Better coin flip cards

Custom Cards forum

Posted on Oct. 25, 2016, 2:05 p.m. by Postmortal_Pop

So I was reading the new pattern article and was inspired by a comment by sabertech about coin toss cards and how they don't use the mechanic in an effective way.

This got me thinking about a way to make this coin mechanic actually worth using. Here are some ideas I've thrown together, any opinions would be appreciated.

Big boom
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Like this, there is a clear and defined negative to using this card, I would even go as far as to say it's worse then Lightning Axe being that it deals less damage and the potential negative is higher.

Chaos Ramp
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This would be a strictly better Pyretic Ritual, a card that is lack luster already, because even if you fail it basically just discards itself.

goblin chance mage Show

Coin flipping has little to no support, you're playing raw chance in a skill game after all. This little guy helps you sway the odds while also holding true to the idea of the mechanic. If you fail he is a great Boon but if you succeed in the flip to start with then you tapped him for nothing.

Sore Looser Show

Like a one sides Karplusan Minotaur this card aims to make every failure into a minor win it's basically jank anywhere else.

Krark, taker of chances Show

Keeping to the flavor if Krark's Thumb and its double flip, Krark himself doubled the spell that flips the coin. The wording will need some work but the idea is that if you succeed, you succeed twice.

Any opinions on the idea would be appreciated, I hope you all enjoy the idea

shadow63 says... #2

I don't think wizards will ever do more coin flip effects expect for a few red cards here and there but I do like the cards you came up with you I got an idea for one

Ancestral risk UU instant

Flip a coin if you win draw three cards if you lose draw a card

October 25, 2016 3:32 p.m.

szalhi says... #3

Roulette Instant.

Flip a coin. If you win destroy target creature. If you lose, sacrifice a creature.

October 25, 2016 7:11 p.m.

aholder7 says... #4

i love coin flip cards. i think the mana one could be buffed. its not a worse ritual. maybe if it had the chance of producing 4 instead of 3. what i saw the idea for ancestral risk but it seems a little out of place. maybe something like "each player draws 3 cards. flip 3 coins. for each flip you win, each opponent must discard a card at random. for each flip you lose, you must discard a card at random".

I also agree that coins could use a bit more support. so what if there was a card called -Playing the Odds- [2][r]"whenever you lose a coin flip, put a 'bad luck' counter on this card. Whenever you lose a coin flip you may remove 3 'Bad Luck' counters from this card and reflip that coin."

Not as good as Krark's Thumb of course but it wouldn't be legendary. so technically with 3 you could secure every coin flip. which is also why it's 3 mana.

October 25, 2016 11:56 p.m.

Gattison says... #5

I love chaos cards, and coin-flipping is pure unpredictability in MtG at its best. I would love to see more support for this "mechanic," but I think shadow63 said it best: "I don't think wizards will ever do more coin flip effects expect for a few red cards here and there."

Regardless, I did what I could to help my fellow fans of randomness by creating a comprehensive list of cards that require a coin-flip. Here is the link: Table-Flippers: A List of Coin-Flipping Cards if you're interested. (If anyone actually can find a card that should be on this list, but isn't, PLEASE let me know!)

Secondly, I love all the cards you made. I would do everything humanly possible to break Chaos Ramp though, lol. It would trigger prowess, as well as the Izzet "whenever-you-cast-an-instant-or-sorcery" stuff like Guttersnipe. It flips Delver of Secrets  Flip. Idk man, I just like it, lol.

I personally think coin-flipping would fit well into red's general arsenal, and should be used more often. I wonder if Wizards believes otherwise, or if they're just not into the idea of it.

Krark as a Legend is an awesome idea. I would just like to work out his ability a bit more though. If you lose the coin flip on the copy, that could mean anything from simply gaining no additional bonus, or having sacrifice a permanent you normally wouldn't have to. What if it said "Whenever you cast a spell that requires you to flip a coin, copy that spell. You may choose new targets for the copy."

Otherwise, what about this: "If you would flip a coin, instead flip two coins and ignore one.

If you control an artifact named Krark's Thumb, instead of flipping any amount of coins, you may choose to win the coin flip."

October 26, 2016 8:05 p.m.

shadow63 says... #6

http://mythicspoiler.com/c16/cards/boompile.html

October 27, 2016 10:57 a.m.

Gattison says... #7

for the lazy ones

We got coin-flipping-love, ladies and gentlemen!

October 27, 2016 11:20 a.m.

Postmortal_Pop says... #8

That boompile is literally exactly what my Darretti needs

October 27, 2016 5:59 p.m.

This discussion has been closed