Is it really Legends 2 if it doesn't have an upkeep mechanic?
Hungry Apes1G
Creature — Ape [C] Feed — When Hungry Apes enters the battlefield or at the beginning of your upkeep, you may pay G. If you do, Hungry Apes gets +2/+2 until your next upkeep.
[2/2]
Wall of Mouths2U
Creature — Illusion Wall [C]
Flash
Defender, flying Feed — When Wall of Mouths enters the battlefield or at the beginning of your upkeep, you may pay U. If you do, Wall of Mouths gets +0/+6 until your next upkeep.
[2/2]
Smoldering Effigy1R
Creature — Elemental [C]
Haste Feed — When Smoldering Effigy enters the battlefield or at the beginning of your upkeep, you may pay R. If you do, Smoldering Effigy gets +3/+0 until your next upkeep.
[1/2]
Spinal Crawler1B
Creature — Skeleton Horror [U] Feed — When Spinal Crawler enters the battlefield or at the beginning of your upkeep, you may pay 1 life. If you do, Spinal Crawler gains indestructible until your next upkeep.
[2/1]
Zan-Gorzim3UBRG
Legendary Creature — Elder Dragon [M]
Flying Feed — When Zan-Gorzim enters the battlefield or at the beginning of your upkeep, you may sacrifice a creature. If you do, until your next upkeep, Zan-Gorzim gains all activated abilities of the sacrificed creature and gets +X/+Y, where X is that creature's power and Y is its toughness.
[7/7]
That Spinal Crawler needs a "Can't block" line, otherwise you've got a busted critter there.
Hmm. I'm thinking Spinal Crawler is problematic for a couple reasons, and power level is probably one of them, yeah.
The issue with giving it "can't block" is that it makes the pay-on-entry feed ability almost pointless, and I'm trying to avoid that.
The other reason it's problematic — and frankly, this might apply to all of these, as templated — is that there's a brief time while the ability is on the stack where it doesn't get its bonus. In the case of indestructible, that's enough time to Murder it, and I feel like that's a feel-bad moment and probably unintuitive. The problem is less gratuitous for the other designs here, IMO, but Hungry Apes and Wall of Mouths still have that moment where they're in Shock range even if you religiously feed them.
There are potential templating solutions to this, but the ones I can come up with are all a little awkward. I can do it like the Oracle wording on Halfdane, but then there's a brief time when they all get double bonuses, and that can be exploited in the other direction. Or, I could template it as a downside ability (i.e., make Smoldering Effigy a 4/2 creature and penalize is with -3/-0 if it isn't fed). I think that solves the problem, but it makes Zan-Gorzim unworkable as printed, and of course, it's a downside ability so everybody hates it now.
We thinking quad-color themes for loose factions around the new Elders?
I don't know, what do you think? My thought was that the Elder Dragons would be a tight cycle around mana costs, power, toughness, type line, flying, and rarity, but otherwise be totally free to be whatever.
I didn't have any other plans for a 4-color faction, but as I was designing feed, here, I envisioned it as a 4-color (nonwhite) mechanic so I figured I'd take a crack at the nonwhite Elder Dragon with it. The other mechanics I've explored so far, in my opinion, make most sense as 2- or 3-color mechanics and don't readily fit the mold for one of these Elder Dragons.
Hungry Apes1G
Creature — Ape [C] Feed — When Hungry Apes enters the battlefield or at the beginning of your upkeep, you may pay G. If you do, Hungry Apes gets +2/+2 until your next upkeep.
[2/2]
Hungry Apes
Creature - Ape
Hunger (At the beginning of your upkeep, you may pay . If you don't it is hungry until your next turn.)
~ gets +2/+2 as long as it isn't hungry.
2/2
A slight upgrade during its first turn cycle. Balance accordingly.
Zan-Gorzim3UBRG
Legendary Creature — Elder Dragon [M]
Flying Feed — When Zan-Gorzim enters the battlefield or at the beginning of your upkeep, you may sacrifice a creature. If you do, until your next upkeep, Zan-Gorzim gains all activated abilities of the sacrificed creature and gets +X/+Y, where X is that creature's power and Y is its toughness.
[7/7]
Zan-Gorzim
Legendary Creature - Elder Dragon
Hunger - Sacrifice a creature. (At the beginning of your upkeep, you may sacrifice a creature. If you don't it is hungry until your next turn.)
As long as ~ isn't hungry, it has all activated abilities of creature cards in your graveyard and gets +X/+X, where X is the greatest power among creature cards in your graveyard.
7/7
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]
Hungry Apes
Creature - Ape
Hunger (At the beginning of your upkeep, you may pay . If you don't it is hungry until your next turn.)
~ gets +2/+2 as long as it isn't hungry.
2/2
etc.
Hey, great idea!
Let me riff on that a bit and I think we might have a solid answer:
Hungry Apes1G
Creature — Ape [C]
Feed G(As this enters the battlefield or at the beginning of your upkeep, you may pay G. If you do, it's fed until the end of your next upkeep.)
Hungry Apes gets +2/+2 as long as it's fed.
[2/2]
So, basically meeting at some triangulation point between your template, my original template, and the Halfdane Oracle wording thing I was suggesting earlier. The binary fed / not fed condition keeps the bonuses from stacking, if I'm understanding everything correctly.
Note the when/as change with my new template. Does that work to ensure that it can be always-fed while it's on the battlefield?
Hungry Apes 1G
Creature — Ape [C]
Feed — When Hungry Apes enters the battlefield or at the beginning of your upkeep, you may pay G. If you do, Hungry Apes gets +2/+2 until your next upkeep.
[2/2]
Wall of Mouths 2U
Creature — Illusion Wall [C]
Flash
Defender, flying
Feed — When Wall of Mouths enters the battlefield or at the beginning of your upkeep, you may pay U. If you do, Wall of Mouths gets +0/+6 until your next upkeep.
[2/2]
Smoldering Effigy 1R
Creature — Elemental [C]
Haste
Feed — When Smoldering Effigy enters the battlefield or at the beginning of your upkeep, you may pay R. If you do, Smoldering Effigy gets +3/+0 until your next upkeep.
[1/2]
Spinal Crawler 1B
Creature — Skeleton Horror [U]
Feed — When Spinal Crawler enters the battlefield or at the beginning of your upkeep, you may pay 1 life. If you do, Spinal Crawler gains indestructible until your next upkeep.
[2/1]
Zan-Gorzim 3UBRG
Legendary Creature — Elder Dragon [M]
Flying
Feed — When Zan-Gorzim enters the battlefield or at the beginning of your upkeep, you may sacrifice a creature. If you do, until your next upkeep, Zan-Gorzim gains all activated abilities of the sacrificed creature and gets +X/+Y, where X is that creature's power and Y is its toughness.
[7/7]
We thinking quad-color themes for loose factions around the new Elders?
I̟̥͍̠ͅn̩͉̣͍̬͚ͅ ̬̬͖t̯̹̞̺͖͓̯̤h̘͍̬e͙̯͈̖̼̮ ̭̬f̺̲̲̪i͙͉̟̩̰r̪̝͚͈̝̥͍̝̲s̼̻͇̘̳͔ͅt̲̺̳̗̜̪̙ ̳̺̥̻͚̗ͅm̜̜̟̰͈͓͎͇o̝̖̮̝͇m̯̻̞̼̫̗͓̤e̩̯̬̮̩n͎̱̪̲̹͖t͇̖s̰̮ͅ,̤̲͙̻̭̻̯̹̰ ̖t̫̙̺̯͖͚̯ͅh͙̯̦̳̗̰̟e͖̪͉̼̯ ̪͕g̞̣͔a̗̦t̬̬͓͙̫̖̭̻e̩̻̯ ̜̖̦̖̤̭͙̬t̞̹̥̪͎͉ͅo͕͚͍͇̲͇͓̺ ̭̬͙͈̣̻t͈͍͙͓̫̖͙̩h̪̬̖̙e̗͈ ̗̬̟̞̺̤͉̯ͅa̦̯͚̙̜̮f͉͙̲̣̞̼t̪̤̞̣͚e̲͉̳̥r͇̪̙͚͓l̥̞̞͎̹̯̹ͅi͓̬f̮̥̬̞͈ͅe͎ ̟̩̤̳̠̯̩̯o̮̘̲p̟͚̣̞͉͓e͍̩̣n͔̼͕͚̜e̬̱d̼̘͎̖̹͍̮̠,͖̺̭̱̮ ̣̲͖̬̪̭̥a̪͚n̟̲̝̤̤̞̗d̘̱̗͇̮͕̳͕͔ ͖̞͉͎t̹̙͎h̰̱͉̗e̪̞̱̝̹̩ͅ ̠̱̩̭̦p̯̙e͓o̳͚̰̯̺̱̰͔̘p̬͎̱̣̼̩͇l̗̟̖͚̠e̱͉͔̱̦̬̟̙ ̖͚̪͔̼̦w̺̖̤̱e͖̗̻̦͓̖̘̜r̭̥e͔̹̫̱͕̦̰͕ ̗͔̠p̠̗͍͍̱̳̠r̰͔͎̰o͉̥͓̰͚̥s̟͚̹̱͔̣t͉̙̳̖͖̪̮r̥̘̥͙̹a͉̟̫̟̳̠̟̭t͈̜̰͈͎e̞̣̭̲̬ ͚̗̯̟͙i͍͖̰̘̦͖͉ṇ̮̻̯̦̲̩͍ ̦̮͚̫̤t͉͖̫͕ͅͅh͙̮̻̘̣̮̼e͕̺ ͙l͕̠͎̰̥i̲͓͉̲g̫̳̟͈͇̖h̠̦̖t͓̯͎̗ ̳̪̘̟̙̩̦o̫̲f̙͔̰̙̠ ̹̪̗͇̯t͖̼̼͉͖̬h̹͇̩e͚̖̺̤͉̹͕̪ ͚͓̭̝̺G͎̗̯̩o̫̯̮̟̮̳̘d̜̲͙̠-̩̳̯̲̗̜P̹̘̥͉̝h͍͈̗̖̝ͅa͍̗̮̼̗r̜̖͇̙̺a̭̺͔̞̳͈o̪̣͓̯̬͙̯̰̗h̖̦͈̥̯͔.͇̣̙̝
The issue with giving it "can't block" is that it makes the pay-on-entry feed ability almost pointless, and I'm trying to avoid that.
The other reason it's problematic — and frankly, this might apply to all of these, as templated — is that there's a brief time while the ability is on the stack where it doesn't get its bonus. In the case of indestructible, that's enough time to Murder it, and I feel like that's a feel-bad moment and probably unintuitive. The problem is less gratuitous for the other designs here, IMO, but Hungry Apes and Wall of Mouths still have that moment where they're in Shock range even if you religiously feed them.
There are potential templating solutions to this, but the ones I can come up with are all a little awkward. I can do it like the Oracle wording on Halfdane, but then there's a brief time when they all get double bonuses, and that can be exploited in the other direction. Or, I could template it as a downside ability (i.e., make Smoldering Effigy a 4/2 creature and penalize is with -3/-0 if it isn't fed). I think that solves the problem, but it makes Zan-Gorzim unworkable as printed, and of course, it's a downside ability so everybody hates it now.
I don't know, what do you think? My thought was that the Elder Dragons would be a tight cycle around mana costs, power, toughness, type line, flying, and rarity, but otherwise be totally free to be whatever.
I didn't have any other plans for a 4-color faction, but as I was designing feed, here, I envisioned it as a 4-color (nonwhite) mechanic so I figured I'd take a crack at the nonwhite Elder Dragon with it. The other mechanics I've explored so far, in my opinion, make most sense as 2- or 3-color mechanics and don't readily fit the mold for one of these Elder Dragons.
I̟̥͍̠ͅn̩͉̣͍̬͚ͅ ̬̬͖t̯̹̞̺͖͓̯̤h̘͍̬e͙̯͈̖̼̮ ̭̬f̺̲̲̪i͙͉̟̩̰r̪̝͚͈̝̥͍̝̲s̼̻͇̘̳͔ͅt̲̺̳̗̜̪̙ ̳̺̥̻͚̗ͅm̜̜̟̰͈͓͎͇o̝̖̮̝͇m̯̻̞̼̫̗͓̤e̩̯̬̮̩n͎̱̪̲̹͖t͇̖s̰̮ͅ,̤̲͙̻̭̻̯̹̰ ̖t̫̙̺̯͖͚̯ͅh͙̯̦̳̗̰̟e͖̪͉̼̯ ̪͕g̞̣͔a̗̦t̬̬͓͙̫̖̭̻e̩̻̯ ̜̖̦̖̤̭͙̬t̞̹̥̪͎͉ͅo͕͚͍͇̲͇͓̺ ̭̬͙͈̣̻t͈͍͙͓̫̖͙̩h̪̬̖̙e̗͈ ̗̬̟̞̺̤͉̯ͅa̦̯͚̙̜̮f͉͙̲̣̞̼t̪̤̞̣͚e̲͉̳̥r͇̪̙͚͓l̥̞̞͎̹̯̹ͅi͓̬f̮̥̬̞͈ͅe͎ ̟̩̤̳̠̯̩̯o̮̘̲p̟͚̣̞͉͓e͍̩̣n͔̼͕͚̜e̬̱d̼̘͎̖̹͍̮̠,͖̺̭̱̮ ̣̲͖̬̪̭̥a̪͚n̟̲̝̤̤̞̗d̘̱̗͇̮͕̳͕͔ ͖̞͉͎t̹̙͎h̰̱͉̗e̪̞̱̝̹̩ͅ ̠̱̩̭̦p̯̙e͓o̳͚̰̯̺̱̰͔̘p̬͎̱̣̼̩͇l̗̟̖͚̠e̱͉͔̱̦̬̟̙ ̖͚̪͔̼̦w̺̖̤̱e͖̗̻̦͓̖̘̜r̭̥e͔̹̫̱͕̦̰͕ ̗͔̠p̠̗͍͍̱̳̠r̰͔͎̰o͉̥͓̰͚̥s̟͚̹̱͔̣t͉̙̳̖͖̪̮r̥̘̥͙̹a͉̟̫̟̳̠̟̭t͈̜̰͈͎e̞̣̭̲̬ ͚̗̯̟͙i͍͖̰̘̦͖͉ṇ̮̻̯̦̲̩͍ ̦̮͚̫̤t͉͖̫͕ͅͅh͙̮̻̘̣̮̼e͕̺ ͙l͕̠͎̰̥i̲͓͉̲g̫̳̟͈͇̖h̠̦̖t͓̯͎̗ ̳̪̘̟̙̩̦o̫̲f̙͔̰̙̠ ̹̪̗͇̯t͖̼̼͉͖̬h̹͇̩e͚̖̺̤͉̹͕̪ ͚͓̭̝̺G͎̗̯̩o̫̯̮̟̮̳̘d̜̲͙̠-̩̳̯̲̗̜P̹̘̥͉̝h͍͈̗̖̝ͅa͍̗̮̼̗r̜̖͇̙̺a̭̺͔̞̳͈o̪̣͓̯̬͙̯̰̗h̖̦͈̥̯͔.͇̣̙̝
Hungry Apes
Creature - Ape
Hunger (At the beginning of your upkeep, you may pay . If you don't it is hungry until your next turn.)
~ gets +2/+2 as long as it isn't hungry.
2/2
A slight upgrade during its first turn cycle. Balance accordingly.
Zan-Gorzim
Legendary Creature - Elder Dragon
Hunger - Sacrifice a creature. (At the beginning of your upkeep, you may sacrifice a creature. If you don't it is hungry until your next turn.)
As long as ~ isn't hungry, it has all activated abilities of creature cards in your graveyard and gets +X/+X, where X is the greatest power among creature cards in your graveyard.
7/7
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
Let me riff on that a bit and I think we might have a solid answer:
Hungry Apes 1G
Creature — Ape [C]
Feed G (As this enters the battlefield or at the beginning of your upkeep, you may pay G. If you do, it's fed until the end of your next upkeep.)
Hungry Apes gets +2/+2 as long as it's fed.
[2/2]
So, basically meeting at some triangulation point between your template, my original template, and the Halfdane Oracle wording thing I was suggesting earlier. The binary fed / not fed condition keeps the bonuses from stacking, if I'm understanding everything correctly.
Note the when/as change with my new template. Does that work to ensure that it can be always-fed while it's on the battlefield?