Hints at "Q"

Jacois · Joined: 05 Sep 2004 Posts: 452

In Mark Rosewaters column on March 17th, he talks about the ShadowMoor preview pack, and has this to say about "Q"...

#3 – None of the fifteen shown cards have anything to do with "Q." Last July, I gave a hint about something that appears in Shadowmoor. Yes, the item in question did make it to print. No, no one yet (that I've read anyway) has guessed what Q is. This preview booster isn't going to help you. I will give you one more clue, though: the mechanic fits in thematically with the Shadowmoor block. Hybrid mana, by the way, already had a letter, H (which stands for a basic hybrid cost—"All the cards in the cycle cost 2HH.").

Being that the preview booster will not help us, Q has nothing to do with Beseech the Queen, as some players have mused. Mark Rosewaer also points out that, "the mechanic fits in thematically with the Shadowmoor block". What theme could he be talking about? The already known Hybrid? I doubt it simply because I can't think of any way to "interact" with mana.

But, perhaps it interacts with an untapping subtheme, as mentioned here....

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=mtgcom/arcana/1554

It looks like "Turnabout" is a GW precon revolving around untapping....

Last July Mark Rosewater hinted at Q, and had this to say...

"Q - Used to represent something new coming in Jelly. Chosen by its creator (Mark Gottlieb) because the letter that would have been most obvious was already used."

What letter would have been most obvious? The very letter he mentions when talking about Q, H! It's right in front of our eyes! What would interact amazingly with untapping? How about permanents that can "Half tap" ie. turn 45 degrees for an effect. A creature that could halftap, or Q, would effectively get 2 tapping effects a turn, and untapping it would yield 2 more activations!

I could be dead wrong, but the more I think about Q being a half tap, the more obvious it seems. Let me know what you think.

trueeevil · Joined: 08 Dec 2007 Posts: 164

i'm pretty sure that it has to do with untapping "at a whim". maybe a grandeur like ability.

only-3 · Joined: 25 Feb 2008 Posts: 58

Although your ideas are alright I don't think they will happen, "Q" is not the untap thing, no that would not be good, bad for the game in fact. To introduce untapping effects, in such a manor, makes no sense, speculations for months for something that probably wont get much play. We know it's not a keyword mechanic. Like I said in my last post in one of the other topics you started (by the way 3's probably enough) no one will find out what it is untill we actually see it. The previews start on Monday so we could find out as early as then.

Trotsky1 · Joined: 12 Apr 2005 Posts: 764

Also Rosewater talked recently about appealing to new players, the hardest demographic to appeal too and the half tap thing would really make things more complicated so if that is anything to go by its doubtfull assuming of course the new player iniative was inset when shadowmoor was in developement.

Jacois · Joined: 05 Sep 2004 Posts: 452

I really do not see how a half tap could be a problem. Lay 3 cards out in front of you, 1 tapped, 1 untapped, and 1 half tapped. It's very obv. Being that cards with Q will be able to half tap, they can easy be put at the end of your permanents.

I mean seriously, saying that Half tapped cards will be difficult is like saying suspend is difficult because you might think it's a 9/7 with 10 +1/+1 counters on it. I mean come on. When you play a suspend card, you usually keep it off to the side away from your other permanents. As well, if you see your opponent lay a suspend card, you'll pay attetion and know what it is.

Same with Half tappers, or permanents with Q. If your opponent lays a card with Q, just pay attention when it's activated, and hopefully your opponent puts it kind of to the side like they would with a suspended card. It's not like we'll suddenly have Royal Assassin's and swamps half tapped. That would obv be silly, especially in the first set it's introduced.

gypsy · Joined: 15 Jun 2007 Posts: 833

i think half tap is stupid, q is probably something like whenever X happens untap this creature

Ggerg · Joined: 04 Sep 2005 Posts: 399

omg! it's not half tapped! get over it.

thranarama · Joined: 23 Apr 2005 Posts: 176

Think about it, he's basically given everything that we need to try to come up with it. Shadowmoor is a Hybrid set, so maybe Q is the ability to pay another cost instead of tapping for the ability. something like 2/T: Ability

Inferno3 · Joined: 25 May 2006 Posts: 35

half tapping would be a problem because of how people tap their cards normally. People don't always tap their cards the full 90 degrees and adding a half tap would just complicate things immensely. I think this was all discussed in a different thread already...

therorschach · Joined: 27 Mar 2008 Posts: 33

I think maybe Q might be the actually act of untapping the card. for example:

Kinscaer Adept U/w U/W

Q: kinscaer adept deals 1 damage to target creature or player

(If this creature is tapped, you may untap this creature to activate it's ability. Use this ability once each turn)

1/1

Just an idea....[/i]

therorschach · Joined: 27 Mar 2008 Posts: 33

I think if I am right about Q it could be a really cool ability. Like an "untap symbol" in addition to the "tap symbol". I think it would need the "use only once each turn tagged on, because otherwise there would be too many infinite tap/untap combo actions. it would certainly be interesting and just the kinda thing that MaRo is wont to cook up.

Mke410 · Joined: 22 Sep 2004 Posts: 41

I believe Q is a countercockwise arrow for untapping a permanent. As Rosewater said "Q - Used to represent something new coming in Jelly. Chosen by its creator (Mark Gottlieb) because the letter that would have been most obvious was already used." And in the english language any instance of the letter q in a word is immediately followed by the letter u. And U would be obvious for an untap ability. And also recently, as March 24th they released the whole Q things, they did a re-run of a question the friday before.

Q: Why do we tap clockwise rather than anti-clockwise? Is it just arbitrary?
--Tom
London, England

A: From Mike Turian, Magic R&D:

Hey Tom,

There is no official rule about which way to tap Magic cards. Originally there was no symbol to indicate "tap." For instance, the Alpha through Unlimited Prodigal Sorcerer reads "Tap to do 1 damage to any target." In Revised, the "crooked T" symbol was introduced and Prodigal Sorcerer became "T: Do 1 damage to any target."

In Fourth Edition the "crooked T" was replaced and the art designer came up with the international Tap symbol. As I understand it the Tap is a clockwise arrow because it looked more natural as clockwise. A counterclockwise arrow on the left side of the card wasn't as appealing.

I remember playing when my opponent would use beads to indicate tapped status of their cards, primarily as a way to reduce wear. In fact, while doing the research to answer your question I discovered that Mark Rosewater was originally a "beady.” The bead trend was short-lived in Magic as card sleeves were developed to protect individual cards. Just as I have known people to play all of their permanents upside-down or with their lands in front of their spells, it is mainly convention that keeps people turning their cards clockwise.

(This question and answer originally ran on January 18, 2007.)

I think wizards is subtly dropping hints about it. As why would they re-run a question so soon if there wasnt a good reason behind it? I may just simply be over thinking this, but hey its only speculation.

acartizle · Joined: 26 Feb 2006 Posts: 53

it would take the mws team like 5 years to write halftapping into the software.

Vedrfolner · Joined: 04 Apr 2006 Posts: 1221

Name: Shadowfire Sorcerer

Type: Creature - Human Wizard

Casting Cost: 2B

P/T: 1/1

Text:

Tap: Deal 1 damage to target creature or player.

Q (untap): Lose 1 life. Play this ability only when you could play a sorcery, and only once each turn.

..., something like this?

Jorbes · Joined: 14 Feb 2006 Posts: 262 Location: Netherland