PowerEdge: Alternative Edge Options

I've decided to try put together some potential alternative edge ideas. The main reason for the requirement of counting the Edge Variation in your Library is that choosing a non-standard edge will definately be taken if it further enhances your main deck mechanics. Therefore, it seems reasonable that you include a 'cost' for this advantage, to try balance it against those who merely take the 'standard edge'. This is also an UNTESTED variation, so I'm keen for people to try playtest on JOL or in RL and tell me if they think it's fun and works well. I'm also keen on developing additional 'edge variations'.

This creates a new card type called an Edge Variation. Edge Variations are placed face up on the table before the game commences and count against the Library size limit. Edge Variations cannot be targeted and are effectively ‘out of play’; they provide a play option to the Methuselah and leave with that Methuselah. A Methuselah can utilise as many Edge Variations as they wish.

When a player gains the Edge, they may place it on its own on the table and use it in the normal ways described in the rule book.

Alternatively they may allocate it to an Edge Variation; by placing the Edge on the card, or the card on the Edge depending on the item used as the Edge. In this case, the player may only use the Edge in the ways described on the Edge Variation.

Imperialist Edge
Edge Variation
You may burn the Edge at the start of your Untap phase to make a vampire Red List; you will need to burn 1 pool for each permanent vote that vampire has.
You may mark a Red List minion during your Untap phase without cost.

Academic Edge
Edge Variation
You may burn the Edge at the start of your Untap to place a card from your hand into your Research Area or to draw a card from your Research Area to your hand. Discard as normal.
While you control the Edge, any vampire you control above capacity 7 may take an action that costs 1 pool to burn the Edge and increase your hand size by 1 until your next Untap phase.

Paranoid Edge
Edge Variation
You may burn the Edge and tap a minion with 5 or more capacity or life to cause a action directed targeting you to fail before it block attempts are declared.

Aggressive Edge
Edge Variation
You may burn the Edge at the start of your Untap phase to cause your prey to burn 1 pool.
You may burn the Edge once during your minion phase to Untap a ready vampire after a combat where the opposing minion is no longer ready.

Alternative edges are a neat idea. Signing up for one before the game is kind of cool.

I like the idea of there being some sort of luck involved, though, like maybe a shared "Edge deck" for all players or something to be used throughout the game?

Something like this perhaps? If you control the Edge at the beginning of your untap phase, reveal the top card of the Edge deck. You may choose to either gain one pool as usual, or alternatively, you may do whatever the card says to do and the Edge becomes uncontrolled. Or maybe even the edge gets transferred to your prey during your discard phase instead, in order to ensure that the Edge deck gets more use throughout the game. What do you think of this? I think it could make for a fun variant as well.

The core idea is to replace the "standard Edge" which currently allows you to gain 1 pool at the start of your untap if you control it then or burn it during any referendum to give you 1 vote.

So the rationale is:
The effect needs to be worth 1 pool, mimic a card that costs 1 pool or provides actions for your vampires that could be considered to be worth 1 pool (the pool you are giving up by not using the 'Standard Edge'

The effects should not enhance any of the standard Tier 1 deck types compared to their current ability. Hence I would NOT be an advocate for an Edge Variation that could be burned for stealth or additional bleed or additional votes during your own turn.

The effects should enhance a number of Tier 2 or Tier X style decks. These are decks that are good, playable, probably a big pile of fun but are unlikely to shred their way through something like the European Champs or a National Championship. These include things like Rush-style decks, wall-ish decks, Trick Decks, Redlist Decks and should potentially increase synergy with cards considered comparatively weak such as Investments, weapons, etc.

Yep, Academic Edge Variation looks great. I would like to say that must realy become a official rule, becoming one more option for edge use. I believe that with VTES ceasing production in the point we are, the Research Area potential came to one early end. So rules like that may be interesting to improve an already existing game mechanic.
I would cut down only the increase your hand size think, so that the rule are not much disturbing.
So final version is like this:

Academic Edge

• You may burn the Edge at the start of your Untap to place a card from your hand into your Research Area or to draw a card from your Research Area to your hand. Discard down to your hand size as normal.

at the start of your Untap

The only thing that happens at the 'start' of your untap phase is 'untapping all of your cards that untap as normal'.

Everything else can be ordered.

So, removing the three extraneous words will make for a simpler Academic Edge.


Academic Edge

* You may burn the Edge during your Untap to place a card from your hand into your Research Area or to draw a card from your Research Area to your hand. Discard down to your hand size as normal.

Adonai wrote:

at the start of your Untap

The only thing that happens at the 'start' of your untap phase is 'untapping all of your cards that untap as normal'.

Everything else can be ordered.

So, removing the three extraneous words will make for a simpler Academic Edge.


Academic Edge

* You may burn the Edge during your Untap to place a card from your hand into your Research Area or to draw a card from your Research Area to your hand. Discard down to your hand size as normal.

Yep, the only thing that are missing now is that rule to become official
Will look for this in the future.