I am not a card designer for Magic: The Gathering. If I were, I'd never be bored at work. If you are familiar with the game, good on you: you're a testament to this age. Even if you don't like the game, just being familiar with it shows you know what's going on in some of the small corners of the world.
If not, check it out at your local comic book or trading card shop. It's a fun game that is relatively easy to learn, but the rules are open to change making for a number of different experiences of play. You can also take a peek at it at: www.wizards.com/magic.
SO...the other day, I was left at my computer with virtually nothing to do for 8 hours. Even Facebook isn't that exciting for 8 straight hours, particularly when most of my friends have jobs that aren't as boring as mine.
I put on the old iTunes on shuffle and "Method Man" by the Wu Tang Clan starts playing. GOod start, right? Well, I start thinking, that would make a good Magic card. And I immediately began designing the card casting cost, mechanics, and everything but the art for it. It was done by the end of the song: and thus began my game. I would create a new Magic card with the title of the song that was playing by the end of the song.
The Magic card for Method Man:
"Method Man"
Casting cost: 5BB
Creature-Human Cleric
P/T: 2/2
Creatures cost 2 less to play.
Tap: Destroy target creature with power less than Method Man's toughness.
Tap: Put a -1/-1 counter on target creature with power greater than Method Man's toughness
When Method Man leaves play, creatures can not be played for the remainder of the game.
This was merely the beginning. The day took me through 87 songs, 87 Magic cards; that's half an expansion set, my friends.
All were not as powerful as Method Man here, some were kinda obvious:
"Plastic"
Casting cost: 3
Enchantment-Aura
Enchanted creature is an artifact creature and loses its colors.
Enchanted creature gains hexproof.
(that one is by Portishead) and then there was They Might Be Giants':
"Birdhouse in Your Soul"
Casting cost: 3WW
Artifact
Whenever you gain life, put a 1/1 white bird token with flying into play.
Whenever you lose life, put a nest counter on Birdhouse in Your Soul.
Tap, remove X nest counters: Gain X life.
...while others were a little more inventive (not the Beck one, the Cracker one):
"Loser"
Casting cost: 2WB
Creature-Human
P/T: 0/1
Players can't lose the game.
When Loser blocks or is targeted, sacrifice it.
Tap: Put the top card of your graveyard on the top of your library. Gain 1 life.
...or the internet viral hit...
"Bed Intruder"
Casting cost: 3G
Creature-Symbiote
P/T: 1/1
When Bed Intruder comes into play, choose a target opponent's land.
Whenever target land is tapped mana, Bed Intruder, gains +3/+3 until end of turn.
...or, one of my favorites (a song sung by Russell Brand in "Forgetting Sarah Marshall"):
"We've Got to Do Something"
Casting cost: 12
Enchantment
20, Tap: Exile all opponents.
Any player may prevent this by playing an instant or a card with flash.
For those of you familiar with split cards, I came up with one for The Beatles' "Twist and Shout"
"Twist//Shout"
Casting cost: U//R
Choose target opponent. Return a random permanent to their hand.//Target card in a hand is discarded. Cards are not revealed in choosing this.
Fuse
Had to get a little creative with The Black Eyed Peas "My Humps"...
"Myhumps"
Casting cost: 2G
Creature-Elemental
P/T: 6/3
All other green creatures get +2/+0.
Myhumps can't attack.
Tap: Return target creature in a graveyard to its owner's hand.
But my favorite was this:
"All Blues"
Casting cost: UUUUUUU
Sorcery
Split second
If all players' non-artifact, non-land permanents in play are blue, you win the game.
Leave it to Miles Davis.
If not, check it out at your local comic book or trading card shop. It's a fun game that is relatively easy to learn, but the rules are open to change making for a number of different experiences of play. You can also take a peek at it at: www.wizards.com/magic.
SO...the other day, I was left at my computer with virtually nothing to do for 8 hours. Even Facebook isn't that exciting for 8 straight hours, particularly when most of my friends have jobs that aren't as boring as mine.
I put on the old iTunes on shuffle and "Method Man" by the Wu Tang Clan starts playing. GOod start, right? Well, I start thinking, that would make a good Magic card. And I immediately began designing the card casting cost, mechanics, and everything but the art for it. It was done by the end of the song: and thus began my game. I would create a new Magic card with the title of the song that was playing by the end of the song.
The Magic card for Method Man:
"Method Man"
Casting cost: 5BB
Creature-Human Cleric
P/T: 2/2
Creatures cost 2 less to play.
Tap: Destroy target creature with power less than Method Man's toughness.
Tap: Put a -1/-1 counter on target creature with power greater than Method Man's toughness
When Method Man leaves play, creatures can not be played for the remainder of the game.
This was merely the beginning. The day took me through 87 songs, 87 Magic cards; that's half an expansion set, my friends.
All were not as powerful as Method Man here, some were kinda obvious:
"Plastic"
Casting cost: 3
Enchantment-Aura
Enchanted creature is an artifact creature and loses its colors.
Enchanted creature gains hexproof.
(that one is by Portishead) and then there was They Might Be Giants':
"Birdhouse in Your Soul"
Casting cost: 3WW
Artifact
Whenever you gain life, put a 1/1 white bird token with flying into play.
Whenever you lose life, put a nest counter on Birdhouse in Your Soul.
Tap, remove X nest counters: Gain X life.
...while others were a little more inventive (not the Beck one, the Cracker one):
"Loser"
Casting cost: 2WB
Creature-Human
P/T: 0/1
Players can't lose the game.
When Loser blocks or is targeted, sacrifice it.
Tap: Put the top card of your graveyard on the top of your library. Gain 1 life.
...or the internet viral hit...
"Bed Intruder"
Casting cost: 3G
Creature-Symbiote
P/T: 1/1
When Bed Intruder comes into play, choose a target opponent's land.
Whenever target land is tapped mana, Bed Intruder, gains +3/+3 until end of turn.
...or, one of my favorites (a song sung by Russell Brand in "Forgetting Sarah Marshall"):
"We've Got to Do Something"
Casting cost: 12
Enchantment
20, Tap: Exile all opponents.
Any player may prevent this by playing an instant or a card with flash.
For those of you familiar with split cards, I came up with one for The Beatles' "Twist and Shout"
"Twist//Shout"
Casting cost: U//R
Choose target opponent. Return a random permanent to their hand.//Target card in a hand is discarded. Cards are not revealed in choosing this.
Fuse
Had to get a little creative with The Black Eyed Peas "My Humps"...
"Myhumps"
Casting cost: 2G
Creature-Elemental
P/T: 6/3
All other green creatures get +2/+0.
Myhumps can't attack.
Tap: Return target creature in a graveyard to its owner's hand.
But my favorite was this:
"All Blues"
Casting cost: UUUUUUU
Sorcery
Split second
If all players' non-artifact, non-land permanents in play are blue, you win the game.
Leave it to Miles Davis.
