Sagas

FindingHeart8

Do you think they're going to be a thing in mtgpq?  If so, how do you think they'd work?

Perhaps 3-shield supports with a (lose 1 shield per turn then ability triggers), but that would prevent their 3rd ability if you manage to hit the shield with a gem swap making the support much less powerful.

Maybe a 1-shield and it gains shields?  However if you shut it down on turn 1 it's still not good.  Having it start a 3-shield though and gain shields until activation (then destroy itself) would make it OP.

For those who don't know what a saga is, here's one from the mtg card game of a statue of Gerrard beating what I would assume is Volrath or (probably more likely) Yawgmoth.

Mburn7

I have a feeling they won't adapt Sagas into PQ.  Its been done in the past where unique mechanics and cards dont get adapted due to their complexity.  I would assume Sagas will be like that.

wereotter

Sagas likely will be self-destroying supports that don't reinforce, not unlike Trial of Ambition. When they lose a shield they trigger the next chapter in the saga, or if they lose a shield from gem matches, you can maybe avoid a step? That's the only part I'm not sure how they'd handle.

Also, Crovax killed Volrath, so not him

Mburn7

wereotter said:

Sagas likely will be self-destroying supports that don't reinforce, not unlike Trial of Ambition. When they lose a shield they trigger the next chapter in the saga, or if they lose a shield from gem matches, you can maybe avoid a step? That's the only part I'm not sure how they'd handle.

They could make it like Treasures, which trigger regardless of who matches them.  The biggest issue I see with that is a green gem-match wave triggering every action at once, which kind of defeats the purpose of the Saga.

I think this is going to prove too complex for the devs.  

wereotter

Mburn7 said:

wereotter said:

Sagas likely will be self-destroying supports that don't reinforce, not unlike Trial of Ambition. When they lose a shield they trigger the next chapter in the saga, or if they lose a shield from gem matches, you can maybe avoid a step? That's the only part I'm not sure how they'd handle.

They could make it like Treasures, which trigger regardless of who matches them.  The biggest issue I see with that is a green gem-match wave triggering every action at once, which kind of defeats the purpose of the Saga.

I think this is going to prove too complex for the devs.  

Or it could just not trigger the step at all if the support loses a shield as a result of gem matches. That's probably easier to code as well.

Laeuftbeidir

I'd assume they might implement it like ascend - a symbol next to the pw image, indicating which saga is active. The alternative could be three sided supports.

FindingHeart8

Ooooh, I didn't consider "Activate 1 Gem: ability and this support gains 1 shield, destroy it at 3 with ultimate ability," that might be possible too.

@wereotter thanks for the reminder on that.
I guess I was thinking of Volrath's impersonator.  But, looking back, I'm almost certain it's Yawgmoth and not the impersonator.

mrixl2520

I hope they include them, I think mechanically they should work. Artwork might be difficult considering its a vertical register

Kinesia

Indestructible countdown supports.

octal9

FindingHeart8 said:

Do you think they're going to be a thing in mtgpq? 

I do.

No idea how they'll work, but I think they've figured out how to adapt them (past tense because set mechanics should be done at this point).

DBJones

Maybe a support starting with two shields and "At the beginning of your turn, if this support has <4 shields and a shield and 'saga I/II effect', otherwise 'saga III effect' and this support is destroyed"?

khurram

Enough with the self-destructing supports. How about one with no count down on the shields but alternating effects each turn like the final boss Azor has in Bo4T event.

Kinesia

@khurram this is a different case. The Sagas are actually meant to behave like that.

khurram

You mean they get destroyed or leave the battle field in paper magic?

ard021

khurram said:

You mean they get destroyed or leave the battle field in paper magic?

Yes.  The saga comes into play with a lore counter on it.  It gets another one after each of your draw steps, and you sacrifice it when it's at III.  See here.  The rules text at the top is how all of them work (and all the sagas in Dominaria go to 3 counters.)

khurram

ard021 said:

khurram said:

You mean they get destroyed or leave the battle field in paper magic?

Yes.  The saga comes into play with a lore counter on it.  It gets another one after each of your draw steps, and you sacrifice it when it's at III.  See here.  The rules text at the top is how all of them work (and all the sagas in Dominaria go to 3 counters.)

Ah, I see. I guese it makes sense then. 

James13

My suggestion:

Sagas as specific event node theme effects.

Firinmahlazer

Mburn7 said:

I have a feeling they won't adapt Sagas into PQ.  Its been done in the past where unique mechanics and cards dont get adapted due to their complexity.  I would assume Sagas will be like that.

I said the same thing about Karn. 

FindingHeart8

Firinmahlazer said:

Mburn7 said:

I have a feeling they won't adapt Sagas into PQ.  Its been done in the past where unique mechanics and cards dont get adapted due to their complexity.  I would assume Sagas will be like that.

I said the same thing about Karn. 

a fair point lol