This allows the control player to slow down the aggro player's clock at no additional cost of mana or deck space. Two or three activations could decide the outcome of the game--remember how good Absorb was back in the day?
Basically amounts to a free Ajani's Mantra for control decks, who don't care about raising the opponent's life total because they'll be able to just beat down undisturbed anyway once they have a handle on the late game.
This allows the control player to slow down the aggro player's clock at no additional cost of mana or deck space. Two or three activations could decide the outcome of the game--remember how good Absorb was back in the day?
remember that this land gives life to all players.
which means even if your deck is control, you also will give advantage to your enemy which is going to get some some, probably.
this land is a two edged sword.
Private Mod Note
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I vote for the removal of mythic rarity, primeval titan and Jace, the mindsculptor.
When you're playing control, it shouldn't matter much if your opponent has 20 life or 30 life. Either way, your game plan is to retain control of the game until your opponent can run out of steam and you can play a large, evasive creature to repeatedly attack until they die. If it takes a couple more turns to do it, it doesn't matter because you would have relative dominance over your opponent regardless. It's well worth the ability to provide yourself with a free life buffer to help you survive an early rush.
A symmetric effect is not necessarily (and is rarely) a balanced effect. Any deck that runs this would do it only because the lifegain is more beneficial to the card's controller than to the opponent.
Suppose the game rules were modified so that all players start at 5 life.
Clearly aggro decks become more effective. You can easily win on turn 2 with a Lightning Bolt and an attack. It would be very hard to build a control deck with Wrath of God, etc. as the game would be over long before these cards can be played.
Suppose the game rules were modified so that all players start at 60 life.
Clearly aggro decks become less effective. A Lightning Bolt which previously did 3 damage: 15% of a player's life total, now only hits for 5% of a player's life total. Lightning Bolt just became 3 times worse of a card (Against players) because of this change.
Obviously you can see that modifying life totals can change how certain cards could be more effective - Or ineffective.
By creating a card with no mana cost that is upping both player's life totals each turn, you are in essence allowing players to modify their life totals without any card loss. If you put an activation cost on the land (Such as W to use the ability in addition to tapping) it might be more balanced, although it would still be a strong card.
[EDIT] added legendary type
Favorite cards = goblin welder, smokestack, chronatog, ,form of the dragon.
60% spike - 30% johny - 10% timmy
why?
Favorite cards = goblin welder, smokestack, chronatog, ,form of the dragon.
60% spike - 30% johny - 10% timmy
R Citizen Cane (Feldon of the Third Path)
remember that this land gives life to all players.
which means even if your deck is control, you also will give advantage to your enemy which is going to get some some, probably.
this land is a two edged sword.
Favorite cards = goblin welder, smokestack, chronatog, ,form of the dragon.
60% spike - 30% johny - 10% timmy
R Citizen Cane (Feldon of the Third Path)
Favorite cards = goblin welder, smokestack, chronatog, ,form of the dragon.
60% spike - 30% johny - 10% timmy
Consider this:
Suppose the game rules were modified so that all players start at 5 life.
Clearly aggro decks become more effective. You can easily win on turn 2 with a Lightning Bolt and an attack. It would be very hard to build a control deck with Wrath of God, etc. as the game would be over long before these cards can be played.
Suppose the game rules were modified so that all players start at 60 life.
Clearly aggro decks become less effective. A Lightning Bolt which previously did 3 damage: 15% of a player's life total, now only hits for 5% of a player's life total. Lightning Bolt just became 3 times worse of a card (Against players) because of this change.
Obviously you can see that modifying life totals can change how certain cards could be more effective - Or ineffective.
By creating a card with no mana cost that is upping both player's life totals each turn, you are in essence allowing players to modify their life totals without any card loss. If you put an activation cost on the land (Such as W to use the ability in addition to tapping) it might be more balanced, although it would still be a strong card.
symmetrical =/= fair
Just because you're doing the same thing to both players, does not mean it is balanced.
Being legendary doesn't fix it, as it is still free life. While I'm of the opinion that life gain sucks in MTG, this is too good.
To put it yet another way, this isn't even remotely fair:
Burning Field
Legendary Land
T: add R to your mana pool. ~ deals 1 damage to all players.
It's the same card, except it deals damage rather than gains life. Symmetrical, yes, fair, no.
"Remember, this deals damage to all players. If you're aggro you're also giving advantage to your enemy! This land is a two edged sword"
"Sometimes, the situation is outracing a threat, sometimes it's ignoring it, and sometimes it involves sideboarding in 4x Hope//Pray." --Doug Linn