So a guy at my LGS wanted to start a "league" In which we can use custom commanders (And in turn some custom cards) And of course my head begins to fill with Ideas. Of course I am not sure what i want with each one.
we have 2 rules.
1) No intentional infinite combos.
2) All commanders must be approved by the group.
Pretty simple, so i decided to toss my ideas together and it is a mess. But what i have right now are basic.
my first card is a URG (1 mana three color hybrid)
1/1
Legendary rule does not apply to ~
At the beginning of your upkeep put a token that is a copy of ~ onto the battlefield.
As you can see, it is messy but the baisc premise is to become a swarm, something that has to be dealt with or you lose due to too many to handle.
Another one is a 5 color creature that gives all my creatures changeling. Simple enough, basically just throw in lords and other tribal beneficial things. it effects everyone.
Another is a transform creature that ever time it goes to my command zone, it flips. Both have the same casting cost and tax will transfer over. (inspired by the Llorwyn Lore)
Finally the last one i have is a puppeteer that puts counters on creatures. then you control how those creatures with counters on them attack and block each turn.
basically what I am asking or is help designing these creatures, to make them balanced an thus less likely to be disapproved by the group.
It's a mistake to add colors to a legend "just" so it can be a commander. Your Chronozoa legend should be blue.
Maybe something like this:
Named Guy, Chrono Mage UU
Legendary Creature - Human Wizard
The legendary rule doesn't apply to this creature.
At the beginning of your upkeep if you have more cards in hand than any opponent, create a token that's a copy of it.
2/2
And your "Changing Lord" since wizards knows that keyword is a nightmare:
Named Guy, Brother of All 1GG
Legendary Creature - Human Shaman
Creatures you control share all creature types.
As long as you control ten or more creature types, creatures you control get +1/+1.
2/3
His first ability makes Coat of Arms work with all of your guys, and his second triggers if you have one changeling guy out.
The only lords that won't be lording your guys are the lords that pump creatures not yet on the field. Few and far between, this guy could make the lord deck interesting...
It's a mistake to add colors to a legend "just" so it can be a commander. Your Chronozoa legend should be blue.
Maybe something like this:
Named Guy, Chrono Mage UU
Legendary Creature - Human Wizard
The legendary rule doesn't apply to this creature.
At the beginning of your upkeep if you have more cards in hand than any opponent, create a token that's a copy of it.
2/2
And your "Changing Lord" since wizards knows that keyword is a nightmare:
Named Guy, Brother of All 1GG
Legendary Creature - Human Shaman
Creatures you control share all creature types.
As long as you control ten or more creature types, creatures you control get +1/+1.
2/3
His first ability makes Coat of Arms work with all of your guys, and his second triggers if you have one changeling guy out.
The only lords that won't be lording your guys are the lords that pump creatures not yet on the field. Few and far between, this guy could make the lord deck interesting...
Chronozoa is interesting. As for te changeling guy. I wanted to have 5 color so I could play cards like Sliver Hivelord. Since they would all be silvers they would all gain indest. Make him mono green kind of ruins that ability to run as many lords as you wish and locks into mono color. In the end you may as well just go elfball.
I don't know what your playgroup's policy is on rewriting entire swaths of the comp rules, but that's what you'd have to do to make your DFC idea work. Currently, the game is incapable of transforming cards outside of the battlefield.
711.4a While a double-faced card is outside the game, in a zone other than the battlefield, or on the battlefield with its front face up, it has only the characteristics of its front face.
As such, putting a casting cost on a DFC's back face is pointless because the rule don't even allow the game to recognize a back face outside of being a transformed card on the battlefield.
The only solution to this without changing the rules would be to just give your commander the ability to be cast/ETB transformed if you had already cast it from the command zone an even or odd number of times in a game.
I don't know what your playgroup's policy is on rewriting entire swaths of the comp rules, but that's what you'd have to do to make your DFC idea work. Currently, the game is incapable of transforming cards outside of the battlefield.
711.4a While a double-faced card is outside the game, in a zone other than the battlefield, or on the battlefield with its front face up, it has only the characteristics of its front face.
As such, putting a casting cost on a DFC's back face is pointless because the rule don't even allow the game to recognize a back face outside of being a transformed card on the battlefield.
The only solution to this without changing the rules would be to just give your commander the ability to be cast/ETB transformed if you had already cast it from the command zone an even or odd number of times in a game.
Well then I would have to add that wording to it Though the idea I originally had is not worth the effort that i would need to put into it.
I wanted to have 5 color so I could play cards like Sliver Hivelord. Since they would all be silvers they would all gain indest. Make him mono green kind of ruins that ability to run as many lords as you wish and locks into mono color. In the end you may as well just go elfball.
I don't think it's good for Commander to have a legendary 5 color guy that's just there to let you give sliver abilities to non-slivers. Work for it.
BUT if you need to...
Gelal, Riptide Biomaster 1U
Legendary creature - Human Wizard
Creatures you control share creature types.
You may pay WUBRG instead of ~'s mana cost. If you do, it enters the battlefield with a +1/+1 for each creature type in your graveyard.
2/2
my first card is a URG (1 mana three color hybrid)
1/1
Legendary rule does not apply to ~
At the beginning of your upkeep put a token that is a copy of ~ onto the battlefield.
So, this isn't entirely unanswerable, but it is pretty much a one-mana "I win" button. If it's not removed very rapidly it gets completely out of hand and since it's a commander, it's going to come back anyway. It has extremely good synergies with the likes of Impact Tremors, Coat of Arms, Altar of the Brood, Paradox Haze...
Basically, I mean, even if this guy was a 0/1 it'd still be OP. Grossly. It's a better-than-Bitterblossom that permits three colors.
Another one is a 5 color creature that gives all my creatures changeling. Simple enough, basically just throw in lords and other tribal beneficial things. it effects everyone.
This is another easy "I win" button. Again, Coat of Arms breaks this trivially, and that's just the tip of a large iceberg.
Another is a transform creature that ever time it goes to my command zone, it flips. Both have the same casting cost and tax will transfer over. (inspired by the Llorwyn Lore)
This presents a tracking problem but at least it's not an obviously overpowered concept.
Finally the last one i have is a puppeteer that puts counters on creatures. then you control how those creatures with counters on them attack and block each turn.
I wanted to have 5 color so I could play cards like Sliver Hivelord. Since they would all be silvers they would all gain indest. Make him mono green kind of ruins that ability to run as many lords as you wish and locks into mono color. In the end you may as well just go elfball.
I don't think it's good for Commander to have a legendary 5 color guy that's just there to let you give sliver abilities to non-slivers. Work for it.
BUT if you need to...
Gelal, Riptide Biomaster 1U
Legendary creature - Human Wizard
Creatures you control share creature types.
You may pay WUBRG instead of ~'s mana cost. If you do, it enters the battlefield with a +1/+1 for each creature type in your graveyard.
2/2
my first card is a URG (1 mana three color hybrid)
1/1
Legendary rule does not apply to ~
At the beginning of your upkeep put a token that is a copy of ~ onto the battlefield.
So, this isn't entirely unanswerable, but it is pretty much a one-mana "I win" button. If it's not removed very rapidly it gets completely out of hand and since it's a commander, it's going to come back anyway. It has extremely good synergies with the likes of Impact Tremors, Coat of Arms, Altar of the Brood, Paradox Haze...
Basically, I mean, even if this guy was a 0/1 it'd still be OP. Grossly. It's a better-than-Bitterblossom that permits three colors.
What if i were to add "Whenever a spell targets ~ copy it for each ~ you control. each of those copies targets a different ~.
Meaining that spot removal will actually kill it.
Share creature types need them to be in play; share creature types + 1 changeling = all creatures you control on the field have all creature types.
You'll also notice that, as worded, with one changling in the 'yard, he's obscenely big for WRUBG. I was being sloppy there, but I would think you'd need to word him something like this:
You may pay WUBRG instead of ~'s mana cost. If you do, it enters the battlefield with a +1/+1 counter for each creature card in your graveyard that doesn't share it's all it's creature types with another creature in your graveyard.
This way 2 changelings in the yard would cancel each other out, but an elf warrior and an elf druid would each give him a +1/+1 counter.
What if i were to add "Whenever a spell targets ~ copy it for each ~ you control. each of those copies targets a different ~.
Meaining that spot removal will actually kill it.
This clutters the card without solving the basic problem, really, which is that it's highly abusable with ETB and LTB effects. Sometimes you'll actually want to nuke all your dudes because, I dunno, you control a Blood Artist or whatever and it's the easiest way to push lethal through.
Gelal, Riptide Biomaster 1U
Legendary creature - Human Wizard
Creatures you control share creature types.
You may pay WUBRG instead of ~'s mana cost. If you do, it enters the battlefield with a +1/+1 counter for each creature card in your graveyard that doesn't share it's all it's creature types with another creature in your graveyard.
2/2
You can't actually use "creatures you control share creature types", since it causes weird conflicts when a creature leaves the battlefield (see Odric, Lunarch Marshal and his seemingly arbitrary "at the beginning of combat" trigger; with Gelal, an elf, and a zombie in play, Gelal and the zombie both have the elf creature type. Now if the elf leaves play, Gelal still gets the elf type from the zombie, who gets it from Gelal.)
The five-color ability feels off and is poorly-worded. I think the general idea is just to have a five-color ability though, so you might just want to pick something new entirely.
You can't actually use "creatures you control share creature types", since it causes weird conflicts when a creature leaves the battlefield (see Odric, Lunarch Marshal and his seemingly arbitrary "at the beginning of combat" trigger; with Gelal, an elf, and a zombie in play, Gelal and the zombie both have the elf creature type. Now if the elf leaves play, Gelal still gets the elf type from the zombie, who gets it from Gelal.)
That's not how that works. Static abilities don't look forward and back in time like that.
Another is a transform creature that ever time it goes to my command zone, it flips. Both have the same casting cost and tax will transfer over. (inspired by the Llorwyn Lore)
You could do “whenever you cast “~” get a counter name Counter, then if you have an even number of counter name Counters transform “~”.”
That would work for what you are trying to do and it abides by the rules of transform cards.
we have 2 rules.
1) No intentional infinite combos.
2) All commanders must be approved by the group.
Pretty simple, so i decided to toss my ideas together and it is a mess. But what i have right now are basic.
my first card is a URG (1 mana three color hybrid)
1/1
Legendary rule does not apply to ~
At the beginning of your upkeep put a token that is a copy of ~ onto the battlefield.
As you can see, it is messy but the baisc premise is to become a swarm, something that has to be dealt with or you lose due to too many to handle.
Another one is a 5 color creature that gives all my creatures changeling. Simple enough, basically just throw in lords and other tribal beneficial things. it effects everyone.
Another is a transform creature that ever time it goes to my command zone, it flips. Both have the same casting cost and tax will transfer over. (inspired by the Llorwyn Lore)
Finally the last one i have is a puppeteer that puts counters on creatures. then you control how those creatures with counters on them attack and block each turn.
basically what I am asking or is help designing these creatures, to make them balanced an thus less likely to be disapproved by the group.
UB Vela the Night-Clad BUDecklist
WBG Ghave, Guru of Spores GBW
WUBRGThe Ur-DragonWUBRGDecklist
Maybe something like this:
Named Guy, Chrono Mage UU
Legendary Creature - Human Wizard
The legendary rule doesn't apply to this creature.
At the beginning of your upkeep if you have more cards in hand than any opponent, create a token that's a copy of it.
2/2
And your "Changing Lord" since wizards knows that keyword is a nightmare:
Named Guy, Brother of All 1GG
Legendary Creature - Human Shaman
Creatures you control share all creature types.
As long as you control ten or more creature types, creatures you control get +1/+1.
2/3
His first ability makes Coat of Arms work with all of your guys, and his second triggers if you have one changeling guy out.
The only lords that won't be lording your guys are the lords that pump creatures not yet on the field. Few and far between, this guy could make the lord deck interesting...
Chronozoa is interesting. As for te changeling guy. I wanted to have 5 color so I could play cards like Sliver Hivelord. Since they would all be silvers they would all gain indest. Make him mono green kind of ruins that ability to run as many lords as you wish and locks into mono color. In the end you may as well just go elfball.
UB Vela the Night-Clad BUDecklist
WBG Ghave, Guru of Spores GBW
WUBRGThe Ur-DragonWUBRGDecklist
711.4a While a double-faced card is outside the game, in a zone other than the battlefield, or on the battlefield with its front face up, it has only the characteristics of its front face.
As such, putting a casting cost on a DFC's back face is pointless because the rule don't even allow the game to recognize a back face outside of being a transformed card on the battlefield.
The only solution to this without changing the rules would be to just give your commander the ability to be cast/ETB transformed if you had already cast it from the command zone an even or odd number of times in a game.
Well then I would have to add that wording to it Though the idea I originally had is not worth the effort that i would need to put into it.
UB Vela the Night-Clad BUDecklist
WBG Ghave, Guru of Spores GBW
WUBRGThe Ur-DragonWUBRGDecklist
I don't think it's good for Commander to have a legendary 5 color guy that's just there to let you give sliver abilities to non-slivers. Work for it.
BUT if you need to...
Gelal, Riptide Biomaster 1U
Legendary creature - Human Wizard
Creatures you control share creature types.
You may pay WUBRG instead of ~'s mana cost. If you do, it enters the battlefield with a +1/+1 for each creature type in your graveyard.
2/2
Basically, I mean, even if this guy was a 0/1 it'd still be OP. Grossly. It's a better-than-Bitterblossom that permits three colors.
This is another easy "I win" button. Again, Coat of Arms breaks this trivially, and that's just the tip of a large iceberg.
This presents a tracking problem but at least it's not an obviously overpowered concept.
You can probably make this work.
Thelon of Havenwood put those useless dead guys to use
Joraga Treespeaker Hi, yea lets tap for mana (Though now that i think about it, Gemhide Sliver and Manaweft Sliver would be better for that)
Azami, Lady of Scrolls Tap, draw card
Ezuri, renegade leader Regenerate
Sliver Hivelord is just one of the many things I could throw in there to utilize the abilities.
my question however is What is the difference between share all creature types and changeling?
UB Vela the Night-Clad BUDecklist
WBG Ghave, Guru of Spores GBW
WUBRGThe Ur-DragonWUBRGDecklist
What if i were to add "Whenever a spell targets ~ copy it for each ~ you control. each of those copies targets a different ~.
Meaining that spot removal will actually kill it.
UB Vela the Night-Clad BUDecklist
WBG Ghave, Guru of Spores GBW
WUBRGThe Ur-DragonWUBRGDecklist
You'll also notice that, as worded, with one changling in the 'yard, he's obscenely big for WRUBG. I was being sloppy there, but I would think you'd need to word him something like this:
You may pay WUBRG instead of ~'s mana cost. If you do, it enters the battlefield with a +1/+1 counter for each creature card in your graveyard that doesn't share it's all it's creature types with another creature in your graveyard.
This way 2 changelings in the yard would cancel each other out, but an elf warrior and an elf druid would each give him a +1/+1 counter.
You can't actually use "creatures you control share creature types", since it causes weird conflicts when a creature leaves the battlefield (see Odric, Lunarch Marshal and his seemingly arbitrary "at the beginning of combat" trigger; with Gelal, an elf, and a zombie in play, Gelal and the zombie both have the elf creature type. Now if the elf leaves play, Gelal still gets the elf type from the zombie, who gets it from Gelal.)
The five-color ability feels off and is poorly-worded. I think the general idea is just to have a five-color ability though, so you might just want to pick something new entirely.
- Rabid Wombat
You could do “whenever you cast “~” get a counter name Counter, then if you have an even number of counter name Counters transform “~”.”
That would work for what you are trying to do and it abides by the rules of transform cards.
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