Rewards & Run Away Victories

[3XXXDDD]

Currently in the System CCG, I'm creating these cards known as "Systems" themselves, each of these cards is an abstraction of a player's life value.

As an aside from being Health Points, they also have 2 states "On" (controlled by the owner) and "Off" (controlled by the opponent.) There is an effect per each state benefiting the current controlling player.

What I'm worried about is how to exactly create these effects as to not give a boost too early during the game for the owner nor letting the first player to turn one off with a run away victory from the first reward gained.

As an extra note, What other win conditions could I possibly use instead of Life or System States (Milling or something.)

So yeah, I'd love to hear any ideas anyone would have.

[Wisp]

Having Systems turned off could give you a boost to another resource. For example, there's a game in which when you take damage, the damage is represented by additional colourless resource cards. So getting close to dying gives you more resources to work with. That stops run away victories.

[3XXXDDD]

Indeed it does. I think I figured out my problem.

Assume there is one System Card per player with X (Say 10) Life. When damage is dealt to the System, the defending player places the top card of their deck under it to show how much damage it has taken.

This System also contains various effects the opponent may activate if they have dealt sufficient damage to the Player's System. However, to activate said effects they must discard a number of cards underneath the System Card until the damage is equal to number need to activate the effect previous to the current effect being activated.

Example:

System 10 Life
1 Damage - Draw A Card
3 Damage - Destroy a Card

The System is currently at 3 Damage. The Player chooses to activate the effect to destroy a card, so he then removes two of the cards underneath it to the System's Owner's discard pile to revert back down to the previous effect.

So essentially, to activate these effects, your also simultaneously helping your opponent and creating this back and forward momentum. Your trading Damage Tempo for Card Vantage.