@ wildfire: noted about the changes. Although I've made up some unorthodox templating at times (intentionally) for easier understanding. After all, the Kami of the Ancient Realm idea was indeed inspired by Leyline of Singularity
@ spairy: The role of Elvish Trailblazer was to search for lands. What's more, it's repeatable until you get 5C. There's already too many ETB creatures nowadays... So as a 1/4 I think it's almost always gonna get in unscathed... lol But you just gave me the idea of adding block as well.
@ Korla: Thanks, having more than 2 years of design experience helps I guess. With regards to the rules, as mentioned it was intentional to make understanding easier; it's not as if I was unaware. However, let it be known that this is less of a norm. Only for the exceptional cases.
Nonbasic permanents, as wildfire ascribed, refers to lands which are not Basic plains, island, swamp, mountain. and forest. Because this is cube, it's very unlikely we'll get multiple Kessig Wolf Runs or Taigas.
The Kami is pretty flavorful in some sense. In the Ancient Realm, it gets to decide who lives or dies, because you know, it's the kami we're talking about lol.
Honestly the Trailblazer was fine as it was. I'm a huge fan of Avenging Druid, and he's a 1/3 and needs to connect to ramp you. Admittedly, he has other perks like being able to ramp you past one of each basic, fueling graveyard shenanigans, and hitting nonbasics, but you also don't get to choose which land you get.
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I love Sensei's Divining Top, but there's nothing I hate more than seeing 3 lands. This card isn't a replacement for SDT, it's just another version that I would love to cube with; if I playtested Crystal Ball and didn't completely hate it (it didn't last for long, but at least it wasn't gag-worthy) and SDT is incredibly powerful, I think this artifact falls right in the middle, power-wise.
Navigator's Spyglass 1
Artifact 1, T: Reveal the top 3 cards of your library. If you do not reveal a non-land card, you may shuffle your library. Otherwise, you may put those cards back in any order.
Sacrifice ~: Draw a card.
I'm on the fence as to whether or not it would make it into my 540 (leaning towards yes), simply because I don't know what I would cut--I'm eyeing up the red and white shrines, Coldsteel Heart, and Mind Stone. Likely, Mind Stone would get the cut because it is closest in function so the cut wouldn't necessarily impose by entirely removing it.
Divining Needle2
Artifact [R]
As Divining Needle enters the battlefield, name a card.
Activated abilities of sources with the chosen name can't be activated unless they're mana abilities. 1, T: Scry 1. (Look at the top card of your library. You may put that card on the bottom of your library.)
Divining Needle2
Artifact [R]
As Divining Needle enters the battlefield, name a card.
Activated abilities of sources with the chosen name can't be activated unless they're mana abilities. 1, T: Scry 1. (Look at the top card of your library. You may put that card on the bottom of your library.)
Didn't you post a Pithing Needle+ previously? I think your last version was a mana rock.
This version is interesting too, but it'd certainly be a lot stronger if it didn't have a mana cost attached to the ability.
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Divining Needle2
Artifact [R]
As Divining Needle enters the battlefield, name a card.
Activated abilities of sources with the chosen name can't be activated unless they're mana abilities. 1, T: Scry 1. (Look at the top card of your library. You may put that card on the bottom of your library.)
Didn't you post a Pithing Needle+ previously? I think your last version was a mana rock.
This version is interesting too, but it'd certainly be a lot stronger if it didn't have a mana cost attached to the ability.
In his defense, it did cost 2.
I like the mana rock version more, the psudo crystal ball seems a bit more narrow
I find it a lot easier to find one spare mana on occasion rather than 2-3 mana at a time. The impact is lower, but it will activate far more often. It's even hard to find one mana a lot of the time.
Another option would be to outfit it with charge counters, have the activation be free but eventually have the scry effect exhaust itself. Like 3 charge counters that scry 1 each time, or something like that.
I find it a lot easier to find one spare mana on occasion rather than 2-3 mana at a time. The impact is lower, but it will activate far more often. It's even hard to find one mana a lot of the time.
Another option would be to outfit it with charge counters, have the activation be free but eventually have the scry effect exhaust itself. Like 3 charge counters that scry 1 each time, or something like that.
Why not just have it scry 2-3 upon ETB, or sac to scry 2-3?
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Here's a simple one intended as a Trinket Mage target with a lot of crossover potential...
Tuned Compass1
Artifact
At the beginning of your upkeep, you may look at the top card of your library. If it's not a land, you may reveal it and put it into your graveyard. If you do, you lose 1 life. 4t, Sacrifice Tuned Compass: Reveal the top card of your library. You gain life equal to its CMC, then put it into your hand.
Nice and flavourful card! Instant 360 staple IMO. As already mentioned it is a bit OP to realisticaly see print. Maybe a slight modification makes it printable:
-add a self damaging cost (like one damage to you and two to whatever)
-add a cost of R to the sacrifice
-only mountains can be sacced
-fortify cost of 1R
-cmc 1RR
-a combination of the above
I think I prefer raising the fortify cost to 1r instead of adding a tap clause. Almost the same thing, but the fact that it makes sense to fortify now and sac later makes it feel like it should be a fortification rather than just an enchantment. The free sacrife does make it a lot better though, regardless of fortify cost, which may be too good.
I prefer the land being the damage source, as on the off chance that you sac a land with life link or death touch, that effect will still apply.
Mortarpod was the inspiration. Mortarpod doesn't really feel like an equipment either, but we're more accepting because we've been desensitized to weird equipment. Theirs an inherent flavor issue with fortifications, because they only make sense over enchantments if they're going to be moved around, yet you don't move a wall or castle.
That fortification is cool. Tap as part of the effect cost is definitely the best way to go.
I'm sure we've seen something like these before and maybe even from me, but I really want them so here are some single "type" fetches with a little extra utility.
EDIT: (The flavor for the secondary ability is that the creature runs into this particular land to escape something and the land takes the brunt of the effect instead of the creature, as if the pursuing creature, force, spell, whatever, burned the earth the find its quarry.)
Overgrown Forest Land t, Pay 1 life, Sacrifice Overgrown Forest: Search your library for a Forest card and put it onto the battelfield. G, t, Sacrifice Overgrown Forest: Target creature gains hexproof until end of turn.
Towering Mountain Land t, Pay 1 life, Sacrifice Towering Mountain: Search your library for a Mountain card and put it onto the battelfield. R, t, Sacrifice Towering Mountain: Target creature gains indestructible until end of turn.
Muculent Swamp Land t, Pay 1 life, Sacrifice Muculent Swamp: Search your library for a Swamp card and put it onto the battelfield. B, t, Sacrifice Muculent Swamp: Regenerate target creature.
Submerged Island Land t, Pay 1 life, Sacrifice Submerged Island: Search your library for a Island card and put it onto the battelfield. U, t, Sacrifice Submerged Island: Target creature you control gains shroud until end of turn.
Expansive Plains Land t, Pay 1 life, Sacrifice Expansive Plains: Search your library for a Plains card and put it onto the battelfield. W, t, Sacrifice Expansive Plains: Target creature gains protection from all colors until end of turn.
That fortification is cool. Tap as part of the effect cost is definitely the best way to go.
I'm sure we've seen something like these before and maybe even from me, but I really want them so here are some single "type" fetches with a little extra utility.
Overgrown Forest Land t, Pay 1 life, Sacrifice Overgrown Forest: Search your library for a Forest card and put it onto the battelfield. 1, t, Sacrifice Overgrown Forest: Return target land from your graveyard to battlefield. (tapped would avoid landfall shenanigans, not sure if that's a serious issue or not)
Towering Mountain Land t, Pay 1 life, Sacrifice Towering Mountain: Search your library for a Mountain card and put it onto the battelfield. 1, t, Sacrifice Towering Mountain: Return target land from your graveyard to battlefield.
Muculent Swamp Land t, Pay 1 life, Sacrifice Muculent Swamp: Search your library for a Swamp card and put it onto the battelfield. 1, t, Sacrifice Muculent Swamp: Return target land from your graveyard to battlefield.
Submerged Island Land t, Pay 1 life, Sacrifice Submerged Island: Search your library for a Island card and put it onto the battelfield. 1, t, Sacrifice Submerged Island: Return target land from your graveyard to battlefield.
Expansive Plains Land t, Pay 1 life, Sacrifice Expansive Plains: Search your library for a Plains card and put it onto the battelfield. 1, t, Sacrifice Expansive Plains: Return target land from your graveyard to battlefield.
What about having different secondary abilities to make the cycle more divers? A coloured activation cost prevents splashing over effects to different colours.
I thought about doing that, but for some reason it didn't appeal to me very much with these cards. Maybe it had something to do with my imagined flavor for the cards. I wanted them to feel very neutral. I think if they were actually in a set though, the flavor would be present in the set enough that I could tie some effects to the lands that represented the feel of each color in that set.
EDIT: Actually I just came up with an idea. I'll edit above.
@ spairy: The role of Elvish Trailblazer was to search for lands. What's more, it's repeatable until you get 5C. There's already too many ETB creatures nowadays... So as a 1/4 I think it's almost always gonna get in unscathed... lol But you just gave me the idea of adding block as well.
@ Korla: Thanks, having more than 2 years of design experience helps I guess. With regards to the rules, as mentioned it was intentional to make understanding easier; it's not as if I was unaware. However, let it be known that this is less of a norm. Only for the exceptional cases.
Nonbasic permanents, as wildfire ascribed, refers to lands which are not Basic plains, island, swamp, mountain. and forest. Because this is cube, it's very unlikely we'll get multiple Kessig Wolf Runs or Taigas.
The Kami is pretty flavorful in some sense. In the Ancient Realm, it gets to decide who lives or dies, because you know, it's the kami we're talking about lol.
UR Melek, Izzet ParagonUR, B Shirei, Shizo's CaretakerB, R Jaya Ballard, Task MageR,RW Tajic, Blade of the LegionRW, UB Lazav, Dimir MastermindUB, UB Circu, Dimir LobotomistUB, RWU Zedruu the GreatheartedRWU, GUBThe MimeoplasmGUB, UGExperiment Kraj UG, WDarien, King of KjeldorW, BMarrow-GnawerB, WBGKarador, Ghost ChieftainWBG, UTeferi, Temporal ArchmageU, GWUDerevi, Empyrial TacticianGWU, RDaretti, Scrap SavantR, UTalrand, Sky SummonerU, GEzuri, Renegade LeaderG, WUBRGReaper KingWUBRG, RGXenagos, God of RevelsRG, CKozilek, Butcher of TruthC, WUBRGGeneral TazriWUBRG, GTitania, Protector of ArgothG
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Navigator's Spyglass 1
Artifact
1, T: Reveal the top 3 cards of your library. If you do not reveal a non-land card, you may shuffle your library. Otherwise, you may put those cards back in any order.
Sacrifice ~: Draw a card.
I'm on the fence as to whether or not it would make it into my 540 (leaning towards yes), simply because I don't know what I would cut--I'm eyeing up the red and white shrines, Coldsteel Heart, and Mind Stone. Likely, Mind Stone would get the cut because it is closest in function so the cut wouldn't necessarily impose by entirely removing it.
Divining Needle 2
Artifact [R]
As Divining Needle enters the battlefield, name a card.
Activated abilities of sources with the chosen name can't be activated unless they're mana abilities.
1, T: Scry 1. (Look at the top card of your library. You may put that card on the bottom of your library.)
My 630 Card Powered Cube
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My Article - "Mana Short: A study in limited resource management."
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Didn't you post a Pithing Needle+ previously? I think your last version was a mana rock.
This version is interesting too, but it'd certainly be a lot stronger if it didn't have a mana cost attached to the ability.
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In his defense, it did cost 2.
I like the mana rock version more, the psudo crystal ball seems a bit more narrow
Free scry every turn attached to a Needle for 2 mana is too good. It would have to cost 3, and even then it would likely be too good.
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Yeah, I suppose that's correct. I just don't like paying for a Scry 1 unless I'm playing Pauper EDH.
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Another option would be to outfit it with charge counters, have the activation be free but eventually have the scry effect exhaust itself. Like 3 charge counters that scry 1 each time, or something like that.
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Why not just have it scry 2-3 upon ETB, or sac to scry 2-3?
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Doesn't matter much, really. 2, Needle + ANY additional value = recipe for success.
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Tuned Compass 1
Artifact
At the beginning of your upkeep, you may look at the top card of your library. If it's not a land, you may reveal it and put it into your graveyard. If you do, you lose 1 life.
4t, Sacrifice Tuned Compass: Reveal the top card of your library. You gain life equal to its CMC, then put it into your hand.
Cubetutor Link
Nice and flavourful card! Instant 360 staple IMO. As already mentioned it is a bit OP to realisticaly see print. Maybe a slight modification makes it printable:
-add a self damaging cost (like one damage to you and two to whatever)
-add a cost of R to the sacrifice
-only mountains can be sacced
-fortify cost of 1R
-cmc 1RR
-a combination of the above
http://www.mtgsalvation.com/forums/the-game/other-formats/mtgo-pauper/developing/647850-primer-angler-delver
Modern: Sultai Death's Shadow
http://www.mtgsalvation.com/forums/the-game/modern/deck-creation-modern/773885-sultai-deaths-shadow-bug-aggro]
Legacy: Snake&Show
http://www.mtgthesource.com/forums/showthread.php?27217-Deck-Sneak-and-Show
Discuss my Cube @ MTGsalvation:
http://forums.mtgsalvation.com/showthread.php?t=207309
Fortified land has "T, sacrifice this land: ~ deals 2 damage to target creature or player."
UR Melek, Izzet ParagonUR, B Shirei, Shizo's CaretakerB, R Jaya Ballard, Task MageR,RW Tajic, Blade of the LegionRW, UB Lazav, Dimir MastermindUB, UB Circu, Dimir LobotomistUB, RWU Zedruu the GreatheartedRWU, GUBThe MimeoplasmGUB, UGExperiment Kraj UG, WDarien, King of KjeldorW, BMarrow-GnawerB, WBGKarador, Ghost ChieftainWBG, UTeferi, Temporal ArchmageU, GWUDerevi, Empyrial TacticianGWU, RDaretti, Scrap SavantR, UTalrand, Sky SummonerU, GEzuri, Renegade LeaderG, WUBRGReaper KingWUBRG, RGXenagos, God of RevelsRG, CKozilek, Butcher of TruthC, WUBRGGeneral TazriWUBRG, GTitania, Protector of ArgothG
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I prefer the land being the damage source, as on the off chance that you sac a land with life link or death touch, that effect will still apply.
Like Mortarpod?
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I'm sure we've seen something like these before and maybe even from me, but I really want them so here are some single "type" fetches with a little extra utility.
EDIT: (The flavor for the secondary ability is that the creature runs into this particular land to escape something and the land takes the brunt of the effect instead of the creature, as if the pursuing creature, force, spell, whatever, burned the earth the find its quarry.)
Overgrown Forest
Land
t, Pay 1 life, Sacrifice Overgrown Forest: Search your library for a Forest card and put it onto the battelfield.
G, t, Sacrifice Overgrown Forest: Target creature gains hexproof until end of turn.
Towering Mountain
Land
t, Pay 1 life, Sacrifice Towering Mountain: Search your library for a Mountain card and put it onto the battelfield.
R, t, Sacrifice Towering Mountain: Target creature gains indestructible until end of turn.
Muculent Swamp
Land
t, Pay 1 life, Sacrifice Muculent Swamp: Search your library for a Swamp card and put it onto the battelfield.
B, t, Sacrifice Muculent Swamp: Regenerate target creature.
Submerged Island
Land
t, Pay 1 life, Sacrifice Submerged Island: Search your library for a Island card and put it onto the battelfield.
U, t, Sacrifice Submerged Island: Target creature you control gains shroud until end of turn.
Expansive Plains
Land
t, Pay 1 life, Sacrifice Expansive Plains: Search your library for a Plains card and put it onto the battelfield.
W, t, Sacrifice Expansive Plains: Target creature gains protection from all colors until end of turn.
360 Unpowered Cube | Cubetutor
What about having different secondary abilities to make the cycle more divers? A coloured activation cost prevents splashing over effects to different colours.
http://www.mtgsalvation.com/forums/the-game/other-formats/mtgo-pauper/developing/647850-primer-angler-delver
Modern: Sultai Death's Shadow
http://www.mtgsalvation.com/forums/the-game/modern/deck-creation-modern/773885-sultai-deaths-shadow-bug-aggro]
Legacy: Snake&Show
http://www.mtgthesource.com/forums/showthread.php?27217-Deck-Sneak-and-Show
Discuss my Cube @ MTGsalvation:
http://forums.mtgsalvation.com/showthread.php?t=207309
EDIT: Actually I just came up with an idea. I'll edit above.
360 Unpowered Cube | Cubetutor