Ekkremes - The Factory Plane

Ekkremes - The Factory Plane

George Gone 12 Dec 2012 19:13

The more I thought about Ekkremes, the more I liked the idea of it being a factory plane.

Originally, the machines were entirely dependent on pure mana. Over time, to increase production, the machines were modified to accept mana of other colors, diluting the potency of the products created.

However, one side effect - creatures built this way were galvanized and made twice as strong as before, and with a sentience previously unseen.

Blue and black are both afraid of and scornful to these new, sentient machines. They wish to return the factory to its roots. Blue just wants to keep doing their job, undisturbed. Black are the horrible, slave driving factory bosses.

White are Twobrid Union advocates, fighting for equal rights for the artifacts. Red wants to push the envelope even further to see how strong and perpetual machinery ac be. Red is pro-artifact, but also is willing to experiment on the twobrids in a tortuous fashion.

Green is caught in the middle - with the capacity to destroy and the affinity for machines.

A vote will be taking place to determine the fate of Ekkremes, the Factory Plane. 

Whoever can convince the Green faction to join them will prevail.

Assemble Workers - 2/W
Sorcery (C)
Put a 1/1 white Worker artifact creature token onto the battlefield.
Galvanize - If ~ was cast without paying W, instead put 2 1/1 white Worker artifact creature token onto the battlefield.

Aluminum Argonaut - 2/R 2/R 2/R
Artifact Creature - Minotaur
First Strike
3/3

Labor Rats - B
Creature - Rat Worker
Whenever you operate machina, ~ gets +1/+1 and intimidate until end of turn.

Brass Monkey - 2/G 2/G
Artifact Creature - Ape (C)
Trample 
Galvanize - if ~ was cast without paying  G, ~ enters the battlefield with 2 +1/+1 counters on it.
2/2

Proper Readings - 2U
Sorcery (C)
Purity - You may cast ~ any time you could cast an instant if only U is spent to cast ~.
Draw 2 cards.

Repurpose Parts - G
Instant (C)
Destroy target non-creature artifact. It's controller may put a 1/1 white Worker artifact creature token onto the battlefield under his control.

Serum Fountain - 2
Artifact - Machina
Operate 2 - Tap 2 untapped creatures you control: Target creature gets +2/+2 until end of turn. Operate only as a sorcery and only once per turn.

Spit Shine Scholar - 1U
Creature - Salamander Wizard (C)
Whenever you operate machina, you may draw a card. If you do, discard a card.
1/2

Technophobe Supervisor - 1B
Creature - Human Warrior (C)
Whenever a player operates machina, target player loses one life and you gain one life.
1/1

Power Coils - 1
Artifact - Machina (C)
Operate 1 - Tap an untapped creature you control: Untap target land. Operate only as a sorcery and only once per turn.

Union Advocate - 1WW
Creature - Human Artificer (U)
Artifact creatures you control get +1/+1.
2/2

Machina Malfunction - 2R
Sorcery - U
Purity - You may cast ~ any time you could cast an instant if only R
is spent to cast ~.
~ deals 3 damage divided as you choose among one or two target creatures.

Or

Machina Malfeasor - R
Creature - Human Warrior
R, T:, Sacrifice ~: destroy target artifact.
1/1

Gorilla Press - 3
Artifact - Machina (U)
Operate - 3: Tap 3 untapped creatures you control: Put a 3/3 green Ape artifact creature token onto the battlefield. Operate only as a sorcery and only once per turn.

Elton, Union Leader - 2WW
Legendary Creature - Human Artificer (R)
You may operate machina anytime you could cast an instant.
Whenever you operate , you may put a 1/1 white Worker artifact creature token onto the battlefield.
3/4

Token -
Assembly Worker (Red)
Artifact Creature - Assembly-Worker
2/2

Last edited on 12 Dec 2012 21:14 by George Gone Show more

Re: Ekkremes - The Factory Plane

George Gone 12 Dec 2012 23:49

Having thought more about it - it's really White's Union vs Black's management with Blue Scholars, Red Artificers and Green Beasts caught in the middle.

I do like the idea of a magical union contract and a democratic vote determining the fate of the Plane.

Just as side info - for my own reference:

Red - Goblins, Assembly-Worker, Minotaur, Giants
Black - Rats,
Blue - Faeries, Salamander, Sphinx
White - Humans, Workers
Green - Ouphe, Apes, Beasts

Re: Ekkremes - The Factory Plane

elektriktoad 13 Dec 2012 04:26

Salamanders! Rats! Ouphes! A gorilla press that makes robot apes! Robot apes! The factory plane lends some much needed flavor to this world, and I like the magical union contract as well. I do still like the idea from the original Ekkremes, where the world was mana-poor but is experiencing an upwelling. If that upwelling of mana starts to obsolete the machines, that could provide the spark that sets off the workers' discontent.

Mechanically, I like the "when you operate" triggers on creatures. I would put the "when you operate" bonuses that improve the creature (like labor rats) on bigger creatures that you wouldn't be operating with anyways. Otherwise, you'd want to operate with the rats because they're cheap, but then you'd feel bad that you couldn't attack with them. Other abilities, like Spit shine scholar's, work better on small bodies.

Havelock made the point that you don't want too many mechanics that encourage monocolor (like both twobrid and purity), and I'm starting to agree. And I don't know how I feel about Galvanize. The mana cost on Brass Monkey makes you want to play it for GG, but the ability makes you want to play it in anything but a green deck. I think it's too odd-reading to show up at keyword-level frequncies, but I could see it on a couple of cards.

This version of operate isn't as exciting to me. When you pay a cost to attach a creature and it stays there for multiple turns, it feels more like the creature got a job, which is fits much more flavorfully into "factory world".

Re: Ekkremes - The Factory Plane

George Gone 13 Dec 2012 05:33

I kind of wanted Labor Rats to be a bad card, to be honest. I envisioned it as part of a five card cycle, with that likely being the weakest of the five.

Galvanize was my attempt to discourage mono-colored play. Compare Brass Monkey to Kavu Titan (I know, Kavu Titan was Rare, but creatures have come a long way. To be fair, it probably doesn't need trample and / or should be a 1/1 to a 3/3 for 2/G like a Wild Nactl / Watchwolf-esque creature) in that green decks should be designed to need a 2/2 - but it fills a hole as a 4/4 for other colors.

I envision Purity showing up really only in Black, Blue and a little red. I was predominantly thinking of Faeries needing to keep their mana sources / blood lines pure to maintain their flash ability. I'm still not sure I've found the right effects, but I like that if you find the right effects, enough colors will snipe them that you won't have to worry about people getting rutted into mono color.

As far as Operate is concerned, I'm not sure either one of us has it quite right.

I'm of the opinion that Springleaf Drum is the perfect model - the creature can't be bothered because he's too busy playing the drum. A worker can't attack or block because he's too busy working. The question for me is how to best scale the concept - as you can see I went with Jules' idea to require a bare minimum rather than a maximum. Plus - Gorillas.

For me, attaching the creature feels too much like equipment. Also, why can't the creature just leave the station he's working at to come help out? Having him tapped, i.e. tired from working, feels better for me for some reason. I do see where you're coming from, however.

Re: Ekkremes - The Factory Plane

Factitious 13 Dec 2012 16:45

To me, Brass Monkey doesn't have the split-card feel of Kavu Titan. You're only getting the big version in a deck that doesn't have any way of getting the small cheap version, because a four-drop that requires non-green mana isn't nearly as playable in, say, a green/red deck as it is in a red/blue deck.

It's sort of two different cards in the abstract, but it's hard to make a deck where it isn't limited to being a single one of them. Compare cards like Fire/Ice, where figuring out how to make a deck that uses both halves is as simple as playing both colors. What's the intended goal of putting Galvanize and twobrid on the same card?

Re: Ekkremes - The Factory Plane

Chah 13 Dec 2012 19:47

The flavor is nice, with the ouphes, brass monkeys, …and robot apes… It's almost like you took The Wizard of Oz's Emerald city, or if you took Santa's toy factory (if there is such a thing) and blew it up into a plane. It should have Gnomes too! I'm not sure how cool it is, but maybe it can be made cool in its own way and it's good that it's very different from Mirrodin, Phyrexia, or Esper.

If it's a factory set, I wish it had ways to assemble a contraption!

I agree with what others said; twobrid rewarding colorless is confusing. If you want to represent two different directions on a single card, it would be better if it actually was some kind of split card (or a DFC, one side organic, the other side galvanic machine?). But a simple twobrid artifact creature seems best to me.

I'm not sure how exciting tapping creatures is as a keyworded mechanic, although it worked out for convoke. Players wouldn't want to play a lot of cards that don't do anything unless you have creatures to tap (unlike convoke, which was optional, or the other operate, which boosted the effect if operated). You could make the effect very powerful to compensate for the drawback of doing nothing when you don't have enough creatures, but then it will become very hard to balance since it's a repeatable effect.

Last edited on 13 Dec 2012 19:52 by Chah Show more

Re: Ekkremes - The Factory Plane

George Gone 14 Dec 2012 04:12

I see Brass Ape as simultaneously being two separate cards - a Green 2/2 and Not a Green 4/4. The Green decks should want him at GG, while non-green decks should want him at 4.

I'm not entirely certain the effect is clear on such a generic creature.

I saw one cycle of Galvanize creatures and a smattering of spells. Twobrid elsewhere just signifies artifact creature.

I'd want to keep the idea behind the Operate Mechanic - but we'd really need to play with the cards to see which feels natural and which, most importantly, is more fun. I liked the effects even if the execution isn't perfect to this point. I do plan on having multiple token producers to support this theme.

Thinking of it, what might be the best solution is make Operate into Convoke for abilities. So my three examples would be:

Serum Fountain - 2
Artifact - Machina
Operate - 2, T: Target creature gets +2/+2 until end of turn. Each creature you tap while operating ~ reduces its cost by 1 or by one mana of that creature's color. Operate machina only as a sorcery.

Power Coils - 1
Artifact - Machina (C)
Operate - 1, T: Untap target land. Each creature you tap while operating ~ reduces its cost by 1 or by one mana of that creature's color. Operate machina only as a sorcery.

Gorilla Press - 3
Artifact - Machina (U)
Operate - 3: Put a 3/3 green Ape artifact creature token onto the battlefield. Each creature you tap while operating ~ reduces its cost by 1 or by one mana of that creature's color. Operate machina only as a sorcery.

The costs aren't correct and likely wouldn't be without testing, but it does solve the problem of the machines being useless without workers.

Re: Ekkremes - The Factory Plane

elektriktoad 14 Dec 2012 04:32

I prefer the convoke operate version to springleaf drum operate. Between convoke operate and the attaching version of operate, I agree that it will take playtesting to figure out which version is more fun, as they both have merits on paper.

Re: Ekkremes - The Factory Plane

Factitious 14 Dec 2012 04:38

I like this idea of splitting Brass Ape into two separate cards. Having an artifact that can't be cast with green mana could be interesting, and I think it would be a cleaner concept if split off. For one thing, I'm pretty sure that the color identity of a "cast this with any mana other than green" card shouldn't be green.

Re: Ekkremes - The Factory Plane

elektriktoad 14 Dec 2012 04:50

This would be a neat cycle if the cards had abilities the left-out color doesn't get often:
Nonwhite - etb draw a card?
Nonblue - etb fight target creature?
Nonblack - flash?
Nonred - regenerate?
Nongreen - flying

Re: Ekkremes - The Factory Plane

George Gone 14 Dec 2012 11:33

Alternative Templating:

Inverted Mana - Templated IG. Inverted mana is a new symbol that means "You may spend any color of mana but this color to cast this." The symbol itself would be upside-down and have it's colors reversed. Inverted cards are colorless.

Malfunctioning Monkey - GG
Artifact Creature - Ape
Malfunction - You may cast ~ for IG IG IG IG. If you do, put it onto the battlefield transformed.
2/2

---

Flying Monkey - IG IG IG IG
Artifact Creature - Ape
Flying
3/3

Or is it just because the 2/2 —> 4/4 both feel green? Would making the switch to this:

Brass Monkey - 2/G 2/G
Artifact Creature - Ape
Malfunction- if ~ was cast without paying G, ~ enters the battlefield with a +1/+1 counters on it and with flying.
2/2

So a 3/3 flier for 4, rather than a trampler? Something Green - a Bear. and not green - a flier?

Re: Ekkremes - The Factory Plane

elektriktoad 14 Dec 2012 15:59

I was thinking not offering a green option at all:
No-green 3
Artifact creature
Flying
~ can't be cast with green mana
2/1

As a single cycle. The other versions seem like they're too confusing as to what kind of deck you should play it in, especially for a new player.

Re: Ekkremes - The Factory Plane

Factitious 14 Dec 2012 16:06

I still don't understand why these "spend only nongreen for this effect" ideas are being put on green cards.

It doesn't make sense to me as a split card sort of deal, because the point of split cards and related mechanics is being able to get either effect during gameplay for increased flexibility. These cards are at their best in decks that commit entirely to one side at the expense of the other. It's like making a split card where one half is Counterspell and the other half is Boil.

Re: Ekkremes - The Factory Plane

Pasteur 13 Dec 2012 19:42

Just as a word of warning on Aluminum Argonaut-
2/R-2/R-2/R may seem like a reasonable cost for a 3/3 first striker, and it certainly is appealing, but if the judges are judging based on gameplay, they will likely call it out. 4R for a 3/3 first striker at common is a debatable call, but the potential to cast it even cheaper probably pushes it over the line.

Making it "1: ~ gains first strike until end of turn" is probably what I would do. But, if this is one of the marquee commons and there are realistic ways to beat it (cheap shatters? four-toughness? flying tokens?), go ahead.

Re: Ekkremes - The Factory Plane

George Gone 14 Dec 2012 04:01

My justification is this -

RRR - Blood Ogre / Splatter Thug (both require work. I consider RRR to be work.)
4R - The only comparable creatures in Modern are Warspike Changeling or Anaba Bodyguard.
6 - I just felt this was fair.

I can see giving it a 2/R activation cost.

Re: Ekkremes - The Factory Plane

elektriktoad 14 Dec 2012 04:25

Giving it an activation cost is good. Alternatively, it could be a 3/1 so it's easier to deal with outside of combat.

Re: Ekkremes - The Factory Plane

George Gone 16 Dec 2012 16:06

Final Pack:

Aluminum Argonaut - 2/R 2/R 2/R
Artifact Creature - Minotaur (C)
2/R: ~ has first strike until end of turn.
3/3

Bigoted Floor Boss - 3B
Creature - Human Advisor (C)
When ~ enters the battlefield, target creature gets -1/-1 until end of turn for each artifact target opponent controls.
2/2

Brass Monkey - 2/G 2/G
Artifact Creature - Ape (C)
Multikicker 2/G: (You may pay an additional 2/G any number of times as you cast this spell.)
~ enters the battlefield with a +1/+1 counter on it for each time it was kicked.
2/2

Proper Readings - 2U
Sorcery (C)
Purity - You may cast ~ any time you could cast an instant if only U is spent to cast ~.
Draw 2 cards.

Repurpose Parts - G
Instant (C)
Destroy target non-creature artifact. It's controller may put a 1/1 white Gnome artifact creature token onto the battlefield under his control.

Serum Fountain - 2
Artifact - Machina (C)
Operate - 2, T: Target creature gets +2/+2 until end of turn. Each creature you tap while operating ~ reduces its cost by 1 or by one mana of that creature's color. Operate machina only as a sorcery.

Spit Shine Scholar - 1U
Creature - Salamander Wizard (C)
Whenever you operate machina, you may draw a card. If you do, discard a card.
1/2

Technophobe Technician- 1B
Creature - Human Warrior (C)
Whenever a player activates an ability of an artifact, target player loses one life and you gain one life.
1/1

Power Coils - 1
Artifact - Machina (C)
Operate - 1, T: Untap target land. Each creature you tap while operating ~ reduces its cost by 1 or by one mana of that creature's color. Operate machina only as a sorcery.

Assemble Workers - 2/W
Sorcery (U)
Multikicker 2/W: (You may pay an additional 2/W any number of times as you cast this spell.)
Put a 1/1 white Gnome artifact creature token onto the battlefield, then put a 1/1 white Gnome artifact creature token onto the battlefield for each time it was kicked.

Mass Malfunction - 2R
Sorcery (U)
Purity - You may cast ~ any time you could cast an instant if only R is spent to cast ~.
~ deals 3 damage to target artifact creature and all other artifact creatures with the same name as that artifact creature.

Gorilla Press - 3
Artifact - Machina (U)
Operate - 3G, T: Put a 3/3 green Ape artifact creature token onto the battlefield. Each creature you tap while operating ~ reduces its cost by 1 or by one mana of that creature's color. Operate machina only as a sorcery.

Elton, Union Leader - 2WW
Legendary Creature - Human Artificer (R)
You may operate machina anytime you could cast an instant.
Whenever you operate machina, you may put a 1/1 white Gnome artifact creature token onto the battlefield.
3/4

Token -
Assembly Worker (Red)
Artifact Creature - Assembly-Worker
2/2