Add Suggestions:
-No Swarmyard in an Insect Tribal deck makes me a sad man.
-Brass Herald. Calling all bugs!
-Infested Roothold. Most players will be playing artifacts to make this worthwhile, maybe. Maybe.
-Alpha Status, though not a great option without Hexproof guys. Pennon Blade if you're going to have token swarms going on may be the more reliable option. Either option can help you beef up the Commander and fly for the throat of another player.
-Thriss, Nantuko Primus. Helps you fall back on the "make something real big" strategy.
-I don't like one-time use card draw like Altar's Reap. Honestly I'd substitute it for something repeatable like Carnage Altar.
- On a budget I'm a fan of the Diamonds, like Moss Diamond, as the second to the Signets. Also why not Gruul Signet?
Cut Suggestions:
-Mortician Beetle. Stuff that only exists to be a big dork I don't find to be worth it.
-Giant Solifuge. The Shroud helps, but... at the end of the day thanks to that Shroud it's really just a 4/1 bug which isn't a huge benefit in Commander. Especially since the deck seems to want to make swarms and then eat them.
-You have a lot of spot removal, and a lot of artifact and enchantment removal as well. I think you can afford to lose some of it. Maybe consider splashing in a board wipe like Black Sun's Zenith? It's close to your budget range.
Big Sea Creatures:
-Our boy Benthicore is an Elemental, but visually fits right in. Brine Elemental and Tidal Force also fit visually.
-Draining Whelk is an Illusion, but also visually fits in with the fishes, and can do some good in format. Jace's Mindseeker can also be fun and is a Fish Illusion.
-Fleet Swallower can swallow decks. Is big fish. Isleback Spawn can also be fun with him.
-Keiga, the Tide Star is a big dragon, but it's a big sea dragon, so, it could fit!
Not Big Creatures:
-Chasm Skulker makes Squids when you draw cards. Seems pretty fun. Not very synergistic with all the mass bounce though.
-Reef Worm, because there is always a bigger fish.
Cards I Would Cut:
-The non-Sea Monster creatures. As a Vorthos, I see this as the Kiora deck, and Kiora would not summon Verdant Sun's Avatar or Artisan of Kozilek.
-Guard Gomazoa seems meh to me.
-I'm not sold on the idea that 1 mana card draw is worth it in Commander, like Brainstorm or Ponder. If you don't get it first turn it rarely seems worthwhile in the long run. I feel early terms are better spent on ramp, especially artifacts like Sky Diamond and Moss Diamond that aren't being considered yet. If you like the Scry-ness of those cards, and your meta isn't just loaded with board wipes, I'd suggest repeatable and cheap options like Thassa, God of the Sea or the Scryfish himself Sigiled Starfish. Seer's Lantern doubles as mana ramp!
Cards I Would Not Cut:
-Kiora. She's THE Sea Monster Planeswalker! Come one man! She's not the Commander but this is her deck!
-Honestly, I would personally keep things like Elemental Bond over the one mana card draw, going back to my previous thoughts. The Bond in general seems like a safe deal to me, Enchantment removal seems pretty scarce in most Commander metas.
-Mass Bounce. Keep in mind that my local meta is overrun by mass removal. Basically someone wipes the board every other turn after turn 5. Come to think of it that kind of defines a lot of my suggestions, huh? Anyway I'd keep what you have. With more artifact and land ramp bouncing your own stuff won't set you back too bad, and lets you reuse your Coiling Oracle and the like. I'd actually, on that thought, run more etb ramp dudes too, over guys like Sakura Tribe Elder, to capitalize on this. Ondu Giant and Wild Wanderer come to mind. Yavimaya Granger too, but that echo cost is... eh...
Your new version of Ad Hominem seems more fair I'd say, it does limit how much you want to use it without additional preparation.
Cranial Trauma - I like it, as an example of red getting random discard, but in truth it should be red/black like Blightning as is... I don't think red has a lot of precedent for the getting straight discard, even if it is random, without also giving a draw (i.e. no straight card disadvantage, just messing with your opponent's resources). In that case it should really be more like Burning Inquiry, and be something like "Deals 4 damage to target player. That player draws a card, then discards a card at random" for 3 CMC.
Frivolous Musings - This is a better example of how red could get discard. Everything they have to pitch they get a replacement for, but it messes with their hand and is therefore still disruptive but in a very red way. I'd say 3 CMC would be fine for a Burning Inquiry that you can target specifically. I could see it for RR at uncommon though.
Bloodspark Elemental - I really like the design a lot, but then again I was always a fan of Hellspark Elemental. Even without Unearth, by comparison it still may be a bit much at common is my only thought.
Divining Ashes - I'm with Hackworth on this one, just a cool idea for red!
Skittering Magmids - I may not be the best judge of this one because I have never liked or really understood the appeal of Dryad Arbor, so also here I have trouble with knowing what kind of red aggro deck is willing to lose their land drop for a 2/1 that dies at end of turn? In the late game I suppose its better than a normal Mountain drop...
Imagna - Certainly interesting, and almost always game-wrecking! In a burn deck he's a constant board wiper, leaving only himself behind for 3 extra damage a turn! You do have to build around him though. Very powerful, but I like the idea overall.
My only prevalent "headcanon" is that Garruk is indeed from Shandalar. I don't know why it matters, but its convenient, so, yeah. Garruk is Shandalarian because reasons.
Also, officially, in my headcanon Chandra does love ice cream, but her favorite flavor is constantly changing. One week she loves strawberry, the next, if you bring her strawberry, she melts it and your face in anger and swears that she'll only eat mint chocolate chip.
Desertification didn't affect swamps or Islands, because - well I couldn't imagine them becoming deserts. . .
It can, and does, happen, actually. Places like the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah used to be a lake a long time ago. The basic gist is, as a climate changes gradually over time, a place like this will start to receive less precipitation, but will keep losing water through evaporation. Eventually, all the water is gone and all that remains are the minerals like salt. Granted, this takes an incredibly long amount of time, but this is the work of Magic so it should be fine. Also, the Bonneville Salt Flats are a pretty cool place in general, tragically located in a decidedly un-cool place like Utah
Getting back on topic, I like most of the cards here. Terraform is great and could/should totally be a real card, especially with cards like Blood Moon already existing in red. Desertification is cool too, and as has been mentioned many times already, can lose the non-Island/Swamp line. Part of me thinks that it should instead read something like "Whenever enchanted land is tapped to produce mana, it produces 1 instead", but that's also kind of a different card since it doesn't slow their mana production, it just changes how useful it is.
Insect Nest asks an interesting question: is giving the target a 1/1 bug enough to bring Stone Rain back? I'm inclined to say... yes. Probably.
The costing seems fine on these actually, and Aggro Guide is actually nice and aggressively costed for one of your own creatures! I could see the Bestow on it cost 3, because a pseudo-Furor of the Bitten that gives you a Tattermunge Maniac when the creature its on dies is good. In fact, I'll go ahead and say this actually isn't really drawback bestow at all, it'd actually be legitimately good in Red Heroic! Even so, I could see this pushed at its current bestow cost if it was uncommon.
And with that tie to Tattermunge Maniac, if these were for a non-Theros plane, I'd vote to make him a Spirit Goblin! Maniac Spirit! And finally, for an original contribution, I think this works, probably:
Dreamgrip Phantom U
Enchantment Creature - Illusion
Bestow 2UU
Whenever ~ becomes the target of a spell or ability, sacrifice it.
Enchanted creature gets +2/+2 and "whenever this creature becomes the target of a spell or ability, sacrifice it".
2/2
And Hasbro has a new pony coming out called Prince Blood-Bucket, who stands in for the Phyrexians?
I would watch this, and then immediately regret that I did.
In all seriousness though, I would not be at all surprised if it turned out some of MLP's writers are Magic fans. They seem like a pretty geeky bunch as a whole.
...not that I know anything about My Little Pony or the creative minds behind it. I've just heard things... from, like, the internet and places. Phew, that should cover me.
I kinda hope it isn't just "Mongolian World!" too, taking inspiration from there, like how Ravnica took inspiration from Eastern Europe, is all well and good, but two top-down sets in a row is a stretch. Let's see somewhere new and unique!
Granted, a pair of possible set names doesn't really tell us about what kind of world it'll be aside from having Warlords and Khans. So I'll reserve judgement until we know more. Cool development regardless though!
The green guy's emblem was probably fine as it was, but I like the other changes to him!
Also, it's just my minor OCD speaking, but could the white emblem make two 1/1 soldiers instead of one 2/2? Seeing something make Soldier tokens that aren't 1/1s is freakin' me out! Admittedly, it does make him better, but that could be offset by... something. OH! Or, it could make 2/2 white Cats, and this could be a 1 CMC Ajani! Like, Ajani, Arbiter of Peace!
Feel free to ignore that last part though, I'm admittedly biased towards Ajani.
I don't think it'd make it too powerful, but I could also see it costing -7 to get. That would be fine. If you did that, you could compare him to Venser, the Sojourner in terms of power, and Venser takes three turns of pumping to get his emblem at a total CMC of 5, too. Overall though, I like him!
I really dig the mechanic, it looks like it'll be a blast in limited! I agree with iphanx, Mantle of Destiny should cost 2W to stay common. Compare to Unflinching Courage, which is uncommon for 3 CMC and in two colors. This only sometimes gives +2/+2 though, and doesn't give trample, so it should be okay at 3 CMC in one color. Though I could see you push it at 1W at uncommon...
I'd say the black one is fine as it is, it's just made for a specific niche. I would argue the green one isn't very good... the emblem is fine, but playing it on turn one, you basically just build up to the emblem by giving your opponent (or ally, in team games) a trivial upside. Which is fine, but I'd consider just improving the -1 on him. I think it'd be fine in terms of power to just give the next creature you cast before your next turn flash, without upping that creature's cost. Or, if you pay extra, make it so it has flash and can't be countered or comes in with a +1/+1 counter or something as well.
The 'walker can be pretty pushed in terms of power then, but still, I think you could get away with pushing her + ability a bit more. Maybe something like... "Choose one - Put a Snow counter on target permanent and untap it, or remove a Snow counter from target permanent and tap it. Permanents with Snow counters are Snow permanents in addition to their other types." It's a bit wordy, but that way in limited she's still useful outside of a dedicated snow strategy.
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-No Swarmyard in an Insect Tribal deck makes me a sad man.
-Brass Herald. Calling all bugs!
-Infested Roothold. Most players will be playing artifacts to make this worthwhile, maybe. Maybe.
-Alpha Status, though not a great option without Hexproof guys. Pennon Blade if you're going to have token swarms going on may be the more reliable option. Either option can help you beef up the Commander and fly for the throat of another player.
-Thriss, Nantuko Primus. Helps you fall back on the "make something real big" strategy.
-I don't like one-time use card draw like Altar's Reap. Honestly I'd substitute it for something repeatable like Carnage Altar.
- On a budget I'm a fan of the Diamonds, like Moss Diamond, as the second to the Signets. Also why not Gruul Signet?
Cut Suggestions:
-Mortician Beetle. Stuff that only exists to be a big dork I don't find to be worth it.
-Giant Solifuge. The Shroud helps, but... at the end of the day thanks to that Shroud it's really just a 4/1 bug which isn't a huge benefit in Commander. Especially since the deck seems to want to make swarms and then eat them.
-You have a lot of spot removal, and a lot of artifact and enchantment removal as well. I think you can afford to lose some of it. Maybe consider splashing in a board wipe like Black Sun's Zenith? It's close to your budget range.
Big Sea Creatures:
-Our boy Benthicore is an Elemental, but visually fits right in. Brine Elemental and Tidal Force also fit visually.
-Draining Whelk is an Illusion, but also visually fits in with the fishes, and can do some good in format. Jace's Mindseeker can also be fun and is a Fish Illusion.
-Fleet Swallower can swallow decks. Is big fish. Isleback Spawn can also be fun with him.
-Keiga, the Tide Star is a big dragon, but it's a big sea dragon, so, it could fit!
Not Big Creatures:
-Chasm Skulker makes Squids when you draw cards. Seems pretty fun. Not very synergistic with all the mass bounce though.
-Reef Worm, because there is always a bigger fish.
Ramp Stuff:
-Bounty of the Luxa. Flooding is good. Enchantments have more staying power than creatures.
-Kiora, Master of the Depths, because why not both Kioras?
Cards I Would Cut:
-The non-Sea Monster creatures. As a Vorthos, I see this as the Kiora deck, and Kiora would not summon Verdant Sun's Avatar or Artisan of Kozilek.
-Guard Gomazoa seems meh to me.
-I'm not sold on the idea that 1 mana card draw is worth it in Commander, like Brainstorm or Ponder. If you don't get it first turn it rarely seems worthwhile in the long run. I feel early terms are better spent on ramp, especially artifacts like Sky Diamond and Moss Diamond that aren't being considered yet. If you like the Scry-ness of those cards, and your meta isn't just loaded with board wipes, I'd suggest repeatable and cheap options like Thassa, God of the Sea or the Scryfish himself Sigiled Starfish. Seer's Lantern doubles as mana ramp!
Cards I Would Not Cut:
-Kiora. She's THE Sea Monster Planeswalker! Come one man! She's not the Commander but this is her deck!
-Honestly, I would personally keep things like Elemental Bond over the one mana card draw, going back to my previous thoughts. The Bond in general seems like a safe deal to me, Enchantment removal seems pretty scarce in most Commander metas.
-Mass Bounce. Keep in mind that my local meta is overrun by mass removal. Basically someone wipes the board every other turn after turn 5. Come to think of it that kind of defines a lot of my suggestions, huh?
Cranial Trauma - I like it, as an example of red getting random discard, but in truth it should be red/black like Blightning as is... I don't think red has a lot of precedent for the getting straight discard, even if it is random, without also giving a draw (i.e. no straight card disadvantage, just messing with your opponent's resources). In that case it should really be more like Burning Inquiry, and be something like "Deals 4 damage to target player. That player draws a card, then discards a card at random" for 3 CMC.
Frivolous Musings - This is a better example of how red could get discard. Everything they have to pitch they get a replacement for, but it messes with their hand and is therefore still disruptive but in a very red way. I'd say 3 CMC would be fine for a Burning Inquiry that you can target specifically. I could see it for RR at uncommon though.
Divining Ashes - I'm with Hackworth on this one, just a cool idea for red!
Skittering Magmids - I may not be the best judge of this one because I have never liked or really understood the appeal of Dryad Arbor, so also here I have trouble with knowing what kind of red aggro deck is willing to lose their land drop for a 2/1 that dies at end of turn? In the late game I suppose its better than a normal Mountain drop...
Imagna - Certainly interesting, and almost always game-wrecking! In a burn deck he's a constant board wiper, leaving only himself behind for 3 extra damage a turn! You do have to build around him though. Very powerful, but I like the idea overall.
Also, officially, in my headcanon Chandra does love ice cream, but her favorite flavor is constantly changing. One week she loves strawberry, the next, if you bring her strawberry, she melts it and your face in anger and swears that she'll only eat mint chocolate chip.
It can, and does, happen, actually. Places like the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah used to be a lake a long time ago. The basic gist is, as a climate changes gradually over time, a place like this will start to receive less precipitation, but will keep losing water through evaporation. Eventually, all the water is gone and all that remains are the minerals like salt. Granted, this takes an incredibly long amount of time, but this is the work of Magic so it should be fine. Also, the Bonneville Salt Flats are a pretty cool place in general, tragically located in a decidedly un-cool place like Utah
Getting back on topic, I like most of the cards here. Terraform is great and could/should totally be a real card, especially with cards like Blood Moon already existing in red. Desertification is cool too, and as has been mentioned many times already, can lose the non-Island/Swamp line. Part of me thinks that it should instead read something like "Whenever enchanted land is tapped to produce mana, it produces 1 instead", but that's also kind of a different card since it doesn't slow their mana production, it just changes how useful it is.
Insect Nest asks an interesting question: is giving the target a 1/1 bug enough to bring Stone Rain back? I'm inclined to say... yes. Probably.
And with that tie to Tattermunge Maniac, if these were for a non-Theros plane, I'd vote to make him a Spirit Goblin! Maniac Spirit! And finally, for an original contribution, I think this works, probably:
Dreamgrip Phantom
U
Enchantment Creature - Illusion
Bestow 2UU
Whenever ~ becomes the target of a spell or ability, sacrifice it.
Enchanted creature gets +2/+2 and "whenever this creature becomes the target of a spell or ability, sacrifice it".
2/2
I would watch this, and then immediately regret that I did.
In all seriousness though, I would not be at all surprised if it turned out some of MLP's writers are Magic fans. They seem like a pretty geeky bunch as a whole.
...not that I know anything about My Little Pony or the creative minds behind it. I've just heard things... from, like, the internet and places. Phew, that should cover me.
Granted, a pair of possible set names doesn't really tell us about what kind of world it'll be aside from having Warlords and Khans. So I'll reserve judgement until we know more. Cool development regardless though!
Also, it's just my minor OCD speaking, but could the white emblem make two 1/1 soldiers instead of one 2/2? Seeing something make Soldier tokens that aren't 1/1s is freakin' me out! Admittedly, it does make him better, but that could be offset by... something. OH! Or, it could make 2/2 white Cats, and this could be a 1 CMC Ajani! Like, Ajani, Arbiter of Peace!
Feel free to ignore that last part though, I'm admittedly biased towards Ajani.