For Dreamscape of Noctus
One of the limited archetypes will be red black tokens. This will be one of the more aggressive decks in the format, capable of running over decks that rely on premonition or self mill trickry that doesn't add directly to the board state.
Crackling Figments
Sorcery (C)
Put two 1/1 red Elemental creature tokens with haste onto the battlefield.
Memoir (When you cast this spell or it is put into your graveyard from your library, You may pay 2R. If you do, copy it.)
The foundation of any token strategy is the tokens, making this a premium common that needs to be taken early. The decision to play it earlier or later can be difficult, yet either mode is good.
Lost Dreamer
Creature — Zombie (C)
Lost Dreamer enters the battlefield tapped. "Death in the Dreamscape kills only the soul. The sleeper's mind and body are left intact, but devoid of hope or motive."
2/1
When you deck isn't interested on going on the offensive, Diregraf Ghoul makes for a powerful card that can be very interesting in this format as one of the few creatures than can block dreamwalkers the turn it is played.
Cruel Memories
Instant (C)
Creatures you control get +1/+0 until end of turn.
Memoir (When you cast this spell or it is put into your graveyard from your library, You may pay R. If you do, copy it.)
To support the token strategy this cheap yet effective pump spell can turn a few 1/1's into a lethal alpha strike. The instant speed means often you opponent needs to make difficult blocking decisions when at low life.
Herald of Carnage
Creature — Nightmare (U)
Whenever a creature you control is blocked, it gets +2/+0 until end of turn.
2/3
A problem that a swarm of 1/1's face is the ability to break through 1 or 2 medium sized creatures. Herald of Carnage comes down right when you need him to maximize your smaller creature's value.
Ikelious, Nightmare King
Legendary Creature — Nightmare (M)
At the beginning of your end step, if Ikelious, Nightmare King is tapped, destroy each other tapped creature. “Sleep, if you dare. I’ll be waiting for you.”
5/5
In the deepest realms of the Dreamscape known as the Darkscape, Ikelious lords over a realm of terror. Little is known about him other than his immense power.
What do you think of the cards?
Would you play this archetype?
I always enjoy playing token strategies in limited, and these look like a good step towards that. Without having played directly with Memoir, I'd expect this deck to only use the mechanic as kicker rather than its more unusual form. One question I have for you is how do you see this archtype fit into your design goal? Token strategies aren't something I think of as 'new/foreign'; I'd have thought tokens specifically to be somewhat new before the Mardu limited deck happened. Another related question: How do you expect to make this token strategy operate differently/foreignly to its predecessors? Onto the cards!
Crackling Figments - This is truly a premium common for the archtype and for red decks in general to a lesser extent. Memoir makes this really interesting as it provides extra uumph in the late game. Picking this card makes me want to value token support cards more highly.
Lost Dreamer - Another very strong common, I would compare it to Vampire Lacerator. The interactions with dreamwalk make it stronger here than your usual format too. I don't see this card drawing me into a token strategy, but if I'm already in an aggressive strategy in black I would always want to pick this card.
Cruel Memories - I don't know how your other archtypes are lined up, but I could see switching this around to to cast and to Memoir. Most of the time I'd only be interested in the kicked version of this. On the turns where I have enough creatures to make raising my banners exciting I'll have more than two mana to kick around. My ideal vision for this spell is casting either a two or three drop with haste followed by a kicked version of this for an alpha strike. Cards like this are always tricky to balance, and I'd hope to pick this card up late in a draft.
Herald of Carnage - I quite like this. It fits very well into the token archtype, and I'd happily pick it up early if I already have a token card or two. That's about as early as I tend to take multicolor cards, so it's strong. It'd commit me to the archtype. Wording nitpick - creatures become blocked.
Ikelious - I don't think of mythics in terms of an archtype's viability (unless that mythic is the archtype eg Gods). He isn't very interesting in a tokens archtype anyway unless your tokens all have vigilance.
Herald of Carnage looks like it could be a little stronger, like 2/4 or something.
Archetype seems solid, plenty of room for changes and a variety of applicable cards.
I like the looks of the archetype. I'd go into more depth, but I don't have much experience with Limited formats.
Ikelious is awesome! He's definitely very splashy in the context of the set and this is a very resonant villain archetype from dream-themed fiction. In case you need some inspiration, here are some dream fiction sources from off the top of my head: the Doctor Who episode "Amy's Choice", the Buffy episodes "Restless" and "Nighmares", the Honey I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show Episode "Honey, I'm Dreaming... But Am I?" (obscure, but worth it), and the Matrix (sort of). (Just, FYI, I did have to look up most of those episode names, my memory's not that good. )
I like the concept behind Lost Dreamer's flavor text, but it's a little clunky right now. Here's my suggestion for rewriting it: "Death in the Dreamscape kills only the soul. The sleeper's mind and body are left intact, but devoid of hope or motive."
As a more general question about set design, if a set has 10 2-color draft archetypes, about how many cards do you think are needed to properly support each archetype?
As a more general question about set design, if a set has 10 2-color draft archetypes, about how many cards do you think are needed to properly support each archetype?
I go into this a bit in this in my SET SKELETON PRIMER.
However the basic way I like to think about it is 1-2 "pillar" cards at common (eg: Travel Preparations, or Savage Punch), followed by between two and four "support" cards at common. (eg: Anoik Bond-Kin or Armored Skab)
Finally I have some some of build around at uncommon they helps signal that the archetype exists if I want newer players to know about it.
So to use this archetype as an example: Crackling Figments is my pillar card that allows a token strategy to exist. Cruel Memories is a support card that guides what second color is the best. Herald of Carnage is an uncommon that hints that a token strategy may be viable
As a more general question about set design, if a set has 10 2-color draft archetypes, about how many cards do you think are needed to properly support each archetype?
I go into this a bit in this in my SET SKELETON PRIMER.
However the basic way I like to think about it is 1-2 "pillar" cards at common (eg: Travel Preparations, or Savage Punch), followed by between two and four "support" cards at common. (eg: Anoik Bond-Kin or Armored Skab)
Finally I have some some of build around at uncommon they helps signal that the archetype exists if I want newer players to know about it.
So to use this archetype as an example: Crackling Figments is my pillar card that allows a token strategy to exist. Cruel Memories is a support card that guides what second color is the best. Herald of Carnage is an uncommon that hints that a token strategy may be viable
O. K. I think this is worth temporarily breaking my vow of silence (see my sig):
Your set skeleton primer is out! Awesome, I've been looking forward to it. Thank you for this archetype explanation as well.
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One of the limited archetypes will be red black tokens. This will be one of the more aggressive decks in the format, capable of running over decks that rely on premonition or self mill trickry that doesn't add directly to the board state.
Crackling Figments
Sorcery (C)
Put two 1/1 red Elemental creature tokens with haste onto the battlefield.
Memoir (When you cast this spell or it is put into your graveyard from your library, You may pay 2R. If you do, copy it.)
The foundation of any token strategy is the tokens, making this a premium common that needs to be taken early. The decision to play it earlier or later can be difficult, yet either mode is good.
Lost Dreamer
Creature — Zombie (C)
Lost Dreamer enters the battlefield tapped.
"Death in the Dreamscape kills only the soul. The sleeper's mind and body are left intact, but devoid of hope or motive."
2/1
When you deck isn't interested on going on the offensive, Diregraf Ghoul makes for a powerful card that can be very interesting in this format as one of the few creatures than can block dreamwalkers the turn it is played.
Cruel Memories
Instant (C)
Creatures you control get +1/+0 until end of turn.
Memoir (When you cast this spell or it is put into your graveyard from your library, You may pay R. If you do, copy it.)
To support the token strategy this cheap yet effective pump spell can turn a few 1/1's into a lethal alpha strike. The instant speed means often you opponent needs to make difficult blocking decisions when at low life.
Herald of Carnage
Creature — Nightmare (U)
Whenever a creature you control is blocked, it gets +2/+0 until end of turn.
2/3
A problem that a swarm of 1/1's face is the ability to break through 1 or 2 medium sized creatures. Herald of Carnage comes down right when you need him to maximize your smaller creature's value.
Ikelious, Nightmare King
Legendary Creature — Nightmare (M)
At the beginning of your end step, if Ikelious, Nightmare King is tapped, destroy each other tapped creature.
“Sleep, if you dare. I’ll be waiting for you.”
5/5
In the deepest realms of the Dreamscape known as the Darkscape, Ikelious lords over a realm of terror. Little is known about him other than his immense power.
What do you think of the cards?
Would you play this archetype?
Are you designing commons? Check out my primer on NWO.
Interested in making a custom set? Check out my Set skeleton and archetype primer.
I also write articles about getting started with custom card creation.
Go and PLAYTEST your designs, you will learn more in a single playtests than a dozen discussions.
My custom sets:
Dreamscape
Coins of Mercalis [COMPLETE]
Exodus of Zendikar - ON HOLD
Crackling Figments - This is truly a premium common for the archtype and for red decks in general to a lesser extent. Memoir makes this really interesting as it provides extra uumph in the late game. Picking this card makes me want to value token support cards more highly.
Lost Dreamer - Another very strong common, I would compare it to Vampire Lacerator. The interactions with dreamwalk make it stronger here than your usual format too. I don't see this card drawing me into a token strategy, but if I'm already in an aggressive strategy in black I would always want to pick this card.
Cruel Memories - I don't know how your other archtypes are lined up, but I could see switching this around to to cast and to Memoir. Most of the time I'd only be interested in the kicked version of this. On the turns where I have enough creatures to make raising my banners exciting I'll have more than two mana to kick around. My ideal vision for this spell is casting either a two or three drop with haste followed by a kicked version of this for an alpha strike. Cards like this are always tricky to balance, and I'd hope to pick this card up late in a draft.
Herald of Carnage - I quite like this. It fits very well into the token archtype, and I'd happily pick it up early if I already have a token card or two. That's about as early as I tend to take multicolor cards, so it's strong. It'd commit me to the archtype. Wording nitpick - creatures become blocked.
Ikelious - I don't think of mythics in terms of an archtype's viability (unless that mythic is the archtype eg Gods). He isn't very interesting in a tokens archtype anyway unless your tokens all have vigilance.
Are you designing commons? Check out my primer on NWO.
Interested in making a custom set? Check out my Set skeleton and archetype primer.
I also write articles about getting started with custom card creation.
Go and PLAYTEST your designs, you will learn more in a single playtests than a dozen discussions.
My custom sets:
Dreamscape
Coins of Mercalis [COMPLETE]
Exodus of Zendikar - ON HOLD
Archetype seems solid, plenty of room for changes and a variety of applicable cards.
RUNIN: Norse mythology set (awaiting further playtesting)
FATE of ALARA: Multicolour factions (currently on hiatus)
Contibutor to the Pyrulea community set
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Ikelious is awesome! He's definitely very splashy in the context of the set and this is a very resonant villain archetype from dream-themed fiction. In case you need some inspiration, here are some dream fiction sources from off the top of my head: the Doctor Who episode "Amy's Choice", the Buffy episodes "Restless" and "Nighmares", the Honey I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show Episode "Honey, I'm Dreaming... But Am I?" (obscure, but worth it), and the Matrix (sort of). (Just, FYI, I did have to look up most of those episode names, my memory's not that good. )
I like the concept behind Lost Dreamer's flavor text, but it's a little clunky right now. Here's my suggestion for rewriting it:
"Death in the Dreamscape kills only the soul. The sleeper's mind and body are left intact, but devoid of hope or motive."
As a more general question about set design, if a set has 10 2-color draft archetypes, about how many cards do you think are needed to properly support each archetype?
I go into this a bit in this in my SET SKELETON PRIMER.
However the basic way I like to think about it is 1-2 "pillar" cards at common (eg: Travel Preparations, or Savage Punch), followed by between two and four "support" cards at common. (eg: Anoik Bond-Kin or Armored Skab)
Finally I have some some of build around at uncommon they helps signal that the archetype exists if I want newer players to know about it.
So to use this archetype as an example:
Crackling Figments is my pillar card that allows a token strategy to exist.
Cruel Memories is a support card that guides what second color is the best.
Herald of Carnage is an uncommon that hints that a token strategy may be viable
Are you designing commons? Check out my primer on NWO.
Interested in making a custom set? Check out my Set skeleton and archetype primer.
I also write articles about getting started with custom card creation.
Go and PLAYTEST your designs, you will learn more in a single playtests than a dozen discussions.
My custom sets:
Dreamscape
Coins of Mercalis [COMPLETE]
Exodus of Zendikar - ON HOLD
O. K. I think this is worth temporarily breaking my vow of silence (see my sig):
Your set skeleton primer is out! Awesome, I've been looking forward to it. Thank you for this archetype explanation as well.