I think that in the last years due the obcession with the mage class i kinda craked the code for it’s design.
The main word to describe it would be evolution.
Why?
Mages in general are supposed to have the most powerfull spells by going all in with the theme but this brings a key problem.
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It isn’t the only spellcaster so just having all spells more powerfull than everyone in the spellcasting theme can’t really be a class identity alone.
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Powercreep burn spells effects would mean getting burn deck with the same level of actual minion based aggro deck. Making people die turn 5 from spells.
And no. While synergies really did increase in the amount of spell damage in the end game for example.
There was no powercreep in the sense that no one printed stuff like:
2 mana
deal 4 damage.
That while some would think to be outrageous would fir perfectly with nowadays powercreep.
That is where the main word for it’s design enter as a solution.
You bring ways to the power of your spells evolve during the game. Not only directly but also getting synergies that other classes will never have acess.
This is where most sucessful mage decks come from.
From cards that evolve the more you play the match(usually involving spells in the method).
You can go from stuff like inquisitive creation to older stuff like mana wyrm.
This is also why OTK is part of it’s design. Reaching OTK means “evolving” during the match enough to reach to a singularity level and win.
Other important point is card generation:
You can play with cards that are basically 2/3 cards in one. Like void scripture.
That way you can also enter attrition wars and cover “the other side” of your evolution if you want.
Basically the mage class is gifted with the real possibility of doing anything it wants provided the player lives enough.
That way the powercreep for damage in general is deemed as unnecessary and only need to happen in the high end of the spectrum(in OTK decks and stuff like that) without the necessity of stuff like:
2 mana deal 4 damage spells for the class.
That while in theory would be just going together with the powercreep of the recent years in practice would result in people really pissed about it because damage really gets people whinning.
