Vanguard

In 1997, a series of oversized cards were released called “Vanguard”; up to 1999, this was followed by three more series. For those who are not familiar with the series, Vanguard cards modify the game. They’re chosen before the game starts, adjusting the players starting life and the maximum hand size. The ability printed on the card, are played just the same as any other in the game of Magic: The Gathering. The damage dealt by the Vanguard is colourless and isn’t considered to have the same effect as damage dealt by a permanent. 

A Vanguard card, is not a Magic card per se, therefore it cannot be affected by spells of the various other abilities out there. 

A brief description:

· Your starting life may be higher or lower than 20 (depending on the card). 

· your starting and maximum hand size may be higher or lower than seven (also depending on the card). 

· Here is the fun part: Each Vanguard card gives you some benefits that might be considered, such as "ba-roken" in normal Magic play. For example, your creatures are unaffected by summoning sickness, or you draw an extra card each turn.

Now, I’m a fan of all formats that modify game-play, and I would like to see it revived into modern forms of game-play; or at least effectively recycled. 

Character cards are to be played as if they are you, and as I understand it you are a planeswalker, which means that the characters within the character cards are planeswalkers. 

I would also like to see a limited event where you get the planeswalker cards; of course you won’t have them from the start of the game, you will have to draw them from your deck, and they won’t affect your life total or the hand size either, unless that was one of the effects. 

These are just a few of my ideas. A lot of it I have simply adapted from existing, but hey! I’m no card designer. I’ve also improvised with what abilities to give the planeswalkers, but I’ll let you guys be the judges of it all...

With ‘Ertai’, his main effect on his character card is down played, merely because I thought in the planeswalker format it was a bit weak.

All the abilities on this card revolve around the effect “shadow”, as if played right it can be very strong. Now I think ‘Lyna’ would be far more effective as a planeswalker than a character. 
The shadow effect is one I feel is something you do not want all of your creatures to have, especially not all of the time. If for some reason you have a bad drawn and cannot summon any creatures to deal damage, and the ones already out won’t be able to block because of their shadows, you have used the effect in the wrong way... instead you should give them “shadow” during your turn only, therefore there will be a defence when your opponent attacks. 

This is all about mana. Staying true to the character card I think.

Of course, there are tweaks that need making when transferring from character to planeswalker; but again I feel I have to remain as true as I can.

With ‘Tahngarth’ I kept the casting cost low in order to get him into play quickly, because we want haste as quick as we can.

Without a doubt, I had to include ‘Urza’. However I could not think of anything original, so I borrowed a few abilities.

It has to be said that I am not a great fan of ‘Slivers’, but wouldn’t it be interesting to have a Sliver Planeswalker?

Now, I understand that they might not all work, some might be over-powered or potentially under-powered. I said earlier that I am no card designer so further tweaks may be necessary, but this is just a blue-print of what I would like to see; even just as a one off collective set, perhaps even integrated into a core set.

This isn’t the only way I could imagine to recycle old ideas... What if we made current planeswalkers into character cards? This would essentially mean that with the realm of game-play you could not use the same planeswalker card in your deck; this would be a paradox (see legendary creature rule).

Life gain was the name of the game in ‘Ajani Goldmanes’ planeswalker form, so I too kept it that way.

Here I have kept to the idea of dealing damage. Perfect for a burn deck.

Again, I feel I have kept true to the original ability of the card.

Increasing hand size a good move I think.

If I’m honest, I’m not completely sure whether this card is too fair.

I think ‘Sarkhan the Mad’ is my favourite in terms of planeswalkers into character cards. I would look forward to using this one.

I found it was far easier to change “Planeswalker to Character” as I felt it was easier to play down the abilities in a fair way, rather than boosting the abilities into something more powerful.

Though not all of the cards are realistic, I think it is a fun idea that could have some potential in working, and to collectors like me it would make a wonderful gift!