So, I admit that I've been out of the Magic: The Gathering loop for a while now, largely due to a focus on other hobbies (Warhammer 40k, D&D) and a desire not to learn all of the new 'Stupid Human Tricks,' as one friend of mine terms them, associated with the 2M10 rules changes.
However, as I looked through Gatherer recently for cards by a certain comic book artist, I stumbled upon 'Schemes.' Intrigued by cards that provided titanically powerful effects at no apparent cost, I found this article on the subject.
So, apparently, Magic: The Gathering has adopted 2+ vs 1 as a valid playstyle, giving the 'Villain' access to powerful 'Schemes' to counteract the extra resources the other side has. That's cool, actually - I've heard that the WoW TCG did a number of interesting things with "Raid Boss" decks, designed to be played against multiple opponents (hopefully not 25, though - think how long that game would take!)
I wonder how these might figure into a sort of cooperative Elder Dragon Highlander. It seems like that would probably take care of the game-length problem. Probably.
Plus 'Schemes' are an excuse to say 'Exactly According to Keikaku*' when they come to fruition.
-Stormshrug
*(Keikaku means plan)
Yeah, I love the Scheme cards. Particularly in the way the card titles AND flavor texts conspire to ham it up as much as humanly possible.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if you could work Schemes into an FFA multiplayer format like EDH. Maybe a format a bit like EDH (all singles, 100 cards, to keep it from getting too powerful), except instead of a general, everybody has a scheme, face down, with a set number of counters on it (chosen beforehand, any number, say, 5-20). Each turn, you remove a counter, and when they're all gone, your scheme comes into effect (not optionally, either).
ReplyDeleteOr, for added insanity, do it WITH EDH generals around. Seems like that might actually work to prevent stagnation in an interesting way.