Possible Landtype - Cave

[Baumeister]

There was an article this morning on the Wizards of the Coast site by Mark Rosewater that discussed the development of a poosible basic landtype: Cave.

Here's the article:

http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Article.aspx?x=mtg/daily/mm/25

To sum it up in a few words, Rosewater wanted to make a sixth landtype that produced only colorless mana. It would read something like:

Cave
Basic Land - Cave
Add :1: to your mana pool.

What I want to know is:

1. How viable would this land be in Legacy?

2. Would anybody even play it?

3. Is it a good idea?

[Arsenal]

I don't quite understand when you would want a colorless producing land over a a color producing land. Perhaps there will be, "use only colorless mana to..." cards in the future?

[Nightmare]

It would contribute to Domain, giving you a sixth type. However, this has been created on every fantasy card forum since the inception of the internerd.

Nothing to see here. Move along.

[evilchen]

With 3 of them you can play EE for 0 under a Trinisphere :P

[Nightmare]

With 3 of them you can play EE for 0 under a Trinisphere :P

You can even if there's a Blood Moon in play, which is new.

[Skeggi]

If you'd read the entire article you'd see the Cave idea was dropped (there was also explained why it will probably never come) and the card turned into Reliquary Tower (http://magiccards.info/scans/en/cfx/143.jpg).

/thread.

[Baumeister]

And if you read a little bit further, you'd see that Rosewater mentioned that it could come back in future sets along with Domain.

[Kuma]

"Purple" in Alara Reborn. Count on it.

[Arsenal]

I thought they didn't want to do another color due to the Moxen from A/B/U and the dual lands from A/B/U/R.

[psly4mne]

I thought they didn't want to do another color due to the Moxen from A/B/U and the dual lands from A/B/U/R.That only means that they will likely release a purple mox and 5 purple/x dual lands in AR. Kuma knows his sources, I wouldn't doubt it.

[Nightmare]

That only means that they will likely release a purple mox and 5 purple/x dual lands in AR. Kuma knows his sources, I wouldn't doubt it.

This won't happen. They've flat out said it won't ever happen.

[RoddyVR]

lol...
Adding a new colorless basic land type is bad because then we'd have to print new duals...

Non basic dual:
jungle hole
land - cave forest
(can tap for green or colorless).


Roflmao (for some reason i find this funny).

[Seriously]

This won't happen. They've flat out said it won't ever happen.


thats too bad. a new color could be exciting. if it came with its own mox, appropriate duals and other power cards, people would be all over that. I'd buy boxes like no tomorrow if they made a purple mox. I havent bought a pack since coldsnap. its easier and cheaper to get what I want online, but the chance to crack a pack with a real mox in it would be insane.

[KrzyMoose]

If they come out with a new color, I'm selling all my cards before they become worthless. (Read: If they come out with a new color, that means that WotC is running out of stuff to do, and that it's soon gonna tank).

[Brehn]

MTG is gonna die.

[Kuma]

This won't happen. They've flat out said it won't ever happen.

I found this to be interesting (http://www.wizards.com/magic/magazine/Article.aspx?x=mtgcom/feature/386)


It looks like option 4 is the most promising (take slices of the pie away from existing colors). We add purple in between blue and black on the color wheel, and colors like their neighbors and hate the color directly across from them. They could also dislike the other colors, or that could be a neutral relationship. The basic land would be [Cave], and it would probably be a 16th card in each pack.

To my knowledge, Wizards has not come out and said they would never do a sixth color. They seriously tried it out in Planar Chaos design, which makes me think it's not impossible that they'd do it someday.

I'm not saying I think it's a good idea, but I think they'll do it. The story of Shards block sets them up perfectly to do it in Alara Reborn, and in Topical Blend #2 I believe MaRo hinted that it was a possibility. I can't confirm because for some reason I can't access the article.

[Arsenal]

I understand how they could do Purple from a color pie perspective, but from a land/mana perspective? What are they going to do, print new dual/fetch/pain/shock/etc lands that support Purple? Print a new Mox Amethyst?

Also, printing a new standalone color could be done, but to stack it up against 15+ years of non-Purple cards? Is that the best way to innovate?

[Goaswerfraiejen]

Also, printing a new standalone color could be done, but to stack it up against 15+ years of non-Purple cards? Is that the best way to innovate?

Seems like they'd have to devote a serious chunk of a set to purple to make it work--like, say, 100ish cards. 'Course, they could do an all-purple set, which might be amusing: sort of like Legions, only not.

I suspect that the move may come eventually, but not very soon. We've been given a new card type (Planeswalker) to play with, and that'll keep us interested for a while yet.

[rleader]

What is up with everyone's mox hard-on in a Legacy forum: there's no compelling reason why they'd have to make a purple mox, or fetches, or duals to present parity.

Parity only makes sense from the perspective of draft, which is where the problem comes in, as the article says: you'd have to have enough purple to sell people on taking those cards (vs. the synergies that already exist within traditional colors) and yet not make it mandatory.

To extended and eternal formats, purple wouldn't have to be that much more significant than Split Second or cycling or other block mechanics; there's no reason to have to pretend that purple was always part of the game, all along, in some sort of ret-con.

And I'd prefer it that way because then there'd be no reason why they couldn't do orange or yellow or whatnot someday, either, if a block's theme supported.

[Poesjuh]

Creating a new color isn't difficult, but letting it interact with the other five colors is a whole different thing. Personally I reject the idea of a 6th color, I don't think it's good for MTG as a game.

[Arsenal]

I couldn't imagine them ever printing a Purple Mox with Purple dual lands. That feels like they'd be circumventing their own Reprint policy.

[Sek'Kuar]

Creating a new color isn't difficult, but letting it interact with the other five colors is a whole different thing. Personally I reject the idea of a 6th color, I don't think it's good for MTG as a game.

I agree. It would feel awkward, kind of like they were trying to force a fit. It would also throw off the balance of the game. Just as many people play for flavor reasons as competitive reasons. WUBRG make up the central ring, with artifacts in the middle and gold as a carona. Purple would not fit anywhere comfortably. It also would not work in a draft, and it would most likely not see competitive in eternal format play due to the fact that anything good would require a splash, and unless Wizards prints more purple in the future, it will be outdated within two years. It would not feel right. Perhaps I am too conservative, but why change the color wheel which has been central to the game for 15+ years and has served so well for so long? It's just asking for trouble.

[b4r0n]

'Course, they could do an all-purple set, which might be amusing: sort of like Legions, only not.

Although I hate the idea of introducing a new color to the game... this is actually incredibly amusing. Drafting would be ridiculous, and all the cards in the set would be useless in constructed formats.

So yeah, kind of like Legions.

[Arsenal]

there's no compelling reason why they'd have to make a purple mox, or fetches, or duals to present parity.

Parity only makes sense from the perspective of draft

Are you serious? Parity is important in all formats, at all levels. And if you truly don't understand why WotC would have to print a Purple Mox, duals, fetches, etc. than I really don't know what I can tell you.

[Nightmare]

Maybe I'm missing something, but I don't see a purple dot.

http://z.hubpages.com/u/277337_f520.jpg

[Skeggi]

Anyone remember this (http://www.magiclibrarities.net/rarities-inquest-the-sixth-color.html)?

[DeathwingZERO]

The biggest reason they can't do another color is exactly what Nightmare just showed, the card back. They can't add in a new color on a permanent scale because it would have to change the design, thus requiring all tournaments to be played with opaque sleeves or basically cut the Magic tournament setup in two, those with the new design and those without, and go from there.

They can do whatever they want with the card facing and layout, but they simply cannot change the layout of the card back, or the cards would just be released as a casual only subset, much like Un-sets.

[rleader]

The biggest reason they can't do another color is exactly what Nightmare just showed, the card back.

You say that like it's logic but it's not. There's no reason the card backing has to be emblematic of anything, it just is what it is, and there's no rational reason that it has to be prescriptive of anything besides what the card back looks like.

[DeathwingZERO]

You say that like it's logic but it's not. There's no reason the card backing has to be emblematic of anything, it just is what it is, and there's no rational reason that it has to be prescriptive of anything besides what the card back looks like.

Did you even read my post, because I'm pretty certain it's the ultimate understanding of logic. This is the exact same thing that's come out of the mouths of people at Wizards that have written on the subject. They CANNOT change the back of the card's symbols without obsoleting everything as far as tournaments go, because it's the epitome of playing with marked cards.

[rleader]

Yeah I read your post:


They can't add in a new color on a permanent scale because it would have to change the design,

Nothing about adding a new color in the game would DEMAND changing the card back.

To act as if there would be such a demand, and that it is an insurmountable fact of nature, is not logic (just as declaring that they'd have to print a purple mox because you can't have a color without a mox due to rule 143.2 of Insane-Troll-Logic), it's just following a simplistic assumption.

Assumptions can feel logical, but they're not fact or proof of such.

The deckmaster on the back of the card really doesn't mean anything anymore and it can't be stricken from new cards. Its existence has no bearing on the game besides that's what the back side of magic cards looks like.

The color gems currently represent a component of the game but that representation has no bearing on the game itself; it's still just an artifact of when the game was created, just like deckmaster.

[Jak]

Ugh, I would hate it if they added another color.

The new color would probably just take things from all the other 5, making it really, really good or horrible. I just don't think it would be a good thing.

[TheDarkshineKnight]

Ugh, I would hate it if they added another color.

The new color would probably just take things from all the other 5, making it really, really good or horrible. I just don't think it would be a good thing.

If they made another color as a permanent staple of MtG, I can guarantee the developers would make it unique.

[Jak]

If they made another color as a permanent staple of MtG, I can guarantee the developers would make it unique.

Maybe so, but why would they do that? Why not give the "unique" thing to white? Why create a new color that will totally mess with the game? I just feel doing this won't lead to anything good.

[DukeDemonKn1ght]

Maybe so, but why would they do that? Why not give the "unique" thing to white? Why create a new color that will totally mess with the game? I just feel doing this won't lead to anything good.

Amen to giving the next new and awesome, "unique" game mechanic to White. Us White mages have suffered enough janky decks. Give us a weenie to end all weenies, an angel even better than Exalted Angel, or a form of disruption so awesome that no other color gets it. And don't just try to power-up life-gaining one more time to try to make White cool again, WotC! It's gonna need more of a boost than that.

If there's ever been a Magic color in need of the 'Colbert bump'... it's White, for sure.

[DeathwingZERO]

Yeah I read your post:



Nothing about adding a new color in the game would DEMAND changing the card back.

To act as if there would be such a demand, and that it is an insurmountable fact of nature, is not logic (just as declaring that they'd have to print a purple mox because you can't have a color without a mox due to rule 143.2 of Insane-Troll-Logic), it's just following a simplistic assumption.

Assumptions can feel logical, but they're not fact or proof of such.

The deckmaster on the back of the card really doesn't mean anything anymore and it can't be stricken from new cards. Its existence has no bearing on the game besides that's what the back side of magic cards looks like.

The color gems currently represent a component of the game but that representation has no bearing on the game itself; it's still just an artifact of when the game was created, just like deckmaster.

All I can say to this is you need to take a good look through MaRo's articles. They absolutely care about how the color wheel is presented, and he's even stated in an article (that I've given up finding for the night), that if they would have to modify the color wheel, the cards would have to reflect that. Everything about the game is based on the back of the card, it's integral to the history and flavor, and that matters quite a bit more than tournament viability.

Simply put, you probably wouldn't last a day in design if you said something like that to MaRo or anybody that's been with the game that long.

[Poesjuh]

Amen to giving the next new and awesome, "unique" game mechanic to White. Us White mages have suffered enough janky decks. Give us a weenie to end all weenies, an angel even better than Exalted Angel, or a form of disruption so awesome that no other color gets it. And don't just try to power-up life-gaining one more time to try to make White cool again, WotC! It's gonna need more of a boost than that.

If there's ever been a Magic color in need of the 'Colbert bump'... it's White, for sure.

Heir heir!

[herbig]

Us White mages

Calling yourself a white mage is the epitome of jankiness. If white sucks so much, a real player would just play different cards.


If there's anything I've learned from reading Maro's articles other than he's an arrogant yet somehow strangely charismatic douche, it's that everything he ever says they won't do will be done eventually.

The card back doesn't mean they can't add a new color. L5R weathered that debacle and that game is huge. And even adding a new color doesn't mean they'd have to change it anyway.

They'd never print a tournament legal purple mox, because it would be broken in every format and need to be restricted/banned. They also don't have to make purple everything to make it a useful color.

[Arsenal]

So if they went ahead and created Purple, but did not print Duals and Fetches to support it, how playable would the color be? I wouldn't go out of my way to weaken my manabase, effectively weakening my entire deck, in order to run Purple.

[rleader]

Simply put, you probably wouldn't last a day in design if you said something like that to MaRo or anybody that's been with the game that long.



I've read 95% of MaRo's stuff (although I just skim his alter ego and creative crap, as it's absolute shite: he's not a fucking god, just like Randy Bueller or anyone else on staff, he's one Gleemax away from being canned.) I could just as easily say that anyone attached to assumptions wouldn't last a day in the Wizard's boardroom.


Everything about the game is based on the back of the card, it's integral to the history and flavor, and that matters quite a bit more than tournament viability.


Selling packs matters more than history. If another color could ever help do that (and be gauranteed not to hurt sales), it's fairly clear that the back of Magic cards would be the last consideration when it came to hurdles to be overcome.

[rleader]

I wouldn't go out of my way to weaken my manabase, effectively weakening my entire deck, in order to run Purple.


There probably won't be enemy colored fetch lands (because they don't like what they do to various environments), but that doesn't mean they don't want people playing enemy colored decks: they just have to go with different ways to facillitate that.

Even if UGP Threshold couldn't make the cut, you know the Ancient Tomb kids would get a kick out of a purple stompy, even if it wasn't any better than elephant or demon stompy, etc. More options are -- usually -- fun.

[Arsenal]

Who said anything about enemy colors? If Purple was printed, I'm assuming it would have allied colors as well as enemy colors. The current 5 colors all have allied duals and as well as allied fetches to support them. If Purple did not have allied duals and allied fetches printed, it would put Purple at a distinct disadvantage to the other 5 colors. That's why parity is important in all formats, at all levels of play, not just draft as you claim.

[Skeggi]

Most duals are also available in enemy colors (normal duals, painland, shockland, filterland).

[Arsenal]

I understand, but I'm focusing on allied colors first. If Purple was printed, and did not have any duals or fetches of any kind, how playable would it truly be? Not very in my opinion.

Also, I'm talking about dual lands, not painlands or shocklands, etc... Legit duals that the current 5 colors have access to.

[herbig]

So if they went ahead and created Purple, but did not print Duals and Fetches to support it, how playable would the color be? I wouldn't go out of my way to weaken my manabase, effectively weakening my entire deck, in order to run Purple.

You're assuming Wizards would be concerned with making it playable in Legacy.

I'm not saying I think they're making a new color anytime soon, just that everyone's arguments here are bad.

[Arsenal]

You're assuming Wizards would be concerned with making it playable in Legacy.

I'm not saying I think they're making a new color anytime soon, just that everyone's arguments here are bad.

No, I'm not assuming WotC has Legacy and Vintage in mind, but rather, are following the template they have had since the beginning of Magic. Colored spells and respective lands (duals included) that support said colors.

[herbig]

Whether they print dual lands or not, testing would have ensured that the color is playable. Whether you can fit them into your 4C counterbalance-goyf deck is another story. Since you say you won't stretch your manabase to accommodate said cards, I will refer you to my post about declaring yourself to be an X mage from earlier. They may just require new decks be built around them.

Regular duals aren't a template and wouldn't necessarily be printed. Some form of duals would likely be though.

Of course this is all speculation. You say it wouldn't be playable without duals. I'd say then why would they bother printing them?

[Arsenal]

Whether they print dual lands or not, testing would have ensured that the color is playable.

Playable to what degree though? I don't doubt that there could be a solid mono-Purple deck that pops up , although I highly doubt there would be a 2-3 color deck that incorporated Purple that would be as playable (due to serious mana issues).

Blue can be mono or multi-colored, as can every other color in Magic. Purple, while potentially being playable (maybe even dominant) as a mono-color, could not be viable in a 2-3 color list without duals and fetches.


Whether you can fit them into your 4C counterbalance-goyf deck is another story.

My point exactly; the other 5 colors would be at a distinct advantage over Purple unless WotC printed Purple lands on the same level as the other 5 colors' lands (specifically, duals and fetches).


Since you say you won't stretch your manabase to accommodate said cards, I will refer you to my post about declaring yourself to be an X mage from earlier.

This is far different than your "X Mage" post as my argument against Purple is that it wouldn't be playable due to mana issues; Purple spells might be fucking awesome, but unplayable due without duals and fetches to support them. Your "White Mage" statement was re: the actual spells being weak, not the inability to actually cast the spells due to mana issues.


Regular duals aren't a template and wouldn't necessarily be printed. Some form of duals would likely be though.

Dual lands aren't a template? Every 2-color land printed since would disagree with you.


Of course this is all speculation. You say it wouldn't be playable without duals. I'd say then why would they bother printing them?

Why would they bother printing them? "Them" referring to Purple cards? Because it'll make them money and appease casual fans. Pretty simple.

[herbig]

Again:


You're assuming Wizards would be concerned with making it playable in Legacy.

Standard would be the only format a mono purple deck could be viable. But Standard is also the most likely format to see a 2 color deck without nonbasics. It happened in the Ravnica era even.

Standard could see a viable 3-5 color deck without dual lands with terramorphic expanse, etc. given proper incentives (domain or some such). Standard is also, coincidentally, where most of the company's constructed focus is.




Dual lands aren't a template? Every 2-color land printed since would disagree with you.


Also, I'm talking about dual lands, not painlands or shocklands, etc...

[Arsenal]

Again:



Standard would be the only format a mono purple deck could be viable. But Standard is also the most likely format to see a 2 color deck without nonbasics. It happened in the Ravnica era even.

Standard could see a viable 3-5 color deck without dual lands with terramorphic expanse, etc. given proper incentives (domain or some such). Standard is also, coincidentally, where most of the company's constructed focus is.

So you're proposing that WotC will print every land that the other 5 colors currently have available to them in Standard? And when 10th rotates, and if the painlands are replaced with the shocklands as rumored, then WotC will be compelled to print Purple shocklands for Standard?

[herbig]

So you're proposing that WotC will print every land that the other 5 colors currently have available to them in Standard? And when 10th rotates, and if the painlands are replaced with the shocklands as rumored, then WotC will be compelled to print Purple shocklands for Standard?

No.

[herbig]

And if you truly don't understand why WotC would have to print a Purple Mox . . I really don't know what I can tell you.

Shit, mods, sorry for the double post. I forgot you were the one who suggested this. I can't stop laughing dude. I feel really dumb now for wasting so much time.

Honestly I'm just bored. Carry on without me.

[Arsenal]

No.

Then the current 5 colors will have a distinct advantage over Purple (barring them making Purple spells powerful).

My Mox comment was taking Vintage into mind, you're taking Standard into account. You're argument is mostly about WotC focusing on Standard and making money, my argument is re: playability (Mox comment was specific to Vintage). If there's no Purple Mox, no Purple duals, no Purple fetches, than Purple's playability in Vintage (and Legacy by extension) goes way down; I'm not focusing on the business/money aspect as you are.

[Kuma]

I don't think the goal of printing "purple" would be to make it a viable, permanent addition to Magic. I think it would be more like Planar Chaos's color pie shift, a sort of "what if?" We'd only see "purple" for one set -- at most an entire block.

Keeping "purple" around would crowd set design too much. Each allied color dual land cycle would increase to seven and each full dual land cycle would increase to fourteen. I'm not even sure how allied colors and enemy colors would work with "purple".

This is why they shouldn't do "purple"; it will only be a novelty. Something that game-changing should be more pervasive and well thought out. I still think they're going to do it. Alara Reborn will have purple and/or "Live" "Long" and "Prosper" will be the "purple" block.

[Seriously]

on a side note. WOTC changed artifacts from brown to gray, changed the card faces a few years back and recently added the new 'mythic' rarity level. all those things had been with magic since the begining and they had no problem changing them.

[Arsenal]

The card's formatting, the color switch from brown to gray for artifacts, and adding a different level of rarity are not even on the same level as adding a 6th color. Seriously.

[Seriously]

The card's formatting, the color switch from brown to gray for artifacts, and adding a different level of rarity are not even on the same level as adding a 6th color. Seriously.

seriously.

thats why I said on a side note. I wasnt refering to the argument you were having. I was more or less refering to these previous posts about the history and flavor of magic.


Everything about the game is based on the back of the card, it's integral to the history and flavor, and that matters quite a bit more than tournament viability.


Selling packs matters more than history. If another color could ever help do that (and be gauranteed not to hurt sales), it's fairly clear that the back of Magic cards would be the last consideration when it came to hurdles to be overcome.

seriously.

[Arsenal]

The discussion wasn't about selling packs/money/business/profits, it was about Purple's impact on Magic (from a non-business standpoint) and it's playability as a 6th color.

[GGoober]

as much as I hate the concept of adding a 6th basic land and color, the more I think about it, the more I feel that it's very possible. What I'm speculating now is:

The Purple color is a mysterious power of raw magic and energy, and has no relation to any of the 5 color. It's a new planes in the world of MTG, and thus will have no duals/moxen splashed to it. It can exist only on its own, therefore mana-fixing a deck splashing other colors with purple is difficult, and by nature of the design, there will be no Pain/Dual/Fetches for purple. This idea won't screw up the concept of the 5-color wheel since Purple is just one of the colors that is found, but can never be melded into the 5-color wheel. It is the sixth color, but exists alone.

That's my guess. It's almost like Purple is an elite color, the spells are good, the creatures are powerful, but it comes at a price with playing the deck with no-mana fixing for the color, and strong requirements that the cards be mono-colored/chroma-ed in purple.

[ThatGuyThere]

it was about Purple's impact on Magic (from a non-business standpoint)

None.

Wizards prints cards to make money. If Purple has a "non-business" effect, they won't print it.

If printing Purple would make the giant sacks of cash and not sell out the game for the future, away-they-go.

Seriously, they have a casual / passing interest in Vintage and Legacy; they're not huge moneymakers for WotC. If the "Purple Block" would make an "interesting" (meaning profitable) Standard, it will someday come to pass.

And "Purple"'s effect on Legacy or Vintage won't even be a consideration, at all.

(Aside - MaRo actually did consider that, in fact; he mentioned it in the Planar Chaos article. One of the "fun" things about a sixth colour was how unplayable the cards would be - it would let the put some pretty strong effects (Mana Drain was cited) into the colour, because you'd have to really work to make the deck go. But my point stands - Purple's effect on the Vintage / Legacy community is a very, very tiny concern compared to it's effects on Standard.

You'll note they didn't hesitate to print Morph, forever altering Illusionary Mask and Camoflague (? sp?) in the process.)

[Arsenal]

What are you talking about? I stated that the discussion of Purple arose from it's playability and it's impact on Magic (card interactions, format interactions, etc... not money/selling packs). I never said it wouldn't make a shit ton of money from Standard.

Why are you agreeing with me, yet disagreeing with me?

Purple could make WotC fuckloads of cash from Standard. Yes. Purple, the way it was being presented by posters in this thread, wouldn't do shit (money or playability) in any format outside of Standard. Yes.

[ThatGuyThere]

Purple, the way it was being presented by posters in this thread, wouldn't do shit (money or playability) in any format outside of Standard. Yes.

Well then, I'm agreeing with you because I agree with you. I get the feeling this isn't something you're used to.

I just don't think that a purple Mox is a "must-print". Or purple dual lands, or purple fetches, or any other purple "accessories". In fact, the arguement could be made - and was, by MaRo - that the comparitive unplayability of purple, would be one of it's attractions as a designer - how strong can you make it, when you know it'll be really, really hard to play?

[Kuma]

Random thought:

The enemy colors and allied colors could be solved by adding two new colors to the game. Each color would have three allies and three enemies.

But that would make every other problem even worse. I hope they don't do that.

[MattH]

I would expect them to make "artifact-only" cards before purple: artifacts that can ONLY be played with colorless mana.

[DeathwingZERO]

I would expect them to make "artifact-only" cards before purple: artifacts that can ONLY be played with colorless mana.

That's actually kinda what Barry's cards were intended for, I assume. And while I like the concept, I find that a bit harder to implement as a "color" than just adding a new color. It'd do fine on random artifacts though.

And I'm still finding it laughable with the whole concept behind duals and fetches being a necessity. We still haven't gotten our opposing fetchlands yet, and we hadn't seen the opposing painlands for 6 years after the allied ones. That never stopped opposing color decks from making performances.

For maintaining balance, they may choose to print purple shocklands or painlands through some spread of a block, akin to Ravnica and Apocalypse. They could even get away with printing the two allied Fetchlands and call it good. This may not be good enough for Vintage or Legacy, but it's perfectly fine for Standard, Extended, and Block. In fact, in Block it would likely make Purple the most sought after color in most cases, simply because it would be far easier to access allies with Purple than with any other combination.

But the fact that they would have to come out immediately hardly has any backing aside from Core reprints, because Standard is the only format they would matter. If they wanted to put purple on equal footing in Standard, they could just make an (x) Edition without duals of any kind. Two years of Standard with everyone having to fight for multicolor benefits.