SO I read through the entire post thread and have some questions (along with some proposed solutions):
Yellow is clearly the color of patience and endurance, but what about when its' plan comes together perfectly? Is it still sluggish to spring the trap, or does it suddenly switch tactics to go in for the kill? I personally think that Yellow should, when its' plan comes together, simply set it off and wait for the enemy to fall of his own devices. Unlike its allies Black and BLue, Yellow mages would much rather see someone die due to lack of foresight than actually kill the person themselves. SOmething like this:
Inescapeable Fate Despair 3Y
Enchantment - Curse
Multikicker Y
Vanishing X, where X is ten minus the number of times ~ was kicked.
Enchant Player
When there are no more time counters on ~, enchanted player loses 20 life.
WHat would a planeswalker who aligns with Yellow do, what would his/her stances on others be like?
Since BlackKithkin was talking about some vanilla Yellow creatures, here are some of the top of my head. I assumed that because efficiency is important to yellow, it should be #2 in creature efficiency: (I used Deserk as a placeholder name for a plane with lots of Desert.)
Weathered Wayfarer Y
Creature - Human Nomad I have learned to survive the desert, and that has offered me a liveliness that not even the most powerful man can strip from me.
(1/2)
Forgotten Guardian 3YY
Creature - Sand Collossus It wanders the desert, searching for what it was meant to protect.
4/3
I think you guys are starting off in the wrong direction. Specifically, its all these keywords and action abilities and trying to tie together a theme. Really, what you guys should be doing imo, is just putting together some more 'vanilla' cards that could be used as a core to show us exactly what yellow is all about. Erode, sandwrought and all those counter based cards look like something out of an expansion set. I think it would be much better to first look at what yellow would do in a core set.
I don't think I have designed a single card for "yellow" so far that couldn't be put into a core set.
Stalking Buzzard
Creature - Bird (C)
Flying
Whenever another creature dies, you may gain 1 life. Why do they call it wasteland? Nothing is wasted by the resourceful creatures of the Enud-Sabah.
1/1
Parch the Trenches
Sorcery (U)
Lands target player controls don't untap during that player's next untap step.
("Parch their Throats" is a similar effect against creatures and can easily be common.)
Stifling Heat
Instant (U)
Attacking creatures get -2/-0 until end of turn. The city walls of Soara are supposed to fend of sand storms rather than armies. The great desert is enough to keep outsiders away.
Sand Storm
Sorcery (U)
For each creature ~ deals 2 damage to that creature unless its controller pays 2 life.
Attrition
Enchantment (C)
Target player sacrifices a permanent.
Sand Sage
Creature - Human Mystic (R)
At the end of your turn, if you have no cards in hand, draw a card.
1/1
Draining Elemental
Creature - Elemental (R)
At the beginning of your upkeep, put a +1/+1 counter on ~. Then each player with life total less than the number of +1/+1 counters on ~ loses the game.
1/1
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Planar Chaos was not a mistake neither was it random. You might want to look at it again.
[thread=239793][Game] Level Up - Creature[/thread]
Really, what you guys should be doing imo, is just putting together some more 'vanilla' cards that could be used as a core to show us exactly what yellow is all about.
I agree with you in principle that it's important to establish the color in general before going for expansion type mechanics. However, as SecretInfiltrator pointed out, I would say we have been doing that; take a look at his and Compleated Phelddagrif's posts. Also take a look at the bottom of this post and in the card catalog for some more "core set" cards.
I personally think that Yellow should, when its' plan comes together, simply set it off and wait for the enemy to fall of his own devices. Unlike its allies Black and BLue, Yellow mages would much rather see someone die due to lack of foresight than actually kill the person themselves...
Inescapeable Fate Despair 3Y
Enchantment - Curse
Multikicker Y
Vanishing X, where X is ten minus the number of times ~ was kicked.
Enchant Player
When there are no more time counters on ~, enchanted player loses 20 life. ...
Weathered Wayfarer Y
Creature - Human Nomad I have learned to survive the desert, and that has offered me a liveliness that not even the most powerful man can strip from me.
(1/2) ...
Forgotten Guardian 3YY
Creature - Sand Collossus It wanders the desert, searching for what it was meant to protect.
4/3
I think yellow needs a balance of active and passive effects. I think the correct balance and flavor is achieved by making the active ones expensive. For example, see Shah's Assassin in the catalog. Inescapable Fate Despair is an interesting idea but I think it's kind of flat. It basically says "you win the game in 10-X turns." Winning the game through pure existence is in the color, but this card lacks the idea of yellow enduring something better than the opponent. Furthermore, this card would absolutely wreck red and black. What does everyone else think?
I really like Weathered Wayfarer and I think it's in the color. I think Forgotten Guardian is excellent, particularly the flavor text.
Compleated Phelddagrif: Your cards and musings are awesome. Keep it coming! ^^ SecretInfiltrator: Same to you on the cards:)
===Some more cards===
Consolidated Resources 1Y
Instant (C)
Play Consolidated Resources only during your upkeep.
End the turn. After your next turn, take an additional turn.
Desolation 2Y
Enchantment (C)
Upkeep: Y
During each player’s upkeep that player sacrifices a land.
Glintshell Scarab 1Y
Creature — Insect (C)
Flying
When Glintshell Scarab comes into play, leaves play, attacks, or blocks, target player puts the top card of his or her library into his or her graveyard. All who have persued it recall the piercing glint of sun from it's golden shell. All who have persued it have gone mad.
1/1
Patient Study 1Y
Enchantment (C)
Vanishing 1
When you sacrifice ~, draw two cards. Above all else the <tribe> value time, and the insight found therein.
Re-Exist 3Y
Sorcery (C)
Until the end of turn, any creature that would go to its owner’s graveyard is instead placed on top of its owner’s library.
Revealed Worth Y
Sorcery (C)
Sacrifice target artifact. Search your library for an artifact with casting cost 1 greater and put it into your hand.
Shuffle your library. "Look beyond this object's coarse trappings and envision what it is yet to become."
Sun’s Anvil
Land (C)
~ comes into play tapped.
T: Add Y to your mana pool.
Whenever a creature attacks its controller loses 1 life. "This is the Sun's Anvil. It is the worst place in Creation."
Big Constructed Colossus Thingy 4Y
Artifact Creature - Colossus
Protection from red. The king asked Watto to make a statue worthy of the desert colossi. Watto took the king's request seriously."
2/4
Four-and-Forty Years of Exile 3Y
Enchantment - Curse
Enchant Player
Vanishing 10
Whenever a time counter is removed from ~, lose 1 life.
When there are no more time counters on ~, enchanted player loses 20 life.
You can still cheat it to be faster with time shenanigans, but I don't think "cheat to be faster" should be part of the card.
The correct spelling is inescapable.
edit: If you really want it to be inescapable, it should have "~ is indestructible."
How about Yellow wearing down its opponents through trap like elements.
Sand Pit 2YY
Instant
Target player sacrifices an attacking creature.
If that player attacks with two or more creatures, destroy target creature instead.
Lost 1Y
Enchantment - Aura
Flash
Enchant target creature that ETBF this turn.
The enchanted creature does not untap during its controllers untap step.
What do you mean? The purpose of sand pit is to give yellow an answer to utility creatures that i would be hesitant printing a direct creature kill spell for. Here are a few other ideas.
Thirst V
Enchantment-Aura
Enchanted creature gains at the beginning of your end step put a -1/-1 counter on ~.
Mirage Knight 1VV
Creature - Mirage
When ~ deals combat damage to a creature or Planeswalker sacrifice ~ at the end of combat.
3/3
So one thing I could see yellow having is a pseudo land destruction in the form of turning opponents' lands into deserts. After all, one of the things that deserts do in real life is spread, consuming otherwise useful land. Here's a couple ideas:
Spread of the Desert 3yy
Enchantment
When ~ enters the battlefield gain control of up to 2 target lands target opponent controls, then that opponent gains control of that many deserts you control.
Lands you control are deserts in addition to their other types.
All is Sand 2y
Enchantment
Nonbasic lands are Deserts.
Desert Consumption 1y
Sorcery
Gain control of target land target opponent controls. That opponent gains control of target desert you control. The land you took control of becomes a desert. (This effect lasts indefinitely).
Sudden Drought 1y
Instant
Up to 3 target lands become deserts until end of turn.
So one thing I could see yellow having is a pseudo land destruction in the form of turning opponents' lands into deserts. After all, one of the things that deserts do in real life is spread, consuming otherwise useful land. Here's a couple of ideas:
Spread of the Desert 3yy
Enchantment
When ~ enters the battlefield gain control of up to 2 target lands target opponent controls, then that opponent gains control of that many deserts you control.
Lands you control are deserts in addition to their other types.
All is Sand 2y
Enchantment
Nonbasic lands are Deserts.
Desert Consumption 1y
Sorcery
Gain control of target land target opponent controls. That opponent gains control of target desert you control. The land you took control of becomes a desert. (This effect lasts indefinitely).
Sudden Drought 1y
Instant
Up to 3 target lands become deserts until end of turn.
For sure. I think I even posted one... look at Creeping Sands under sorceries in the catalog. Since it came up, let's seriously discuss. I've read multiple times that player's really don't like land destruction. If we're going to introduce it into yellow we have to be careful. I think you're on the right track because most of your designs don't actually change players' land counts. This is probably good because it means you're neither ramping nor destroying, but rather undermining land which makes sense for the color.
Spread of the Desert looks pretty good but should maybe be 1 target land for 2YY and drop the static ability. The static ability turns every non-desert land you control into a dual land... seems awfully powerful. Maybe at 3YY it's ok. Opinions?
Again I think All is Sand and Desert Consumption are good cards because they effectively turn an opponent's land into desert. I think both of these should cost more mana.
Sudden Drought makes sense to me.
SecretInfiltrator: your input would be appreciated here as you seem to have pretty good analysis of whether cards are appropriately costed, etc.
Cardname <cost>
Enchantment
During each player's upkeep that player puts a sand counter on target nondesert land he or she controls.
Lands with sand counters on them are deserts.
When all lands in play are deserts, remove all sand counters from all lands and sacrifice ~.
I'm in a foreign land right now. When I get home I'll post some more of these "land infection" style cards from my list of stuff.
@DaRealDeal: Thirst looks great! What I meant about the Sand Pit is that if someone attacks with two creatures you just kill one outright. I suppose that is modal and costs more than an equivalent black spell, so it's probably ok.
EDIT: I think I just came up with a neat way to generate ideas for yellow while playing a pretty fun game. I'll post it when I get home so stay tuned.
Back from trip, ready to do more yellow! Here's a game I thought would be a neat way to develop the color:
Someone proposes a card that could have existed in a past set. Everyone discusses and tweaks it until we like it, and feel that it fits both the set and the color. Whenever there's a general feeling that the card is ok, someone proposes a card for the next set, and so on in that fashion until everyone is eaten we've done all the sets or we're bored of doing it. I think it would be fun to reproduce the style of the older sets
Rules:
Propose one card at a time.
If you think a card needs improvement because it doesn't fit the color or set, post a new version of it.
Once two people agree that the current card is ok, the floor is open for a new submission in the next set.
Please indicate the set your card is for in your posts.
Early sets we should do are, alpha, beta, Arabian Nights, Antiquities, Legends, The Dark, Fallen Empires, Homelands. Then we do each expansion set in order.
I'll kick off with a card from Alpha Wall of Salt 2Y
Summon Wall (C)
When a player's creature is blocked by ~ that player must tap one land. No mana is produced by the land.
0/4
When ~ blocks a creature, put a salt counter on target land attacking player controls. A land with a salt counter on it loses all abilities and gains "t: Remove a salt counter from this land."
I'll kick off with a card from Alpha Wall of Salt 2Y
Summon Wall (C)
When a player's creature is blocked by ~ that player must tap one land. No mana is produced by the land.
0/4
I don't think the card should be worded bad just because it is supposed to be from Alpha. Non-standardized wording has the problem that it's harder to judge the card and means we have to go through all the stuff that was bad with the old sets again.
How is that a good idea? Designing simple resonant cards is a good idea. Making them ambiguously worded isn't:
Wall of Salt
Creature - Wall (U)
Defender
Whenever ~ blocks a creature, that creature's controller taps an untapped land he or she controls. That land doesn't untap during its controllers next untap step.
0/4
Now I will also contest whether "Wall of Salt" in Alpha would have looked like that at all, but that's beside the point really.
The only functional change that I made was to make the land not untap so the ability gets a little effective at all. I have no idea what its intention was though. It's not a good idea for modern standards.
I also moved it to uncommon since that's where I would expect such a card in Alpha.
Since this thread is now a "game" I will end my post here and keep further thoughts regarding "yellow" to myself.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Planar Chaos was not a mistake neither was it random. You might want to look at it again.
[thread=239793][Game] Level Up - Creature[/thread]
Now I will also contest whether "Wall of Salt" in Alpha would have looked like that at all, but that's beside the point really.
Well, if you're really so upset by the fact that I called a comprehensive study of how yellow would fit into the past mythos and structure of MtG a "game", then so be it. If you decide to keep contributing to what I think is a really interesting thread then please elaborate on why you don't think the card would have existed in alpha.
EDIT: By the way, please everyone don't stop contributing random card ideas. My proposed route through the history of MtG sets is intended only to help generate ideas ^^
If you decide to keep contributing to what I think is a really interesting thread then please elaborate on why you don't think the card would have existed in alpha.
How many Walls does "yellow" get? Maybe it gets two, then maybe the second one would be Wall of Salt, but I wouldn't bet on it.
If you keyword Regeneration <cost> and Firebreathing <cost> all creatures of the type Wall in Alpha would be french vanilla.
Alpha cards have a really simple mindset behind them - especially creatures. The cards are rough. This card is one step further - designed by a person who has seen "expert expansions" and stuff. It lacks naivete.
We talk about a set before the invention of such "futuristic" things as: "When ~ enters the battlefield..." I avoid trying to design Alpha-cards.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Planar Chaos was not a mistake neither was it random. You might want to look at it again.
[thread=239793][Game] Level Up - Creature[/thread]
It's been suggested that we keep the historical study game thingy seperate from other random card ideas. This is a good idea so the historical game thingy now lives in its own thread. Please keep using this thread for any and all musings on yellow ^^
Apologies for the flakiness and thanks SecretInfiltrator for the suggestion.
EDIT: To be clear, please keep using this thread for random/not so random ideas about yellow. Cards, associations, whatever! ^^
Salt Their Wounds Y
Instant
Destroy target creature with damage on it.
As salt tends to kill anything it comes into contact with over time, I think wither would flavor wise fit Yellow.
Giant Sand Crab 3Y
Creature - Crab
Wither
2/4
Salt Shaman 2VV
Creature - Shaman
T: place a -1/-1 counter on target attacking or blocking creature.
1/3
Sand Wurm 1VV
Creature - Wurm
Sand Wurm may assign damage as though it wasn't blocked.
3/1
The damage is to emulate emerging from a burrowed state.
I like the first three. I think you're right about wither working as a combat related effect that implements the idea of yellow's time dependent attrition style, and I wonder what others think. I'm not so sure about Sand Wurm though. While I like the effect, can you explain how it implements the ideas that have been discussed here?
I found a silly old thread that wanted to implement a new color wheel. It wasn't a slam dunk fit to this version of "yellow". The following suggestions of mine back then don't seem to violate anything too much in the here and now:
Rasaha Camel
Creature - Camel
Prevent all noncombat damage that would be dealt to ~. "Their world is a harsh one, yet they prevail, so must we." -Alia, Nomad Captain
1/1
Sandblast :1mana::unibrow:
Sorcery
~ deals 2 damage to each creature. When you can see the winds of Rasaha, you should run for a shelter.
Persist
Instant
Target creature is indestructible this turn. "There is no world beyond, no mercy for the perished. Stand firm and fight another day or return to the soil your ancestors rose from!" -Ikari battle hymn
Wandering Sellsword :2mana::unibrow:
Creature - Human Nomad Mercenary There is not much certain in this world, except the sharpness of his sword and the expiration of his loyality if you can't pay him any longer.
2/3
Back then it was submissions for the Alpha, so this may be a little crossover.
I'm interested on the consensus on the idea of a global damage spell in "yellow". The color is supposed to have no "direct" removal. OTOH there is a card named Sand Storm currently in the OP that does global damage.
What is okay and what is not?
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Planar Chaos was not a mistake neither was it random. You might want to look at it again.
[thread=239793][Game] Level Up - Creature[/thread]
I'm not so sure about Sand Wurm though. While I like the effect, can you explain how it implements the ideas that have been discussed here?
The desert effects are things that hit out of nowhere. Desert animals tend to spend most of their time buried under the sand to stay insulated from harsh environments. This means that they can sneak up on you when they attack and be more evasive. Also, the harsh environments of deserts keep animals relatively small. Therefore i think yellow creatures should never get to big. Probably around blue red and black sized creatures.
I might agree that sand wurm's stats should be different though maybe a 1/3.
Therefore i think yellow creatures should never get to big. Probably around blue red and black sized creatures.
"Probably around bluered and black sized creatures."
I don't think the mechanic you chose for the "Wurm" paints a very good picture of the idea you suggest. Actual evasion might do the trick better. I would never go as far as to suggest desertwalk, but just look at it!
I'd also like "~ can't be blocked by creatures with power greater than its [power|toughness]." on a 1/3 or 3/1 respectively.
On a related note: "Wurm" in Magic means "flightless Dragon" - and that implies big. If you want something smaller, I suggest you go for "Worm".
In the end it would look a little like that (I made it cheaper since its evasiveness gets less valuable with low power):
Sand Worm
Creature - Worm
~ can't be blocked by creatures with power greater than ~'s power.
1/3
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Planar Chaos was not a mistake neither was it random. You might want to look at it again.
[thread=239793][Game] Level Up - Creature[/thread]
I found a silly old thread that wanted to implement a new color wheel. It wasn't a slam dunk fit to this version of "yellow". The following suggestions of mine back then don't seem to violate anything too much in the here and now:
Rasaha Camel
Creature - Camel
Prevent all noncombat damage that would be dealt to ~. "Their world is a harsh one, yet they prevail, so must we." -Alia, Nomad Captain
1/1
Sandblast :1mana::unibrow:
Sorcery
~ deals 2 damage to each creature. When you can see the winds of Rasaha, you should run for a shelter.
Persist
Instant
Target creature is indestructible this turn. "There is no world beyond, no mercy for the perished. Stand firm and fight another day or return to the soil your ancestors rose from!" -Ikari battle hymn
Wandering Sellsword :2mana::unibrow:
Creature - Human Nomad Mercenary There is not much certain in this world, except the sharpness of his sword and the expiration of his loyality if you can't pay him any longer.
2/3
Back then it was submissions for the Alpha, so this may be a little crossover.
I'm interested on the consensus on the idea of a global damage spell in "yellow". The color is supposed to have no "direct" removal. OTOH there is a card named Sand Storm currently in the OP that does global damage.
What is okay and what is not?
I really like these. They're tight designs. I particularly like the alpha flavor which fits in with the historical survey thread.
Persist should maybe be renamed something like Preserve and be castable only during upkeeps simply because I'm not sure if yellow should be able to protect a creature at a moment's notice.
Wandering Sellsword could have "Upkeep: Y" and a reduction in cost to 1Y. I think this would develop the color in a good direction. I am aware that Wizards and people don't like upkeep, but I'm not sure why not.
Regarding global damage, I agree that discussion is needed. Global damage makes sense in yellow because yellow is supposed to create situations for which it is better prepared than others. Global damage could certainly fit this, as could your previous idea of combining global damage with "protection from yellow". On the other hand, global damage is overt, which isn't supposed to be yellow. Then again, cutting out all "overt" spells would make a pretty boring card set, so we should probably understand this as "yellow can't do anything like Terror or Lightning Bolt."
The other thing that keeps me on fence regarding global damage is that it's generally red, and yellow and red are supposed to be enemies.
EDIT: Having pondered this I'm not sure if upkeep makes sense in yellow. Thoughts?
You could even do a upkeep removal card, if you want to to do the sands of time idea a la Eon Hub.
Otherwise, I like the idea that the yellow creatures get blown away by vanishing. Pretty cool idea, and I think I want to be included in the project :).
Yellow is clearly the color of patience and endurance, but what about when its' plan comes together perfectly? Is it still sluggish to spring the trap, or does it suddenly switch tactics to go in for the kill? I personally think that Yellow should, when its' plan comes together, simply set it off and wait for the enemy to fall of his own devices. Unlike its allies Black and BLue, Yellow mages would much rather see someone die due to lack of foresight than actually kill the person themselves. SOmething like this:
Inescapeable Fate Despair 3Y
Enchantment - Curse
Multikicker Y
Vanishing X, where X is ten minus the number of times ~ was kicked.
Enchant Player
When there are no more time counters on ~, enchanted player loses 20 life.
WHat would a planeswalker who aligns with Yellow do, what would his/her stances on others be like?
Since BlackKithkin was talking about some vanilla Yellow creatures, here are some of the top of my head. I assumed that because efficiency is important to yellow, it should be #2 in creature efficiency: (I used Deserk as a placeholder name for a plane with lots of Desert.)
Weathered Wayfarer Y
Creature - Human Nomad
I have learned to survive the desert, and that has offered me a liveliness that not even the most powerful man can strip from me.
(1/2)
Forgotten Guardian 3YY
Creature - Sand Collossus
It wanders the desert, searching for what it was meant to protect.
4/3
I don't think I have designed a single card for "yellow" so far that couldn't be put into a core set.
Creature - Scorpion (C)
Deathtouch
1/2
Creature - Camel (C)
Vigilance
1/4
Sorcery (U)
Destroy target permanent.
Creature - Giant (U)
~ enters the battlefield tapped.
3/5
Creature - Bird (C)
Flying
Whenever another creature dies, you may gain 1 life.
Why do they call it wasteland? Nothing is wasted by the resourceful creatures of the Enud-Sabah.
1/1
Sorcery (U)
Lands target player controls don't untap during that player's next untap step.
Instant (U)
Attacking creatures get -2/-0 until end of turn.
The city walls of Soara are supposed to fend of sand storms rather than armies. The great desert is enough to keep outsiders away.
Sorcery (U)
For each creature ~ deals 2 damage to that creature unless its controller pays 2 life.
Enchantment (C)
Target player sacrifices a permanent.
Creature - Human Mystic (R)
At the end of your turn, if you have no cards in hand, draw a card.
1/1
Creature - Elemental (R)
At the beginning of your upkeep, put a +1/+1 counter on ~. Then each player with life total less than the number of +1/+1 counters on ~ loses the game.
1/1
Finally a good white villain quote: "So, do I ever re-evaluate my life choices? Never, because I know what I'm doing is a righteous cause."
Factions: Sleeping
Remnants: Valheim
Legendary Journey: Heroes & Planeswalkers
Saga: Shards of Rabiah
Legends: The Elder Dragons
Read up on Red Flags & NWO
I agree with you in principle that it's important to establish the color in general before going for expansion type mechanics. However, as SecretInfiltrator pointed out, I would say we have been doing that; take a look at his and Compleated Phelddagrif's posts. Also take a look at the bottom of this post and in the card catalog for some more "core set" cards.
I think yellow needs a balance of active and passive effects. I think the correct balance and flavor is achieved by making the active ones expensive. For example, see Shah's Assassin in the catalog. Inescapable Fate Despair is an interesting idea but I think it's kind of flat. It basically says "you win the game in 10-X turns." Winning the game through pure existence is in the color, but this card lacks the idea of yellow enduring something better than the opponent. Furthermore, this card would absolutely wreck red and black. What does everyone else think?
I really like Weathered Wayfarer and I think it's in the color. I think Forgotten Guardian is excellent, particularly the flavor text.
Compleated Phelddagrif: Your cards and musings are awesome. Keep it coming! ^^
SecretInfiltrator: Same to you on the cards:)
===Some more cards===
Consolidated Resources 1Y
Instant (C)
Play Consolidated Resources only during your upkeep.
End the turn. After your next turn, take an additional turn.
Desolation 2Y
Enchantment (C)
Upkeep: Y
During each player’s upkeep that player sacrifices a land.
Glintshell Scarab 1Y
Creature — Insect (C)
Flying
When Glintshell Scarab comes into play, leaves play, attacks, or blocks, target player puts the top card of his or her library into his or her graveyard.
All who have persued it recall the piercing glint of sun from it's golden shell. All who have persued it have gone mad.
1/1
Patient Study 1Y
Enchantment (C)
Vanishing 1
When you sacrifice ~, draw two cards.
Above all else the <tribe> value time, and the insight found therein.
Re-Exist 3Y
Sorcery (C)
Until the end of turn, any creature that would go to its owner’s graveyard is instead placed on top of its owner’s library.
Revealed Worth Y
Sorcery (C)
Sacrifice target artifact. Search your library for an artifact with casting cost 1 greater and put it into your hand.
Shuffle your library.
"Look beyond this object's coarse trappings and envision what it is yet to become."
Sun’s Anvil
Land (C)
~ comes into play tapped.
T: Add Y to your mana pool.
Whenever a creature attacks its controller loses 1 life.
"This is the Sun's Anvil. It is the worst place in Creation."
Big Constructed Colossus Thingy 4Y
Artifact Creature - Colossus
Protection from red.
The king asked Watto to make a statue worthy of the desert colossi. Watto took the king's request seriously."
2/4
Come help develop the color yellow in MtG
We're making online play with custom sets easy!
Tutorials
custom mana symbols in MSE
custom card frames in MSE
Four-and-Forty Years of Exile 3Y
Enchantment - Curse
Enchant Player
Vanishing 10
Whenever a time counter is removed from ~, lose 1 life.
When there are no more time counters on ~, enchanted player loses 20 life.
You can still cheat it to be faster with time shenanigans, but I don't think "cheat to be faster" should be part of the card.
The correct spelling is inescapable.
edit: If you really want it to be inescapable, it should have "~ is indestructible."
Sand Pit 2YY
Instant
Target player sacrifices an attacking creature.
If that player attacks with two or more creatures, destroy target creature instead.
Lost 1Y
Enchantment - Aura
Flash
Enchant target creature that ETBF this turn.
The enchanted creature does not untap during its controllers untap step.
I really like Lost.
Come help develop the color yellow in MtG
We're making online play with custom sets easy!
Tutorials
custom mana symbols in MSE
custom card frames in MSE
Thirst V
Enchantment-Aura
Enchanted creature gains at the beginning of your end step put a -1/-1 counter on ~.
Mirage Knight 1VV
Creature - Mirage
When ~ deals combat damage to a creature or Planeswalker sacrifice ~ at the end of combat.
3/3
Spread of the Desert 3yy
Enchantment
When ~ enters the battlefield gain control of up to 2 target lands target opponent controls, then that opponent gains control of that many deserts you control.
Lands you control are deserts in addition to their other types.
All is Sand 2y
Enchantment
Nonbasic lands are Deserts.
Desert Consumption 1y
Sorcery
Gain control of target land target opponent controls. That opponent gains control of target desert you control. The land you took control of becomes a desert. (This effect lasts indefinitely).
Sudden Drought 1y
Instant
Up to 3 target lands become deserts until end of turn.
For sure. I think I even posted one... look at Creeping Sands under sorceries in the catalog. Since it came up, let's seriously discuss. I've read multiple times that player's really don't like land destruction. If we're going to introduce it into yellow we have to be careful. I think you're on the right track because most of your designs don't actually change players' land counts. This is probably good because it means you're neither ramping nor destroying, but rather undermining land which makes sense for the color.
Spread of the Desert looks pretty good but should maybe be 1 target land for 2YY and drop the static ability. The static ability turns every non-desert land you control into a dual land... seems awfully powerful. Maybe at 3YY it's ok. Opinions?
Again I think All is Sand and Desert Consumption are good cards because they effectively turn an opponent's land into desert. I think both of these should cost more mana.
Sudden Drought makes sense to me.
SecretInfiltrator: your input would be appreciated here as you seem to have pretty good analysis of whether cards are appropriately costed, etc.
That's probably better for flavor, and fixes the problem I mentioned above.
So we would have,
Spread of the Desert 3YY
Enchantment
When ~ comes into play put a sand counter on two target lands.
Lands with sand counters on them are deserts.
Cardname <cost>
Enchantment
During each player's upkeep that player puts a sand counter on target nondesert land he or she controls.
Lands with sand counters on them are deserts.
When all lands in play are deserts, remove all sand counters from all lands and sacrifice ~.
I'm in a foreign land right now. When I get home I'll post some more of these "land infection" style cards from my list of stuff.
@DaRealDeal: Thirst looks great! What I meant about the Sand Pit is that if someone attacks with two creatures you just kill one outright. I suppose that is modal and costs more than an equivalent black spell, so it's probably ok.
EDIT: I think I just came up with a neat way to generate ideas for yellow while playing a pretty fun game. I'll post it when I get home so stay tuned.
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Someone proposes a card that could have existed in a past set. Everyone discusses and tweaks it until we like it, and feel that it fits both the set and the color. Whenever there's a general feeling that the card is ok, someone proposes a card for the next set, and so on in that fashion until
everyone is eatenwe've done all the sets or we're bored of doing it. I think it would be fun to reproduce the style of the older setsRules:
I'll kick off with a card from Alpha
Wall of Salt 2Y
Summon Wall (C)
When a player's creature is blocked by ~ that player must tap one land. No mana is produced by the land.
0/4
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When ~ blocks a creature, put a salt counter on target land attacking player controls. A land with a salt counter on it loses all abilities and gains "t: Remove a salt counter from this land."
I don't think the card should be worded bad just because it is supposed to be from Alpha. Non-standardized wording has the problem that it's harder to judge the card and means we have to go through all the stuff that was bad with the old sets again.
How is that a good idea? Designing simple resonant cards is a good idea. Making them ambiguously worded isn't:
Creature - Wall (U)
Defender
Whenever ~ blocks a creature, that creature's controller taps an untapped land he or she controls. That land doesn't untap during its controllers next untap step.
0/4
The only functional change that I made was to make the land not untap so the ability gets a little effective at all. I have no idea what its intention was though. It's not a good idea for modern standards.
I also moved it to uncommon since that's where I would expect such a card in Alpha.
Since this thread is now a "game" I will end my post here and keep further thoughts regarding "yellow" to myself.
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My mistake. I simply didn't realize they were so similar until now.
Well, if you're really so upset by the fact that I called a comprehensive study of how yellow would fit into the past mythos and structure of MtG a "game", then so be it. If you decide to keep contributing to what I think is a really interesting thread then please elaborate on why you don't think the card would have existed in alpha.
EDIT: By the way, please everyone don't stop contributing random card ideas. My proposed route through the history of MtG sets is intended only to help generate ideas ^^
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Instant
Destroy target creature with damage on it.
As salt tends to kill anything it comes into contact with over time, I think wither would flavor wise fit Yellow.
Giant Sand Crab 3Y
Creature - Crab
Wither
2/4
Salt Shaman 2VV
Creature - Shaman
T: place a -1/-1 counter on target attacking or blocking creature.
1/3
Sand Wurm 1VV
Creature - Wurm
Sand Wurm may assign damage as though it wasn't blocked.
3/1
The damage is to emulate emerging from a burrowed state.
How many Walls does "yellow" get? Maybe it gets two, then maybe the second one would be Wall of Salt, but I wouldn't bet on it.
If you keyword Regeneration <cost> and Firebreathing <cost> all creatures of the type Wall in Alpha would be french vanilla.
Alpha cards have a really simple mindset behind them - especially creatures. The cards are rough. This card is one step further - designed by a person who has seen "expert expansions" and stuff. It lacks naivete.
We talk about a set before the invention of such "futuristic" things as: "When ~ enters the battlefield..." I avoid trying to design Alpha-cards.
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It's been suggested that we keep the historical study game thingy seperate from other random card ideas. This is a good idea so the historical game thingy now lives in its own thread. Please keep using this thread for any and all musings on yellow ^^
Apologies for the flakiness and thanks SecretInfiltrator for the suggestion.
EDIT: To be clear, please keep using this thread for random/not so random ideas about yellow. Cards, associations, whatever! ^^
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I like the first three. I think you're right about wither working as a combat related effect that implements the idea of yellow's time dependent attrition style, and I wonder what others think. I'm not so sure about Sand Wurm though. While I like the effect, can you explain how it implements the ideas that have been discussed here?
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Creature - Camel
Prevent all noncombat damage that would be dealt to ~.
"Their world is a harsh one, yet they prevail, so must we." -Alia, Nomad Captain
1/1
Sorcery
~ deals 2 damage to each creature.
When you can see the winds of Rasaha, you should run for a shelter.
Instant
Target creature is indestructible this turn.
"There is no world beyond, no mercy for the perished. Stand firm and fight another day or return to the soil your ancestors rose from!" -Ikari battle hymn
Creature - Human Nomad Mercenary
There is not much certain in this world, except the sharpness of his sword and the expiration of his loyality if you can't pay him any longer.
2/3
I'm interested on the consensus on the idea of a global damage spell in "yellow". The color is supposed to have no "direct" removal. OTOH there is a card named Sand Storm currently in the OP that does global damage.
What is okay and what is not?
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I might agree that sand wurm's stats should be different though maybe a 1/3.
"Probably around blue red and black sized creatures."
I don't think the mechanic you chose for the "Wurm" paints a very good picture of the idea you suggest. Actual evasion might do the trick better. I would never go as far as to suggest desertwalk, but just look at it!
I'd also like "~ can't be blocked by creatures with power greater than its [power|toughness]." on a 1/3 or 3/1 respectively.
On a related note: "Wurm" in Magic means "flightless Dragon" - and that implies big. If you want something smaller, I suggest you go for "Worm".
In the end it would look a little like that (I made it cheaper since its evasiveness gets less valuable with low power):
Creature - Worm
~ can't be blocked by creatures with power greater than ~'s power.
1/3
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I really like these. They're tight designs. I particularly like the alpha flavor which fits in with the historical survey thread.
Persist should maybe be renamed something like Preserve and be castable only during upkeeps simply because I'm not sure if yellow should be able to protect a creature at a moment's notice.
Wandering Sellsword could have "Upkeep: Y" and a reduction in cost to 1Y. I think this would develop the color in a good direction. I am aware that Wizards and people don't like upkeep, but I'm not sure why not.
Regarding global damage, I agree that discussion is needed. Global damage makes sense in yellow because yellow is supposed to create situations for which it is better prepared than others. Global damage could certainly fit this, as could your previous idea of combining global damage with "protection from yellow". On the other hand, global damage is overt, which isn't supposed to be yellow. Then again, cutting out all "overt" spells would make a pretty boring card set, so we should probably understand this as "yellow can't do anything like Terror or Lightning Bolt."
The other thing that keeps me on fence regarding global damage is that it's generally red, and yellow and red are supposed to be enemies.
EDIT: Having pondered this I'm not sure if upkeep makes sense in yellow. Thoughts?
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Otherwise, I like the idea that the yellow creatures get blown away by vanishing. Pretty cool idea, and I think I want to be included in the project :).
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