(Arming Gala
| Art by Fajareka Setiawan)

A.K.A. "Good Goose, Bad Pig"

Welcome back to Brew Like a Game Designer, where we use game design principles to make our decks more fun. Today's article is a bit of a thought experiment.

In recent years, Magic: The Gathering has published several sets of "Alchemy" cards exclusive to online games played on the Arena platform. These cards feature mechanics that don't work properly in traditional paper Magic for one reason or another. For instance, Patient Zero

demands tedious tracking if not automated by a computer, while Forceful Cultivator

changes cost based on the contents of a player's hand, which is not public information and requires a computer to referee.

However, many of these cards would work just fine in paper Commander, while others would work fine with a little thoughtful deckbuilding, and Commander is a great format for experimenting with these cards because Commander's "Rule Zero" allows players to adjust game rules and card legality if their playgroup agrees.

So... which Alchemy cards would be the most fun to add to our paper Commander decks?

Okay, but...

"But Kieran," I hear you say, "Rule Zero isn't nearly as permissive as people think. The strangers at my local game store won't ever condone me playing Tasha, Unholy Archmage

no matter how appropriate it feels for paper Commander." And honestly, that's their prerogative. However, I still think examining these cards from a paper EDH standpoint has some concrete benefits:

By exploring which online-only effects are the most fun in paper Commander, we'll learn a lot about what makes a mechanic fun. This will help us make funner (I know it's not a word) paper decks, even if we don't include any cards from Alchemy sets.
Examining why some online-only effects work in paper and some don't gives us insight into the mechanical underpinnings of our favorite game.
Maybe some Commander groups will let you play with proxies of cards like Wickerwing Effigy
and Albiorix, Goose Tyrant
. I don't know, seems fun to me.

The Cards That Are Actually 100% Fine

By my very professional count, there are thirteen-ish cards from Alchemy sets that could be printed into paper Magic as-is. (For this article, I'm ignoring the exclusive but tame cards from introductory decks, like Shorecomber Crab

and Inspiring Commander

.) Those thirteen-ish cards are:

Eager Flameguide
Ethrimik, Imagined Fiend
First Little Pig
, which can be justified in paper given the precedent set by cards like In the Trenches
, Duggan, Private Detective
, and personal favorite Emissary of Grudges
.
Harrowing Swarm
grants an ability in perpetuity, which is uncommon in paper Magic but not unprecedented (see the very strange Riding the Dilu Horse
). It would never be printed in paper due to memory issues, but it technically could be.
Inchblade Companion
, which is a little complex to track but not much worse than Bloodforged Battle-Axe
.
Ominous Lockbox
, which technically doesn't work, but is fine if you assume that you reveal your chosen number when it triggers. See The Toymaker's Trap
.
Reflection Net
Subversive Acolyte
Tasha, Unholy Archmage
Town-Razer Tyrant
, which has memory issues and would probably use counters in paper (see Obsidian Fireheart
), but it doesn't actually need those counters, rules-wise.
Vexyr, Ich-Tekik's Heir
technically works in paper, but they don't do much.
Welcome the Darkness
Wickerwing Effigy
falls into the same camp as Town-Razer Tyrant
.

Additionally, many of the "starting player" cards (Captivating Crossroads

, Cindercone Smite

, etc.) and the "turn count" cards (Sarkhan's Scorn

, etc.) are right on the edge of feasibility. The rules can handle them, but paper Magic generally doesn't interact with these things beyond the first few turns of the game (see Gemstone Caverns

and Serra Avenger

Every other Alchemy card bends or breaks the rules of paper Magic in one way or another.

Why Alchemy Cards Don't Work in Paper Magic

Most Alchemy cards are inappropriate for paper magic for one of three reasons:

They require tedious tracking that is best automated by a computer (e.g., Patient Zero
or Sarkhan's Scorn
).
They interact with information that's hidden from one or both players (e.g., Forceful Cultivator
or Favored Enemy
).
They require manipulation of game pieces that's impractical or impossible to accomplish with physical cards (e.g., Propagator Primordium
or Juggle the Performance
).

In actuality, though, not all online-only cards are made equal. Putrefying Rotboar

, for instance, would be a nightmare to track in paper, while Cindercone Smite

seems relatively reasonable.

We'll look at all of these categories in future articles, but for today we'll be focusing on the first category: cards with problems centering around memory or information tracking.

(Mapping the Maze
| Art by Inkognit)

Remember, Remember

Some online-only cards use Arena's computer referee to track information that would be tedious for players to track themselves. For instance, Sarkhan's Scorn

necessitates tracking how many total turns you've taken in a game.

The line on whether these cards could be printed in paper Magic is a bit blurry. Serra Avenger

plays in a similar space, for instance, though it's much easier to remember what turn it is during the first three turns of a game. Similarly, the tracking-heavy Patient Zero

is not too dissimilar from Everlasting Torment

since both cards necessitate tracking all damage with dice. And you can already ride the Dilu Horse

in paper Commander, so there's some precedent for effects like Draconic Debut

that persist longer than the current turn.

Some key elements to consider when evaluation cards with memory and tracking issues include:

As with many online-only mechanics, cards with a long-term mechanical memory are best in small doses. The more of these cards you play, the more complex the game becomes.
Additionally, it's important to consider whether a card will require tracking after it's played or before it's played. It's not too hard to track Patient Zero
with dice once it's on the battlefield, but if you draw Concert Kaboomist
in a typical blue-red deck, will you really remember exactly how many spells you played since the start of your last turn? Cards like Concert Kaboomist
that look at retroactive information are also tricky because they demand that your opponents trust your secret accounting of information they didn't know was relevant at the time.
On that note, if you play these cards in paper Commander, bring tracking supplies. Dice, paper, dry-erase tokens. Don't keep it all in your head, and definitely don't expect your opponents to do so.

On that note, let's talk about some specific mechanical categories of online-only cards that play with memory and tracking.

(Discover the Formula
| Art by Joshua Cairós)

Perpetually

When a card is "perpetually" changed by an effect, that change persists throughout the rest of the game, no matter what zone the affected card is moved to.

The perpetually mechanic is a nightmare in most paper formats because multiple copies of the same card in zones other than the battlefield are supposed to be interchangeable. Paper Magic is mechanically incapable of tracking which of the two copies of Heir to Dragonfire

in your hand has gotten +3/+3 and which one hasn't.

However, Commander is a singleton format! We only ever have one copy* of a a given card in our deck, so perpetual changes are much easier to track! (*I see you, Relentless Rats

players.) With the right materials (usually dice or pen and paper), many of these effects can be tricked without undue hassle.

Many can't, though. When evaluating cards with perpetual effects for paper Commander play, you should ask yourself several questions:

Does the card apply perpetual changes only to itself or to other cards?

Cards like Albiorix, Goose Tyrant

and Accident-Prone Apprentice

apply a perpetual effect to themselves and no other cards. In practice, these cards require some tracking, but they're not a far cry from commanders like Skullbriar

or Kalemne

that get stronger in ways that persist over time. I think most of these cards are just fine.

Also in this category are most cards with the "intensify" mechanic, like Teysa of the Ghost Council

or Awestruck Cygnet

. These play very similarly to cards that use experience counters. Don't put more than one or two in your deck, and you should be fine.

In contrast, cards like Giant Regrowth

and Brokers' Safeguard

apply a perpetual effect to a single other card. This is a bit trickier to remember than cards that perpetually change themselves. When you spot Albiorix

on your opponents' battlefield, it's clear that the Goose might have grown. It's not so obvious that the Soul Warden

in your opponent's hand is actually a 4/4 because of Giant Regrowth

Does the card perpetually change one card or multiple cards?

It's much harder to track cards like Divine Purge

that can affect many cards at once than cards like Giant Regrowth

that only affect one at a time.

Also, Commander is full of recursion effects, which means that even the single-target Giant Regrowth

might affect multiple cards over the course of the game, increasing tracking confusion. Few cards are exclusively "single-target" in the long run.

Does the card perpetually change a known card or a hidden card?

Some cards can perpetually effect other, hidden cards. For instance, Racketeer Boss

grants an ability to two secret cards in your hand. Effects like this necessitate some trust between members of your playgroup. You could theoretically make a secret note of which two creatures Racketeer Boss

affects, but your opponents would still need to trust that you had those creatures in your hand when the Racketeer Boss

ability resolved. With mutual trust, these cards aren't too different from, say, Stalking Leonin

, but you've gotta have an established, regular playgroup.

Most cards with the incorporate mechanic fall into this category, so I'm a bit skeptical of them.

I'll talk more about hidden information in Part 2 of this article series, so sit tight for now.

Does the card perpetually change your cards or your opponents' cards?

I'm no blue mage, but I Predict

that perpetually reducing your opponents' creatures to 0 power with Baffling Defenses

is likely to cause some frustration. Applying perpetual debuffs to opponents' creatures should probably stay out of paper Commander unless you're certain everyone's onboard.

If you do use these cards, strongly consider making use of the rule from the Brawl format that allows a player to remove perpetual effects from their commander when it returns to the command zone.

Does the card establish a universal rule?

Some cards apply perpetual effects to multiple cards in a universal way that's easy to track. For instance, Arming Gala

applies perpetual +1/+1 bonuses to all of your creatures, everywhere. Because the Arming Gala

bonus is so universal, you can track how big your creatures have become with a single die. This tracking is potentially complicated by tokens and "slow blink" effects, like Flickerwisp

, but with thoughtful deckbuilding Arming Gala

should be significantly easier to track than Cathars' Crusade

Other cards that might fall into this category include Phyresis Roach

and the Chorus cards.

Note that cards that are almost universal are deceptively hard to track. For instance, Stalwart Speartail

looks very similar to Arming Gala

, but it doesn't affect your graveyard, so you'll need to track the perpetual changes to many cards individually.

Putting It Together

By combining the above areas of evaluation, we can determine whether a card with a perpetual effect is appropriate for paper Commander. For instance, I believe Albiorix, Goose Tyrant

would be a fun and fantastic commander because it affects only itself and involves no hidden information. In contrast, Putrefying Rotboar

necessitates that an opponent track stacking perpetual effects on many of their hidden cards. Don't play Putrefying Rotboar

in paper, please.

Most cards, however, fall somewhere in the middle. Giant Regrowth

affects a known card of yours, but has a small potential to perpetually change multiple cards over the course of a long game. Arming Gala

affects many hidden creature cards, but in a predictable and easily tracked way. If you're interested in trying these cards, I'd suggest starting with just one (with your playgroup's permission) and seeing how it plays. These effects definitely become exponentially trickier to track in multiples.

(Arcane Archery
| Art by Julian Kok Joon Wen)

Boons and Persistent Effects

Some online-only cards grant "boons," which are effects that trigger at a specified point in the future. In paper Magic, most effects don't persist past the end of the current turn without some visual signifier, like a counter or an attached Aura. However, Alchemy cards can apply effects that persist for many turns at a time! In this category, I'm including cards that explicitly grant boons, like Merfolk Tunnel-Guide

, as well as other cards with indefinitely persistent effects, like Draconic Debut

When evaluating boons and other persistent effects, ask yourself these questions:

How long is the effect likely to persist?

The longer an effect persists without triggering, the more likely it is to be forgotten by your or your opponents. Boons and other persistent effects that are likely to trigger within one round of play are likely appropriate for paper Commander. For instance, Arcane Archery

will usually trigger its boon shortly after it's played.

However, other cards, like Underbridge Warlock

, generate effects that could persist for multiple rounds before they're triggered. This increases the likelihood that a card's effect will be forgotten by one or more players in a game, which can lead to unfun gameplay experiences.

Often, the amount of time an effect persists is heavily influenced by deckbuilding decisions. In a Dragon kindred deck, Draconic Debut

will frequently reduce the cost of a Dragon spell that's cast immediately after the Debut

. However, in a deck that contains only one or two Dragon cards, the Draconic Debut

effect could linger all game without ever triggering, thus demanding mental energy from players for no real payoff.

Does the card affect you or your opponents?

Persistent effects that interact with opponents' actions are likely to cause confusion and frustration. Consider Stalwart Realmwarden

: if an opponent fails to cast a noncreature spell for several rounds, they may forget Realmwarden's

effect and build their strategy around casting a spell that's secretly too expensive for them to afford.

Stick to brief boons that affect your own actions, and avoid ones that are likely to be forgotten by your opponents.

(Sarkhan's Scorn
| Art by Daarken)

Starting Player and Turn Count

Some online-only cards have mechanics that reference which player took a game's first turn. Almost all of these cards, from Captivating Crossroads

to Surgical Metamorph

to Cindercone Smite

, should be appropriate and fun in Commander. They're kinda like Gemstone Caverns

, but they require that you remember who the starting player was for a little longer. If you're playing one of these cards, I'd strongly recommend noting so at the start of the game so your opponents can pay attention to who the starting player is and avoid confusion later.

Some similar cards, like Angel of Eternal Dawn

and Sarkhan's Scorn

, care about the number of turns you've taken in a game. These cards could also work fine in paper Commander, but if you've got one in your deck, please track turn count publicly from the start of the game so that everyone can be in agreement about how many turns you've taken.

(Swine Rebellion
| Art by Josh Cameron)

The Conclusion, the Moral, and Such.

That was a lot of thinking about increasingly unlikely hypothetical situations. What are the practical takeaways from this exploration of online-only mechanics?

Play the Fun Alchemy Cards If Your Playgroup Agrees

Some online-only cards look super fun! I'll be an Albiorix

stan until the day I die, and Captivating Crossroads

could be an excellent addition to the format. Please just let me Sunforger

for Argivian Welcome

. I'm begging you.

Don't Play the Unfun Paper Cards

You may have noticed that I repeatedly justified playing certain Alchemy cards in paper because they resembled existing paper cards. "Patient Zero

is kinda like Everlasting Torment

," I said. "Arming Gala

is kinda like Cathars' Crusade

That doesn't necessarily mean that you should play Patient Zero

and Arming Gala

in paper. It could just as easily mean that Everlasting Torment

and Cathars' Crusade

are fiddly, tracking-heavy cards that would play better if you had a computer to manage them for you. Maybe (just maybe) you should consider alternatives to this sort of card.

Additionally, just like some Alchemy cards become less complex in certain contexts (Arming Gala

is much less complicated in a deck without creature tokens, for instance), some paper cards are much less headachy if you make smart deckbuilding decisions. I recently removed Chaos Warp

from a deck containing Radiant Performer

because those cards together can create a situation nearly as tedious and confusing as the stupid Rotboar

Track Stuff Clearly

Many of these online-only cards would play just fine in Commander if you carefully tracked their effects in a way that was comprehensible to all players. This is an important lesson to carry into all games. I'd much rather play against an opponent who thoughtfully uses Cindercone Smite

and Sarkhan's Scorn

than an opponent who tracks four types of tokens and their associated counters using whatever coins are in their pocket. Part of deckbuilding is assembling the tools to clearly track and communicate the potential game states a deck could produce, whether you're playing with online-only mechanics or not.

Rules are Fun!

Magic is an incredibly complicated game held together by the hard work of some very talented game designers. An aspiring game designer can learn a whole lot of useful lessons by examining which effects work within paper Magic's rules (Inchblade Companion

) and which effects don't (Stalwart Speartail

). Additionally, some effects are mechanically feasible but logistically troublesome (Sarkhan's Scorn

), while others are technically outside the game's rules but perfectly functional with an agreeable playgroup (Albiorix, Goose Tyrant

Identifying which Alchemy cards fit into which category can be an enlightening experience that helps us better understand our favorite game. Can you tell I'm a Judge?

(Albiorix, Goose Tyrant
| Art by Filip Burburan)

HONK

Join me in a month as I examine other online-only mechanics, including the dreaded conjure.

For now, please let me know what you think of my mechanical musings. Or show me your Albiorix

decks. Either one.

Brew Like a Game Designer: Alchemy in Commander Part 1: Memory Issues