I wish I was an artist Think of aurochs nodes as actually part of a web of levitating aurochs. They don't do anything old aurochs do, because they have become the opposite of them due to being dowsed in antimatter. I guess that concept is too out there. I guess my hyperagressive GR vedalken tribe and cruel BR foxes won't go over well either
Also don't think of it as a GUB tribe but an UB tribe. The G part if the tribe doesn't have mind link and has the standard aurochs mechanic. There would be more activated abilities amongst those in this set, though, but they would be more attacking oriented like "2Gtarget creature blocks this creature this turn if able"
But I guess mind link is needlessly complicated. I don't really see why it would be green/white though. The abilities being activated abilities, this feels different enough from slivers. It's or/or/or not and/and/and.
Spy sliver is a problem, unless I reword either mind link or the ability
Vortex is a tribal set I'm making with wedge tribes. It takes place on a plane that has been partly dowsed in an antimatter cloud, with "anti" tribes as a result. One of the colors of each tribe is the color normally associated with the tribe, and the other two are its enemy colors, the "anti-version" of the tribe.
The green tribe in this set are aurochs, using the normal aurochs mechanic.
The Blue/black counterpart are "aurochs nodes." These aurochs share a hive mind, and each one learns of the other nodes' experiences. They rarely attack and defeat their enemies through other means. These are the Aurochs cards of vortex.
Common nodes
Unassigned node Creature - aurochs node {C}
mind link (~ has all activated abilities of each permanent it shares a creature type with)
1/1
Aurochs protector1U Creature - aurochs node {C}
Flying, defender
mind link (~ has all activated abilities of each permanent it shares a creature type with)
1/3
Field node2B Creature - aurochs node {C}
mind link (~ has all activated abillities of each permanent it shares a creature type with)
2/2
Selfish nodeU Creature - aurochs node {C} 2U: Return ~ to its owner's hand. It tried to flee from the system, and that's how the system learned how to flee.
0/1
Cruel node4B Creature - aurochs node {C} 4B : Target player loses three life.
3/3
Brawn node5UB Creature - aurochs node {C}
flying
mind link (~ has all activated abilities of each permanent it shares a creature type with)
4/5
Uncommon nodes
Birdspotter node1 Creature - aurochs node {U}
Flying
Mind link (~ has all activated abilities of each permanent that shares a creature type with it)
2/2
Filtering node2U Creature - aurochs node {U}
Mind link (~ has all activated abilities of each permanent that shares a creature type with it) : draw a card, then discard a card.
1/3
Shade node2B Creature - aurochs node {U}
Mind link (~ has all activated abilities of each permanent that shares a creature type with it) 2B : ~ gets +2/+2 until end of turn.
1/1
Spy node3B Creature - aurochs node {U}
intimidate
Mind link (~ has all activated abilities of each permanent that shares a creature type with it) 1U : the next time ~ deals damage to an opponent this turn, draw a card. Play this ability only once each turn.
2/2
Pirating node2U Creature - aurochs node {U}
flying
Mind link (~ has all activated abilities of each permanent that shares a creature type with it) 1B : ~ deals one damage to target creature or player, and you gain one life.
2/1
Mind-drain nodeUB Creature - aurochs node {U}
Mind link (~ has all activated abilities of each permanent that shares a creature type with it) : target player puts the top card of his or her library into his or her graveyard.
2/2
Rare nodes
Flashing node1UU Creature - aurochs node {R}
Mind link (~ has all activated abilities of each permanent that shares a creature type with it) : Change the target of target spell or ability that targets a creature you control to ~.
0/5
Node of efficiencyU creature - Aurochs node {R}
Mind link (~ has all activated abilities of each permanent that shares a type with it)
Activated abilities of ~ cost 2 less to activate. This effect can't reduce the amount of mana an ability costs to activate to less than 1 mana.
1/2
Weakening nodeBB creature - Aurochs node {R}
Mind link (~ has all activated abilities of each permanent that shares a type with it)
Whenever you activate one of ~'s abilities, target creature gets -1/-1 until end of turn.
2/2
Devious node5B creature - Aurochs node {R}
Mind link (~ has all activated abilities of each permanent that shares a type with it) 1B: Regenerate ~.
6/6
Command node2UB creature - Aurochs node {R}
Mind link (~ has all activated abilities of each permanent that shares a type with it) 1B: ~ gains deathtouch until end of turn. 1U: ~ gains flying until end of turn.
4/5
Mythic node
Unifier of aurochsGUB Legendary creature - aurochs
trample
Aurochs you control have mind link (they have all activated abilities of each permanent that shares a type with it)
Whenever an aurochs you control attacks, it gets +1/+0 for each other attacking aurochs
3/3
I completely changed the mechanics of the set, but the idea behind the plane is still the same. I actually like the mechanics now, especially mind link, even though I will likely completely break that one. Then again, all mechanics in the set have the potential to be completely broken, so in-set it's probably fine
The wording isn't right, it doesn't state where you exile from and since it sais "this card" instead of "this permanent," I assumed it was exiled from your hand. Needless to say, my reaction was "this mechanic is way too OP" just look at the spirit guides and how good they already are.
But since you have to play the card first it might work. Still, make any five mana card with refract and five color cards like Maelstrom Nexus suddenly become way too easy to play.
it works much better when attacking than blocking, since you are more likely to have a playable black or red spell in hand on your turn.
Personally, I'd like it better if it said "if a player has cast a black and/or red spell this turn" this way, it can be put to use as anti black/ red as well. They are white's enemy colors, after all. I don't think that would be too powerful.
Anounced chargeRRR sorcery{R} Veto 6- Any player may have anounced charge deal 6 damage to him or her. If no player does, put a 7/2 red elemental creatures with haste, trample and "at the beginning of the end step, sacrifice this creature." into the battlefield.
winged rootwalla seems too good to me. Shouldn't it have "play this ability only once each turn?"
Islandwalk and deathtouch don't synergise well.
I like aether avocet.
Anomalous baloth might turn out to be too good as well, but I can't really judge it well.
Rapid growth is a very interesting card, but I would personally use rampant growth over it unless your deck is filled with nonbasics. Instant is good, but not getting to pick the land and the fact that it is harder to cast make it a lot less appealing. Perhaps it would be better if the other cards were put into the graveyard.
Potential growth is very cool.
Colossal growth feels a bit weird since you'll almost never be able to play X additional lands.
Nice common, hard to judge since there arn't any other gnolls to play it with, but the power level seems right.
Corrupted island vortex land - island{U}
When corrupted island enters the battlefield, sacrifice a land. : add U to your mana pool. If that mana is spent on a creature card, it gains mutate. (It deals damage to creatures in the form of +1/+1 counters) 3U : Gain control of target creature with a +1/+1 counter on it. Play this ability only if that creature was damaged by a creature with mutate this turn.
I think that will often give you three lands, unless you need lands. It also doesn't help to lessen the chance of drawing lands after that. So no, I don't think it's too cheap for three cards, since it will probably give me the cards I don't need as much. Or at all.
Irrefusable offerBB Sorcery{U}
Each opponent may lose four life to draw two cards.
For each opponent that doesn't, you may draw two cards.
Conceptualize seems like a more color heavy telling time, but it's not better at all. You have more freedom where to put the other cards (if I am reading it right, you can choose to put one on the top and the other on the bottom, right?) But telling time simply puts the card in your hand, which is a lot better, since you can play it if you didn't need to play that couterspell. I'd like more for that extra color, not less. I can see this being a great card for limited though.
Blood transfusion2WR enchantment
Deal one damage to target creature you control: prevent the next 1 damage that would be dealt to target creature this turn.
Hmm, I wonder what a mythic Control Magic would look like...
Mythic mind control4UUU enchantment - aura
Enchant creature
You control enchanted creature.
At the beginning of your upkeep, if mythic mind control isn't a token, you may put a token into the battlefield that is a copy of mythic mind control.
Spirit salve
Exile a creature card from your graveyard, prevent the next X damage that would be dealt to target creature or player, where X is the exiled card's converted mana cost, then put the exiled card into your hand.
Wisdom salve A
Choose one - Gain 4 life; or prevent 4 damage to target creature or player. Then, if you have more life than an opponent, draw a card.
Wisdom salve B
Draw a card, then gain life equal to the number of cards in your hand.
Mutating salve
Prevent the next 3 damage that would be dealt to target creature you control, if that creature dies this turn, put three white 1/1 mutant soldier creature tokens into the battlefield.
Hmm, Mogg Maniac status granted to every goblin. I'm not sure that 2RR is sufficient for this...it might be, but it definitely would be with a slight shift; what about:
Whenever damage from a source you don't control is dealt to a goblin you control...
That way you can't Earthquake for a fairly certain win or Blasphemous Act for an almost definite autowin.
Good catch, I should have realised this since I've used Blasphemous Act with Mogg Maniac to great effect before, and this card wasn't designed to make winning that way even easier.
As for cliffjumper spider, it's interesting but I would have reversed it to "if you control an untapped land" instead of "if you don't control an untapped land." This way it's very subtle hate towards red and green's enemy color, blue. Blue likes having untapped lands, a lot.
Primal seems neat, also because it can range from simple to complex. I'm just not sure it fits in every color, (blue.) It would be the most useful in blue, but removing abilities for more power doesn't seem very blue.
Heavy moth2U creature - insect
Primal 1
Flying
1/3
Speedy ape2R creature - ape
Primal 1
First strike
2/1
The damage prevention half is going to be the most difficult to make satisfying since you have instants at this cost that give your creature protection from a color (twice!), usually preventing all the damage and having a bunch of other cool applications as well. Cantrip may be the only thing that can save damage prevention on an instant at all. That or getting to deal the prevented damage to another creature, which is a white ability as well.
As for lifegain. Gaining 5 life for one mana would probably be worth it at common, I imagine. I don't think the problem is that that's bad It's just not exciting at all.
But perhaps this will do it: Healing salve deluxeW instant{C}
Prevent the next three damage that would be dealt to target creature or player this turn. Target player gains three life.
I don't think it will ever be exciting or fun, but saving a creature and gaining three life, or gaining six life for one mana, that seems like a good deal to me.
I really love the fact that you can play Jacefire for UU and it's still not only playable, but good, makes me think that the rest of the card might be too good.
EDIT: Imagna is a bit difficult to read, and the effect is messy. Why half the damage? Why creatures AND players (x2)? I'm not even sure if what the card does is what it's supposed to do:
If damage is dealt to a creature first, am I supposed to do half the damage dealt to each other creature, or do I get to choose between creatures and players, because your card says I can choose, but the wording is confusing.
Maniacal apparition2RR Legendary creature - goblin spirit
Whenever damage is dealt to a goblin you control, you may deal that much damage to target opponent. His death caused a murderous rampage. But then pretty much anything would have.
1/1
Also don't think of it as a GUB tribe but an UB tribe. The G part if the tribe doesn't have mind link and has the standard aurochs mechanic. There would be more activated abilities amongst those in this set, though, but they would be more attacking oriented like "2Gtarget creature blocks this creature this turn if able"
But I guess mind link is needlessly complicated. I don't really see why it would be green/white though. The abilities being activated abilities, this feels different enough from slivers. It's or/or/or not and/and/and.
Spy sliver is a problem, unless I reword either mind link or the ability
The green tribe in this set are aurochs, using the normal aurochs mechanic.
The Blue/black counterpart are "aurochs nodes." These aurochs share a hive mind, and each one learns of the other nodes' experiences. They rarely attack and defeat their enemies through other means. These are the Aurochs cards of vortex.
Common nodes
Unassigned node
Creature - aurochs node {C}
mind link (~ has all activated abilities of each permanent it shares a creature type with)
1/1
Aurochs protector 1U
Creature - aurochs node {C}
Flying, defender
mind link (~ has all activated abilities of each permanent it shares a creature type with)
1/3
Field node 2B
Creature - aurochs node {C}
mind link (~ has all activated abillities of each permanent it shares a creature type with)
2/2
Selfish node U
Creature - aurochs node {C}
2U: Return ~ to its owner's hand.
It tried to flee from the system, and that's how the system learned how to flee.
0/1
Cruel node4B
Creature - aurochs node {C}
4B
3/3
Brawn node 5UB
Creature - aurochs node {C}
flying
mind link (~ has all activated abilities of each permanent it shares a creature type with)
4/5
Uncommon nodes
Birdspotter node 1
Creature - aurochs node {U}
Flying
Mind link (~ has all activated abilities of each permanent that shares a creature type with it)
2/2
Filtering node 2U
Creature - aurochs node {U}
Mind link (~ has all activated abilities of each permanent that shares a creature type with it)
1/3
Shade node 2B
Creature - aurochs node {U}
Mind link (~ has all activated abilities of each permanent that shares a creature type with it)
2B : ~ gets +2/+2 until end of turn.
1/1
Spy node 3B
Creature - aurochs node {U}
intimidate
Mind link (~ has all activated abilities of each permanent that shares a creature type with it)
1U : the next time ~ deals damage to an opponent this turn, draw a card. Play this ability only once each turn.
2/2
Pirating node 2U
Creature - aurochs node {U}
flying
Mind link (~ has all activated abilities of each permanent that shares a creature type with it)
1B
2/1
Mind-drain node UB
Creature - aurochs node {U}
Mind link (~ has all activated abilities of each permanent that shares a creature type with it)
2/2
Rare nodes
Flashing node 1UU
Creature - aurochs node {R}
Mind link (~ has all activated abilities of each permanent that shares a creature type with it)
0/5
Node of efficiency U
creature - Aurochs node {R}
Mind link (~ has all activated abilities of each permanent that shares a type with it)
Activated abilities of ~ cost 2 less to activate. This effect can't reduce the amount of mana an ability costs to activate to less than 1 mana.
1/2
Weakening node BB
creature - Aurochs node {R}
Mind link (~ has all activated abilities of each permanent that shares a type with it)
Whenever you activate one of ~'s abilities, target creature gets -1/-1 until end of turn.
2/2
Devious node5B
creature - Aurochs node {R}
Mind link (~ has all activated abilities of each permanent that shares a type with it)
1B: Regenerate ~.
6/6
Command node2UB
creature - Aurochs node {R}
Mind link (~ has all activated abilities of each permanent that shares a type with it)
1B: ~ gains deathtouch until end of turn.
1U: ~ gains flying until end of turn.
4/5
Mythic node
Unifier of aurochs GUB
Legendary creature - aurochs
trample
Aurochs you control have mind link (they have all activated abilities of each permanent that shares a type with it)
Whenever an aurochs you control attacks, it gets +1/+0 for each other attacking aurochs
3/3
But since you have to play the card first it might work. Still, make any five mana card with refract and five color cards like Maelstrom Nexus suddenly become way too easy to play.
Personally, I'd like it better if it said "if a player has cast a black and/or red spell this turn" this way, it can be put to use as anti black/ red as well. They are white's enemy colors, after all. I don't think that would be too powerful.
Anounced charge RRR
sorcery{R}
Veto 6- Any player may have anounced charge deal 6 damage to him or her. If no player does, put a 7/2 red elemental creatures with haste, trample and "at the beginning of the end step, sacrifice this creature." into the battlefield.
Islandwalk and deathtouch don't synergise well.
I like aether avocet.
Anomalous baloth might turn out to be too good as well, but I can't really judge it well.
Rapid growth is a very interesting card, but I would personally use rampant growth over it unless your deck is filled with nonbasics. Instant is good, but not getting to pick the land and the fact that it is harder to cast make it a lot less appealing. Perhaps it would be better if the other cards were put into the graveyard.
Potential growth is very cool.
Colossal growth feels a bit weird since you'll almost never be able to play X additional lands.
Corrupted island
vortex land - island{U}
When corrupted island enters the battlefield, sacrifice a land.
3U
Irrefusable offer BB
Sorcery{U}
Each opponent may lose four life to draw two cards.
For each opponent that doesn't, you may draw two cards.
A combo card, obviously.
Blood transfusion 2WR
enchantment
Deal one damage to target creature you control: prevent the next 1 damage that would be dealt to target creature this turn.
Mythic mind control 4UUU
enchantment - aura
Enchant creature
You control enchanted creature.
At the beginning of your upkeep, if mythic mind control isn't a token, you may put a token into the battlefield that is a copy of mythic mind control.
Spirit salve
Exile a creature card from your graveyard, prevent the next X damage that would be dealt to target creature or player, where X is the exiled card's converted mana cost, then put the exiled card into your hand.
Wisdom salve A
Choose one - Gain 4 life; or prevent 4 damage to target creature or player. Then, if you have more life than an opponent, draw a card.
Wisdom salve B
Draw a card, then gain life equal to the number of cards in your hand.
Mutating salve
Prevent the next 3 damage that would be dealt to target creature you control, if that creature dies this turn, put three white 1/1 mutant soldier creature tokens into the battlefield.
Good catch, I should have realised this since I've used Blasphemous Act with Mogg Maniac to great effect before, and this card wasn't designed to make winning that way even easier.
As for cliffjumper spider, it's interesting but I would have reversed it to "if you control an untapped land" instead of "if you don't control an untapped land." This way it's very subtle hate towards red and green's enemy color, blue. Blue likes having untapped lands, a lot.
Heavy moth 2U
creature - insect
Primal 1
Flying
1/3
Speedy ape 2R
creature - ape
Primal 1
First strike
2/1
Growing beast 3GG
creature - beast
Primal 2
Trample
3/3
The red and green ones makes more sense to me than the blue one, but they all work I guess.
Edit: need to make the other ones as well
Howling horror 2BB
creature - horror
Primal 2
Whenever howling horror attacks, each opponent loses two life
1/2
Brave soldier W
creature - soldier
Primal 1
Lifelink
0/1
As for lifegain. Gaining 5 life for one mana would probably be worth it at common, I imagine. I don't think the problem is that that's bad It's just not exciting at all.
But perhaps this will do it:
Healing salve deluxe W
instant{C}
Prevent the next three damage that would be dealt to target creature or player this turn. Target player gains three life.
I don't think it will ever be exciting or fun, but saving a creature and gaining three life, or gaining six life for one mana, that seems like a good deal to me.
EDIT: Imagna is a bit difficult to read, and the effect is messy. Why half the damage? Why creatures AND players (x2)? I'm not even sure if what the card does is what it's supposed to do:
If damage is dealt to a creature first, am I supposed to do half the damage dealt to each other creature, or do I get to choose between creatures and players, because your card says I can choose, but the wording is confusing.
Maniacal apparition 2RR
Legendary creature - goblin spirit
Whenever damage is dealt to a goblin you control, you may deal that much damage to target opponent.
His death caused a murderous rampage. But then pretty much anything would have.
1/1