Where did all the fun cards go?

[ekans_]

I've recently found these three jewels from Core M12:
Crown of Empires
Scepter of Empires
Throne of Empires
When I first saw Crown of Empires I knew I had to build a deck around this because I don't think that there are many more cards as janky and fun as these three.

But why are there only so few of those cards, especially in more recent sets? I think Magic needs more cards like this printed, that challenge you to build a deck around them in the moment when you first read them.

Or am I just horribly wrong and not seeing all the fun jank?

What's your opinion?

[Judaspriester]

I think we still got some fun cards afterwards now and then, for example Zndrsplt, Eye of Wisdom and Okaun, Eye of Chaos.
But they was and, most likely, will be niche cards. The reason is that these cards allow funny stuff, but, at least at most cases, the stuff isn't very efficient.

Btw, there are more sets like this, for example Animation Module, Decoction Module & Fabrication Module.

If you aim for multiplayer decks, Crown of Doom can also be really entertaining. Watch your opponents burn their mana because they play hot potatoe.

Stuff like Do or Die, Choice of Damnations or Cruel Entertainment can also end up very interesting.

[stuffnsuch]

I feel the same way, but I also see a lot of those really creative and unique cards being from sets like Mirrodin and Kaladesh, which also were decidedly broken.  Giving designers freedom to play around with things like that also seemed to result in some busted stuff alongside the jank.  Still, I think there should be at least a few decidedly exciting Johnny Jank cards in each set.

[MonteTribal]

I love these little flavor sets within a set.
Bogbrew Witch, Festering Newt, Bubbling Cauldron is the only other set I know about (other than the modules mentioned before me)
Demon's Herald and Angel's Herald also has a little bit of the flavor.

it's difficult to find all of them in scryfall.
Bogbrew Witch and Crown of Empires both conform to "o:named" in the effect box, but the modules are just named similarly and have synergistic effects

[MonteTribal]

Oh! And the stations
Blasting Station - Grinding Station -  Salvaging Station - Summoning Station

[yashton]

You have missed the Urza's Mine, Urza's Tower, and Urza's Power-Plant. Laugh all you want but I stick them in my commander decks.

[pizzaplanet]

Also, Helm of Kaldra, Sword of Kaldra, and Shield of Kaldra. Love getting all these out in my Reki, the History of Kamigawa deck.