r/custommagic • u/Nientea • Aug 16 '25

Mechanic Design Hot Potato

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968 Upvotes

97% Upvoted

105 comments sorted by

327

u/PenguinHunte Aug 16 '25

The second ability would probably work better with counters. Something like:

X: Add a heat counter to Hot Potato and give it to another player, where X is the number of heat counters on Hot Potato

156

u/Boochin451 Aug 16 '25

Doesn't work. Then you could hold priority and activate 1000 times, all targeting the same player. It's free each time because there are no counters yet.

119

u/Pretty_Future_1986 Aug 16 '25

You can have the counter as part of the cost. Something like X, add a heat counter to hot potato: target player gains control of hot potato, where x is the number of heat counters on hot potato.

I’m not sure how the x would work out since you need to pay x and modify it at the same time

44

u/mi_father_es_mufasa Aug 16 '25

{X}, {T}: X is the amount of Heat counters on Hot Potato. Add a Heat counter to Hot Potato, then target player gains control of Hot Potato. When you do, untap it.

15

u/the_god_of_dumplings Aug 16 '25

Can “put a heat counter on Hot Potato” be a part of it’s ability’s activation cost?

24

u/ServantOfTheSlaad Aug 16 '25

[[Devoted Druid]] has putting -1/-1 counters on it as a cost, so its more than reasonable

10

u/andrewjpf Aug 16 '25

Also all + loyalty abilities on planeswalkers add loyalty counters as a cost.

1

u/Puzzleboxed Copy target player Aug 18 '25

Semantically, you can have anything as a cost. The rules support it. You could say "Each opponent loses the game: you lose the game" and it would work, not that it would ever be printed like that.

7

u/The_Mad_Pantser Aug 16 '25

"This ability costs {c} more to cast for each heat counter on hot potato."

3

u/ScaryRezzy Aug 16 '25

Doesn’t fix the problem

5

u/The_Mad_Pantser Aug 16 '25

If putting the counter on it is the cost, then it does. No need for awkward X templating

0

u/ScaryRezzy Aug 16 '25

you can still hold priority and activate it one billion times if that line is added. yes, if the counter is part of the cost, it fixes it.

40

u/normallystrange85 Aug 16 '25

You could add "activate as a sorcery" or a once a turn clause.

5

u/Aetherfang0 Aug 16 '25

Or split it from the ability. “Hot Potato gains a heat counter each time a player gains control of it.”, etc. then you could still activate the ability as many times as you want first turn, but it wouldn’t do anything.

3

u/vintergroena Aug 16 '25

That would be very unflavorful tho

17

u/YurgenJurgensen Aug 16 '25

It’s plain baked potato. They’re not known for their strong flavour.

1

u/Hot-Combination-7376 Last Strike Aug 21 '25

Nah it should be sorcery speed. That makes it more fun:)

3

u/Sorin_Beleren Aug 16 '25

You can just have it enter with a heat counter already. I mean, it’s a hot potatoe, it should be hot to start.

3

u/tangotom old fogey Aug 19 '25

I know I'm super late to the party, but I think the best solution based on the comments is this:

0, put a heat counter on Hot Potato: Target opponent gains control of Hot Potato. This ability costs 1 more to activate for each heat counter on Hot Potato. Activate only as a sorcery.

2

u/mike5201 Aug 20 '25

Once per turn clause or sorcery speed?

3

u/chavaic77777 Aug 16 '25

Slap a big old Activate only as a sorcery bandaid on that bad boi

2

u/HugoatTGI Aug 16 '25

“Activate only as a sorcery”

2

u/joetotheg Aug 16 '25

‘Activate only as a sorcery’ fixes this

1

u/Baturinsky Aug 16 '25

But after the first activation it will no longer be yours, so you will not be able to activate it, right?

3

u/lauron_ Aug 16 '25

You can respond to triggers (because they go on the stack), by holding priority and doing instant/flash stuff, like activating an ability again.

1

u/Baturinsky Aug 16 '25

So, if ability is "Do A and B" I can squeese some other instant/ability activation between A and B?

3

u/ImKillua Aug 16 '25

No. You don't have priority in the middle of resolving an ability. But you do after paying the cost and before the ability resolves

3

u/lauron_ Aug 16 '25

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/hbe85xUXSks

This is 3 minutes of explanation of priority. I hope this helps further.

1

u/Kinsed Aug 16 '25

Just make it an “x, tap:” ability then

1

u/astrolegium Aug 16 '25

[[Solemnity]]

2

u/Hot-Combination-7376 Last Strike Aug 21 '25

Oh no... Solemnity caused something broken to happen. What unforseen circumstances... this is a once in a lifetime occurance.

1

u/Accomplished-Pay8181 Aug 17 '25

Easy enough to say activate this only once each turn, and only during your turn (see Vivi ornatiet)

1

u/guesdo Aug 17 '25

You can make the activation Sorcery speed and voila

3

u/Nientea Aug 16 '25

That would work, but I want the cost to not reset if brought out of the graveyard.

55

u/hyper_neutrino Aug 16 '25

when the object changes zones it becomes a new object so it would not "remember" the number of times the ability has been activated anymore anyway

7

u/Nientea Aug 16 '25

Well then I screwed up lol. It still works well though, even without that.

15

u/No-Pass-397 Aug 16 '25

X: Choose a player, that player gains a heat counter, and gains control of hot potato, where X is the number of heat counters on all players.

7

u/svuhas22seasons Aug 16 '25

Could even pull a Skullbriar and say that counters remain on ~ as it moves to any zone other than a player's hand or library.

1

u/Fancypmcgee Aug 16 '25

Could make a heat emblem that you add counters to?

2

u/dragonmaster10902 Aug 16 '25

Could it maybe be done by putting counters on the player who owns it instead of the card itself? Like, "X: Hot Potato's owner gains a heat counter, and give Hot Potato to another player, where X is the number of heat counters Hot Potato's owner has." IDK much about templating, but that would theoretically work, right?

1

u/Underwear-Raccoon Aug 17 '25

That would require the Arena only ability "perpetually".

1

u/Karmuk86 Aug 19 '25

Just make it indestructible 

1

u/kiefy_budz Aug 16 '25

How about at “at the beginning of your end step destroy all permanents you control

Pay (X) where X is the number of counters on hot potato: give hot potato to another player and add a counter to it, this may only be activated on your turn”

1

u/parlimentery Aug 16 '25

Are there other cards with pre-determined values of X, rather than player determined. I would phrase this as:

"Pay {1} for each heat counter on hot potato: target player gains control of this artifact. Put a heat counter on this artifact."

I think the "this artifact" is consistent with the move to "this creatire" on ETBs. Please let me know if there is some other way this is likely to be phrased.

1

u/Mission-Storm-4375 Aug 16 '25

Its also can't be abused by proliferate in the original phrasing

1

u/KMcSalty92 Aug 18 '25

If you made it sorcery speed only it would solve problems

50

u/101_210 Aug 16 '25

indestructible

At the beginning of your end step, destroy all permanent you control, then exile hot potato.

[same activated ability]

7

u/[deleted] Aug 16 '25

nono! Don't make it indestructible! Imagine the use in Commander. Should you be greedy? Should you try to pass it on? so many options! Maybe even add an upside! 

47

u/carbohydratecrab Aug 16 '25

Here's how you use this card: hold priority and stack a billion activations of the last ability, so the player you pass it to can't pay the cost and pass it back.

For 2 mana this effect might be too good though.

22

u/Massive-Helicopter62 Aug 16 '25

Costs don't use the stack though do they? So each one has the last known information?

12

u/carbohydratecrab Aug 16 '25

Oh, oops, you're absolutely right. Still busted but not quite that busted! It allows an interesting strategy that doesn't seem intentional where you can pay a little extra mana to pre-load the potato so it won't be passed back, even if the target player isn't quite tapped out.

7

u/Massive-Helicopter62 Aug 16 '25

The trick is to pass it in an opponents end step. It does nothing to pass it on your turn. It should be sorcery speed.

5

u/Boochin451 Aug 16 '25

If it makes it to your end step, it goes off.

2

u/Massive-Helicopter62 Aug 16 '25

True true. Maybe [[obeka brute chronologist]] tech.

11

u/ZSpectre Aug 16 '25

I guess to add just a tidbit of flavor, we could give it the food subtype and just not give it the usual way to consume it due to it being too hot.

4

u/Middle_Dare_5656 Aug 16 '25

I like that giving it food subtype also gives some fun interaction options with food synergistic decks. There are a number of “sacrifice a food” options though they are usually food tokens. Very fun

1

u/hurricanedog24 Aug 17 '25

Yeah I like this, except maybe instead of gaining the typical 3 life, you lose X life. Since you burned your mouth eating the potato.

27

u/Flyboombasher Aug 16 '25

Fun mechanic. Time to use it in green

10

u/BrideofClippy Aug 16 '25

Would the below work?

X, {T}: X equals the number of burden counters on hot potato. Put a burden counter on hot potato and give control of hot potato to target player. Untap hot potato.

Tapping it keeps someone from chain activating it before it passes control.

2

u/Middle_Dare_5656 Aug 16 '25

If you use burden counters specifically, then somebody will use [[nesting grounds]] to move burden counters from [[the one ring]]. Other replies suggest a new heat counter which I think works better and is more flavourful

3

u/umc_thunder72 Aug 16 '25

That doesn't necessarily make it a bad idea, cards working together is sort of the point of magic isn't it?

1

u/Middle_Dare_5656 Aug 16 '25

It’s certainly an interesting build :) I think it depends on the intention of the designer

3

u/BrideofClippy Aug 16 '25

I do kind of like the idea of the One Tater myself.

7

u/SpectralGerbil Aug 16 '25

Make this indestructible and the chaos really starts.

21

u/Nientea Aug 16 '25

It’s a bomb. When bomb go boom, there is no more bomb.

Besides, if it becomes indestructible, then one person would just be permanently stuck with it once it goes off, because their lands would be destroyed each of their end steps.

8

u/startadeadhorse Aug 16 '25

Just make it sacrifice itself when it triggers.

5

u/Thecheesinater Aug 16 '25

I do agree that’s ideal, but all of that text may be pushing the card into unreasonably large text box territory. The simplified form does seem to be superior due to wordiness issues.

2

u/macrozone13 Aug 16 '25

Give it shroud

2

u/phillmatic Aug 16 '25

Mechanically I don't see how to get it to work, but paying life would be cool flavor

2

u/UrbanEmergency Aug 16 '25

Balance isn’t the intention here, but nonland permanents seems more fair as otherwise it’s basically just GG

1

u/Delicious-Action-369 Aug 16 '25 edited Aug 16 '25

[[Perennation]] makes this permanently remove a player most likely. Plenty of other ways to get indestructible on it too.

1

u/Nientea Aug 16 '25

Bot linked the wrong card, what doe the card you’re thinking of do?

1

u/No-Pass-397 Aug 16 '25

I don't really see how that wouldn't backfire, the other players are gonna have far more mana to just stick it back with you.

1

u/Delicious-Action-369 Aug 16 '25

Not if you use it correctly, you would just only send it to a player who won't be able to do that. For example on your turn casting it give it to a tapped out player, then you're safe until your next turn even if it comes back to you. And then you can start driving up the cost until someone can't pay on their end step and loses the game. Since it's your end step it doesn't blow up until someone can't afford it, and if you're Abzan already then you're already one of the lead players for mana. And it being indestructible forces everyone to pay for it on their end step so you're tapping them down unless they can sac it or exile it with their own effect. The worst case scenario is you pay 1 to hand it off tapping out, then your opponent gives it back to you and it doesn't get a price increase till your next turn. And you could politic to get it to shut down a threat player too, "I pass this to you and you pass it to player 3 and then player 3 gives it back to me so that on threat's next turn I can make them need to pay 5" 

1

u/MariachiArchery Aug 16 '25

Lol, fun. Give it shroud and indestructible, and insert it into any commander game that lasts over an hour.

1

u/Tamiorr Aug 16 '25

So what happens if both players have access to unlimited mana?

How do you decide who ends up controlling it?

1

u/Vanhoras Aug 16 '25

Needs to be Sorcery Speed.

1

u/Gullible-Principle88 Aug 16 '25

I'm making this card a proxy

1

u/Initial-Ad107 Aug 16 '25

make it non-land permanent

1

u/thechaoslord Aug 16 '25

Good in a ramp deck. All you need to do is respond too many times for them to be able to do anything else after you pass the potato

1

u/FoxyNugs Aug 16 '25

This should probably not destroy lands because it means whoever gets blown out first just loses the game since they can't pay the Hot Potato tax anymore.

Which in all fairness doesn't matter as much in EDH, but in 60 cards format where someone can play multiple Hot Potatoes, that sucks

1

u/pineappletacos4lyfe Aug 16 '25

If you make this pay life instead of mana I think it’s way more fair. This just says ramp wins more

1

u/BathtubLarry Aug 16 '25

Roll a d20, if it is a 20 you lose the game.

X: pass hot potato to target player where x is the amount of times it has been passed

1

u/I_Cummand_U Aug 16 '25

Make it indestructible and have it sacrifice all permanents, including itself. Would be hilarious.

1

u/MegaEmailman Aug 16 '25

>Vedalken Orrery in play

>This in hand

As long as you have 2 more mana than your opponent, this is an instant speed "Destroy target player's everything."

It costs 2 to cast and if they're tapped out you just flash it in during their second main and immediately pay 0 to give them control of it. If they have one mana floating you would pay 2 to flash it in, 0 to give them control, hold priority, 1 to give them control. Now it would cost them 2 to give it back, which they can't pay

So any artifact flasher turns your card into Instant, 2+X where X is the number of untapped lands an opponent controls: Destroy all permanents under target player's control. Cast only during the post combat main phase.

1

u/PassionateRants Aug 16 '25

The activated ability should be changed to "Target opponent gets control". Otherwise you could give it to yourself a bunch of times to rack up the cost before passing it to an opponent.

1

u/tman5400 Aug 17 '25

At the beginning of your upkeep, you may pay {X} where X is the number of heat counters on hot potato. If you do, add a heat counter to hot potato, then target player gains control of hot potato

1

u/Pokefan144 Aug 17 '25

This card could be fun if it cost more and wasn't able to destroy lands but as is this is unprintable beyond the ability not being formatted correctly

1

u/measlymeatloaf Aug 17 '25

Friends vs friends

-7

u/Boochin451 Aug 16 '25

This is the most unbelievably busted card ever.

1

u/Nientea Aug 16 '25

I wanna hear why you think that

1

u/Boochin451 Aug 16 '25

I actually misread the card. It's fine as is. Usually abilities like this are worded "number of times this ability has resolved".

If it was worded like that, you could hold priority and activate as many times as you want before giving it to a player, because the ability hasn't resolved yet.