Opinions Wanted on a Hearthstone-esq question

[CursedEmbrace]

Hello all. I have am (admittedly quite slowly) writing a series of card-game based stories with a card game based on (though it has deviated slightly) Hearthstone. The first few stories are serving as somewhat of a tutorial for the game for the initiated and in the second story I intend to show off secrets, but in truth I don't like how Hearthstone handles them compared to other ccg's, so I plan on changing it, but I don't know how, however I have a few models in mind and I'd like to see which one (or one of your own suggestion) you guys think has the greatest strategic depth, adds the most to the game ect.

1. Magic the Gathering-esq: You play your secrets initially for nothing. When you wish to activate them (when their conditions are met) you use the mana left over from your last turn to do so.
2. Yu-Gi-Oh-esq (Also the one most traditionally like Hearthstone): You pay for your secrets when you set them. You choose when to activate them provided the conditions for doing so are met.
3. Overload Secrets: This is the idea I had and I couldn't think of a better name for it but basically you set your secrets for nothing, then when you want to activate them (when the conditions are met) you pay whatever the cost of the secret is, but that payment, much like the Hearthstone Overload mechanic locks out mana from your next turn.

I like the idea of Overload Secrets because of the ability to keep the audience in the dark as to the possible power of the secret until it is finally sprung, cos if you used the "Yu-Gi-Oh-esq" system and you wanted to set a nine mana secret then the audience and the participants in the duel would know that the secret is going to have a certain amount of power, or a great breadth to its effect. One thing I like additionally about the Magic-esq and Overload ideas is that a character could make use of a secret that they can't realistically pay for at a certain stage of the game as a bluff.

The reason I like the Overload system over the Magic-inspired one at the moment is that in magic if a person leaves a bunch of mana un-tapped you can more or less expect them to have some kind of spell or what not to counteract something you're doing, similarly I think if a player of this hearthstone-like card game leaves themselves 4 mana open at the end of a turn with a secret kind of sign posts the relative power of the secret, so its impact won't be as surprising to their opponent or the reader.

Now those are just my quick thoughts on the matter and I just wonder what you all think on the subject, also if you have any other suggestions for how the secrets/traps thing could be implemented feel free to post them.

Thank you all in advance for taking the time to read and comment.

[jackofwind]

That's not how Enchantments and Instants work in MtG though - you pay up front for the initial spell, and then the Enchantment on-use ability costs more (if it's even playable outside of your turn), while Instants simply trigger instantly and are paid for up front.

[CursedEmbrace]

That's not how Enchantments and Instants work in MtG though - you pay up front for the initial spell, and then the Enchantment on-use ability costs more (if it's even playable outside of your turn), while Instants simply trigger instantly and are paid for up front.

Oh I'm more or less aware of that (must admit I've played less MTG than Hearthstone or Yu-Gi-Oh) but the name for the particular incarnation and for the idea itself was adding the secret mechanic to this almost-Hearthstone style game in as Magic a way as possible, so I was never claiming that in MTG you have to set instants to then activate later or anything.

[Calene]

I think I prefer number two as I quite like the Duel Monster's way of dealing with traps. I myself don't like how you can't choose when to activate secrets in Hearthstone.

[CursedEmbrace]

I think I prefer number two as I quite like the Duel Monster's way of dealing with traps. I myself don't like how you can't choose when to activate secrets in Hearthstone.

Just to clarify all three of the proposed implementations would have the 'you choose when you activate your secrets so long as their conditions are met.' found in Yu-Gi-Oh (or Duel Monsters, if you want to use the name for the card game in the anime).