That’s what I figured. How about a riff on the Lorwyn tribal lands.
Faerie on a Skerry
Land (C)
Faerie on a Skerry enters the battlefield tapped.
If this entered the battlefield this turn, when a Faerie enters the battlefield under your control you may untap this.
T: Add U or B.
Watcher of the Gates1
Artifact Creature - Construct
Vigilance
If a Gate would enter the battlefield under your control and tapped, it enters untapped instead.
1/1
Of all the ideas exposed here, I like the Ancient Ziggurat downshift the best, sounds like something that could be doable in a supplementary product as a common Ancient Ziggurat would be stupid in draft, and would only benefit the creature-based decks, and as the only CIPU "dual" land in the deck, it shouldn't warp the format into a multicolor aggro fest, it seems like an idea worth testing.
A common dual land that enters the battlefield untapped:
Overgrown Sward
Land (Common)
When Overgrown Sward enters the battlefield, sacrifice it unless you return another untapped land you control to its owner's hand. T: Add G or W.
Rulings
- If you don't want to unsummon a land, you can play this card then tap it for mana before the enters the battlefield ability resolves. You may then choose to sacrifice it instead of unsummoning a land.
And a support land:
Utopian Grove
Land (Common) T: Add C.
When Utopian Grove leaves the battlefield, you may search your library for a basic land card, put it onto the battlefield tapped, then shuffle your library.
I really like the Overgrown Sward idea. The only problem is in the ruling- I think that this sort of stack shenaniganery on a Common would be frowned upon. I expect a newer player would run into that interaction for the first time, have the rules explained to them, and feel like their opponent was cheating, which seems undesirable on a common. Is there a non-clunky way that it could be worded so that you can't get a mana and then sac it? The only thing I'm coming up with is so clunky that it would probably make this elegant solution Uncommon (enters the battlefield tapped, as it enters the battlefield bounce a land, if you do untap Sward).
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If Overgrown Sward would enter the battlefield, return an untapped land you control to its owner's hand instead. If you do, put Overgrown Sward onto the battlefield. If you don't, put it into its owner's graveyard.
I'm pretty sure that's a hair too complex for a common land at that point, though.
Not to mention basically being a worse version of the old Ravnica bouncelands since Sward actively sets you back a turn on mana due to needing to return an untapped land for it, while itself only tapping for 1 mana. Setting yourself behind on the mana curve doesn't seem too appealing for aggro decks that want to curve into their bigger threats.
I think it's impossible to make a pauper dual that enters untapped. Any condition you add and it either becomes too good or too complex. The workaround is to either make a supportive card or a land tha can produce any color, such as unknown shores.
Any condition you add and it either becomes too good or too complex.
This strikes me as a spot of intellectual laziness.
Mustshockland
Land
When ~ enters the battlefield, you lose X life.
T: Add B or R.
IMHO there's clearly a value of X where that card isn't "too good" for Pauper (a highly subjective criteria, anyways. We have Lightning Bolt and Seeker of the Way and Counterspell and do fine). I'd say it's 3 or 4, but if it was 7, 14, or even the thought experiment of 20, it definitely wouldn't be "too good" for Pauper.
Wait... Is there a reason that Sward needs to require the bounced land to be untapped? My thought was that it fixes the turn that it comes down, but that the cost was that it slowed down your mana development by a turn. I think the bigger problem is avoiding the fast-sac mode, but I'm curious about the untapped piece.
Sward enters the battlefield tapped.
When Sward enters the battlefield, add G or W to your mana pool.
When Sward enters the battlefield, sacrifice it unless you return another land you control to its owners hand.
T: Add G or W to your mana pool.
I think all four of those together probably stops this from being Common, but it feels like in terms of basic play it works and each effect individually is common?
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I made a conscious decision to have the returned land be untapped. If the design is too good when it returns an untapped land, then it would be that much better if the returned land can be a tapped land. I would love Overgrown Sward to read "When Overgrown Sward enters the battlefield, sacrifice it unless you return another land you control to its owner's hand." Or even "When Overgrown Sward enters the battlefield, sacrifice it unless you return a land you control to its owner's hand." (like Pauper staples Boros Garrison, Izzet Boilerworks, etc.) - but that would allow you to tap it for mana and return it to your hand instead of sacrificing it or returning another land, meaning you could play it on your first turn, tap it for a mana of either colour, then return it to your hand.
Another idea I had was "As Overgrown Sward enters the battlefield, you may return a land you control to its owner’s hand. If you don’t, Overgrown Sward enters the battlefield tapped." Or "When Overgrown Sward enters the battlefield, each opponent may scry 1." (or scry 2)
I like the idea of downshifting Ancient Ziggurat. I also think that Navigator's Compass is underrated as it turns any land into a dual land for 1 and gains you 3 life to boot.
I guess I'm not so sure that it's too good, or even necessarily particularly playable, if it has to be untapped. I might just be trapped in limited mentality rather than constructed. I don't know, I guess I'm just really taken with the idea. I think what I like most about it is it's the one that feels like it could be in an actual expansion- I can imagine that sort of land being extremely popular in an aggressive format that does an unusual amount with its land drops, like Zendikar. It might be too complex, though.
I like the ETB enemy scry versions too, although I'm curious how they feel to play. If people regularly aren't willing to play their early land drops because they don't want their opponents to scry, then I don't think they'll ever exist and certainly won't at common. On the other hand, I really like the idea of just being the ultimate consistency-maker- "I get good mana, you get to smooth your draws." Maybe it's just too Spike-y to work? But I like that idea a lot too.
The life loss is weird because there's nothing about it that shouldn't be common-printable, but I just think it would feel weird at common. Maybe it's just too close to the Shock lands? Maybe it's that I can't really imagine the set that wants them? I'm not sure. It's probably the cleanest solution, though.
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Strictly pauper taiga
land -- mountain forest
You may only cast common spells.
Simple, to the point, does as wanted, will have almost zero effect on standard even if printed in a standard set, but still a boon for budget deck makers. Limited might balk a bit, but I think it would be interesting to see draft where common cards are more important than bomb mythics/rares.
The only real drawback is that it refers to card commonality -- "but but but some people might not know if a card is comnmon or not!" I'm fairly sure anyone playing pauper will be keenly aware if they're playing a common or not.
Better Mogg Hollows
Land (C) T: Add C. T: Add R or G. ~ doesn't untap during your next untap step unless you pay 1.
or even
Jeskai Hollows
Land (C) T: Add C. T: Add R, U, or W to your mana pool. ~ doesn't untap during your next untap step unless you pay 1.
You could use "doesn't untap during your next untap step unless you pay 2 life" or "unless you tap an untapped creature you control", but maybe not at common.
Scorched Mire
Land
When ~ enters the battlefield, you lose 3 life.
T: Add B or R.
I agree with the philosophy behind this. If you assume that an untapped common is at all desirable, this kind of "simple strictly worse rare/uncommon land" approach will get you there.
Alternatively: Tropical Pool
Land T, Pay 1 life: Add G or U.
Still to uncommon for you? Combine it with ETB life loss between 1 and N for fine tuning:
Overgrown Bayou
Land
When ~ enters the battlefield, you lose 1 life. T, Pay 1 life: Add B or G.
---
In a similar fashion Ancient Ziggurat and Gemstone Mine could go down in rarity if properly nerfed to duals rather than five-color producing. Lands have been established as the "WotC does strictly better" spot and you do want worse mana in Pauper, right?
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Planar Chaos was not a mistake neither was it random. You might want to look at it again.
[thread=239793][Game] Level Up - Creature[/thread]
One Land
Land T: Add one mana of any color. Spend this mana only to cast spells with a converted mana cost of 1 or activate abilities that cost one mana.
One Land
Land T: Add one mana of any color. Spend this mana only to cast spells with a converted mana cost of 1 or activate abilities that cost one mana.
Really cool design. Not common, though.
The thing is that being a common isn't just about lowering power level. It's also about design simplicity, and draft frequency. It makes no sense for this card to be a common in limited.
Tiny Tundra
Land (U) T: Add U or W. Use this mana only to cast spells with converted mana cost 3 or less, or activate abilities that cost 3 or less.
Another shot:
Bad Bad Badlands
Land (C) T: Add C. T, Reveal a Mountain or Swamp card from your hand: Add R or B.
City of Glass
Land (R) T, Reveal a card from your hand: add one mana of any color. When you reveal a card in this way, note its name. You can't reveal cards with City of Glass with names you've already noted with it. Don't throw stones.
Reflective Caverns
Land (U) T, Reveal a land card from your hand: Add one mana of any type that land could produce.
I loved the depletion duals in Ice Age: Land Cap et al. They're not often used or valuable so I have doubts they'd be too good for pauper. Of course, as they are worded they're monumentally too complex for common/pauper.
But y'know what's happened in the last few years? We got a new keyword, exert, that has much the same net result, that they allow on commons.
So my proposal is, in Amonkhet2:
"Land Cap"-ish
Land ( - Desert?) - C
T, Exert ~: Add U or W (An exerted permanent won't untap during your next untap step.)
It's no more complex than Oasis Ritualist. It's no more powerful than Land Cap. But it would provide the pauper field with a dual that can provide either of two colors of mana the turn it lands... at a cost.
(Was wondering if it could have a non-exert tap ability for colorless. Would that be too good or too complex? It would still be comparable complexity to Oasis Ritualist, which also has one non exert mana ability and one exert mana ability.)
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Faerie on a Skerry
Land (C)
Faerie on a Skerry enters the battlefield tapped.
If this entered the battlefield this turn, when a Faerie enters the battlefield under your control you may untap this.
T: Add U or B.
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Artifact Creature - Construct
Vigilance
If a Gate would enter the battlefield under your control and tapped, it enters untapped instead.
1/1
RB Land
RB Land enters the battlefield tapped.
When RB Land enters the battlefield add <> to your mana field.
RB Land taps for R and B.
Then just repeat for each color combo.
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Overgrown Sward
Land (Common)
When Overgrown Sward enters the battlefield, sacrifice it unless you return another untapped land you control to its owner's hand.
T: Add G or W.
Rulings
- If you don't want to unsummon a land, you can play this card then tap it for mana before the enters the battlefield ability resolves. You may then choose to sacrifice it instead of unsummoning a land.
And a support land:
Utopian Grove
Land (Common)
T: Add C.
When Utopian Grove leaves the battlefield, you may search your library for a basic land card, put it onto the battlefield tapped, then shuffle your library.
Commanders:
Toshiro Umezawa
Rona, Disciple of Gix (Pauper)
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Not to mention basically being a worse version of the old Ravnica bouncelands since Sward actively sets you back a turn on mana due to needing to return an untapped land for it, while itself only tapping for 1 mana. Setting yourself behind on the mana curve doesn't seem too appealing for aggro decks that want to curve into their bigger threats.
This strikes me as a spot of intellectual laziness.
Mustshockland
Land
When ~ enters the battlefield, you lose X life.
T: Add B or R.
IMHO there's clearly a value of X where that card isn't "too good" for Pauper (a highly subjective criteria, anyways. We have Lightning Bolt and Seeker of the Way and Counterspell and do fine). I'd say it's 3 or 4, but if it was 7, 14, or even the thought experiment of 20, it definitely wouldn't be "too good" for Pauper.
Corrupt Control B | Burn R | UG Turbofog UG | White Weenie W | GW Tethmos WG | BG Cycling Combo BG
Enchantress GBW | Colorless Tron C | Red Deck Wins R | UG Madness UG | Mono-G Tron G | UR Puzzlehorns UR
Rhystic Tron WU| WU Prowess WU | BR Reanimator BR | Mono-R Control R | Stompy G | Temur Tron URG
Mardu Infinite Priest WBR | 85-Card Dredge BRG | Elves GU | Boros Bully RW | Jeskai Familiars RWU
Sward enters the battlefield tapped.
When Sward enters the battlefield, add G or W to your mana pool.
When Sward enters the battlefield, sacrifice it unless you return another land you control to its owners hand.
T: Add G or W to your mana pool.
I think all four of those together probably stops this from being Common, but it feels like in terms of basic play it works and each effect individually is common?
Commanders:
Toshiro Umezawa
Rona, Disciple of Gix (Pauper)
Another idea I had was "As Overgrown Sward enters the battlefield, you may return a land you control to its owner’s hand. If you don’t, Overgrown Sward enters the battlefield tapped." Or "When Overgrown Sward enters the battlefield, each opponent may scry 1." (or scry 2)
I like the idea of downshifting Ancient Ziggurat. I also think that Navigator's Compass is underrated as it turns any land into a dual land for 1 and gains you 3 life to boot.
The final idea I had was inspired by Riftstone Portal:
T: Add C.
T: Add G or W. Activate this ability only if there is a Forest or Plains card in your graveyard.
I like the ETB enemy scry versions too, although I'm curious how they feel to play. If people regularly aren't willing to play their early land drops because they don't want their opponents to scry, then I don't think they'll ever exist and certainly won't at common. On the other hand, I really like the idea of just being the ultimate consistency-maker- "I get good mana, you get to smooth your draws." Maybe it's just too Spike-y to work? But I like that idea a lot too.
The life loss is weird because there's nothing about it that shouldn't be common-printable, but I just think it would feel weird at common. Maybe it's just too close to the Shock lands? Maybe it's that I can't really imagine the set that wants them? I'm not sure. It's probably the cleanest solution, though.
Commanders:
Toshiro Umezawa
Rona, Disciple of Gix (Pauper)
land -- mountain forest
You may only cast common spells.
Simple, to the point, does as wanted, will have almost zero effect on standard even if printed in a standard set, but still a boon for budget deck makers. Limited might balk a bit, but I think it would be interesting to see draft where common cards are more important than bomb mythics/rares.
The only real drawback is that it refers to card commonality -- "but but but some people might not know if a card is comnmon or not!" I'm fairly sure anyone playing pauper will be keenly aware if they're playing a common or not.
"Sometimes, the situation is outracing a threat, sometimes it's ignoring it, and sometimes it involves sideboarding in 4x Hope//Pray." --Doug Linn
Hands to the sky
Give a round of applause
For the great Miss Y!
Hands to the sky
Give a round of applause
For the great Miss Y!
Land (C)
T: Add C.
T: Add R or G. ~ doesn't untap during your next untap step unless you pay 1.
or even
Jeskai Hollows
Land (C)
T: Add C.
T: Add R, U, or W to your mana pool. ~ doesn't untap during your next untap step unless you pay 1.
You could use "doesn't untap during your next untap step unless you pay 2 life" or "unless you tap an untapped creature you control", but maybe not at common.
Low-power cube enthusiast!
My 1570 card cube (no longer updated)
My 415 Peasant+ Artifact and Enchantment Cube
Ever-Expanding "Just throw it in" cube.
I agree with the philosophy behind this. If you assume that an untapped common is at all desirable, this kind of "simple strictly worse rare/uncommon land" approach will get you there.
Alternatively:
Tropical Pool
Land
T, Pay 1 life: Add G or U.
Still to uncommon for you? Combine it with ETB life loss between 1 and N for fine tuning:
Overgrown Bayou
Land
When ~ enters the battlefield, you lose 1 life.
T, Pay 1 life: Add B or G.
---
In a similar fashion Ancient Ziggurat and Gemstone Mine could go down in rarity if properly nerfed to duals rather than five-color producing. Lands have been established as the "WotC does strictly better" spot and you do want worse mana in Pauper, right?
Finally a good white villain quote: "So, do I ever re-evaluate my life choices? Never, because I know what I'm doing is a righteous cause."
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Land
T: Add one mana of any color. Spend this mana only to cast spells with a converted mana cost of 1 or activate abilities that cost one mana.
Really cool design. Not common, though.
The thing is that being a common isn't just about lowering power level. It's also about design simplicity, and draft frequency. It makes no sense for this card to be a common in limited.
Land (U)
T: Add U or W. Use this mana only to cast spells with converted mana cost 3 or less, or activate abilities that cost 3 or less.
Another shot:
Bad Bad Badlands
Land (C)
T: Add C.
T, Reveal a Mountain or Swamp card from your hand: Add R or B.
Land (R)
T, Reveal a card from your hand: add one mana of any color. When you reveal a card in this way, note its name. You can't reveal cards with City of Glass with names you've already noted with it.
Don't throw stones.
Reflective Caverns
Land (U)
T, Reveal a land card from your hand: Add one mana of any type that land could produce.
Low-power cube enthusiast!
My 1570 card cube (no longer updated)
My 415 Peasant+ Artifact and Enchantment Cube
Ever-Expanding "Just throw it in" cube.
But y'know what's happened in the last few years? We got a new keyword, exert, that has much the same net result, that they allow on commons.
So my proposal is, in Amonkhet2:
"Land Cap"-ish
Land ( - Desert?) - C
T, Exert ~: Add U or W (An exerted permanent won't untap during your next untap step.)
It's no more complex than Oasis Ritualist. It's no more powerful than Land Cap. But it would provide the pauper field with a dual that can provide either of two colors of mana the turn it lands... at a cost.
(Was wondering if it could have a non-exert tap ability for colorless. Would that be too good or too complex? It would still be comparable complexity to Oasis Ritualist, which also has one non exert mana ability and one exert mana ability.)