What Is Dandân?
Written by Carmen Klomparens
Hey there, gamers!
We’re excited to introduce a fresh concept from the Secret Lair team: Dandân! I’m Carmen Klomparens, collaborating with fellow designer Abe Corrigan from the Play Design team to create something extraordinary. So, what’s Dandân all about?
Dandân is designed as a standalone experience for fans of blue magic, crafted by enthusiasts of the same. The gameplay diverges significantly from contemporary Magic, promoting longer, more strategic matches where securing card advantage is crucial. Winning often requires several attacks, and the most intense clashes will occur on the stack.
To enhance this unique experience, Dandân rules slightly differ from traditional Magic. Players begin with 20 life and draw seven cards, maintaining the standard maximum hand size and the risk of losing when attempting to draw from an empty library. However, here are some key distinctions:
- Players share a library and graveyard, meaning any references to “your” zones denote the shared zones.
- The “owner” of a card in play is the player who cast it.
- When multiple players draw cards simultaneously, they do so one at a time starting with the active player.
- If a player takes a mulligan and receives a hand with fewer than two lands or spells, they may reveal it for a free mulligan, but this option ceases after their regular mulligan.
Overall, games resonate similarly to classic Magic, although mulligans tend to be more forgiving, particularly in how shared spaces function. But Dandân isn’t merely a collection of rules; it’s defined by the cards played in it.
Designing Dandân
Written by Abe Corrigan
Hello! I’m Abe Corrigan, a game designer from the Play Design team. As someone passionate about quirky formats and intricate blue gameplay, I’m excited to have collaborated with Carmen Klomparens on the Dandân Deck for Secret Lair. Today, we get to unveil it to you!
Our primary goal was to remain faithful to the Dandân concept as developed by Nick Floyd and the community, avoiding sweeping changes. We aimed to enhance the effectiveness of tempo Dandâns in average games, where strategies involving mana trades and card advantage were found to overshadow early Dandâns. However, we were cautious not to disrupt the balance of engaging, technical games played on the stack. Now, let’s delve into some standout cards!
Notable Inclusions
Supplant Form, a hefty six-mana spell, proved cumbersome and ineffective in early Dandân encounters, while Control Magic, despite its sorcery speed, is a classic card that can shift the game significantly when resolved. Its impact reinforces the central theme of Dandân.
Chart a Course serves as a handy cantrip that rewards attacking with Dandân. We enjoyed the challenge of deciding whether to use it early or save it for better opportunities without an upcoming Dandân attack.
We enjoyed testing an extra-turn spell, which added interesting dynamics in a world influenced by Memory Lapse. The five-mana sorcery can create significant swings in tempo and mana during gameplay. Capture of Jingzhou is challenging to resolve but can lead to remarkable game shifts and strategic plays in the late game.
During testing, we found Diminishing Returns tricky to execute due to its four-mana cost. Players often ended up tapped out, allowing opponents to regain control. We shifted to Day’s Undoing as a more manageable option that fits better within the counterplay dynamics of Dandân.
We experimented with various utility lands to enhance the late game. After removing red options, we looked for diversity in land choices. Haunted Fengraf exemplifies how cards function uniquely in a self-contained environment like Dandân, where randomness is minimized.
Notable Exclusions
While Mystic Retrieval is typically found in Dandân, it can become frustrating if the opponent has the only red source or a mana edge, complicating sorcery-speed resolutions. Consequently, we opted to exclude it, aiming for a purely mono-blue set.
We found Vision Charm to be a significant factor in diminishing the effectiveness of tempo Dandân strategies. The one-mana instant-speed removal is overly powerful, and we believe the game is more enjoyable when players gain an advantage by having multiple Dandâns on the board.
It turns out that sharing is caring; the Secret Lair Dandân Deck has everything you need to explore this beloved format with a friend. This deck will be available through the Chaos Vault at MagicSecretLair.com tomorrow, March 16, at 9 a.m. PT. And don’t forget about Memory Lapse, as they always have it.
