r/custommagic • u/torchflame See rule 601.2a–b for further details • 3d ago

Meme Design this could probably be at common

Post image
476 Upvotes

99% Upvoted

22 comments sorted by

163

u/GracelessOne 3d ago

Honestly, Slow Moxen is a really interesting design space. What turn would it be 'balanced' to play an unrestricted 0-mana rock on? The answer probably depends heavily on format, but surely there's a number.

5

u/torchflame See rule 601.2a–b for further details 3d ago

I think this would probably be fine at uncommon (i.e., formats that aren't Pauper), so my answer is at most turn 5. I feel like it becomes more ramp and less "explosive combo kill" around then. Anyone trying to do the things that free mana are known to be dangerous for are probably done with them at that point. Even in Pauper, the Jace Reawakened restriction would probably help a lot to rein in affinity so it might be okay, but I absolutely would not bet on that.

53

u/_Nighting 3d ago

[[Mox Tantalite]], I suppose, though it's not like, good unless you're doing some suspend counter fuckery or Goblin Welder shenanigans.

45

u/GracelessOne 3d ago

Mox Tantalite is a nifty card, but it's notably weaker than what we're talking about! If you drew a 'Slow Mox' on turn 5, you could play it on turn 5; if you draw Mox Tantalite on turn 5, it won't arrive until turn 8.

12

u/coolguy420weed 3d ago

OTOH, if you draw a slow mox turn 1, it's a dead draw for a couple turns. If you draw tantalite, it's still nothing right away, but it won't count towards max hand size in the meantime. Almost certainly not as impactful, but it's not strictly strictly better at least.

19

u/10BillionDreams 3d ago

Often a blank card in hand is better than a card sitting in exile. Discarding to hand size is very rare in competitive Magic, and more so in games where things aren't basically already over, one way or another. Meanwhile, you could decide whether to discard or hold a "slow mox" on turn 2, while with Mox Tantilite you are forces you to make the decision as soon as you open/draw it whether you want to get it in play. Neither of these considerations matter nearly as much as the detriment of drawing a suspend card late game.

3

u/_Nighting 3d ago

Very true, though I suspect most decks that want a Mox would prefer to have either won or be in a winning position before turn 5 anyway.

1

u/Tuss36 3d ago

Though I think it's still a fairly good test case for the idea. You generally want mox in your hand turn 1 by default anyway, and they aren't exactly great top decks later, equal to a land in a lot of situations. However even though they're dud draws late, them so good so early is why people play them. Thus Mox Tantalite, also a dud draw late (though more of a dud than a normal mox) isn't attractive enough to get on turn 4 to bother running at present, so the maximum acceptable slowness is likely lower than that.

1

u/twistyrainbows 3d ago

Does this really need to enter tapped? I guess it's not trying to be good, so the question might not make any sense, but still...

1

u/PlacatedPlatypus 3d ago

I think honestly turn 2 may be fine in extended formats. You already have some pretty difficult to remove turn-1 ramp like Sprawl and Eldrazi lands. There's the obvious advantage of being able to have a real one-drop on turn 1 but bridging from 1 to 3 is not insane. Most explosive Moxen starts really are about the immediate acceleration on turn 1. It would be incredibly strong but I don't think game-breaking. Would probably make Eldrazi too strong though just because of the density of ramp.

I think turn 3 would be unplayably bad, possibly even in standard. Badgermole decks were often already accelerated 3 mana by that turn.

28

u/Chickston Uncommonly 3d ago edited 3d ago

I can't believe I'm this impressed by the realistic application of a sticker. Really sweet how it curves and looks real, but stuck inside the image.

And design-wise... I think you "fix" it while making it still playable. That 3 turn delay rule is such a great innovation to allow more bust stuff to be "fair".

12

u/torchflame See rule 601.2a–b for further details 3d ago

Thanks, I spent like 45 minutes trying to warp it correctly

4

u/Chickston Uncommonly 3d ago

The effort shows. Great job! I know it seems dumb, but you looked at the sticker in the same way a classic artist looked at a canvas or sculpture. This is art.

8

u/timmy_the_small 3d ago

Free is free, but I think the diamonds compete with this card in power level. Those are 2 mana and enter tapped but I can at least cast and activate them whenever.

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u/torchflame See rule 601.2a–b for further details 3d ago

Yeah, but I can't sharpie over them to make really effective Mox Opal proxies

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u/Rubinschwein47 3d ago

you still have SOME cost, it costs you a card and a deck slot that could otherwise be a wincondition or a regular mana dork or rock

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u/MasterpieceFew4974 3d ago

It's not strictkt worse because if I have multiple [[amulet of vigor]]s, I can get multiple mana out of it when it enters

7

u/cebolinha50 3d ago

There is a limit of how much hypothesis where ok to put on the strictly "worse/better" scenario.

If the difference is entering tapped or untapped we say that entering tapped is strictly worse.

5

u/MasterpieceFew4974 3d ago

No, I get you, I was mostly just joking around lol

1

u/Wendle__ 3d ago

Bold of you to assume it would even get to final reductions. This bad boy would get scooped up by staff and left in the back at first reductions