Mechanic
A mechanic is a card ability that can be used on multiple cards. The word mechanic has no meaning in the Comprehensive Rules, it's merely a design concept.[1]
Categories
Mechanics can be categorized as:
- Keywords or "keyword abilities": words attached to rules text, that represent an ability that is constant. They come with reminder text, except if they are evergreen.
- Keyword actions: verbs that have a special rules meaning. Sometimes reminder text summarizes their meanings.
- Ability words are words that group cards that have a common functionality and do not imply any particular rules.
- Mechanics that are not clearly classified
- Mechanics that were considered, but never officially released
- Obsolete or deprecated mechanics
Parasitic
A mechanic is considered parasitic when it only interacts with other things in a particular set rather than the rest of Magic. Examples are horsemanship and splice.[2][3][4]
Linear
R&D talks about things being “linear” in that they dictate other cards mechanically.[5][6] Colorless matters is very linear in that it dictates having cards to provide the colorless mana.[7]
- “Anti-linear” means the opposite. The more cards with the same mechanic you have, it gets worse. Examples are atogs, processors, delve and heroic.[8][9]
Modular
Modular design elements are not dependent on other design elements.[10][11][12]
References
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (January 21, 2002). "Finding a Good Mechanic". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (December 29, 2013). "Where is Horsemanship on the Storm scale?". Blogatog. Tumblr.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (December 12, 2015). "I am worried that C as a mana cost will end up being a parasitic thing". Blogatog. Tumblr.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (December 12, 2015). "It seems like people constantly misunderstand what counts as parasitic or not.". Blogatog. Tumblr.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (May 10, 2015). "What is a linear mechanic?". Blogatog. Tumblr.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (October 6, 2003). "Come Together". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (December 12, 2015). "How do you define something that is "parasitic" in its own set?". Blogatog. Tumblr.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (December 12, 2015). "Is there a word for the opposite of a Linear mechanic?". Blogatog. Tumblr.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (January 03, 2016). "You have previously used the term "anti-linear"...". Blogatog. Tumblr.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (October 18, 2016). "Do modular spells have more or less design space than normal spells?". Blogatog. Tumblr.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (May 10, 2015). "For clarity, can you give an example of a modular mechanic?". Blogatog. Tumblr.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (August 25, 2016). "Do you find it funny that modular is a linear mechanic?". Blogatog. Tumblr.
External links
- Randy Buehler (March 29, 2002). "The "Almost" Mechanics". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- Mark Rosewater (June 18, 2007). "Keyword Play". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- Brady Dommermuth (June 1, 2009). "Mechanically Inclined". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- Mark Rosewater (February 7, 2011). "Fight Club, Part 1". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- Mark Rosewater (February 14, 2011). "Fight Club, Part 2". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- Sam Stoddard (March 17, 2017). "What Makes a Good Mechanic". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- Mark Rosewater (June 5, 2017). "Mechanical Color Pie 2017". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.