Combine

In thinking about pilots, I am not sure their proper role. It was easy however to consider some Mecha enablers for WUB and anti-Mecha cards in RG. I don't know where Mecha will fit along the color pie, so I just went with the Consul VS rebels split in Kaladesh.

Repair Pilot (UNCOMMON)
1W
Creature - Human Pilot
2/2
Sacrifice NAME: Target Mecha gains indestructible until end of turn.

Cunning Pilot (UNCOMMON)
3U
Creature - Human Pilot
2/3
Flash
When NAME enters the battlefield, you may exile target Core and target Chassis you control. If you do, return them to the battlefield transformed as one permanent with haste.

Salvage Pilot (UNCOMMON)
3B
Creature - Human Pilot
2/2
When NAME enters the battlefield, return up to two artifact creature cards from your graveyard to your hand.

Joy Rider (UNCOMMON)
4R
Creature - Human Pilot
3/2
When NAME enters the battlefield, gain control of target Mecha artifact creature until NAME leaves the battlefield.

Splinter Pilot (UNCOMMON)
2G
Creature - Human Pilot
2/2
Flash
When NAME enters the battlefield, you may exile target Mecha. If you do, return both halves to the battlefield transformed under their owners' control.

If there is room in this already complicated mechanic do we want some built in "searching"? What if every core had "3: Reveal the top 5 cards of your library. You may put a Chassis card from among them on top of your library. Put the rest on the bottom of your library in any order."


Looking into different ways to combine 2 artifacts, I'm seeing Licids, Living Weapons, and Myr Welder. There are not a lot of things that we would want to grant to a noncreature artifact, and there are not a lot of simple things we can gain from a generic other artifact.
The most basic version of combine would be something like "Sacrifice another artifact: Put X +1/+1 counters on this where X is the sacrificed artifact's CMC" We probably want to add TAP or sorcery speed to that so it isn't as devastating in combat. There could be a version of this for Charge counters, but if you are using those up then it really feels more like reloading than combining.

When we last left off in the comment thread, there was some discussion about alternative ways to grant the feeling of Combine to players who want that experience. One way is to innovate in the footsteps of Kaldra/Of-Empires/Sift Through Sands/Bogbrew Witch. If we can offer Jennies the chance to try out a draft archetype or casual constructed offering without taxing the rest of the set, I think that could achieve our goal. Here was my best first attempt to make it as common as possible.

Spring-Sword Sidearm 2
Artifact - Equipment (common)
1, T: Equipped creature gets +2/+2 until end of turn.
Equip 2

Spring-Speed Chassis 3
Artifact - Equipment (common)
Equipped creature has haste.
T: Equipped creature gains first strike until end of turn. If it already had first strike, it gains double strike until end of turn.
Equip 1

Spring-Engine Nexus 3
Artifact Creature - Construct (uncommon)
Vigilance
At the beginning of combat on each turn, untap each equipment attached to Spring-Engine Nexus.
1/4


Plus or minus a card like:
Springwise Engineer  2W
Creature - Artificer (rare)
2, T: Search your library for a card named Spring-Sword Sidearm, Spring-Speed Chassis, or Spring-Engine Nexus and put it onto the battlefield, then shuffle your library.
0/3

This particular version doesn't call each other out like Festering Newt or Crown of Empires, but they do synergize and have a dream-that-you-can-live, in casual constructed or draft. We could make them more "If you control a Mine and a Tower, do [blah] instead" too - just give them a set to complete (that's balanced between rarity and playability) and players will be interested in completing that set.

My upcoming playtest has Mecha in UBR with a new flavor. Here's the pitch: Mecha are relics of the days of war, when what would become the cities fought off invaders to become a place of progress and industry. Now the mecha are used by the Consul to fight far off battles against the few remaining uncivilized peoples of Kaladesh. Each mecha is comprised of an exosuit and pilot. The Exosuit, nicknamed an exo, is powered by a captured elemental creature. These elementals power the suit for hundreds of years and imbue the artifice with Magical properties. I made a few of the pilots non-human races because again, mecha fighting happens way outside regular society.

Here are the Mecha I'm playtesting, along with the enablers I added to the card pool:

Exocage Wave-Kin
2U
Artifact Creature — Elemental Exo
1/4
---Flip---
<— Hydromech

<— Elemental Mecha
2/5
If this Mecha would die, transform it, then the Pilot or Exo dies instead.
<—] tap or untap target creature.

Wing-Class Pilot
U
Creature — Human Pilot
1/2
Combine 3 (3: Transform this Pilot and target Exo you control into one permanent, then untap it.)
---Flip---
Bomberwing [—>

Artifact Creature — Human [—>
This Mecha gets +0/+1 and has flying.
Whenever this Mecha attacks, [—>

Exocage Coal-Kin
2B
Artifact Creature — Elemental Exo
2/3
---Flip---
<—] Cindermech

<—] Elemental Mecha
3/4
If this Mecha would die, transform it, then the Pilot or Exo dies instead.
<—] each opponent lose 1 life.

Infantry-Class Pilot
1B
Creature — Vampire Pilot
2/2
Combine 3 (3: Transform this Pilot and target Exo you control into one permanent, then untap it.)
---Flip---
Deathstrike [—>

Artifact Creature — Vampire [—>
2B: This Mecha gets +2/+2 until end of turn.
Whenever this Mecha attacks, [—>

Exocage Lightning-Kin
3R
Artifact Creature — Elemental Exo
3/3
---Flip---
<—] Electramech

<—] Elemental Mecha
4/4
If this Mecha would die, transform it, then the Pilot or Exo dies instead.
<—] scry 1.

Siege-Class Pilot
2R
Creature — Goblin Pilot
3/1
Combine 3 (3: Transform this Pilot and target Exo you control into one permanent, then untap it.)
---Flip---
Ramfront [—>

Artifact Creature — Goblin [—>
This Mecha gets +1/+0 and has trample.
Whenever this Mecha attacks, [—>

Armor-Class Fodder
1
Artifact Creature — Construct Pilot
1/1
Combine 3 (3: Transform this Pilot and target Exo you control into one permanent, then untap it.)
---Flip---
Armor-Defense [—>

Artifact Creature — Construct [—>
This Mecha gets +1/+1.
Whenever this Mecha attacks, [—>

Exocage Steam-Kin
5
Artifact Creature — Elemental Exo
4/2
---Flip---
<—] Boilermech

<—] Elemental Mecha
5/3
If this Mecha would die, transform it, then the Pilot or Exo dies instead.
<—] you gain 2 life.

Grim Recovery
1B
Sorcery
Choose one or both —
• Return target artifact card from your graveyard to your hand.
• Return target creature card from your graveyard to your hand.

Spark of Genius (Also enables Rebellion)
1R
Enchantment
Whenever a spell or permanent you control transforms, Spark of Genius deals 1 damage to each opponent.

Mecha Crafter
3
Artifact Creature — Construct
0/3
Defender
Artifact spells you cast cost 1 less to cast.

This was what I found in my steampunk set. One of the mechanics that playtested distinctly less well than others was "equipment for artifacts", which I called Connectors: "Connect {2} ({2}: Attach to target artifact you control. Connect only as a sorcery.)" As I wrote when I was first planning the set:



I talk about that over on this page: www.magicmultiverse.net/cardsets/32/details_pages/22 I also talk about my other mechanic to allow artifacts (and as it turned out creatures) to "combine" together in chains to provide chain reactions, which was basically just like a few new kinds of mana. That one playtested well, unlike Connectors.

In the spirit of making the commons easy to remember without having to flip them, in my next playtest I am trying non-vanilla Pilots and Exos, where they have keywords or ETB effects that mirror there backside. And to help them combine, I’m making Precons so my playetesters will have a deck chock full of Pilots and Exos. (Other small changes: I added twobrid mana which is based on some other stuff I’m trying in the playtest. I simplified the Exocage’s names. I don’t think my playtesters need the flavor concept tripping up their ability to talk about the cards.)

Wave-Kin Exo
3(2/U)
Artifact Creature – Elemental Exo
1/4
((2/U) can be paid with any two mana or with U. This card's converted mana cost is 5.)
When Wave-Kin Exo enters the battlefield, tap or untap target creature.
---Flip---
<— Hydromech

<— Elemental Mecha
2/5
If this Mecha would die, transform it, then the Pilot or Exo dies instead.
<—] tap or untap target creature.

Wing-Class Pilot
1U
Creature – Human Pilot
1/2
Flying
Combine 3 (3: Transform this Pilot and target Exo you control into one permanent, then untap it.)
---Flip---
Bomberwing [—>

Artifact Creature — Human [—>
This Mecha gets +0/+1 and has flying.
Whenever this Mecha attacks, [—>

Coal-Kin Exo
2(2/B)
Artifact Creature – Elemental Exo
2/3
((2/B) can be paid with any two mana or with B. This card's converted mana cost is 4.)
When Coal-Kin Exo enters the battlefield, each opponent loses 1 life.
---Flip---
<—] Cindermech

<—] Elemental Mecha
3/4
If this Mecha would die, transform it, then the Pilot or Exo dies instead.
<—] each opponent lose 1 life.

Infantry-Class Pilot
1B
Creature – Vampire Pilot
2/2
2B: Infantry-Class Pilot gets +1/+1 until end of turn.
Combine 3 (3: Transform this Pilot and target Exo you control into one permanent, then untap it.)
---Flip---
Deathstrike [—>

Artifact Creature — Vampire [—>
2B: This Mecha gets +2/+2 until end of turn.
Whenever this Mecha attacks, [—>

Lightning-Kin Exo
3(2/R)
Artifact Creature – Elemental Exo
3/3
((2/R) can be paid with any two mana or with R. This card's converted mana cost is 5.)
When Lightning-Kin Exo enters the battlefield, scry 1.
---Flip---
<—] Electramech

<—] Elemental Mecha
4/4
If this Mecha would die, transform it, then the Pilot or Exo dies instead.
<—] scry 1.

Siege-Class Pilot
2R
Creature – Goblin Pilot
3/1
Trample
Combine 3 (3: Transform this Pilot and target Exo you control into one permanent, then untap it.)
---Flip---
Ramfront [—>

Artifact Creature — Goblin [—>
This Mecha gets +1/+0 and has trample.
Whenever this Mecha attacks, [—>

Armor-Class Fodder
1
Artifact Creature — Construct Pilot
1/1
Combine 3 (3: Transform this Pilot and target Exo you control into one permanent, then untap it.)
---Flip---
Armor-Defense [—>

Artifact Creature — Construct [—>
This Mecha gets +1/+1.
Whenever this Mecha attacks, [—>

Steam-Kin Exo
5
Artifact Creature – Elemental Exo
4/2
When Steam-Kin Exo enters the battlefield, you gain 2 life.
---Flip---
<—] Boilermech

<—] Elemental Mecha
5/3
If this Mecha would die, transform it, then the Pilot or Exo dies instead.
<—] you gain 2 life.

If I attach an aura to a pilot, then I combine it, then it dies and I save the exo, is my aura now attached to the exo? That seems super weird but I guess it could work. We may want to exile and return to the battlefield every time we combine and separate to avoid any weird rules about continued effects but that could be a lot of creatures entering the battlefield. And the death would be something like, choose one to exile and the other dies and then return the exiled one.