A couple more, with one that skirts the edge of the challenge.
Blightwood Dryad1BG
Creature - Dryad (U)
Whenever an Aura enters the battlefield under your control, target creature gets -1/-1 until end of turn.
2/3
Fertile Compost1BG
Enchantment (U) Morbid - At the beginning of each end step, if a creature died this turn, you may put target creature card from your graveyard on top of your library.
Matsu Outcast3BG
Creature - Snake Warrior (Uncommon)
Matsu Outcast has trample and intimidate as long as it's the only creature you control.
Sacrifice a creature: Put a +1/+1 counter on Matsu Outcast. He killed his family out of promise of power. Now, he seeks the power to outlast the demons themselves.
3/3
Nice card.
Why two kinds of evasion? Either of them is a bit redundant with the other (Gatherer tells me that the only card with both is Withengar Unbound, a mythic). To be honest, I don't like intimidate that much overall, especially on multicolor creatures. Randomly hosing colors is not what I like my cards to do (unless it is on a specific sideboard card, but even that is something I don't like that much). Maybe give it flying?
Deathtouch Trample??
Edit: My own version of netn10's card (he still has full credit for the concept, just iterating)
Matsu Outcast3BG
Creature - Snake Warrior (U)
Sacrifice a creature: Put a +1/+1 counter on Matus Outcast. It gains trample until end of turn. (B/G): Regenerate Matsu Outcast. Activate this ability only if you control no other creatures.
3/3
Matsu Outcast3BG
Creature - Snake Warrior (Uncommon)
Matsu Outcast has trample and intimidate as long as it's the only creature you control.
Sacrifice a creature: Put a +1/+1 counter on Matsu Outcast. He killed his family out of promise of power. Now, he seeks the power to outlast the demons themselves.
3/3
Nice card.
Why two kinds of evasion? Either of them is a bit redundant with the other (Gatherer tells me that the only card with both is Withengar Unbound, a mythic). To be honest, I don't like intimidate that much overall, especially on multicolor creatures. Randomly hosing colors is not what I like my cards to do (unless it is on a specific sideboard card, but even that is something I don't like that much). Maybe give it flying?
Deathtouch Trample??
I want this card to feel more green. Also, flying would make this card too powerful as an uncommon for Limited.
This is my second version:
Matsu Outcast3BG
Creature - Snake Warrior (Uncommon)
Matsu Outcast has hexproof and trample as long as it's the only creature you control.
Sacrifice a creature: Put a +1/+1 counter on Matsu Outcast. He killed his family out of promise of power. Now, he seeks the power to outlast the demons themselves.
2/2
ThoughtfeedGB
Enchantment (U)
Whenever an opponent tries to discard one or more cards from his or her empty hand, put that many +1/+1 counters on each creature you control.
ThoughtfeedGB
Enchantment (U)
Whenever an opponent tries to discard one or more cards from his or her empty hand, put that many +1/+1 counters on each creature you control.
Should probably be 'Whenever an opponent would discard a card, if they have no cards in hand, put that many +1/+1 counters on each creature you control instead'.
'would' is usually reserved for replacement effects, which this is not. Also, 'would discard a card' wouldn't be true on a replacement effect if a hand is empty. Not that 'tries to' is defined, but at least it doesn't carry that baggage. The wording I used was simple and clear, which may be the way they take, but if they really want to be strict with the rules, maybe:
Whenever a spell or ability forces an opponent to discard more cards than that player has in his or her hand, put X +1/+1 counters on each creature you control, where X is the number of cards that player failed to discard.
Anyways, it seems like you guys are looking for an archetype more than a single one shot build around card, so I think it'd have to be sacrifice. Let's tie it with +1/+1 to make it more green and differentiate from other sacrifice mechanics.
Baleful Cankermancer1GB
Creature - Human Wizard (U)
Whenever you sacrifice a creature, target opponent loses a life for each +1/+1 counter on it. 1: Put a +1/+1 counter on target creature you control. Sacrifice that creature at the beginning of the end step. Activate this ability only once each turn.
3/3
'would' is usually reserved for replacement effects, which this is not. Also, 'would discard a card' wouldn't be true on a replacement effect if a hand is empty. Not that 'tries to' is defined, but at least it doesn't carry that baggage. The wording I used was simple and clear, which may be the way they take, but if they really want to be strict with the rules, maybe:
Whenever a spell or ability forces an opponent to discard more cards than that player has in his or her hand, put X +1/+1 counters on each creature you control, where X is the number of cards that player failed to discard.
My suggestion WAS a replacement effect (note the use of 'instead'). It's the simplest way to do the effect within the rules. 'Forces' and 'failed' are not rules terms. My version uses only rules terms. 'Would discard a card' refers to the effect that tries to make them discard, the discard action. The action still occurs if a player has no cards in hand, it's just that nothing happens.
Why do people think sacrifice engines don't 'use the graveyard' as listed in the challenge description? A sacrifice engine doesn't need to be a graveyard deck card, but it nevertheless supports and encourages such a strategy. Green/black needs to have SOME graveyard synergy to match expectations and fill out it's portion of the set, so you need to actually separate a build-around card from it. You need to create a distinct strategy, not one with direct overlap. See Exploit from DTK. Do you really think that isn't graveyard related? It is, and it works with delve from FRF for this reason. The same applies for discard.
If "Sacrifice" synergies are graveyard related, so is Gelectrode. After all, both benefit when you do something that ends up going to your graveyard after. Both also benefit from finding a way to recur those resources after they're in your graveyard.
But isn't a graveyard colour. is. The discard/sacrifice engine cards are not breaking the challenge directly, but they aren't going to encourage people from playing a non-graveyard strategy. The point of being different is not to find the closest way to being ordinary. That's not going to end up with a unique archetype like the challenge is trying to do.
Considering that only four cards in MTG use the trigger "whenever you sacrifice", and that it does fit well in black/green, I think that's a reasonably unusual archetype.
If you create more unique archetypes that are still well designed and fit the colors, that's cool. But a sacrifice theme is squarely within the rules of the challenge.
My suggestion WAS a replacement effect (note the use of 'instead'). It's the simplest way to do the effect within the rules. 'Forces' and 'failed' are not rules terms. My version uses only rules terms. 'Would discard a card' refers to the effect that tries to make them discard, the discard action. The action still occurs if a player has no cards in hand, it's just that nothing happens.
A replacement effect is not worded with 'When' which is reserved for triggered abilities that are put on the stack, it should start with 'If.' Stinkweed Imp. Discard doesn't happen without effect, or else Megrim would always hit for 2. By writing 'tries' I imply there would be a rules addendum, but if you don't like that, I stand by my second wording.
I disagree with linking sacrifice with graveyard. No matter how strongly they synergize, they are not the same thing. It's like saying exploit is the same strategy as exalted because they both need to use creatures.
At the beginning of your upkeep, return a creature you control to your hand.
Whenever another creature you control leaves the battlefield, target opponent loses 1 life.
2/4
---
A simple combination of two of my favorite build around uncommons, Roaring Primadox and Blood Artist (minus the life gain). I gave Rotting Primadox less power because a) balance reasons, and b) it's rotting!
Now here's a less abusable, more grindy version.
Rotting Primadox β2BG
Creature - Zombie Beast {U}
At the beginning of your upkeep, return a creature you control to your hand. If you do, target opponent loses 1 life and you gain one life.
4/4
---
The slow-roller in me likes the latter, but my spikiness likes the former. If I had to choose one, though, I choose the latter. Primadox Beta has a more elegant design than Primadox Alpha, IMO. It plays better by itself, it's more noob friendly, and because of its limitations it opens up more creative plays.
A replacement effect is not worded with 'When' which is reserved for triggered abilities that are put on the stack, it should start with 'If.' Stinkweed Imp. Discard doesn't happen without effect, or else Megrim would always hit for 2. By writing 'tries' I imply there would be a rules addendum, but if you don't like that, I stand by my second wording.
I disagree with linking sacrifice with graveyard. No matter how strongly they synergize, they are not the same thing. It's like saying exploit is the same strategy as exalted because they both need to use creatures.
I didn't use 'when'. Discard doesn't happen, but the ability that makes them discard does. Discard is the action, but the effect that causes it still there when the action does nothing.
The whole sacrifice/graveyard thing isn't about the theme being made, it's about what happens when you do. My concern is that these kind of cards support a graveyard strategy, whether you like it or not. I don't know to what degree, or whether by extension it's too much, but it is definitely support for it. Anyway, that's just what I think.
Bones to Soil2BG
Enchantment (U)
Whenever a nontoken creature dies, search your library for a basic land card and put that card onto the battlefield tapped. Then shuffle your library. Blood is the best fertilizer.
Not enough payoff to make a build-around, and not an unusual-enough trigger or effect (all decks are going to have creatures dying in limited). How exactly do I build around this card? Play lots of creatures (and not tokens)? Play more X spells because I'll have more mana in the late game? It's too expensive and the trigger is too delayed to work as a mana fixer (and being multicolored doesn't help much when fixing mana, especially when it could just be green color-pie wise). There isn't really anything to build-around here.
Blightwood Dryad 1BG
Creature - Dryad (U)
Whenever an Aura enters the battlefield under your control, target creature gets -1/-1 until end of turn.
2/3
Fertile Compost 1BG
Enchantment (U)
Morbid - At the beginning of each end step, if a creature died this turn, you may put target creature card from your graveyard on top of your library.
Edit: My own version of netn10's card (he still has full credit for the concept, just iterating)
Matsu Outcast 3BG
Creature - Snake Warrior (U)
Sacrifice a creature: Put a +1/+1 counter on Matus Outcast. It gains trample until end of turn.
(B/G): Regenerate Matsu Outcast. Activate this ability only if you control no other creatures.
3/3
I want this card to feel more green. Also, flying would make this card too powerful as an uncommon for Limited.
This is my second version:
Matsu Outcast 3BG
Creature - Snake Warrior (Uncommon)
Matsu Outcast has hexproof and trample as long as it's the only creature you control.
Sacrifice a creature: Put a +1/+1 counter on Matsu Outcast.
He killed his family out of promise of power. Now, he seeks the power to outlast the demons themselves.
2/2
Enchantment (U)
Whenever an opponent tries to discard one or more cards from his or her empty hand, put that many +1/+1 counters on each creature you control.
Should probably be 'Whenever an opponent would discard a card, if they have no cards in hand, put that many +1/+1 counters on each creature you control instead'.
RUNIN: Norse mythology set (awaiting further playtesting)
FATE of ALARA: Multicolour factions (currently on hiatus)
Contibutor to the Pyrulea community set
I'm here to tell you that all your set mechanics are bad
#Defundthepolice
Whenever a spell or ability forces an opponent to discard more cards than that player has in his or her hand, put X +1/+1 counters on each creature you control, where X is the number of cards that player failed to discard.
Anyways, it seems like you guys are looking for an archetype more than a single one shot build around card, so I think it'd have to be sacrifice. Let's tie it with +1/+1 to make it more green and differentiate from other sacrifice mechanics.
Baleful Cankermancer 1GB
Creature - Human Wizard (U)
Whenever you sacrifice a creature, target opponent loses a life for each +1/+1 counter on it.
1: Put a +1/+1 counter on target creature you control. Sacrifice that creature at the beginning of the end step. Activate this ability only once each turn.
3/3
My suggestion WAS a replacement effect (note the use of 'instead'). It's the simplest way to do the effect within the rules. 'Forces' and 'failed' are not rules terms. My version uses only rules terms. 'Would discard a card' refers to the effect that tries to make them discard, the discard action. The action still occurs if a player has no cards in hand, it's just that nothing happens.
RUNIN: Norse mythology set (awaiting further playtesting)
FATE of ALARA: Multicolour factions (currently on hiatus)
Contibutor to the Pyrulea community set
I'm here to tell you that all your set mechanics are bad
#Defundthepolice
RUNIN: Norse mythology set (awaiting further playtesting)
FATE of ALARA: Multicolour factions (currently on hiatus)
Contibutor to the Pyrulea community set
I'm here to tell you that all your set mechanics are bad
#Defundthepolice
Remaking Magic - A Podcast for those that love MTG and Game Design
The Dungeon Master's Guide - A Podcast for those that love RPGs and Game Design
Sig-Heroes of the Plane
RUNIN: Norse mythology set (awaiting further playtesting)
FATE of ALARA: Multicolour factions (currently on hiatus)
Contibutor to the Pyrulea community set
I'm here to tell you that all your set mechanics are bad
#Defundthepolice
If you create more unique archetypes that are still well designed and fit the colors, that's cool. But a sacrifice theme is squarely within the rules of the challenge.
Remaking Magic - A Podcast for those that love MTG and Game Design
The Dungeon Master's Guide - A Podcast for those that love RPGs and Game Design
Sig-Heroes of the Plane
A replacement effect is not worded with 'When' which is reserved for triggered abilities that are put on the stack, it should start with 'If.' Stinkweed Imp. Discard doesn't happen without effect, or else Megrim would always hit for 2. By writing 'tries' I imply there would be a rules addendum, but if you don't like that, I stand by my second wording.
I disagree with linking sacrifice with graveyard. No matter how strongly they synergize, they are not the same thing. It's like saying exploit is the same strategy as exalted because they both need to use creatures.
Creature - Zombie Beast {U}
At the beginning of your upkeep, return a creature you control to your hand.
Whenever another creature you control leaves the battlefield, target opponent loses 1 life.
2/4
---
A simple combination of two of my favorite build around uncommons, Roaring Primadox and Blood Artist (minus the life gain). I gave Rotting Primadox less power because a) balance reasons, and b) it's rotting!
Now here's a less abusable, more grindy version.
Rotting Primadox β 2BG
Creature - Zombie Beast {U}
At the beginning of your upkeep, return a creature you control to your hand. If you do, target opponent loses 1 life and you gain one life.
4/4
---
The slow-roller in me likes the latter, but my spikiness likes the former. If I had to choose one, though, I choose the latter. Primadox Beta has a more elegant design than Primadox Alpha, IMO. It plays better by itself, it's more noob friendly, and because of its limitations it opens up more creative plays.
I didn't use 'when'. Discard doesn't happen, but the ability that makes them discard does. Discard is the action, but the effect that causes it still there when the action does nothing.
The whole sacrifice/graveyard thing isn't about the theme being made, it's about what happens when you do. My concern is that these kind of cards support a graveyard strategy, whether you like it or not. I don't know to what degree, or whether by extension it's too much, but it is definitely support for it. Anyway, that's just what I think.
RUNIN: Norse mythology set (awaiting further playtesting)
FATE of ALARA: Multicolour factions (currently on hiatus)
Contibutor to the Pyrulea community set
I'm here to tell you that all your set mechanics are bad
#Defundthepolice
Remaking Magic - A Podcast for those that love MTG and Game Design
The Dungeon Master's Guide - A Podcast for those that love RPGs and Game Design
Sig-Heroes of the Plane
Bones to Soil 2BG
Enchantment (U)
Whenever a nontoken creature dies, search your library for a basic land card and put that card onto the battlefield tapped. Then shuffle your library.
Blood is the best fertilizer.
Just realized my card is basically Willows...
BGStandard Green AggroGB
UWRGModern Saheeli CobraGRWU
UBRGLegacy StormGRBU
Wizards Certified Rules Advisor
Remaking Magic - A Podcast for those that love MTG and Game Design
The Dungeon Master's Guide - A Podcast for those that love RPGs and Game Design
Sig-Heroes of the Plane