Mind Over Mass

[dandan]

Mind Over Mass
3U
Instant
Until end of turn, target creature has power and toughness equal to the number of cards in its controller's hand.

Look! Creature kill and/or savage casual creature pumping for Blue! Note that it is very bad creature kill and Blue isn't usually that interested in pump spells.

Note that if you take the first 2 letters of the last word in its title and add them to the last and first letters of the middle word you get Maro. Holy hidden-meaning.

[rvs]

Note that if you take the first 2 letters of the last word in its title and add them to the last and first letters of the middle word you get Maro. Holy hidden-meaning.

Oh man, E=Mc2 has to be revised now!

[Ephraim]

I could be incorrect about this, but it was my understanding that it was preferable to avoid power-setting spells anymore. Also, are they more or less problematic when not combined with an effect that removes power-setting abilities?

This ability doesn't seem particularly blue to me either. The ability to have a creature with power and toughness equal to the number of cards in your hand is green (Maro, as you noted.) Giving creatures power and toughness bonuses based on the number of cards in your hand is traditionally white (Empyrial Armor). It appeared as an artifact (Empyrial Plate) in Mirrodin, but Mirrodin was obviously generous to artifacts, besides which many traditionally coloured effects were given to equipment. Certainly, all colours have had spells that care about the number of cards in your hand. It's just unusual that blue's would affect a creature's power and toughness.

I'm not saying that this card is unworkable. However, I think that a major revision may be in order. More discussion is in order, certainly, but this card seems like it would be better as a green pump spell than a tricksy blue spell.

[dandan]

It is Blue from a flavour point of view. MaRo was a clear mistake, the P/T = cards mechanic is firmly rooted in White but I would see this as a tricky Blue spell (White abilities can bleed ito Blue) that punishes opponents for being mindless (no cards) but can reward the accumulation of knowledge.
Note how White cares about how many cards it has and Black cares about how many cards its opponent has, so Blue having the choice of target makes a certain amount of sense.

Note that good opponents don't usually have 0 cards in hand making this a 'Blue-level' kill spell, and decks that turn creatures sideways don't often have full hands (and even if they do, it still makes that Colossus smaller).

This card would be less use than second-hand toilet paper as a Green creature pumper given the power level and low cost of pumpers in that colour (GG, Might of Oaks, Blanchwood Armor just in 8th). Note that as a creature pumper for 4 mana you can just cast an Empyrial Plate, equip your creature and swing rather than mucking around with a temporary increase.

The only thing this card has going for it is as a 'trick' and as a third-rate removal spell. Sounds Blue to me.

[Laurie Cheers]

Power-setting effects don't work perfectly, but they're tolerable. (They printed Riptide Mangler not all that long ago, remember). It doesn't matter whether a creature has a power-setting ability, external effects will always override internal ones.

To make it more useful, how about "Target creature's power and toughness become equal to the number of cards in target player's hand"?

[dandan]

I considered that option but was afraid of making this too good. I anticipated objections to Blue having a spell that could act as creature kill or a creature pumper. I prefer having the spell work according to the hand of the creature's controller (I considered owner but controller makes more sense from a flavour point of view). You can only kill things if an opponent has no cards in hand.

Changing the card to allow a choice of player would make the card a bit too good in multiplayer and would give Blue creature kill in Limited (as you would drop your hand if you have no other way to kill an opponent's creature).

I think the power level of the card is quite low but it has to be low to balance out that fact that theoretically it could be Blue creature kill or pump a creature to 7/7 at instant speed. I think 3 CC would be too low and an ACC would overcomplicate the card.

[dandan]

I considered that option but was afraid of making this too good. I anticipated objections to Blue having a spell that could act as creature kill or a creature pumper. I prefer having the spell work according to the hand of the creature's controller (I considered owner but controller makes more sense from a flavour point of view). You can only kill things if an opponent has no cards in hand.

Changing the card to allow a choice of player would make the card a bit too good in multiplayer and would give Blue creature kill in Limited (as you would drop your hand if you have no other way to kill an opponent's creature).

I think the power level of the card is quite low but it has to be low to balance out that fact that theoretically it could be Blue creature kill or pump a creature to 7/7 at instant speed. I think 3 CC would be too low and an ACC would overcomplicate the card.

[dandan]

Is this card balanced or is it too dull?
I'm surprised to see little discussion on this.

[Jacob Orlove]

Is this card balanced or is it too dull?

That's not an "or" question--this card is both.

[dandan]

You surprise me. I think this card leeches abilities from both of Blue's allied colours and also has the flexibility of doing different things to different players' creatures. You as the 'Mr. Limited' (format) should appreciate such things more than most. It is a card that would almost certainly never see Constructed play but would make the cut in Limited and casual. It has the potential to kill or make something very fat indeed but you need to do more than hope for the right conditions in order to get a reasonable use out of it.

I am glad you think it is balanced but I am genuinely saddened that a Blue Instant that does something other than draw cards or bounce something is considered dull. Dull is treading the well-worn path, the path to sorrow is relatively clear of footsteps.

[Jacob Orlove]

I think it's a fine card, and certainly an innovative one, but not one that there's a lot to say about--hence, "dull". That doesn't stop me from liking it, though.

[stolen]

the path to sorrow is relatively clear of footsteps.

Sorrow's Path is relatively clear of footsteps because it's a terrible card that nobody plays.

...I kill me.

*ahem*

I can appreciate what the card is, but I agree that it's not terribly interesting as an effect.  A masterful and innovative piece of art can still be boring to the everyman.  However, I do very much like it, and I think it's perfect as is.

[dandan]

Thank you.

I think I'll start the clock then

[Matt]

Closed and added.[/color]