MTG Salvation

I like it. I compare it to prismatic lens: contrary to lens it ramps AND fixes mana (lens cannot do both atthe same time), but the shortcoming is that you can only use it twice. It could also be cool if you could charge this thing at a premium: "xx: add X charge counters to Shimmering Pearl".

This next card is funny. I dreamt that Adrian Sullivan was in my local shop selling Magic Origins cards that had just been spoiled, and this one was "the one that had him most excited" (yeah i know, i might have a problem!). I'm not sure if the card is actually good, but I like the idea of thoughtseize + effect related to the card discarded. Makes some interesting game play decisions.

Despair 3BB
Sorcery (R)
Target player reveals his or her hand. You choose a nonland card from it. That player discards that card. Creatures that player controls get -X/-X until the end of turn, where X is the discarded card's converted mana cost.

This looks very fair and well costed. Very swingy if your opponent is holding back a bomb, this could be a huge blowout. Or this could at worst just be 5 mana Distress.It's fairly simple so I don't really know what to add other than good job.

Walking Explosive XRR
Instant (U)
As an additional cost to cast ~ sacrifice a creature.
~ deals damage equal to the power of the sacrificed creature plus X to target creature or player.

I was going for a Fling with firebreathing

Needs to be a sorcery. As it stands this is generally better than Fireball later in the game. Instant speed makes a huge difference, even if it comes at the cost of a creature and the capability to split the damage. Maybe it could be printed as is at rare, but at uncommon, definitely not.

Kleptomancer 1UUB
Creature - Bird Wizard {U}
Flash
Flying
When ~ enters the battlefield, counter target spell. If that spell is countered this way, exile it instead of putting it into its owner's graveyard.
T: Until end of turn you may play spells exiled by ~.
2/1

This is definitely a rare. This is a 4 mana counterspell that leaves a 2/1 flying body and lets you play whatever you countered during your next turn. That is leagues ahead of any counterspell creature that currently exists (Except maybe Venser, Shaper Savant).
Even if this were an instant that let you cast the spell next turn, it would still be very pushed.

Overexploition 3GG
Enchantment (R)
Lands you control gain "t: Add two mana of any one colour to your mana pool. This land doesn't untap during your next untap step."

Well.... Tough cookie. We have Mana Reflection, which is just one mana away and doesn't have that clumsy "not untap next time" drawback, but if we reduce it too much, it may become broken like that green Mana Flare. 4 cc may be ok, but I'm still wary, as 5cc may make this card unusable.


Next

Embermaw Hellkite 5RR
Creature - Dragon (R)
Flying
Whenever a creature dealt damage by Embermaw Hellkite this turn dies, put a +1/+1 counter on Embermaw Hellkite and you may have it deal damage equal to its power to target creature.
5/5

Mostly combo piece with Fight mechanic, but maybe I'm missing something?


EDIT:

Embermaw Hellkite 5RR
Creature - Dragon (R)
Flying
Whenever a creature dealt damage by Embermaw Hellkite this turn dies, put a +1/+1 counter on Embermaw Hellkite and you may have it fight target creature.
5/5

Nifty. Could be costed lower I think, maybe four, possibly even a color intensive three. I'm comparing it to Squandered Resources for balance. Needs some heavy set flavor to not feel artificial as well.

Caster Rell, Ripple of Eternity 3UUU
Legendary Creature - Human Wizard
Whenever Caster Rell dies, you may return it to the battlefield at the beginning of the next end step and put a +1/+1 counter on it. If you do, choose flying, intimidate, first strike, double strike, deathtouch, haste, lifelink, reach, trample, hexproof, indestructible, or vigilance. Caster Rell gains that ability as long as it has a counter on it.
Counters remain on Caster Rell as it moves to any zone other than a player's hand or library
2/2

Only in a commander supplement. Even as a mythic, this is such memory issues that it can't be allowed in any other format. And even then, maybe not doable. You're effectively forcing the player to get out a pad and paper, because there is no way you're keeping track of it otherwise.

Tactical Retreat W
Instant {C}
Remove target creature you control from combat and untap it.

Also, could you remove the "you control" clause without pushing it over the top?

Yeah, you can. It's either a "save a creature from being blown out by a combat trick" or a one-creature fog. Neither is complex enough to not be common, and there are nice implications with Inspired and other stuff such as Ojutai's or Tromokratis's hexproof-if-untapped/not in combat.

Counterstrike 1RW

Instant (U)
The next time damage is dealt to target creature you control this turn, prevent that damage. If damage is prevented that way, that creature deals damage equal to its power to target creature or player.

(Too similar to Deflecting Palm?)

Protection from X already means it can't be blocked by X, so the can't be blocked is redundant. It breaks the secondary 'rule' of formidable that its either an activated ability, or an attacking trigger, which makes it out of place in a DTK setting. And the reach also plays against this - its protection makes it a brilliant blocker, but formidable should be encouraging attacking. And lastly, the base creature without exploiting is very meagre. I certainly like the idea of mashing up the mechanics, but I feel that this particular execution of it is lacking.

Shira, the Growing Storm UR
Legendary Creature - Elemental (R)
Flying
At the beginning of your upkeep, exile the top card of your library. You may cast instant and sorcery cards exiled this way.
Whenever you cast an instant or sorcery spell from exile, put a +1/+1 counter on Shira, the Growing Storm.
0/1

Doesn't this seem way too good to you? I mean it basically lets you draw 1 more card each turn for just 2 mana. Phyrexian Arena costs way more and Outpost Siege costs 4 mana and is not a body with evasion.

Critter March GW
Enchantment
When a player casts a spell, sacrifice Critter March. If you do, each of that players opponents puts three 1/1 green and white Critter creature token onto the battlefield.

(*Critter is a creature type for all sorts of small mammals that don't really fit into beast, including already existing Squirrels.)

Basically it's a creature Standstill.

Critter March feels more mono-white or white-blue than green white. I think it would be fine at WW or WU.

---

[Pilfer Memory] 2UU
Instant
Counter target spell. You may shuffle up to X cards from your graveyard into your library, where X is that spell's converted mana cost.

Seems fair enough, although 3 1/1's is probably weaker than 3 cards, particularly in Eternal formats. May make a G/W Vial deck more of a thing, though. I guess it makes sense since those are two of the weenie colors (green not so much, but it gets more oomph at lower CMC). Definitely the token colors, though.

Planar Clash 2WB

Enchantment (R)
As Planar Clash enters the battlefield, choose Angels or Demons.
* Angels - At the beginning of your upkeep, put two 1/1 white Spirit creature tokens with Flying onto the battlefield.
* Demons - At the beginning of your upkeep, you lose 1 life and draw a card.

Pretty neat, and perfect for an Orzhov deck using things like Teysa. Need tokens, get tokens. Need Phyrexian Arena, get cards. Obviously inspired by the Siege enchantments, so it suggests some sort of plane with a power struggle between angels and demons.

In light of the recent Commander rules changes:

Consign to Memory 1WU
Instant
Put target attacking creature on the bottom of its owner's library.
If that creature would be put into the command zone instead, treat it as though it has been cast two additional times this game. (Commander cards cost an additional 2 for each time they have been cast this game.)

Fine enough, I guess.


Next

Tactical Restraint U
Enchantment - Aura (U)
Enchant creature you control
Flash
Enchanted creature gets -2/-0.
2U: Return Tactical Restraint to its owner's hand.

Comments?

The only real use I can see for this card is dodging power-based removal like Smite the Monstrous, which makes it a little too narrow for my tastes. Maybe I am missing something deeper with it. I think the mana cost and recursion abilities make it fair but there are only a small handful of times I would want to cast it. Maybe if it gave a toughness boost as well, like a -2/+1, then it could be more versatile as a combat trick.

Here's what I got:

Gravecaller Shaman 1BB
Creature - Human Zombie (R)
When Gravecaller Shaman deals combat damage to a player, you may put target creature from a graveyard onto the battlefield under your control. If you do, you lose life equal to it's converted mana cost.
[1/2]

I think I like it being that player's graveyard instead for flavor reasons - you attack them, and then he gets to dig up some of the opponent's graves, so to speak.

I guess I should see if I can do something like my previous card.

Shoreline Clash 1GU

Enchantment (R)
As Shoreline Clash enters the battlefield, choose Beasts or Leviathans
* Beasts - Creatures you control get +1/+1 and have trample.
* Leviathans - Creatures you control have Hexproof as long as they aren't attacking.

The Hexproof part might be a bit too cheap, it certainly can be incredibly powerful. I'm not sure how many UG decks would make use of the Beasts mode though, this seems more like something you'd want in RG colors.

Establish Dominance UR
Sorcery
Gain control of target creature if its power is less than the amount of damage sources you control dealt this turn.

Establish Dominance is spicy, fun, and flavorful. Permanent control changing effects are rare these days, though, and it seems like Wizards is continually downgrading their power level. This may need to have a higher CMC.

Zephyr Braid XGU
Instant (R)
Cast up to two nonland cards from your hand with CMC X or less without paying their mana costs. Those spells can't be countered.
"The wind and sky are as much my domain as the sea."
-Sophara, Empress of the Reef

I really like Zephyr Braid. I love it's versatility and think it's probably fairly costed. Does this give your creatures flash? I guess by nature it would. It's a very interesting concept and I would love to playtest it.

Another idea of mine:

Supreme Decree XWU
Artifact
Supreme Deceee enters the battlefield with X charge counters on it.
Whenever an opponent casts a spell with CMC equal to the number of charge counters on Supreme Decree, you may draw a card.

Interesting. If you manage to pile up your deck with tons of same-cmc cards, this can get out of hand really quickly. Perhaps potentially too broken even if your opponent doesn't always help you, but still damn strong nevertheless.
EDIT:
So I misread. This is a bit situational, but at least helps in some ways. I guess it's ok then.


Random complicated card:

Ouroboros Everscroll 6
Artifact (M)
Whenever a player casts an instant or sorcery spell, exile that spell after it resolves rather than put it into its owner's graveyard.
A player who has three or more cards he or she owns exiled by Ouroboros Everscroll may cast the cards exiled by Ouroboros Everscroll but cannot cast other instant or sorcery spells. (Pay costs as normal.)

Remember that the first clause still applies to the second ability: Once a player has too many cards exiled by this card, that player can keep re-casting those spells over and over, and thanks to the first line of ability, that exiled spell will get exiled again as it is cast. Of course, there's also a slight abuse possible here: cast a spell to reduce the count of spell to two or fewer, then cast an instant; now you have four exiled spells. Comments?

Holy rulings headache batman. I get your explanation and this card seems do-able as a clunky 6 mana artifact. Obvious interactions are it infinite loops with any ritual spell Manamorphose, Dark Ritual, Rite of Flame etc. etc. Overall this card reminds me of unholy lovechild of Knowledge Pool and Eye of the storm

Kheru Bodysnatcher 1UU
Creature - Naga Spirit (R)
Flying
When ~ dies, you may gain control of each creature that dealt damage to it this turn.
3/1
Morph 2UU

Very cool translation of Kheru Spellsnatcher. I would have really enjoyed grabbing one of these in a Khans draft. It seems like an effect they should have put on a morph card. Most of the time you'll just be swinging in like a wild man so they might have an idea what's going on, but that also opens up the door to bluffing and other combat tricks. It's a great limited card. I would argue you could even give it 2 toughness without making it unfair.

Riku, Beastcaller GG
Legendary Creature - Human Shaman
Creature spells cost 1 less to cast.
[2/2]

Riku, I like him. It's kinda a different spin on mana acceleration rather than using the mana pool. Not much to make this guy better.


Underbrush Dragon 2GR
Creature-Dragon [UC]
Flying
When ~ deals 3 or more damage to an opponent, you may play a forest from your library.
3/3
(I use "may play" because a player may only play one land per turn, so if the player already played a land, the ability doesnt activate).

Powerful creature. I'm not sure about haste on mono-green though. I like the sac for "card swap" thing.

Here's a planeswalker idea, with a mix of a life manipulation and graveyard recursion theme:

Methusela, Blood Savant 2BWG
Planeswalker - Methusela (M)
+1: Each opponent loses 1 life and you gain life equal to the amount of life lost this way.
0: Cast target spell from your graveyard if you pay its converted mana cost in life. If that spell is an instant or sorcery, exile it at end of turn.
-8: You may play one spell from each graveyard without paying their mana costs.
4

Hmmmm..... I'm kind of afraid his second ability could be too abusable, even if it's only once per turn. I may be wrong, but I personally think that effect should warrant higher casting cost for this guy. Last ability is actually too expensive; At least Jace allows you to choose from library, while this guy needs you to mill etc first.


Next

Agony Diva 4BB
Creature - Angel (R)
Flying
Whenever a creature an opponent control is dealt damage, its controller may choose to untap that creature and put a +1/+1 counter on that creature. If that player does, put two +1/+1 counters on Agony Diva.
When Agony Diva leaves the battlefield, destroy each creature with a +1/+1 counter on it.
4/4

Complicated, I guess. Comments?