Operate (alternate version)

Summary:

Operate # - tap up to # untapped creatures you control. For each creature tapped this way - effect. Operate only as a sorcery.

Operate (alternate version)

George Gone 29 Nov 2012 16:21

I was thinking about how to keep Operate from turning your creatures into a series of Vigean Hydropons - this seemed like the cleanest way to do so.

This way, you have to choose between combat or operating, multiple creatures can operate and you can scale the effect.

Example -
Springleaf Power Plant - 1
Artifact - Machina
Operate 2 - tap up to 2 untapped creatures you control. For each creature tapped this way add 1 mana of any color to your mana pool. Operate only as a sorcery.

Re: Operate (alternate version)

George Gone 06 Dec 2012 18:25

This may be way out there - but if we change the phrasing, could we fit contraptions and riggers into this set?

Example -
Power Fusion Coils - 1
Artifact - Contraption
Assemble 2 - you may tap up to 2 untapped creatures you control. For each creature tapped this way add 1 mana of any color to your mana pool. Assemble a contraption only once per turn and only as a sorcery.

Rolodex - 2
Artifact - Contraption
Assemble 4 - you may tap up to 4 untapped creatures you control. For each creature tapped this way, put the top 2 cards of target players library into their graveyard. Assemble a contraption only once per turn and only as a sorcery.

Duplicator - 6
Artifact - Contraption
Assemble 1 - you may tap up to 1 untapped creature you control. If you do, put a token onto the battlefield copying that creature. Assemble a contraption only once per turn and only as a sorcery.

Little Rigger - 1R
Creature - Goblin Rigger
If you would assemble a contraption, ~ also assembles that contraption.
2/1

Fire-Fist Canonist 2RR
Creature - Goblin Rigger
Whenever you assemble a contraption, you may pay R. If you do, ~ deals 1 damage to target creature or player.
3/3

Skyline Rigger - 3U
Creature - Merfolk Rigger
Whenever you assemble a contraption, ~ gets +1/+1 and has flying until end of turn.
2/2

Scholar of Machina - 1U
Creature - Merfolk Rigger
Whenever you assemble a contraption, you may draw a card. If you do, discard a card.
1/2

Repair Call - 2/W 2/W
Sorcery
Put two 1/1 white artificer tokens onto the battlefield. If 4 was paid in this way, instead put four 1/1 white artificer tokens onto the battlefield.

Elton, Chief Operator - 2WW
Legendary Creature - Human Artificer
Whenever you would assemble a contraption, put a 1/1 white artificer token onto the battlefield tapped, assembling that contraption.
3/4

Iris, Assemblor Extraordinaire - 1UU
Legendary Creature - Human Artificer
Contraptions you control have Assemble X - where X is the number of creatures you control.
2/2

Thok Thok, Trash Picket - 2RR
Legendary Creature - Goblin Rigger
T: You may assemble a contraption from your graveyard. If you do, exile it at end of turn.
3/3

Technovirus - 2BB
Enchantment
Whenever a creature assembles a contraption, put a -1/-1 counter on that creature.

Plague of Parts - 3BB
Instant
Destroy all creatures assembling target contraption.

Clumsy Hands - 2G
Enchantment - Aura
Enchanted creature gets +2/+2. It can't assemble contraptions.

Slippery Fingers - 1G
Instant
Destroy target Contraption.

Last edited on 06 Dec 2012 20:41 by George Gone Show more

Re: Operate (alternate version)

Jay Treat 06 Dec 2012 20:28

I strongly approve the tapping version of Operate. I'd put some thought into the mechanic myself and came to the same conclusion. Why reinvent the wheel?

I don't care for assemble, though, primarily because it doesn't feel like 'assembly.' I expect to find a permanent, finished product as a result of assembling something, not a once-off effect. There's also the difficulty that you're blending a keyword with an ability word and I'm not sure how it works if you unblend it.

Re: Operate (alternate version)

Agent Circeus 06 Dec 2012 20:37

I'd like to point out although there are good points to the tapping idea, I envisioned Operate not so much as "turning off" creatures, but rather giving something extra to do to creatures that are not meant for combat like pingers or mana elves (note that operate only prevent a creature from attacking or blocking, not tapping).

I was also considering reverse artifact things like "Shrinking Engine becomes a copy of a creature attached to it until end of turn, except it's a 1/1 and is unblockable."

Last edited on 06 Dec 2012 20:38 by Agent Circeus Show more

Re: Operate (alternate version)

JulesRobins 07 Dec 2012 00:54

I agree with Jay on both points. I don't really like the # as a maximum. What about having a minimum and mostly fixed number effects? Takes away a bit of board complexity too.

Re: Operate (alternate version)

Chah 08 Dec 2012 08:11

I agree with Jay, it doesn't feel like assembling a machine, and I think most people want "assemble a contraption" to mean building a contraption rather than having people stand in assembly to operate a contraption.

I agree with Jules, I'm not sure there's enough space for cards where it makes sense to specify the maximum number of creatures you can tap. The mana producing one works for me, but if there's only a few of those, there isn't much reason to give it a keyword (except maybe to underscore some flavor or to make that theme easier for players to talk about).

I think it's more strategic if you have to commit your creature to operating an artifact rather than just using them for blockers and then tapping them during the opponent's end step.

If some future set has artifact tokens (maybe they can be called "Gear tokens") then it might be interesting to have a version of this that taps artifacts for a cost. It would feel like you're building your own machine. Maybe it could work like the Station cycle combo in Darksteel that had cards like Grinding Station or Salvaging Station where you could build a Rude Goldberg style combo. But I don't know how to pull that off without making it overly complicated.

Last edited on 08 Dec 2012 08:15 by Chah Show more

Re: Operate (alternate version)

Nicholas Grayson 11 Jan 2013 02:10

I came up with a different description of Operate:

Operate N (N: Tap an untapped creature you control. It's operating this artifact as long as it's tapped. You may choose not to untap it during your untap step.)

Here are a couple card ideas based on that version:

Free from Toil 1W
Instant (Uncommon)
Untap all creatures target player controls.

Goblin Laborer R
Creature - Goblin 1/1 (Common)
When Goblin Laborer enters the battlefield, it can operate target artifact you control without paying that artifact's operate cost.

Steamtown Machinist 1RR
Creature - Goblin Artificer 2/2 (Uncommon)
At the beginning of your upkeep, choose target artifact you control. Steamtown Machinist can operate that artifact until end of turn without paying its operate cost.

Circuit Breaker 1UU
Creature - Salamander Artificer 1/1 (Uncommon)
Operate costs you pay cost 2 less.
2U: Untap another target creature you control.

Re: Operate (alternate version)

elektriktoad 12 Jan 2013 16:48

I like how this makes it free to "unattach" at the beginning of your turn so you can attack with the creature if you want, and it's quite a simple execution. Free from Toil is interesting— it seems to suggest some Artifacts that provide continuous effects when operated that you want to "shut off":

Electric Fence 1
Artifact (Uncommon)
Operate 2 (2: Tap an untapped creature you control. It's operating this artifact as long as it's tapped. You may choose not to untap it during your untap step)
As long as a creature is operating ~, whenever a creature attacks you or a planeswalker you control, ~ deals 1 damage to that creature.

Re: Operate (alternate version)

elektriktoad 12 Jan 2013 16:55

Another take on Operate: Convoke for activated abilities. One downside is that this is yet another mechanic that fiddles with mana costs, like Sunburst and Twobrid do.

Energy Machine 2
Artifact
Operate {2/W}{2/W},T: Untap target artifact (Each creature you tap while activating this ability reduces its cost by 1 or by one mana of that creature's color)

Thinking Machine 3
Artifact
Operate {2/U}{2/U}{2/U},T: Draw a card (Each creature you tap while activating this ability reduces its cost by 1 or by one mana of that creature's color)

Rat Machine 3
Artifact
Operate {2/B}{2/B}{2/B},T: Put a 1/1 black rat creature token onto the battlefield. (Each creature you tap while activating this ability reduces its cost by 1 or by one mana of that creature's color)

Cannon Machine 2
Artifact
Operate {2/R}{2/R},T: ~ deals 1 damage to target creature or player (Each creature you tap while activating this ability reduces its cost by 1 or by one mana of that creature's color)

Mana Machine 1
Artifact
Operate {2/G},T: add one mana of any color to your mana pool (Each creature you tap while activating this ability reduces its cost by 1 or by one mana of that creature's color)

Re: Operate (alternate version)

George Gone 15 Jan 2013 20:10

That's the version I ultimately went with for my submission. I needed to recost the activations though. Gorilla Press, for example should likely be 3G, not 3.

Re: Operate (alternate version)

JulesRobins 14 Jan 2013 06:27

For posterity's sake, here are the thoughts I had for implementing Operate in the comments for James' final round submission:

3. Ben N is 100% correct that losing creatures to operate feels terrible. Maybe instead of taking them out of combat we can tie it into combat:

Operate—[COST]:Do X for each tapped creature you control.

This still allows for costs that are tapping creatures, but also allows for mana costs on effects that get better because you attacked or activated the abilities of your utility creatures. There could also be sorcery speed restrictions or they could trigger like such:

Operate—Whenever one or more creatures you control attacks, do X for each tapped creature you control.

Re: Operate (alternate version)

George Gone 15 Jan 2013 20:12

I think the key is to make Operating as exciting as attacking. Make it happen at sorcery speed, using alternate win cons as a way to supplant the combat phase.

Also, have a very token heavy environment so people can play with their machines and still swing with proper creatures.