Keep in mind, however, the reasons for doing this are purely tactical and political. As, even if an opponent deals the killing blow to a Battle, the controller/caster is the only one able to re-cast the card from Exile. Even without changing the rules, there’s a ton of design space to explore just in what cards are included, including focusing on different themes or embracing top-deck manipulation. Common variations include excluding particular colors and changing which lands players have access to. For cards that are synergistic, their effectiveness is shifted from the player, as in a typical draft, to the designer of the Battle Box.
This is the only the first set to have the battle card type, and they might (and probably will) show up in upcoming sets. So far, each battle has a specific subtype of battle called siege, so most of the rules we know specifically apply to those battles but may be different for future battle cards. Battle cards are transforming dual-face cards that enter the battlefield with a number of defense counters. The front side of the card is a permanent that’s played horizontally (first and only card that enters sideways so far) and can only be played at non-instant speed like any other permanents. Getting new permanents for MTG is always exciting and battle cards are didn’t disappoint. I hope you walk away from today’s article with a better understanding of what battle cards are, what they so, and how they work.
Fans have obviously already started speculating on what other battle types could be. Yes, battle cards are like any other card type and go in your deck. When a Siege is cast, its controller must pick an opposing player to be its defender. The controller wants to defeat the Siege, because once the Siege’s last defense counter is removed, it is exiled, and its controller gets to play its reverse face for free.
While card draw may not be desirable, some card selection can be. Players are drawing a variety of cards it’s up to them to formulate a plan for how to use them. Even if the designer has mtg decks focused on keeping the power level flat and cards relevant, players will still fom different plans around their cards each game. Having some access to card selection, including looting, modal spells, and cycling gives players more opportunity to play towards a specific gameplans. Because players always have lands to play, more expensive cards get a noticeable boost in power.
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If you follow the tips above, you’ll have the right mindset, strategically speaking, for Draft, and will be able to make informed decisions as the cards move to your hands. Remember that flexibility and being able to read the signs are key – they are the difference between a decent Draft and a great one. Cards that only work in certain scenarios or specific synergies can be tempting, but getting too many of them early on might make your deck less flexible. Try to focus on cards that fit a wide variety of decks and situations. In some formats, high-impact removals are as valuable as “bombs”, particularly if you’re controlling the match, not pushing it forward.
Within this set, the Planeswalker card type was envisioned, utilizing the basis of the attackable Structures mechanic. Fast forward fifteen more years and Richard Garfield’s scrapped idea has been utilized as inspiration once again. Reappearing as Battle cards, this time around they harkened back to Garfield’s original idea a whole lot more.
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Speaking of this being a brand-new card type, they are very unique from several perspectives. They have features from several different permanents that already exist all mashed together. But there are a few things that we’ve never really seen before too.
This is something that we are all constantly getting better at as we play and reflect. Perhaps not everyone is capable of juggling all of the variables and doing those calculations at the highest level, but there are some more basic tactics that everyone can implement. In some card sets there are certain archetypes that are much stronger than the rest, so forcing them may be worth it for that reason. However, if many drafters are forcing a particular archetype you may have a lot of trouble drafting cards for it.
Not only is this cool but it also gives players quite a few different options to experiment with this new card type. Once you’ve chosen the protector and the enter the battlefield trigger resolves, it stays on the battlefield where players can attack it. When you deal it damage, you remove counters from the number in the bottom right corner. This functions the same as loyalty counters for Planeswalkers when they receive damage. Once there are no more counters, you exile the battle and you cast the flip side. We’ll use Invasion of Zendikar since both sides of the card have been spoiled.
As such, colors are usually balanced power level-wise, you can have 1-color or 2-color archetype designs, and cards don’t have a big power level difference between each other. It’s also a format that encourages cards you can build around to add replayability and challenge. Battle Box is a casual format that’s more akin to a Limited experience than a Constructed one, in the sense that you’re not playing your own deck. But it also distances itself from pure Limited because you’re not building your deck from scratch. It promotes tight gameplay, focusing on combat and the best use of your resources. You’re guaranteed a land drop every turn, so you’re not having problems with mana (similar to how Hearthstone’s system works).
Be sure to stock enough land cards, too–24 in a 60 deck is a nice starting point that you can adjust with playtesting. Knowing when to activate card abilities or hold mana is something the Best MTG players have mastered. We’ve got you covered, whether you’re still learning the differences between Enchantments and Instants or you’ve experienced enough defeats at the hands of meta decks to make your head spin.
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Now get out there and play some MTG with whichever of the new battle cards is your favorite. As someone who loves Orzhov, I think I’m going to build around Invasion of Tolvada first. 36 planes are being invaded in MOM and it seems like each one will have its battle card.
As with Cube, there’s no set-in-stone number of cards a Battle Box should have. Unlike Cube, you’re not incentivized to run a set of strictly balanced cards by color, but most Battle Boxes tend to follow an even—or close to even—distribution of cards by color. Also, in Cube, you rarely have incentives to run cards that are three or more colors, as these usually won’t be drafted highly. That’s not the case in Battle Box, where gold cards create swingy moments and ask you to sequence your lands in a different way. Drawing a card is very different than having that card in your opening hand. Some designers like to put these in, just to create tension moments.
