Pendulum Style Creature(s)

[EmeraldTiger]

I would like to develop a creature set that works something like a Pendulum. What I mean is, say your mark is  but you play the version like a Pendulum the creature switches between the version and version. Its a way of having 2 creatures with one cards.

Requirements 12 balanced creatures that are very similar. Differences can be determined throughout the development.
Trick will be with balance connected the in game cards. Such as SoP, Nightfall and the others that interact with creatures.
Answering all possible questions as this develops will be important.

I will need a lot of help with this.
Thank You in advance to any and all that participate or ask questions.

[dragonsdemesne]

So basically you're saying it would be something along these lines:

Creature cost = 4 , 5/3 entropy creature, with the ability "at the beginning of your turn, -this- turns into a 3/3 life creature with momentum", and that creature has the ability "at the beginning of your turn, -this- turns into a 5/3 entropy creature" and it would go back and forth between those two (or more than two!) forms.

I think it would be a really cool idea.  We've already got cards that morph into other cards, like phoenix/ash, skull buckler/attackers, mutation effects, fate egg, etc, so it shouldn't be that hard to do.

[EmeraldTiger]

yes that is what I am thinking. but make transformation mark dependent

[ARTHANASIOS]

Well, if I have understand this correctly, do you wish a mana producing creature, like Gnome Rider/Gemfinder, Brimstone Eater, Dragonfly/Damsefly etc., but to produce different mana each turn? Like "this creature alternatively generates  and 1 quantum matching your mark" or something similar?

[EmeraldTiger]

Quanta generation could be one option. Think of it this way it is a creature with 2 personas if your mark is different from its element.

[TheManuz]

Let's say, for example that A is a creature and B is a creature.
A has the ability: at the end of the turn becomes B .
B has the ability: at the end of the turn becomes A .

Did i understand your mechanic correctly?

Can I buy 6 A and 6 B in the bazaar, and put all of them into the deck?

Do you want to use opposing elements, since you want to group them in pairs?

The idea is interesting, i like it and i'd like to see how this evolve.

EDIT: i read your idea again and i misunderstood it. I thought it was switching between element A and B, both elements fixed.
Instead you're saying it would swith between element A and your current element, so only A is fixed.

It is a nice idea too, but it's a little more complicated, i think.

Let's start with the one, for example. First turn is and have a related ability. Then it becomes and it changes ability and stats.
But this way you have to define the behavior for each element.

Or maybe you were thinking something simpler?

[ARTHANASIOS]

The best thing you can do is to create a series of creatures (one for each element), much like waterzx's Wizard series (who is, by the way, using Emerald Tiger's art for his cards). We could have something like "Archmage of Aether", "Archmage of Air", "Archmage of Darkness", "Archmage of Death", "Archmage of Earth", "Archmage of Entropy", "Archmage of Fire", "Archmage of Gravity", "Archmage of Life", "Archmage of Light", "Archmage of Time", "Archmage of Water", each one with the ability "Archmage of X alternatively becomes the Archmage of your mark and the Archmage of X each turn.". They may also have different statistics and/or different activated abilities. However:

1) When the card changes from Creature A to Creature B, will it transfer the damage it has got into its new morph? If yes, then what happens if Creature B has less max hp from Creature A? Does it die instantly, or it remains alive at 0 hp?

2) If the card gets buffed (let's say by Blessing) in Creature A state and then changes into Creature B, is it going to transfer the buff to its new form?

3) Are poison counters, delay, frozen etc. transfered between the alternative card's creatures or not?

[Rutarete]

I like this idea.

So should the change be by ability (ex. Switch to creature of your mark and then that switched creature would have Switch to the original element.) and have them be either vanilla in a new stat niche or have a passive? Or should the switching be passive?

[EmeraldTiger]

The best thing you can do is to create a series of creatures (one for each element), much like waterzx's Wizard series (who is, by the way, using Emerald Tiger's art for his cards). We could have something like "Archmage of Aether", "Archmage of Air", "Archmage of Darkness", "Archmage of Death", "Archmage of Earth", "Archmage of Entropy", "Archmage of Fire", "Archmage of Gravity", "Archmage of Life", "Archmage of Light", "Archmage of Time", "Archmage of Water", each one with the ability "Archmage of X alternatively becomes the Archmage of your mark and the Archmage of X each turn.". They may also have different statistics and/or different activated abilities. However:

1) When the card changes from Creature A to Creature B, will it transfer the damage it has got into its new morph? If yes, then what happens if Creature B has less max hp from Creature A? Does it die instantly, or it remains alive at 0 hp?

2) If the card gets buffed (let's say by Blessing) in Creature A state and then changes into Creature B, is it going to transfer the buff to its new form?

3) Are poison counters, delay, frozen etc. transfered between the alternative card's creatures or not?

I like this idea.

So should the change be by ability (ex. Switch to creature of your mark and then that switched creature would have Switch to the original element.) and have them be either vanilla in a new stat niche or have a passive? Or should the switching be passive?

All those questions I knew would come up as I said in the OP.
It is why I asked for help.

How would each person address questions asked up to now.

[Rutarete]

I'd say delay doesn't matter if it ends up being an activated ability. As for poison, we can compare to graboid --> Shrieker, right?

[Drake_XIV]

Hm, I like this idea.

I'd actually have the change in stats remain the same, as well as any status like poison of freeze.  The only thing that would change would be the element.

The changing would be passive, as to allow for changing active abilities.

One way I'd approach this is to make abilities for each element and then assign them to the appropriate creature and mark.

What I would do is assign a creature to each element and try to incorporate the word Morphing, Shifting, or related into the name.  For example, Shadeshifter would be the Darkness one, but change accordingly every other turn.

[Rutarete]

How about for a twist for the Entropy one be that it has a chance to change into that of your opponent's mark?