I was so excited to read this thread, and was having so much fun coming up with Clones and Dopplegangers for this challenge.

...then tchalla posted this, and sucked all the fun out of the thread for me. Thanks a lot.

To prevent tchalla from awarding no points (what?), here's what I was thinking of while I read the thread, but they're definitely not as creative as some of the cards posted:

Vesuvian Doppleganger
0 Cost
0/0
During your build phase, you may choose a character an opponent controls. Pay resource points equal to that character's cost. If you do, Vesuvian Doppleganger becomes an exact duplicate of that character, including ATK, DEF, cost, and text (but not team affiliation).

Not as good as in Magic, since changing what Vesu is cloning costs you your turn. But still fun, in case you absolutely need to match what they drop.

YOU'RE THE CLONE!
Plot Twist
4 cost

Play only during the recruit step.

Choose a character an opponent controls and pay 5 resource points. If you do, place a clone token into your support row. Treat the clone token as an exact duplicate of that character, including ATK, DEF, cost, text, and team affiliation. At the end of the turn, KO that clone token.

I think we had some solid ideas here so far. The problem with some of these cards is that would you actually put them in your deck? Why would you put a resource fixer in your deck if it didn't have some generic effect? The card cycle and draw seem to be the best as they can be put into any deck and still be good. I doubt I would ever play a card that says..."you are going to miss your drop, here get a token for it." So if you don't miss your drop, its a dead card. So, based on all of that, I think combining the ideas is certainly valid and worth a try.

Best of Both Worlds
Plot Twist
Cost: 2
Text: Remove Best of Both Worlds from the game and discard a card --> Draw 2 cards. Use only if Best of Both Worlds is in your hand and only during the build phase.

To play, discard a card and only if you recruited no characters this turn.

Pay X Resource Points. If you do, distribute X number +1/+1 counters among all the characters you control. You cannot recruit characters this turn.

The Best Laid of Plans...
1 Cost PT
Play only if you Control the Initiative.

Pay X Resourse Points where X is the Number of Resourses you Control. If you Do, Stun Target Character as the start of the Combat Phase, if its Cost is less than Or Equal to X. Stun Any Character that Came into play under your Control this turn. You cannot Recruit Characters this turn.

I apologize if my completely unique, unthought of by most of anyone else here, thinking out-of-the-box idea upsets you in such a way that you specifically dismiss it along with the few others involving tokens. I just felt since near half everyone else's cards can be defined in 3 words: milling, cycleing and drawing; I would do something else.

I didn't say it was a bad idea, in fact read my post, I said the quite the opposite. I said I...that means me, wouldn't play the card in a deck. I felt the card must have more than a single utility purpose, lest no one play it. Seriously, think about the card in a normal deck. Would you really want to play a card like that? I figured if you combined all the good ideas into one, you have a card that anyone would play. Damn, people are sensitive.

I've seen 'search' cards used to fetch a card to use to satisfy loyalty-reveal. I've seen them used to grab power ups and a handful of other silly tricks.

I like the ideas that offer ways to essentially search, but remove those options in favor of simply allowing a player not to have to miss their current drop. That distinction is one I was enjoying with so many of the ideas posted.

The ideas of utilizing other play zones to obtain your needed drop, or other card types, or possibly even recycled mechanics were all entertaining. People hopping in just to ##### about how the ideas are all wrong, however detracts from the overall usefulness of such a fun spirited exercise.

CaptainIreland, it wouldn't be a thread without your two cents. I'm glad you got in here and had something wonderful to add to the discussion. Your use of context clues could use some work ( who said anything about awarding a no-point?!? Moron.) Your card idea though is interesting. It could have a place in VS in the future. It might need refining in the wording, but overall, I think it's headed in the right direction.

See? Even if I don't care for you as a poster, I can separate my dislike of you from your concepts.

Just to wax theoretically here...

Hitting specific drops is usually the real point of a constructed curve deck. 'Anything' will not do, unless the reason you're playing the team is their plot twists/locations/equipment, rather than their characters.

So, Phat worked for X-Statix because the point of that team was the support cards (their curve was terrible).

A card like him cannot, however, substitute for cards like Ahmed, Dr. Doom, Hellboy, or Sage 3 (tech card).

Hitting an essentially generic drop is often as useless as missing. Not quite, but all too often close.


False Sense of Security
Plot Twist [3]
Play only in the recovery phase, and only if you did not recruit a character this turn. Each opponent KO's all exhausted characters they recruited this turn. Gain endurance equal to their combined cost.


Or, as a condition...

Reveal your hand and deck. If you have at least five character cards in it with cost equal to the number of resources you control, and none in hand, [something].

Isn't that, largely though, because he has no other ability? (and his stats are, at best, average or lower for each spot you could drop him besides 2)

Suppose your deck had two very awesome 3-Drops with an effective/worthwhile boost 1, both as part of your curve plan.

If they were actually your intended drops, wouldn't that give you a bit more flexibility on which order to drop them?

I don't think we need another Phat, I think we could use a better Phat. Better in what way though, I'm not sure.

Here's something like what I'm thinking of...


Punisher, Stockpiled

Marvel Knights

2/1 Range Concealed-Optional.

Boost X: When Punisher comes into play, put 2 +1/+1 counters for each resource point spent on his boost.

Remove 2 +1/+1 counters from Punisher -> The next equipment you recruit this turn costs you 1 less.


You put someone like him to an equipment based MK Modern Deck, along with at least one other character with a worthwhile boost ability, and I think the concept of "Ideal Curve" will get just a little more flexible/fuzzy - not to mention the flexibility he gives you anyways in deck-construction.

This isn't a perfect idea, I just had it while I was making the previous post, but I think it helps my argument the boost is an easily "salvageable" mechanic.

EDIT: However, if you want to try to accomplish the goal of the thread in a single card, Number6's mechanic template seems to be the best.

You were mean to a poster unnecessarily. I think you were wrong. I said so. You called me a moron. But you awarded "no ponts," which is not a "no-point." Read my posts, please. And please, try to be nice to posters even if you don't like them. It kills my buzz.

I award everyone here six points, and myself seven.

See, I can totally see a theoretical team design where this was not an issue.

I just can't see a Phat like character being the solution for any team/deck where specific characters matter.

Although...

Sinister Clone, Army
(Unaffiliated) [1]
1/1
Boost X, discard a card named Sinister Clone -> When Sinister Clone comes into play, choose a name and team affiliation. It gains that name and team affiliation. (plus 2X counters)
Sinister Clone cannot be the target of effects your opponents control.

I aggressively pointed out that a poster had opted to instead of participate in a fruitful way by sharing his ideas on the subject but rather point out how the majority of previous posters weren't living up to his translation of the original intent of this thread.

He opted to respond again without offering up his insight, and in many previous posts this is his trend that I have observed. I've decided that since this is the internet and few other posters wish to be civil and polite to other posters they disagree with, then perhaps I shouldn't either.

I do appreciate your use of restraint and civility in your response, though.

It was nice to see.

Secret Lab

Location
Cost 4

Pay x resource points, K.O. Secret Lab ->Put an Automaton character token in to play with 2 +1/+1 counters for each resource point you spent this way. Place 1 card from your k.o. pile in to your resource row face down.

Call the token what ever you wish. This is similar to some of the other ideas I've seen tossed around, but with a few twists. It gives you the option to 'build another secret lab' or to replace it with something else.

Mind Control Device
Equipment, Cost 1

KO Mind Control Device and Pay X Resources -> Move target character with cost X or less to your front row, you gain control of that character until the end of the turn.

Friend of a Friend
Plot Twist
Cost 3

As an additional cost to play Friend of a Friend, pay X resource points and discard a card. Target opponent reveals their hand and face down resources, you may put a character that cost less than or equal to X into your front row.

The Comeback!
Plot Twist
Cost 4

If you have recruited no characters this turn, exhaust a defender you control and reveal the top 5 cards. If you have not played any other The Comeback!'s this turn, put a revealed character with cost equal to the number of resources you control into play. (wording is awkward but this is meant to be a surprise recruit, not a recruit-a-thon)