Custom Mechanic - Spotlight

[Guardman]

So I was playing around with a mechanic that was actually inspired from the Socialite trait in Team Fight Tactics and I am looking for thoughts and feedback on it since it is a little bit different than any mechanic that I've seen before.

Spotlight (When this permanent enters the battlefield, if you don't control a spotlight, you gain a spotlight for the rest of the game.)

Spotlight
At the beginning of combat on your turn, you may choose a creature you control to enter the spotlight. It gets +1/+1 until end of turn.

Then it there could be cards like:

Flamboyant Sword Dancer 4w
Creature - Human Warrior
Spotlight (When this creature enters the battlefield, if you don't control a spotlight, you gain a spotlight for the rest of the game.)
Whenever a creature you control enters the spotlight, it gains double strike until end of turn.
2/2


Dazzling Performance w
Instant
Choose one. If Dazzling Performance targets a creature you control in the spotlight, instead choose both. -

• Target creature you control gets +2/+2 until end of turn.
• Target creature you control gains indestructible and hexproof until end of turn.

Captivating Duet 2rw
Creature - Human Citizen
Spotlight (When this creature enters the battlefield, if you don't control a spotlight, you gain a spotlight for the rest of the game.)
Whenever another creature you control enters the spotlight, Captivating Duet enters the spotlight as well.
3/3

[user_938036]

Seems great but you actively don't want this to be an emblem. You want this like the city's blessing or the monarch. Just something that when active its perpetual. As an emblem you leave the question of how do I get more and that runs counter to the concept of a spotlight.

Speaking of card designs. I would only change captivating duet so whenever a creature gets the spot light it also gets it instead of choosing two creatures to get the spotlight.

[Legend]

"Entering" the spotlight might conflict with "entering" the battlefield.

If you were to keep the ability as is, it'd be all but necessary to include the rules next of the Spotlight emblem in the reminder text of the spotlight ability, which would be lengthy indeed. Are you determined to have the flavor of a spotlight? If not maybe there's another way to get the same effect that has a little more design space and backwards compatibility. Something like:

Supporting Character (Common)
1W
Creature - Human Actor
3/1
Your main character has vigilance. (The creature you control with greater mana value than all others you control is your main character.)

[Guardman]

"Entering" the spotlight might conflict with "entering" the battlefield.

If you were to keep the ability as is, it'd be all but necessary to include the rules next of the Spotlight emblem in the reminder text of the spotlight ability, which would be lengthy indeed. Are you determined to have the flavor of a spotlight? If not maybe there's another way to get the same effect that has a little more design space and backwards compatibility. Something like:

Supporting Character (Common)
1W
Creature - Human Actor
3/1
Your main character has vigilance. (The creature you control with greater mana value than all others you control is your main character.)

Considering no monarch cards have rules text about what monarch does, and spotlight is meant to play in a similar vein, I don't think it is necessary to spell it all out on each card. Also, while similar, main character is a very different mechanic. A big point of spotlight is one you can choose a different creature to spotlight each turn and two once you gain the spotlight it never goes away the rest of the game.

You do make an interesting point about "entering" the battlefield confusion. But I don't think it actually matters. As far as I know, entering does not specifically connect to or have specific rules implication to the battlefield. And I feel it is different enough in context and play not to actually confuse anyone.