Four Color Wedges, or How Removing Something Makes Things Bigger

Recently, I read a post on MaRo's Tumblr regarding the lack of a four-color wedge set in Magic. I don't remember exactly what it said, but whatever it was, I took it as a challenge.

Right then, I did some research and work, parsing the color wheel and coming up with five reasonable tribes for the five four-color wedges (sans names and only a sketchy backstory).

I started by looking at the main qualities each color represents, then thought about what would happen to the other four colors if that color were no longer there to balance them. I then came up with a possible tribal idea that incorporates the qualities of those four colors, but more to the point the absence of the fifth. Finally, I came up with an ability that fits each tribe (except for one, but you'll see that one).

Here is, word-for-word, copied and pasted from my notes at the time an overview of the five wedge tribes, submitted for your approval:

Without white (Trust, Order)

• U - Advancement without Trust, reason without order - Intelligent / Mechanical
• G - Instinct without Order, Reliance without Trust - Opportunistic / Disloyal
• B - Selfishness - Survivalist / Self-important
• R - Spontaneity - Inventive / Unfiltered

Developers of artifice, as quick to break an alliance as to make one. Innovation above all, and for its own sake.  Artifact-based wedge

Wedge ability: Mechanize - Similar to Unleash - can choose to ETB with a +1/+1 counter and as an artifact creature

Without blue (Advancement, Reason)

• W - Order without Reason, Trust without Advancement - Unshakable / Dogmatic
• B - Selfishness without Advancement, Paranoia without Reason - Protective / Self-righteous
• R - Emotion - Zealous / Radical
• G - Instinct - Confident / Ignorant of consequence

True believers in a long-dead deity. The only truth to them is their god's truth, and they seek to spread that truth to everyone, for to do otherwise will doom the world to a fiery death.

Wedge ability: Martyr (ability word) - Creatures with martyr have either a discard ability to counter spell types or a sac ability to destroy permanent types, or both. (triggered on cast or ETB)

Without black (Selfishness, Paranoia)

• U - Advancement without Selfishness, Reason without paranoia - Altruistic / Ascetic
• R - Spontaniety without selfishness, Emotion without paranoia - Empathic / Overprotective
• W - Trust - Outgoing / Naive
• G - Reliance - Cooperative / Selfless

A peaceful, altruistic people whose kindness is all-too-often mistaken for weakness. They genuinely want what's best for people.

Wedge ability: Utopia - Listed as Utopia X, where X is a number. When you control creatures with total Utopia X (tbd [ed note: I think 20 might be appropriate -JP]), you win the game.

Without Red (Spontaniety, Emotion)

• B - Selfishness without Emotion, Paranoia without Chaos - Scheming / Antipathic
• G - Instinct without Spontaniety, Reliance without Emotion - Conniving / Cold
• W - Order - Disciplined / Infliexible
• U - Reason - Calculating / Machivellian

An organized, decentralized cabal of spies, infintrators, and assassins, seeking to impose their version of order on the world.

Wedge ability: Fluidform <mana> (Transfigure from FS{Future Sight}, expanded to include non-creature permanents)

Without Green (Instinct, Reliance)

• R - Spontaniety without Instinct, Emotion without Reliance - Impulsive / Reckless
• W - Order without Instinct, Trust without Reliance - Libertarian / Hierarchic
• U - Advancement - Self-betterment / Sociopathic
• B - Paranoia - Self-sufficient / Jealous

A loose-knit cabal of self-sufficient scavengers who individually seek to better themselves and dominate both their peers and the world at any cost - to anyone but themselves.

Wedge ability: None: all creatures are vanilla, but pushed. All wedge-based spells affect creatures with no abilities. (re: Muraganda Petroglyphs)

Regarding the no-Green tribe, any enchantments/spells that affect them do not have them gain abilities. For example, an enchantment that would say "Enchanted creature has flying" would instead read "Enchanted creature can block as though it had reach, and can't be blocked except by creatures with flying or reach". Wordy? Yes, but flavorful? You bet!

Anyway, that's my take, and my first update of this blog in several years.

Until next time, remember that you have the power to shape your own reality. Make it a good one.