Ah yes, we all like to create cards of our dreams, whether they are broken or just right for the game. We love to do it no doubt and it is agreeable that making a cool card can give you that warm, fuzzy feeling inside. But what is it that people look for in a card?

There are a number of things that people look for when they read a created card incuding balance, practically, positives, negatives, fitting, and coolness. Most people like to look for those particular aspects in created cards and learning what these aspects are will help in your creativity. Take note though, these are more of guidelines.

Notice: If I used you as an example, please take no offense or the sort to my comment. Constructive criticism, yes!

1. The Reason
Why make a card? Most of the time a person makes a card because they are a fan of something and want to page homage, create a card to fit into a deck that really needs it, or simply that it's fun and pretty cool. You can have whatever reason for making a card, but it's good to know what you are doing it for.

2. The Idea
Ok, so you have your reason, now get an idea of what you want. Do you want a character? How about a location? Plot twist perhaps? Strengthen Sinister Syndicate or the ARkham Inmates? Making a kick ass card of myself? Having an idea will help in creating a card as your foundation.

3. Originality and Creativity
Yes, we've all seen and read about originality and creativity. I've even wrote something about it at one times, but when it comes to cards you usually want to be somewhat original compared to cards in the current metagame. So what if we have Invisible Woman like character to reinforce everyone? Or who cares if we have another Fizzle like plot twist. Sorry, but without some originalty people won't really care about your card. Heck, go above and beyond what the game hasn't experience yet. There isn't that many characters that interact with the resource row or even plot twists that calls for the concent of other players. Let your mind go, even if you have to smoke pot or something to do it!

Here's a few examples of original cards:

cannonballism
Name: Strong Guy
Version: Guido
Team: X-Men
Cost: 2
A/D: 2/2
Flight: No
Range: No
Text: Loyalty.
Strong Guy comes into play with one +1 ATK/ +1 DEF counter on him.
Whenever Strong Guy stuns a character put X +1 ATK / +1 DEf counters on him, where X is equal to the number of counters on Strong Guy.
Activate, remove X +1 ATK/ +1 DEF counters from Strong Guy --> Target player loses X endurance.
If Strong Guy has zero +1 ATK / +1 DEF counters on him, KO him.

Boiler Demon
Name: Batman
Version: The Dark Knight Returns
Team: Gotham Knights
Recruit Cost: 8
Attack: 16
Defense: 16
Flight: No
Range: No
Game Text: When Batman comes into play, turn all ongoing plot twists your opponents control face down.
Your opponents cannot play plot twists.
Flavor Text: "I want you to remember, Clark. In all the years to come, in your own private moments, I want you to remember my hand at your throat. I want you to remember the one man who beat you.”

Icymatt
Groundhart,Robot Knight
Cost:5
Adventure universe
10 ATK/10 DEF
When Groundhart is in the front row,all support row characters are reinforced.

4. Balance
"There is a disturbance in teh Force." We don't really want a disturbance in the Force now do we? How fair is it to have a character that says:

Gordo!
Name: Thing
Version: Clobberin' Time!
RC: 6
Atk: 14
Def: 12
Activate>>>Remove target Fantastic Four defender from this attack. Thing becomes the defender.
If Thing is team attacked and stuns an attacker he may stun an additional attacker.

I understand that he is new, but lets disect his card. 14/12 is Ok for a 6 drop since Luke Cage came into town, but to balance the first activated power with stats doesn't do very well. We see 4-drop Superman with this power and he's only a 7/7. Might be better to drop Thing to 12/12. The second power is over the top. If the first power was powerfulk enough, the second one is godly (although it has lots of synergy, which I give props for). See what I mean by balance? For every good ther emys tbe a bad in some sort of fashion. Balance like the Karate Kid on the stump!

5. Practicallity
Ask yourself, would anyone really use this card?" Ive seen some pretty balanced cards, but sometimes they turn out worthless compared to cards already out there that can do much better. Just keep this in the back of your mind as you create.

6. Flavor Text
Ok, we saw Deadpool without flavor text and we got pissed. If you can fit flavor text, go for it!

7. Have Fun!
Make whatever your heart desires. If it's totally overpowered, but brings a smile to your face, go right ahead. As I said before, the above were just guidlines to creating good quality cards, but all in all it comes down to you just having fun with what you make, even if it doesn't make sense or is useless.

For example:

Bizarro 98
Name: The Watcher
Version: Not There
Cost: 0
ATK: 0
DEF: 0
Flight: No
Range: No
Team: None
Text: The Watcher cannot come into play.
Activate --> Do nothing. (The Watcher does nothing.)

That's classic.

That was interesting, might even submit it for an article.
:-D

That was my intention, but I don't know where to send it to, I think I need to add more or something, and I thin posting here was more fitting.

HEY???

WHERE was MY Original card, of ME!!!

This card is way to powerful. Exponential growth = bad.

Play on turn 2 => 1 counter, 3/3 (high end 2 drop)
Stun on turn 2 => 2 counters, 4/4 (high to middle 3 drop)
Stun on turn 3 => 4 counters, 6/6 (middle 4 drop)
Stun on turn 4 => 8 counters, 10/10 (high 5 drop)
Stun on turn 5 => 16 counters, 18/18 (middle 8 drop)
Stun on turn 6 => 32 counters, 34/34 (Imperiex who?)
...

That's why Stiltman only gets one counter at a time.

Powerful yes, but I merely used it as an example of originality.

Plus he's still in the works.
If you had a suggestion you could post it in the thread about him, not about the article.

Yay, I was an example!:laugh:

And as for strong Guy, yes he is exceptionally powerful when played right, but then what about the one card...you know, the plot twist that makes Batman,Dark Knight less useful...what was it called....Oh, yes, Overload. He's easy Overload food.

Hey I just entered this card in a contest. Can you tell me how it is?

Wolverine
Lethal Weapon
Team: X-men
Whenever Wolverine stuns a character, KO that character
Whenever Wolverine KOs a character with a cost of 8 or more, ready Wolverine.
cost: 8
attack: 19
defense: 18
rare
flavor: "...well, let's just say that some of us were born to kill and raised to kill and that's the only damn thing we're any good for."

I have apicture too if you want to see it just ask.

Might as well jsut make it whenever Wolverine stuns a character, the KOing could get tricky since it's the effect that KO's him not wolverine, but I could be wrong.

thanks for the help. I'm not sure if I should change it or not. I mean if he stuns a character that character has to be KO'd. I don't think that you can stop that. At least I think. Plus it goes well with the flavor text of him talking about being a killer. Anybody else have any comments on my card, I'd like to hear them (Jeez I'm talking like this is my thread!).

Umm, ok? I didn't know what thread it came from.