Which is to say not much, but two things that popped in my head today. The second one is the major RFC card, as you can see.
Malevolent Darkness (Rare)
XXB
Sorcery
Target player sacrifices X creatures.
Diffusing Barrier (Common)
2U
Instant
Prevent the next 2 noncombat damage that would be dealt to you and creatures you control this turn.
For example, a fully levelled Lord of Shatterskull Pass would only hit your critters for 4 instead of 6. I've been wondering: why can't blue "shrink" spells and abilities? It interferes with magic and behavior all the freaking time, but why not on this more narrow level? It doesn't actually counter it, but it "could", depending on how things go. I don't like the use of the word "prevent" either, but I think it's the simplest way to go about doing it.
Bonus card:
Careful Preparation (Uncommon?)
1U
Instant
Draw a card. If you were attacked this turn but not dealt damage, draw two cards instead.
Malevolent Darkness: Perfectly priced and well-executed.
Diffusing Barrier: Yeah, the word prevent really makes me think that this card is pretty white in flavor. I see your logic and could picture it in blue in a sort of planar-chaosy sort of way but it still looks odd.
Most blue attempts at manipulating magic are pretty universal in their applications. If this card reduced all numeric values on cards by -2 (minimum 0), making shock worthless and giant growth give a mere +1/+1, it would seem alot more blue (at least if you could prevent it from looking like it came from an Unset)
Careful Preparation: Another nice card. Strangely, I see this card as being in white as well, what with the greater supply of combat tricks, decent blockers, and military strategy to explain the odd color. I'd price it at 1W/U but I'm pretty odd like that.
Malevolent Darkness is almost always going to be better than Barter in Blood in a duel.
Diffusing Barrier is certainly a white effect, but it got me thinking of how one could stretch blue's "shrinking" effect to spells as well...
WondershrinkU
Instant
If target source would deal damage to a creature, player, or planeswalker this turn, it deals that much damage minus three to that creature, player, or planeswalker instead.
Shrinks combat damage by three, as well as damage from activated and triggered abilities of any card, and damage from instants and sorceries. Neat! Different from white in that it doesn't specifically protect your stuff from damage, but keeps the other guy's stuff from damaging anything. Similar result, different method.
I wonder if blue would ever team up with its ally black to make some REALLY nasty "shrink" spells. Blue's best at shrinking power, and black's best at shrinking toughness.
Sorcery (U)
Creatures target player controls get -2/-2 until end of turn.
Malevolent Darkness (Rare)
XXB
Sorcery
Target player sacrifices X creatures.
Diffusing Barrier (Common)
2U
Instant
Prevent the next 2 noncombat damage that would be dealt to you and creatures you control this turn.
For example, a fully levelled Lord of Shatterskull Pass would only hit your critters for 4 instead of 6. I've been wondering: why can't blue "shrink" spells and abilities? It interferes with magic and behavior all the freaking time, but why not on this more narrow level? It doesn't actually counter it, but it "could", depending on how things go. I don't like the use of the word "prevent" either, but I think it's the simplest way to go about doing it.
Bonus card:
Careful Preparation (Uncommon?)
1U
Instant
Draw a card. If you were attacked this turn but not dealt damage, draw two cards instead.
Past Ruminations
Links are broken, will fix in near future.
- Kaladesh
- Zendikar
- Rise of the Eldrazi
- Alara Reborn
- Innistrad <- Personal Favorite
- Dark Ascension
- Avacyn Restored
- Theros
- Return to Ravnica
- Tarkir
Diffusing Barrier: Yeah, the word prevent really makes me think that this card is pretty white in flavor. I see your logic and could picture it in blue in a sort of planar-chaosy sort of way but it still looks odd.
Most blue attempts at manipulating magic are pretty universal in their applications. If this card reduced all numeric values on cards by -2 (minimum 0), making shock worthless and giant growth give a mere +1/+1, it would seem alot more blue (at least if you could prevent it from looking like it came from an Unset)
Careful Preparation: Another nice card. Strangely, I see this card as being in white as well, what with the greater supply of combat tricks, decent blockers, and military strategy to explain the odd color. I'd price it at 1W/U but I'm pretty odd like that.
Diffusing Barrier is certainly a white effect, but it got me thinking of how one could stretch blue's "shrinking" effect to spells as well...
Wondershrink U
Instant
If target source would deal damage to a creature, player, or planeswalker this turn, it deals that much damage minus three to that creature, player, or planeswalker instead.
Shrinks combat damage by three, as well as damage from activated and triggered abilities of any card, and damage from instants and sorceries. Neat! Different from white in that it doesn't specifically protect your stuff from damage, but keeps the other guy's stuff from damaging anything. Similar result, different method.
R Citizen Cane (Feldon of the Third Path)
I wonder if blue would ever team up with its ally black to make some REALLY nasty "shrink" spells. Blue's best at shrinking power, and black's best at shrinking toughness.
Sorcery (U)
Creatures target player controls get -2/-2 until end of turn.
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