Hi, I'm working on a new set starting with cards that I recycled from some of my older posts. I want some help making this kind of set, so I made this thread.
Network of Iron is a set that would try to reference elements of many things in the modern world, from a high presence of tech in the military, politics, sociology, democracy, and grey morality. However, there's also mutants, dragons, extremely large amounts of natural disasters, evil and heroic resistance movements, supervillains, demons that aren't evil, angels that are, and religious cults that threaten to destroy this functional society.
Let's take a look at the story component of this expansion.
GRACEKIND CONCORD
The Gracekind Concord is a religious cult bent on bringing authority to the culture of the majority, resting its power on a pure, virtuous leadership created by those that sacrifice the most towards their cause. Those leaders are called the Gracekind. Most of the other governments, especially the MFDF, see these people as blatantly racist, as they seek to destroy "corrupt" groups based on how they originate such as demons, non-majority human races, non-human sentient species, and on top of that despise certain professions like bankers, scientists, and entertainers.
The gracekind tends to have a lot of cards that make a great midrange, stopwatch (aggro-control), or combo deck, but are lacking in sheer aggro firepower and don't have board clear. They have very simple minds and can't understand the concept of drawing cards, or organizing a lot of weak creatures like tokens.
There's also a darker side to the Gracekind... This faction was made by a group of wealthy entrepreneurs that wanted to enhance their financial standing compared to the rest of the world. They think little of people in poverty, but know that faith spreads rapidly among the disenfranchised. To exploit this, they made the Gracekind Concord, in order to enhance their gains from military investment and destroy governments that blocked the activities of its members.
The Gracekind is a caste-like system where the wealthy at the top tend to have affinity with colorless mana. Then there are two groups at the bottom, the ignorant cults that the Gracekind control, and the supervillain-like hideouts and bodyguards that protect and enshroud their activities. Entrance into the Gracekind is determined by birthright. Higher-up Gracekind members are forbidden from interacting with lower-level Gracekind unless their identities are concealed. They are forbidden from breeding with lower-level Gracekind but not with outsiders.
Gracekind also makes use of numerous tools. They hire mercenaries to do dirty work for them. They bring in scientists and spies to enhance their ability to commit terrorism. Finally, they use animals, specializing in magic that controls stupid beasts and use them to destroy major cities with little retaliation.
The gracekind tends to have a lot of cards that make a great midrange, stopwatch (aggro-control), or combo deck, but are lacking in sheer aggro firepower and don't have board clear. They have very simple minds and can't understand the concept of drawing cards, or organizing a lot of weak creatures like tokens.
There's also a darker side to the Gracekind... This faction was made by a group of wealthy entrepreneurs that wanted to enhance their financial standing compared to the rest of the world. They think little of people in poverty, but know that faith spreads rapidly among the disenfranchised. To exploit this, they made the Gracekind Concord, in order to enhance their gains from military investment and destroy governments that blocked the activities of its members.
The Gracekind is a caste-like system where the wealthy at the top tend to have affinity with colorless mana. Then there are two groups at the bottom, the ignorant cults that the Gracekind control, and the supervillain-like hideouts and bodyguards that protect and enshroud their activities. Entrance into the Gracekind is determined by birthright. Higher-up Gracekind members are forbidden from interacting with lower-level Gracekind unless their identities are concealed. They are forbidden from breeding with lower-level Gracekind but not with outsiders.
Gracekind also makes use of numerous tools. They hire mercenaries to do dirty work for them. They bring in scientists and spies to enhance their ability to commit terrorism. Finally, they use animals, specializing in magic that controls stupid beasts and use them to destroy major cities with little retaliation.
MULTIPLE FEDERATION DEFENSE FORCE (MFDF)
Almost all the countries in this world are highly developed and allied to support networks of trade and enhance the prosperity of its citizens. Elections are held in each of these countries at different times, and every 3 to 5 years depending on the country. All of these countries are democratic, but some of the older democracies have fallen to corrupt families and groups seeking to hold onto power at any cost.
However, there are people who seek to protect democracy and enhance the power the people have against these groups. This is going to be featured in a later segment.
The MFDF is able to access any color of mana but has a high tendency to either use hybrid mana, tricolor, or monocolor spells. There are multiple groups inside this coalition that want to make the world better. The MFDF would either use aggro, midrange, or control. They often use modern treatments, tactics, vehicles, and equipment.
The MFDF as a whole steers towards blue/red. Pure blue and pure red are capable of creating their own viable midrange decks. The MFDF can also use aggressive blue and controlling red.
The MFDF isn't just restricted to red and blue however. Their liberal state of mind allows them to accept many ideologies and tolerate white, black, and green. However, there are limits.
However, there are people who seek to protect democracy and enhance the power the people have against these groups. This is going to be featured in a later segment.
The MFDF is able to access any color of mana but has a high tendency to either use hybrid mana, tricolor, or monocolor spells. There are multiple groups inside this coalition that want to make the world better. The MFDF would either use aggro, midrange, or control. They often use modern treatments, tactics, vehicles, and equipment.
The MFDF as a whole steers towards blue/red. Pure blue and pure red are capable of creating their own viable midrange decks. The MFDF can also use aggressive blue and controlling red.
The MFDF isn't just restricted to red and blue however. Their liberal state of mind allows them to accept many ideologies and tolerate white, black, and green. However, there are limits.
REGULATORY DEMOCRATIC UNION (RDU)
The MFDF have numerous political groups, each group representing certain elements that people want. There is a tendency for groups across countries to join together and create international coalitions. This coalition is about ensuring that every person doesn't get left behind. Yes, this is the socialist group.
The RDU operates using either an aggro deck, a combo deck, or a midrange deck.
Though the socialists aren't infallible like how history tells us, they do have a point. What kind of world would it be if you can't afford anything to eat, can't afford housing, moving to a place with cheaper housing, medicine, and risk death just because you don't have money? In a democracy, this political agenda is inevitable.
Also, this faction also thinks that law enforcement should be more effective than what the other groups allow it to be. They tend to be painted as either the hyper-regulatory party or the police state party, a designation which they constantly refuse.
The RDU operates using either an aggro deck, a combo deck, or a midrange deck.
Though the socialists aren't infallible like how history tells us, they do have a point. What kind of world would it be if you can't afford anything to eat, can't afford housing, moving to a place with cheaper housing, medicine, and risk death just because you don't have money? In a democracy, this political agenda is inevitable.
Also, this faction also thinks that law enforcement should be more effective than what the other groups allow it to be. They tend to be painted as either the hyper-regulatory party or the police state party, a designation which they constantly refuse.
FREE ECONOMICS ALLIANCE (FEA)
The MFDF obviously have a free economics political group! What do you think this is, Narnia? The Free Econoics Alliance is made up of businessmen that want to keep the Multiple Federations prosperous. They tend to get into power when people want to have lower taxes, better business opportunities, lower debt, or a larger nest egg.
This political group tends to operate using a midrange, stopwatch, or control plan of action.
Despite being a blatantly right-wing faction, this group is a major advocate of freedom of mobility and fair treatment of minorities. This makes them favored by demons, liches, goblins (even though they are persuaded by all of the major parties) and even the disabled, who tend to swing to this party when they want a direct military response to the Gracekind. Because of this politicians in this group can't stand the Gracekind's antics. When a disabled person is running for leadership in this group, Gracekind activists tend to bait them into causing trouble and making themselves look good.
This political group tends to operate using a midrange, stopwatch, or control plan of action.
Despite being a blatantly right-wing faction, this group is a major advocate of freedom of mobility and fair treatment of minorities. This makes them favored by demons, liches, goblins (even though they are persuaded by all of the major parties) and even the disabled, who tend to swing to this party when they want a direct military response to the Gracekind. Because of this politicians in this group can't stand the Gracekind's antics. When a disabled person is running for leadership in this group, Gracekind activists tend to bait them into causing trouble and making themselves look good.
SUSTAINABLE POLICY INTERNATIONAL (SPI)
The MFDF control some of the world's richest ecosystems. There's a political group that seeks to ensure these ecosystems are treated properly, without getting destroyed by overexploitation. This group also wants to improve contraception laws to prevent overpopulation. This political party has tools for aggressive, stopwatch (tempo), and control decks, to reflect its competence at creating policy that isn't just "**** the poor" or "**** the economy".
This group is mainly scientists, military personnel, and technical people though, which makes it difficult for them to convince the world to follow their advice. They also are disadvantaged when there is a diplomatic crisis, which makes them voted out quickly if force and hard skills will fail.
However, as soon as war starts up, politics can then return to their favor as they tend to give the best policies for wartime activity, such as energy security, espionage, lasting military victories, and wartime transparency.
This group is mainly scientists, military personnel, and technical people though, which makes it difficult for them to convince the world to follow their advice. They also are disadvantaged when there is a diplomatic crisis, which makes them voted out quickly if force and hard skills will fail.
However, as soon as war starts up, politics can then return to their favor as they tend to give the best policies for wartime activity, such as energy security, espionage, lasting military victories, and wartime transparency.
LOCATIONS
This plane is extremely massive and rich in mana. Despite having a major metropolis-themed style, it's loaded with numerous wild locations, each with different resources and opportunities for Planeswalkers. After being conscious about overpopulation, the people on this plane tend to have small families.
Also, remember the supervillain-style lairs that the Gracekind have? I think that is something that should be kept in mind.
This expansion would move back and forth between multicolor, colorless, and monocolor lands. There would also be lands that encourage splashing a color instead of maining two colors.
The plane also suffers natural disasters, which SPI consistently sought to research, react against, and prevent. The best things that is known about natural disasters is how to create them.
Also, remember the supervillain-style lairs that the Gracekind have? I think that is something that should be kept in mind.
This expansion would move back and forth between multicolor, colorless, and monocolor lands. There would also be lands that encourage splashing a color instead of maining two colors.
The plane also suffers natural disasters, which SPI consistently sought to research, react against, and prevent. The best things that is known about natural disasters is how to create them.
WILDLIFE
The wildlife in this plane is common, and often used by either Gracekind to enhance their secret lairs and activities or by the MFDF as utility animals to see what an enemy force is doing.
Active arid ecosystems tend to have small animals that don't really do much. They tend to just be ignored by visiting Planeswalkers. However, those that do try to tame the small animals tend to come out a bit disoriented.
Active marine ecosystems tend to be populated by large animals and fish. For example, drakes. The fish are unimportant and are just eaten as food, managed by fishing quotas that nobody but SPI cares to change, so it's sustainable.
There are animals in cities, but they tend to be cleaned out while it's easy for wildlife to move around said cities.
Active mountainous regions have dragons and docile animals. There's not a lot of food but the dragons are able to sustain themselves through feeding off woodland down below.
Active forested ecosystems tend to have bears, cats, and other medium-sized animals. These can be easily domesticated and researched on but are also equally dangerous.
Active arid ecosystems tend to have small animals that don't really do much. They tend to just be ignored by visiting Planeswalkers. However, those that do try to tame the small animals tend to come out a bit disoriented.
Active marine ecosystems tend to be populated by large animals and fish. For example, drakes. The fish are unimportant and are just eaten as food, managed by fishing quotas that nobody but SPI cares to change, so it's sustainable.
There are animals in cities, but they tend to be cleaned out while it's easy for wildlife to move around said cities.
Active mountainous regions have dragons and docile animals. There's not a lot of food but the dragons are able to sustain themselves through feeding off woodland down below.
Active forested ecosystems tend to have bears, cats, and other medium-sized animals. These can be easily domesticated and researched on but are also equally dangerous.
TECHNOLOGY
The MFDF has access to some of the strongest war machines of any plane. There is also an arms race between the MFDF and the Gracekind for making stronger WMDs or protecting themselves against those weapons.
There are vehicles. In contrast with Kaladesh's majestic creations, the MFDF sought to make effective equipment. This led to machines more in the style of Armored Transport.
From a game balance perspective, I don't know what to do in order to make equipment useful. I think equipment should be used with at least one MFDF deck, but I don't think it would fit in anything I produced so far. It would be a nice colorless deck option for the MFDF, showing that even colorless isn't bad in and of itself.
The MFDF have a control option where there's this new artifact token called bullet tokens. They are produced by mostly red spells and have "
, sacrifice this artifact: ~ deals 1 damage to target creature." There are certain breeds of mercenary that would hammer creatures hit by bullet wounds.
The MFDF and Gracekind also have numerous treatments, tactics, and methods that make their strategies stronger. This is represented in enchantment form via things like auras and global enchantments.
Both factions also are trying to make artificial Planeswalkers, and it would be a dangerous revelation to know that the Gracekind's ways are the norm in most planes due to the modernized nature of this place compared to the feudal nature of most other planes.
There are vehicles. In contrast with Kaladesh's majestic creations, the MFDF sought to make effective equipment. This led to machines more in the style of Armored Transport.
From a game balance perspective, I don't know what to do in order to make equipment useful. I think equipment should be used with at least one MFDF deck, but I don't think it would fit in anything I produced so far. It would be a nice colorless deck option for the MFDF, showing that even colorless isn't bad in and of itself.
The MFDF have a control option where there's this new artifact token called bullet tokens. They are produced by mostly red spells and have "
, sacrifice this artifact: ~ deals 1 damage to target creature." There are certain breeds of mercenary that would hammer creatures hit by bullet wounds.The MFDF and Gracekind also have numerous treatments, tactics, and methods that make their strategies stronger. This is represented in enchantment form via things like auras and global enchantments.
Both factions also are trying to make artificial Planeswalkers, and it would be a dangerous revelation to know that the Gracekind's ways are the norm in most planes due to the modernized nature of this place compared to the feudal nature of most other planes.
: Add 2 mana of any color to your mana pool. At the beginning of your next turn, pay 
or sacrifice a land.
to your mana pool.