Cataclysmic FalloutXRR
Instant (Rare)
Cataclysmic Fallout deals X damage to each creature and each player. Damage dealt this way can't be prevented.
Reclaim 1R(When this card would be out into a graveyard from anywhere, you may pay 1R. If you do, put it into your hand instead.)
FlickerboltR
Instant (Common)
Flickerbolt deals 2 damage to target creature or player.
Reclaim 2R
Dark ReclamationB
Sorcery (Common)
Return target creature or land from your graveyard to your hand.
Reclaim 2B
Risky Business1R
Instant (Uncommon)
Draw two cards, then discard two cards.
Reclaim 1R
Nightmare Therapy1B
Sorcery (Uncommon)
Target player reveals his or her hand and you choose a card from it. That player discards that card.
Reclaim 2B
* I'm not a fan of the name, but that's always subject to change. However, I was always a fan of Capsize. It's powerful, and also needed a reprint. With Reclaim, I can do that!
Tormenting Delve1B
Instant (Rare)
Exile the top card of target player's library. You may cast that card for as long as it remains exiled and spend black mana to cast it as if it were any color.
Reclaim 1B
*This ability could also be blue, but I wanted to do something with black that wasn't removal or discard or life loss. This felt original, and potentially dangerous.
TideholdU
Instant (Common)
Tap or untap target permanent.
Reclaim 2U
Illusory Replication3U
Instant (Rare)
Put a copy of target permanent onto the battlefield under your control. It's an illusion in addition to its other types and gains "Whenever this permanent becomes the target of a spell or ability, sacrifice it."
Reclaim 2U
* I wanted a cloning card that could make lands. This helps with landfall, as well as exploring the idea of cloning other permanents. The downside is that it has to target, and it makes it only an illusion.
I made a long post detailing the problem of these cards.
But I hit the back button.
But here's the TL;DR -- rethink the powerlevel of these cards, particularly the commons. They're freaking insane. These cards make playing graveyard hate a _must_.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"Sometimes, the situation is outracing a threat, sometimes it's ignoring it, and sometimes it involves sideboarding in 4x Hope//Pray." --Doug Linn
Ways in which Reclaim is more powerful than Buyback:
- can still buyback even if the spell is countered (or has an illegal target - an extremely important part of making Capsize balanced)
- delays the payment which both gives your opponent less information and you more options
- can be triggered whether you cast the spell or not (interaction with Dredge, for example, which is how this ability will get truly busted).
Ways in which Reclaim is less powerful than Buyback:
- susceptible to graveyard hate
Wait. Does that downside even apply? Your wording of the ability is partially triggered and partially replacement. If it's replacement it should be "If this card would be out into a graveyard..." and if it's triggered you need to lose the "instead". This should be triggered to at least give it some downside. As a replacement effect, there are only a handful of cards that can stop the card from being reclaimed when cast (Hinder, Remand, Dissipate, that sort of thing) and none that can stop it being reclaimed from elsewhere (not even Leyline of the Void works).
In any case, you need to rethink the power level here. This is an extremely powerful ability, better than buyback in a lot of important ways. A lot of the cards as posted are too good even without Reclaim. Either the Reclaim cost needs to be huge, or the cards need to be borderline unplayable on their own. Reclaim is that good.
I agree with the poster above me suggesting it require a discard. That's a good balance powerwise. Not sure on the playability though. It's still pretty brutal getting hit with the same spell over and over with nothing that can stop it.
It sounds to me like I would just be better off getting a new mechanic. I want to do something where the energy of the cards allows for recursion. What if I had a card ability like this:
Essence Shift (When this card is put into a graveyard, you may return another card with Essence Shift {or of the same type?} at random from your graveyard to your hand.)
I originally pitched the idea as a 'Buyback' variant, intended to work with permanents as well as instants & sorceries (it also shares similarities with 'Flashback' and 'Unearth'). The ability as written (aside from a few templating errors) works fine. It is effects it is used with, and associated costs, that can be problematic. My biggest criticism right now is that they all use mana costs.
Several of the proposed cards are to strong. To start with, I would suggest the following changes on these three, followed by playtesting.
Cataclysmic FalloutXRR
Sorcery (Rare)
Cataclysmic Fallout deals X damage to each creature and each player. Damage dealt this way can't be prevented.
Reclaim 1R(Ifthis card would be out into a graveyard from anywhere, you may pay 1R. If you do, put it into your hand instead.)
Risky Business1R
Instant (Uncommon)
Draw two cards, then discard two cards.
Reclaim 2R
AEther ExodusUU
Instant (Uncommon)
Return target nonland permanent to it's owners hand.
Reclaim - Discard a card.
Illusionary Replication & Risky Business raise some flags as well, but don't scream overpowered. Tormenting Delve does not feel black (change it to target card in a graveyard, & double the 'Reclaim' cost). Also, I'm guessing the 'Reclaim' cost on the creatures are probably to low, but playtest some first.
That being said, there is a lot of room for the stated goal of 'regaining your spells'.
Off the top of my head, you can have a built-in Regrowth, or a 'Dredge' variant.
<name> <cost> (<cost>: Return this card from your graveyard to your hand. <name> only as a sorcery.)
<name> <cost> (If you would draw a card, instead you may /pay/ <cost>. If you do, return this card from your graveyard to your hand. Otherwise, draw a card.)
Edit: If you go with 'Essence Shift', I would suggest adding a cost, check subtypes (& use 'Arcane' &/or 'Tribal' types), and drop the random aspect.
<name> <cost> (When this card is put into your graveyard from anywhere, you may /pay/ <cost>. If you do, return another <subtype> card from your graveyard to your hand.)
It sounds to me like I would just be better off getting a new mechanic. I want to do something where the energy of the cards allows for recursion. What if I had a card ability like this:
Essence Shift (When this card is put into a graveyard, you may return another card with Essence Shift {or of the same type?} at random from your graveyard to your hand.)
Random makes it pretty limited in usage. Depends how many Essence Shift spells you'd want in your set. Probably don't want too many if it's random and it really limits what you're able to do with it.
Regardless, it needs a cost, otherwise the power level of the cards will have to be way too low. Even this card is too good.
SparkR
Sorcery
Spark deals 1 damage to target creature or player.
Essence Shift
Maybe make it exile when it Essence Shifts? Opens up much more space since you don't need to be worried about abusive combos.
EDIT: All this feedback was based on Essence Shift bringing back any card of the same type. I think you ought to do it that way since only being able to target other cards with Essence Shift is pretty parasitic.
Essence Shift (When this card is put into a graveyard, you may return another card with Essence Shift {or of the same type?} at random from your graveyard to your hand.)
If you have a lot of essence shift cards, that would be annoying to resolve.
What would happen is that players would have one essence shift card which they'd abuse the hell out off since its guaranteed to be the one to return.
That would mean that the essence shift card had better have a high cost, at least as high as it would if it were buyback.
Finally, it would be out of flavor for other colors. Red can get away with it. Random resolution of stuff in the graveyard? That's practically inimical to white.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"Sometimes, the situation is outracing a threat, sometimes it's ignoring it, and sometimes it involves sideboarding in 4x Hope//Pray." --Doug Linn
Someone had mentioned a version of Reclaim that I rather enjoyed, similar to a Dredge variant. I had come up with something similar, but I didn't make it as simple as this. It read something like this:
Reclaim <cost> (<cost>: Put this card from your graveyard on top of your library.)
*Activate this ability any time you could cast a sorcery?
*Whenever you would draw a card, <effect>?
It would work similar to dredge, save for the self-mill effect. I originally thought it was too powerful, but after reading the comments about my first version, I think the second version would be much less powerful. What does very one think about that?
Instant (Rare)
Cataclysmic Fallout deals X damage to each creature and each player. Damage dealt this way can't be prevented.
Reclaim 1R (When this card would be out into a graveyard from anywhere, you may pay 1R. If you do, put it into your hand instead.)
Flickerbolt R
Instant (Common)
Flickerbolt deals 2 damage to target creature or player.
Reclaim 2R
Dark Reclamation B
Sorcery (Common)
Return target creature or land from your graveyard to your hand.
Reclaim 2B
Risky Business 1R
Instant (Uncommon)
Draw two cards, then discard two cards.
Reclaim 1R
Nightmare Therapy 1B
Sorcery (Uncommon)
Target player reveals his or her hand and you choose a card from it. That player discards that card.
Reclaim 2B
AEther Exodus 2U
Instant (Uncommon)
Return target permanent to it's owners hand.
Reclaim 2U
* I'm not a fan of the name, but that's always subject to change. However, I was always a fan of Capsize. It's powerful, and also needed a reprint. With Reclaim, I can do that!
Tormenting Delve 1B
Instant (Rare)
Exile the top card of target player's library. You may cast that card for as long as it remains exiled and spend black mana to cast it as if it were any color.
Reclaim 1B
*This ability could also be blue, but I wanted to do something with black that wasn't removal or discard or life loss. This felt original, and potentially dangerous.
Tidehold U
Instant (Common)
Tap or untap target permanent.
Reclaim 2U
Illusory Replication 3U
Instant (Rare)
Put a copy of target permanent onto the battlefield under your control. It's an illusion in addition to its other types and gains "Whenever this permanent becomes the target of a spell or ability, sacrifice it."
Reclaim 2U
* I wanted a cloning card that could make lands. This helps with landfall, as well as exploring the idea of cloning other permanents. The downside is that it has to target, and it makes it only an illusion.
Blood Atronarch 3B
Creature - Elemental (Common)
Lifelink
Reclaim 1B
3/3
Battering Atronarch 5G
Creature - Elemental (Common)
Trample
Reclaim 2G
5/5
Dawn Atronarch 4W
Creature - Elemental (Common)
First Strike
Reclaim 2W
4/3
Cloud Atronarch 1U
Creature - Elemental (Common)
Flying
Reclaim 1U
1/1
Dunes of Zairo
SHANDALAR
Innistrad - The Darkest Night
~THE RAVNICAN CONSORTIUM~
A Community Set
Commander: Allies & Adversaries
But I hit the back button.
But here's the TL;DR -- rethink the powerlevel of these cards, particularly the commons. They're freaking insane. These cards make playing graveyard hate a _must_.
"Sometimes, the situation is outracing a threat, sometimes it's ignoring it, and sometimes it involves sideboarding in 4x Hope//Pray." --Doug Linn
Also, I'm afraid the mechanic leads to repetitive game play, which is something WotC seems to avoid these days.
Ways in which Reclaim is more powerful than Buyback:
- can still buyback even if the spell is countered (or has an illegal target - an extremely important part of making Capsize balanced)
- delays the payment which both gives your opponent less information and you more options
- can be triggered whether you cast the spell or not (interaction with Dredge, for example, which is how this ability will get truly busted).
Ways in which Reclaim is less powerful than Buyback:
- susceptible to graveyard hate
Wait. Does that downside even apply? Your wording of the ability is partially triggered and partially replacement. If it's replacement it should be "If this card would be out into a graveyard..." and if it's triggered you need to lose the "instead". This should be triggered to at least give it some downside. As a replacement effect, there are only a handful of cards that can stop the card from being reclaimed when cast (Hinder, Remand, Dissipate, that sort of thing) and none that can stop it being reclaimed from elsewhere (not even Leyline of the Void works).
In any case, you need to rethink the power level here. This is an extremely powerful ability, better than buyback in a lot of important ways. A lot of the cards as posted are too good even without Reclaim. Either the Reclaim cost needs to be huge, or the cards need to be borderline unplayable on their own. Reclaim is that good.
I agree with the poster above me suggesting it require a discard. That's a good balance powerwise. Not sure on the playability though. It's still pretty brutal getting hit with the same spell over and over with nothing that can stop it.
Essence Shift (When this card is put into a graveyard, you may return another card with Essence Shift {or of the same type?} at random from your graveyard to your hand.)
Dunes of Zairo
SHANDALAR
Innistrad - The Darkest Night
~THE RAVNICAN CONSORTIUM~
A Community Set
Commander: Allies & Adversaries
Several of the proposed cards are to strong. To start with, I would suggest the following changes on these three, followed by playtesting.
Illusionary Replication & Risky Business raise some flags as well, but don't scream overpowered. Tormenting Delve does not feel black (change it to target card in a graveyard, & double the 'Reclaim' cost). Also, I'm guessing the 'Reclaim' cost on the creatures are probably to low, but playtest some first.
That being said, there is a lot of room for the stated goal of 'regaining your spells'.
Off the top of my head, you can have a built-in Regrowth, or a 'Dredge' variant.
<name> <cost> (<cost>: Return this card from your graveyard to your hand. <name> only as a sorcery.)
<name> <cost> (If you would draw a card, instead you may /pay/ <cost>. If you do, return this card from your graveyard to your hand. Otherwise, draw a card.)
Edit: If you go with 'Essence Shift', I would suggest adding a cost, check subtypes (& use 'Arcane' &/or 'Tribal' types), and drop the random aspect.
<name> <cost> (When this card is put into your graveyard from anywhere, you may /pay/ <cost>. If you do, return another <subtype> card from your graveyard to your hand.)
A Dying Wish
To Rise Again
Chainer, Dementia Master
Muldrotha, the Gravetide
Atraxa, Praetors' Voice
Random makes it pretty limited in usage. Depends how many Essence Shift spells you'd want in your set. Probably don't want too many if it's random and it really limits what you're able to do with it.
Regardless, it needs a cost, otherwise the power level of the cards will have to be way too low. Even this card is too good.
Spark R
Sorcery
Spark deals 1 damage to target creature or player.
Essence Shift
Maybe make it exile when it Essence Shifts? Opens up much more space since you don't need to be worried about abusive combos.
EDIT: All this feedback was based on Essence Shift bringing back any card of the same type. I think you ought to do it that way since only being able to target other cards with Essence Shift is pretty parasitic.
If you have a lot of essence shift cards, that would be annoying to resolve.
What would happen is that players would have one essence shift card which they'd abuse the hell out off since its guaranteed to be the one to return.
That would mean that the essence shift card had better have a high cost, at least as high as it would if it were buyback.
Finally, it would be out of flavor for other colors. Red can get away with it. Random resolution of stuff in the graveyard? That's practically inimical to white.
"Sometimes, the situation is outracing a threat, sometimes it's ignoring it, and sometimes it involves sideboarding in 4x Hope//Pray." --Doug Linn
Reclaim <cost> (<cost>: Put this card from your graveyard on top of your library.)
*Activate this ability any time you could cast a sorcery?
*Whenever you would draw a card, <effect>?
It would work similar to dredge, save for the self-mill effect. I originally thought it was too powerful, but after reading the comments about my first version, I think the second version would be much less powerful. What does very one think about that?
Dunes of Zairo
SHANDALAR
Innistrad - The Darkest Night
~THE RAVNICAN CONSORTIUM~
A Community Set
Commander: Allies & Adversaries