Vengeful BansheeRR
Creature - Spirit (U)
Whenever Vengeful Banshee is dealt damage, it deals that much damage to target player. Not all geists are friendly or mischievous.
2/2
The longer I thought about this card, the more I liked it. We've seen this ability before on Mogg Maniac, but this a better fit for a Spirit than a Goblin, and making it a 2/2 adds more strategy to both chump-blocking and chump-attacking, as well as synergies with Red's "X damage to all creatures" cards. That's pretty impressive for a card with one line of rules text. The only places this card falls flat for me is on flavor text, everything else is great. Well done.
Sharer of Luxuries1W
Creature - Vampire (Rare)
Whenever an opponent gains life, you gain that much life. 3W: Each player gains 2 life. "I'm not like my savage brothers. Delicates are meant to be shared."
0/4
A nice subversion of Sanguine Bond-type effects, and a White Vampire is the perfect place to put such ability.
That being said, even as a control player I don't like the dragged-out games this could lead to. This ability doesn't give card advantage or affect the board state, so it does nothing but drag the game out, but since you gain more life than your opponents, you're almost obligated to put all of your excess mana into it (strategic corner-cases aside). I'd also like this a lot more as a 1/3, as it would be easier to deal with/attack through, and a 0-power Vampire feels weird (where's he getting the blood to drink if he can't deal damage?), but the ability is the main issue here.
Further notes:
If two different players control one of these, one activation creates an infinite loop--a big no-no.
I think you mean "delicacies" rather than "delicates" in the flavor text. Didn't affect my critique, but it really changes the impact of the quote, so be careful in the future.
HeartwarmerR
Creature – Spirit (R)
Prowess
Whenever a Mountain is tapped for mana, its controller may add R to his or her mana pool (in addition to the mana the land produces). It's said that if you stare at cooling embers long enough, you'll see what could have been.
0/2
While mana acceleration is a Red ability, unless I'm missing something it hasn't existed as anything but one-shot effects in a long time. This would have been more appropriate as a Sacrifice: Until EOT ability, but as is it's too powerful and a color pie bend (though certainly not a break). An ability like this is a good fit for a Red spirit, but more care needed to be taken with the ability.
Breathless GeistBB
Creature - Spirit {U}
Flying
Whenever Breathless Geist deals combat damage to a player, you may sacrifice it. If you do, destroy target non-Spirit creature that player controls.
2/1
Very nice. An ability that's been done before, but fitting for a Black Spirit, and I like that it can't kill other Spirits because it's hunting for something that breathes. Not a mind-blowing card, but certainly a solid design.
Brainmold2G
Creature - Fungus Zombie (R)
Deathtouch
Whenever a creature dealt damage by Brainmold this turn dies, exile that creature. If you do, create a token that’s a copy of Brainmold.
2/2
An interesting design that, unfortunately, just doesn't seem fun. Either your opponent has enough evasive creatures that this doesn't live up to its cost, or an Uber-blocker that doesn't lead to interesting gameplay, because the decision is always "block the biggest thing you can every combat". And it's not limited to combat damage, so it turns every fight card into a Murder. I could be overblowing the negatives, and I like the exploration of Permeating Mass-esque design space, but there are a few too many problems here for me.
Living Expanse2G
Creature - Spirit (R)
Living Expanse's power and toughness are each equal to the number of forests you control.
Whenever you play a forest land, if it's the first land you've played this turn, you may play an additional land this turn.
*/*
As written, this seems bonkers in a mono-Green deck and unplayable in anything else. Which is fine, we've seen it before (Khalni Hydra, Primalcrux), but then why 2G? This card isn't really subtle about its love for Green mana, so I don't think there's any sense in playing coy with the mana cost. If one ability worked well with Forests and the other worked well with non-Forests, I think 2G could be interesting, but as written just own it and go GGG. This is a decent design, but not quite as good at it thinks it is.
picnic_bomber - A green zombie isn't an intuitive thing to justify the flavor of but I think this works ok.
Raptorchan - The flavor here works better because its a treefolk. I like the idea of stealing +1/+1 counters. Doesn't really feel like a zombie though.
CaseAce - Pretty cool idea. Something you have to work for, but pays off nicely.
Koopa - It's sort of a lesser Boros Reckoner. I like the idea, though it may be best as RW.
netn10 - That's a great way to make a white vampire. I love the first ability and how it makes the 2nd ability even better than it appears.
Sub_Silentio - Cool ability but it's OP for 1 mana given Gauntlet of Might.
BrainPo - Good stuff. The front end of this is top end aggro. Probably too good. The flip side is good. Probably just right. There was a time when this would have been considered too radical for Magic. I think WotC will do this in the not-too-distant future. I set I like it.
picnic_bomber - Decent but I'm not convinced this is rare material. And I think it should be a Plant Zombie.
Raptorchan - It's rather situational but could occasionally be contextually relevant (in limited). Trample and/or a built in Lure or Provoke is all but needed here.
CaseAce - Great flavor. Seems like it could get out of hand in Limited. Not to say that would be a bad thing.
Koopa - Nice flavor housing a familiar effect.
netn10 - Novel. Good in 1v1 and great in multiplayer. A valuable quality.
Mirrodin 71: Nice design. I'm a fan of mass pump effects like this one, I feel they are generally very umderplayed. I also feel the flavor design is very complete, The effect is so general that a good design flavorwise was practically mandatory. That said, I do feel that it's either very cheap or very powerful, even if it didn't have first strike. Bigger mass pump effects tend to have double colored cost, I wouldn't like this being splashed n a GR werewolf deck so easily. All around a nice design, yet a bit puahed.
Sheodred: I really like this one. You took an abundant resource of the color and turned into upside. This would be great with pyrohemia and also neat as a combat trick as an alternative way to use your damage-based removal. I like the cost not being that heavy in color, so it can become a very good pick in a damage heavy draft enviroment. All around, a fun card.
Legend: A nice twist on vampires and very fit for blue. The name makes you think that he uses your mind against yourself. Flavor aside, I fear that this is not very reliable in dealing big ammounts of damage, althought I would pick it quite gladly when drafting,
BrainPo: Very poweful indeed, a 3/3 flier with a small drawback that keeps eating the life of your opponent away is rather pushed. I think that's a bit too much to have for only two mana. Flavorwise, I rhink it is very solid but making spirits, that quite lack somerhing distinctive as a tribe, was not an exciting choice for this challenge
Picnic bomber: In one hand, I really, really like it: This is a very nice ability to have in green and the easy and repeatable recursion cost allows for it to be used to do some fun comboing. It's simple and versatile. On the other hand, I do feel a bit underwhelmed by the presentation: The name doesn't clerly hint zombieness and the lack of flavor tect doesn't help. When I look at it I think more on a really obnoxious and nasty weed that keeps coming back and messing woth your garden That said, I know that sometimes we picture the cards in our head and we see it very clearly (Just happened to me in the Club Flamingo thread), but later you realize that it wasn't that clear for the rest..
Raptorchan: I like the idea of getting this zombie tree sucking strength out of foes with its filthy roots. That said, I think it gives a feeling of a vampire more than a treefolk
This guy has a good set of stats and its ability is a bit situational, but this wouldn't be printed if there were not a +1/+1 counters theme around somewhere
I really enjoyed these designs and coming with a top three was not that easy.
1. Sheodred
2. Legend
3. Picnic bomber
BTW, I apologize for the typos. Sitting on the computer to do things nicely is a luxury I rarely can afford nowadays!
Jimmy Groove: I like the effect of the card. The flavor text, less so. The idea there is good but It drones a little with the repetitive sentence structure/wording. This would feel better as a 1/1 and I don't think it would break anything.
Hemlock: This is a really interesting ww card that has a cool flavor concept. I think the flip side is too pushed, especially the value of untapping with first strike, but the overall idea is strong.
mirrodin71: This is a little dull, and the tribal typing isn't very interesting here. Not sure it has relevant interactions.
SheoldredThis is a little odd triggering off only things you control. The value for the effort invovled seems pretty low, though im sure johnny would play with some obscure casual combo that wouldn't impact that game much. The flavor is there, the mechanics feel a little two narrow for how much value.
Legend: This is really cool and clean, and the flavor to mechanical interaction is golden. It feels a little odd that this can't hurt creatures, but none the less I think it's passable here for how solid the card would play.
BrainPo: this is a pretty cool idea. It plays on the classic undercosted black with draw back in a feasible design space that matters a lot to an aggro deck that plays it. All the while it has late game applications to help end the game. I do think it creature side is quite strong, might warrant double black, but i'd want to test it.
Living Expanse2G
Creature - Spirit (R)
Living Expanse's power and toughness are each equal to the number of forests you control.
Whenever you play a forest land, if it's the first land you've played this turn, you may play an additional land this turn.
*/*
Dungrove Elder eat your heart out? I'd prefer if this wasn't limited to just Forests but I get the flavor. Solid.
Brainmold2G
Creature - Fungus Zombie (R)
Deathtouch
Whenever a creature dealt damage by Brainmold this turn dies, exile that creature. If you do, create a token that’s a copy of Brainmold.
2/2
Spawnwrithe-variants have always been a fan of mine. I dislike how this doesn't do it on it's own and has a tough time really snowballing, unlike Spawnwrithe, where all you need to do is connect.
Breathless GeistBB
Creature - Spirit {U}
Flying
Whenever Breathless Geist deals combat damage to a player, you may sacrifice it. If you do, destroy target non-Spirit creature that player controls.
2/1
I like how the card functions mechanically, even if it is similar to other Blind Zealot-like cards.
HeartwarmerR
Creature – Spirit (R)
Prowess
Whenever a Mountain is tapped for mana, its controller may add R to his or her mana pool (in addition to the mana the land produces). It's said that if you stare at cooling embers long enough, you'll see what could have been.
0/2
This card is BUSTED. Untapping with this on turn 2 alone in a monored deck is completely nuts.
Sharer of Luxuries1W
Creature - Vampire (Rare)
Whenever an opponent gains life, you gain that much life. 3W: Each player gains 2 life. "I'm not like my savage brothers. Delicates are meant to be shared."
0/4
This card seems silly in multiplayer but I love it. Very nice card mechanically and nice job with the flavor.
Body-Seeker GeistB
Creature - Spirit (C)
Whenever a nontoken creature dies, exile it and sacrifice Body-Seeker Geist. If you do, create a 2/2 black Zombie creature token. Powerful spirits take over the bodies of the living so they can experience the warmth of flesh again. Less powerful spirits make do with the lingering warmth of the recently living.
0/2
Flavor is great but the card is quite weak. A one mana 2/2 that requires a significant hoop doesn't seems all that playable, even in limited.
A nice twist on the vampire, done in a way that feels very blue. My problem with it is that it seems too random.
A cool use of tranform, with one mode useful in the early game and the other in the late game. I am just unsure that the same deck that wants an aggressive two drop also wants a grindy four mana enchantment.
Fun allusion to both gravecrawler and strangleroot geist. However, land sac does not lead to great gameplay.
This reminds me of those vampire trees in Australia. The issue with it is that it depends on the opponents deck to work, yet isn't a terribly effective hoser. Also it seems more BG than G.
A novel interpretation of both the type spirit and the word. The abilities complement each other well, but it feels more rare than uncommon(see Emperor's Vanguard).
The lowest costed spitemare yet. The mechanic fits the flavor well, but it doesn't feel particularly original
BGStandard Green AggroGB
UWRGModern Saheeli CobraGRWU
UBRGLegacy StormGRBU
Wizards Certified Rules Advisor
The longer I thought about this card, the more I liked it. We've seen this ability before on Mogg Maniac, but this a better fit for a Spirit than a Goblin, and making it a 2/2 adds more strategy to both chump-blocking and chump-attacking, as well as synergies with Red's "X damage to all creatures" cards. That's pretty impressive for a card with one line of rules text. The only places this card falls flat for me is on flavor text, everything else is great. Well done.
A nice subversion of Sanguine Bond-type effects, and a White Vampire is the perfect place to put such ability.
That being said, even as a control player I don't like the dragged-out games this could lead to. This ability doesn't give card advantage or affect the board state, so it does nothing but drag the game out, but since you gain more life than your opponents, you're almost obligated to put all of your excess mana into it (strategic corner-cases aside). I'd also like this a lot more as a 1/3, as it would be easier to deal with/attack through, and a 0-power Vampire feels weird (where's he getting the blood to drink if he can't deal damage?), but the ability is the main issue here.
Further notes:
If two different players control one of these, one activation creates an infinite loop--a big no-no.
I think you mean "delicacies" rather than "delicates" in the flavor text. Didn't affect my critique, but it really changes the impact of the quote, so be careful in the future.
While mana acceleration is a Red ability, unless I'm missing something it hasn't existed as anything but one-shot effects in a long time. This would have been more appropriate as a Sacrifice: Until EOT ability, but as is it's too powerful and a color pie bend (though certainly not a break). An ability like this is a good fit for a Red spirit, but more care needed to be taken with the ability.
Very nice. An ability that's been done before, but fitting for a Black Spirit, and I like that it can't kill other Spirits because it's hunting for something that breathes. Not a mind-blowing card, but certainly a solid design.
An interesting design that, unfortunately, just doesn't seem fun. Either your opponent has enough evasive creatures that this doesn't live up to its cost, or an Uber-blocker that doesn't lead to interesting gameplay, because the decision is always "block the biggest thing you can every combat". And it's not limited to combat damage, so it turns every fight card into a Murder. I could be overblowing the negatives, and I like the exploration of Permeating Mass-esque design space, but there are a few too many problems here for me.
As written, this seems bonkers in a mono-Green deck and unplayable in anything else. Which is fine, we've seen it before (Khalni Hydra, Primalcrux), but then why 2G? This card isn't really subtle about its love for Green mana, so I don't think there's any sense in playing coy with the mana cost. If one ability worked well with Forests and the other worked well with non-Forests, I think 2G could be interesting, but as written just own it and go GGG. This is a decent design, but not quite as good at it thinks it is.
1. Koopa
2. RaikouRider
3. IcariiFA
picnic_bomber - A green zombie isn't an intuitive thing to justify the flavor of but I think this works ok.
Raptorchan - The flavor here works better because its a treefolk. I like the idea of stealing +1/+1 counters. Doesn't really feel like a zombie though.
CaseAce - Pretty cool idea. Something you have to work for, but pays off nicely.
Koopa - It's sort of a lesser Boros Reckoner. I like the idea, though it may be best as RW.
netn10 - That's a great way to make a white vampire. I love the first ability and how it makes the 2nd ability even better than it appears.
Sub_Silentio - Cool ability but it's OP for 1 mana given Gauntlet of Might.
1. Netn10
2. CaseAce
3. Koopa
BrainPo - Good stuff. The front end of this is top end aggro. Probably too good. The flip side is good. Probably just right. There was a time when this would have been considered too radical for Magic. I think WotC will do this in the not-too-distant future. I set I like it.
picnic_bomber - Decent but I'm not convinced this is rare material. And I think it should be a Plant Zombie.
Raptorchan - It's rather situational but could occasionally be contextually relevant (in limited). Trample and/or a built in Lure or Provoke is all but needed here.
CaseAce - Great flavor. Seems like it could get out of hand in Limited. Not to say that would be a bad thing.
Koopa - Nice flavor housing a familiar effect.
netn10 - Novel. Good in 1v1 and great in multiplayer. A valuable quality.
1netn10
2CaseAce
3Brainpo
Sheodred: I really like this one. You took an abundant resource of the color and turned into upside. This would be great with pyrohemia and also neat as a combat trick as an alternative way to use your damage-based removal. I like the cost not being that heavy in color, so it can become a very good pick in a damage heavy draft enviroment. All around, a fun card.
Legend: A nice twist on vampires and very fit for blue. The name makes you think that he uses your mind against yourself. Flavor aside, I fear that this is not very reliable in dealing big ammounts of damage, althought I would pick it quite gladly when drafting,
BrainPo: Very poweful indeed, a 3/3 flier with a small drawback that keeps eating the life of your opponent away is rather pushed. I think that's a bit too much to have for only two mana. Flavorwise, I rhink it is very solid but making spirits, that quite lack somerhing distinctive as a tribe, was not an exciting choice for this challenge
Picnic bomber: In one hand, I really, really like it: This is a very nice ability to have in green and the easy and repeatable recursion cost allows for it to be used to do some fun comboing. It's simple and versatile. On the other hand, I do feel a bit underwhelmed by the presentation: The name doesn't clerly hint zombieness and the lack of flavor tect doesn't help. When I look at it I think more on a really obnoxious and nasty weed that keeps coming back and messing woth your garden That said, I know that sometimes we picture the cards in our head and we see it very clearly (Just happened to me in the Club Flamingo thread), but later you realize that it wasn't that clear for the rest..
Raptorchan: I like the idea of getting this zombie tree sucking strength out of foes with its filthy roots. That said, I think it gives a feeling of a vampire more than a treefolk
This guy has a good set of stats and its ability is a bit situational, but this wouldn't be printed if there were not a +1/+1 counters theme around somewhere
1. Sheodred
2. Legend
3. Picnic bomber
BTW, I apologize for the typos. Sitting on the computer to do things nicely is a luxury I rarely can afford nowadays!
top three ?
Hemlock: This is a really interesting ww card that has a cool flavor concept. I think the flip side is too pushed, especially the value of untapping with first strike, but the overall idea is strong.
mirrodin71: This is a little dull, and the tribal typing isn't very interesting here. Not sure it has relevant interactions.
SheoldredThis is a little odd triggering off only things you control. The value for the effort invovled seems pretty low, though im sure johnny would play with some obscure casual combo that wouldn't impact that game much. The flavor is there, the mechanics feel a little two narrow for how much value.
Legend: This is really cool and clean, and the flavor to mechanical interaction is golden. It feels a little odd that this can't hurt creatures, but none the less I think it's passable here for how solid the card would play.
BrainPo: this is a pretty cool idea. It plays on the classic undercosted black with draw back in a feasible design space that matters a lot to an aggro deck that plays it. All the while it has late game applications to help end the game. I do think it creature side is quite strong, might warrant double black, but i'd want to test it.
2nd - Legend
3rd - Hemlock
Dungrove Elder eat your heart out? I'd prefer if this wasn't limited to just Forests but I get the flavor. Solid.
Spawnwrithe-variants have always been a fan of mine. I dislike how this doesn't do it on it's own and has a tough time really snowballing, unlike Spawnwrithe, where all you need to do is connect.
I like how the card functions mechanically, even if it is similar to other Blind Zealot-like cards.
This card is BUSTED. Untapping with this on turn 2 alone in a monored deck is completely nuts.
This card seems silly in multiplayer but I love it. Very nice card mechanically and nice job with the flavor.
Flavor is great but the card is quite weak. A one mana 2/2 that requires a significant hoop doesn't seems all that playable, even in limited.
1) netn10
2) IcariiFA
3) RaikouRider
BGStandard Green AggroGB
UWRGModern Saheeli CobraGRWU
UBRGLegacy StormGRBU
Wizards Certified Rules Advisor
1. BrainPo
2. CaseACe
3.Legend
WBGGhave Sisters
BUG Sidisi, Brood Tyrant Reanimator
BBBSheoldred, Whispering One Swamps-matter ramp
Standard
UR Drake
Pauper
GW Bogle