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When discussing other mechanics in Magic, it's often brought up how many of them are similar to kicker.
Plot is definitely not similar to kicker.
If anything, plot is more akin to something like foretell, but you know, now that I think about it, foretell is kind of similar to kicker, in that you can pay two mana at one point in the game, then pay a reduced cost later in the game, giving foretell cards versatility in terms of where on the curve you're able to engage with them.
But maybe that's pushing it a little.
Foretell aside, plot is one of my favorite mechanics in recent memory and it debuted in Outlaws of Thunder Junction. Plot specifically reads:
You may pay {N} and exile this card from your hand. Cast it as a sorcery on a later turn without paying its mana cost. Plot only as a sorcery.
Plot is similar to foretell in that you're exiling the card in question from your hand for a cost, then casting it from exile on a later turn. The difference being that with plot, the pricier cost is always upfront, and it's always free to cast the spell from exile when you want to do so. In that way, plot is also similar to suspend.
The best part about plot is that it feels like a free spell when you're about to cast it - because at that point it kind of is? I was considering including a card like Lock and Load in my Cube. Traditionally, at three mana, it would be difficult to both play a bunch of spells, then also cast Lock and Load in order to draw a bunch of cards. But if you plot it, then it's just a free spell when you really want it most. You could even end up plotting several cards, then casting them all for free on the same turn you cast Lock and Load.
One of the best parts of plot is the agency of it. Unlike something like suspend or rebound, abilities that force you to cast the spell in question as soon as the ability dictates, with plot you only have to cast it when you'll actually benefit from the card's ability. And many cards with plot also have abilities that are satisfying to use with lots of available mana. Makes sense, right?
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Dust Animus is one of my favorites. Sure, you can play it as a 2/3 flier for two mana, or you can plot it, with the intent of making it a 4/5 flier with lifelink as soon as you hit your fifth land. And thanks to plot, all those lands will still be untapped on turn five so you can utilize it for other things, like a counterspell.
So wait...you can deploy a Dust Animus on turn two...or you can deploy it on turn five...as a bigger threat. That sure sounds a lot like kicker!
I joke.
If I had to compare plot to an older mechanic it would probably be storm. Plot is neat because it both feels like storm, rewarding you for playing other cards along with your plot cards in the same turn, and it also plays really well with storm, allowing you to potentially cast a lot of free spells before storming off.
Outcaster Trailblazer is a great example of this. You can plot him to net a mana to use when you cast him from exile, which should help you cast a four-power creature to draw you a card. Pitiless Carnage is also great, allowing you to make sure all your lands are untapped, so you can tap them before sacrificing them, maximizing your ability to cast the spells you draw.
Despite its similarities to foretell - pay an amount of mana to exile a spell, then play it later from exile - plot is a really cool and unique mechanic that I think adds a lot of depth and nuance to the game. It's another one I'm hoping to see again some day.
Frank Lepore
