Discussion: Mechanics

[Sek'Kuar]

So, what is everyone's favorite mechanic to use? Also, which mechanic is considered to be the most useful, and which is the most "broken". I myself like Delve, and hope that it makes a significant return in a future set. I also like Hellbent and Madness. Threshold is also very useful as is Dredge. Now it's your turn.

[Bryant Cook]

Storm. End of Discussion.

[Lego]

Storm. End of Discussion.

This.

[b4r0n]

I would say that Split Second is actually the most powerful. Luckily, it's not on any overly powerful cards. But in terms of printed cards, I'd say that Storm is probably the most broken.

And personally, my favorite is Flashback.

[Michael Keller]

Storm is the mechanic that has endured one of the longest and found its way into some of the best decks in almost every format. Is it the most powerful mechanic ever printed, hands-down.

In terms of "favorite", I'm a big fan of Cycling and Flashback.

[Phantom]

Banding.















What?

[Tosh]

I personally really like Cycling (cards with a "When you cycle ~" especially), Kicker, and Flashback.

[DeathwingZERO]

I'd say the most busted is storm, the most annoying is phasing, the most loltastic is banding, the most insulting is split second, the most overrated is threshold, and the most fun overall for sheer utility or tricks is cycling.

[Jak]

Favorites
1. Cycling
2. Flashback
3. Storm
4. Split Second

[Pinder]

I'll reiterate that Storm is hands down the best mechanic ever printed. It singlehandedly made combo competitive.

As for my favorite, I think that would go to Dredge. Maybe Madness, too. And Flashback.

And while we're at it, the worst ability ever is Sweep. Yay, I'll lose tons of tempo by bouncing my lands in order to gain some sort of minor effect! Wheeee!

[caiomarcos]

Phasing!!!
Rainbow Efreet, Frenetic Efreet and... hum... Breezekeeper FTW!!!

No, really, I like phasing!

[thefreakaccident]

I actually really like kinship and clash, those are some really nice abilities.


The strongest is without a doubt storm, I think that is already spoken for though.

[Nihil Credo]

And while we're at it, the worst ability ever is Sweep. Yay, I'll lose tons of tempo by bouncing my lands in order to gain some sort of minor effect! Wheeee!

Dude, Bands with other. Charge Across the Araba actually was a game-breaker in Block.

[Peter_Rotten]

Who had the theory that almost every mechanic is simply a version of Kicker?

[Brushwagg]

My favorite mechanic would have to be Madness.

[Nihil Credo]

Who had the theory that almost every mechanic is simply a version of Kicker?
Everyone?

Also, if you count split cards, they are even wider than Kicker - in fact, Kicker can be a form of split card (but not the reverse).

[FoolofaTook]

The mechanic I like the least is Split-Second. Any mechanic that lowers the chances for interaction between the players makes the game inherently more boring to play. If Split-Second actually fulfilled the role that one would think they had in mind for it, which is to severely discomfit players playing counter-based control, then it would be more interesting, but all it really does to them is to make them play CounterTop and make even slower an already slow and deliberative archetype.

[dahcmai]

Does playing a subgame count as an ability of Magic?

[KillemallCFH]

I'm actually not joking when I say I like banding. It makes combat more interesting (at least in Shandalar).

Besides that, I love cycling and morph.

[Volt]

.

[Arkham]

Equip(ment) and Madness, I guess. The advent of equipment meant a lot to me given the time when I had started (Scourge) and Madness was the deck I played and had the type of synergy you just can't ask out of any other mechanic besides something like cycling.

I liked the splash split second and indestructible had on the game, but they don't really have a lot of 'synergy' you can base a deck off of.

[Mirrislegend]

Equipment has a special place in my heart, seeing as it's the first ability that ever really won me anything. Otherwise, I'd have to say Split Second, as the Timmy inside me jumps for joy at the idea of sticking it to those couterspelling ass-hats.

[MattH]

(I assume this is only specifying "keyworded" mechanics.)

I liked Hellbent a lot.

[AngryTroll]

My favorite keywords are Kicker, Flashback, and Cycling. Ah, the golden age of Magic.

At first I really didn't like how each set had a ton of keywords, but now I don't really mind. Everyone knows the big, important keywords, and there are a few each set to figure out.

[Frenger]

Cycling, 'the free mechanic' (like cloud of faeries, rewind, etc) and Storm.

I also really like split second, but i hate playing against it.

[Maagler]

Dredge! I am surprised that no one has said this one yet.

[CleverPetriDish]

I like what Flash has been doing for creatures in recent sets. Taken to the extreme you have faeries, and that is a shame. I say this because I like how Flash gets around blue-style control. Anyway, Flash