Will Squad Ever Appear in a Universes Within Product?
General forum
Posted on Feb. 21, 2024, 8:42 a.m. by DemonDragonJ
Squad debuted in Universes Beyond: Warhammer 40,000 and shall return in Universes Beyond: Fallout, but it has not yet appeared in a universes within product, which severely disappoints me, since I see no reason for that mechanic to be limited to universes beyond products, so I do hope that WotC eventually prints that mechanic in a universes within product.
What does everyone else say about this? Will WotC eventually print squad in a universes within product?
I think of they did it'd probably be renamed to something more fitting. Like multiply or swarm. As squad is more military focused and doest fit well within the world of mtg
February 21, 2024 10:46 a.m.
shadow63 I dunno, lots of planes and regions have militaries--Bant, everywhere on Dominaria, Lorwyn kithkin, Ixalan, and that's from cards I know off the top of my head. And while the word "squad" might formally be a military term, it's a pretty common term for any small group of people working together.
I'm willing to bet it shows up in-universe sooner or later.
February 21, 2024 12:21 p.m.
wallisface says... #5
I think it’ll show up at somestage - the mechanic has seemed popular. Obviously if it’s into a standard set it’ll be much weaker than it is currently (i.e. on less impactful creatures, costing more mana etc). It also seems like a prime example of something that could be in a Modern Horizons set (there’s rumours of mh3 being a tribal set, which would make it a candidate to staple on a few cards).
February 21, 2024 1:03 p.m.
DemonDragonJ says... #6
shadow63, that actually reminds me that both of the two sets in which squad has appeared, thus far, are based off franchises with a far higher level of technological development than what most planes in MtG have; i.e., they are science fiction, rather than fantasy, franchises.
wallisface, if I may ask, which creatures that have squad would be too powerful for standard?
February 21, 2024 3:54 p.m.
wallisface says... #7
DemonDragonJ doing a gatherer search of squad cards, i’m just seeing these 7:
- Zephyrim
- Arco-Flagellant
- Galadhrim Brigade
- Sicarian Infiltrator
- Space Marine Devastator
- Ultramarines Honour Guard
- Vanguard Suppressor
For all of these, having the squad costs only costing is far too low for Standard, and would make the cards too powerful. Realistically most of these costs would need to have a squad cost of (Arco-Flagellant could be if it didn’t have its endurant ability, but Sicarian Infiltrator might have to even be conceivably depending on the set it was put into).
I think even in Modern some of these might be a little too obnoxious. Most of them aren’t really playable, but Galadhrim Brigade and Sicarian Infiltrator might cause issues and might need their squad costs upped to (though tbh they’d probably be safe).
February 21, 2024 4:13 p.m.
wallisface says... #8
For an example of standard-power-level squad, Tainted Adversary is a nice example. The creatures it makes have no inherent abilities, can’t block, and die after swinging. It’s still 3 mana to make them. Conversely, the current squad cards all have relevant abilities and/or evasion stapled to them, and stick-around to gum-up the board and slow the game down.
February 21, 2024 4:17 p.m.
Another option might be non-mana payments. There's probably a way to balance "Squad--, Discard a card" or something.
Squad--Sacrifice a creature.
Squad--Exile an artifact card from your graveyard.
These probably wouldn't show up in volume, but it's another potential angle.
February 21, 2024 6:42 p.m.
wallisface says... #10
legendofa ”discard a card” is definitely something they could use to make the mana cost more affordable. I don’t think you could ever print ”Exile an artifact card from your graveyard” with no other mana cost involved, or that’s just break multiple formats. Doing ”Sacrifice a creature” without any other costs is ripe for abuse also.
February 21, 2024 7:32 p.m.
wallisface Agreed. I was just spitballing ideas, and any of these could be in addition to mana costs, instead of replacing them. Another cost I came up with was just automatic win: "Squad--Each opponent draws a card." Oops, sorry, you all just ultra-milled and I have about ten thousand throwaway creatures.
So those costs need tweaking, but they're loose ideas more than anything, showing different possibilities.
February 21, 2024 8:45 p.m.
DemonDragonJ says... #12
Another player asked Mark Rosewater about this, and he is optimistic that squad shall eventually appear in a universes within product, so I am very glad to hear that.
RiotRunner789 says... #2
I don't doubt they could add it to a standard set, just would need to thematically fit. My guess is a few years.
More likely to see in future in-universe commander decks though, since they can just have one or two-ofs.
February 21, 2024 10:27 a.m.