I've generally loved the idea of various sorts of no-mana-cost cards coming out, one of the more (probably) difficult to implement would be no-mana-cost creatures. So I've decided to set up an example or two... to see, in the least, how they could be implemented.
Mistform Mage {no mana cost}
Creature - Illusion Wizard
~this~ is Blue.
T: Draw a card. ~this~ doesn't untap during your next untap step.
Morph UU
1/1
Slow Lightning {no mana cost}
Creature - Elemental
~this~ is Red.
Trample, Haste
Suspend 2 - RRR
6/1
Dead Beat Warden {no mana cost}
Creature - Zombie
~this~ is Black.
If ~this~ is in your hand, you may discard all cards but ~this~. If you do, put ~this~ into play tapped.
As ~this~ comes into play, ~this~ deals damage to you opponent equal to the number of cards discarded to bring ~this~ into play.
2/3
Cowardly Cavalry {no mana cost}
Creature - Soldier
~this~ is White.
If ~this~ is in your hand, you may pay WWW. If you do, remove it from the game. At the end of your turn, put it into play under your control.
First Strike
3/1
Beast of the Rift {no mana cost}
Creature - Beast
~this~ is Green.
Trample
At the beginning of your combat phase, if this is in your hand, you may pay 6GGG. If you do, put all creature cards except for ~this~ from your hand into play and attacking. At the beginning of your next combat phase, put ~this~ into play, tapped and attacking, with X +1/+1 counters on it, where X is the number of creatures put into play with this ability (This does not include ~this~.).
4/4
Hoping for loads of comments, and would love to see some other no mana cost cards.
With text like that of the green one, i doubt people would be able to read the card, unless it was jumbo-sized
And fair enough with the Mistform thing.... I'd kinda forgotten about them. I just thought "blue... draw card" and went from there.
Temporal Sliver {no mana cost}
Creature - Sliver
~this~ is Blue and White.
All slivers have "WU, T: Target permanent phases out."
During your main phase, if ~this~ is in your hand, you may pay 1WU. If you do, put ~this~ into the phased-out zone.
1/1
Keep in mind Stir the Grave and Unearth as well. Each of these has CMC 0. In other words, it is feasible even in Extended to get powerful creatures from your graveyard for only B if they have no mana cost.
About any "subpar" mechanics or cards: Context is king.
If I make a templating or grammar error, let me know.
The franchise MtG most resembles is Battlestar Galactica. Why? Its players exist in, at most, a dozen different models at any given point in time, with perhaps up to 3% variation, 5% if you're lucky.
Mistform Mage — Morph is a great way of playing a creature without a mana cost, but for the most part it would be better if it did have a mana cost. This is just a worse Archivist.
Slow Lightning — It doesn't need haste if you are playing it with suspend. This is a big yawn compared to the other no mana cost suspend cards.
Dead Beat Warden — What is with the bizarre way of wording an activated ability? This seems more red than black, although it can be played in any deck no matter what color it is which is the biggest problem with it.
Discard all of the other cards in your hand: Put [Cardname] into play from your hand tapped. It deals damage to an opponent equal to the number of cards you discarded this way.
Cowardly Cavalry — This essentially has flash, but you just can't block with it until after your next turn.
WWW, Remove [Cardname] from your hand from the game: At the end of your turn, put [Cardname] into play under its owner's control.
Beast of the Rift — You can not have triggered abilities that trigger from your hand... well, you could, but the only way it would trigger is if an opponent had a Telepathy in play. Most of the time, your hand is hidden information, and abilities can't trigger from hidden zones.
6GGG, Remove [Cardname] from your hand from the game: Put any number of creature cards from your hand into play tapped and attacking, then put that many +1/+1 counters on [Cardname]. At the beginning of your next declare attackers step, put [Cardname] into play tapped and attacking. Play this ability only during your declare attackers step.
Dead Beat Warden — What is with the bizarre way of wording an activated ability? This seems more red than black, although it can be played in any deck no matter what color it is which is the biggest problem with it.
Discard all of the other cards in your hand: Put [Cardname] into play from your hand tapped. It deals damage to an opponent equal to the number of cards you discarded this way.
Don't forget "Reveal ~ from your hand". People have to actually see the card the ability derives from. Why else do you think they added the clause to each Azorius card's forecast ability?
About any "subpar" mechanics or cards: Context is king.
If I make a templating or grammar error, let me know.
The franchise MtG most resembles is Battlestar Galactica. Why? Its players exist in, at most, a dozen different models at any given point in time, with perhaps up to 3% variation, 5% if you're lucky.
Mistform Mage {no mana cost}
Creature - Illusion Wizard
~this~ is Blue.
T: Draw a card. ~this~ doesn't untap during your next untap step.
Morph UU
1/1
Slow Lightning {no mana cost}
Creature - Elemental
~this~ is Red.
Trample, Haste
Suspend 2 - RRR
6/1
Dead Beat Warden {no mana cost}
Creature - Zombie
~this~ is Black.
If ~this~ is in your hand, you may discard all cards but ~this~. If you do, put ~this~ into play tapped.
As ~this~ comes into play, ~this~ deals damage to you opponent equal to the number of cards discarded to bring ~this~ into play.
2/3
Cowardly Cavalry {no mana cost}
Creature - Soldier
~this~ is White.
If ~this~ is in your hand, you may pay WWW. If you do, remove it from the game. At the end of your turn, put it into play under your control.
First Strike
3/1
Beast of the Rift {no mana cost}
Creature - Beast
~this~ is Green.
Trample
At the beginning of your combat phase, if this is in your hand, you may pay 6GGG. If you do, put all creature cards except for ~this~ from your hand into play and attacking. At the beginning of your next combat phase, put ~this~ into play, tapped and attacking, with X +1/+1 counters on it, where X is the number of creatures put into play with this ability (This does not include ~this~.).
4/4
Hoping for loads of comments, and would love to see some other no mana cost cards.
And fair enough with the Mistform thing.... I'd kinda forgotten about them. I just thought "blue... draw card" and went from there.
Temporal Sliver {no mana cost}
Creature - Sliver
~this~ is Blue and White.
All slivers have "WU, T: Target permanent phases out."
During your main phase, if ~this~ is in your hand, you may pay 1WU. If you do, put ~this~ into the phased-out zone.
1/1
About any "subpar" mechanics or cards: Context is king.
If I make a templating or grammar error, let me know.
The franchise MtG most resembles is Battlestar Galactica. Why? Its players exist in, at most, a dozen different models at any given point in time, with perhaps up to 3% variation, 5% if you're lucky.
Slow Lightning — It doesn't need haste if you are playing it with suspend. This is a big yawn compared to the other no mana cost suspend cards.
Dead Beat Warden — What is with the bizarre way of wording an activated ability? This seems more red than black, although it can be played in any deck no matter what color it is which is the biggest problem with it.
Discard all of the other cards in your hand: Put [Cardname] into play from your hand tapped. It deals damage to an opponent equal to the number of cards you discarded this way.
Cowardly Cavalry — This essentially has flash, but you just can't block with it until after your next turn.
WWW, Remove [Cardname] from your hand from the game: At the end of your turn, put [Cardname] into play under its owner's control.
Beast of the Rift — You can not have triggered abilities that trigger from your hand... well, you could, but the only way it would trigger is if an opponent had a Telepathy in play. Most of the time, your hand is hidden information, and abilities can't trigger from hidden zones.
6GGG, Remove [Cardname] from your hand from the game: Put any number of creature cards from your hand into play tapped and attacking, then put that many +1/+1 counters on [Cardname]. At the beginning of your next declare attackers step, put [Cardname] into play tapped and attacking. Play this ability only during your declare attackers step.
This is a very ugly and complex ability. :xd:
Don't forget "Reveal ~ from your hand". People have to actually see the card the ability derives from. Why else do you think they added the clause to each Azorius card's forecast ability?
About any "subpar" mechanics or cards: Context is king.
If I make a templating or grammar error, let me know.
The franchise MtG most resembles is Battlestar Galactica. Why? Its players exist in, at most, a dozen different models at any given point in time, with perhaps up to 3% variation, 5% if you're lucky.