Gotcha Scale

The Gotcha Scale is a ranking of the likelihood that a given mechanic will be reprinted in future Acorn sets. Mechanics are ranked from 1 (very likely) to 10 (very unlikely).

The Gotcha Scale is one of the Rosewater Scales, analogous to the Storm Scale for traditional game mechanics. The Storm Scale is named for the storm mechanic, which has proven so developmentally problematic that it will almost certainly never be reprinted in a Standard-legal set. In the same way, the Gotcha Scale is named for the Gotcha mechanic, which will almost certainly never be used in future un-sets because it makes games un-fun to play.

Though it is published by Mark Rosewater, it is only a reflection of his opinion and generalities about these sets and mechanics. It does not account for any actual future plans, or the opinions of other R&D members.

Descriptive rankings

As described in Storm Scale the following rankings apply:

• Level 1: Will definitely see again
• Level 2: Will definitely see again, but not necessarily right away
• Level 3: Will most likely do again, probably many times
• Level 4: Will most likely do again, but they have issues that make them less of a guarantee
• Level 5: We need to find the right place to bring it back, but I'm optimistic
• Level 6: We need to find the right place to bring it back, but I'm a little less optimistic
• Level 7: It's unlikely to return, but possible if the right environment comes along
• Level 8: It's unlikely to return, but possible if the stars align
• Level 9: I never say never, but this would require a minor miracle
• Level 10: I never say never, but this would require a major miracle

Gotcha scale rankings

Mechanic	Latest ranking	Timeline
"Booster Tutor"	3	3
Augment	7	7
Contraptions	8	8
Denimwalk	10	10
Dice rolling	1	1
Fractional mana	8	8
Gotcha	10	10
Hiding cards	5	5
Host	7	7
Long card names	8	8
Outside assistance	3	3
Physical dexterity	2	2
Ripping cards	10	10
Squirrellink	7	7
Subgame	3	3
Wordy	5	5