Post by goldensandslash on Aug 17, 2021 1:42:04 GMT
Jumpstart: Historic Horizons is upon us, and with it, Magic's first foray into digital-exclusive designs (31 cards), similar to Hearthstone's cards.
Well... not quite. Believe it or not, this is actually Magic's THIRD foray into such territory. They first did it with the "Astral" cards from the old MicroProse game (12 cards), and then again in the Japan-only Sega Dreamcast game (10 cards).
But... are these REALLY digital-exclusive designs? Or could they work in paper? It seems that they only work in digital upon first glance, but might there be a way to get them to work in a game of Paper Magic if your playgroup wanted them to? That's what I'm here to examine.
Before we begin, though, I want to specify that THIS IS NOT A RECOMMENDATION. I do believe that these are digital-only for a reason, and I am not advocating for their use on WyvernIRC or anywhere else other than their intended environments. This is mostly just a silly exercise that I'm doing for fun. Assuming you DO want to use them, what's the best way of doing so?
Let's start by looking at the twelve cards from MicroProse. These are pretty old cards, so get ready for some old-school card wording (like, the creatures say "summon" on them).
Aswan Jaguar || 1GG || Summon Jaguar || 2/2 || When Aswan Jaguar comes into play, choose a random creature type from those in target opponent's deck. || {G}{G}, {T}: Bury target creature of the chosen type.
Well, this is certainly possible to work in paper. You just need to count up all the creature types in the opponent's deck and then roll 1dx, where x is the number. The problem, though, is that it's not feasible, given how many creature types have been updated from what was originally printed on the card. If the number is too high, it may be easier to just take a card from the opponent's deck to represent each of the types, then shuffle them together and choose one (and then put the cards back).
Call from the Grave || 2B || Sorcery || Put a random creature from a random graveyard into play under your control. Call from the Grave deals to you an amount of damage equal to that creature's casting cost.
This is a lot easier to work with, because you can just shuffle the cards together. There are some cards that DO care about the order of the cards in your graveyard, but the most recent of these was printed in Stronghold, so we can pretty safely ignore this.
Faerie Dragon || 2GG || Summon Dragon || 1/3 || Flying || {1}{G}{G}: Play a random effect.
Okay, so... there's 19 options here, so you'd need to roll a d20 and just ignore one of these numbers. If anyone cares, the effects are (I'm using modern-day templating for this):
• Target creature chosen at random gains trample and gets +X/+0 until end of turn, where X is its power. At the beginning of the next end step, destroy that creature if it attacked this turn.
• If target creature chosen at random has toughness 5 or greater, it gets +4/-4 until end of turn. Otherwise, it gets +4/-X until end of turn, where X is its toughness minus 1.
• Target creature chosen at random becomes red.
• Target creature chosen at random becomes black.
• Target creature chosen at random gets +3/+3 until end of turn.
• Target creature chosen at random gains flying until end of turn.
• Faerie Dragon deals 3 damage to target creature chosen at random.
• Target creature chosen at random becomes green.
• Put a -0/-1 counter on target creature chosen at random.
• Target creature chosen at random becomes white.
• Exile target creature chosen at random. Its controller gains life equal to its power.
• Tap or untap target creature chosen at random.
• Target creature chosen at random becomes blue.
• Target creature chosen at random gains banding until end of turn.
• Target creature chosen at random can't be regenerated this turn.
• Target creature chosen at random gets -2/-0 until end of turn.
• Faerie Dragon deals 1 damage to target creature chosen at random.
• Target creature chosen at random has base power and toughness 0/2 until end of turn.
• Target creature with power 2 or less chosen at random can't be blocked this turn.
So, all of these require random targets, but again, you can just roll a die or shuffle up the cards.
Gem Bazaar || Land || When Gem Bazaar comes into play, choose a random color. || {T}: Add to your mana pool one mana of the color last chosen. Then choose a random color.
This is hardly digitally-exclusive. You can just roll a d6 (ignoring one of the numbers) for a random color.
Goblin Polka Band || RR || Summon Goblin || 1/1 || {2}, {T}, Pay {R} for each target: Tap any number of random target creatures. Goblins tapped in this way do not untap during their controllers' next untap phases.
Again, you can just shuffle the cards together to choose your targets. By the way, the rules specify that the targets must be legal, so you cannot use this to get around shroud/hexproof/protection. Creatures with those abilities will simply be excluded from the list of possible options.
Necropolis of Azar || 2BB || Enchantment || Whenever a non-black creature is put into any graveyard from play, put a husk counter on Necropolis of Azar. || {5}, Remove a husk counter from Necropolis of Azar: Put a Spawn of Azar token into play. Treat this token as a black creature with a random power and toughness, each no less than 1 and no greater than 3, that has swampwalk.
So, your possible options are 1/1, 1/2, 1/3, 2/1, 2/2, 2/3, 3/1, 3/2, and 3/3. The MicroProse game only uses integers, even though non-integers are perfectly good numbers. Anywho, you have nine options, so just roll a d10 and ignore one number.
Orcish Catapult || XRR || Instant || Randomly distribute X -0/-1 counters among a random number of random target creatures.
So, if it's not clear here, this just takes X counters and gives each to a random creature. Again, you can shuffle up to decide. By the way, the way that state-based actions work is that even after a creature gets a counter, and that would kill it, it doesn't actually die until the card finishes resolving, so it is still a valid target for future counters.
Pandora's Box || 5 || Artifact || {3}, {T}: Choose a random summon card from all players' decks. For each player, flip a coin. If the flip ends up heads, put a token creature into play and treat it as though an exact copy of the chosen summon card were just played.
Seems pretty straightforward. Just have everyone gather up all their creature cards and shuffle them up, choose one, and then put the cards back in whatever zones they were originally found in (remembering to keep any cards in library with known locations in those spots). It's a major hassle, but it could work.
Power Struggle || 2UUU || Enchantment || During each player's upkeep, that player exchanges control of a random target artifact, creature or land he or she controls, for control of a random target permanent of the same type that a random opponent controls.
So, to be clear, first you randomly choose the thing that you are giving away, then you randomly choose which player is getting it, then you choose what thing that you are getting in exchange, and then the trade happens. Note that the way the rules work... if you give away something with multiple types (such as an artifact creature), then all types are affected (so, if you give away an artifact land, your opponent gives you a random permanent chosen from amongst their artifacts AND lands).
Prismatic Dragon || 2WW || Summon Dragon || 2/3 || Flying || During your upkeep, Prismatic Dragon becomes a random color permanently. || {2}: Prismatic Dragon becomes a random color permanently.
With Gem Bazaar, we already worked out how to use random colors, so this is fine.
Rainbow Knights || WW || Summon Knights || 2/1 || When Rainbow Knights comes into play, it gains protection from a random color permanently. || {1}: First strike until end of turn. || {W}{W}: +0/+0, +1/+0 or +2/+0 until end of turn chosen at random.
Again, we've worked out how random colors work. And as for that last effect, there's only three options, and randomizing between three choices isn't THAT hard. Normal Magic does that occasionally. Though I do find it amusing that one of the options is "+0/+0".
Whimsy || XUU || Sorcery || Play X random fast effects.
The phrase "fast effect" is an old-school term that was an umbrella term used to collectively refer to both instants and interrupts. Using it in this context makes absolutely no sense because it's a sorcery. The way that this actually works in the MicroProse game is that you just choose X random effects from a lengthy list. It's similar to Faerie Dragon above, except that rather than choosing one option, you're choosing X options. Duplicates ARE allowed, so you can just roll xd17, where x is the chosen value for X. The effects are (again, I'm using modern-day text):
• Target player chosen at random draws 3 cards.
• Destroy target artifact chosen at random. It can't be regenerated. That artifact's controller gains life equal to its mana value.
• Destroy target artifact or enchantment chosen at random.
• Destroy target creature or land chosen at random. It can't be regenerated.
• Prevent all combat damage that would be dealt this turn.
• Target player chosen at random gains 3 life.
• Flip a coin. If you win the flip, tap target artifact, creature, or land chosen at random. Otherwise, untap it.
• Whimsy deals 4 damage to target creature or player chosen at random.
• Tap target Wall chosen at random.
• Flip a coin. If you win the flip, create a 5/5 colorless Djinn artifact creature token with flying. If you lose the flip, Whimsy deals 5 damage to you.
• Target player chosen at random discards a card.
• Target player chosen at random mills two cards.
• Destroy all artifacts, creatures, and enchantments.
• For each player, flip a coin. If you win the flip, create a token that's a copy of a creature card chosen at random from that player's deck.
• Draw a card and reveal it. If it isn't a land card, discard it.
• Create a 1/1 colorless Insect artifact creature token with flying named Wasp.
• Return target permanent that isn't enchanted chosen at random to its owner's hand.
And now it's time for the cards from the Sega Dreamcast game!
Arden Angel || 4WW || Creature -- Angel || 4/4 || Flying || At the beginning of your upkeep, if Arden Angel is in your graveyard, choose a number from 1 to 4 at random. If the chosen number is 1, return Arden Angel from your graveyard to the battlefield.
Ashuza's Breath || 1R || Sorcery || For each creature, choose a number from 0 to 2 at random. Ashuza's Breath deals that much damage to that creature.
Camato Scout || 1UU || Creature -- Merfolk || 2/3 || As Camato Scout enters the battlefield, choose a basic land type at random. Camato Scout has landwalk of the chosen type.
Hapato's Might || 2B || Instant || Target creature gets +X/+0 until end of turn, where X is a number from 0 to 6 chosen at random.
Lydari Druid || 2G || Creature -- Druid || 2/2 || When Lydari Druid enters the battlefield, for each land on the battlefield, choose a basic land type at random. Those effects become the land types chosen this way. (This effect lasts indefinitely.)
Lydari Elephant || 4G || Creature -- Elephant || */* || As Lydari Elephant enters the battlefield, choose two numbers from 3 to 7 at random. Lydari Elephant's power is equal to the first number chosen and its toughness is equal to the second number chosen.
Murgish Cemetery || 4BB || Enchantment || {3}{B}, Discard a card: Create an X/X black Zombie creature token, where X is a number from 2 to 6 chosen at random.
Saji's Torrent || 1U || Instant || Tap X creatures, where X is a number from 0 to 5 chosen at random.
Tornellan Protector || 2W || Creature -- Cleric || 1/2 || {T}: Until end of turn, each time damage is dealt to target creature or player, prevent X of that damage, where X is a number from 1 to 3 chosen at random each time.
Velican Dragon || 5RR || Creature -- Dragon || 5/5 || Flying || Whenever Velican Dragon attacks or blocks, it gets +X/+0 until end of turn, where X is a number from 0 to 5 chosen at random.
All of these cards are just “choose one at random” options, which can easily be done with dice, or with shuffling cards.
And now for the main event: the MTGA Jumpstart Historic Horizons cards!
So, these cards can broadly be sorted into four categories: perpetual, conjure, seek, and miscellaneous, with the planeswalker cards belonging to multiple categories. We will cover each of these in turn.
First up, the perpetual cards.
Baffling Defenses || 1W || Instant || Target creature's base power perpetually becomes 0.
Benalish Partisan || 1W || Creature -- Human Soldier || 1/2 || Lifelink || Whenever you cycle another card, you may pay {1}{W}. If you do, return Benalish Partisan from your graveyard to the battlefield tapped and it perpetually gets +1/+0. || Cycling {1}{W}
Davriel's Withering || B || Instant || Target creature perpetually gets -1/-2.
Ethereal Grasp || 2U || Instant || Tap target creature. That creature perpetually gains "This creature doesn't untap during your untap step" and "{8}: Untap this creature."
Leonin Sanctifier || 1W || Creature -- Cat Cleric || 2/1 || Lifelink || When Leonin Sanctifier enters the battlefield, choose a creature card in your hand. It perpetually gains lifelink.
Longtusk Stalker || G || Creature -- Cat || 1/1 || Whenever Longtusk Stalker enters the battlefield or attacks, you get {E}. || Pay {E}{E}: Longtusk Stalker perpetually gets +1/+0. You may choose a creature card in your hand. If you do, that card perpetually gets +1/+0.
Lumbering Lightshield || 1W || Creature -- Illusion || 1/4 || When Lumbering Lightshield enters the battlefield, target opponent reveals a nonland card at random from their hand. It perpetually gains "This spell costs {1} more to cast."
Managorger Phoenix || RR || Creature -- Phoenix || 2/2 || Flying || Managorger Phoenix can't block. || Whenever you cast a spell, if Managorger Phoenix is in your graveyard, put a flame counter on Managorger Phoenix for each {R} in that spell's mana cost. If Managorger Phoenix has five or more flame counters on it, return it to the battlefield and it perpetually gets +1/+1.
Mentor of Evos Isle || 2U || Creature -- Bird Wizard || 2/1 || Flying || When Mentor of Evos Isle enters the battlefield, choose a creature card from your hand. It perpetually gains flying.
Plaguecrafter's Familiar || 1B || Creature -- Rat || 1/1 || Deathtouch || When Plaguecrafter's Familiar enters the battlefield, choose a creature card in your hand. It perpetually gains deathtouch.
Reckless Ringleader || R || Creature -- Goblin Rogue || 1/1 || Haste || When Reckless Ringleader enters the battlefield, choose a creature card in your hand. It perpetually gains haste.
Scion of Shiv || 2RR || Creature -- Dragon || 3/3 || Flying || {2}{R}: Scion of Shiv perpetually gets +1/+0.
Static Discharge || 1R || Sorcery || Static Discharge deals X damage to any target, where X is 3 plus the number of charge counters on Static Discharge. Then put a perpetual charge counter on this card and each card named Static Discharge in your hand, library, and graveyard.
Veteran Charger || 2G || Creature -- Centaur Soldier || 2/2 || When Veteran Charger enters the battlefield, choose a creature card in your hand. It perpetually gets +2/+2.
So, these cards have an ability to grant a card (either themselves or another card) a power/toughness boost or an ability "perpetually". This means that it doesn't go away... ever. Even moving the card to another zone won't remove it. In a paper game, you could simulate this just by writing it down on a slip of paper and putting the paper inside of the card sleeve. There are a couple of instances where this won't work. For starters, Managorger Phoenix. This perpetually gets COUNTERS. Now, putting a counter on a card that isn't on the battlefield is rare but not unheard of. The most prominent example is the suspend mechanic, which works from exile and uses time counters. If you want something even more insane, Lightning Storm puts counters on a card while that card is on the stack. And if you want to go really out there, look at Skullbriar, the Walking Grave.
But none of these put counters on cards that are hidden (i.e. in a hand or library). Still, I think that you could work with this using the "slip of paper" method, and just verify that there are no slips of paper in sleeves at the start of each game. On that note, several cards grant a perpetual power/toughness boost or ability to a creature in your hand. How does the opponent know that the card you chose to put the paper into is a creature card? I mean, you can verify it after the game, but there may be some issues here.
And then there's the big one: Lumbering Lightshield. You choose a random card from the opponent's hand from amongst all non-land options. But you can't verify which cards are lands and which aren't. Without an impartial third-party judge present, at least. And even if you could, having them shuffle their nonlands together gives you extra information (how many lands are in their hand) beyond the intent of the card. I'm gonna say that this one in particular doesn't work in paper. There are ways to make it work if you trust your opponent though. They can secretly separate the lands from nonlands and shuffle the nonlands, and then tell you what card they chose. But, again, this relies on trust.
Now for the conjure cards.
Boneyard Aberration || 4B || Creature -- Skeleton Dog || 3/3 || When Boneyard Aberration dies, exile it. If you do, conjure three Reassembling Skeleton cards into your graveyard.
Shoreline Scout || U || Creature -- Merfolk Scout || 1/1 || When Shoreline Scout enters the battlefield, you may exile a Merfolk card or a land card from your hand. If you do, conjure a Tropical Island card into your hand. || As long as another Merfolk or an Island entered the battlefield under your control this turn, Shoreline Scout gets +1/+0.
Wingsteed Trainer || 3W || Creature -- Human || 2/3 || When Wingsteed Trainer enters the battlefield or attacks, conjure a Stormfront Pegasus card into your hand.
The conjure mechanic just creates a new card out of thin air, but these aren't tokens. They're full cards. So they can exist in all zones. This is functionally identical to adding a card to the game from outside the game, so I think that this works.
And now for the seek cards.
Bounty of the Deep || 2U || Sorcery || If you have no land cards in your hand, seek a land card and a nonland card. Otherwise, seek two nonland cards.
Faceless Agent || 3 || Creature -- Shapeshifter || 2/1 || Changeling || When Faceless Agent enters the battlefield, seek a creature card of the most prevalent creature type in your library.
Manor Guardian || 2B || Creature -- Demon || 4/3 || When Manor Guardian dies, each player seeks a nonland card with mana value 2 or less.
Skyshroud Lookout || 1G || Creature -- Elf Archer || 1/1 || Reach || When Skyshroud Lookout enters the battlefield, seek an Elf card.
The seek mechanic chooses a card at random from amongst all possible options in your library. There's no need to look at your library or shuffle it. We could simulate this in paper by simply having players pull all the appropriate cards out of their library, shuffle them, and then put them back afterwards, re-randomizing any portion of their library that were in an unknown position. But this is a lot of work. Still, no one said this was going to be easy.
And now the miscellaneous cards! We'll handle these on a case-by-case basis.
Pool of Vigorous Growth || 1G || Artifact || {X}, {T}, Discard a card: Create a token that's a copy of a random creature card with mana value X. Activate only as a sorcery.
This one is impossible. I mean, it's theoretically workable, but not practically so. You'd need to create a list of every creature card that exists with each mana value. Which is, of course, ridiculous and not something that anyone would ever do. Who the hell wants to do something like that?
Sarkhan's Scorn || 2R || Instant || Sarkhan's Scorn deals damage equal to the number of turns you have begun to target creature or planeswalker.
This is fairly easy to do, if you keep track of your turns. So just ensure you do so if you have this card in your deck.
Skyshroud Ambush || 1G || Instant || Target creature you control fights target creature you don't control. When the creature you control wins the fight, draw a card.
This works in paper. The only weird bit is the templating. For this to happen, the opponent's creature must die as a result of the state-based actions checking for damage after the fight has occurred and your creature must not. It's a little weird, but it works.
Subversive Acolyte || BB || Creature -- Human || 2/2 || {2}, Pay 2 life: Choose one. Activate only once. || • Subversive Acolyte becomes a Human Cleric. It gets +1/+2 and gains lifelink. || • Subversive Acolyte becomes a Phyrexian. It gets +3/+3 and gains trample and "Whenever this creature is dealt damage, sacrifice that many permanents."
This ability is an "activate only once" ability with no way to mark it. That's why this isn't in paper. There are a small handful of "real" cards with this ability (Touch of Vitae, Stalking Leonin, Emissary of Grudges, and Guardian Archon), but they're a rarity. Still, the ability works in paper.
Tome of the Infinite || 2U || Legendary Artifact || {U}, {T}: Conjure a random card from Tome of the Infinite's spellbook into your hand. It perpetually gains "You may spend mana as though it were mana of any color to cast this spell."
Note that the cards in the spellbook are Swords to Plowshares, Light of Hope, Ponder, Force Spike, Dark Ritual, Duress, Lightning Bolt, Assault Strobe, Giant Growth, and Fog. So you can shuffle these together, choose one randomly, and add it to your hand (without showing your opponent). No different than the other conjure cards.
And then we come to the planeswalkers, which do a combination of these abilities.
Davriel, Soul Broker || 2BB || Legendary Planeswalker -- Davriel || 4 || [+1]: Until your next turn, whenever an opponent attacks you and/or planeswalkers you control, they discard a card. If they can't, they sacrifice an attacking creature. || [-2]: Accept one of Davriel's offers, then accept one of Davriel's conditions. || [-3]: Target creature perpetually gets -3/-3.
Freyalise, Skyshroud Partisan || 1GG || Legendary Planeswalker -- Freyalise || 4 || [+1]: Untap up to one target Elf. That Elf and a random Elf creature card in your hand perpetually get +1/+1. || [-1]: Seek an Elf card. || [-6]: Conjure a Regal Force card onto the battlefield.
Kiora, the Tide's Fury || 3U || Legendary Planeswalker -- Kiora || 4 || [+1]: Conjure a Kraken Hatchling card into your hand. || [+1]: Untap target creature or land. Prevent all damage that would be dealt to and dealt by that permanent until your next turn. || [-3]: You may sacrifice a Kraken. If you do, create an 8/8 blue Kraken creature token.
Sarkhan, Wanderer to Shiv || 3R || Legendary Planeswalker -- Sarkhan || 4 || [+1]: Dragon cards in your hand perpetually gain "This spell costs {1} less to cast", and "You may pay {X} rather than pay this spell's mana cost, where X is its mana value." || [0]: Conjure a Shivan Dragon card into your hand. || [-2]: Sarkhan, Wanderer to Shiv deals 3 damage to target creature.
Teyo, Aegis Adept || 2WW || Legendary Planeswalker -- Teyo || 4 || [+1]: Up to one target creature's base power perpetually becomes equal to its toughness. It perpetually gains "This creature can attack as though it didn't have defender." || [-2]: Conjure a Lumbering Lightshield card onto the battlefield. || [-6]: You get an emblem with "At the beginning of your end step, return target white creature card from your graveyard to the battlefield. You gain life equal to its toughness."
Freyalise's +1 is problematic with untrustworthy players, since there's no way of knowing which cards in your hand are Elves. Same with Sarkhan's +1. And then there's Davriel's -2. So, when you use it, Davriel will offer you three choices from a set of eight (without duplicates). These are the "offers". Then he'll do the same with a set of eight "conditions".
The offers are:
• Draw three cards.
• Conjure a Manor Guardian card into your hand.
• Return two random creature cards from your graveyard to your hand. They perpetually gain +1/+1.
• Return a random creature card with the highest mana value from among cards in your graveyard to the battlefield.
• You get an emblem with "Creatures you control get +2/+0."
• You get an emblem with "Spells you cast cost {B} less to cast."
• You get an emblem with "Davriel planeswalkers you control have '[+2]: Draw a card.'"
• You get an emblem with "Whenever you draw a card, you gain 2 life."
The conditions are:
• You lose 6 life.
• Exile two cards from your hand. If fewer than two cards were exiled this way, each opponent draws cards equal to the difference.
• Sacrifice two permanents.
• Each creature you don't control perpetually gains +1/+1.
• You get an emblem with "Creatures you control get -1/-0."
• You get an emblem with "Spells you cast cost {B} more to cast."
• You get an emblem with "Whenever you draw a card, exile the top two cards of your library."
• You get an emblem with "At the beginning of your upkeep, you lose 1 life for each creature you control."
With proper randomization, you should be able to handle any of these in paper without issue.
Well... not quite. Believe it or not, this is actually Magic's THIRD foray into such territory. They first did it with the "Astral" cards from the old MicroProse game (12 cards), and then again in the Japan-only Sega Dreamcast game (10 cards).
But... are these REALLY digital-exclusive designs? Or could they work in paper? It seems that they only work in digital upon first glance, but might there be a way to get them to work in a game of Paper Magic if your playgroup wanted them to? That's what I'm here to examine.
Before we begin, though, I want to specify that THIS IS NOT A RECOMMENDATION. I do believe that these are digital-only for a reason, and I am not advocating for their use on WyvernIRC or anywhere else other than their intended environments. This is mostly just a silly exercise that I'm doing for fun. Assuming you DO want to use them, what's the best way of doing so?
Let's start by looking at the twelve cards from MicroProse. These are pretty old cards, so get ready for some old-school card wording (like, the creatures say "summon" on them).
Aswan Jaguar || 1GG || Summon Jaguar || 2/2 || When Aswan Jaguar comes into play, choose a random creature type from those in target opponent's deck. || {G}{G}, {T}: Bury target creature of the chosen type.
Well, this is certainly possible to work in paper. You just need to count up all the creature types in the opponent's deck and then roll 1dx, where x is the number. The problem, though, is that it's not feasible, given how many creature types have been updated from what was originally printed on the card. If the number is too high, it may be easier to just take a card from the opponent's deck to represent each of the types, then shuffle them together and choose one (and then put the cards back).
Call from the Grave || 2B || Sorcery || Put a random creature from a random graveyard into play under your control. Call from the Grave deals to you an amount of damage equal to that creature's casting cost.
This is a lot easier to work with, because you can just shuffle the cards together. There are some cards that DO care about the order of the cards in your graveyard, but the most recent of these was printed in Stronghold, so we can pretty safely ignore this.
Faerie Dragon || 2GG || Summon Dragon || 1/3 || Flying || {1}{G}{G}: Play a random effect.
Okay, so... there's 19 options here, so you'd need to roll a d20 and just ignore one of these numbers. If anyone cares, the effects are (I'm using modern-day templating for this):
• Target creature chosen at random gains trample and gets +X/+0 until end of turn, where X is its power. At the beginning of the next end step, destroy that creature if it attacked this turn.
• If target creature chosen at random has toughness 5 or greater, it gets +4/-4 until end of turn. Otherwise, it gets +4/-X until end of turn, where X is its toughness minus 1.
• Target creature chosen at random becomes red.
• Target creature chosen at random becomes black.
• Target creature chosen at random gets +3/+3 until end of turn.
• Target creature chosen at random gains flying until end of turn.
• Faerie Dragon deals 3 damage to target creature chosen at random.
• Target creature chosen at random becomes green.
• Put a -0/-1 counter on target creature chosen at random.
• Target creature chosen at random becomes white.
• Exile target creature chosen at random. Its controller gains life equal to its power.
• Tap or untap target creature chosen at random.
• Target creature chosen at random becomes blue.
• Target creature chosen at random gains banding until end of turn.
• Target creature chosen at random can't be regenerated this turn.
• Target creature chosen at random gets -2/-0 until end of turn.
• Faerie Dragon deals 1 damage to target creature chosen at random.
• Target creature chosen at random has base power and toughness 0/2 until end of turn.
• Target creature with power 2 or less chosen at random can't be blocked this turn.
So, all of these require random targets, but again, you can just roll a die or shuffle up the cards.
Gem Bazaar || Land || When Gem Bazaar comes into play, choose a random color. || {T}: Add to your mana pool one mana of the color last chosen. Then choose a random color.
This is hardly digitally-exclusive. You can just roll a d6 (ignoring one of the numbers) for a random color.
Goblin Polka Band || RR || Summon Goblin || 1/1 || {2}, {T}, Pay {R} for each target: Tap any number of random target creatures. Goblins tapped in this way do not untap during their controllers' next untap phases.
Again, you can just shuffle the cards together to choose your targets. By the way, the rules specify that the targets must be legal, so you cannot use this to get around shroud/hexproof/protection. Creatures with those abilities will simply be excluded from the list of possible options.
Necropolis of Azar || 2BB || Enchantment || Whenever a non-black creature is put into any graveyard from play, put a husk counter on Necropolis of Azar. || {5}, Remove a husk counter from Necropolis of Azar: Put a Spawn of Azar token into play. Treat this token as a black creature with a random power and toughness, each no less than 1 and no greater than 3, that has swampwalk.
So, your possible options are 1/1, 1/2, 1/3, 2/1, 2/2, 2/3, 3/1, 3/2, and 3/3. The MicroProse game only uses integers, even though non-integers are perfectly good numbers. Anywho, you have nine options, so just roll a d10 and ignore one number.
Orcish Catapult || XRR || Instant || Randomly distribute X -0/-1 counters among a random number of random target creatures.
So, if it's not clear here, this just takes X counters and gives each to a random creature. Again, you can shuffle up to decide. By the way, the way that state-based actions work is that even after a creature gets a counter, and that would kill it, it doesn't actually die until the card finishes resolving, so it is still a valid target for future counters.
Pandora's Box || 5 || Artifact || {3}, {T}: Choose a random summon card from all players' decks. For each player, flip a coin. If the flip ends up heads, put a token creature into play and treat it as though an exact copy of the chosen summon card were just played.
Seems pretty straightforward. Just have everyone gather up all their creature cards and shuffle them up, choose one, and then put the cards back in whatever zones they were originally found in (remembering to keep any cards in library with known locations in those spots). It's a major hassle, but it could work.
Power Struggle || 2UUU || Enchantment || During each player's upkeep, that player exchanges control of a random target artifact, creature or land he or she controls, for control of a random target permanent of the same type that a random opponent controls.
So, to be clear, first you randomly choose the thing that you are giving away, then you randomly choose which player is getting it, then you choose what thing that you are getting in exchange, and then the trade happens. Note that the way the rules work... if you give away something with multiple types (such as an artifact creature), then all types are affected (so, if you give away an artifact land, your opponent gives you a random permanent chosen from amongst their artifacts AND lands).
Prismatic Dragon || 2WW || Summon Dragon || 2/3 || Flying || During your upkeep, Prismatic Dragon becomes a random color permanently. || {2}: Prismatic Dragon becomes a random color permanently.
With Gem Bazaar, we already worked out how to use random colors, so this is fine.
Rainbow Knights || WW || Summon Knights || 2/1 || When Rainbow Knights comes into play, it gains protection from a random color permanently. || {1}: First strike until end of turn. || {W}{W}: +0/+0, +1/+0 or +2/+0 until end of turn chosen at random.
Again, we've worked out how random colors work. And as for that last effect, there's only three options, and randomizing between three choices isn't THAT hard. Normal Magic does that occasionally. Though I do find it amusing that one of the options is "+0/+0".
Whimsy || XUU || Sorcery || Play X random fast effects.
The phrase "fast effect" is an old-school term that was an umbrella term used to collectively refer to both instants and interrupts. Using it in this context makes absolutely no sense because it's a sorcery. The way that this actually works in the MicroProse game is that you just choose X random effects from a lengthy list. It's similar to Faerie Dragon above, except that rather than choosing one option, you're choosing X options. Duplicates ARE allowed, so you can just roll xd17, where x is the chosen value for X. The effects are (again, I'm using modern-day text):
• Target player chosen at random draws 3 cards.
• Destroy target artifact chosen at random. It can't be regenerated. That artifact's controller gains life equal to its mana value.
• Destroy target artifact or enchantment chosen at random.
• Destroy target creature or land chosen at random. It can't be regenerated.
• Prevent all combat damage that would be dealt this turn.
• Target player chosen at random gains 3 life.
• Flip a coin. If you win the flip, tap target artifact, creature, or land chosen at random. Otherwise, untap it.
• Whimsy deals 4 damage to target creature or player chosen at random.
• Tap target Wall chosen at random.
• Flip a coin. If you win the flip, create a 5/5 colorless Djinn artifact creature token with flying. If you lose the flip, Whimsy deals 5 damage to you.
• Target player chosen at random discards a card.
• Target player chosen at random mills two cards.
• Destroy all artifacts, creatures, and enchantments.
• For each player, flip a coin. If you win the flip, create a token that's a copy of a creature card chosen at random from that player's deck.
• Draw a card and reveal it. If it isn't a land card, discard it.
• Create a 1/1 colorless Insect artifact creature token with flying named Wasp.
• Return target permanent that isn't enchanted chosen at random to its owner's hand.
And now it's time for the cards from the Sega Dreamcast game!
Arden Angel || 4WW || Creature -- Angel || 4/4 || Flying || At the beginning of your upkeep, if Arden Angel is in your graveyard, choose a number from 1 to 4 at random. If the chosen number is 1, return Arden Angel from your graveyard to the battlefield.
Ashuza's Breath || 1R || Sorcery || For each creature, choose a number from 0 to 2 at random. Ashuza's Breath deals that much damage to that creature.
Camato Scout || 1UU || Creature -- Merfolk || 2/3 || As Camato Scout enters the battlefield, choose a basic land type at random. Camato Scout has landwalk of the chosen type.
Hapato's Might || 2B || Instant || Target creature gets +X/+0 until end of turn, where X is a number from 0 to 6 chosen at random.
Lydari Druid || 2G || Creature -- Druid || 2/2 || When Lydari Druid enters the battlefield, for each land on the battlefield, choose a basic land type at random. Those effects become the land types chosen this way. (This effect lasts indefinitely.)
Lydari Elephant || 4G || Creature -- Elephant || */* || As Lydari Elephant enters the battlefield, choose two numbers from 3 to 7 at random. Lydari Elephant's power is equal to the first number chosen and its toughness is equal to the second number chosen.
Murgish Cemetery || 4BB || Enchantment || {3}{B}, Discard a card: Create an X/X black Zombie creature token, where X is a number from 2 to 6 chosen at random.
Saji's Torrent || 1U || Instant || Tap X creatures, where X is a number from 0 to 5 chosen at random.
Tornellan Protector || 2W || Creature -- Cleric || 1/2 || {T}: Until end of turn, each time damage is dealt to target creature or player, prevent X of that damage, where X is a number from 1 to 3 chosen at random each time.
Velican Dragon || 5RR || Creature -- Dragon || 5/5 || Flying || Whenever Velican Dragon attacks or blocks, it gets +X/+0 until end of turn, where X is a number from 0 to 5 chosen at random.
All of these cards are just “choose one at random” options, which can easily be done with dice, or with shuffling cards.
And now for the main event: the MTGA Jumpstart Historic Horizons cards!
So, these cards can broadly be sorted into four categories: perpetual, conjure, seek, and miscellaneous, with the planeswalker cards belonging to multiple categories. We will cover each of these in turn.
First up, the perpetual cards.
Baffling Defenses || 1W || Instant || Target creature's base power perpetually becomes 0.
Benalish Partisan || 1W || Creature -- Human Soldier || 1/2 || Lifelink || Whenever you cycle another card, you may pay {1}{W}. If you do, return Benalish Partisan from your graveyard to the battlefield tapped and it perpetually gets +1/+0. || Cycling {1}{W}
Davriel's Withering || B || Instant || Target creature perpetually gets -1/-2.
Ethereal Grasp || 2U || Instant || Tap target creature. That creature perpetually gains "This creature doesn't untap during your untap step" and "{8}: Untap this creature."
Leonin Sanctifier || 1W || Creature -- Cat Cleric || 2/1 || Lifelink || When Leonin Sanctifier enters the battlefield, choose a creature card in your hand. It perpetually gains lifelink.
Longtusk Stalker || G || Creature -- Cat || 1/1 || Whenever Longtusk Stalker enters the battlefield or attacks, you get {E}. || Pay {E}{E}: Longtusk Stalker perpetually gets +1/+0. You may choose a creature card in your hand. If you do, that card perpetually gets +1/+0.
Lumbering Lightshield || 1W || Creature -- Illusion || 1/4 || When Lumbering Lightshield enters the battlefield, target opponent reveals a nonland card at random from their hand. It perpetually gains "This spell costs {1} more to cast."
Managorger Phoenix || RR || Creature -- Phoenix || 2/2 || Flying || Managorger Phoenix can't block. || Whenever you cast a spell, if Managorger Phoenix is in your graveyard, put a flame counter on Managorger Phoenix for each {R} in that spell's mana cost. If Managorger Phoenix has five or more flame counters on it, return it to the battlefield and it perpetually gets +1/+1.
Mentor of Evos Isle || 2U || Creature -- Bird Wizard || 2/1 || Flying || When Mentor of Evos Isle enters the battlefield, choose a creature card from your hand. It perpetually gains flying.
Plaguecrafter's Familiar || 1B || Creature -- Rat || 1/1 || Deathtouch || When Plaguecrafter's Familiar enters the battlefield, choose a creature card in your hand. It perpetually gains deathtouch.
Reckless Ringleader || R || Creature -- Goblin Rogue || 1/1 || Haste || When Reckless Ringleader enters the battlefield, choose a creature card in your hand. It perpetually gains haste.
Scion of Shiv || 2RR || Creature -- Dragon || 3/3 || Flying || {2}{R}: Scion of Shiv perpetually gets +1/+0.
Static Discharge || 1R || Sorcery || Static Discharge deals X damage to any target, where X is 3 plus the number of charge counters on Static Discharge. Then put a perpetual charge counter on this card and each card named Static Discharge in your hand, library, and graveyard.
Veteran Charger || 2G || Creature -- Centaur Soldier || 2/2 || When Veteran Charger enters the battlefield, choose a creature card in your hand. It perpetually gets +2/+2.
So, these cards have an ability to grant a card (either themselves or another card) a power/toughness boost or an ability "perpetually". This means that it doesn't go away... ever. Even moving the card to another zone won't remove it. In a paper game, you could simulate this just by writing it down on a slip of paper and putting the paper inside of the card sleeve. There are a couple of instances where this won't work. For starters, Managorger Phoenix. This perpetually gets COUNTERS. Now, putting a counter on a card that isn't on the battlefield is rare but not unheard of. The most prominent example is the suspend mechanic, which works from exile and uses time counters. If you want something even more insane, Lightning Storm puts counters on a card while that card is on the stack. And if you want to go really out there, look at Skullbriar, the Walking Grave.
But none of these put counters on cards that are hidden (i.e. in a hand or library). Still, I think that you could work with this using the "slip of paper" method, and just verify that there are no slips of paper in sleeves at the start of each game. On that note, several cards grant a perpetual power/toughness boost or ability to a creature in your hand. How does the opponent know that the card you chose to put the paper into is a creature card? I mean, you can verify it after the game, but there may be some issues here.
And then there's the big one: Lumbering Lightshield. You choose a random card from the opponent's hand from amongst all non-land options. But you can't verify which cards are lands and which aren't. Without an impartial third-party judge present, at least. And even if you could, having them shuffle their nonlands together gives you extra information (how many lands are in their hand) beyond the intent of the card. I'm gonna say that this one in particular doesn't work in paper. There are ways to make it work if you trust your opponent though. They can secretly separate the lands from nonlands and shuffle the nonlands, and then tell you what card they chose. But, again, this relies on trust.
Now for the conjure cards.
Boneyard Aberration || 4B || Creature -- Skeleton Dog || 3/3 || When Boneyard Aberration dies, exile it. If you do, conjure three Reassembling Skeleton cards into your graveyard.
Shoreline Scout || U || Creature -- Merfolk Scout || 1/1 || When Shoreline Scout enters the battlefield, you may exile a Merfolk card or a land card from your hand. If you do, conjure a Tropical Island card into your hand. || As long as another Merfolk or an Island entered the battlefield under your control this turn, Shoreline Scout gets +1/+0.
Wingsteed Trainer || 3W || Creature -- Human || 2/3 || When Wingsteed Trainer enters the battlefield or attacks, conjure a Stormfront Pegasus card into your hand.
The conjure mechanic just creates a new card out of thin air, but these aren't tokens. They're full cards. So they can exist in all zones. This is functionally identical to adding a card to the game from outside the game, so I think that this works.
And now for the seek cards.
Bounty of the Deep || 2U || Sorcery || If you have no land cards in your hand, seek a land card and a nonland card. Otherwise, seek two nonland cards.
Faceless Agent || 3 || Creature -- Shapeshifter || 2/1 || Changeling || When Faceless Agent enters the battlefield, seek a creature card of the most prevalent creature type in your library.
Manor Guardian || 2B || Creature -- Demon || 4/3 || When Manor Guardian dies, each player seeks a nonland card with mana value 2 or less.
Skyshroud Lookout || 1G || Creature -- Elf Archer || 1/1 || Reach || When Skyshroud Lookout enters the battlefield, seek an Elf card.
The seek mechanic chooses a card at random from amongst all possible options in your library. There's no need to look at your library or shuffle it. We could simulate this in paper by simply having players pull all the appropriate cards out of their library, shuffle them, and then put them back afterwards, re-randomizing any portion of their library that were in an unknown position. But this is a lot of work. Still, no one said this was going to be easy.
And now the miscellaneous cards! We'll handle these on a case-by-case basis.
Pool of Vigorous Growth || 1G || Artifact || {X}, {T}, Discard a card: Create a token that's a copy of a random creature card with mana value X. Activate only as a sorcery.
This one is impossible. I mean, it's theoretically workable, but not practically so. You'd need to create a list of every creature card that exists with each mana value. Which is, of course, ridiculous and not something that anyone would ever do. Who the hell wants to do something like that?
Sarkhan's Scorn || 2R || Instant || Sarkhan's Scorn deals damage equal to the number of turns you have begun to target creature or planeswalker.
This is fairly easy to do, if you keep track of your turns. So just ensure you do so if you have this card in your deck.
Skyshroud Ambush || 1G || Instant || Target creature you control fights target creature you don't control. When the creature you control wins the fight, draw a card.
This works in paper. The only weird bit is the templating. For this to happen, the opponent's creature must die as a result of the state-based actions checking for damage after the fight has occurred and your creature must not. It's a little weird, but it works.
Subversive Acolyte || BB || Creature -- Human || 2/2 || {2}, Pay 2 life: Choose one. Activate only once. || • Subversive Acolyte becomes a Human Cleric. It gets +1/+2 and gains lifelink. || • Subversive Acolyte becomes a Phyrexian. It gets +3/+3 and gains trample and "Whenever this creature is dealt damage, sacrifice that many permanents."
This ability is an "activate only once" ability with no way to mark it. That's why this isn't in paper. There are a small handful of "real" cards with this ability (Touch of Vitae, Stalking Leonin, Emissary of Grudges, and Guardian Archon), but they're a rarity. Still, the ability works in paper.
Tome of the Infinite || 2U || Legendary Artifact || {U}, {T}: Conjure a random card from Tome of the Infinite's spellbook into your hand. It perpetually gains "You may spend mana as though it were mana of any color to cast this spell."
Note that the cards in the spellbook are Swords to Plowshares, Light of Hope, Ponder, Force Spike, Dark Ritual, Duress, Lightning Bolt, Assault Strobe, Giant Growth, and Fog. So you can shuffle these together, choose one randomly, and add it to your hand (without showing your opponent). No different than the other conjure cards.
And then we come to the planeswalkers, which do a combination of these abilities.
Davriel, Soul Broker || 2BB || Legendary Planeswalker -- Davriel || 4 || [+1]: Until your next turn, whenever an opponent attacks you and/or planeswalkers you control, they discard a card. If they can't, they sacrifice an attacking creature. || [-2]: Accept one of Davriel's offers, then accept one of Davriel's conditions. || [-3]: Target creature perpetually gets -3/-3.
Freyalise, Skyshroud Partisan || 1GG || Legendary Planeswalker -- Freyalise || 4 || [+1]: Untap up to one target Elf. That Elf and a random Elf creature card in your hand perpetually get +1/+1. || [-1]: Seek an Elf card. || [-6]: Conjure a Regal Force card onto the battlefield.
Kiora, the Tide's Fury || 3U || Legendary Planeswalker -- Kiora || 4 || [+1]: Conjure a Kraken Hatchling card into your hand. || [+1]: Untap target creature or land. Prevent all damage that would be dealt to and dealt by that permanent until your next turn. || [-3]: You may sacrifice a Kraken. If you do, create an 8/8 blue Kraken creature token.
Sarkhan, Wanderer to Shiv || 3R || Legendary Planeswalker -- Sarkhan || 4 || [+1]: Dragon cards in your hand perpetually gain "This spell costs {1} less to cast", and "You may pay {X} rather than pay this spell's mana cost, where X is its mana value." || [0]: Conjure a Shivan Dragon card into your hand. || [-2]: Sarkhan, Wanderer to Shiv deals 3 damage to target creature.
Teyo, Aegis Adept || 2WW || Legendary Planeswalker -- Teyo || 4 || [+1]: Up to one target creature's base power perpetually becomes equal to its toughness. It perpetually gains "This creature can attack as though it didn't have defender." || [-2]: Conjure a Lumbering Lightshield card onto the battlefield. || [-6]: You get an emblem with "At the beginning of your end step, return target white creature card from your graveyard to the battlefield. You gain life equal to its toughness."
Freyalise's +1 is problematic with untrustworthy players, since there's no way of knowing which cards in your hand are Elves. Same with Sarkhan's +1. And then there's Davriel's -2. So, when you use it, Davriel will offer you three choices from a set of eight (without duplicates). These are the "offers". Then he'll do the same with a set of eight "conditions".
The offers are:
• Draw three cards.
• Conjure a Manor Guardian card into your hand.
• Return two random creature cards from your graveyard to your hand. They perpetually gain +1/+1.
• Return a random creature card with the highest mana value from among cards in your graveyard to the battlefield.
• You get an emblem with "Creatures you control get +2/+0."
• You get an emblem with "Spells you cast cost {B} less to cast."
• You get an emblem with "Davriel planeswalkers you control have '[+2]: Draw a card.'"
• You get an emblem with "Whenever you draw a card, you gain 2 life."
The conditions are:
• You lose 6 life.
• Exile two cards from your hand. If fewer than two cards were exiled this way, each opponent draws cards equal to the difference.
• Sacrifice two permanents.
• Each creature you don't control perpetually gains +1/+1.
• You get an emblem with "Creatures you control get -1/-0."
• You get an emblem with "Spells you cast cost {B} more to cast."
• You get an emblem with "Whenever you draw a card, exile the top two cards of your library."
• You get an emblem with "At the beginning of your upkeep, you lose 1 life for each creature you control."
With proper randomization, you should be able to handle any of these in paper without issue.