Odd or even
| Odd or Even | |
|---|---|
| Mechanic | |
| Introduced | Ice Age |
| Last used | Edge of Eternities |
| Scryfall Statistics | |
Some Magic cards care about numbers or characteristics being odd or even (i.e. the parity of the number). The mechanic is sometimes used to depict the source of the effect as itself being alien or "odd", in the sense of being unusual.[1][2][3]
Cards that refer to even quantities often include the reminder text: zero is even.
History
The first cards that cared about odd or even were Chaos Lord and Chaos Moon in Ice Age. The designers were trying to make cards that embodied the feeling of chaos, and chose the parity of the number of permanents on the battlefield because it is only partially within any player's control.[1] However, "odd or even matters" has relatively little design space and is unlikely to be a large theme in any set. This is because it can be difficult to track, has no inherent flavor, and otherwise offers only novelty.[4]
Ashling's Prerogative (Lorwyn) tracks odd or even mana values. Like the earlier cards, its design was chosen for a sense of chaos, and to communicate Ashling's quirky nature.[1] Void Winnower (Battle for Zendikar) resulted from a broader parity-based mechanic in that set's exploratory design, intended to feel alien and quirky.[3] Desecrate Reality and Twins of Discord follow the same Eldrazi-based theme.
Two companion cards in Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths care about odd or even mana values. Parity was chosen for the set because companions impose deckbuilding restrictions, and parity is a quality that is both easy to track when deckbuilding and easy for the opponent to verify. Two other cards in the set also address odd or even values.[1]
Kianne, Corrupted Memory and Zimone's Hypothesis use the odd or even power of creatures to determine effects. Sab-Sunen, Luxa Embodied gains a +1/+1 counter on each of her controller's turns, and alternates between drawing cards and being able to attack depending on whether the number of counters on her is odd or even.
Un-sets
Unstable latched onto oddness and evenness by making four cards that cared.[1] First was two different versions of Knight of the Kitchen Sink. Every version had a unique protection. Two of them had protection from collector numbers, one even, and one odds. Oddly Uneven was a Wrath effect that let you choose even or odd as it applied to the number of words in the cards' names. Ineffable Blessing was another card that lets you choose even or odd (each version of Ineffable Blessing lets you make a different modular choice), also caring about collector numbers.
References
- ↑ a b c d e Mark Rosewater (April 20, 2020). "Ikoria of the Beholder, Part 1". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (August 02, 2023). "What do Eldrazi have against even numbers?". Blogatog. Tumblr.
- ↑ a b Mark Rosewater (March 13, 2022). "What’s something none of us have heard about the design or lore of the Eldrazi?". Blogatog. Tumblr.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (May 18, 2020). "More Odds & Ends: Ikoria". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.