Bad Tundra is just a strictly worse Hallowed Fountain or Prairie Stream. I would rather you design a cycle with some kind of ability to untap it.
The White Untapper cycle is interesting, though I don't know if there would ever be a reason to run them over a Basic Plains. I get that you could untap a Tundra and get a U or you could untap a land that produces multiple mana (through auras or other means), but the upside of that is not worth the downside of having a hand full of lands that don't add mana.
Could the Untapper cycle be duals themselves? I don't think "T: Untap target Plains or Island" would raise any objections, considering it's most powerful when combined with already-OP duals that wouldn't be in the same Standard.
Too specific to the point of uselessness in limited. I'd rather have a plains. Even in constructed, this is only useful in the context of dual lands, and even then it's kinda weak. Might as well be "untap target land" (unless there's a combo I'm missing, even untapping things like a tolarian academy/workshop/bazaar isn't worth it).
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"Sometimes, the situation is outracing a threat, sometimes it's ignoring it, and sometimes it involves sideboarding in 4x Hope//Pray." --Doug Linn
So the tapped duals would likely be an uncommon cycle, and thus cheaper and easier to acquire. The untapper lands would be the rare cycle and would only want to coexist in an environement where there are also lands with dual types (like the first cycle) to provide good optimal fixing for decks with three colors.
Having the untappers untap two different types creates the same problem as having Fetches in standard with Battle lands, i.e. four-color goodstuff decks (Flooded Strand can search for a Prairie Stream, a Canopy Vista, or a Sunken Hollow). I also considered having Fetches that only fetch lands of one type to solve the same problem, but wanted to reduce shuffling.
I designed these cycles together with a draft/standard environment in mind, not optimal power level. That's why the first cycle doesn't have an untap clause like Shocks. I don't want them to be super fast. I just want them to create fixing that's optimized for three colors.
Having the untappers untap two different types creates the same problem as having Fetches in standard with Battle lands, i.e. four-color goodstuff decks (Flooded Strand can search for a Prairie Stream, a Canopy Vista, or a Sunken Hollow). I also considered having Fetches that only fetch lands of one type to solve the same problem, but wanted to reduce shuffling.
I'm going to contest that untapping and fetching are in the same realm of problematic. The problem with fetches is that they make available any color to you as long as the appropriate land cards are in your deck (lands with two basic land types). Untappers on the other hand provided you more activations of lands you already have available i. e. if you can untap a Plains and already have a Forest Plains land on the battlefield, you now get access to the green mana as well, but sice you already control a Forest in this scenario you are not fixing your mana (except if you need to satisfy multiple green mana symbols/cast multiple green spells etc.)
That's a world of a difference since tutoring for a basic land type can actually find you any mana in your deck and untapping can only give you any mana already on the battlefield.
That said the untap land cycle would be too swingy. If used fairly they are kinda disappointing, but abused (using any card that has a land tap for multiple mana - there are quite a few ways) it seems quite likely to overperform. Good cards (especially in cycles) live in the middleground between those two modes. There is Deserted Temple if you want to combo.
I personally don't see a need to go with the untap shenanigans over something like Nimbus Maze and ETBT dual lands with basic land types. That would be a nice combination.
I also could see a whole ETBT cycle and a single land like this:
Seat of Power
Land
If a land would enter the battlefield tapped and under your control, it enters untapped instead.
: Add to your mana pool.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
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]
So the tapped duals would likely be an uncommon cycle, and thus cheaper and easier to acquire. The untapper lands would be the rare cycle and would only want to coexist in an environement where there are also lands with dual types (like the first cycle) to provide good optimal fixing for decks with three colors.
Having the untappers untap two different types creates the same problem as having Fetches in standard with Battle lands, i.e. four-color goodstuff decks (Flooded Strand can search for a Prairie Stream, a Canopy Vista, or a Sunken Hollow). I also considered having Fetches that only fetch lands of one type to solve the same problem, but wanted to reduce shuffling.
I designed these cycles together with a draft/standard environment in mind, not optimal power level. That's why the first cycle doesn't have an untap clause like Shocks. I don't want them to be super fast. I just want them to create fixing that's optimized for three colors.
So, wait, you're doing 3-color factions? If so, are you just doing 5 of these factions in your environment?
"Bad Tundra
Land - Plains Island
(T: Add W and U to your mana pool.)
~ enters the battlefield tapped."
and the second cycle is this:
"White Untapper
Land
T: Untap target Plains."
The White Untapper cycle is interesting, though I don't know if there would ever be a reason to run them over a Basic Plains. I get that you could untap a Tundra and get a U or you could untap a land that produces multiple mana (through auras or other means), but the upside of that is not worth the downside of having a hand full of lands that don't add mana.
BGStandard Green AggroGB
UWRGModern Saheeli CobraGRWU
UBRGLegacy StormGRBU
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Too specific to the point of uselessness in limited. I'd rather have a plains. Even in constructed, this is only useful in the context of dual lands, and even then it's kinda weak. Might as well be "untap target land" (unless there's a combo I'm missing, even untapping things like a tolarian academy/workshop/bazaar isn't worth it).
"Sometimes, the situation is outracing a threat, sometimes it's ignoring it, and sometimes it involves sideboarding in 4x Hope//Pray." --Doug Linn
Having the untappers untap two different types creates the same problem as having Fetches in standard with Battle lands, i.e. four-color goodstuff decks (Flooded Strand can search for a Prairie Stream, a Canopy Vista, or a Sunken Hollow). I also considered having Fetches that only fetch lands of one type to solve the same problem, but wanted to reduce shuffling.
I designed these cycles together with a draft/standard environment in mind, not optimal power level. That's why the first cycle doesn't have an untap clause like Shocks. I don't want them to be super fast. I just want them to create fixing that's optimized for three colors.
I'm going to contest that untapping and fetching are in the same realm of problematic. The problem with fetches is that they make available any color to you as long as the appropriate land cards are in your deck (lands with two basic land types). Untappers on the other hand provided you more activations of lands you already have available i. e. if you can untap a Plains and already have a Forest Plains land on the battlefield, you now get access to the green mana as well, but sice you already control a Forest in this scenario you are not fixing your mana (except if you need to satisfy multiple green mana symbols/cast multiple green spells etc.)
That's a world of a difference since tutoring for a basic land type can actually find you any mana in your deck and untapping can only give you any mana already on the battlefield.
That said the untap land cycle would be too swingy. If used fairly they are kinda disappointing, but abused (using any card that has a land tap for multiple mana - there are quite a few ways) it seems quite likely to overperform. Good cards (especially in cycles) live in the middleground between those two modes. There is Deserted Temple if you want to combo.
I personally don't see a need to go with the untap shenanigans over something like Nimbus Maze and ETBT dual lands with basic land types. That would be a nice combination.
I also could see a whole ETBT cycle and a single land like this:
Land
If a land would enter the battlefield tapped and under your control, it enters untapped instead.
: Add to your mana pool.
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."
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So, wait, you're doing 3-color factions? If so, are you just doing 5 of these factions in your environment?