storm Crow with echo and a cumulative upkeep of 2 sharpied on it, but it was still incredibly broken
Chris Taylor
Contributor
10/10, would recommend cubing with.
Onderzeeboot
Ecstatic Orb
Nah man, I don't run a powered cube (though can you imagine this landing on turn one with the help of a Mox? o_O)
Chris Taylor
Contributor
Nah I meant cubing with safra
Onderzeeboot
Ecstatic Orb
Heh, I was quoting Ravnic, not Safra, so forgive me for not getting that. If any of you is ever near Groningen, the Netherlands, we should totally organize a draft though
Speaking of: I'll be in the 6ix from the 15th.
I would play cube with Onderzeeboot.
And I’m not just saying that to make him feel better
Heh, I was quoting Ravnic, not Safra, so forgive me for not getting that. If any of you is ever near Groningen, the Netherlands, we should totally organize a draft though
I've been there, it's not that far. Contact me if you're ever near Bremen, germany
Onderzeeboot
Ecstatic Orb
I've been there, it's not that far. Contact me if you're ever near Bremen, germany
Hey, that's only a two hour drive. Almost close enough to drive for a night of gaming (except I hate driving back late)!
Chris Taylor
Contributor
Hit me on snapchat when y'all get to London.
You'll be so close, but so far (I'm across the lake in Rochester, NY).
Hey, this is a bit of a sensitive subject for me, because I wanted to change 1 card, which I did and created a big "brouhaha" in the group. I REALLY like the card Not Forgotten, but its practicality was lacking somewhat. so I decided to essentially sharpie over the SORCERY part and make it an INSTANT. This automatically makes the already functional card much more flexible and powerful... it can respond to any shenanigans and such and make EOT possibly killer. Anyway I REALLY like this card now, and i had to put my foot down as the creator.
But the argument was what you see in politics all the time and slippery slope mentality etc... if you change that, just give XYZ flash blah blah blah until everything is OP. I don't think the nuance of my argument where I felt Wizards dropped the ball a bit, as the card felt Under-Powered at Sorcery speed now became a much more competitive card at instant speed...... would that make it a RARE as opposed to UNCOMMON in a set, maybe? but I don't care much about that. I think they felt like I was sort of playing God and while i get that point, I think the card fit a good niche especially in white and imo it was better to have it INSTANT speed and IN the cube as opposed to being left out due to being UP. It is still not auto picked and main decked every time we play either, so i thin it is in a good place.
I've really had my eye on this kind of topic for a while, trying to help find cards that if tweaked somehow would become much more competitive and interesting, adding more depth to the overall environment.
however i REALLY hate the way sharpy-ing a card or trying to cut/paste crap onto a card looks. the way Wizards keeps cards clean with boarders and keywords, and art in general makes me happy. sharpy-ing everything would just be disastrously bad imo.
But the argument was what you see in politics all the time and slippery slope mentality etc... if you change that, just give XYZ flash blah blah blah until everything is OP. I don't think the nuance of my argument where I felt Wizards dropped the ball a bit, as the card felt Under-Powered at Sorcery speed now became a much more competitive card at instant speed...... would that make it a RARE as opposed to UNCOMMON in a set, maybe? but I don't care much about that. I think they felt like I was sort of playing God and while i get that point, I think the card fit a good niche especially in white and imo it was better to have it INSTANT speed and IN the cube as opposed to being left out due to being UP. It is still not auto picked and main decked every time we play either, so i thin it is in a good place.
I've really had my eye on this kind of topic for a while, trying to help find cards that if tweaked somehow would become much more competitive and interesting, adding more depth to the overall environment.
however i REALLY hate the way sharpy-ing a card or trying to cut/paste crap onto a card looks. the way Wizards keeps cards clean with boarders and keywords, and art in general makes me happy. sharpy-ing everything would just be disastrously bad imo.
Chris Taylor
Contributor
Ahem.
Fuck those people
Fuck those people
When I Sharpie cards, I usually write on a perfect fit sleeve and then resleeve, so it's not on the physical card itself. You could print a paper proxy of the card you want that says Instant and it would look a little cleaner.
I hear your playgroup's concerns. It might be worthwhile talking about the difference between Design and Development in the wotc pipeline. Cards are designed, and then tuned for Standard. If development had been given a Commander precon file with that design, they probably would've made it an instant. Since you're playing cube, if the design is good for your format imo develop cards to fit your power band. As long as your target is 'about as good as everything else', you have a response to the power creep argument.
Good luck, and don't back down!
I hear your playgroup's concerns. It might be worthwhile talking about the difference between Design and Development in the wotc pipeline. Cards are designed, and then tuned for Standard. If development had been given a Commander precon file with that design, they probably would've made it an instant. Since you're playing cube, if the design is good for your format imo develop cards to fit your power band. As long as your target is 'about as good as everything else', you have a response to the power creep argument.
Good luck, and don't back down!
hahaha yeah. I'm not articulate enough and ingrained in card theorem to REALLY have a back forth discussion on Design vs Development..... though if i do more research could make it sound good.
Aston, on just doing it anyway, my method of attempting to change the card was so bad. I literally cut another white card from the same set's [instant] section and glued it over the [Sorcery] section of Not forgotten. LAMO! it looks horrid!!!!
Since we play multiplayer as well, a really cool card I just saw that would have much better application going from SORCERY to INSTANT would be Huntdown. I think I am going to do this next. giving Green a very fun, unexpected and easily enemy making card :-D
Aston, on just doing it anyway, my method of attempting to change the card was so bad. I literally cut another white card from the same set's [instant] section and glued it over the [Sorcery] section of Not forgotten. LAMO! it looks horrid!!!!
Since we play multiplayer as well, a really cool card I just saw that would have much better application going from SORCERY to INSTANT would be Huntdown. I think I am going to do this next. giving Green a very fun, unexpected and easily enemy making card :-D