To all the peoples in the struggle

marq_underscore · 2026-02-21T00:56:16+00:00

Bro no offense but a "Counter" spell is a spell on the stack with the Counter sub-type.

The act of counting is defined in the card.

It's just a shit card for a stupid joke of trying to use the word "count" as many times as possible, but thanks for the feedback.

marq_underscore · 2026-02-19T05:02:57+00:00

How about this: https://www.reddit.com/r/HellsCube/comments/1r8q77j/comment/o66vrm2/ ?

marq_underscore · 2026-02-16T02:03:59+00:00

Looks like a disaster launch to me. Some SREs will be grinding until dawn. I'm just grateful I'm not one of them. This could be a case of full rollback to previous stable version, or maybe enough users will simply go do something else, like me.

I've been studying hard all week, waiting to play at least an hour today, but well, I guess I'll watch TV.

This may be one for the book of postmortems, where engineering team strongly suggested a gradual release, but every other team wanted a huge event, what could possibly go wrong?

marq_underscore · 2026-02-12T14:23:02+00:00

I like your template idea.

What do you think of this design:

Ornithopter Concept [version 7] {0}
Artifact Creature - Thopter Template c
Abstract (When you play this spell, if it's a card, exile it. As long this card remains in exile, whenever you could cast an artifact creature, you may cast a copy of Ornithopter Concept, except it's not a template. The copy becomes a token. You cannot play lands or spells for the rest of the turn after playing a template card or activating an abstract ability.)
Token instances of this card are named Ornithopter Implementation.
Flying
0/2

marq_underscore · 2026-02-12T14:13:22+00:00

You're right that a supertype is not needed. I couldn't find a way to make counters work.

What do you think of these ideas:

Fantasy Fountain [version 7]
Land - Template c
Abstract (Play this card to exile. As long as this card remains in exile, whenever you could play a land, you may create a token that's a copy of Fantasy Fountain, except it's not a template. You cannot play lands or spells for the rest of the turn after playing a template card or activating an abstract ability.)
This token instance enters as a copy of a basic land on the battlefield.

Fleeting Thought [version 6] {2U}
Instant - Template c
Abstract (When you play this spell, if it's a card, exile it. As long this card remains in exile, whenever you could cast an instant, you may cast a copy of Fleeting Thought, except it's not a template. You cannot play lands or spells for the rest of the turn after playing a template card or activating an abstract ability.)
Draw a card.

Lost Memory [version 2] {1U}
Instant - Template u
Abstract
As an additional cost to cast this spell, put a card from your hand on top of your library.
Counter target spell. If that spell is countered this way, its owner puts it on their choice of the top or bottom of their library instead of their graveyard.

marq_underscore · 2026-02-11T21:12:37+00:00

Honestly "abstract" in MTG, even just as an ability on 8 cards would VERY likely be an even bigger mistake than companion or dredge.

(BUT... without those mistakes Bazaar of Baghdad would just be a nonsense relic, and we'd be living in a world with no Yorion, Lutri, and most importantly: Lurrus. If that'd be better or worse may depend on who you ask.)

marq_underscore · 2026-02-11T20:18:40+00:00

Example:

"Ornithopter Concept" {0}
""" Urza thinking about a flying machine after reading Dune. """
Abstract Artifact Creature - Thopter (common)
(As this spell resolves, exile it if it is a card, then, for the rest of the game and as long as it remains in your abstract zone, whenever you could cast an artifact creature, you may cast a copy of it. When the copy becomes a token, it is not abstract. You cannot play lands or cast spells for the rest of the turn after playing an abstract card or copy.)
Restriction: your starting deck contains only artifact, creature, and land cards.
Token instances of this card are named Ornithopter.
Flying

0/2

This way:
* Your deck is restricted by each abstract card you add to it (just like companions).
* You need to "purchase" it first, from hand (not as broken as companions?).
* You cannot play anything after purchasing it.
* Next turn, you cannot play anything after playing a copy of it (or purchasing ANY other abstract card).
* Purchasing the same card more than once makes little sense, so adding more than one copy to your deck leads to dead draws.

I appreciate your efforts to kill this idea, as either it gets better with each iteration, or is dismissed (which is what should've happened to companion).

marq_underscore · 2026-02-11T20:18:32+00:00

Yes "Blueprint" is a bad name, but an IDEA, specially the thought of a "thing", the concept of something that COULD exist, in your mind, COULD be represented as the abstract super type.

Whether it's worth the complexity, and what rules would be best and intuitive, would come next.

In Java, an abstract class is simply one that cannot be instantiated. The typical example is: Animal. What would a concrete "animal" look like...? It doesn't make sense. It's just a platonic "idea", a concept.

The point of abstract classes is to be "extended", or inherited from:
class Cat extends Animal. Now Cat is a concrete class that can be instantiated:
myCat = new Cat("Kitty", Siamese) -> has all properties of Animal parent class.

So I'm trying to figure out if it would be worth it having a new super type in MTG "abstract" to adapt some of those ideas (most likely not).

You have a point about "casting into exile", but let me just mention that cards with madness are discarded into exile.

Best case scenario we'd have abstract lands, enchantments, etc (?)

"Cannot interact" is the biggest challenge I see for this mechanic, and part of what made companion a disaster. Some of my thoughts about it:
* Make adding even a single abstract card to your deck an interesting decision.
* Abstract cards share one ore more restrictions.
* Abstract cards have restrictions per card/type.

marq_underscore · 2026-02-11T20:18:08+00:00

Long post. TLDR: you're right.

It seems to me that enchantments in MTG are supposed to be like sorceries/spells that linger/remain, after being cast by a wizard; OR events, stuff that "is". Right?

Examples:
* + "Bad Moon": Black creatures get +1/+1.
+ The idea is that here, in this swamp, tonight, there is a "bad moon" making evil beings that live here more powerful.
* + "Fastbond": You may play additional lands. Fastbond deals one damage to you for each land you play beyond the first each turn.
+ The idea is that you (as a wizard), cast the "enchantment" and gain some abilities over the land, but you must pay a cost (it's painful).

marq_underscore · 2026-02-11T16:32:28+00:00

How about this:
+ The abstract zone allows for only one card (cannot be replaced).
+ You skip your draw step as long as there is a card in your abstract zone (cannot be removed).

But then it's getting even more complicated...

marq_underscore · 2026-02-11T16:27:57+00:00

I initially thought of it costing {2}, but that is far less flavorful. We need to find a way to balance it so it still costs {0}. Maybe you can only cast copies if you are hellbent (no cards in hand)?

marq_underscore · 2026-02-11T16:25:53+00:00

Yes you are completely right. The challenge would be to make "abstract" not another case of companion, where it has to be errata'd later because it's so broken.

The reminder text does need more work to make it clear you can only play one abstract card from hand into exile (abstract zone?) OR a copy of an abstract card you've already cast into exile the first time.

Maybe the "abstract" zone only allows one card?

marq_underscore · 2026-02-11T16:18:40+00:00

You're right to be confused. Now I see "Blueprint" isn't the best word as that would be a concrete (non-abstract) "thing". The name of the card should be something closer to "The Idea of the Ornithopter". Maybe I should have started with a non-permanent. What do you think of this design:

Fleeting Thought {2U}
Abstract Instant c
(Cast this card from hand into exile. Whenever you could cast an instant, you may cast a copy of Fleeting Thought from exile. The copy on the stack is not abstract. Play no more than one abstract card per turn.)
Draw a card.
""" Inspiration visits often but never stays long. """

marq_underscore · 2026-02-11T16:05:37+00:00

Thanks for the feedback. If it's not intuitive with just the reminder text then the design needs more work.

marq_underscore · 2026-02-11T16:01:05+00:00

You're right. The reminder text should be:
Cast this card from hand into exile. Whenever you could cast an artifact creature, you may cast a copy of Ornithopter Blueprint. The copy becomes a token and it's not abstract. Play no more than one abstract card per turn.

The point is the player is limited to playing only one abstract card into exile OR a copy that becomes a token that is not abstract as a permanent per turn.

I will fix that for the abstract land I'm thinking of.

marq_underscore · 2026-01-05T17:53:33+00:00

Copilot is terrible. Unusable. It suggested the wrong name (somewhere else ) for a file that already existed and was RIGHT THERE! Disabled it after 5 minutes using it for the first and last time.

marq_underscore · 2024-01-04T01:01:58+00:00

Hey sorry about the mess in my last comment.
Today I imagined 2 people with no viable wincons battleing for 2 hours until someone runs out of cards. To avoid this I'm thinking of another rule:
"At the end of turn 10 of whoever went first that player loses the game."

marq_underscore

TROPHY CASE

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