Prioritize 1(1: Move this spell to the top of the stack. Prioritize only if two or more spells or abilities are above this on the stack.)
This seems really awkward and requires you to keep extra mana open. Plus there is a damage spell and a pump spell with this then it gets into fight of who can use it more than the other. Split second is a more relevant and simpler way of just preventing those other spells or activated abilities from being used in response.
A keyword sounds like a great idea for using this. However it would probably need to be a one-time triggered ability, as being able to pay for it multiple times could result in a "stack-climbing" fight as you mention.
This is a way to word your effect without using the word "stack."
Um, is there something wrong with using the word "stack"? I know no other cards have ever used it before, but is there a reason not to start using now?
Hell, Wizards should start using it more, not enough new guys get what the stack even is because no-one ever puts it in the basic starter rules.
Why would you make this? Tapping is a widely known mechanic for "turning off" creatures. This goes against that for little gain (since a 0/2 is a bad attacker anyway).
Last I checked there are plenty of creatures whose abilities don't require tapping, I don't see how it matters with this guy. As for making him a 0/2, I felt that making him a 1/1 would make him a little too powerful, as he could attack and use his ability every turn as soon as turn 2.
EDIT: Hell, he's maybe too powerful as a 0/2. Play him T1, produce a green mana with ability, drop Rancor on him. T2 you have a 2/2 with trample swinging at your opponent. Yeah, 0/1 might be more appropriate.
Wait a minute...Birds of Paradise is a 1cmc mana dork that is 0/1...and lots of decks play him...hmmm....
You could just limit the amount of creatures/players that the Cleaver could target, say to 2 creatures, or one creature and one player.
Not all equipment related to creature cards is exactly like the creature it's based on. Last I checked no basilisk has lifelink (Basilisk Collar) and Umezawa's Jitte has very little to do with the abilities of Toshiro Umezawa.
As for the Geist, I think he's fine as is. Hell, he could actually use a little more power (first strike would be perfect for him). Indestructible doesn't necessarily equal unremoveable. He's still affected by -X/-X effects (black has those in spades) and exile (Path to Exile has this guy's number).
New Dork on the Block
Creature--Plant G, 0/2
You may add one mana of any color to your mana pool. Only use this ability once per turn.
Would this be a little too good?
Ways he could be made less powerful:
-Make him a 0/1
-Can only use the ability on your turn.
-Limit the mana colors he can produce.
As is I think he would be in most viable in any strategy besides aggro. A tough dork that doesn't have to tap for midrange/control decks, or a potential attacker that can still produce mana for some tempo strategies.
Anyone here think an ability that let spells move up and down the stack would fly? Say, if enough spells were cast you could move a spell to the top of the stack. Seems to me it could be most useful for counters and burn.
Predator Ooze. If his casting cost was more splashable (2G instead of GGG) then he might see more play (especially in midrange decks), but as is he just isn't worth the trouble.
I don't think this type of deck would benefit a lot from gruul, maybe the 3/2 with 1 mana bloodrush, but nothing strictly red. Green already make a great job with the aggro side of the deck, so if a third color should be used, it would be W or B. W would give access to geits, sphinx revelation and veredict (remember we have some board wipe resilient creatures), B would give acess to removals and Golgari creatures (Corpsejack Menace and Dreg Mangler)
These interactions with Biomancer seems cute, but aren't very pratical.
You have good points for adding white or black. I also agree with you about the Biomancer, he comes in too late for his ability to be worth it.
As for adding Gruul, I have 2 reasons: Bloodrush and Domri Rade. If you go a creature-based route, Domri Rade is a shoo-in. Card advantage and removal in one package. Bloodrush on the other hand gives you pump while keeping your creature count up.
I'm surprised no-one has mentioned the Bloodrush ability of Ghor-Clan Rampager. A 4/4 with trample for cmc 4 is solid, but nothing special. Add to that the ability to also be a +4/+4 plus trample pump for cmc 2, though....
Very versatile.
Hmmmm....I just had an idea. If it's gonna be creature focused, how about splashing some red for a little Gruul shenanigans (maybe some Izzet burn too)?
Now that I think about it, it isn't the apparent impotence of Evolve that bothers me. It's the fact that there doesn't seem to be at least one Evolve (or at least Simic) creature that is really good on its own. No "fetch rare". And higher cmc creatures are useless because evolve is kind of pointless on a late game drop.
Seems to me Wizards has yet to set themselves on how U/G should work, and work "well".
So, what I'm getting from this is, if I do want to use evolve, I need to use it on early-turn, low cmc creatures, then supplement those guys with other fatties.
Man, I really wanted Simic to be able to stand on its own this time around. Instead, we get more gimmicky sorceries and another weird mechanic implemented just shy of being useful. And why the hell are there no good Simic fatties?
I'm not entirely sure if there are enough cards to really take advantage of evolve. Most of the cards with the mechanic have a higher toughness than power, so I'm not sure they can all boost themselves without including some non-evolve cards. In addition, I doesn't seem to me that there are a lot of spells that support evolve either.
I guess what I'm trying to say is I'm not sure that there is a way to make a good deck that revolves mostly around the evolve mechanic. What do you guys think?
What about a zombie-pod shell? Just splash some islands in case you need to hard-cast whatever needs blue mana. Extra neato fun-fact: Skaab Ruinator's additional graveyard exile cost never comes into effect when brought in with Birthing Pod, since he is never actually "cast".
This is....interesting. Definitely a Johnny card if I ever saw one. I just can't help but feel disappointing that this isn't a creature, I hope Simic isn't a whole bunch of sorceries and just a few beasts.
A keyword sounds like a great idea for using this. However it would probably need to be a one-time triggered ability, as being able to pay for it multiple times could result in a "stack-climbing" fight as you mention.
EDIT:
Um, is there something wrong with using the word "stack"? I know no other cards have ever used it before, but is there a reason not to start using now?
Hell, Wizards should start using it more, not enough new guys get what the stack even is because no-one ever puts it in the basic starter rules.
Last I checked there are plenty of creatures whose abilities don't require tapping, I don't see how it matters with this guy. As for making him a 0/2, I felt that making him a 1/1 would make him a little too powerful, as he could attack and use his ability every turn as soon as turn 2.
EDIT: Hell, he's maybe too powerful as a 0/2. Play him T1, produce a green mana with ability, drop Rancor on him. T2 you have a 2/2 with trample swinging at your opponent. Yeah, 0/1 might be more appropriate.
Wait a minute...Birds of Paradise is a 1cmc mana dork that is 0/1...and lots of decks play him...hmmm....
Not all equipment related to creature cards is exactly like the creature it's based on. Last I checked no basilisk has lifelink (Basilisk Collar) and Umezawa's Jitte has very little to do with the abilities of Toshiro Umezawa.
As for the Geist, I think he's fine as is. Hell, he could actually use a little more power (first strike would be perfect for him). Indestructible doesn't necessarily equal unremoveable. He's still affected by -X/-X effects (black has those in spades) and exile (Path to Exile has this guy's number).
Creature--Plant
G, 0/2
You may add one mana of any color to your mana pool. Only use this ability once per turn.
Would this be a little too good?
Ways he could be made less powerful:
-Make him a 0/1
-Can only use the ability on your turn.
-Limit the mana colors he can produce.
As is I think he would be in most viable in any strategy besides aggro. A tough dork that doesn't have to tap for midrange/control decks, or a potential attacker that can still produce mana for some tempo strategies.
Not sure if troll....or just stupid.
Calling people trolls or stupid is flaming. Warning for Flaming t_c
You have good points for adding white or black. I also agree with you about the Biomancer, he comes in too late for his ability to be worth it.
As for adding Gruul, I have 2 reasons: Bloodrush and Domri Rade. If you go a creature-based route, Domri Rade is a shoo-in. Card advantage and removal in one package. Bloodrush on the other hand gives you pump while keeping your creature count up.
I'm surprised no-one has mentioned the Bloodrush ability of Ghor-Clan Rampager. A 4/4 with trample for cmc 4 is solid, but nothing special. Add to that the ability to also be a +4/+4 plus trample pump for cmc 2, though....
Very versatile.
Just tossing ideas out here.
Seems to me Wizards has yet to set themselves on how U/G should work, and work "well".
Man, I really wanted Simic to be able to stand on its own this time around. Instead, we get more gimmicky sorceries and another weird mechanic implemented just shy of being useful. And why the hell are there no good Simic fatties?
I guess what I'm trying to say is I'm not sure that there is a way to make a good deck that revolves mostly around the evolve mechanic. What do you guys think?