Mechanic Idea - Slowdown

[jeek]

Slowdown X - As an additional cost to play this, put a card with quality X from your hand on top of your library.

For instance:
Temporal Lightning

Instant
Slowdown Red - As an additional cost to play this, put a red card from your hand on top of your library.
~this~ deals 5 damage to target creature or player.

Not suggesting that that card be used, but it gives an idea of how the mechanic would be placed onto the cards. It probably needs better templating and a name that's not quite as retarded, but I wanted to get this out there before I forgot about it.

It need not be limited to colors, pretty much any type could be used for X.

[asi]

It might be okay as a drawback, but I see no reason to have this keyworded. Why not make it similiar to the "punisher"-ability, something remarkable that isn't keyworded?

[Matt]

Yeah, this doesn't really need a keyword.

Also, you need to reveal the card you're putting back so no one can cheat. Same as Mirage tutors.

Also also, unless your conditions are a lot more restrictve than "red card" this is way way overpowered.

[jeek]

Yeah, this doesn't really need a keyword.

I meant more like the ability words like Channel or Hellbent. I know they aren't needed, but they're something that ties the cards together. They aren't a necessity, though, and might only take up space.

Also, you need to reveal the card you're putting back so no one can cheat. Same as Mirage tutors.

Also also, unless your conditions are a lot more restrictive than "red card" this is way way overpowered.

Well, returning a card to the top of your library from your hand is negative tempo, I figured. It's a drawback, how strong of one, who knows... 5 damage for R was definitely a bit much, that was just a card giving an example of what I'm trying to do. Give the power level of other recent burn, it'd probably end up 3 for R or 5 for RR, possibly as a sorcery. Here's an updated card taking into account your comments...

Temporal Lightning
RR
Instant
As an additional cost to play ~this~, reveal a red card from your hand, then put it on top of you library.
~this~ deals 5 damage to target creature or player.

[asi]

This is still really, really good. Shrapnel Blast was great, and that required a permanent to be sacrificed, which is a much greater cost. Also, this mechanic can be played around (Fetchlands in Legacy, for example, shuffle away the card you need least. This isn't as important on a red card, but still notable). I think this should at the very least be a sorcery, or 1RR.

[chrissss]

I like the idea. It would give people new ways to use their strategy. People can use more expensive cards, and use them because this card puts them back into the library combined with fetch lands or Scry.

What about making the card shuffle the card back into the library rather than putting it on top? So its more of a drawback, but it can make the cards effect more powerfull.

[netherspirit]

What about making the card shuffle the card back into the library rather than putting it on top? So its more of a drawback, but it can make the cards effect more powerfull.

That would make this even more powerful - You can't hard cast your 1 and only Darksteel Colossus? That's no problem, just shuffle it away AND get something good in return.

[Anusien]

No, Memory Lapsing yourself is much better.  It's intriguing, but I'd like to see some sort of flavorful tie between cards with this ability.  In other words, for that sort of cohesion to come together, I'd like to see the ability explained with flavor.

[jeek]

Bumping some old threads of mine so they can get finished and finally added to the master list...

I wanted to get this card finished so that I could create a few similar cards in an all-color cycle once the ramifications of the ability are worked out.

The last discussion of the card had it at 5 damage from an RR Sorcery with an additional cost of revealing a red card from your hand and putting it on top of your library.

[Mindstab_Thrull]

Have the card revealed. Showing an opponent cards might be a worthy enough drawback. And keywording it would be fine IMO. There's some mechanics that don't get keyworded (gating) that could, some get it that should (affinity), and some get it that shouldn't (hellbent?) This is fine keywording it; its ability is constant, with the only variable being card of 'type X'.

[jeek]

Have the card revealed. Showing an opponent cards might be a worthy enough drawback. And keywording it would be fine IMO. There's some mechanics that don't get keyworded (gating) that could, some get it that should (affinity), and some get it that shouldn't (hellbent?) This is fine keywording it; its ability is constant, with the only variable being card of 'type X'.

The card is revealed already. The bold text is the current card wording. I don't think keywording is appropriate at this point, given the nature of how different the revealed cards could be: "Slowdown - Red Card" seems too nonintuitive.

[Darkenslight]

Remember, jeek, that if it was keyworded, you would have rules text on the common and uncommon versions of the mechanic, and that only rares would have no rules text.

[orgcandman]

I don't think it can be keyworded, unless it were something like:

Slowdown - X (As an additional cost to play ~, X)

So that you could say something like:

Slowdown - Reveal a red card from your hand, and put it on top of your library

But in that case, you're just keywording "As an additional cost"

As for the drawback,
RR Sorcery that requires you have an additional RED card in hand, seems fair enough to me. Shrap Blasts conditions were MUCH easier to meet. You'd probably have an artifact on board, since it was an artifact set. Not only that, but you could use it at any time, AND didn't screw yourself out of 2 draw steps when you did hit your opponent for 5 to the dome.