Mark of the Archmage | Mark of the Archmage

[pikachufan2164]

NAME: Mark of the Archmage ELEMENT: Aether COST: 0 TYPE: Permanent ATK|HP: TEXT: Each turn is generated. : Arcane Blast Discard 2 spells from your hand. Deal 5 damage to target.	NAME: Mark of the Archmage ELEMENT: Aether COST: 0 TYPE: Permanent ATK|HP: TEXT: Each turn is generated. Gain 1 extra when played. : Arcane Blast Discard 2 spells. Do 5 damage.

ART: Zanzarino and Kamietsu IDEA: pikachufan2164 NOTES: Submission for the "Skill of the Elemental" Competition. Spells and permanents are the few cards that aren't always played when the player has enough quanta to pay for them. Mark of the Archmage allows the player to turn those excess spells into makeshift Lightnings. At the cost of card disadvantage, Arcane Blast can be used defensively (to remove high-threat creatures) or offensively (as direct spell damage). Details: Exactly two spells must be discarded for Arcane Blast to activate. No more, no less. Arcane Blast can't be activated if the player has fewer than two spells in hand. Mechanic: When activated, the player must choose exactly two spells to discard from their hand, then chooses a target (either a creature or a player) to deal 5 damage to. SERIES:

[Drake_XIV]

This seems rather inferior to Lightning.  Aside from getting rid of excess Fractals or another unneeded spell, I don't see much use to it...

[pikachufan2164]

This seems rather inferior to Lightning.  Aside from getting rid of excess Fractals or another unneeded spell, I don't see much use to it...

That's the point.

Arcane Blast is meant to be a desperation Lightning, or a "win more" kind of card. It's not meant to be used every turn. Lightning on a stick (reusable 5 damage to any creature or player) is a ridiculously powerful effect that's easily worth a ~6 ability cost when it comes on the Mark. The heavy discard is there to prevent it from being used frivolously.

I thought about changing the discard requirement to creatures, but Fractal Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things™. Permanents as the discard requirement lacked flavour, but discarding spells to fuel the ability made sense.