In reviewing what UB needs from an evergreen mechanic, I looked at what I thought an evergreen mechanic needed:
* Easy to understand
* Require few words to describe
* Can fit in multiple environments (mechanically and thematically)
* Have several commons per set
* Appear on a card by itself (or at least in a very simple form, such as Equip or Scry)
In addition, UB has some extra needs:
* Be a creature mechanic, preferably relating to combat
* Add to what the colours can do, rather than playing in existing space (i.e. evasion abilities)
* Fit both colours (this pair has some of the least crossover at common)
With this in mind, I tried out a whole range of ideas but kept returning to this:
To test out this mechanic in its simplest form, here are a bunch of French vanilla commons (obviously not all needing to appear in the same set). I want each to feel and play differently.
Flitting Ideas 1U
Enchantment - Aura
Enchant creature you control
Enchanted creature has flying and syphon
When ~ is put into a graveyard from anywhere, you may pay U. If you do, return it to the battlefield enchanting target creature you control.
Illusory Serpent 3UU
Creature - Serpent Illusion
Whenever ~ becomes the target of a spell or ability, sacrifice it.
Syphon
6/6
Mind Witherer 2B
Creature - Human Wizard
Syphon 3BB, T, Sacrifice a creature: Target opponent discards two cards from their hand. Activate this ability only during your turn.
1/3
Shrieking Vulture 2BB
Creature - Bird
Flying
When ~ enters the battlefield, other creatures you control get +1/+0 and gain syphon until end of turn.
Syphon
2/2
Stitched Monstrosity 2UB
Creature - Zombie
Syphon 3UB: Return ~ from your graveyard to the battlefield tapped.
4/2
Psychic Corruption 3UB
Enchantment - Aura
Enchant creature
You control enchanted creature.
Enchanted creature has syphon.
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Gaymer
Custom Card / Set Reviewer
When reviewing custom cards / sets, I look for (a) flavour, (b) function, and (c) cohesiveness, generally through a risk focus.
I'm not a huge fan of this because it's blank on the battlefield. The closest-to-blank keyword we currently have is haste, which matters a lot. I feel like syphon only kind of cushions the impact of losing a dude, which to be honest I feel isn't super great.
I kinda like this mechanic, but not the name. "Syphon" comes off more like lifelink than its actual effect. I can see how it fits the effect, but it's not the first thing that comes to mind.
Also, this effect feels almost not wordy enough to justify a new keyword. It's definitely the kind of effect I could see showing up in higher volume to fill the purpose of an evergreen keyword, but I feel like it doesn't really need a keyword.
If there's a better word to use as the keyword, then I'd be all for it. Most evergreen keywords resonate with enough flavor that people can usually get a very good idea of what it does without needing the reminder text, but I don't think "Syphon" does that. Then again, neither does Prowess, but that keyword has its own problems.
TL DR: Yes to the effect, No to the name.
Edit: I might suggest words like "Deathrattle" or "Last Breath" or something for the name. "Dying wish" is another one that I quite like. Maybe "Last thoughts"? idk, something like that.
@willows - I see what you mean, as it doesn't impact on the board too much. It's an interesting mechanic from a lenticular perspective as newer players will see it as a weak compensation for having their creature killed, while more experienced players will see it as influencing attacking / blocking in a significant way. I believe it fits with UB always looking for a 2-for-1 and being sneaky in how they influence combat.
@Watchwolf - Yeah it was just a placeholder name. Maybe glean / pluck / extract / gather? Also, I think the fact that it takes up very few words actually pushes it towards being keyworded. It's quick to explain (making chunking easier), can work in multiples in sets, and by shrinking some reminder text it allows for other abilities.
Overall it's not what I would consider a prefect fit for an evergreen mechanic, but comes rather close. Perhaps, like prowess, that is enough?
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Gaymer
Custom Card / Set Reviewer
When reviewing custom cards / sets, I look for (a) flavour, (b) function, and (c) cohesiveness, generally through a risk focus.
Deathnote is certainly a better name than "Syphon". I kind of like this effect, but notice how everyone is forgetting this effect has to cost 1.5-2 mana, because cantrip is 2 mana.
While this is a flavorful mechanic... it's also not evergreen for this very reason. With possibly the exception of Double Strike, any existing keyword costs .5-1 mana to add to an on-color creature. Sometimes 0 according to WOTC - Reach and Trample are the key examples of this.
And yes, I realize Blackmail is going to always cost that 1 mana, and is going to require designers to pay attention when doing their job. Just like they do with most keywords for limited.
Actually this effect only adds .5-1 mana as demonstrated by the commons already existing in blue. It's a delayed cantrip which is why that extra mana can afford ot be shaved off; you may not always get the card.
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Gaymer
Custom Card / Set Reviewer
When reviewing custom cards / sets, I look for (a) flavour, (b) function, and (c) cohesiveness, generally through a risk focus.
I'm not a fan of deathnote, it sounds like a reference to that anime. You don't want to name game mechanics after someone else's IP. Siphon is fine (I would go for the normal spelling.)
Sorry. My intent wasn't to recommend a name for the ability. I was pointing out that MOON-E suggested it in the UB Evergreen Keyword thread nearly 2 years ago. Read the posts that follow it, and ya'll will see (or be reminded) why the thread drags on to this day.
I'll echo concerns that this mechanic doesn't make creatures any more of a threat. It blanks certain types of removal, which makes it a worse version of hexproof, and it makes trades go in your favor, which is a worse version of first strike. It works well with synergy, but the only evergreen mechanic that needs help is prowess, which uses a much broader category of cards than just sac outlets. It's also much more useful on creatures you don't mind losing, like deathtouch, except that deathtouch is a meaningful threat that forces your opponent to play around it.
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* Easy to understand
* Require few words to describe
* Can fit in multiple environments (mechanically and thematically)
* Have several commons per set
* Appear on a card by itself (or at least in a very simple form, such as Equip or Scry)
In addition, UB has some extra needs:
* Be a creature mechanic, preferably relating to combat
* Add to what the colours can do, rather than playing in existing space (i.e. evasion abilities)
* Fit both colours (this pair has some of the least crossover at common)
With this in mind, I tried out a whole range of ideas but kept returning to this:
Syphon (When this dies, draw a card.)
Blue has this in quantity already (e.g. Kingfisher, Jeskai Sage, Exultant Cultist, Darkslick Drake), though currently in black it's generally at higher rarities and focused on other creatures (e.g. Duck Urchins, Infernal Scarring, Harvester of Souls, Grim Haruspex,
To test out this mechanic in its simplest form, here are a bunch of French vanilla commons (obviously not all needing to appear in the same set). I want each to feel and play differently.
Dream Fragment
U
Creature - Illusion
Syphon
0/2
Creeping Shadow
B
Creature - Horror
Syphon
~ can't block.
1/1
Dashing Messenger
1U
Creature - Human Scout
Flash
Syphon
1/1
Brain Chomper
1B
Creature - Zombie
Syphon
2/1
Curious Turtle
2U
Creature - Turtle
Syphon
1/4
Thirsty Vampire
2B
Creature - Vampire
Lifelink
Syphon
2/1
Hunting Osprey
3U
Creature - Bird
Flying
Syphon
3/1
Scavenger Scarab
3B
Creature - Beetle
Syphon
3/2
Custom Card / Set Reviewer
When reviewing custom cards / sets, I look for (a) flavour, (b) function, and (c) cohesiveness, generally through a risk focus.
I̟̥͍̠ͅn̩͉̣͍̬͚ͅ ̬̬͖t̯̹̞̺͖͓̯̤h̘͍̬e͙̯͈̖̼̮ ̭̬f̺̲̲̪i͙͉̟̩̰r̪̝͚͈̝̥͍̝̲s̼̻͇̘̳͔ͅt̲̺̳̗̜̪̙ ̳̺̥̻͚̗ͅm̜̜̟̰͈͓͎͇o̝̖̮̝͇m̯̻̞̼̫̗͓̤e̩̯̬̮̩n͎̱̪̲̹͖t͇̖s̰̮ͅ,̤̲͙̻̭̻̯̹̰ ̖t̫̙̺̯͖͚̯ͅh͙̯̦̳̗̰̟e͖̪͉̼̯ ̪͕g̞̣͔a̗̦t̬̬͓͙̫̖̭̻e̩̻̯ ̜̖̦̖̤̭͙̬t̞̹̥̪͎͉ͅo͕͚͍͇̲͇͓̺ ̭̬͙͈̣̻t͈͍͙͓̫̖͙̩h̪̬̖̙e̗͈ ̗̬̟̞̺̤͉̯ͅa̦̯͚̙̜̮f͉͙̲̣̞̼t̪̤̞̣͚e̲͉̳̥r͇̪̙͚͓l̥̞̞͎̹̯̹ͅi͓̬f̮̥̬̞͈ͅe͎ ̟̩̤̳̠̯̩̯o̮̘̲p̟͚̣̞͉͓e͍̩̣n͔̼͕͚̜e̬̱d̼̘͎̖̹͍̮̠,͖̺̭̱̮ ̣̲͖̬̪̭̥a̪͚n̟̲̝̤̤̞̗d̘̱̗͇̮͕̳͕͔ ͖̞͉͎t̹̙͎h̰̱͉̗e̪̞̱̝̹̩ͅ ̠̱̩̭̦p̯̙e͓o̳͚̰̯̺̱̰͔̘p̬͎̱̣̼̩͇l̗̟̖͚̠e̱͉͔̱̦̬̟̙ ̖͚̪͔̼̦w̺̖̤̱e͖̗̻̦͓̖̘̜r̭̥e͔̹̫̱͕̦̰͕ ̗͔̠p̠̗͍͍̱̳̠r̰͔͎̰o͉̥͓̰͚̥s̟͚̹̱͔̣t͉̙̳̖͖̪̮r̥̘̥͙̹a͉̟̫̟̳̠̟̭t͈̜̰͈͎e̞̣̭̲̬ ͚̗̯̟͙i͍͖̰̘̦͖͉ṇ̮̻̯̦̲̩͍ ̦̮͚̫̤t͉͖̫͕ͅͅh͙̮̻̘̣̮̼e͕̺ ͙l͕̠͎̰̥i̲͓͉̲g̫̳̟͈͇̖h̠̦̖t͓̯͎̗ ̳̪̘̟̙̩̦o̫̲f̙͔̰̙̠ ̹̪̗͇̯t͖̼̼͉͖̬h̹͇̩e͚̖̺̤͉̹͕̪ ͚͓̭̝̺G͎̗̯̩o̫̯̮̟̮̳̘d̜̲͙̠-̩̳̯̲̗̜P̹̘̥͉̝h͍͈̗̖̝ͅa͍̗̮̼̗r̜̖͇̙̺a̭̺͔̞̳͈o̪̣͓̯̬͙̯̰̗h̖̦͈̥̯͔.͇̣̙̝
Flitting Ideas
1U
Enchantment - Aura
Enchant creature you control
Enchanted creature has flying and syphon
When ~ is put into a graveyard from anywhere, you may pay U. If you do, return it to the battlefield enchanting target creature you control.
Illusory Serpent
3UU
Creature - Serpent Illusion
Whenever ~ becomes the target of a spell or ability, sacrifice it.
Syphon
6/6
Mind Witherer
2B
Creature - Human Wizard
Syphon
3BB, T, Sacrifice a creature: Target opponent discards two cards from their hand. Activate this ability only during your turn.
1/3
Shrieking Vulture
2BB
Creature - Bird
Flying
When ~ enters the battlefield, other creatures you control get +1/+0 and gain syphon until end of turn.
Syphon
2/2
Stitched Monstrosity
2UB
Creature - Zombie
Syphon
3UB: Return ~ from your graveyard to the battlefield tapped.
4/2
Psychic Corruption
3UB
Enchantment - Aura
Enchant creature
You control enchanted creature.
Enchanted creature has syphon.
Custom Card / Set Reviewer
When reviewing custom cards / sets, I look for (a) flavour, (b) function, and (c) cohesiveness, generally through a risk focus.
Also, this effect feels almost not wordy enough to justify a new keyword. It's definitely the kind of effect I could see showing up in higher volume to fill the purpose of an evergreen keyword, but I feel like it doesn't really need a keyword.
If there's a better word to use as the keyword, then I'd be all for it. Most evergreen keywords resonate with enough flavor that people can usually get a very good idea of what it does without needing the reminder text, but I don't think "Syphon" does that. Then again, neither does Prowess, but that keyword has its own problems.
TL DR: Yes to the effect, No to the name.
Edit: I might suggest words like "Deathrattle" or "Last Breath" or something for the name. "Dying wish" is another one that I quite like. Maybe "Last thoughts"? idk, something like that.
@Watchwolf - Yeah it was just a placeholder name. Maybe glean / pluck / extract / gather? Also, I think the fact that it takes up very few words actually pushes it towards being keyworded. It's quick to explain (making chunking easier), can work in multiples in sets, and by shrinking some reminder text it allows for other abilities.
Overall it's not what I would consider a prefect fit for an evergreen mechanic, but comes rather close. Perhaps, like prowess, that is enough?
Custom Card / Set Reviewer
When reviewing custom cards / sets, I look for (a) flavour, (b) function, and (c) cohesiveness, generally through a risk focus.
While this is a flavorful mechanic... it's also not evergreen for this very reason. With possibly the exception of Double Strike, any existing keyword costs .5-1 mana to add to an on-color creature. Sometimes 0 according to WOTC - Reach and Trample are the key examples of this.
And yes, I realize Blackmail is going to always cost that 1 mana, and is going to require designers to pay attention when doing their job. Just like they do with most keywords for limited.
Actually this effect only adds .5-1 mana as demonstrated by the commons already existing in blue. It's a delayed cantrip which is why that extra mana can afford ot be shaved off; you may not always get the card.
Custom Card / Set Reviewer
When reviewing custom cards / sets, I look for (a) flavour, (b) function, and (c) cohesiveness, generally through a risk focus.