MTG Salvation

Considering that this is almost more powerful than Curse of Death's Hold, I doubt this can cost less than 5. May need to cost 6 even, as it's immune to Withbane Orb too.


Next

Mad Assault 5RRR
Sorcery (M)
Exile your library. For each card exiled this way, creatures you control get +1/+0 until end of turn. Those creatures gain trample until end of turn.
"Don't restrain yourselves with thoughts and doubts. We want the enemy dead and we want to do it NOW!"

Comments?

Absurd-appearing at first, this might make its way into some EDH lists, Thraximundar most likely. Yup, there are times where this ends a game more incisively than Insurrection.

* * *

Some have argued that red should have more interaction with artifacts beyond destroying them. I agree.

Voltage Spike 1R
Instant (U)
As an additional cost to cast ~, tap any number of untapped artifacts you control.
~ deals to target creature or player damage equal to the total converted mana cost of all artifacts tapped this way.

It's fair, an end game for an artifact red deck. In a sixty card game, I can see this doing like 6-8 damage. Though I think it would suit the flavor better if the artifacts are sacced. Like the Krark Clan from Mirrodin.

Firemind Conduit2RU
Artifact - (R)
Whenever a player casts a spell, put a charge counter on Stone of Silence.
:symr:, Remove X charge counters: Copy target instant or sorcery with converted mana cost X. You may choose new targets for the copy.
:symu:, Remove X charge counters: Counter target instant or sorcery with converted mana cost X.

That's not an unreasonable effect. Obviously, it's best with low mana cantrips like Ponder and Preordain, where it's cheap to copy the effect and get card advantage, but at the same time, it also punishes the same. I really like this card, and I wonder if it would be overpowered if the cost of the spell was pushed down to 1UR.


Here's something I've not seen before...

Glass Defenses 2

Sorcery
All creatures have 1 toughness until end of turn.

The name needs some work, as a (B/R) effect looks more like withering of creatures than turning them into glass, as for the effect, it doesn't look broken, it helps to turn a Pyroclasm into a mass removal overcoming the high toughness of the biggest creatures in the table.

Abyssal Dweller 3UU
Creature - Serpent (U)
Islandwalk
They arise from the darkest reachs to sate their endless hunger.
(5/4)

Couple things unusual here, though nothing catastrophic: 1) a card with the word "abyss" in the name that isn't associated with black; and 2) a Serpent without some attacking restriction.

Again, not complaining. I kinda like it, though Water Elemental probably doesn't.

* * *

Fury Released 1RR
Enchantment - Aura (U)
Enchant permanent
If enchanted permanent would deal damage to a permanent or player, it deals double that damage to that permanent or player instead.

You may think on Abyssal Prowler as a smaller Benthic Behemoth, a huge serpent that can slither on dry ground but also swim right below their defenses (In fact, I believe that Inkwell Leviathan is a very good sea monster in the flavor sense, it can run over defenders, normal spells can't harm it, and it can go swimming straight to the target), the abyssal part comes from the ocean abysmal depths.

About Fury Released, is powerful, it could cost 2RR easily, but at 3 mana, Battle Mastery does some similar work granting double strike. It can also read "If enchanted permanent would deal damage, it deals double that damage instead"

Great Cheetah (R/W)G
Creature - Cat (R)
Flash, haste, first strike, plainswalk
It moves so fast, that many have mistook it for a breeze in the savannah.
(2/1)

Too many abilities crammed into a card to keep it at uncommon, heh.

That just seems kinda awesome. While green technically gets haste as a tertiary ability, I'm not so sure I like the idea of a GW card getting haste like this. (Giant Solifuge is the exception, not the rule). Also, plainswalk is kinda mediocre.

I want to say this is completely nuts, but given that 3/2 flyers for 1 are the norm for creatures without OP'ed ETB effects, it's probably fine.

My issue is that Haste and Flash don't mesh too well together.

How about another split card?

Above / Beyond (U)

Above 1U

Instant
Target creature gains flying until end of turn. Draw a card.

Beyond 2UU

Instant
Draw two cards.

Inspiration says that 3U is the standard "price" of draw two at instant speed, and Jace's Ingenuity says that the price of three cards is 3UU. As such, I went with 2UU here for two cards since it is a split card.

I would copy that with Isochron Scepter anytime, heh.

Stonearm Vindicator 2G
Enchantment - Aura (R)
Enchant Land
G: Enchanted land becomes a 3/4 creature that's still a land until end of turn.
When enchanted land is put into a graveyard, you may return Stonearm Vindicator from your graveyard to your hand.
In the verge of extinction, the will to live is the most powerful of all the weapons.

Stonearm Vindicator seems fine, although I'd really like it to specify color and type of the land when it transforms into a creature. (I know you don't have to, I just like it.)

Nimana Recruiter 2UB
Creature — Human Rogue Ally
Whenever Nimana Recruiter or another Ally enters the battlefield under your control, you may have it become an Aura enchantment with enchant creature and "You control enchanted creature", and attach it to target creature.
(It retains its other abilities.)
2/2

Too powerful.... way too powerful.... Suddenly your cheap allies steal things for fun, and paired with that Ally tokens, this is going to really blow the format up. Unless the format is creatureless.


Taking a page from Warcraft card game:

Frugal Sage 1UU
Creature - Human Wizard (R)
Whenever you cast a spell, if that spell's converted mana cost is equal to the number of lands you control, draw a card.
"Do not spend more than you have, as you will pay it back more. Do not spend less than you have, as it is a waste."
2/2

3cc may be too powerful for this, but since it will get harder and harder to satisfy the condition once the game drags on, I figure it should be ok. What do you think?

^^ What could work is "enchant creature with CMC less than or equal to this creature's CMC" -- no token funny business there (unless the other guy just released Marit Lage from the Dark Depths :D).

Re: Frugal Sage, huh, if he's attained the title of 'sage', he's probably pretty good with his finances to begin with, so describing him as frugal is likely redundant.

His 'mana curve'-ish ability impels me to think him red or blue/red, since though red is flavor-wise not known for being responsible with resources, mechanically it was THE pioneer of the curve.

* * *

Not sure how to parse this:

Swap UR
Instant (U)
Choose two target Auras and/or Equipment attached to two different creatures. Simultaneously attach both of those Auras and/or Equipment to the other creature. If those Auras and/or Equipment are controlled by different players, exchange control of them.

You don't need the second line, and the last line makes it a little complex. Stealing a permanent shouldn't cost 2.

Azorius Protectorate WU
Creature - Human Knight
First Strike
Whenever ~ deals combat damage, put a charge counter on it.
Remove a charge counter from ~: Prevent all damage that would be dealt to target creature this turn.
2/2

You might consider changing the name. It makes it sound like the Azorius underwent a total face-lift and stopped being a bunch of bureaucratic fuddy-duddies.

The main niggle I have with the card proper is that all the abilities add up to mono-white. Both Ravnica and Alara seem to be chock-full of this sorta thing.

* * *

Yes, I suppose two is too low for permanents to be changing hands, so...

Multifarious Theft 4UUU
Instant (R)
Gain control of target spell, permanent, activated ability, or triggered ability. You may choose new targets for it.

Hehehe, now that's a Commander caliber card! xDD

Guardian of the Sacred Garden 8
Artifact Creature - Dragon (R)
Flying, vigilance
t: Add three mana of any color to your mana pool.
Powerful and beautiful, they hold a power undimished by the centuries spent in their unending vigil.
(5/5)

I think most of the people would catch the reference here, heh.

A souped up Lotus Guardian, huh? Well, the vigilance definitely helps make it more playable, especially it's a Gilded Lotus that can hit hard.


A land that loves Pyrohemia.

Blast Crater
Land (R)
Whenever a source deals 5 or more damage, you may untap Blast Crater.
T: Add 1 to your mana pool.
"Destruction can sustain itself with itself."

I originally wanted to name this Dragon's Crater and makes it self untap when you take 5 damage, but since that's almost unlikely, I make it stronger this way. What say you?

Not really, unless you add the clause "in a turn". I wouldn't have named it Dragon's Crater, either, since this seems like a Naya card with the theme of five.

Probably should be uncommon, too.

* * *

X-Ray Scope 1
Artifact - Equipment (U)
Equipped creature has "You may look at the top card of your library" and "As long as this creature is attacking, you may look at the top card of defending player's library."
Equip 0

I know that having a 0 cost in something would lead itself to make some crazy combo, but the effects are fine, it's not like it can alter the order of your library or something like that.

Neon Screecher 1(U/B)
Creature - Bat (C)
Flying, mindblast 2 (Whenever this would deal damage to a player, that player puts twice that many cards from the top of his or her library in his or her graveyard instead)
It has two mouths, one for eating, so it doesn't stop its screeching even while eating.
(1/1)

Slightly worse than a Bog Imp. Booooooo...

* * *

Here is an example of how attacking the library should be done:

Mindsqueeze Ghost 1UB
Creature - Spirit (R)
Whenever ~ deals combat damage to a player, each player exiles the top card of his or her library face-down. You may look at and play those cards for as long as they remain exiled.
When ~ dies, put any number of cards exiled with it into their owners' graveyards.
2/2

well, it wouldn't so terrifying unless it has flying or has higher toughness, otherwise... its just plain 2/2 creature that would be dead in their first combat



Riot of the Blood 3BRR
Enchantment {M}

Creatures with -1/-1 counter on it gain double strike and unblockable
Sacrifice a creature: put -1/-1 counter to target creature
Subversion 5(You may play this card without paying its mana cost by discarding 5 cards that share a color with ~)

The subversion cost is just stupid high. Also, it seems like a broken mechanic as low numbers make it completely broken, and high numbers make it bad. Also, unblockable isn't red nor black. Honestly, I'd rather save myself the trouble and just play Rage Reflection.

The Mirror Sigil :3mana::symw::symu:
Legendary Enchantment - Aura {MR}
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature and creatures you control that share a name with enchanted creature have "At the beginning of your upkeep, put a token onto the battlefield that is copy of this creature."

Mindsqueeze Ghost: Broken, not only it's cheap, it also draws you a card and one from the opponent's deck each time they're hit. Dimir Cutpurse on hyper-roids.

Riot of blood: Giving creatures double strike AND being unblockable? Too much.

The mirror Sigil: 6 mana would do the trick, as it can flood the field very fast.

Blazing Strider 1RR
Creature - Elemental (U)
Mountainwalk
Blazing Strider's power and thoughness are each equal to the number of lands you control that can tap for R.
It always marches, gathering power with each step it takes.
(*/*)

I think this card is fine as it is. I'm not sure if that's the right cost for the creature - compared with a Crusader of Odric, creatures are a lot easier to get out than red sources, but they're also far easier to remove (and there are creature sweepers). It does get worse in multicolor, and 3 drops that have no ETB effect nor haste are easy to deal with, so a 4/4 attacking on turn 4 seems okay for me (Koth is basically the same).

I wonder if this is too powerful:

Search for Truth 1U

Sorcery
Draw three cards, then discard two cards.

Strangely enough, this hasn't seen print. See Beyond is strictly worse, but See Beyond wasn't the strongest card in the game by a long shot. You have cards like Thirst for Knowledge and Compulsive Research which do similar things but can sometimes gain card advantage, Probe is this for one more mana but has kicker for extra upside, Desperate Ravings is similar, as is Faithless Looting (and Careful Study).

Surprisngly, this base effect has never been printed.

If this is too powerful, would this be okay at UU?

This seems fair, if not a little underpowered. In comparison, Brainstorm was a mana less, and you got to see the cards again. This seems like a weakened (fixed) version of that.


Cautious Research.
Instant
Regenerate target creature. Draw a card.

It's strictly better than Regenerate (WAY strictly better), but that's not a problem, because Regenerate is awful, and it's not like R&D has any qualms about strictly better versions of other cards.

What is a problem is that the card isn't Blue. Hybrid cards are not designed like gold cards, which are combinations of their two colors; instead, hybrid cards are supposed to fit into either of their component colors. Cautious Research is literally Green and Blue, but there's nothing stopping someone from putting it in a mono-Blue deck. Regenerating a creature is easily Green, but Blue doesn't have Regeneration in its color pie. The cantrip can easily be Green, since cantrips fit under pretty much every color, but Regeneration isn't Blue.

Slaughterfang Maniac B
Creature - Vampire Berserker Rogue (C)
When Slaughterfang Maniac enters the battlefield, sacrifice a creature other than Slaughterfang Maniac.
The Slaughterfangs aren't loners; indeed, they enjoy the odd snack.
2/2