The idea of Narset becoming a planeswalker is a popular one, so here is my own conception of what she may be like if she became one.
Narset, Jeskai Ascendant
Casting Cost: 3URW
Planeswalker - Narset
Loyalty: 5 [+1]: Narset, Jeskai Ascendant deals 2 damage to target creature. Tap that creature and it does not untap during its controller's next untap step. [-2]: exile the top four cards of your library. Until end of turn, you may cast any number of nonland cards exiled this way without paying their mana costs. [-10]: draw three cards, then you gain life equal to the number of cards in your hand, then Narset, Jeskai Ascendant deals damage to target creature or player equal to your life total.
I kept her as three colors, despite some people believing that she may lose a color, because I believe that all three colors are equally important to her identity and that Nicol Bolas should not be the only tri-colored planeswalker in this game. The name was a challenge, since "enlightened master" is already such an awesome title that is difficult to best, but I chose the title that I thought was best for her.
Originally, I had her first and second abilities reversed, but I decided that her second ability would be too powerful as a loyalty-increasing ability, so I made it decrease her loyalty instead. It is modeled after the ability on her creature card, which I believe is an ability that is sufficiently interesting and unique to keep (although I myself would never use it, since I prefer to avoid any effects that make me exile my own cards).
Her first ability, to me, represents all three of her colors from a mechanical perspective: direct damage is red, and tapping while preventing untapping is both withe and blue. From a flavor perspective, it represents her striking a creature, and paralyzing that creature by infusing the strike with her ki.
Her final ability is a grand one, inspired by both the final ability of Bolas, the game's only current tri-colored planeswalker, and also by Mayael's aria. Notice that only the first effect has a fixed value, while the following two effects each have variable values, meaning that the ability can escalate if the player has more cards in their hand. However, I still am wondering two things about it: first, should the damage be equal to the player's life total, or to the amount of life that they have gained that turn? Second, should the damage be dealt to a single target, or to a player and all creatures that they control (in the manner of the original Chandra Nalaar or balefire dragon)?
What does everyone else say about this? How is my design?
Private Mod Note
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“Those who would trade their freedoms for security will have neither.”-Benjamin Franklin
“When the people fear the government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.”-Thomas Jefferson
“A vote is like a rifle; its usefulness depends upon the character of its user.”-Theodore Roosevelt
“Patriotism means to stand by one's country; it does not mean to stand by one's president.”-Theodore Roosevelt
You didn't leave much to say, since you analyzed your card so thoroughly. I like it well enough. I just didn't have anything to say.
If you only have one card to post, there's a thread for that stickied.
I'm not trying to offend you, but I get the idea that people on the forum are a bit turned off by you. Personally, I think it might be the way you write. Perhaps that's why no one responded.
Planes-walkers are difficult. I don't think its that no one is interested, its that there just plain difficult to design and talk about.
I rather like you ultimate. I think its very clever and excellent for a Jeskai Planeswalker. Your +1 is uncreative. Your -2 makes sense in the context of a narset character, but it is a completely busted ability. Imagine casting narset, revealing the top 4 cards and finding another narset and any 1-2 other spells. It would be very easy for a single narset to effectively grant triple cascade and still stick around to do it again the next turn. The -2 is just degenerate.
Do we know anything about the flavor of Narset? Why is she a planeswalker now? What is her history? What stage in her life is this card meant to represent? These are the types of questions you have to ask yourself when it comes to designing planeswalkers. The Story comes first. Then the card has to be designed to fit the story.
Private Mod Note
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Every time I read a comment about "Well if this card had card draw/trample/haste/indestructible/hexproof/life gain...", I think "You're missing the point." They're armchair developer comments that fail to take into account the card's role in the greater Limited and Standard environment. No, it may not be as good as whatever card you're comparing it to. There's a reason for that. Not every burn spell is Lightning Bolt, nor does it need to be or should be.
- Manite
The main issue I see here is that the first ability requires a creature to target in order to "ascend". If you're playing against a creatureless deck or don't have a target then, well, you can't level up.
Casting Cost: 3URW
Planeswalker - Narset
Loyalty: 5
[+1]: Narset, Jeskai Ascendant deals 2 damage to target creature. Tap that creature and it does not untap during its controller's next untap step.
[-2]: exile the top four cards of your library. Until end of turn, you may cast any number of nonland cards exiled this way without paying their mana costs.
[-10]: draw three cards, then you gain life equal to the number of cards in your hand, then Narset, Jeskai Ascendant deals damage to target creature or player equal to your life total.
Originally, I had her first and second abilities reversed, but I decided that her second ability would be too powerful as a loyalty-increasing ability, so I made it decrease her loyalty instead. It is modeled after the ability on her creature card, which I believe is an ability that is sufficiently interesting and unique to keep (although I myself would never use it, since I prefer to avoid any effects that make me exile my own cards).
Her first ability, to me, represents all three of her colors from a mechanical perspective: direct damage is red, and tapping while preventing untapping is both withe and blue. From a flavor perspective, it represents her striking a creature, and paralyzing that creature by infusing the strike with her ki.
Her final ability is a grand one, inspired by both the final ability of Bolas, the game's only current tri-colored planeswalker, and also by Mayael's aria. Notice that only the first effect has a fixed value, while the following two effects each have variable values, meaning that the ability can escalate if the player has more cards in their hand. However, I still am wondering two things about it: first, should the damage be equal to the player's life total, or to the amount of life that they have gained that turn? Second, should the damage be dealt to a single target, or to a player and all creatures that they control (in the manner of the original Chandra Nalaar or balefire dragon)?
What does everyone else say about this? How is my design?
“When the people fear the government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.”-Thomas Jefferson
“A vote is like a rifle; its usefulness depends upon the character of its user.”-Theodore Roosevelt
“Patriotism means to stand by one's country; it does not mean to stand by one's president.”-Theodore Roosevelt
“When the people fear the government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.”-Thomas Jefferson
“A vote is like a rifle; its usefulness depends upon the character of its user.”-Theodore Roosevelt
“Patriotism means to stand by one's country; it does not mean to stand by one's president.”-Theodore Roosevelt
If you only have one card to post, there's a thread for that stickied.
I'm not trying to offend you, but I get the idea that people on the forum are a bit turned off by you. Personally, I think it might be the way you write. Perhaps that's why no one responded.
I rather like you ultimate. I think its very clever and excellent for a Jeskai Planeswalker. Your +1 is uncreative. Your -2 makes sense in the context of a narset character, but it is a completely busted ability. Imagine casting narset, revealing the top 4 cards and finding another narset and any 1-2 other spells. It would be very easy for a single narset to effectively grant triple cascade and still stick around to do it again the next turn. The -2 is just degenerate.
Do we know anything about the flavor of Narset? Why is she a planeswalker now? What is her history? What stage in her life is this card meant to represent? These are the types of questions you have to ask yourself when it comes to designing planeswalkers. The Story comes first. Then the card has to be designed to fit the story.
- Manite
Dunes of Zairo
SHANDALAR
Innistrad - The Darkest Night
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