Brave JondiW
Creature - Human Soldier (C) Embalm - When Brave Jondi dies, you may pay W. If you do, you gain 3 life.
1/1
High-court Scribe3U
Creature - Bird Wizard (U)
Flying Embalm - When High-court Scribe dies, you may discard a card. If you do, return target instant or sorcery card from your graveyard to your hand.
2/2
Imhep, Grand Pharaoh2BB
Legendary Creature - Vampire Cleric (R)
Lifelink Embalm - When Imhep dies, you may pay X life. If you do, draw X cards.
2/3
Priest of Abisnu (Uncommon) 4BB
Creature - Human Cleric
4/4
When Priest of Abisnu enters the battlefield, mummify up to two target creature cards. (Exile them from graveyards and put that many 2/2 black Zombie creature tokens onto the battlefield.)
Legion -- This creature can't attack unless a number of creature equal to or greater than this creature's converted mana cost attack.
5/4
(imagine an animated temple statue)
My problems with this is that it offers a great blocker, which is kinda the purpose of a temple guard but maybe plays poorly. You'd have to put additional effort into preventing and/or breaking board stalls while designing the set, which is doable when you know it.
Granted a 5/4 is pretty good at breaking stalls once the legion embarks.
This mechanic pleases the turtle player while also offering impressive stats for the aggressive player and a drawback to break for johnnies *cough*me*cough*.
I made a colorless card on purpose as this mechanic could see use in several colors.
Legion gets increasingly harder to accomplish with rising cmc. Which is not necessarily a problem. It offers bigger bonuses to be put on the more costly stuff.
It is obviously limited to creatures and anything that turns into a creature. *insert random blatantly obvious planeswalker reference*
On tokens it is rather meaningless, which is weird as it kind of want you to use them to bolster your numbers.
How does this mechanic work if you have two temple guards out?
How does this mechanic work if you have two temple guards out?
Probably similar to Ember Beast. Two Ember Beasts can attack or block together. If you control only three Krapherat of Rha, they can attack as long as they all attack.
If the point is to encourage playing with high converted mana costs, you might want to look at the highest converted mana cost like cards from Scourge, like Accelerated Mutation and Torrent of Fire. For example, you could make it 0/4 and pump it when it attacks: "Whenever CARDNAME attacks, it gets +X/+0 until end of turn, where X is the highest converted mana cost among permanents you control."
The name "legion" though suggests a mechanic that wants to count the number of creatures you control, like Crusader of Odric and Beguiler of Wills.
Great podcast, as always. Looking forward to your podcast about what makes a problematic mechanic.
As an aside, I've been trying out Hostile Takeover, and it's been a blast. Great job, guys.
Designing set mechanics is not my strong suit. Here's my first attempt:
Priestess of Rites1W
Creature - Human Cleric (C)
When Priestess of Rites enters the battlefield, you gain 2 life.
Enshrine (When this creature dies, return it to the battlefield as a colorless land. It gains "T: Add C to your mana pool.")
2/1
Higher rarity enshrine cards may have static or activated abilities that persist when they're enshrined, though development would have to be careful with those, since lands are difficult to deal with.
Great podcast, as always. Looking forward to your podcast about what makes a problematic mechanic.
Our next podcast is us both talking all about Dan's game Faeria. However we will definitely do the "What makes a bad mechanic" sometimes in the next few months.
Jackal King2R
Creature — Hound Advisor (U)
Enshrine (When this creature dies, you may exile it.)
Haste
As long as Jackal King is on the battlefield or exiled, other creatures you control have haste.
2/1
Might of the God King1G
Instant (C)
Target creature gets +3/+3 until end of turn. If it is worshiped, it gains trample until end of turn. (The creature you control with the greatest converted mana cost is worshiped. If there is a tie, no creature is worshiped.)
Devoted to BasetWW
Creature - Cat Soldier (U)
First strike
If another creature you control is worshiped, it gets +1/+1 and has first strike. (The creature you control with the greatest converted mana cost is worshiped. If there is a tie, no creature is worshiped.)
1/1
Arankboro, the Scorching Venom3RR
Legendary Creature - Snake (R)
Trample
Whenever Arankboro, of Scorching Venom is dealt damage by a source you don't control, it deals that much damage to that sources controller.
If Arankboro is worshiped, it has haste.
6/3
Temple Guard1W Creature - Human Soldier (C)
When CARDNAME enters the battlefield, you may reminisce. If you reminisce a creature card this way, put a +1/+1 counter on CARDNAME. (To reminisce, put a card from your graveyard on the bottom of your library.)
2/2
Blackscale Warrior2B Creature - Crocodile Warrior (C)
When CARDNAME enters the battlefield, you may reminisce. If you reminisce a creature card this way, put a +1/+1 counter on CARDNAME. (To reminisce, put a card from your graveyard on the bottom of your library.)
3/1
Ka’s Light1R Instant (C)
CARDNAME deals 3 damage to target creature an opponent controls. You may reminisce. If you reminisce a creature card this way, CARDNAME deals 3 damage to that opponent. (To reminisce, put a card from your graveyard on the bottom of your library.)
Steward of Akarai2G Creature - Hound Monk (U)
When CARDNAME enters the battlefield, you may reminisce. (To reminisce, put a card from your graveyard on the bottom of your library.)
Whenever you reminisce a creature card, put 2/2 green Hound creature token onto the battlefield.
2/2
Keeper of the Sun2WW Creature - Bird Wizard (U)
Flying
When CARDNAME enters the battlefield, you may reminisce. (To reminisce, put a card from your graveyard on the bottom of your library.)
Whenever you reminisce a creature card, you may exile target creature an opponent controls until CARDNAME leaves the battlefield.
2/4
Trying to create a connection with a cycle of life and death. Might just be too complicated though. Hard to do a lot of recursion at common.
We think of Egyptian things as all burial/grave/pyramid/mummies, but would ancient Egypt have seen itself that way?
Partially, yes. The Book of the Dead in its various iterations was very widespread, and, well, they did build their own pyramids.
Besides, Magic blocks are more about fulfilling expectations of a certain genre than reflecting real life. If Ancient Egypt Block is going to be a riff on ancient Egyptian-style fantasy, then it had better have a lot of graveyard stuff.
Sheut of Ointments3W
Creature - Spirit (C)
Flying
When Sheut of Ointments enters the battlefield, you gain 2 life.
Relinquish Sheut of Ointments: You gain 3 life. (To relinquish a card, pay its mana cost and either sacrifice it, discard it, or exile it from your graveyard.)
2/3
Gruesome CacheG
Sorcery (U)
Put a +1/+1 counter on target creature, then you may relinquish a creature card. If you do, put an additional X +1/+1 counters on that creature, where X is the power of the relinquished card.
Score-Proven Ceramicist2RR
Creature - Human Wizard (R)
Whenever Score-Proven Ceramicist deals combat damage to a player, relinquish up to that many nonland cards, then choose a card relinquished in this way. If that card is an instant or sorcery card, cast X copies of it without paying its mana cost, and if it's a permanent card, put X tokens onto the battlefield that are copies of it, where X is the number of cards relinquished in this way. "I will not make mere imitations, but improved versions."
2/4
DIRECT DOWNLOAD
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Check out the Remaking Magic blog and ask us questions
In this episode:
Card Renders:
Contact details:
remakingmagic.tumblr.com
Reuben Covington
Twitter: @reubencovington
Email: reubencovington@gmail.com
MTGsalvation Account: Doombringer
Dan Felder
Twitter: @DesignerDanF
Email: minimallyexceptional@gmail.com
MTGsalvation Account: Stairc
Are you designing commons? Check out my primer on NWO.
Interested in making a custom set? Check out my Set skeleton and archetype primer.
I also write articles about getting started with custom card creation.
Go and PLAYTEST your designs, you will learn more in a single playtests than a dozen discussions.
My custom sets:
Dreamscape
Coins of Mercalis [COMPLETE]
Exodus of Zendikar - ON HOLD
Brave Jondi W
Creature - Human Soldier (C)
Embalm - When Brave Jondi dies, you may pay W. If you do, you gain 3 life.
1/1
High-court Scribe 3U
Creature - Bird Wizard (U)
Flying
Embalm - When High-court Scribe dies, you may discard a card. If you do, return target instant or sorcery card from your graveyard to your hand.
2/2
Imhep, Grand Pharaoh 2BB
Legendary Creature - Vampire Cleric (R)
Lifelink
Embalm - When Imhep dies, you may pay X life. If you do, draw X cards.
2/3
4BB
Creature - Human Cleric
4/4
When Priest of Abisnu enters the battlefield, mummify up to two target creature cards. (Exile them from graveyards and put that many 2/2 black Zombie creature tokens onto the battlefield.)
How does this mechanic work if you have two temple guards out?
If the point is to encourage playing with high converted mana costs, you might want to look at the highest converted mana cost like cards from Scourge, like Accelerated Mutation and Torrent of Fire. For example, you could make it 0/4 and pump it when it attacks: "Whenever CARDNAME attacks, it gets +X/+0 until end of turn, where X is the highest converted mana cost among permanents you control."
The name "legion" though suggests a mechanic that wants to count the number of creatures you control, like Crusader of Odric and Beguiler of Wills.
As an aside, I've been trying out Hostile Takeover, and it's been a blast. Great job, guys.
Designing set mechanics is not my strong suit. Here's my first attempt:
Priestess of Rites 1W
Creature - Human Cleric (C)
When Priestess of Rites enters the battlefield, you gain 2 life.
Enshrine (When this creature dies, return it to the battlefield as a colorless land. It gains "T: Add C to your mana pool.")
2/1
Higher rarity enshrine cards may have static or activated abilities that persist when they're enshrined, though development would have to be careful with those, since lands are difficult to deal with.
Our next podcast is us both talking all about Dan's game Faeria. However we will definitely do the "What makes a bad mechanic" sometimes in the next few months.
Keep the mechanic submissions coming!
Are you designing commons? Check out my primer on NWO.
Interested in making a custom set? Check out my Set skeleton and archetype primer.
I also write articles about getting started with custom card creation.
Go and PLAYTEST your designs, you will learn more in a single playtests than a dozen discussions.
My custom sets:
Dreamscape
Coins of Mercalis [COMPLETE]
Exodus of Zendikar - ON HOLD
Order- If each player has 10 or more life, (effect)
(focused in )
Chaos- If each play has 10 or less life, (effect)
(focused in )
( would be mixed)
Representing the focus on the idea of order and chaos in Egyptian mythology and culture (which also links to the duat).
RUNIN: Norse mythology set (awaiting further playtesting)
FATE of ALARA: Multicolour factions (currently on hiatus)
Contibutor to the Pyrulea community set
I'm here to tell you that all your set mechanics are bad
#Defundthepolice
Jackal King 2R
Creature — Hound Advisor (U)
Enshrine (When this creature dies, you may exile it.)
Haste
As long as Jackal King is on the battlefield or exiled, other creatures you control have haste.
2/1
Instant (C)
Target creature gets +3/+3 until end of turn. If it is worshiped, it gains trample until end of turn. (The creature you control with the greatest converted mana cost is worshiped. If there is a tie, no creature is worshiped.)
Devoted to Baset WW
Creature - Cat Soldier (U)
First strike
If another creature you control is worshiped, it gets +1/+1 and has first strike. (The creature you control with the greatest converted mana cost is worshiped. If there is a tie, no creature is worshiped.)
1/1
Arankboro, the Scorching Venom 3RR
Legendary Creature - Snake (R)
Trample
Whenever Arankboro, of Scorching Venom is dealt damage by a source you don't control, it deals that much damage to that sources controller.
If Arankboro is worshiped, it has haste.
6/3
Are you designing commons? Check out my primer on NWO.
Interested in making a custom set? Check out my Set skeleton and archetype primer.
I also write articles about getting started with custom card creation.
Go and PLAYTEST your designs, you will learn more in a single playtests than a dozen discussions.
My custom sets:
Dreamscape
Coins of Mercalis [COMPLETE]
Exodus of Zendikar - ON HOLD
Trial- When this creature dies, exile it, then return it to the battlefield at the beginning of your next upkeep if (condition)
RUNIN: Norse mythology set (awaiting further playtesting)
FATE of ALARA: Multicolour factions (currently on hiatus)
Contibutor to the Pyrulea community set
I'm here to tell you that all your set mechanics are bad
#Defundthepolice
Creature - Human Soldier (C)
When CARDNAME enters the battlefield, you may reminisce. If you reminisce a creature card this way, put a +1/+1 counter on CARDNAME. (To reminisce, put a card from your graveyard on the bottom of your library.)
2/2
Blackscale Warrior 2B
Creature - Crocodile Warrior (C)
When CARDNAME enters the battlefield, you may reminisce. If you reminisce a creature card this way, put a +1/+1 counter on CARDNAME. (To reminisce, put a card from your graveyard on the bottom of your library.)
3/1
Ka’s Light 1R
Instant (C)
CARDNAME deals 3 damage to target creature an opponent controls. You may reminisce. If you reminisce a creature card this way, CARDNAME deals 3 damage to that opponent. (To reminisce, put a card from your graveyard on the bottom of your library.)
Steward of Akarai 2G
Creature - Hound Monk (U)
When CARDNAME enters the battlefield, you may reminisce. (To reminisce, put a card from your graveyard on the bottom of your library.)
Whenever you reminisce a creature card, put 2/2 green Hound creature token onto the battlefield.
2/2
Keeper of the Sun 2WW
Creature - Bird Wizard (U)
Flying
When CARDNAME enters the battlefield, you may reminisce. (To reminisce, put a card from your graveyard on the bottom of your library.)
Whenever you reminisce a creature card, you may exile target creature an opponent controls until CARDNAME leaves the battlefield.
2/4
Trying to create a connection with a cycle of life and death. Might just be too complicated though. Hard to do a lot of recursion at common.
Partially, yes. The Book of the Dead in its various iterations was very widespread, and, well, they did build their own pyramids.
Besides, Magic blocks are more about fulfilling expectations of a certain genre than reflecting real life. If Ancient Egypt Block is going to be a riff on ancient Egyptian-style fantasy, then it had better have a lot of graveyard stuff.
I̟̥͍̠ͅn̩͉̣͍̬͚ͅ ̬̬͖t̯̹̞̺͖͓̯̤h̘͍̬e͙̯͈̖̼̮ ̭̬f̺̲̲̪i͙͉̟̩̰r̪̝͚͈̝̥͍̝̲s̼̻͇̘̳͔ͅt̲̺̳̗̜̪̙ ̳̺̥̻͚̗ͅm̜̜̟̰͈͓͎͇o̝̖̮̝͇m̯̻̞̼̫̗͓̤e̩̯̬̮̩n͎̱̪̲̹͖t͇̖s̰̮ͅ,̤̲͙̻̭̻̯̹̰ ̖t̫̙̺̯͖͚̯ͅh͙̯̦̳̗̰̟e͖̪͉̼̯ ̪͕g̞̣͔a̗̦t̬̬͓͙̫̖̭̻e̩̻̯ ̜̖̦̖̤̭͙̬t̞̹̥̪͎͉ͅo͕͚͍͇̲͇͓̺ ̭̬͙͈̣̻t͈͍͙͓̫̖͙̩h̪̬̖̙e̗͈ ̗̬̟̞̺̤͉̯ͅa̦̯͚̙̜̮f͉͙̲̣̞̼t̪̤̞̣͚e̲͉̳̥r͇̪̙͚͓l̥̞̞͎̹̯̹ͅi͓̬f̮̥̬̞͈ͅe͎ ̟̩̤̳̠̯̩̯o̮̘̲p̟͚̣̞͉͓e͍̩̣n͔̼͕͚̜e̬̱d̼̘͎̖̹͍̮̠,͖̺̭̱̮ ̣̲͖̬̪̭̥a̪͚n̟̲̝̤̤̞̗d̘̱̗͇̮͕̳͕͔ ͖̞͉͎t̹̙͎h̰̱͉̗e̪̞̱̝̹̩ͅ ̠̱̩̭̦p̯̙e͓o̳͚̰̯̺̱̰͔̘p̬͎̱̣̼̩͇l̗̟̖͚̠e̱͉͔̱̦̬̟̙ ̖͚̪͔̼̦w̺̖̤̱e͖̗̻̦͓̖̘̜r̭̥e͔̹̫̱͕̦̰͕ ̗͔̠p̠̗͍͍̱̳̠r̰͔͎̰o͉̥͓̰͚̥s̟͚̹̱͔̣t͉̙̳̖͖̪̮r̥̘̥͙̹a͉̟̫̟̳̠̟̭t͈̜̰͈͎e̞̣̭̲̬ ͚̗̯̟͙i͍͖̰̘̦͖͉ṇ̮̻̯̦̲̩͍ ̦̮͚̫̤t͉͖̫͕ͅͅh͙̮̻̘̣̮̼e͕̺ ͙l͕̠͎̰̥i̲͓͉̲g̫̳̟͈͇̖h̠̦̖t͓̯͎̗ ̳̪̘̟̙̩̦o̫̲f̙͔̰̙̠ ̹̪̗͇̯t͖̼̼͉͖̬h̹͇̩e͚̖̺̤͉̹͕̪ ͚͓̭̝̺G͎̗̯̩o̫̯̮̟̮̳̘d̜̲͙̠-̩̳̯̲̗̜P̹̘̥͉̝h͍͈̗̖̝ͅa͍̗̮̼̗r̜̖͇̙̺a̭̺͔̞̳͈o̪̣͓̯̬͙̯̰̗h̖̦͈̥̯͔.͇̣̙̝
Yes we had to scrap an episode and now Dan is on Holiday, thus we will be away until he gets back.
Are you designing commons? Check out my primer on NWO.
Interested in making a custom set? Check out my Set skeleton and archetype primer.
I also write articles about getting started with custom card creation.
Go and PLAYTEST your designs, you will learn more in a single playtests than a dozen discussions.
My custom sets:
Dreamscape
Coins of Mercalis [COMPLETE]
Exodus of Zendikar - ON HOLD
Creature - Spirit (C)
Flying
When Sheut of Ointments enters the battlefield, you gain 2 life.
Relinquish Sheut of Ointments: You gain 3 life. (To relinquish a card, pay its mana cost and either sacrifice it, discard it, or exile it from your graveyard.)
2/3
Gruesome Cache G
Sorcery (U)
Put a +1/+1 counter on target creature, then you may relinquish a creature card. If you do, put an additional X +1/+1 counters on that creature, where X is the power of the relinquished card.
Score-Proven Ceramicist 2RR
Creature - Human Wizard (R)
Whenever Score-Proven Ceramicist deals combat damage to a player, relinquish up to that many nonland cards, then choose a card relinquished in this way. If that card is an instant or sorcery card, cast X copies of it without paying its mana cost, and if it's a permanent card, put X tokens onto the battlefield that are copies of it, where X is the number of cards relinquished in this way.
"I will not make mere imitations, but improved versions."
2/4
I̟̥͍̠ͅn̩͉̣͍̬͚ͅ ̬̬͖t̯̹̞̺͖͓̯̤h̘͍̬e͙̯͈̖̼̮ ̭̬f̺̲̲̪i͙͉̟̩̰r̪̝͚͈̝̥͍̝̲s̼̻͇̘̳͔ͅt̲̺̳̗̜̪̙ ̳̺̥̻͚̗ͅm̜̜̟̰͈͓͎͇o̝̖̮̝͇m̯̻̞̼̫̗͓̤e̩̯̬̮̩n͎̱̪̲̹͖t͇̖s̰̮ͅ,̤̲͙̻̭̻̯̹̰ ̖t̫̙̺̯͖͚̯ͅh͙̯̦̳̗̰̟e͖̪͉̼̯ ̪͕g̞̣͔a̗̦t̬̬͓͙̫̖̭̻e̩̻̯ ̜̖̦̖̤̭͙̬t̞̹̥̪͎͉ͅo͕͚͍͇̲͇͓̺ ̭̬͙͈̣̻t͈͍͙͓̫̖͙̩h̪̬̖̙e̗͈ ̗̬̟̞̺̤͉̯ͅa̦̯͚̙̜̮f͉͙̲̣̞̼t̪̤̞̣͚e̲͉̳̥r͇̪̙͚͓l̥̞̞͎̹̯̹ͅi͓̬f̮̥̬̞͈ͅe͎ ̟̩̤̳̠̯̩̯o̮̘̲p̟͚̣̞͉͓e͍̩̣n͔̼͕͚̜e̬̱d̼̘͎̖̹͍̮̠,͖̺̭̱̮ ̣̲͖̬̪̭̥a̪͚n̟̲̝̤̤̞̗d̘̱̗͇̮͕̳͕͔ ͖̞͉͎t̹̙͎h̰̱͉̗e̪̞̱̝̹̩ͅ ̠̱̩̭̦p̯̙e͓o̳͚̰̯̺̱̰͔̘p̬͎̱̣̼̩͇l̗̟̖͚̠e̱͉͔̱̦̬̟̙ ̖͚̪͔̼̦w̺̖̤̱e͖̗̻̦͓̖̘̜r̭̥e͔̹̫̱͕̦̰͕ ̗͔̠p̠̗͍͍̱̳̠r̰͔͎̰o͉̥͓̰͚̥s̟͚̹̱͔̣t͉̙̳̖͖̪̮r̥̘̥͙̹a͉̟̫̟̳̠̟̭t͈̜̰͈͎e̞̣̭̲̬ ͚̗̯̟͙i͍͖̰̘̦͖͉ṇ̮̻̯̦̲̩͍ ̦̮͚̫̤t͉͖̫͕ͅͅh͙̮̻̘̣̮̼e͕̺ ͙l͕̠͎̰̥i̲͓͉̲g̫̳̟͈͇̖h̠̦̖t͓̯͎̗ ̳̪̘̟̙̩̦o̫̲f̙͔̰̙̠ ̹̪̗͇̯t͖̼̼͉͖̬h̹͇̩e͚̖̺̤͉̹͕̪ ͚͓̭̝̺G͎̗̯̩o̫̯̮̟̮̳̘d̜̲͙̠-̩̳̯̲̗̜P̹̘̥͉̝h͍͈̗̖̝ͅa͍̗̮̼̗r̜̖͇̙̺a̭̺͔̞̳͈o̪̣͓̯̬͙̯̰̗h̖̦͈̥̯͔.͇̣̙̝