Scry Engine Idea
Custom Cards forum
Posted on Oct. 21, 2013, 5:42 p.m. by Aerokid
I was thinking about the Scry mechanic and how awesome it is and wondered if I could create an awesome yet balanced Scry engine. So.. here goes nothing.
Something Something Library - 3U
Enchantment
At the beginning of your upkeep, you may put a study counter on ~. If you don't, Scry X, where X is the number of study counters on ~.
Abusable, but hopefully not broken.
Another way to do it would be to let the player Scry 1 for each counter so it would be harder for major deck fixing in advance. What do you guys think?
Epochalyptik says... #3
While that's true, Jp3ngu1nb0y, it takes several turn cycles before there are enough counters for the advantage to become noticeable.
October 21, 2013 5:48 p.m.
Ohthenoises says... #4
I think that, in EDH, I'd just pay 2 more for Mind Unbound for a similar effect with more results.
October 21, 2013 5:50 p.m.
I wanted this to have an advantage Scrying-wise over Thassa, God of the Sea , though not necessarily be better than her (because 3 drop Scry 1 every turn is nuts).
And yes, EDH decks can break mostly everything. I think, however, that an early Sensei's Divining Top or Mirri's Guile would provide more advantage than my scry engine could.
October 21, 2013 6:01 p.m.
Maybe tap to add counters and tap to spend counters to scry?
Something Something Index (6)
Artifact
T: Add a Study counter to SSIndex
T: Remove X number of Study counters from SSIndex, Scry X
October 21, 2013 8:48 p.m.
I agree with Korombos, adding a tap mechanic would make it more balanced. Although it can be easily broken by Doubling Season , Vorel of the Hull Clade , any card with proliferate (Inexorable Tide , Contagion Engine ,...), etc. With either/any of those cards your Scry engine turns into, "Let me just Scry my entire deck and choose the card that I need at this particular moment." Super powerful, and super exploitable. Especially in EDH.
And if it is an artifact, Arcum Dagsson can tutor for it. There's no need to make him MORE powerful than he already is.
October 21, 2013 9:22 p.m.
How about adding the counters every turn, then removing for scry?
Explorer's Journal (4)
Artifact
At the beginning of your upkeep, put a Note counter on Explorer's Journal
T: Remove X Note counters from Explorer's Journal, Scry X.
T: Tap target nonland, noncreature permanent.
"The more he read, the more he wanted to."
October 22, 2013 9:27 a.m.
To limit abuse, too, you could have an effect like, "If Library Journal Index" has seven or more study counters on it, exile it and put a 3/4 artifact gargoyle token with flying into play.
October 22, 2013 11:38 a.m.
Too wordy and complex.
Also like Ohthenoises said, it'd be more useful to simply run Mind Unbound and actually draw the cards than look at them. If we did go the remove counters route, I would think it should be easier to put counters on. Something like XT: or XXT: Put X counters on ~.
I originally made it with Standard in mind, and just because something can be abused in EDH doesn't mean you should fix it so it can't be abused. Even if you could fix it so you could scry infinitely, in that time, someone else could already have an infinite turn combo before you could scry any combo pieces.
October 22, 2013 11:44 a.m.
Ohthenoises says... #11
Cumulative upkeep: scry 1.
If ~ has 7 or more age counters sacrifice it and draw 7 cards.
October 22, 2013 2:54 p.m.
Maybe something with a strong effect but with a negative drawback?
Library Index
At the beginning of your upkeep, Scry 2, then you may pay 2 life. If you don't, put an Age counter on Library Index.
If Library Index has 4 or more Age counters, sacrifice it, then discard 2 cards.
Jay says... #2
Really powerful for EDH, even with just 2 or 3 counters it's pretty crazy card advantage.
October 21, 2013 5:45 p.m.