Archived from groups: rec.games.trading-cards.magic.rules (More info?)
Hi. I'm a recreational player, so I don't know about official rules and
stuff. However, I think I've found a situation where we could have a game
imbalance issue.
I was playing a friend and we had the following scenario. Both of us had
one card left in the deck, and none of the cards in our hands or on the
table could help us get out of it. Both of us have lots of mana.
Naturally, there were other cards out, but these are the important ones for
this issue. Both of us have threshold and 20+ hit points.
ME:
Chloroplant (green monster with stats 1+2n/1+2n, where n is the number
turns he's been out)
Card Left In Deck: Beacon of Immortality (cast it to double your life
total and shuffle it back into your deck when you're done)
OPPONENT:
Circle of Protection, Green
Island Sanctuary (white enchantment which, among other things, lets you
draw one fewer card each hand if you so choose)
According to the rules as I know them, this is a stalemate. The game goes
on forever, and I wind up with infinite life. The opponent chooses to not
draw his card, so he doesn't run out to lose the game. I cannot run out as
the Beacon of Immortality returns to the library after each use (and I cast
it each time, doubling my life each turn). Neither of us can destroy each
other.
Here are the game balance issues as I see them.
1. The Chloroplant winds up with infinite power and toughness. This
infinitely powerful monster can be repelled by using one mana. This sounds
highly unrealistic. You would expect any protection spell to have a higher
activation cost to handle a monster which does a lot of damage. I can
imagine the traditional rules working fine for a monster with *finite*
power. However, this monster winds up with infinite power. This almost
makes it seem that the CoP is too strong!
My ideas for changing the CoP spell:
a. Tap 1 mana to divide the amount of damage a source of color X gives
you by 10 (round down). Note that in the case of an infinitely powerful
monster you will not be able to stop it. You can add a rule saying that
only one mana can be tapped per damage source. This is not inconsistent
with CoP as we know it: how often do we face monsters with power 10 or
higher?
b. Have it automatically prevent damage from all sources of color X --
but give it cumulative upkeep.
c. Keep it the way it is now, but instead of 1 colorless have it require
1 of the color being defended against. You want to knock out a red
creature, you need to tap a red.
d. Tap 1 mana to prevent up to 10 damage of color X from hitting you.
2. The Beacon of Immortality is very good at giving you insanely high life
totals, especially if you pick it up when your library is almost empty.
This has got to be changed. Here are some ideas:
a. If you have threshold, you use it once and remove it from the game.
Otherwise, put it back in the deck.
b. If you have fewer than 20 cards left in your library, you can use it
once and remove it from the game. Otherwise, put it back in the deck.
c. If your life total after invoking Beacon of Immortality exceeds 40,
remove it from the game.
d. Double your life total, and the weakest opponent (fewest hit points)
can decide whether you should send the card to your graveyard or shuffle it
back into your library.
e. Keep it as is, except require its casting cost to increase each time
(it starts 5+white. Next time you try to use it it's 7+white, then
9+white...)
f. Keep its current ability, but force the caster to draw 1 card for
each 5 hit points gained (round up). This eliminates the "only one card
left in library" problem.
3. How to handle infinitely powerful monsters:
a. The gods frown on anyone with toughness 15 or greater or power 15 or
greater. If a monster exceeds these limits, bury it.
b. The same as (a), but instead of burying the monster cap its ability
at 15.
c. Prevent infinite life by putting a cap on possible hit points (say,
100)
What do you think?
ACG
Hi. I'm a recreational player, so I don't know about official rules and
stuff. However, I think I've found a situation where we could have a game
imbalance issue.
I was playing a friend and we had the following scenario. Both of us had
one card left in the deck, and none of the cards in our hands or on the
table could help us get out of it. Both of us have lots of mana.
Naturally, there were other cards out, but these are the important ones for
this issue. Both of us have threshold and 20+ hit points.
ME:
Chloroplant (green monster with stats 1+2n/1+2n, where n is the number
turns he's been out)
Card Left In Deck: Beacon of Immortality (cast it to double your life
total and shuffle it back into your deck when you're done)
OPPONENT:
Circle of Protection, Green
Island Sanctuary (white enchantment which, among other things, lets you
draw one fewer card each hand if you so choose)
According to the rules as I know them, this is a stalemate. The game goes
on forever, and I wind up with infinite life. The opponent chooses to not
draw his card, so he doesn't run out to lose the game. I cannot run out as
the Beacon of Immortality returns to the library after each use (and I cast
it each time, doubling my life each turn). Neither of us can destroy each
other.
Here are the game balance issues as I see them.
1. The Chloroplant winds up with infinite power and toughness. This
infinitely powerful monster can be repelled by using one mana. This sounds
highly unrealistic. You would expect any protection spell to have a higher
activation cost to handle a monster which does a lot of damage. I can
imagine the traditional rules working fine for a monster with *finite*
power. However, this monster winds up with infinite power. This almost
makes it seem that the CoP is too strong!
My ideas for changing the CoP spell:
a. Tap 1 mana to divide the amount of damage a source of color X gives
you by 10 (round down). Note that in the case of an infinitely powerful
monster you will not be able to stop it. You can add a rule saying that
only one mana can be tapped per damage source. This is not inconsistent
with CoP as we know it: how often do we face monsters with power 10 or
higher?
b. Have it automatically prevent damage from all sources of color X --
but give it cumulative upkeep.
c. Keep it the way it is now, but instead of 1 colorless have it require
1 of the color being defended against. You want to knock out a red
creature, you need to tap a red.
d. Tap 1 mana to prevent up to 10 damage of color X from hitting you.
2. The Beacon of Immortality is very good at giving you insanely high life
totals, especially if you pick it up when your library is almost empty.
This has got to be changed. Here are some ideas:
a. If you have threshold, you use it once and remove it from the game.
Otherwise, put it back in the deck.
b. If you have fewer than 20 cards left in your library, you can use it
once and remove it from the game. Otherwise, put it back in the deck.
c. If your life total after invoking Beacon of Immortality exceeds 40,
remove it from the game.
d. Double your life total, and the weakest opponent (fewest hit points)
can decide whether you should send the card to your graveyard or shuffle it
back into your library.
e. Keep it as is, except require its casting cost to increase each time
(it starts 5+white. Next time you try to use it it's 7+white, then
9+white...)
f. Keep its current ability, but force the caster to draw 1 card for
each 5 hit points gained (round up). This eliminates the "only one card
left in library" problem.
3. How to handle infinitely powerful monsters:
a. The gods frown on anyone with toughness 15 or greater or power 15 or
greater. If a monster exceeds these limits, bury it.
b. The same as (a), but instead of burying the monster cap its ability
at 15.
c. Prevent infinite life by putting a cap on possible hit points (say,
100)
What do you think?
ACG
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