Risk Factor

Color Specificity of Punisher Cards

Are Risk Factor style "I get to draw cards unless you take a negative effect" punisher cards only a red thing or can any colour get them so long as there's a colour-appropriate negative effect?

Punisher effects are mostly a red thing.

Card Draw Colors Red Risk Factor

Color-based Decision Options

Red seems to be able to do things outside of its color so long as there's an alternative option for a player to take damage. Risk Factor and Combustible Gearhulk offer card draw, Vexing Devil provides a creature way out of bounds for its cost, and even Enchanters' Bane allows for red enchantment removal which is normally a notable break for the color. But they all work because they offer the option of damage as an alternative. Could other colors receive something similar for their own effects?

Red has the right combination of a theme of chaos and the #1 color for direct damage. I don’t think there are clean answers for the other colors that will feel in color.

Card Draw Colors Combustible Gearhulk Creatures Devil Enchantments Out of Bounds Red Risk Factor Vexing Devil

Balancing Power and Drawbacks

Hey Mark, I miss the old days where cards had a risk factor built in. Remember when demons used to be very powerful, but at a cost? This is what we need right now: powerful cards with drawbacks. Instead of jamming the best mythics and rares together, I'd like to see designs that reward diversity. What do you think of balancing power level with huge drawbacks like the demons of yore?

Your memory of the old days is that players didn’t just put the most powerful cards together in a deck? : )

Demon Humor Mythic Rares Power Level Rares Risk Factor

Punisher Cards Rarity

Why are "Bully" cards (Browbeat, Enchanter's Bane, Risk Factor) so rare? I very rarely play red, but it's my favorite red mechanic.

R&D calls them punisher cards. They’re tricky to balance and the design space is limited. They also cause some color pie confusion when we push the alternate ability. We do plan to do more though.

Browbeat Color Pie Colors Design Space Enchanter's Bane Limited Mechanics Rares Red Risk Factor

Risk Factor Mechanics

Isn't Risk Factor a color pie break? Why would Red (by far the most impulsive and reckless color) give an opponent a choice? Also, the draw three cards aspect doesn't even work like red card draw in that it's straight card advantage without rummaging. It just doesn't feel like a mono-red card to me.

It’s a Punisher card (“do X or I punch you in the face”). Red’s primary in Punisher cards and the second ability need not be in red’s color pie as red can’t control doing it.

Card Draw Color Pie Colors Primary Red Risk Factor

Poison as Resource

Since I know how you love poison counters, I need to ask: Has R&D ever played with the idea of using poison counters as a type of resource in the vein of energy counters, but with an associated limiting/risk factor?

Scars of Mirrodin design experimented in this space.

Game Design Poison Risk Factor Scars of Mirrodin

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