too many comments to read at the momemt, but if not said already, my opinion is that UB is really good for bringing in new players, but there is not enough control criteria for which IPs that will be included as UB.

There should be clearer inclusion criteria to maintain a clear match between the theme of the UB IP and the broader theme of Magic. Star Trek doesnt make sense, and neither does TMNT. LOTR made lots of sense, and was a natural partnership. Game of Thrones, that would be cool. I think Star Wars actually would be a better fit than Star Trek, because Star Wars is essentially space fantasy.

But, there should be implementation guidelines, for when an UB IP stretches the inclusion criteria, to at least make an attempt to make sense of how a UB connects to Magic's multiverse. If they worked hard to showcase the magic aspects of the Star Trek universe, which can be found, that would be helpful.

There seems to be no control and no attempt to connect UB IPs and Magic in a logical sense. It is jarring sometimes.

yes, nice take on mono black! I always wanted to make dash hopes work

good one.

ghost angels is a cool theme. so many good angels too

Truce is a cool choice.

Risk is a good comparison. Its an area control game. Crossing an ocean could work the same as risk, too, with a dotted line. The design of the regions and dotted lines would require care, just like the way the risk map is designed, to create strategic choke points in designing which regions are adjacent.

Im thinking movement can work with an 'initiative' system, where the player or team who moves first changes each round, and when the first player moves, using their initiative, then all the other players move in response.

A player could conceivably be surrounded, depending on how the map regions are designed. I like that idea. Maybe that would be another way to win.

I have one of those maps of Dominaria. Its cool to look at and has given me a format idea I am thinking about lately. Dipping into the old (I think revised?) rulebook also finds this quote, from Dr. Garfield: 'In Magic, players represent powerful wizards battling for control of a plane of Dominaria. The object of the game is to drive your opponent from the plane, leaving you in sole control.' p.3-4.

The idea is that instead of single-match games battling in abstraction, players could use a map of Dominaria, divided into regoins, and wage a series of battles, to win. Players can use a different deck, if they wish, for each battle, and they can sideboard modify decks, inbetween matches. But, the overall game is a series of battles, in a long war, not just one battle.

This adds strategic depth, by incentivising planning for a series of battles, with one or more decks, above and beyond planning a single match. This war format could be played with two players, each having access to multiple decks of their own design. This format could also hypothetically be played with teams of players, fighting simultaneous battles on multiple fronts, or in epic battles of multiple players battling for a signle region.

Players use pieces to represent themselves on the map, and start on opposite sides of the map. Movement on the map works in rounds, with players taking turns for movement on the map, each round. When a player takes initiative to move on the map to a region, the other player may (if their piece is adjacent to that region on the map) then choose to also move to that region, and engage in a battle, or they may instead choose to move to a different region. When a player takes initiative to move to a region, they can only move to an adject region, thus all regions behind them are secure, and a tide of war emerges, through the series of battles.

When a player wins a match, they move the defeated player out of the region, and back to an adjacent region. When a player is defeated in a battle and there are no more regions for them to move back to, they lose the war.

This is an all day/night type of format. Providing a trophy card for the winner, or the map itself, would be worth it.

Has anyone attempted a format like this before? Are ideas like this mentioned in other sources? What rules problems would/might arise in trying to implement this idea?

Map: https://jaredblando.com/magic-the-gatheringmaps/p/dominariadigitaldownload

I looked at nether traitor, and going for an optimized design would be fun to do too.

Exactly, Im thinking whisp can help buy time (in some circumstances), and stick around long enough to be offered up to the tomb.