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Zovc
2008-07-01, 03:58 PM
Hey there, I've been sparingly working on something over the past few weeks, and I decided to share what I have with GiantITP.

I don't know how many of you are Magic: The Gathering players, but I Recently started going to FNM, and I've acquired a taste for competitive Magic. I also enjoy "making Magic" with programs like Magic Set Editor (http://magicseteditor.sourceforge.net/), so I tried to combine the two.

First of all, I'd like to say that I understand that Wizards does not use a system like this for making their cards, and that most players' judgments are good enough; however, I'd like to make a balanced, universal medium for making custom cards ready for internal competitive play.

Table of Contents:
Introduction and The Value of Mana
Creatures (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=4520249&posted=1#post4520249)
Artifacts (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=4520266&posted=1#post4520266)
Instants and Sorceries (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=4520276&posted=1#post4520276)
Enchantments (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=4520283&posted=1#post4520283)
Lands (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=4520290&posted=1#post4520290)


I expected it to be quite hard to determine the value of mana; based on what I currently have, it wasn't. I'm not saying that I have determined the exact value of mana, but I have gotten a fairly solid, mathematical value for diferent types of mana.

First of all, numbers are equal to an ammount of colorless mana, or five-color mana. I called it five-color mana just now for synergy with a later theory.

So, (1) is equal to 1, (2) is equal to 2, (3) is equal to 3, and so on. You can pay any of those with any color of mana.

Colored mana (Solid Red, Green, Black, Blue, or White) (C) is logically more expensive than colorless mana, because you can only pay for it with one type of mana. Based on my calculations, (C) is equal to 1.5 mana.

With the value of five-color mana and the value of one-color mana determined, you can then determine the value of hybrid mana. If you have (1) = (C/C/C/C/C) = 1 and (C) = 1.5, you can do simple increments to figure out (C/C/C/C), (C/C/C), and (C/C).

(C/C/C/C/C) = 1
(C/C/C/C) = 1.125
(C/C/C) = 1.25
(C/C) = 1.375
(C) = 1.5

What can you use these numbers for? Refer to posts below (or use the table of contents above) to find out.

This is all I have time to post for now, but I'll be back later and will be able to relay what I've got on creatures.

Zovc
2008-07-01, 03:59 PM
Creatures (Link to this post. (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=4520249&posted=1#post4520249))

I want to include an introductory paragraph about how vital creatures are, but really... all types of spells are vital to different types of decks.

You understand my interpretation value of mana, so let's take a look at creatures. From my understanding, power and toughness are each worth .5.

So, a (1) creature easily can have 2/0, 1/1, or 0/2; and a (C) creature can have 3/0, 2/1, 1/1* 1/2, or 0/3. The reason I put an asterisk next to the 1/1 creature that costs (C) is because it has enough spare points for an ability (.5). When you look at Llanowar Elves, Tundra Wolves, Flying Men, Prickly Boggart, and Raging Goblin, you see that these cards are better than just a 1/1, yet more expensive than (1) because of their abilities.

This leads us to abilities, abilities are often the reason creatures find their way into decks, and are very important to Magic: The Gathering. I'm trying to assign abilities values, starting with keyword abilities, in hopes of making nearly any creature possible.

This is what I have so far, here is the format for abilities:
Name (Value)
(Reminder Text)
Special Notes: Anything that may affect how expensive this ability is.
I include reminder text because I may alter abilities so that they fit this system better, the only ability that I have considered altering so far is Fear, making it "This creature may not be blocked except by creatures that share a color with it and/or artifact creatures." Feel free to dispute inaccurate reminder text, I may have recorded them improperly.

Before I get started, let me explain 'native bonuses' and creature types. Certain abilities have native bonuses, this makes abilities cheaper (usually cuts the cost in half) for creatures of certain colors or types. Creatures may have one race and then classes equal the number of colors they have. A colorless creature must adopt the artifact card type in addition to being a creature. A Green creature may have two types (see Llanowar Elves or Elvish Warrior), a Two-color creature may have three types (see the 'Duo' cards from Shadowmoor), and so on.

Without further ado, here are the abilities I've assigned values to:

Bushido (1)
(When this creature blocks or becomes blocked, it gets +X/+X until end of turn, where X is it's Bushido score.)
Native Bonus: Samurai receive their first point of Bushido for .5.

Deathtouch (4)
(Whenever a source with deathtouch deals damage to a creature, destroy that creature.)
Native Bonus: Assassins may receive Deathtouch for 2.

Fear (.5)
(Creatures with fear may only be blocked by black creatures and/or artifact creatures.)
Special Note: Only black creatures and/or artifact creatures may have Fear.

First Strike (1)
(A creature with first strike deals damage during the first strike damage phase.)
Native Bonus: White creatures and/or Red Creatures may receive First Strike for .5.

Flanking (1)
(When a creature with flanking is blocked, creatures blocking it get -1/-1.)
Native Bonus: Knights may recieve an instance of Flanking for .5.
Special Note: A creature is not allowed to naturally have more than one instance of Flanking.

Flash (1)
(Cards with Flash may be played any time an instant could be played.)

Native Bonus: White creatures may recieve flash for .5, creatures with one type may recieve Flash for .5.

Flying (1)
(Creatures with flying may only be blocked by other creatures with flying.)
Native Bonus: White creatures and/or Blue creatures may recieve Flying for .5.

Frenzy (1)
(When a creature with Frenzy attacks and is not blocked, it gets +X/+0 where X is it's frenzy score.)
Native Bonus: Barbarians may recieve their first point of Frenzy for .5.

Haste (1)
(A creature with haste does not suffer from summoning sickness, it may tap and/or attack the turn it comes into play.)
Native Bonus: Red creatures and/or Green creatures may recieve Haste for .5.

Reach (1)
(Creatures with Reach may block as though they had flying.)
Native Bonus: Spiders (race) and Archers may recieve Reach for .5.

Shadow (1)
(Creatures with shadow can only block/become blocked by creatures with shadow.)
Native Bonus: Shades (race) may receive Shadow for .5.

Shroud (1)
(Creatures with shroud may not be the target of abilities.)
Native Bonus: Green creatures and/or Blue creatures may recieve Shroud for .5.

Split Second (1)
(A spell with Split Second must resolve before anything else can be added to the stack.)

Trample (1)
(Creatures with Trample deal "excess" damage to blocking creature's owners.)
Native Bonus: Green and/or Red creatures may recieve Trample for .5.

Vigilance (1)
(Creatures with vigilance do not tap when attacking.)
Native Bonus: Soldiers may recieve Vigilance for .5.

Whither (1)
(Creatures with whither deal damage to creatures in the form of -1/-1 counters.)
Native Bonus: Warriors may recieve Whither for .5.

Zovc
2008-07-01, 04:01 PM
This post will concern Artifacts.

Link to this post. (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=4520266&posted=1#post4520266)

Zovc
2008-07-01, 04:02 PM
This post will concern Instants and Sorceries.

Link to this post. (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=4520276&posted=1#post4520276)

Zovc
2008-07-01, 04:03 PM
This post will concern Enchantments.

Link to this post. (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=4520283&posted=1#post4520283)

Zovc
2008-07-01, 04:04 PM
This post will concern Lands.

Link to this post. (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=4520290&posted=1#post4520290)

Zovc
2008-07-02, 12:27 AM
So, that basically sums up all I have at the moment, please let me hear what you think of my work. I can provide card citations on most of my work, feel free to argue with me, it'll only help the system.

Please don't tell me that Wizards does not use a system like this, and please don't inform me that judgment works just as well.