The Custom Card Creationist's Method (Technical Guide)
Custom Cards forum
Posted on May 25, 2015, 10:26 a.m. by kengiczar
This is how I design CMC 5=7 creature cards for MTG. Keep in mind I'm not a math major and this is just a guide.
If you want your mythics to be modern playable I suggest an overall score of 12+. I find here it's possible to start building around if the proper support cards are out. Typically 13-14 is when my friends start saying they like a card.
For your reference: http://www.mtggoldfish.com/format-staples/modern/full/creatures
Grading Rubric
Possible scores - 1=Poor, 2=Bad, 3=Good, 4=Very Good, 5=Great
Categories - CMC, Evasion, Immediate Impact, Possible Impact.
Examples
Primeval Titan, score of 15/20.
CMC= Good, 3 (That's exact change.)
Evasion=Good, 3 (Only dies to true removal or 2-for-1s)
Immediate Impact= 4, Very Good (Free Explosive Vegetation)
Possible Benefit = Great, 5 (Recurring Explosive Vegetation + 6 damage)
Ob Nixilis, the Fallen, score of 10/20
CMC=Bad, 2
Evasion=Poor, 1
Immediate Impact= Bad, 2
Possible Benefit = Great, 5 (free Lightning Bolts, Permanent Giant Growths)
Rubric Analysis
Your Rubric may differ based on experience, meta, or research.
For CMC:
If P/T = CMC-2 then grade = 2
If P/T =CMC then grade = 3
If P/T >CMC but <=CMC+1 then grade = 4
If P/T >CMC+2 then grade = 5
For Evasion:
If toughness = or < 3 then grade = 1
If toughness = 4 then grade = 2
If toughness =5 then grade = 3
If toughness = 6 then grade = 4
If toughness =7 or higher then grade = 5
If toughness >3 & shroud +2
If toughness >3 & Hexproof +3
For Immediate Impact:
1 & 2 = Does nothing but create a blocker
3= Virtual free Spell Cast, targeting limitations 4= Virtual free Spell Cast, any creature or player
5= Virtual free Casts of Multiple spells
For Possible Benefits:
1= Cumulative Upkeep that cost Mana or goes away at end of turn.
2= Cumulative Upkeep that doesn't cost Mana or that card has diminishing returns
3= No diminishing P/T, keeps doing damage
4= No diminishing P/T, Virtual free Spell Cast each turn
5= No diminishing P/T, Virtual free Casts of Multiple spells
Rubric Differentials
For CMC:
Against some matches you don't want to have a solid creature, but rather more aggro. Against others you may want more defense for your buck. Either way if this occurs you're at a temporary decrease in score, but it's just temporary. When this happens repeatedly it's a part of the meta.
For Immediate Impact & Possible Benifit:
Most creatures I know that have a spell effect do not attempt to immitate a spell above common Rarity. (In the examples above I named Lightning Bolt, Giant Growth and Explosive Vegetation.) If you find some creature that's only casting 1 spell (usually given a score of 4) but that spell is an incredible common or uncommon or similarly powered ability it may score 5. if a card is casting something nuts like Reanimate + Path to Exile when it attacks, it should probably score a 6 in that category.
Share your thoughts
I would love to see some of your own guides and methods for creating custom cards. Also feel free to share custom cards you may design based off of this method.
When I factor in evasion:
I add points for flying.
I give low marks for a toughness of 3 or less.
I give slightly higher marks for a toughness of 4 and 5 but do NOT differentiate between the two because they both die to Dismember
I give points for being over 3 cmc because Abrupt Decay.
I give points for protection from white or black due to Path to Exile and Dismember etc EDIT: And the fact they can block Siege Rhino etc safely.
I give +2 points for hexproof or shroud etc.
May 25, 2015 10:54 a.m. Edited.
Epochalyptik says... #4
Am I the only one who just does it instinctively? I don't really find it practical to muck about with complex point systems for designs.
One of the biggest issues with these systems is that they eventually become subjective anyway. Like how do you rate disparate effects without coming up with a micro-scale rubric for every kind of effect or ability?
May 25, 2015 11:04 a.m. Edited.
FAMOUSWATERMELON says... #5
I'm with Epoch. If there was a rule system to keep to, I would continuously mess up cards XD
May 25, 2015 11:04 a.m. Edited.
I'm with Epoch; I do this process but in an abstract, non-fixed way.
May 25, 2015 11:06 a.m.
TheRedMage says... #7
Personally I find the idea of creating a point system fascinating. It doesn't need to be the end all be all that encompasses all aspects of card design, but it can be a good place to start.
Worth mentioning that your point system for evasion is really only useable for modern, since Lightning Bolt is the defining removal spell of the format. In standard the defining removal spells are black removal spells right like Hero's Downfall or Murderous Cut that don't care about toughness (and yes, I am aware that there are decks that pack removal for which toughness matters, like Bile Blight or Stoke the Flames but I don't think you match your creature to those since the majority of removal are "destroy target creature" effects). In legacy the defining removal spell is probably Swords to Plowshares. In these formats it's less important to have a toughness of 4 or greater.
May 25, 2015 11:22 a.m.
Epochalyptik says... #8
A point system may be a good place to start, but it's more of a guideline than any kind of true evaluation.
Also, it's worth noting that cards are meant to be designed for Limited environments, with perhaps some consideration given to Standard and less to other formats. Unless the explicit intent of your design is to fill a niche in a format of your choosing, you should keep this in mind.
The evaluation is therefore much more difficult to apply to individual cards than it is to sets. Sets give you context and comparator values.
May 25, 2015 11:28 a.m.
CharlesMandore says... #9
Does this system provide for things that aren't creatures? I didn't bother to read it all the way through, but your examples were only creatures.
May 25, 2015 12:32 p.m.
@ CharlesMandore This is just my way for coming up with creatures, and moreso creatures with CMC 5+. The reasoning is I don't mind if a CMC 3 creatures dies to Lightning Bolt as much as my CMC 5 "big guns".
@ Epochalyptik Your definitely right about this being subjective. When making custom creatures I design them for either the Modern or Commander environments. There are certainly a lot of effects I haven't even begun to grade yet such as Flash, Exile, Undying, Flashback and more. Typically I am building around Lightning Bolt, Dismember, and hard kill spells for the evasion section and I've got a ways to go on that.
@ ChiefBell I have been considering how to track things like unblockable, fear, intimidate, flying, landwalk of any type, and protection as it relates to being to attack through certain colors. I think I will in the future be splitting the "Evasion" category into two categories, one concerning offense and the other defense. There will be some abilities that add points to both such as protection and some abilities that only add points to one such as fear.
This is just a quick guide I that I will keep updating as I find new ways of seeing things and learn about more abilities and cards already in print.
Last but not least I'll say that I haven't even begun to take Path to Exile into consideration. To put it nicely, the spell is OP. Nobody really cares if they get a land when you just exiled their 5 cost creature before it got to attack or use abilities. The spell is atrocious.
FAMOUSWATERMELON says... #2
A guide for creating custom cards... um... well... I don't really think that there's a set of rules that you go by when designing a card. People make custom cards to create something more original, unique, that Wizards never made, etc... As long as the card isn't ridiculously broken or obviously not thought out, I just sort of let my imagination flow. There are different ways to start (go from a color you like, an idea, an image, a person), to build (ask for help, go solo, do the CMC first, the P/T first)... But personally, I don't really keep any numbers or rules in mind when making a card. I'm interested in what other people say!
May 25, 2015 10:37 a.m.