The best designed mechanic currently in Extended is Landfall.
Landfall is so simple everyone can understand it: if/when any land enters play for you for any reason, you get a bonus. There is no confusion.
Landfall is fresh. Despite the simplicity of the mechanic and Lands being around since Alpha, it had barely been used on any cards. Vinelasher Kudzu saw some play in Ravnica then was soon forgotten.
Landfall creates new and unusual experiences and play environments. Late in the game players usually want to draw anything but land. Landfall causes players to hope to draw land. Despite the unsually fast pace of Zendikar limited play and the low curve of its best decks, players still had reason to play as many lands as usual if not more (17-18) rather than fewer.
Landfall makes new players happy. Players usually have to have lands in their deck but these cards usually do “nothing”. Now new players have reason to be happy about drawing land. This is especially true for players making the jump from other card games which either involved no resources (YuGiOh) or could use any card as a resource (Vs). Landfall can encourage them to look for ways to get more than one land out in a turn, opening them to cards like Fetchlands they might have otherwise not tried to use.
Landfall makes experienced players happy. Whether or not to play surplus land in your hand has always been useful to bluff spells or have expendable cards against discard effects. Now there is the added decision of whether to speed up the expanse of your mana base to have more mana available or whether to hold back the land to get more turns where you trigger Landfall.
Landfall is the best mechanic because it makes everyone happy.
No comments:
Post a Comment