Elements Mechanics Theme

[Kamietsu]

((This very well might be the wrong section, and might actually belong in Design Theory. If so, just move this thread please.))


I'm a bit of a forum lurker, and I can't say I have definitely found this sort of topic, at least about this. I've seen similar threads about a few cards, or abilities that sum up that Element, or a graphical theme that a given Element has, such as Egyptian for Time. But I haven't really see a thread about the theme of the mechanics behind an element. (If this already exists somewhere, please post the link to it)

If you don't understand what I mean, here is an example:

Fire: Built around strength and destruction. High attack creatures, or ones that gain attack. Great destructive power, for both creatures and permanents.

That's what the Fire element is all about, and what I haven't really seen around this forum. It could be a nice go to list if you are having trouble with a card idea, or ability, or just making it fit in.

Here's my list of what I feel each Element is mechanically about:

  Safeguarding creatures and strong effects. Weak on creature and permanent control, but focuses more on strong cards and cards with strong effects. Cards usually have a high cost.

  Flight. Focuses on airborne creatures. Deals with flight in general, granting flight(to weapons) defending against non-flying creatures. Moderate destruction power against creatures.

  Leeching and manipulation. Gaining something from their opponent, be it quanta, permanent, or health. Manipulations of the field and player (steals, quanta leeching, nightmare, voodoo doll).

  Death(I know, I know XP) and poisoning. Has strong focus on when creatures die and gaining a benefit in some way from it. Also has a strong focus in poisoning the opponent and creatures.

  Defense and power. Defending oneself, permanents, or helping creatures defend better. Burrowing and increasing HP. Power in the ease and quickness of playing creatures, combined with moderate to strong attack power.

  Randomness, quanta manipulation, creature manipulation. Randomly affecting creatures, positively or negatively. Changing how creatures work(changing their ability or their ability to attack you). Manipulation of quanta, defending with it, sudden gain of it, random changing of it against opponent.

  Built around strength and destruction. High attack creatures, or ones that gain attack. Great destructive power, for both creatures and permanents.

  Strength, high endurance(hp), powerful effects. Strong creatures and high HP creatures both combined with strong effects. Powerful effects through various cards, including affecting creatures strongly, positively and negatively.

  Healing, low cost, fast damage, poison. Poison being a new addition, it's grown on the element very nicely. Creatures are low costing and moderate damage. Because of low cost, creatures can be played fast.

  Healing, strength, opposition to Darkness, creature dependent. Creatures and spells that heal. Strong creatures, particularly upgraded, and direct influence to the Darkness element(Holy Light/Flash).  Light emitting creatures needed for good defense.

  Speed and stalling. Fast drawing to run through decks, getting the cards you need. Cards to delay damage, returning creatures to their deck and making them unable to attack for a set time. New additions have begun to move this Element towards strength and creature control.

  Creature control, poison, self centered. Strong focus on creature control, mostly with freezing. Good side focus with poisoning. Field changing card, Flood, doesn't affect Water (and Other) creatures.


What do you think? Do you have a different mechanic theme for some or all of the elements? Post your opinions on it and your own thoughts and ideas about what you think mechanically is an Element's theme.

[OldTrees]

While I believe this fits better in design theory, it might be better to leave it here for a while to gain more views and comments.

I like your perspective and have copied it into my thread in Design Theory. This thread will be a good way of sorting through perspectives of the elements.

My opinions
Aether
Aether is space. It has dominion over electricity and otherworldly beings. I think of Aether as the element of alternative realities. Aether uses this core to focus on immortality (Immortal, Dimension Shield, Phase Dragon, Quintessence and Aether Nymph), card generation (Fractal, Twin Universe and Mindgate) and skill removal (Lobotomizer and Psionic Wave).Air
Air is the sky. It has dominion over storms and the birds in the sky. I think of Air as the element of maneuverability. Air uses this core to focus on creature control (Owl’s Eye, Thunderstorm, Unstable Gas and Shockwave), versatile attacking (Dive and Inflate) and animation (Flying Weapon). Both versatile attacking and animation are lacking in cards.Darkness
Darkness is the night. It has dominion over the denizens of the night. I think of Darkness as the element of parasitism. Darkness uses this core to focus on vampirism (Drain Life, Minor Vampire, Liquid Shadow, Vampire Stiletto and Black Nymph), resource theft (Pest and Improved Steal) and reflecting the opponent’s strength (Improve Steal and Voodoo Doll).Death
Death is the end. It has dominion over the dead and decay. I think of Death as the element of transformation. Death focuses on causing death and directing the death to cause advantage. Death uses this core to focus on poison (Virus, Plague, Poison, Deathstalker, Aresnic and Alfatoxin), death triggers (Scavenger, Bonewall and Graveyard) and replacement (Alfatoxin and Graveyard).Earth
Earth is the ground. It has dominion over rocks, minerals and burrowing creatures. I think of Earth as the element of durability and strength. Earth uses this core to focus on health (Stone Form, Plate Armor, Stone Skin, Basilisk Blood and Auburn Nymph), protection (Burrow and Enchant Artifact) and permanent destruction (Earthquake and Pulverizer).
Entropy
Entropy is chaos. It has dominion over random chance and abnormal beings. I think of Entropy as the element of luck both good and bad. Entropy uses this core to focus on creature improvement (Mutation, Fallen Elf and Chaos Power), random hostility (Chaos Seed and Pandemonium) and disruption (Discord, Butterfly Effect, Antimatter and Purple Nymph).
Fire
Fire is the flames. It has dominion over heat and rage. I think of Fire as the element of consumption. Fire uses this core to focus on creature destruction (Fire Bolt, Fire Shield, Rain of Fire, Immolation, Rage Potion, Red Nymph), permanent destruction (Deflagration) and cheap offense (Ash eater, Crimson Dragon, Fire Bolt, Lava Golem, Rage Potion, Phoenix, Fahrenheit).
Gravity
Gravity is a force. Gravity has dominion over momentum and massive creatures. I think of Gravity as the element of pulling forces. Gravity uses this core to focus on massive creatures (Armagio, Colossal Dragon, Chimera and Titan), creature direction (Momentum, Gravity Pull, Gravity Shield and Sapphire Charger) and draining resources (Oytugh, Black Hole and Amber Nymph).
Life
Life is a jungle. Life has dominion over land creatures. I think of Life as the element of growth. Life uses this core to focus on cheap efficient creatures (Firefly[skill], Horned Frog, Cockatrice and Adrenaline), Healing (Druidic Staff, Empathetic Bond and Heal) and Poison (Forest Scorpion and Thorn Carapace).
Light
Light is illumination. Light has dominion over light emitters and angelic beings. I think of light as the element of holy light. Light uses this core to focus on generating light (Photon, Holy light, Luciferin, Hope and White Nymph), healing (Holy light, Angel and Miracle) and angelic creatures (Golden Dragon, Pegasus, Angel).
Time
Time is like a river. Time has dominion over time travel and ancient creatures (mostly from ancient Egypt). I think of time as the element of time compression and stretching. Time uses this core to focus on acceleration (Fate Egg, Evolve, Golden Hourglass, Precognition, Sundial and Golden nymph), deceleration (Procrastination and Sundial) and rewind (Reverse Time and Eternity).
Water
Water is the ocean. Water has dominion over creatures of the sea and liquids. I think of Water as the element of reflection. Water uses this core to focus on freezing (Freeze, Ice Bolt, Arctic Squid and Ice Shield), synergy (Chrysaora, Toadfish, Mindflayer, Steam Machine, Trident, Forest Spirit) and personification (Nymph’s Tear and Nymph Queen).
Other
To me Other has three roles. First it can act as parts of all elements combined together. Second it can act as unifying traits of all elements. Third it can act as characteristics not exhibited in any element.

The first would be a card that responds to different elemental stimuli in different ways
The second would be a card that could fit in every element
The third is a card that could not fit in any element