Cunning BruteURG
Creature - Beast {C}
When Cunning Brute enters the battlefield, you may have it fight up to one target creature an opponent controls. If you don't, draw a card. It's a picky eater. 3/3
Cunning BruteURG
Creature - Beast {C}
When Cunning Brute enters the battlefield, you may have it fight target creature an opponent controls. If you don't, draw a card. It's a picky eater. 3/3
And a bit confusing. If your opponent doesn't control a creature, the ability doesn't go into the stack. But many players would think "if you don't" applies here. I'm thinking: "When this enters the battlefield, choose target creature an opponent controls. You may have this fight that creature. If the creatures don't fight, draw a card." mmmm... but then the ability might just as well fizzle, which could still blindside some players (less though.)
Another take:
"When this enters the battlefield, choose one - it fights target creature an opponent controls, or draw a card." But CC once said something about avoiding modal abilities. I admit I don't know if they are played like modal spells (or if they even exist?.) Mmmm...
A third take:
You may have this enter the battlefield tapped.
When this enters the battlefield tapped, it fights target creature an opponent controls.
When this enters the battlefield untapped, draw a card.
Riffing off an old silvercut(?) design I once saw and that I have waited to steal ever since.
Leyline WalkerURG
Creature — Human Shaman (C) Attenuate — When Leyline Walker enters the battlefield, if it's your precombat main phase, it gains haste until end of turn. Otherwise, draw a card.
3/2
I guess the standard for would be: If precombat main, haste. Otherwise, spell effect. It isn't a very good fit on monoblue cards though.
precombat main phase sounds so immersion breaking though. How about:
Haste
Scout - You may have this enter the battlefield tapped. When you do, draw a card.
And this way, you could have the blue ones have Flash (so you are spending a surprise block.) Since a creature with Reach is also just a 'better blocker', that could be an interesting cost too.
Riffing off an old silvercut(?) design I once saw and that I have waited to steal ever since.
Leyline WalkerURG
Creature — Human Shaman (C) Attenuate — When Leyline Walker enters the battlefield, if it's your precombat main phase, it gains haste until end of turn. Otherwise, draw a card.
3/2
I guess the standard for would be: If precombat main, haste. Otherwise, spell effect. It isn't a very good fit on monoblue cards though.
Brilliant Tactician2UU
Creature — Human Advisor [R] Attenuate—When Brilliant Tactician enters the battlefield, if you haven't attacked this turn, it gains haste. Otherwise, return target nonland permanent to its owner's hand. t: Creatures target player controls get -1/-0 until end of turn.
0/2
Corporeal Figment2UU
Creature- Illusion (C) Attenuate—When ~ enters the battlefield, if you haven't attacked this turn, ~ gains haste. Otherwise, it gains flying.
3/2
Aetherline Seeker5U
Creature - Fairy Wizard (C)
Flash, Flying
Scout - You may have this enter the battlefield tapped. When you do, return target tapped creature to its owner's hand.
2/3
Trick of PyromagusUBR
Instant
Return target spell to its owner hand. That player then discard a card at random.
Draw a card. As the mage's spell petered, there was a huge flash like those of Neuralyzer from MIB. The mage was left confused and questioning what was it that hit him.
Do one at common that doesn't feel forced. Postcombat bounce is really lame, by the way.
Backdoor Merchant3U
Creature — Human Rogue [C] Attenuate—When Backdoor Merchant enters the battlefield, if you haven't attacked this turn, target creature can't be blocked this turn. Otherwise, it gains haste. t: Draw a card, then discard a card.
0/2
For blue, I figure a reverse attenuate is in order.
Errant ExpeditionGWU
Sorcery (C)
Choose one - Search your library for a basic land card and put it onto the battlefield, then shuffle your library; or exile target creature. Not every explorer comes back.
IIW: Your best flavor text
While I like the flavour of the marriage of these two effects, the second ability is infinitely better than the first, especially when you consider that the fixing aspect of a Rampant Growth effect likely isn't necessary when you already have 3 colours, which is not something I like to see in modal spells. This would be better as a charm that had some U mode attached to it (the card not feeling very blue at all adds to the necessity of this change).
Soul SpearWBR
Sorcery (C)
Soul Spear deals 4 damage to target creature or player and you gain 4 life.
IIW: Mustelid tribal OR lands with ETB effects
Yep, that's a WBR card. Probably a card I would have designed in some form or another (and probably have with different numbers). Warleader's Helix at three mana at common as a sorcery is probably okay.
Alpha BehemothBRG
Creature - Beast C
When ~ enters the battlefield, it fights target creature you control.
6/5
IIW: Graveyard manipulation in blue and red // Warlords from the new set
This doesn't really feel common; it's very easy for this to lead to ridiculous blowouts, and you can even bounce or sac (for a beneficial effect) the creature you fight to basically negate the drawback. Nulltread Gargantuan doesn't allow that, and is an easier to cast uncommon. At the same time, this card will lead to feel-bad moments where you can't play it because your only creatures are too big and will kill this. You can certainly make this effect work, but it's too swingy at common.
judge: oh, right, leader. I was going for a day off for Teysa (and for a serious day off, visiting her mom. Though the image of the obzedat spending their day off being traditionally dead is funny.) The marker for the ability change is the exiled card (hence 'if you do.')
I'll just say I don't think NWO would be very happy with tricolor commons. You end up with stuff like Windwright Mage which is like, the worst card in Alara or something. Or the Spellblades, yuck, there is a fun experience for new players. Tower Gargoyle was a good card though, focused and to the point of the shard.
Arcollax HunterGUB
Creature - Crocodile Hunter (C)
Adapt (Whenever this becomes blocked, put a +1/+1 counter on it.) "In addition to his natural camouflage, the brain just really wishes you hadn't seen him."
3/3
IIW: until
Adapt seems like a reasonable, if unexciting limited mechanic. It reminds me or unleash, in that the ceiling is fairly low (you only get one counter from unleash/your opponent is not going to block your creature most of the time) but can allow for some interesting decisions at various points in the game. The flavour text is nonsensical to me.
Oros's Vindicator2W
Creature — Human Warrior [C]
First strike BR: Oros's Vindicator deals 1 damage to each creature blocking or blocked by it. "If I must raze the flesh from your bones to keep you out of this keep, I shall do so without hesistation."
2/1
Intet's Scientist2U
Creature — Human Wizard [C]
Flying RG: Choose one — Target creature blocks this turn if able; or target creature can't block this turn. "Instinct and reflex are both marvelous instruments."
2/1
Teneb's Unearther2B
Creature — Human Shaman [C]
Deathtouch GW: When target creature dies this turn, put a 1/1 green Saproling creature token onto the battlefield under your control. "From the mangled corpses of the fallen can an army be reborn."
1/3
Numot's Reaver2R
Creature — Human Berserker [C]
Haste WU: Tap target creature. Activate this ability only if Numot's Reaver is attacking. "Denying a warrior battle is worse than denying him life."
3/1
Teneb's Prowler2G
Creature — Human Assassin [C]
Hexproof UB: Target creature gets -1/-0 until end of turn and can't be blocked this turn. "Your own footsteps betray you."
3/1
IIW: One or zero mana mythics
I dislike the "pay main colour once, pay two supporting colours multiple times" aspect of this cycle in that your main colour is likely to be the colour you're playing the most of, and you want your main colour early to actually cast these things, and yet you want multiple of each of your support colours to actually use the card's ability more than once when you likely only have 5-6 sources of each, if that.
Vinicator is fine I guess? Not really excited about it in any capacity.
Scientist is definitely not common and will totally dominate limited; it completely wrecks combat and is an entirely reasonable body to boot (compared to, say, Satyr Piper whose ability is similar to one of Scientist's abilities). I also greatly dislike that as a 2/1 flier it doesn't have much use for either of its own abilities.
The fact that you can get multiple creatures off of one creature dying with Unearther by activating the ability more than once is highly unintuitive; having to activate the ability before the creature actually dies is also awkward. I would make it a triggered ability that triggers on nontoken creature death (and I'd also bump the card's mana by 1 because Giant Scorpion is a good card and this card is a lot better).
Reaver will do similar things that Scientist will do in that in creates board states where your opponent is completely locked out of having a favourable combat because of a common that is also a 3/1 with haste with no drawback. Invisible Stalker with a (non-mandatory) upkeep trigger is still Invisible Stalker and is not something that I (nor Wizards) ever want to see again, much less at common. The fact that he can target things other than himself, including your opponents creatures to mess with combat math, is beyond ridiculous.
Overall, most of these cards weren't common and didn't really offer anything new to wedge design. I also think a lot of the activated abilities would make sense as mono-colour (or hybrid) mana.
Jedan OutriderRWU
Creature — Human Knight (C)
When Jedan Outrider attacks, another target creature you control can't be blocked this turn. Djinni processions are always heralded by an outrider. None know the harsh Jedan dunes better than they.
2/4
IIW: Boom boom gunns.
This is pretty cool. I like that he has a big butt so that he's more likely to live through combat (which also fits his flavour).
Jiagun Stomper2RGW
Creature — Beast {C}
Protection from blue. Subsists on a diet of exclusively fish.
5/3
IIW: party
Nacatl Outrider got big. I like that W is giving RG the protection ability for RG's enemy, but at the same time it feels wrong to me that W is giving protection from it's friend and not the enemy it shares with green, or that it doesn't give pro both blue and black (though that wouldn't be common). I also feel that this is a bit unexciting for a card this is often supposed to draw you into drafting this colour combo.
Progenitor ResearcherRUG
Creature - Human Advisor (C)
Spells you cast cost 1 less to cast.
2/3
Initiate of Keren1WBG
Creature - Human Cleric (C)
Retrace
3/4
Fourth Spire Brawl1GUB
Sorcery (C)
Target creature you control fights another target creature. When one of those creatures dies this turn, draw a card.
Researcher makes sense for the colour combo. Initiate seems like a bit of a letdown, since presumably this is in a wedge set with WGB getting retrace as its mechanic, and having its (likely solitary) tricolour card be vanilla is pretty lame. A 3/4 Human (cleric, even) also seems very wrong without any flavour justification. Brawl seems like it will cause confusion; do you draw two cards off of both creatures dying, or just one? The wording leaves that ambiguous, and I'm not sure what your intention was nor do I know how it would actually work. It seems fine otherwise.
Devjuq ZealotRWB
Creature - Human Knight (C)
First strike, protection from white "Friend, why do you crusade afar when there are still heresies at home?"
2/2
Heh, this is similar in concept to Megiddo's card; he also made a card that used white to give two other colours protection from their shared enemy, though it's amusing that in this case that enemy is white. I think it works slightly better here, as pro-white is more relevant, it comes down earlier, and has a very relevant ability in first strike, but I still think this type of card is a bit too narrow to be what is likely to be the sole tricolour common of this colour combo in the set.
As long as you control a Treefolk creature, Doran's Sapling loses defender.
1/4
IIW: #JustTibaltThings
The difficulty of getting a creature of a certain type in play is not worth the reward of being able to attack with your 1/4 lifelinker that you probably weren't attacking with anyways. I also have to question the idea of a set with common tricolour cards that care about creature types. Tribal is also not my favourite mechanic, especially when it lacks flavour.
Doran's BloodtillerBGW
Creature — Treefolk Warrior (C)
Deathtouch, lifelink "All life in time returns to the soil."
1/4
IIW: Krakens, Leviathans, Octopuses, and Serpents.
I like this too; lifelink is not a huge upgrade to Giant Scorpion until you start factoring in GW's auras and pump spells. Horned Turtle with deathtouch might be a bit much for some colours to deal with, though.
Bloodcrazed WarcallerWBR
Creature — Goblin Berserker [C]
When Bloodcrazed Warcaller enters the battlefield, creatures you control get +1/+0 and gain haste until end of turn and attack this turn if able.
2/3
Inventive BiologistURG
Creature — Human Wizard [C]
When Inventive Biologist enters the battlefield, reveal the top card of your library. If it's a creature card, put it into your hand. Otherwise, put it on the bottom of your library.
2/3
Grisly TillerBGW
Creature — Zombie [C]
When Grisly Tiller enters the battlefield, return target permanent card with converted mana cost 1 or less from your graveyard to the battlefield tapped.
2/3
Spatial WeirderRWU
Creature — Elemental [C]
When Spatial Weirder enters the battlefield, target creature can't block this turn and target creature can't be blocked this turn.
2/3
Unseen PredatorGUB
Creature — Beast [C]
When Unseen Predator enters the battlefield, return target tapped permanent to its owner's hand.
2/3
IIW: One or zero mana mythics
Warcaller seems great; there's some good tension between playing it as a guy and holding it to really take advantage of the anthem. I'd shave the "must attack" clause though; it seems balanced without it and allows for some more decisions.
Biologist seems neat, though I would tweak it so you get some effect if you miss on creatures; maybe a +1/+1 counter?
Tiller seems cool and emblematic of GBW, though a little difficult to enable. I would maybe consider letting it get CMC 2 cards as well.
Spatial Weirder is also pretty slick use of the colour combo's mechanics.
Predator is the only card I'm pretty eh on; GB really doesn't do any bouncing, even on its own permanents, so this is basically just a mono-U card that's tough to cast. It also sucks that you have to bounce your own land if your opponent's completely untapped (which is often when you would want to cast a random guy).
Overall, almost all these cards are interesting and use cool areas of wedge design. I wish they weren't so strictly a cycle though; different P/Ts and evergreen abilities would help a lot in making each card feel unique. Having 5 2/3s at common will also make limited pretty awkward since they bounce off each other; even having them be 3/2s would make combat a lot more interesting.
Cunning BruteURG
Creature - Beast {C}
When Cunning Brute enters the battlefield, you may have it fight up to one target creature an opponent controls. If you don't, draw a card. It's a picky eater. 3/3
IIW: "If you don't,"
I like 2-for-1s, but this is too easy. Tricolour cards should be good, but they shouldn't stymie limited aggro decks while also providing a reasonable body + a card against control. Playing against a player with multiple of these things would be a nightmare. It's a reasonable and well designed uncommon, but oppressive as a common.
Trick of PyromagusUBR
Instant
Return target spell to its owner hand. That player then discard a card at random.
Draw a card. As the mage's spell petered, there was a huge flash like those of Neuralyzer from MIB. The mage was left confused and questioning what was it that hit him.
The Venser ability + random discard? At common? No chance. This is also a two-for-one at base that will often time walk the opponent. Adding "random" to the discard does not make the card red. No IIW, either.
WINNER: Chemtrails for two cool wedge cards! This is the second time in a row I've given the win to the previous judge. I swear I'm not being paid.
I liked the first card more, but the second challenge was better, so ... NEXT CHALLENGE: Krakens, Leviathans, Octopuses, and Serpents.
Sturdy Serpent2UU
Creature — Serpent {U}
Sturdy Serpent can't attack unless defending player gives you his or her telephone number. "Seen one, seen them all."
—Kiora 5/5
Riffing off an old silvercut(?) design I once saw and that I have waited to steal ever since.
Leyline WalkerURG
Creature — Human Shaman (C) Attenuate — When Leyline Walker enters the battlefield, if it's your precombat main phase, it gains haste until end of turn. Otherwise, draw a card.
3/2
I guess the standard for would be: If precombat main, haste. Otherwise, spell effect. It isn't a very good fit on monoblue cards though.
Backdoor Merchant3U
Creature — Human Rogue [C] Attenuate—When Backdoor Merchant enters the battlefield, if you haven't attacked this turn, target creature can't be blocked this turn. Otherwise, it gains haste. t: Draw a card, then discard a card.
0/2
For blue, I figure a reverse attenuate is in order.
Brilliant Tactician2UU
Creature — Human Advisor [R] Attenuate—When Brilliant Tactician enters the battlefield, if you haven't attacked this turn, it gains haste. Otherwise, return target nonland permanent to its owner's hand. t: Creatures target player controls get -1/-0 until end of turn.
0/2
i get why reversing the template and mentioning haste second makes some sense for blue, but a template should be consistent across colors and options should appear in the order they apply.
it would save a lot of space to just give them all haste. if you're playing these post combat then we know the haste wasn't used and the choice was made.
template:
Exampling1
Creature - ?
Haste Abilityword - When Exampling enters the battlefield, if it's your postcombat main phase, [effect].
?/?
this ability's difficult to design with since it seems the reward effect for waiting must be fairly conservative else the haste route be disproportionately ignored. how much is haste worth? how much does that value vary from body to body?
Greenscale NagaG
Creature - Serpent Shaman (U) T: Add GGG to your mana pool. Activate this ability only if you have three or more mana in your mana pool.
1/1
Bluescale NagaU
Creature - Serpent Shaman (U) T: Draw two cards. Activate this ability only if you've drawn at least three cards this turn.
1/1
IIW: exotic humanoid races // pie shifting
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Wizards can start putting booster packs inside dog poo and dog owners will still complain.
Lorthos's Hatchling1U
Creature - Octopus (U)
Whenever Lorthos's Hatchling attacks, choose target permanent you control and target permanent you don't control. Tap those permanents. They don't untap during their controllers' next untap step. Baby octopi may have as many arms as their parents, but they're a lot less cognizant of where they're pointing them.
2/2
Fun fact: Based on modern anatomical conventions, octopi don't have tentacles, they have arms. The more you know!
Tolarian Trench1UU
Enchantment (R)
Whenever a creature attacks you, put a 5/5 blue Kraken creature token with Islandwalk onto the battlefield unless that creature's controller pays 2 for each creature attacking you. While the Academy's mysterious experiments were now only a far memory, the accumulation of their wastes gave birth to a number of ominous, magic-mutated creatures, some of which you would never want to encounter.
IIW: visit old places
Wait, what?
Put a 5/5 onto the battlefield for *each* creature unless they pay 2 for each creature? So, if 2 creatures attack you, they have to pay 8 to ensure no Krakens? o.O
Greenscale NagaG
Creature - Serpent Shaman (U) T: Add GGG to your mana pool. Activate this ability only if you have three or more mana in your mana pool.
1/1
Bluescale NagaU
Creature - Serpent Shaman (U) T: Draw two cards. Activate this ability only if you've drawn at least three cards this turn.
1/1
IIW: exotic humanoid races // pie shifting
Greenscale NagaG
Creature - Serpent Shaman (U) T: Add GGG to your mana pool. Activate this ability only if you have three or more mana in your mana pool.
1/1
Bluescale NagaU
Creature - Serpent Shaman (U) T: Draw two cards. Activate this ability only if you've drawn at least three cards this turn.
1/1
IIW: exotic humanoid races // pie shifting
Tide Titan4UG
Creature - Octopus {R}
When ~ enters the battlefield or attacks, you may have it fight any number of creatures.
If a creature dealt damage by ~ would die, put it on top of its owner's library instead.
6/6
Tide Titan4UU
Creature - Octopus {R}
When ~ attacks or enters the battlefield, tap all other untapped creatures and return all other tapped creatures to their owner's hands.
6/6
Try "Whenever ~ enters the battlefield or attacks, return all other tapped creatures to their owners' hands, then tap all other creatures."
Also this card is obscene and makes Frost Titan look like a joke.
Creature - Beast {C}
When Cunning Brute enters the battlefield, you may have it fight up to one target creature an opponent controls. If you don't, draw a card.
It's a picky eater.
3/3
IIW: "If you don't,"
This is clearly an uncommon.
Another take:
"When this enters the battlefield, choose one - it fights target creature an opponent controls, or draw a card." But CC once said something about avoiding modal abilities. I admit I don't know if they are played like modal spells (or if they even exist?.) Mmmm...
A third take:
You may have this enter the battlefield tapped.
When this enters the battlefield tapped, it fights target creature an opponent controls.
When this enters the battlefield untapped, draw a card.
Draft my cube! (630 cards)
Seems like an arbitrary distinction to me.
Leyline Walker URG
Creature — Human Shaman (C)
Attenuate — When Leyline Walker enters the battlefield, if it's your precombat main phase, it gains haste until end of turn. Otherwise, draw a card.
3/2
I guess the standard for would be: If precombat main, haste. Otherwise, spell effect. It isn't a very good fit on monoblue cards though.
Haste
Scout - You may have this enter the battlefield tapped. When you do, draw a card.
And this way, you could have the blue ones have Flash (so you are spending a surprise block.) Since a creature with Reach is also just a 'better blocker', that could be an interesting cost too.
Brilliant Tactician 2UU
Creature — Human Advisor [R]
Attenuate—When Brilliant Tactician enters the battlefield, if you haven't attacked this turn, it gains haste. Otherwise, return target nonland permanent to its owner's hand.
t: Creatures target player controls get -1/-0 until end of turn.
0/2
Creature- Illusion (C)
Attenuate—When ~ enters the battlefield, if you haven't attacked this turn, ~ gains haste. Otherwise, it gains flying.
3/2
Creature - Fairy Wizard (C)
Flash, Flying
Scout - You may have this enter the battlefield tapped. When you do, return target tapped creature to its owner's hand.
2/3
Instant
Return target spell to its owner hand. That player then discard a card at random.
Draw a card.
As the mage's spell petered, there was a huge flash like those of Neuralyzer from MIB. The mage was left confused and questioning what was it that hit him.
Backdoor Merchant 3U
Creature — Human Rogue [C]
Attenuate—When Backdoor Merchant enters the battlefield, if you haven't attacked this turn, target creature can't be blocked this turn. Otherwise, it gains haste.
t: Draw a card, then discard a card.
0/2
For blue, I figure a reverse attenuate is in order.
It's like you want newbies to misplay their cards.
It doesn't matter, anyway. Lapson blew this clunk mechanic out of the water.
While I like the flavour of the marriage of these two effects, the second ability is infinitely better than the first, especially when you consider that the fixing aspect of a Rampant Growth effect likely isn't necessary when you already have 3 colours, which is not something I like to see in modal spells. This would be better as a charm that had some U mode attached to it (the card not feeling very blue at all adds to the necessity of this change).
Yep, that's a WBR card. Probably a card I would have designed in some form or another (and probably have with different numbers). Warleader's Helix at three mana at common as a sorcery is probably okay.
This doesn't really feel common; it's very easy for this to lead to ridiculous blowouts, and you can even bounce or sac (for a beneficial effect) the creature you fight to basically negate the drawback. Nulltread Gargantuan doesn't allow that, and is an easier to cast uncommon. At the same time, this card will lead to feel-bad moments where you can't play it because your only creatures are too big and will kill this. You can certainly make this effect work, but it's too swingy at common.
Adapt seems like a reasonable, if unexciting limited mechanic. It reminds me or unleash, in that the ceiling is fairly low (you only get one counter from unleash/your opponent is not going to block your creature most of the time) but can allow for some interesting decisions at various points in the game. The flavour text is nonsensical to me.
I dislike the "pay main colour once, pay two supporting colours multiple times" aspect of this cycle in that your main colour is likely to be the colour you're playing the most of, and you want your main colour early to actually cast these things, and yet you want multiple of each of your support colours to actually use the card's ability more than once when you likely only have 5-6 sources of each, if that.
Vinicator is fine I guess? Not really excited about it in any capacity.
Scientist is definitely not common and will totally dominate limited; it completely wrecks combat and is an entirely reasonable body to boot (compared to, say, Satyr Piper whose ability is similar to one of Scientist's abilities). I also greatly dislike that as a 2/1 flier it doesn't have much use for either of its own abilities.
The fact that you can get multiple creatures off of one creature dying with Unearther by activating the ability more than once is highly unintuitive; having to activate the ability before the creature actually dies is also awkward. I would make it a triggered ability that triggers on nontoken creature death (and I'd also bump the card's mana by 1 because Giant Scorpion is a good card and this card is a lot better).
Reaver will do similar things that Scientist will do in that in creates board states where your opponent is completely locked out of having a favourable combat because of a common that is also a 3/1 with haste with no drawback.
Invisible Stalker with a (non-mandatory) upkeep trigger is still Invisible Stalker and is not something that I (nor Wizards) ever want to see again, much less at common. The fact that he can target things other than himself, including your opponents creatures to mess with combat math, is beyond ridiculous.
Overall, most of these cards weren't common and didn't really offer anything new to wedge design. I also think a lot of the activated abilities would make sense as mono-colour (or hybrid) mana.
This is pretty cool. I like that he has a big butt so that he's more likely to live through combat (which also fits his flavour).
Nacatl Outrider got big. I like that W is giving RG the protection ability for RG's enemy, but at the same time it feels wrong to me that W is giving protection from it's friend and not the enemy it shares with green, or that it doesn't give pro both blue and black (though that wouldn't be common). I also feel that this is a bit unexciting for a card this is often supposed to draw you into drafting this colour combo.
Researcher makes sense for the colour combo. Initiate seems like a bit of a letdown, since presumably this is in a wedge set with WGB getting retrace as its mechanic, and having its (likely solitary) tricolour card be vanilla is pretty lame. A 3/4 Human (cleric, even) also seems very wrong without any flavour justification. Brawl seems like it will cause confusion; do you draw two cards off of both creatures dying, or just one? The wording leaves that ambiguous, and I'm not sure what your intention was nor do I know how it would actually work. It seems fine otherwise.
Heh, this is similar in concept to Megiddo's card; he also made a card that used white to give two other colours protection from their shared enemy, though it's amusing that in this case that enemy is white. I think it works slightly better here, as pro-white is more relevant, it comes down earlier, and has a very relevant ability in first strike, but I still think this type of card is a bit too narrow to be what is likely to be the sole tricolour common of this colour combo in the set.
The difficulty of getting a creature of a certain type in play is not worth the reward of being able to attack with your 1/4 lifelinker that you probably weren't attacking with anyways. I also have to question the idea of a set with common tricolour cards that care about creature types. Tribal is also not my favourite mechanic, especially when it lacks flavour.
I like this too; lifelink is not a huge upgrade to Giant Scorpion until you start factoring in GW's auras and pump spells. Horned Turtle with deathtouch might be a bit much for some colours to deal with, though.
Warcaller seems great; there's some good tension between playing it as a guy and holding it to really take advantage of the anthem. I'd shave the "must attack" clause though; it seems balanced without it and allows for some more decisions.
Biologist seems neat, though I would tweak it so you get some effect if you miss on creatures; maybe a +1/+1 counter?
Tiller seems cool and emblematic of GBW, though a little difficult to enable. I would maybe consider letting it get CMC 2 cards as well.
Spatial Weirder is also pretty slick use of the colour combo's mechanics.
Predator is the only card I'm pretty eh on; GB really doesn't do any bouncing, even on its own permanents, so this is basically just a mono-U card that's tough to cast. It also sucks that you have to bounce your own land if your opponent's completely untapped (which is often when you would want to cast a random guy).
Overall, almost all these cards are interesting and use cool areas of wedge design. I wish they weren't so strictly a cycle though; different P/Ts and evergreen abilities would help a lot in making each card feel unique. Having 5 2/3s at common will also make limited pretty awkward since they bounce off each other; even having them be 3/2s would make combat a lot more interesting.
I like 2-for-1s, but this is too easy. Tricolour cards should be good, but they shouldn't stymie limited aggro decks while also providing a reasonable body + a card against control. Playing against a player with multiple of these things would be a nightmare. It's a reasonable and well designed uncommon, but oppressive as a common.
The Venser ability + random discard? At common? No chance. This is also a two-for-one at base that will often time walk the opponent. Adding "random" to the discard does not make the card red. No IIW, either.
I liked the first card more, but the second challenge was better, so ...
NEXT CHALLENGE: Krakens, Leviathans, Octopuses, and Serpents.
Creature — Serpent {U}
Sturdy Serpent can't attack unless defending player gives you his or her telephone number.
"Seen one, seen them all."
—Kiora
5/5
IIW: Getting in her pants, politely.
i get why reversing the template and mentioning haste second makes some sense for blue, but a template should be consistent across colors and options should appear in the order they apply.
it would save a lot of space to just give them all haste. if you're playing these post combat then we know the haste wasn't used and the choice was made.
template:
Exampling 1
Creature - ?
Haste
Abilityword - When Exampling enters the battlefield, if it's your postcombat main phase, [effect].
?/?
this ability's difficult to design with since it seems the reward effect for waiting must be fairly conservative else the haste route be disproportionately ignored. how much is haste worth? how much does that value vary from body to body?
Creature - Serpent Shaman (U)
T: Add GGG to your mana pool. Activate this ability only if you have three or more mana in your mana pool.
1/1
Bluescale Naga U
Creature - Serpent Shaman (U)
T: Draw two cards. Activate this ability only if you've drawn at least three cards this turn.
1/1
IIW: exotic humanoid races // pie shifting
Creature - Octopus (U)
Whenever Lorthos's Hatchling attacks, choose target permanent you control and target permanent you don't control. Tap those permanents. They don't untap during their controllers' next untap step.
Baby octopi may have as many arms as their parents, but they're a lot less cognizant of where they're pointing them.
2/2
Fun fact: Based on modern anatomical conventions, octopi don't have tentacles, they have arms. The more you know!
IIW: Mustelid tribal
Draft my cube! (630 cards)
Wait, what?
Put a 5/5 onto the battlefield for *each* creature unless they pay 2 for each creature? So, if 2 creatures attack you, they have to pay 8 to ensure no Krakens? o.O
Draft my cube! (630 cards)
You mean Snake.
I̟̥͍̠ͅn̩͉̣͍̬͚ͅ ̬̬͖t̯̹̞̺͖͓̯̤h̘͍̬e͙̯͈̖̼̮ ̭̬f̺̲̲̪i͙͉̟̩̰r̪̝͚͈̝̥͍̝̲s̼̻͇̘̳͔ͅt̲̺̳̗̜̪̙ ̳̺̥̻͚̗ͅm̜̜̟̰͈͓͎͇o̝̖̮̝͇m̯̻̞̼̫̗͓̤e̩̯̬̮̩n͎̱̪̲̹͖t͇̖s̰̮ͅ,̤̲͙̻̭̻̯̹̰ ̖t̫̙̺̯͖͚̯ͅh͙̯̦̳̗̰̟e͖̪͉̼̯ ̪͕g̞̣͔a̗̦t̬̬͓͙̫̖̭̻e̩̻̯ ̜̖̦̖̤̭͙̬t̞̹̥̪͎͉ͅo͕͚͍͇̲͇͓̺ ̭̬͙͈̣̻t͈͍͙͓̫̖͙̩h̪̬̖̙e̗͈ ̗̬̟̞̺̤͉̯ͅa̦̯͚̙̜̮f͉͙̲̣̞̼t̪̤̞̣͚e̲͉̳̥r͇̪̙͚͓l̥̞̞͎̹̯̹ͅi͓̬f̮̥̬̞͈ͅe͎ ̟̩̤̳̠̯̩̯o̮̘̲p̟͚̣̞͉͓e͍̩̣n͔̼͕͚̜e̬̱d̼̘͎̖̹͍̮̠,͖̺̭̱̮ ̣̲͖̬̪̭̥a̪͚n̟̲̝̤̤̞̗d̘̱̗͇̮͕̳͕͔ ͖̞͉͎t̹̙͎h̰̱͉̗e̪̞̱̝̹̩ͅ ̠̱̩̭̦p̯̙e͓o̳͚̰̯̺̱̰͔̘p̬͎̱̣̼̩͇l̗̟̖͚̠e̱͉͔̱̦̬̟̙ ̖͚̪͔̼̦w̺̖̤̱e͖̗̻̦͓̖̘̜r̭̥e͔̹̫̱͕̦̰͕ ̗͔̠p̠̗͍͍̱̳̠r̰͔͎̰o͉̥͓̰͚̥s̟͚̹̱͔̣t͉̙̳̖͖̪̮r̥̘̥͙̹a͉̟̫̟̳̠̟̭t͈̜̰͈͎e̞̣̭̲̬ ͚̗̯̟͙i͍͖̰̘̦͖͉ṇ̮̻̯̦̲̩͍ ̦̮͚̫̤t͉͖̫͕ͅͅh͙̮̻̘̣̮̼e͕̺ ͙l͕̠͎̰̥i̲͓͉̲g̫̳̟͈͇̖h̠̦̖t͓̯͎̗ ̳̪̘̟̙̩̦o̫̲f̙͔̰̙̠ ̹̪̗͇̯t͖̼̼͉͖̬h̹͇̩e͚̖̺̤͉̹͕̪ ͚͓̭̝̺G͎̗̯̩o̫̯̮̟̮̳̘d̜̲͙̠-̩̳̯̲̗̜P̹̘̥͉̝h͍͈̗̖̝ͅa͍̗̮̼̗r̜̖͇̙̺a̭̺͔̞̳͈o̪̣͓̯̬͙̯̰̗h̖̦͈̥̯͔.͇̣̙̝
Cobra, retreat! Retreat!
Draft my cube! (630 cards)
Creature - Octopus {R}
When ~ enters the battlefield or attacks, you may have it fight any number of creatures.
If a creature dealt damage by ~ would die, put it on top of its owner's library instead.
6/6
IIW: exotic humanoid races // pie shifting
Try "Whenever ~ enters the battlefield or attacks, return all other tapped creatures to their owners' hands, then tap all other creatures."
Also this card is obscene and makes Frost Titan look like a joke.