For Dreamscape
I just completed another 9 person paper draft of my set. It was a huge amount of fun and I'm really happy with how the set is playing overall. However a fair number of the rares feel disjointed and underwhelming. Often they are fine cards but simply don't fit cohesively into the set or are just not fun enough. So here are a few of the worse offenders along with what is currently wrong with them.
I'd appreciate any ideas for ideas that can fit these holes.
Cleaved Fire
Instant (R)
The next time a source of your choice deals damage to a creature you don't control this turn, Cleaved Fire deals that much damage to that creature's controller.
This card is more powerful than it looks as well as being fairly complex. However it simply doesn't have enough synergy with the rest of the set. So I need a cheap (1-3cmc) rare for red that will help any of the following archetypes.
Black-Red Token Aggro
Blue-Red Premonition Control
Red-Green Ramp
Guardian of Sommeil
Creature - Elf Druid (R)
Vigilance (Attacking doesn't cause this creature to tap.)
At the beginning of your upkeep, you may shuffle all nonland cards from your graveyard into your library.
2/2
This card is designed as an efficient hate bear against the mill deck and allows you to reuse your memoir spells.
This however doesn't need to fulfill that role anymore as I have a really nice Hate-Bird in white which is far more fun and fits better in the set.
So not this is a card for the green/blue melf mill deck but I need it to be cheap again (1-3cmc) as my green rares are very top heavy.
Soulmight Mori
Creature - Elemental (R)
Soulmight Mori's Power and toughness is equal to the greatest converted mana cost among permanents you control.
*/*
This card has been playing fine but its just BORING. Green already has enough big fatties so I'm open to any other suggestions.
Crusade of the Daymas
Sorcery (R)
After your next main phase, there is an additional combat phase followed by an additional main phase. At the beginning of that combat phase, untap all creatures.
Memoir (When this card is put into your graveyard from anywhere, including after you cast it, you may cast a copy by paying its memoir cost.)
]This is a wierd card because its for the Red/White Aura's/Aggro archetype but its also a super splashy memoir card that isn't in the main memoir colors. This gives confusing signals.
So any suggestions for a R/W splashy card that doesn't use memoir (and shouldn't directly reference auras as I have a few of them already.)
Secluded Archives
Land (R)
: Add 1 to your mana pool.
: Add or to your mana pool. Activate this ability only if you have three or more cards in your graveyard.
My rare lands are not exciting me or anyone else. These feel like uncommons.
This version is a bit more exciting to me:
Secluded Archives
Land (R)
: Add 1 to your mana pool. You may put the top card of your library into your graveyard.
: Add or to your mana pool. Activate this ability only if you have three or more cards in your graveyard.
But maybe thats way too powerful or still unexciting.
Designing rare dual lands are not really my kinda thing so once again I'm looking for suggestions.
Red card- for black/red tokens Ignite the Dreamforge ( )
Sorcery (R)
Add to your mana pool for each creature you control.
Green card for mill Slumber Bloom ( )
Sorcery (R)
Return target card from your graveyard to your hand and put another target card from your graveyard on top of your library.
General green card Whisper Shaman ( )
Creature- Human Shaman (R)
: Add to your mana pool. Whisper Shaman doesn't untap during your next untap step.
2/4
Red/white bomb Brightflame Veteran ( )
Creature- Human Soldier (R)
Prowess
Whenever Brightflame Veteran becomes the target of a spell an opponent controls, it deals 2 damage to that player and you gain 2 life.
4/3
What's wrong with the duals? Rare duals aren't typically all that exciting.
The rest of those all look pretty reasonable. Maybe for RG ramp a not-quite-lotus-cobra?
Groundbreaker Rite1R
Enchantment (R)
Whenever a land enters the battlefield under your control, add R to your mana pool.
Or for BR tokens, to use wording from a recently spoiled card...
Barbaric Debut1R
Enchantment (R)
Whenever a creature enters the battlefield under your control and it wasn't cast, that creature gets +1/+0 and gains haste until end of turn.
Fury Totem1R
Enchantment (Rare)
Whenever a source you control deals damage to an opponent, put a counter on Fury Totem.
At the beginning of each main phase, add R to your mana pool for each counter on Fury Totem.
Green Graveyard Tech:
Wildwood Reclaimer1G
Creature - Elf Druid (Rare)
Whenever a land enters the battlefield under your control, you may put a card from your graveyard on top of your library.
2/2
An interesting change to Soulmight Mori: This could help synergize with the mill theme, as well as be a large beater in green at the lower end of the converted mana costs. It's still pretty generic, but it offers a little more intrigue.
Soulmight Mori1GG
Creature - Elemental (Rare)
Soulmight Mori's power and toughness are equal to the greatest converted mana cost among all permanent cards in all graveyards.
*/*
I couldn't think of anything spectacular but this is just a concept.
Flamefeather Seraph3RW
Creature - Angel (Rare)
Flying, first strike XRW: The next X damage dealt to target creature or player this turn is dealt to another target creature or player instead.
4/4
Card Name
R
Instant
Until end of turn, if a source would deal damage to a creature or player, it deals double that damage to that creature or player instead.
Hate Bear
1G
Creature - Bear
2/2
Whenever a card is put into your graveyard from anywhere, put a +1/+1 counter on Hate Bear.
Card Name
1GG
Creature - Type
2/2
Whenever you cast an enchantment, instant, or sorcery spell, put an X/X green Type creature token onto the battlefield, where X is that spell's converted mana cost.
Card Name
EDTI: 3RW 3WB
Enchantment
If a player would lose life, that player loses double that life instead.
If a player would gain life, that player gains double that life instead.
Windmill
Land
T: Add one mana of any color to your mana pool. Each player puts the top card of his or her library into his or her graveyard.
Seedmaker GG
Creature - Elf Druid (R)
Whenever you put a [Creature/Land/Nonland] card into your graveyard from your library, put a 1/1 green saproling creature token onto the battlefield under your control.
2/2
I noticed a significant number of mana sink-eque cards in green.
Dreamfont 2GG
Creature - Elemental
Mana doesn't empty from your mana pool as phases end.
Trance - At the end of combat add G to your mana pool for each tapped creature on the battlefield.
2/4
Here's some interesting concepts you can use. I'm not gonna really design full blown cards for them, I'll you do that
Permanents enter the battlefield tapped. --> Aggro loses tempo, allows you to block dreamwalkers
You may have creatures you control enter the battlefield tapped. --> allows you to block dreamwalkers
At the end of each turn, untap all creatures. --> Dreamwalkers are unblockable, and creatures have vigilance
Memoir costs you pay are reduced by 1 for each tapped creature you control. --> Memoi helper with a trance/dream theme
Choose one or both - Target player puts a card from his or her hand on top of his her or library, or target player puts the top card of his or library into his or her graveyard. --> hate for premonition, or memoir enabler, or plain old mill/discard spell.
Gain control of target copied spell. You may choose new targets for it. --> Memoir hater
Whenever a spell is copied, you may copy it an additional time. You may choose new targets for your copy. --> memoir doubler
Febrile Trance1R
Enchantment (R)
Whenever you cast a spell not from your hand, you may pay R. If you do, Febrile Trance deals 2 damage to target creature or player.
Comment: Works with memoir and premonition. Works also with usual red impulse draw and with flashback. You can change the shock to something else if you want, like putting a hasty elemental token or something else entirely.
Cheap Green Rare:
Slumbering Baloth1G
Creature - Beast (R)
Slumbering Baloth enters the battlefield tapped. Lumbering Goliath doesn't untap during your untap step.
Exile three cards from your graveyard: Untap Slumbering Baloth and put a +1/+1 counter on it.
3/3
Comment: Massive beater that can block dreamwalkers right away. Works well with Trance and possibly the WG archtype if you have ways of untapping it, but works best in UG selfmill. Initially it was 4/4 and didn't had the counter bonus... The change was made to push this more towards self mill.
Cleaved Fire - How much would an instant that acted like a one-shot of Hostility's ability need to cost? RR? Instant (R)
The next time an instant or sorcery spell you control would deal damage to an opponent this turn, prevent that damage. Put a 3/1 red Elemental Shaman creature token with haste onto the battlefield for each 1 damage prevented this way.
2R? Enchantment (R)
If an instant or sorcery spell you control would deal damage to an opponent, you may sacrifice CARDNAME and prevent that damage. If you do, put a 3/1 red Elemental Shaman creature token with haste onto the battlefield for each 1 damage prevented this way.
- Some sort of looting effect would help blue-red premonition, right? 1R Enchantment (R)
At the beginning of your draw step, you may discard a card. If you do, draw a card.
1R Enchantment (R? U?) R, Discard a card: Draw a card. Activate this ability only any time you could cast a sorcery. R, Sacrifice a land: Draw a card. Activate this ability only any time you could cast a sorcery.
Guardian of Sommeil - Does the self-mill deck need something like Think Tank? 1G Creature - Elf Druid (R)
Vigilance
At the beginning of your upkeep, look at the top card of your library. You may put that card into your graveyard.
2/2
1G Creature - Elf Druid (R)
Vigilance
You may look at the top card of your library. (You may do this at any time.) 1, T: Put the top card of your library into your graveyard.
2/2
- Looking through my card files for some interesting rares, I found this little beauty. Maybe a little overpowered since I never playtested it.
Stone Sentinel 1G Creature - Elemental (R)
Vigilance
You may have CARDNAME enter the battlefield as a copy of any land on the battlefield, except it's a 2/2 green Elemental creature in addition to its other colors and types and it has vigilance.
2/2
Soulmight Mori - Does this need more Soul's Might? 1GG Creature - Elemental
CARDNAME's power and toughness are each equal to the highest converted mana cost among permanents you control.
Sacrifice CARDNAME: Put X +1/+1 counters on target creature, where X is CARDNAME's power. Activate this ability only any time you could cast a sorcery.
*/*
Inspired Visions2R
Sorcery
Exile the top three cards of your library. If a face-up card was exiled this way, you may cast that card without paying its mana cost.
Bonecharm Shaman1G
Creature - Elf Shaman (R)
When Bonecharm Shaman enters the battlefield, put the top four cards of your library into your graveyard, then put X +1/+1 counters on target creture, where X is the number of creature cards in your graveyard.
1/1
Unbounded DreamsxG
Sorcery
Reveal cards from the top of your library until you reveal x land cards. Put all land cards revealed this way onto the battlefield tapped and the rest into your graveyard.
Daylight's Victory2RW
Instant
Untap all creaures you control. They get +2/+0 and first strike until end of turn.
Inspired Visions2R
Sorcery
Exile the top three cards of your library. If a face-up card was exiled this way, you may cast that card without paying its mana cost.
As this wording indicates, "Exile the top N cards of your library" doesn't work with premonition. But does cascade's exiling interact correctly?
Anxious ThoughtsR Sorcery (R)
Exile cards from the top of your library until you exile a nonland card. You may pay R. If you do, repeat this process. You may cast the last card exiled this way this turn.
I just completed another 9 person paper draft of my set. It was a huge amount of fun and I'm really happy with how the set is playing overall. However a fair number of the rares feel disjointed and underwhelming. Often they are fine cards but simply don't fit cohesively into the set or are just not fun enough. So here are a few of the worse offenders along with what is currently wrong with them.
I'd appreciate any ideas for ideas that can fit these holes.
Cleaved Fire
Instant (R)
The next time a source of your choice deals damage to a creature you don't control this turn, Cleaved Fire deals that much damage to that creature's controller.
This card is more powerful than it looks as well as being fairly complex. However it simply doesn't have enough synergy with the rest of the set. So I need a cheap (1-3cmc) rare for red that will help any of the following archetypes.
Black-Red Token Aggro
Blue-Red Premonition Control
Red-Green Ramp
Guardian of Sommeil
Creature - Elf Druid (R)
Vigilance (Attacking doesn't cause this creature to tap.)
At the beginning of your upkeep, you may shuffle all nonland cards from your graveyard into your library.
2/2
This card is designed as an efficient hate bear against the mill deck and allows you to reuse your memoir spells.
This however doesn't need to fulfill that role anymore as I have a really nice Hate-Bird in white which is far more fun and fits better in the set.
So not this is a card for the green/blue melf mill deck but I need it to be cheap again (1-3cmc) as my green rares are very top heavy.
Soulmight Mori
Creature - Elemental (R)
Soulmight Mori's Power and toughness is equal to the greatest converted mana cost among permanents you control.
*/*
This card has been playing fine but its just BORING. Green already has enough big fatties so I'm open to any other suggestions.
Crusade of the Daymas
Sorcery (R)
After your next main phase, there is an additional combat phase followed by an additional main phase. At the beginning of that combat phase, untap all creatures.
Memoir (When this card is put into your graveyard from anywhere, including after you cast it, you may cast a copy by paying its memoir cost.)
]This is a wierd card because its for the Red/White Aura's/Aggro archetype but its also a super splashy memoir card that isn't in the main memoir colors. This gives confusing signals.
So any suggestions for a R/W splashy card that doesn't use memoir (and shouldn't directly reference auras as I have a few of them already.)
Secluded Archives
Land (R)
: Add 1 to your mana pool.
: Add or to your mana pool. Activate this ability only if you have three or more cards in your graveyard.
My rare lands are not exciting me or anyone else. These feel like uncommons.
This version is a bit more exciting to me:
Secluded Archives
Land (R)
: Add 1 to your mana pool. You may put the top card of your library into your graveyard.
: Add or to your mana pool. Activate this ability only if you have three or more cards in your graveyard.
But maybe thats way too powerful or still unexciting.
Designing rare dual lands are not really my kinda thing so once again I'm looking for suggestions.
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
Ignite the Dreamforge ( )
Sorcery (R)
Add to your mana pool for each creature you control.
Green card for mill
Slumber Bloom ( )
Sorcery (R)
Return target card from your graveyard to your hand and put another target card from your graveyard on top of your library.
General green card
Whisper Shaman ( )
Creature- Human Shaman (R)
: Add to your mana pool. Whisper Shaman doesn't untap during your next untap step.
2/4
Red/white bomb
Brightflame Veteran ( )
Creature- Human Soldier (R)
Prowess
Whenever Brightflame Veteran becomes the target of a spell an opponent controls, it deals 2 damage to that player and you gain 2 life.
4/3
What's wrong with the duals? Rare duals aren't typically all that exciting.
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
The rest of those all look pretty reasonable. Maybe for RG ramp a not-quite-lotus-cobra?
Groundbreaker Rite 1R
Enchantment (R)
Whenever a land enters the battlefield under your control, add R to your mana pool.
Or for BR tokens, to use wording from a recently spoiled card...
Barbaric Debut 1R
Enchantment (R)
Whenever a creature enters the battlefield under your control and it wasn't cast, that creature gets +1/+0 and gains haste until end of turn.
Fury Totem 1R
Enchantment (Rare)
Whenever a source you control deals damage to an opponent, put a counter on Fury Totem.
At the beginning of each main phase, add R to your mana pool for each counter on Fury Totem.
Green Graveyard Tech:
Wildwood Reclaimer 1G
Creature - Elf Druid (Rare)
Whenever a land enters the battlefield under your control, you may put a card from your graveyard on top of your library.
2/2
An interesting change to Soulmight Mori: This could help synergize with the mill theme, as well as be a large beater in green at the lower end of the converted mana costs. It's still pretty generic, but it offers a little more intrigue.
Soulmight Mori 1GG
Creature - Elemental (Rare)
Soulmight Mori's power and toughness are equal to the greatest converted mana cost among all permanent cards in all graveyards.
*/*
I couldn't think of anything spectacular but this is just a concept.
Flamefeather Seraph 3RW
Creature - Angel (Rare)
Flying, first strike
XRW: The next X damage dealt to target creature or player this turn is dealt to another target creature or player instead.
4/4
Dunes of Zairo
SHANDALAR
Innistrad - The Darkest Night
~THE RAVNICAN CONSORTIUM~
A Community Set
Commander: Allies & Adversaries
R
Instant
Until end of turn, if a source would deal damage to a creature or player, it deals double that damage to that creature or player instead.
Hate Bear
1G
Creature - Bear
2/2
Whenever a card is put into your graveyard from anywhere, put a +1/+1 counter on Hate Bear.
Card Name
1GG
Creature - Type
2/2
Whenever you cast an enchantment, instant, or sorcery spell, put an X/X green Type creature token onto the battlefield, where X is that spell's converted mana cost.
Card Name
EDTI:
3RW3WBEnchantment
If a player would lose life, that player loses double that life instead.
If a player would gain life, that player gains double that life instead.
Windmill
Land
T: Add one mana of any color to your mana pool. Each player puts the top card of his or her library into his or her graveyard.
Creature - Elf Druid (R)
Whenever you put a [Creature/Land/Nonland] card into your graveyard from your library, put a 1/1 green saproling creature token onto the battlefield under your control.
2/2
I noticed a significant number of mana sink-eque cards in green.
Dreamfont 2GG
Creature - Elemental
Mana doesn't empty from your mana pool as phases end.
Trance - At the end of combat add G to your mana pool for each tapped creature on the battlefield.
2/4
http://lefowens.blogspot.com/
Permanents enter the battlefield tapped. --> Aggro loses tempo, allows you to block dreamwalkers
You may have creatures you control enter the battlefield tapped. --> allows you to block dreamwalkers
At the end of each turn, untap all creatures. --> Dreamwalkers are unblockable, and creatures have vigilance
Memoir costs you pay are reduced by 1 for each tapped creature you control. --> Memoi helper with a trance/dream theme
Choose one or both - Target player puts a card from his or her hand on top of his her or library, or target player puts the top card of his or library into his or her graveyard. --> hate for premonition, or memoir enabler, or plain old mill/discard spell.
Gain control of target copied spell. You may choose new targets for it. --> Memoir hater
Whenever a spell is copied, you may copy it an additional time. You may choose new targets for your copy. --> memoir doubler
Febrile Trance 1R
Enchantment (R)
Whenever you cast a spell not from your hand, you may pay R. If you do, Febrile Trance deals 2 damage to target creature or player.
Comment: Works with memoir and premonition. Works also with usual red impulse draw and with flashback. You can change the shock to something else if you want, like putting a hasty elemental token or something else entirely.
Cheap Green Rare:
Slumbering Baloth 1G
Creature - Beast (R)
Slumbering Baloth enters the battlefield tapped. Lumbering Goliath doesn't untap during your untap step.
Exile three cards from your graveyard: Untap Slumbering Baloth and put a +1/+1 counter on it.
3/3
Comment: Massive beater that can block dreamwalkers right away. Works well with Trance and possibly the WG archtype if you have ways of untapping it, but works best in UG selfmill. Initially it was 4/4 and didn't had the counter bonus... The change was made to push this more towards self mill.
BGU Control
R Aggro
Standard - For Fun
BG Auras
RR?
Instant (R)
The next time an instant or sorcery spell you control would deal damage to an opponent this turn, prevent that damage. Put a 3/1 red Elemental Shaman creature token with haste onto the battlefield for each 1 damage prevented this way.
2R?
Enchantment (R)
If an instant or sorcery spell you control would deal damage to an opponent, you may sacrifice CARDNAME and prevent that damage. If you do, put a 3/1 red Elemental Shaman creature token with haste onto the battlefield for each 1 damage prevented this way.
- Some sort of looting effect would help blue-red premonition, right?
1R
Enchantment (R)
At the beginning of your draw step, you may discard a card. If you do, draw a card.
1R
Enchantment (R? U?)
R, Discard a card: Draw a card. Activate this ability only any time you could cast a sorcery.
R, Sacrifice a land: Draw a card. Activate this ability only any time you could cast a sorcery.
Guardian of Sommeil - Does the self-mill deck need something like Think Tank?
1G
Creature - Elf Druid (R)
Vigilance
At the beginning of your upkeep, look at the top card of your library. You may put that card into your graveyard.
2/2
1G
Creature - Elf Druid (R)
Vigilance
You may look at the top card of your library. (You may do this at any time.)
1, T: Put the top card of your library into your graveyard.
2/2
- Looking through my card files for some interesting rares, I found this little beauty. Maybe a little overpowered since I never playtested it.
Stone Sentinel 1G
Creature - Elemental (R)
Vigilance
You may have CARDNAME enter the battlefield as a copy of any land on the battlefield, except it's a 2/2 green Elemental creature in addition to its other colors and types and it has vigilance.
2/2
Soulmight Mori - Does this need more Soul's Might?
1GG
Creature - Elemental
CARDNAME's power and toughness are each equal to the highest converted mana cost among permanents you control.
Sacrifice CARDNAME: Put X +1/+1 counters on target creature, where X is CARDNAME's power. Activate this ability only any time you could cast a sorcery.
*/*
Sorcery
Exile the top three cards of your library. If a face-up card was exiled this way, you may cast that card without paying its mana cost.
Bonecharm Shaman 1G
Creature - Elf Shaman (R)
When Bonecharm Shaman enters the battlefield, put the top four cards of your library into your graveyard, then put X +1/+1 counters on target creture, where X is the number of creature cards in your graveyard.
1/1
Unbounded Dreams xG
Sorcery
Reveal cards from the top of your library until you reveal x land cards. Put all land cards revealed this way onto the battlefield tapped and the rest into your graveyard.
Daylight's Victory 2RW
Instant
Untap all creaures you control. They get +2/+0 and first strike until end of turn.
Sorcery - Rare
Turn the top card of your library face up. Add R to your mana pool equal to that cards converted mana cost.
http://lefowens.blogspot.com/
As this wording indicates, "Exile the top N cards of your library" doesn't work with premonition. But does cascade's exiling interact correctly?
Anxious Thoughts R
Sorcery (R)
Exile cards from the top of your library until you exile a nonland card. You may pay R. If you do, repeat this process. You may cast the last card exiled this way this turn.
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