I tend to think up a lot of half-baked ideas for sets/themes that I'll never have time to really flesh out. After reflecting on this for a while now, I'm going to try posting some of these ideas in the form of one booster worth of cards for the community to critique and, if anyone really likes an idea, to use as a jumping off point. Today's set I'm calling "Riches of Mercadia"
----------- COMMONS -------------
Outskirt Brood2W
Sorcery (C)
Put three 1/1 colorless Sand creature tokens onto the battlefield. Guards keep the cities mostly safe, but caravans have much to fear when they near the end of their journey.
Inside InformationUU
Instant (C)
Counter target spell unless its controller pays 1. Embezzle — An opponent reveals the top card of his or her library. If it shares a color with that spell, counter that spell instead. "Just trust me on this one."
Spiked Armodon3G
Trample
Reinforce 1 — 1G(1G, Discard this card: Put a +1/+1 counter on target creature.)
When Spiked Armodon reinforces a creature, that creature gains trample until end of turn.
3/3
Drainpipe VerminB
Creature - Rat (C)
When Drainpipe Vermin dies, you may pay B. If you do, target player discards a card. "For a city that's been around for a thousand years, you'd think it'd have a better sewage system." — Bolpp, Kyren Outcast
1/1
Council Elder3W
Creature - Human Advisor (C)
Exploit (When this creature enters the battlefield, you may sacrifice a creature.)
When Council Elder exploits a creature, put target creature on top of its owner's library. With age, council members have shorter tolerance for bellyachers.
1/4
Bronze Sable2
Artifact Creature - Sable (C) While the wealthy often own more extravagant guard animals, nearly every family in the Ugar district keeps a bronze pet since they don't sleep or eat and they're cheap to repair.
2/1
Growing Worth2G
Sorcery (C)
Search your library for a basic land card and put it onto the battlefield tapped, then shuffle your library. Gild 1. (Put a colorless artifact token named Gold onto the battlefield. It has "Sacrifice this artifact: Add one mana of any color to your mana pool.")
Flame Raising1R
Sorcery (C)
Choose target creature, then bid against an opponent. Flame Raising deals damage to that creature equal to the high bid. (To bid, each bidding player draws a card and discards a card. Then compare those cards' converted mana costs.) "So that's why the auction house has an open ceiling." — Dack Fayden
Crypt Thrull1B
Creature - Thrull (C)
When Crypt Thrull dies, return another target creature card from your graveyard to your hand. When the coup against the magistrate's corruption was won, he was replaced by a council to govern the city. It only took a few short decades before the same dirty dealings corrupted the council as well.
1/3
Pickpocket Training1R
Enchantment - Aura (C)
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature has haste and "Whenever this creature deals combat damage to an opponent, gild 1." (Put a colorless artifact token named Gold onto the battlefield. It has "Sacrifice this artifact: Add one mana of any color to your mana pool.)
----------- UNCOMMONS -------------
Dark Despair1B
Instant (U)
Target creature gets -2/-2 until end of turn. Embezzle — An opponent reveals the top card of his or her library. If it shares a color with that creature, exile that creature instead. "Losing your health is hard. Losing your livelihood is unbearable." - Zsair, Head of the Council
Read the Room3UU
Sorcery (U)
Bid against an opponent. You draw a number of cards equal to the high bid. To bid, each bidding player draws a card and discards a card. Then compare those cards' converted mana costs.) Regardless of profession, it is the first skill apprentices learn on Mercadia.
Jhovall LancerWW
Creature - Human Soldier (U)
First strike
Reinforce 2 — 3W(3W, Discard this card: Put two +1/+1 counters on target creature.)
When Jhovall Lancer reinforces a creature, that creature gains first strike until end of turn.
2/2
----------- RARE -------------
Zsair the Self-Righteous3WB
Legendary Creature - Vampire Advisor (R)
Flying
Exploit (When this creature enters the battlefield, you may sacrifice a creature.)
When Zsair exploits a creature, destroy all other creatures. "He might be a little misguided, but his heart's in the right place." - Draago, Council member, last words
3/3
The use of "bid" is a little iffy here. There are already cards the use the english definition of the word "bid", so also making it into a keyword action would be weird.
The use of "bid" is a little iffy here. There are already cards the use the english definition of the word "bid", so also making it into a keyword action would be weird.
Inside InformationUU
Instant (C)
Counter target spell unless its controller pays 1. Embezzle — An opponent reveals the top card of his or her library. If it shares a color with that spell, counter that spell instead. "Just trust me on this one."
Embezzle is templated terribly e. g. in this case it looks like you do not check the embezzling until your opponent already decided to pay. You should make this a clear triggered ability ("When you cast ~, an opponent reveals the top card of his or her library." etc.
And since this is an ability word, you can actually go one step further and make the "an opponent" more personal on the example spells and go with "that spell's controller" - which generally fits the idea of the mechanic as I understand it and makes it more simple (since one less -often meaningless- choice is involved).
Spiked Armodon3G
Trample
Reinforce 1 — 1G(1G, Discard this card: Put a +1/+1 counter on target creature.)
When Spiked Armodon reinforces a creature, that creature gains trample until end of turn.
3/3
I am a strong proponent for this kind of reinforce trigger, though I do not see how it fits into the set - you already have spell abilities with embezzle, bid and gild (one-shot effects), and you have also one ability that lets you turn creatures into spell-like effects effectively in the form of exploit; additionally all of the other mechanics seem to fit the core flavor of Mercadia a bit better.
I'd expect more need for a creatre ability, that can be useful during the time the permanent is on the battlefield like extort (which is flavorwise a fit, but shouldn't be taken as suggestion since it is mechanically limited).
While I think reinforce is a great mechanic to return one day, I don't understand how it fits into this set.
Crypt Thrull1B
Creature - Thrull (C)
When Crypt Thrull dies, return another target creature card from your graveyard to your hand. When the coup against the magistrate's corruption was won, he was replaced by a council to govern the city. It only took a few short decades before the same dirty dealings corrupted the council as well.
1/3
The flavor text does not work for me on this card despite the fact that it's nice world-building.
Zsair the Self-Righteous3WB
Legendary Creature - Vampire Advisor (R)
Flying
Exploit (When this creature enters the battlefield, you may sacrifice a creature.)
When Zsair exploits a creature, destroy all other creatures. "He might be a little misguided, but his heart's in the right place." - Draago, Council member, last words
3/3
This is another example of unfortunate wording. I guess you want "all other creatures" to be read as "all creatures other than ~", but currently it parses as "all creatures other than the exploited creature". Either way you should make it explicit by writing exactly what you want.
---
While I like bidding as an alternative to clash, I cannot say I am too thrilled by bidding for the size of an effect, when I can hurt myself by making a high bid on an opponent's spell. Mechanically it might make sense, but it makes no flavor sense and probably does not play quite as well.
I suggest you change those cards to e. g. "Bid against an opponent. You may draw a number of cards equal to your bid minus your opponent's bid. If you do not, draw N card(s)." That way your opponent has actual recourse, but you can still vary the result within reason.
---
I do not see why bid and embezzle should be in the set together - couldn'T you use bid for all of these?
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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]
These are all great pieces of feedback. I hadn't thought about the conflicting definition of "bid" having been used on other cards... it's tough because I really want to keep the high/low wording. I've playtested the mechanic already and high/low makes for fun mind games about "how high/low should I go? How high/low will s/he go?"
Regarding Reinforce and Embezzle, I could definitely see a creature mechanic taking the place of one (or both) of them. Exploit was on my short list of potential returning mechanics, but it would (I think) force the set to go into hybrid mana, which is awkward considering Gild exists in the same space. Another mechanic I had on the shortlist was "Sunburst on colored creatures" which would play well with Gild and would be a creature mechanic. I'm not sure how I'd flavor it, but I suppose Mercadia is desert enough that it could be pulled off. Embezzle and bid both toy with the same design space, so I'd probably want to cut Embezzle first. For the record, Embezzle originally was meant to steal the top card of the opponent's library, but proved to be too narrow and complex to work with at common. I don't have a strong justification as to why Reinforce belongs in Mercadia, but it felt right for the setting and story of the plane.
I am not sure if I understand bid. Does Read the Room mean I can discard a 5cc card and draw 5 cards no matter what my opponent bids? Unless of course they discard something with a higher cc so I get to draw even more?
I'm really trying to make sense of the ability, but the wording looks like it only cares about the highest cc? Am I missing something essential here?
I know for certain that Rebels aren't coming back. Their purpose was achieved in the time between Masques block and this one. Mercenaries are a definite maybe - the set has gold counters after all. Spellshapers might make an appearance, but moreso as a callback than as a subtheme.
I could see that version of Embezzle working. I'm not confident in it without playtesting it, but it could be engaging. Its definitely the direction I'd like the mechanic to go. It could even still work on existing Embezzle designs:
Inside Information1UU
Instant (C)
Embezzle (Exile the top card of target opponent's library. You may play it this turn.)
Counter target spell unless its controller pays 1. If Inside Information embezzled a card that shares a color with that spell, counter that spell instead. "Just trust me on this one."
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----------- COMMONS -------------
Outskirt Brood 2W
Sorcery (C)
Put three 1/1 colorless Sand creature tokens onto the battlefield.
Guards keep the cities mostly safe, but caravans have much to fear when they near the end of their journey.
Inside Information UU
Instant (C)
Counter target spell unless its controller pays 1.
Embezzle — An opponent reveals the top card of his or her library. If it shares a color with that spell, counter that spell instead.
"Just trust me on this one."
Spiked Armodon 3G
Trample
Reinforce 1 — 1G (1G, Discard this card: Put a +1/+1 counter on target creature.)
When Spiked Armodon reinforces a creature, that creature gains trample until end of turn.
3/3
Drainpipe Vermin B
Creature - Rat (C)
When Drainpipe Vermin dies, you may pay B. If you do, target player discards a card.
"For a city that's been around for a thousand years, you'd think it'd have a better sewage system." — Bolpp, Kyren Outcast
1/1
Council Elder 3W
Creature - Human Advisor (C)
Exploit (When this creature enters the battlefield, you may sacrifice a creature.)
When Council Elder exploits a creature, put target creature on top of its owner's library.
With age, council members have shorter tolerance for bellyachers.
1/4
Bronze Sable 2
Artifact Creature - Sable (C)
While the wealthy often own more extravagant guard animals, nearly every family in the Ugar district keeps a bronze pet since they don't sleep or eat and they're cheap to repair.
2/1
Growing Worth 2G
Sorcery (C)
Search your library for a basic land card and put it onto the battlefield tapped, then shuffle your library. Gild 1. (Put a colorless artifact token named Gold onto the battlefield. It has "Sacrifice this artifact: Add one mana of any color to your mana pool.")
Flame Raising 1R
Sorcery (C)
Choose target creature, then bid against an opponent. Flame Raising deals damage to that creature equal to the high bid. (To bid, each bidding player draws a card and discards a card. Then compare those cards' converted mana costs.)
"So that's why the auction house has an open ceiling." — Dack Fayden
Crypt Thrull 1B
Creature - Thrull (C)
When Crypt Thrull dies, return another target creature card from your graveyard to your hand.
When the coup against the magistrate's corruption was won, he was replaced by a council to govern the city. It only took a few short decades before the same dirty dealings corrupted the council as well.
1/3
Pickpocket Training 1R
Enchantment - Aura (C)
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature has haste and "Whenever this creature deals combat damage to an opponent, gild 1." (Put a colorless artifact token named Gold onto the battlefield. It has "Sacrifice this artifact: Add one mana of any color to your mana pool.)
----------- UNCOMMONS -------------
Dark Despair 1B
Instant (U)
Target creature gets -2/-2 until end of turn.
Embezzle — An opponent reveals the top card of his or her library. If it shares a color with that creature, exile that creature instead.
"Losing your health is hard. Losing your livelihood is unbearable." - Zsair, Head of the Council
Read the Room 3UU
Sorcery (U)
Bid against an opponent. You draw a number of cards equal to the high bid. To bid, each bidding player draws a card and discards a card. Then compare those cards' converted mana costs.)
Regardless of profession, it is the first skill apprentices learn on Mercadia.
Jhovall Lancer WW
Creature - Human Soldier (U)
First strike
Reinforce 2 — 3W (3W, Discard this card: Put two +1/+1 counters on target creature.)
When Jhovall Lancer reinforces a creature, that creature gains first strike until end of turn.
2/2
----------- RARE -------------
Zsair the Self-Righteous 3WB
Legendary Creature - Vampire Advisor (R)
Flying
Exploit (When this creature enters the battlefield, you may sacrifice a creature.)
When Zsair exploits a creature, destroy all other creatures.
"He might be a little misguided, but his heart's in the right place." - Draago, Council member, last words
3/3
I'm not a big fan of embezzle, but bid is great.
I̟̥͍̠ͅn̩͉̣͍̬͚ͅ ̬̬͖t̯̹̞̺͖͓̯̤h̘͍̬e͙̯͈̖̼̮ ̭̬f̺̲̲̪i͙͉̟̩̰r̪̝͚͈̝̥͍̝̲s̼̻͇̘̳͔ͅt̲̺̳̗̜̪̙ ̳̺̥̻͚̗ͅm̜̜̟̰͈͓͎͇o̝̖̮̝͇m̯̻̞̼̫̗͓̤e̩̯̬̮̩n͎̱̪̲̹͖t͇̖s̰̮ͅ,̤̲͙̻̭̻̯̹̰ ̖t̫̙̺̯͖͚̯ͅh͙̯̦̳̗̰̟e͖̪͉̼̯ ̪͕g̞̣͔a̗̦t̬̬͓͙̫̖̭̻e̩̻̯ ̜̖̦̖̤̭͙̬t̞̹̥̪͎͉ͅo͕͚͍͇̲͇͓̺ ̭̬͙͈̣̻t͈͍͙͓̫̖͙̩h̪̬̖̙e̗͈ ̗̬̟̞̺̤͉̯ͅa̦̯͚̙̜̮f͉͙̲̣̞̼t̪̤̞̣͚e̲͉̳̥r͇̪̙͚͓l̥̞̞͎̹̯̹ͅi͓̬f̮̥̬̞͈ͅe͎ ̟̩̤̳̠̯̩̯o̮̘̲p̟͚̣̞͉͓e͍̩̣n͔̼͕͚̜e̬̱d̼̘͎̖̹͍̮̠,͖̺̭̱̮ ̣̲͖̬̪̭̥a̪͚n̟̲̝̤̤̞̗d̘̱̗͇̮͕̳͕͔ ͖̞͉͎t̹̙͎h̰̱͉̗e̪̞̱̝̹̩ͅ ̠̱̩̭̦p̯̙e͓o̳͚̰̯̺̱̰͔̘p̬͎̱̣̼̩͇l̗̟̖͚̠e̱͉͔̱̦̬̟̙ ̖͚̪͔̼̦w̺̖̤̱e͖̗̻̦͓̖̘̜r̭̥e͔̹̫̱͕̦̰͕ ̗͔̠p̠̗͍͍̱̳̠r̰͔͎̰o͉̥͓̰͚̥s̟͚̹̱͔̣t͉̙̳̖͖̪̮r̥̘̥͙̹a͉̟̫̟̳̠̟̭t͈̜̰͈͎e̞̣̭̲̬ ͚̗̯̟͙i͍͖̰̘̦͖͉ṇ̮̻̯̦̲̩͍ ̦̮͚̫̤t͉͖̫͕ͅͅh͙̮̻̘̣̮̼e͕̺ ͙l͕̠͎̰̥i̲͓͉̲g̫̳̟͈͇̖h̠̦̖t͓̯͎̗ ̳̪̘̟̙̩̦o̫̲f̙͔̰̙̠ ̹̪̗͇̯t͖̼̼͉͖̬h̹͇̩e͚̖̺̤͉̹͕̪ ͚͓̭̝̺G͎̗̯̩o̫̯̮̟̮̳̘d̜̲͙̠-̩̳̯̲̗̜P̹̘̥͉̝h͍͈̗̖̝ͅa͍̗̮̼̗r̜̖͇̙̺a̭̺͔̞̳͈o̪̣͓̯̬͙̯̰̗h̖̦͈̥̯͔.͇̣̙̝
This is also true.
I̟̥͍̠ͅn̩͉̣͍̬͚ͅ ̬̬͖t̯̹̞̺͖͓̯̤h̘͍̬e͙̯͈̖̼̮ ̭̬f̺̲̲̪i͙͉̟̩̰r̪̝͚͈̝̥͍̝̲s̼̻͇̘̳͔ͅt̲̺̳̗̜̪̙ ̳̺̥̻͚̗ͅm̜̜̟̰͈͓͎͇o̝̖̮̝͇m̯̻̞̼̫̗͓̤e̩̯̬̮̩n͎̱̪̲̹͖t͇̖s̰̮ͅ,̤̲͙̻̭̻̯̹̰ ̖t̫̙̺̯͖͚̯ͅh͙̯̦̳̗̰̟e͖̪͉̼̯ ̪͕g̞̣͔a̗̦t̬̬͓͙̫̖̭̻e̩̻̯ ̜̖̦̖̤̭͙̬t̞̹̥̪͎͉ͅo͕͚͍͇̲͇͓̺ ̭̬͙͈̣̻t͈͍͙͓̫̖͙̩h̪̬̖̙e̗͈ ̗̬̟̞̺̤͉̯ͅa̦̯͚̙̜̮f͉͙̲̣̞̼t̪̤̞̣͚e̲͉̳̥r͇̪̙͚͓l̥̞̞͎̹̯̹ͅi͓̬f̮̥̬̞͈ͅe͎ ̟̩̤̳̠̯̩̯o̮̘̲p̟͚̣̞͉͓e͍̩̣n͔̼͕͚̜e̬̱d̼̘͎̖̹͍̮̠,͖̺̭̱̮ ̣̲͖̬̪̭̥a̪͚n̟̲̝̤̤̞̗d̘̱̗͇̮͕̳͕͔ ͖̞͉͎t̹̙͎h̰̱͉̗e̪̞̱̝̹̩ͅ ̠̱̩̭̦p̯̙e͓o̳͚̰̯̺̱̰͔̘p̬͎̱̣̼̩͇l̗̟̖͚̠e̱͉͔̱̦̬̟̙ ̖͚̪͔̼̦w̺̖̤̱e͖̗̻̦͓̖̘̜r̭̥e͔̹̫̱͕̦̰͕ ̗͔̠p̠̗͍͍̱̳̠r̰͔͎̰o͉̥͓̰͚̥s̟͚̹̱͔̣t͉̙̳̖͖̪̮r̥̘̥͙̹a͉̟̫̟̳̠̟̭t͈̜̰͈͎e̞̣̭̲̬ ͚̗̯̟͙i͍͖̰̘̦͖͉ṇ̮̻̯̦̲̩͍ ̦̮͚̫̤t͉͖̫͕ͅͅh͙̮̻̘̣̮̼e͕̺ ͙l͕̠͎̰̥i̲͓͉̲g̫̳̟͈͇̖h̠̦̖t͓̯͎̗ ̳̪̘̟̙̩̦o̫̲f̙͔̰̙̠ ̹̪̗͇̯t͖̼̼͉͖̬h̹͇̩e͚̖̺̤͉̹͕̪ ͚͓̭̝̺G͎̗̯̩o̫̯̮̟̮̳̘d̜̲͙̠-̩̳̯̲̗̜P̹̘̥͉̝h͍͈̗̖̝ͅa͍̗̮̼̗r̜̖͇̙̺a̭̺͔̞̳͈o̪̣͓̯̬͙̯̰̗h̖̦͈̥̯͔.͇̣̙̝
Embezzle is templated terribly e. g. in this case it looks like you do not check the embezzling until your opponent already decided to pay. You should make this a clear triggered ability ("When you cast ~, an opponent reveals the top card of his or her library." etc.
And since this is an ability word, you can actually go one step further and make the "an opponent" more personal on the example spells and go with "that spell's controller" - which generally fits the idea of the mechanic as I understand it and makes it more simple (since one less -often meaningless- choice is involved).
I am a strong proponent for this kind of reinforce trigger, though I do not see how it fits into the set - you already have spell abilities with embezzle, bid and gild (one-shot effects), and you have also one ability that lets you turn creatures into spell-like effects effectively in the form of exploit; additionally all of the other mechanics seem to fit the core flavor of Mercadia a bit better.
I'd expect more need for a creatre ability, that can be useful during the time the permanent is on the battlefield like extort (which is flavorwise a fit, but shouldn't be taken as suggestion since it is mechanically limited).
While I think reinforce is a great mechanic to return one day, I don't understand how it fits into this set.
The flavor text does not work for me on this card despite the fact that it's nice world-building.
This is another example of unfortunate wording. I guess you want "all other creatures" to be read as "all creatures other than ~", but currently it parses as "all creatures other than the exploited creature". Either way you should make it explicit by writing exactly what you want.
---
While I like bidding as an alternative to clash, I cannot say I am too thrilled by bidding for the size of an effect, when I can hurt myself by making a high bid on an opponent's spell. Mechanically it might make sense, but it makes no flavor sense and probably does not play quite as well.
I suggest you change those cards to e. g. "Bid against an opponent. You may draw a number of cards equal to your bid minus your opponent's bid. If you do not, draw N card(s)." That way your opponent has actual recourse, but you can still vary the result within reason.
---
I do not see why bid and embezzle should be in the set together - couldn'T you use bid for all of these?
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
Regarding Reinforce and Embezzle, I could definitely see a creature mechanic taking the place of one (or both) of them. Exploit was on my short list of potential returning mechanics, but it would (I think) force the set to go into hybrid mana, which is awkward considering Gild exists in the same space. Another mechanic I had on the shortlist was "Sunburst on colored creatures" which would play well with Gild and would be a creature mechanic. I'm not sure how I'd flavor it, but I suppose Mercadia is desert enough that it could be pulled off. Embezzle and bid both toy with the same design space, so I'd probably want to cut Embezzle first. For the record, Embezzle originally was meant to steal the top card of the opponent's library, but proved to be too narrow and complex to work with at common. I don't have a strong justification as to why Reinforce belongs in Mercadia, but it felt right for the setting and story of the plane.
I'm really trying to make sense of the ability, but the wording looks like it only cares about the highest cc? Am I missing something essential here?
I could see that version of Embezzle working. I'm not confident in it without playtesting it, but it could be engaging. Its definitely the direction I'd like the mechanic to go. It could even still work on existing Embezzle designs:
Inside Information 1UU
Instant (C)
Embezzle (Exile the top card of target opponent's library. You may play it this turn.)
Counter target spell unless its controller pays 1. If Inside Information embezzled a card that shares a color with that spell, counter that spell instead.
"Just trust me on this one."