MTG Salvation

Quote from bolt2 »

Interesting. I think you need to put reminder text on that thing. (You mean Artifact - Equipment Vehicle)

Also, I'm not sure if I like the asymmetry in equipment and p/t; I'd prefer something like this:
RT Armor 3
Artifact - Equipment Vehicle (R)
Equipped creature gets +3/+3
Equip 3 (3: Attach to target creature you control. Equip only as a sorcery. If this becomes a creature, unequip it.)
Crew 1 (Tap any number of untapped creatures you control with total power 1 or greater: This permanent becomes an artifact creature until end of turn.)
3/3

Yeah, uh, see, the reason it's asymmetrical is that if it had a power buff also, it could lead to the scenario of equipping it to raise the equipped creature's power then tapping it to crew the card. Fun interaction, yeah, but... no. Not for this card. Thanks for pointing out the error and good idea on the explainer text, btw.

Quote from magac »

Markov, The Thirsty Manor 10
Legendary Creature - Eldrazi (M)
Lifelink
When you cast Markov, The Thirsty Manor, create three 2/2 colorless Eldrazi Vampire creature tokens with lifelink.
Whenever an opponent casts a spell, Markov, The Thirsty Manor deals 1 damage to that player and each creature and/or planeswalker he or she controls.
When Markov, The Thirsty Manor dies, you may sacrifice three Vampires. If you do, return it to its owner's hand.
7/7

Comments?

In terms of concept, I don't know that I care for it. I'd really rather not see Eldrazi back in Innistrad3.

As a card initself? Sure, why not! I like that you can feed it its own tokens for the effect.

Movable-Piece Sentry 6
Artifact Creature - Construct
Convoke
Scavenge 6
Your creatures can help scavenge this card. Each creature you tap as you scavenge this card pays for 1.
4/4

I don't care about rarity, haha. I think it's a bit silly to throw in that detail whenever concocting individual cards, frankly!

Anyway, your card is super evocative and I'm thoroughly down for this implementation of Snow mana. It's fine as is!

Let's enjoy some obscure words on cards now, haha.
Bumptious Ruffian 2R
Creature - Human Warrior
Haste, Menace
Bumptious Ruffian attacks each turn if able.
3/1

and hey another
Flagitious Cad BB
Creature - Human Rogue
Menace
Flagitious Cad cannot block.
Whenever Flagitious Cad deals combat damage to a player, that player discards a card.
1/-

Quote from tiasian »

In terms of concept, I don't know that I care for it. I'd really rather not see Eldrazi back in Innistrad3.

The funny thing is that by making both Eldrazi Markov Manor and Moonrakul (lol), I personally actually theorize that we will never see Innistrad ever again. But thanks for the feedback


Bumptious Ruffian...... Hmm, I suppose.... doable? Maybe at 1RR if because it has menace and thus its low toughness generally matters less.

Flagitious Cad..... 1/1 right? I guess also doable? It's strong, for sure, since it's hard to block compared to Headhunter (or whatever it is that cheap creature that causes discard on combat damage).


Turning back the clock on one of my old cards.

Second Knight Fevaros 3W
Legendar Creature - Human Knight (R)
Vigilance
Whenever Second Knight Fevaros attacks or blocks, it gets +2/+2 until end of turn.
Whenever Fevaros attacks or blocks, another target attacking or blocking creature you control gets +2/+2 until end of turn.
"I'm always geared up for this kind of scuffle. Are you?"
3/3

Kinda... meh, maybe? Thing is, costing him at 1WW feels like super pushing it thanks to the +2/+2 bonus...


EDIT: I know it may sound weird splitting his ability like that, but due to how Magic ruling works, if I combine the pump abilities into one line, it will only have one target despite affecting two creatures, and thus if someone Murders his companion while his ability is on stack, even he will lose the buff. Sure, in some flavor it makes sense, but it ruins gameplay.

First - hah whoops thanks for catching that pt. Yes, 1/1.

Second - yeah, that's part of the reason I'm not too enthusiastic for the prospect of Eldrazi in ISD3.

Third - I was wondering about those two abilities being separate, but that makes sense. I think 3W is perfectly fine and not at all weak since that's a pretty strong effect every combat phase he's in. Since he has Vigilance, those will trigger often.

Last -
This Ophidian is mono-G because Green needs more come ON WotC 1GG
Creature - eh whatevs really
When This Ophidian etc enters the battlefield or deals combat damage to a player, draw a card.
1/3

Hey let's do the black "mirror" of the above 1BB
Creature - w/e here too
When Hey let's etc enters the battlefield, target player discards a card.
Whenever Hey let's etc deals combat damage to a player, that player discards a card.
1/3

Hmmm.... I guess taking Ohran Viper and Scroll Thief into account, these guys probably work as is, though I'm tempted to say their stats may need to drop or their cost go up by 1 on account of the immediate effect.


Next

Realm-Seizer Hellkite 5RG
Creature - Dragon (R)
Flying, trample
When Realm-Seizer Hellkite enters the battlefield, you may destroy target land.
Whenever Realm-Seizer Hellkite deals combat damage to a player, put target land card in that player's graveyard onto the battlefield under your control.
A dragon is always in want of expanding its territory.
5/5

7 mana for ETB LD is quite possibly safe enough by WotC's standards. I'm not wholly certain if that combat damage trigger is within RG, but eh. I like that it ties in with the ETC. nice work on this!

Sanguinary Channeler 1BG
Creature - Vampire Druid
, Pay 2 life, Sacrifice another creature: Untap 3 target lands.
"Here pulses a world-vein. I shall cut it open. Come you and feed!"
1/1

I'll work on that flavor text some, haha. Edit: a bit better but hmm.

Hmm.... seemingly a hefty cost to get 3 mana (minimum), but somehow I imagine this can be abused easily. Of course, this guy is also fragile, so theoretically this should work as is. Maybe. Up casting cost in case it's not ok as is, though then it can be 2/2


Shambling Humus 1BG
Creature - Zombie Plant (U)
You may cast Shambling Humus from your graveyard if a Swamp or Forest has entered the battlefield under your control this turn.
Shambling Humus enters the battlefield tapped.
When Shambling Humus dies, you may put target Swamp or Forest card in your graveyard at the bottom of your library.
Some nutrient consume itself.
3/2

Too good?

From the recursion standpoint it seems like it might be too strong for how little you have to build around it, any deck that can make sure every land is a swamp, forest, dual or fetch can recur this as card advantage on any land draw, it works in multiples and isn't self limiting. But as its just a 3/2 ETBT its not the most overpowering thing ever, I mean a reassembling skeleton sets the minimum level for easily recurred threats. So it might be on the top end, but not so much. The third ability, recycling your swamps/forests- how practical is that? Since it doesn't really combo, and for dredgy effects like life from the loam its actually counterproductive. It doesn't hurt. It might be more interesting if you had the option to put a swamp or forest on the top of your library, but maybe for an extra hurdle or cost of some kind. That would be a more interesting recursion variant.

Poor choices is a pretty balanced form of punisher card. While 2 cmc for boomerange at harder color setup is weaker than par, the untap clause could make it pretty profitable when bouncing your own cards or even as a madness enabler, so its pretty versatile. I think the use of untap-lands is a lot more fair when attached to reactive effects like this than the urza's block where it got degenerate with combo-able spells like cloud of faeries, so while this could be dangerous on the self-cast side, offensively it seems fine. I like the flavor too, quite balanced for a punisher card

Clanking Legionnaire 3W
Creature - Spirit Soldier (U)
First Strike
Armored 2 (This creature enters the battlefield with two Armor counters on it. Damage is dealt to it in the form of removing Armor counters before being applied normally.)
When Clanking Legionnaire slays a creature, put two Armor counters on it.
3/1

(slay/slays/slain would refer to creatures killing creatures with combat damage)

Uh daaaaaang

I love this! Dragons are boring, but I love this card! Limiting it to dragons is good, too - the more restrictions on what creatures this can tutor, the fewer broken combos there are with ETB/dies triggers.

Lopped-Top Thickbole 2GG
Creature - Treefolk
Lopped-Top Thickbole can block an additional two creatures each combat.
When Lopped-Top Thickbole dies, you may pay G. If you do, scry 2 then reveal the top card of your library. If it's a forest card, put it onto the battlefield tapped. Otherwise, put it into the graveyard.
1/8

Trying yet another iteration of the rGw faction effect. Thoughts? Edit: hey btw, two things. I should add this is inspired by the General Sherman tree in Sequoia National Park. Second, I rather prefer Scry 3 but 2 seems to be the standard.

Hmmm.... considerably strong thanks to the multiblock, though its low power usually means it won't last long anyway (beware Doran, though). The on death ability looks ok, I think doable.


Next

History Burglar 1U
Creature - Human Rogue (R)
When History Burglar enters the battlefield, exile target instant or sorcery card in a graveyard.
Whenever History Burglar deals combat damage to a player, you may cast target instant or sorcery card in a graveyard without paying its mana cost if its converted mana cost is equal to or less than the number of cards exiled by History Burglar. If you do and that card would be put into graveyard this turn, exile it instead.
1/1

So, by itself, it can cast a 1cc instant/sorcery on first combat damage, but the more it whacks a player, the bigger the spell you can cast for free. Comments?

I like that its a very cheap method to recur spells, being on a small cheap body that needs to ramp up reminds me of surrakar spellblade, which didn't do quite the same thing but would fit the same kind of spell. Like Surrakar, its the kind of card that is just terribly vulnerable to disruption and needs you to play it with low CMC cards to protect it, but its ability only being relevant after combat means it doesn't help protect itself, nor does it work well with effects that help you connect with or pump its tiny body, a sort of nonbo. I like that you made sure it can have value on its first swing, but you could also do that without being self limiting if you made it exile the card first, then cast a card from exile instead of from a graveyard, but the problem there is theres no super-exile-removed-from-the-game-forever-zone to keep it from recurring the same cards, and its not easy to template it to exile with two abilities in two different stacks
but for how hard it is to connect with a weenie body that doesn't combo with the cards its letting you cast, and the need to have a huge stream of instant/sorceries in the bin to start getting value, I think its too clumsy as written.

Rushing River
Land (R)
T: Add U to your mana pool. If Rushing River entered the battlefield this turn, add C to your mana pool instead.
R: Rushing River becomes a 3/2 blue Elemental creature with trample, haste and "At the beginning of the end step, sacrifice Rushing River". Its still a land.

What do you think of this template as a replacement to overused drawbacks of ETBT, self-damage or colorless tapping. It makes these lands weaker than basics for smoothing colored mana curves, but they aren't total missed curves like ETBT. Either "If you haven't controlled ~ since your last turn" or a "If ~ entered the battlefield this turn" (former: more wordy, more harsh, less abusable. latter: more elegant, simpler, lighter penalty, stronger)

I like this! Both the mana drawback and the whole off-color-creature-land concept. This drawback works in particular with the flavor/execution of the animation ability but I'd certainly like to see it thrown in the regular mix with ETBT and pain. Just be advised that it's relatively minimal compared to entering the battlefield tapped and is hence very strong; this is a pretty pushed card.

Hmmm.... I believe Rushing River is doable for the most part. If it turns out to be too good thanks to being a manland, just bump its waking cost a wee and we should be ok.


Next

Everstrife Harbinger 3RG
Creature - Avatar (R)
At the beginning of your upkeep, each player who controls a creature chooses a creature he or she controls. Then for each player, the chosen creature he or she controls deals damage equal to its power to the chosen creature controlled by the player who controls a creature after him or her. (A player who controls no creature as this ability resolved is skipped when it comes to choosing creatures and having a creature he or she controls deal damage. If only one or no player controls a creature, nothing happens.)
"Strife is an everlasting cycle. For every war one wins, another war will be waged."
5/5

So in 1v1 game, this is essentially a turn-by-turn fight, except the fighting creatures are chosen by their respective owner instead of you. in multiplayer, you whack the next person's creature, which then whacks the next guy, until eventually the guy before you whacks your creature back. Comments?


EDIT: To atogstorm below:
I understand your concern about the unwieldy text, but this card's actually made with multiplayer in mind: You smack the next player's creature, that guy smacks the next player's creature and so on until the guy before you smacks your creature in turn. In 1v1, indeed it is essentially fight, but in multiplayer, it's not necessarily the case.

Aside from the fact that only Planeswalkers are supposed to create emblems (a silly restriction IMO), I think this card is pretty decent and reasonable. WOTC might disagree and amp up the cost a bit, but still! I like this! Probably would remove thay restriction, though. Edit: actually, no, would be out of Blue's color pie in that case. In fact, maybe add another restriction? Hmm.

Grasp at Victory 3BB
Sorcery
Any player may sacrifice 5 permanents. If no player does, you win the game.

Its way too overpowered. Just giving players the ability to win the game if opponents have less than 5 permanents on a 5 cmc sorcery is too strong since someone would break it by coming up with ways to cast this on the first 3 turns and simply steal the game. But its sacrifice component for 5 cmc is just so undercosted nobody would need to build around it. Most punisher cards are balanced around the concept that the effect is worth the least of the two abilities in any situation, made worse by how dissimilar they are. But in this case, your opponent has no choice at all- they have to sacrifice if they can. So when players have permanents available, this is like getting hit by an Annihilator 5, an absolutely brutal game ending effect. Just cast it turn 5, their entire board vanishes and you win either way

Writ in Blood BBB
Enchantment (R)
Whenever a player casts a spell, that player exiles that spell imprinted upon a permanent until that permanent leaves the battlefield. (That spell returns to the stack. Its controller may choose new targets for it.)
Sacrifice a permanent: Draw a card. Any player may activate this ability once per turn.

Yeh, that's fair. Axtually, what about something like "Each other player loses half their life, rounded up"? Ah, no, still too strong?

That is one CLEVER design there. I think it's fine at that cost, too. It feels very right at BBB, even!

Officious Oaf 1WW
Creature - Human Soldier
Vigilance
I'm not sure of the proper templating here, but when Officious Oaf deals combat damage to a player, they need to pay an extra 1 when casting spells or activating non-mana abilities on their next turn. Trying to template that guves me braincramps.
2/2

I considered expanding the tax to declaring attackers plus whatever other actions, but no. This is quite fine as is.

Whenever Officious Oaf deals combat damage to a player, that player pays 1 more to cast spells or activate abilities that are not mana abilities during their next turn.

There.

Power-wise, I can say this looks balanced enough. Should be printable as is. Even if you give it double strike, its low toughness ensures it becomes a target quickly, and personally I believe it shouldn't cause severe havoc except against mana-screwed player.


Next

Mage of Rough Seas 3U
Creature - Human Wizard (U)
Whenever you cast a spell, if you spent UUU to cast it, tap target nonland permanent you don't control and exert it.
"It would be wise of you to stay away from the unforgiving waves."
2/3

Note that due to the UUU clause, that means you can cast nonblue spells, but as long as you spent enough blue for that spell, you can lock down a nonland permanent per spell cast. Comments?


EDIT:

Mage of Rough Seas 3U
Creature - Human Wizard (U)
Whenever you cast a spell, if you spent UUU to cast it, tap target nonland permanent you don't control and it doesn't untap during its controller's next untap step.
"It would be wise of you to stay away from the unforgiving waves."
2/3

I like it, but uh. Pretty sure you'd have to write out the exert rules text. I think WotC policy re: exert is that it can only be used as a cost. Properly costed, btw! Also, an interesting angle to take things!

Let's bring back an old keyword!

Insouciant Youth 1GG
Creature - Human Scout
Provoke
Whenever Insouciant Youth blocks or is blocked, you may pay 2. If you do, prevent all combat damage Insouciant Youth and creatures blocking or blocked by it would deal this turn.
2/2

And to finish off this quintet of unpleasant people:
Didactic Pedant 1UU
Creature - Human Wizard
Hexproof
Whenever Didactic Pedant deals combat damage to a player, draw two cards then discard a card.
1/1

I'm guessing you had something in mind where you can't simply give yourself one of these huge benefits and ignore the rest. The way you've got it templated is broken- its a non-dispellable control magic, breath of life and time warp for only 4, so that would be all kinds of overpowered. But I think if your intention was to either make these abilities mandatory and always affecting multiple players, ie choosing as many as possible, that would be different. One way you could do this is templating the card to simply make it all one ability with multiple targeted players instead of a modal ability. But even then, you'd have to be more careful about the templating, even if you were forced to give an opponent a creature to take a time walk for yourself, that could be utterly broken when in a donate shell. I guess it could all work if you made it only give benefits to enemy players, but that's a lot more force political card which makes melvin cry.

Frostblade Elite 1UU
Creature - Elemental Soldier (U)
When Frostblade Elite slays a creature, exile that creature and tap up to two target lands. They don't untap during their controller's next untap step.
When Frostblade Elite is slain, tap all creatures who slew it. They don't untap during their controller's next untap step.
3/2

I like that the abilities are very flavorful and the creature gives blue a good tempo play both as a blocker and as an attacker.

Is "slay" a new term you are trying to introduce to reduce the amount of space on the rules text of creatures? I feel the word slay could work well since it's meaning clearly conveys "a creature dealing lethal damage to another creature, but the past tense "slew" feels a little awkward here even though it is grammatically correct. However it's fine here as is because I can't think of a better way to phrase it that doesn't add a lot of extra text.


This next card is an attempt to find a way to make "legendary spells", powerful spells that have a downside that discourages players from playing with more than two copies in a deck. I recognize that the card may still be too powerful regardless, I'm more focused on seeing if this is a mechanic that could work.

Done in One W
Instant (R)
One of a Kind (this card cannot be cast if it shares a name with a card in your graveyard)
Exile target creature an opponent controls, that creature's controller may untap up to X number of permanents, where X is equal to that creature's converted mana cost.

Hmmm..... the One Of A Kind limitation here doesn't make sense. This card is already relatively weaker than Swords to Plowshares and Path to Exile, why nerf it further? Without the drawback, I think this is worth the try; Super powerful against Marit Lage, but against things like Eldrazi you have to make damn sure they can't replace their loss with a different card.


Next

Meticulous Research 3UU
Enchantment (R)
Whenever you cast a spell, scry X, where X is the number of colors of mana you spent to cast that spell.
Consulting different sources for your research ensures that the results are more fruitful.

Too expensive?


EDIT:


Meticulous Research 3U
Enchantment (R)
Whenever you cast a spell, scry X, where X is the number of colors of mana you spent to cast that spell.
Consulting different sources for your research ensures that the results are more fruitful.

It does feel a bit expensive for that effect. It costing two blue mana also doesn't jibe ideally with playing multicolor. The effect being based on multicolor also seems to make it a somewhat narrow ability. I'd be a bit underwhelmed if I drew that as a rare in a pack.

Cradle of Absorption 1WG
Enchantment (R)
Whenever damage that would be dealt to a creature is prevented, put a number of +1/+1 counters on that creature equal to the amount of damage prevented.

I think Cradle of Absorbstion is alright as is, might a little over costed, seeing as it doesn't prevent damage it'self.

<Name>, the indomitable guardian - 5BW
Legendary Creature - Golem
Indestructible, Lifelink
whenever damage is dealt to ~, gain life equal to the damage dealt to ~.
5/3