votes: Flatline, BrainPo
@BrainPo: I think that card could cost UB, not 2UB. You could make it a 2/3 or give it flying and have it cost 3, perhaps.
Bludgeoning Sabertooth5G
Creature — Cat (U)
Bludgeoning Sabertooth gets -1/-1 for each time counter on it.
Daydream 4 — 1G(You may cast this spell for its daydream cost. If you do, it enters the battlefield with four time counters. At the beginning of your upkeep, remove a time counter. When the last is removed, sacrifice it.) "I swear it was smaller the last time I saw it!"
6/6
Hey Willows, do you think you could put all the uncommons on the same post? It might get a bit unwieldy to have each uncommon have its own post haphazardly strewn throughout the thread.
Big Picture: *Be careful with the hexproof + auras theme*
*Your set is concentrated at lower CMC. That means most decks are going to want 15-16 lands, and all decks are going to want some form of flood insurance. Introducing some looting effects or scrying would be nice, as would increasing landfall. This also means that 1s/2s/3s are going to be slamming into each other, and they all seem to be able to kill each other. That means this set is going to play out more like Origins/Khans/Ixalan in that all decks more or less are doing the same thing on the first several turns (playing creatures and turning them sideways). Be sure that everything else in the set is designed aware of this reality.*
*With the above in mind, I think having mechanics and synergy themes play a moderate role is advisable. Some of the synergy themes need to come out more (Green Landfall and Black tokens come to mind), but overall I think you've gotten close to the right level.*
Important Notes:
- creature sizing is small. Perhaps to keep auras under control.
- very low average CMC. Multiple white ones and 3 twos at common. Making me think that this format is supposed to be lower to the ground and fast, more like Ixalan or Amonkhet. Wondering whether the other colors will follow suit.
- yes, this low CMC theme continues with the uncommons. Two-drop city! Could be fun if all colors are like this. Would be a weird/interesting change of pace from most limited environments.
- a lot of stuff granting flying. I'm skeptical of the Bogles theme innately, but I'm having a hard time envisioning this set being fun if all of these common/uncommon enchantments grant flying.
- Uncommons are strong and look fun. Well done! Other notes:
- Any reason why there's a ton more Lifelink and First Strike going around than Vigilance?
- I'd bump the enchantress up to an 0/3 or 1/3, and I'd bump the enchantment Tiger to a 3/2.
- I love the Murmuring Mystic for auras. Could probably make it cost 2 and make it all enchantments, but it's fine as is.
- The Inherit cards are A+ in the flavor department. I think I would work to make the 3/3 common guy able to attack (maybe do a "must pay 2 to attack"). Maybe not...for playtesting I suppose. I think the back half is so good that that card will lead to board stalls too often.
- I'd make the 2/4 First Strike uncommon a 2/3.
- The Bowman should probably be a 4 mana 3/3, not a 3 mana 1/2.
Important Notes: - Continuing with the low CMC theme. It feels weird not to have a five/six at common. Maybe that's okay.
- You can't make hexproof + lifelink + flying + unblockable so easily accessible. It was obnoxious even in Dominaria, and that was a slower format. This format feels fast, so you're not going to give players a ton of time to draw their sideboard hate or combat such a potent combo of cards.
- I like the theme of blue: unblockable small dudes, bounce, and freezing. That's classic tempo blue. Also good for combatting auras, so you're putting a check in on bogles players, which feels essential.
- Noting that the bigger blue creatures are dragons. Maybe that'll matter.
- Chant works well with these creatures.
- I count 2 blue creatures with flying. Maybe transfer some of the "grants flying" auras over to blue.
- I like White better, but not sure why. White has a lot more for Johnny...Blue doesn't have much of anything for Johnny. Not that I'm a Johnny (I'm probably a Spike/Timmy more than anything), but I don't sense any sexiness here. There's a lot of well-designed cards and Blue has a clear plan (tempo). With the 0/3 Jellyfish and the 2/5 Dragon I expected to see a big fat 6/7 drop to serve as a finisher for a control deck, but I don't see one. Perhaps in other colors! I'm definitely going to be on the lookout for what the end game will look like for the various colors. Individual Card Notes: - Again, I love the Inherit cards.
- Cards I don't like: Dream Gardener (too difficult to enable), Wavecraft Student, Tengshe (what purpose is it serving?).
- Windsome Elixir is a strictly better Opt. That's interesting. Moderately exciting, even. Would it be busted for the Chant cost to be 1U?
- Floodbind...woof! Seems busted in most Limited environments, but 5 mana in this format is a lot, so maybe that'll make it just a premium uncommon instead of the next Elite Scaleguard or In Bolas's Clutches.
Important Notes- Black needs some work in the asfan department. I like what you're doing here though.
- "Sorcery Matters" is cool and flavorful here, but "Chant" needs to be a part of that so that the ritual flavor carries through.
- If we're going to be doing "Sorcery Matters" and Tokens as Black's major themes, then we need real enablers and payoffs. There's too much fluff. Separate the wheat from the chaff. Shen Slayer is the best designed card in this batch. Why do only two cards create tokens, and why do they cost 5 and 6 mana (Chilling Rise and Crackling Heiress)?
- There's a lot of life drain. Maybe something in Red/Green works well with that mechanically? Maybe it's just arbitrary. Fine either way.
- Can the vampiric be made to feel more organic and essential? Tie them to sorcery matters or chant? Individual Card Notes: - Restless Ancestor is too weak.
- Don't count Professional Mourner as a real "tokens matter" payoff. It's fine to include it in the set, but it's no draw to tokens.
- Flesh Alchemist could cost 1 less. Maybe increasing potential cost by 1 would be required, but no one wants to pay 4 mana for a vanilla 2/2 flyer.
- Rope Dart Attack is too expensive.
- Cut Funeral Bell. Pointless card in this set, and some cards here need to be cut so that others can be included that better support the token theme. I think you have too many sorceries (you could cut some sorceries and still support the "Sorcery Matters" theme).
- 3B Ritual Grounds. Enchantment. "Whenever you cast a sorcery, you may pay 2. When you do, create a black 2/1 Vampire Cleric creature token."
- Tiger Knight should be more powerful. Maybe a 6/4 or 6/5. Black and Green are the slower colors, so it'd be nice to give Black a *good* 6 drop.
Important Notes: - Green has less of an identity than the other colors. White has the strongest thematic identity, and I keep wanting to push the other colors toward White in this way. I think Black is 2nd (it's close. With some work it'll be just as cohesive as White). Blue 3rd, and Green 4th. Of course, you could take an approach closer to RNA or EMN or XLN or C19 where "gameplay themes" don't matter as much, or only matter for a narrow range of archetypes.
- But, I'm left wondering why we're even going to have landfall if the payoffs are so small and infrequent? I suppose it's possible to do --> OGW was a good limited environment and it had landfall only on two cards.
- Realize that in draft the 4s-6s in your set are sparser, so they're going to be more premium. UW seem faster, and GB seems slower. This also means that drafters will be choosier on their 1s, 2s, and 3s, focusing more on power level and narrow archetypal/card synergies. So concentrate on having the 2s be better for different decks.
--> For example, perhaps having a 2/2 hexproof Potential and a 2/3 hexproof Potential at the same rarity and CMC might be something to consider changing.
- I'd be much happier if Green's Potential cards had higher potentials. Maybe 3-4 instead of 2. Individual Card Notes:
- Very happy to see a 3/4 Deathtouch at common. Seems essential.
- move a one-two drop to a 4 drop.
- I like the two top end creatures.
- I'm not a big fan of having a trio of one-mana instants. Cards like Morning Mist and Honorable Duel might be better uncommons. Offering to the Forgotten seems like a good common (though, do I like it in a set with lifelink flying auras?). In the abstract I like this version better than the one I'll propose, but in this environment maybe consider: 1G Instant +3/+3, Kicker G Hexproof.
- Make sure the 2/2 hexproof for 3 at common isn't the next Jade Guardian.
Important Notes: - I expected to see a R 2/1, and there it was. Good job.
- the Sorcery Matters theme is given adequate support here in Red. Key is the 3R Poet.
- UR Dragons should be a feasible archetype, especially if you're going to print some "Dragons matters" cards in Blue. Put some dragons into Red too.
- Overall I think Red is the best color from a set design perspective right now, and is the color whose cards I'd change the least. Good powerlevel, and many of the commons seem fun to play with. The 4 mana 3/3 landfall creature is fantastic design, and maybe is a card that you should use to check the P/T levels of creatures in other colors. Individual Card Notes: - the Red and Green common landfall twos don't work well together. Fix the Green one.
- Flame Slash is too good for common here. Make it uncommon.
- Inner Dragon Unbinding needs its mana cost reduced by 1-2.
- Seeing the inherit card here made me wish I had seen a green/black one. Can we get them in those colors too?
- Not sure what that land cycle is doing here. This is definitely a low-to-the-ground environment. Might as well embrace it eh?
- the equipment is good. Will be a valuable pick I think.
Ok, so....this mechanic might seem a bit wonky, but I'll share it anyway and see whether we think it's "cool" or "gimmicky". Also if you think a tweak or variation of this could be better, suggest it.
Several names work: Lore, Indelible, History, Tale, Song, Inscribe, Inscription.
A) Lore (Whenever a Bard, Cleric, Shaman, or Druid enters the battlefield under your control, you may return this card from your graveyard to your hand)
B) Tale (Whenever a Bard, Cleric, Shaman, or Druid enters the battlefield under your control, you may cast this card from your graveyard. If you do, exile it.)
C) Tale (Whenever a Bard, Cleric, Shaman, or Druid you control becomes tapped, you may return this card from your graveyard to your hand).
D) Tale (Whenever a Bard, Cleric, Shaman, or Druid you control becomes tapped, you may cast this card from your graveyard.)
G) Indelible (As long as you control a Bard, Cleric, Shaman, or Druid, you can cast this card from your graveyard.)
Tale of Two Wolves3GG
Sorcery -- Lore (U)
(Whenever a Bard, Cleric, Shaman, or Druid enters the battlefield under your control, you may return this card from your graveyard to your hand.)
Create two 2/2 green wolf creature tokens.
The vast majority of those who have played Pauper extensively do not share that opinion @Yandere Silver. And most who have played Pauper know that Lotus Petal is not a consideration for aggro decks in the format (or in any format. Across all formats it's utilized in exactly one aggro deck -- Steel Stompy in Legacy. The rest are combo decks. NONE are Pauper decks.).
The OP of this thread -- WickedSouls -- has an opinion that is widely shared about Pauper. And from my experience with the format, I agree with him. The dual lands of Pauper are slow and clunky, leading multicolor decks to be predominantly controlling and leaving aggro decks at a huge tempo disadvantage if they utilize them. This is fine, and broadly speaking a feature that makes Pauper feel unique, but it would be nice to create a land cycle that at least gave aggressive Pauper decks the ability to splash.
It's not an easy task to do, which is why I've been spitballing and hoping something works.
Gibbon Canopy
Land (C)
Gibbon Canopy enters the battlefield tapped. : Add G.
When Gibbon Canopy enters the battlefield, if you control a mountain, target creature you control explores.
Gibbon Canopy
Land (C)
Gibbon Canopy enters the battlefield tapped. : Add G or R.
When Gibbon Canopy enters the battlefield, target creature you control explores.
This design is just as clunky as the other Pauper dual lands, but it does give aggro decks a bit of compensation for that clunkiness. Maybe this is a more plausible path to take.
Anywho, I'll continue to read this thread to see others' ideas. I've probably contributed enough ideas. Maybe they'll inspire someone else to create a better one.
Remove the land type then? I'm partial to the inverse KTK lands, 1D, 2A, and 2B.
2A is pretty elegant in the abstract, yea. It might be too clunky to solve the problem we're trying to solve --> making multicolored aggro better in Pauper.
How about this weird design (name needs to be improved, but it should connote land that can be formed into something better)?
Ground Clay
Land (C)
Ground Clay enters the battlefield as a forest if you control a mountain.
Ground Clay enters the battlefield as a mountain if you don't control a mountain.
I like the above for digital, but think it's tedious to track in paper.
Maybe:
Shimmering Taiga
Land -- Mountain Forest (C)
Vanishing 3
My problem with this design is that it's powerful enough to be a rare land cycle (BUT, it is pretty bad for slower decks in Pauper since Pauper is so grindy, so it would accomplish the goal we're striving to achieve).
EDIT: Wording for Ground Clay that could be less tedious in paper.
Ground Clay
Land (C)
Ground Clay enters the battlefield with a grass counter if you control a mountain.
Ground Clay is a forest as long as it has a grass counter. Ground Clay is a mountain if it has no grass counters.
@mondu_the_fat: True. I do like my "reverse of the KTK lands" idea though. I think that one would genuinely be a good thing to add to the pauper format.
I. Do we like any of these designs?
A. Taiga Hills
Land - Mountain (C) : add G. Activate this ability only if your opponent has more cards in hand.
B. Taiga Hills
Land - Mountain (C) : add G. Activate this ability only if you have more life than each of your opponents.
C. Taiga Hills
Land - Mountain (C) : add G. Activate this ability only if you control two or more lands.
D. Taiga Hills
Land - Mountain (C) : add G. Activate this ability only if you control a red permanent.
II.
A. Arid Knoll
Land - Mountain (C)
Arid Knoll enters the battlefield tapped.
When Arid Knoll enters the battlefield, add G.
B. Arid Knoll
Land - Mountain (C)
Arid Knoll enters the battlefield with one fertility counter. , remove a fertility counter: add G.
Whisp of Blossoms 2GG
Creature -- Plant Whisp (R)
When Whisp of Blossoms enters the battlefield or you cast an instant, sorcery or enchantment, draw a card if you have four or fewer cards in your hand.
2/3
Melodious would not save space because it would take up its one text line event without the reminder text. Also, the fact that each Melodious card triggers to the same three things and then a fourth, different thing also makes this a bit unintuitive.
I prefer my templating to this one. Aesthetics and memory issues lead me to want to keyword it. If I want it to be merely a variable Prowess effect, I'll use the Constellation wording you mentioned in your last post, or the "historic" wording you mentioned in this one.
I agree that the mechanic is a bit unintuitive, or schizophrenic. I do think it's flavorful once you play with a melodious creature once, and easy to remember (the creature does more of what it wants to be doing when it 'hears' a melody --> it becomes more of itself). It lets you design some interesting things you couldn't do otherwise. I'm not sold on using it though.
In general I feel like I'm stressing out too much about deciding on what mechanics to use.
Bestial Wilderness
Land (C) : add R. , sacrifice Bestial Wilderness: Add RG.
A cycle like this would be a boon to aggressive decks and less attractive in control decks.
I also think that simply changing "you gain 1 life" of the Khans lands to "your opponents lose 1 life" would help aggro decks. This might not be the biggest bump imaginable, but it is something that helps aggro decks make up for the tempo loss of taplands.
Mosquito Bogland
Land (C) : add B or G.
Mosquito Bogland enters the battlefield tapped.
When Mosquito Bogland enters the battlefield, each opponent loses one life.
I really like Potential. Great flavor, great mana sink ability. Might not need to be as steeply costed. Both Outlast and Adapt can be used as guideposts for how to cost it. Probably something that can be easily adjusted in playtesting too, so maybe nothing to really worry about atm.
So the mechanic suite is Inherit, Potential, Landfall, and Chant?
The only mechanic I didn't like upon first read was Chant. I thought that at first because it was giving off a Thief of Sanity vibe where once you strike you get a huge edge. BUT, upon further thought, because you're having the player pay more mana to get the repeat effect, that's more of a mana sink than a tempo play. Players can choose to take the tempo play or the card advantage play. So I think I like the mechanic (could rename it though. I don't think "chant" does much to immerse the players in what's going on).
If you ever want me to give this a careful eye or ask a question about it, PM me.
So, first, looking at your current mechanics, you have three named mechanics across all 5 colors and want two more on top of that. You should concentrate those down to where, at least primarily each only shows up en masse in 2-3 colors
I'm comfortable pushing this set in a Theros direction where most colors can access most mechanics, and in which the mechanics synergize with one another. Also mulling over whether one or two mechanics should be accessible to all colors and then you have three mechanics that are more color-specific that engage with the 1-2 mechanics in different ways.
With that said, the color schema you came up with works, as it gives each color two mechanics (sort of like SOI, where each color got a mechanic and a creature type). So it's definitely something I'll give some thought to.
II.
Quote from rowanalpha » »
Flicker could be a mechanical sub-theme, but it doesn't need to be keyworded. Even as a major gameplay theme in WU, it wouldn't save so much text that keywording it makes sense, but it will probably work better as a mini-theme. You might want to consider self bounce instead though, as that would synergize better with Melodious since you could re-cast enchantments.
Yea, that's a good point. Simpler to just have things bounce back to your hand or just write out the flicker wording. And you don't need a ton of cards to put that theme into place (Kaladesh had the same UW theme). I had Ethereal/Vanishing in mind when I picked flicker out as a theme, but I hadn't even thought about how tweaking the theme could make it work both with Ethereal and Melodious. Good catch!
III.
Quote from rowanalpha » »
Melodious, as its written, doesn't make sense. If you mean you want that to be an ability word like landfall or heroic, though, it will work. I'd suggest concentrating it in Bant at most, as it doesn't feel very red.
Melodious - When you cast an instant, sorcery, or enchantment spell, do X.
Why is that the case? Do these not work as I intend them?
Consider these four cards:
Dreamdusk Satyr1G
Creature -- Satyr Shaman (U)
Melodious
When Dreamdusk Satyr attacks, mill two and return up to one land from your graveyard to your hand.
2/2
Whisp of Blossoms2GG
Creature -- Plant Whisp (R)
Melodious
When Whisp of Blossoms enters the battlefield, draw a card if you have four or fewer cards in your hand.
2/3
Sandborn Crackler2RR
Creature -- Elemental Shaman (R)
Haste, Melodious
When Sandborn Shaman enters the battlefield, it deals one damage to target player and one damage to any target that player controls.
4/3
Firstly, do these work as intended? (I intend for instants, sorcieries, and enchantments to trigger as if the creature were attacking or entering the battlefield). Secondly, I'm conflicted on which I prefer. Obviously there's more design space for the ability word -- an alternate version of prowess. But there's something both weirdly dissonant and exciting about this version of melodious.
IV.
Quote from rowanalpha » »
As to the Black mechanics, I would go with
Consume (When this creature attacks, you may exile 2 cards from your graveyard)
When this creature Consumes, do X.
I think this is one of my favorites of the ten I presented as well, in part because it is straight forward and in part because it is a combat-oriented mechanic in a set that doesn't yet have one.
Long story short --> I started thinking about this project again in December, put some work into improving the mechanics, and I feel very good about the general feel of the set and about some of the set mechanics. I'm trying to figure out what the last mechanic should be, and I think it needs to feel centered in Black. Criticism and feedback on these other mechanics is also welcome.
EtherealWUBRG FocusWUBRG MelodiousRGUW FlickerUW (Don't know whether to count keywording common language as a mechanic, but here it is)
Ethereal N [This enters the battlefield with N reality counters. When it attacks, blocks, or activates an ability, remove a reality counter. When the last is removed, sacrifice it at the end of turn.)
Focus(To focus this spell, exile it from your hand and pay its mana cost. When you do, you may cast it during your next turn without paying its mana cost. Focus only at sorcery speed.)
Melodious(This permanent's triggered abilities trigger whenever you cast an instant, sorcery, or enchantment spell.)
Flicker [TARGET] (Exile it and return it to the battlefield at the beginning of the next end step.)
Rhymnir is a dreamworld, created by Ashiok in her own mind. As a dreamworld, this is a set about imagination and possibility, about experiencing the surreal and reaching into the infinite, as Coleridge would say. Wendigos (UB or UBR) inhabit Rhymnir. In North American folklore, Wendigos are cannibalistic and greedy creatures that are always hungry, always gaunt, insatiable, starving no matter how much food they eat. They are a fitting creature type to include on Rhymnir because they can represent the mind's restlessness and thirst for new stimulation. I've been trying to use them as inspiration for a mechanic.
Here are some I've created:
1) Feast -- At the beginning of combat, you may sacrifice a permanent. If you do, [EFFECT].
2) Consume N -- Exile N cards from your graveyard. *keyword action*
3) Consume [Mana Symbols] -- Exile [Mana Symbols] from your graveyard. *keyword action*
4) Vivid [Mana Symbols] (You can make this spell vivid by exiling [mana symbols] from your graveyard when you cast it.)
5) Insatiable(When this creature attacks, you may exile two cards from your graveyard. If you do, put a +1/+1 counter on it.)
6) Insatiable(When this creature attacks, you may exile two cards from your graveyard.)
7) Insatiable [Mana Symbols] -- At the beginning of combat/When this creature attacks, you may exile [mana symbols] from your graveyard. If you do, [EFFECT].
8) Consume (When this enters the battlefield, you may sacrifice a nontoken nonland permanent.)
9) Consume [COST] (When this enters the battlefield, sacrifice it unless you exile a permanent that costs [COST] or greater. When this leaves the battlefield, return that card to the battlefield.)
10) Consume -- Whenever a counter is removed from a permanent you control, [EFFECT].
11) Consume -- Whenever a permanent you control leaves the battlefield, [EFFECT] or [put a +1/+1 counter on this].
12) Consume -- Whenever a nontoken permanent you control leaves the battlefield you may exile it. If you do, [effect].
I'm having trouble determining which of these is best, or which, if any, is a great mechanic. One thing to keep in mind is that whichever mechanic I ultimately go with should work well with at least one of the other mechanics. But at any rate, I think I've hit a mental roadblock. Let me know what y'all think about this, or if the setting/set inspires a different mechanic I haven't yet thought of. All feedback and criticism is welcome. Thanks!
Dreamdusk Satyr 1G
Creature — Satyr Shaman (U)
Melodious (This permanent's triggered abilities trigger whenever you cast an instant, sorcery, or enchantment spell.)
When Dreamdusk Satyr attacks, put the top two cards of your library into your graveyard and return up to one land card from your graveyard to your hand.
2/2
I wish this article had an MTGO section, or at least did an MTGO card value evaluation alongside the other. It does take some work to calculate the MTGO prices because you need to manually look at the price of other versions of the card from GoatBots or Cardhoarder, but that's what would make the article valuable for us MTGO folks!
@BrainPo: I think that card could cost UB, not 2UB. You could make it a 2/3 or give it flying and have it cost 3, perhaps.
Bludgeoning Sabertooth 5G
Creature — Cat (U)
Bludgeoning Sabertooth gets -1/-1 for each time counter on it.
Daydream 4 — 1G (You may cast this spell for its daydream cost. If you do, it enters the battlefield with four time counters. At the beginning of your upkeep, remove a time counter. When the last is removed, sacrifice it.)
"I swear it was smaller the last time I saw it!"
6/6
Big Picture: *Be careful with the hexproof + auras theme*
*Your set is concentrated at lower CMC. That means most decks are going to want 15-16 lands, and all decks are going to want some form of flood insurance. Introducing some looting effects or scrying would be nice, as would increasing landfall. This also means that 1s/2s/3s are going to be slamming into each other, and they all seem to be able to kill each other. That means this set is going to play out more like Origins/Khans/Ixalan in that all decks more or less are doing the same thing on the first several turns (playing creatures and turning them sideways). Be sure that everything else in the set is designed aware of this reality.*
*With the above in mind, I think having mechanics and synergy themes play a moderate role is advisable. Some of the synergy themes need to come out more (Green Landfall and Black tokens come to mind), but overall I think you've gotten close to the right level.*
Important Notes:
- creature sizing is small. Perhaps to keep auras under control.
- very low average CMC. Multiple white ones and 3 twos at common. Making me think that this format is supposed to be lower to the ground and fast, more like Ixalan or Amonkhet. Wondering whether the other colors will follow suit.
- yes, this low CMC theme continues with the uncommons. Two-drop city! Could be fun if all colors are like this. Would be a weird/interesting change of pace from most limited environments.
- a lot of stuff granting flying. I'm skeptical of the Bogles theme innately, but I'm having a hard time envisioning this set being fun if all of these common/uncommon enchantments grant flying.
- Uncommons are strong and look fun. Well done!
Other notes:
- Any reason why there's a ton more Lifelink and First Strike going around than Vigilance?
- I'd bump the enchantress up to an 0/3 or 1/3, and I'd bump the enchantment Tiger to a 3/2.
- I love the Murmuring Mystic for auras. Could probably make it cost 2 and make it all enchantments, but it's fine as is.
- The Inherit cards are A+ in the flavor department. I think I would work to make the 3/3 common guy able to attack (maybe do a "must pay 2 to attack"). Maybe not...for playtesting I suppose. I think the back half is so good that that card will lead to board stalls too often.
- I'd make the 2/4 First Strike uncommon a 2/3.
- The Bowman should probably be a 4 mana 3/3, not a 3 mana 1/2.
Important Notes: - Continuing with the low CMC theme. It feels weird not to have a five/six at common. Maybe that's okay.
- You can't make hexproof + lifelink + flying + unblockable so easily accessible. It was obnoxious even in Dominaria, and that was a slower format. This format feels fast, so you're not going to give players a ton of time to draw their sideboard hate or combat such a potent combo of cards.
- I like the theme of blue: unblockable small dudes, bounce, and freezing. That's classic tempo blue. Also good for combatting auras, so you're putting a check in on bogles players, which feels essential.
- Noting that the bigger blue creatures are dragons. Maybe that'll matter.
- Chant works well with these creatures.
- I count 2 blue creatures with flying. Maybe transfer some of the "grants flying" auras over to blue.
- I like White better, but not sure why. White has a lot more for Johnny...Blue doesn't have much of anything for Johnny. Not that I'm a Johnny (I'm probably a Spike/Timmy more than anything), but I don't sense any sexiness here. There's a lot of well-designed cards and Blue has a clear plan (tempo). With the 0/3 Jellyfish and the 2/5 Dragon I expected to see a big fat 6/7 drop to serve as a finisher for a control deck, but I don't see one. Perhaps in other colors! I'm definitely going to be on the lookout for what the end game will look like for the various colors.
Individual Card Notes: - Again, I love the Inherit cards.
- Cards I don't like: Dream Gardener (too difficult to enable), Wavecraft Student, Tengshe (what purpose is it serving?).
- Windsome Elixir is a strictly better Opt. That's interesting. Moderately exciting, even. Would it be busted for the Chant cost to be 1U?
- Floodbind...woof! Seems busted in most Limited environments, but 5 mana in this format is a lot, so maybe that'll make it just a premium uncommon instead of the next Elite Scaleguard or In Bolas's Clutches.
- "Sorcery Matters" is cool and flavorful here, but "Chant" needs to be a part of that so that the ritual flavor carries through.
- If we're going to be doing "Sorcery Matters" and Tokens as Black's major themes, then we need real enablers and payoffs. There's too much fluff. Separate the wheat from the chaff. Shen Slayer is the best designed card in this batch. Why do only two cards create tokens, and why do they cost 5 and 6 mana (Chilling Rise and Crackling Heiress)?
- There's a lot of life drain. Maybe something in Red/Green works well with that mechanically? Maybe it's just arbitrary. Fine either way.
- Can the vampiric be made to feel more organic and essential? Tie them to sorcery matters or chant?
Individual Card Notes: - Restless Ancestor is too weak.
- Don't count Professional Mourner as a real "tokens matter" payoff. It's fine to include it in the set, but it's no draw to tokens.
- Flesh Alchemist could cost 1 less. Maybe increasing potential cost by 1 would be required, but no one wants to pay 4 mana for a vanilla 2/2 flyer.
- Rope Dart Attack is too expensive.
- Cut Funeral Bell. Pointless card in this set, and some cards here need to be cut so that others can be included that better support the token theme. I think you have too many sorceries (you could cut some sorceries and still support the "Sorcery Matters" theme).
- 3B Ritual Grounds. Enchantment. "Whenever you cast a sorcery, you may pay 2. When you do, create a black 2/1 Vampire Cleric creature token."
- Tiger Knight should be more powerful. Maybe a 6/4 or 6/5. Black and Green are the slower colors, so it'd be nice to give Black a *good* 6 drop.
- But, I'm left wondering why we're even going to have landfall if the payoffs are so small and infrequent? I suppose it's possible to do --> OGW was a good limited environment and it had landfall only on two cards.
- Realize that in draft the 4s-6s in your set are sparser, so they're going to be more premium. UW seem faster, and GB seems slower. This also means that drafters will be choosier on their 1s, 2s, and 3s, focusing more on power level and narrow archetypal/card synergies. So concentrate on having the 2s be better for different decks.
--> For example, perhaps having a 2/2 hexproof Potential and a 2/3 hexproof Potential at the same rarity and CMC might be something to consider changing.
- I'd be much happier if Green's Potential cards had higher potentials. Maybe 3-4 instead of 2.
Individual Card Notes:
- Very happy to see a 3/4 Deathtouch at common. Seems essential.
- move a one-two drop to a 4 drop.
- I like the two top end creatures.
- I'm not a big fan of having a trio of one-mana instants. Cards like Morning Mist and Honorable Duel might be better uncommons. Offering to the Forgotten seems like a good common (though, do I like it in a set with lifelink flying auras?). In the abstract I like this version better than the one I'll propose, but in this environment maybe consider: 1G Instant +3/+3, Kicker G Hexproof.
- Make sure the 2/2 hexproof for 3 at common isn't the next Jade Guardian.
- the Sorcery Matters theme is given adequate support here in Red. Key is the 3R Poet.
- UR Dragons should be a feasible archetype, especially if you're going to print some "Dragons matters" cards in Blue. Put some dragons into Red too.
- Overall I think Red is the best color from a set design perspective right now, and is the color whose cards I'd change the least. Good powerlevel, and many of the commons seem fun to play with. The 4 mana 3/3 landfall creature is fantastic design, and maybe is a card that you should use to check the P/T levels of creatures in other colors.
Individual Card Notes: - the Red and Green common landfall twos don't work well together. Fix the Green one.
- Flame Slash is too good for common here. Make it uncommon.
- Inner Dragon Unbinding needs its mana cost reduced by 1-2.
- Seeing the inherit card here made me wish I had seen a green/black one. Can we get them in those colors too?
- the equipment is good. Will be a valuable pick I think.
Several names work: Lore, Indelible, History, Tale, Song, Inscribe, Inscription.
A) Lore (Whenever a Bard, Cleric, Shaman, or Druid enters the battlefield under your control, you may return this card from your graveyard to your hand)
B) Tale (Whenever a Bard, Cleric, Shaman, or Druid enters the battlefield under your control, you may cast this card from your graveyard. If you do, exile it.)
C) Tale (Whenever a Bard, Cleric, Shaman, or Druid you control becomes tapped, you may return this card from your graveyard to your hand).
D) Tale (Whenever a Bard, Cleric, Shaman, or Druid you control becomes tapped, you may cast this card from your graveyard.)
G) Indelible (As long as you control a Bard, Cleric, Shaman, or Druid, you can cast this card from your graveyard.)
Sorcery -- Lore (U)
(Whenever a Bard, Cleric, Shaman, or Druid enters the battlefield under your control, you may return this card from your graveyard to your hand.)
Create two 2/2 green wolf creature tokens.
The OP of this thread -- WickedSouls -- has an opinion that is widely shared about Pauper. And from my experience with the format, I agree with him. The dual lands of Pauper are slow and clunky, leading multicolor decks to be predominantly controlling and leaving aggro decks at a huge tempo disadvantage if they utilize them. This is fine, and broadly speaking a feature that makes Pauper feel unique, but it would be nice to create a land cycle that at least gave aggressive Pauper decks the ability to splash.
It's not an easy task to do, which is why I've been spitballing and hoping something works.
Land (C)
Gibbon Canopy enters the battlefield tapped.
When Gibbon Canopy enters the battlefield, if you control a mountain, target creature you control explores.
Land (C)
Gibbon Canopy enters the battlefield tapped.
When Gibbon Canopy enters the battlefield, target creature you control explores.
This design is just as clunky as the other Pauper dual lands, but it does give aggro decks a bit of compensation for that clunkiness. Maybe this is a more plausible path to take.
Anywho, I'll continue to read this thread to see others' ideas. I've probably contributed enough ideas. Maybe they'll inspire someone else to create a better one.
2A is pretty elegant in the abstract, yea. It might be too clunky to solve the problem we're trying to solve --> making multicolored aggro better in Pauper.
How about this weird design (name needs to be improved, but it should connote land that can be formed into something better)?
Land (C)
Ground Clay enters the battlefield as a forest if you control a mountain.
Ground Clay enters the battlefield as a mountain if you don't control a mountain.
I like the above for digital, but think it's tedious to track in paper.
Maybe:
Land -- Mountain Forest (C)
Vanishing 3
My problem with this design is that it's powerful enough to be a rare land cycle (BUT, it is pretty bad for slower decks in Pauper since Pauper is so grindy, so it would accomplish the goal we're striving to achieve).
EDIT: Wording for Ground Clay that could be less tedious in paper.
Land (C)
Ground Clay enters the battlefield with a grass counter if you control a mountain.
Ground Clay is a forest as long as it has a grass counter. Ground Clay is a mountain if it has no grass counters.
I. Do we like any of these designs?
A. Taiga Hills
Land - Mountain (C)
B. Taiga Hills
Land - Mountain (C)
C. Taiga Hills
Land - Mountain (C)
D. Taiga Hills
Land - Mountain (C)
II.
A. Arid Knoll
Land - Mountain (C)
Arid Knoll enters the battlefield tapped.
When Arid Knoll enters the battlefield, add G.
B. Arid Knoll
Land - Mountain (C)
Arid Knoll enters the battlefield with one fertility counter.
I prefer my templating to this one. Aesthetics and memory issues lead me to want to keyword it. If I want it to be merely a variable Prowess effect, I'll use the Constellation wording you mentioned in your last post, or the "historic" wording you mentioned in this one.
I agree that the mechanic is a bit unintuitive, or schizophrenic. I do think it's flavorful once you play with a melodious creature once, and easy to remember (the creature does more of what it wants to be doing when it 'hears' a melody --> it becomes more of itself). It lets you design some interesting things you couldn't do otherwise. I'm not sold on using it though.
In general I feel like I'm stressing out too much about deciding on what mechanics to use.
Land (C)
A cycle like this would be a boon to aggressive decks and less attractive in control decks.
I also think that simply changing "you gain 1 life" of the Khans lands to "your opponents lose 1 life" would help aggro decks. This might not be the biggest bump imaginable, but it is something that helps aggro decks make up for the tempo loss of taplands.
Mosquito Bogland
Land (C)
Mosquito Bogland enters the battlefield tapped.
When Mosquito Bogland enters the battlefield, each opponent loses one life.
So the mechanic suite is Inherit, Potential, Landfall, and Chant?
The only mechanic I didn't like upon first read was Chant. I thought that at first because it was giving off a Thief of Sanity vibe where once you strike you get a huge edge. BUT, upon further thought, because you're having the player pay more mana to get the repeat effect, that's more of a mana sink than a tempo play. Players can choose to take the tempo play or the card advantage play. So I think I like the mechanic (could rename it though. I don't think "chant" does much to immerse the players in what's going on).
If you ever want me to give this a careful eye or ask a question about it, PM me.
I'm comfortable pushing this set in a Theros direction where most colors can access most mechanics, and in which the mechanics synergize with one another. Also mulling over whether one or two mechanics should be accessible to all colors and then you have three mechanics that are more color-specific that engage with the 1-2 mechanics in different ways.
With that said, the color schema you came up with works, as it gives each color two mechanics (sort of like SOI, where each color got a mechanic and a creature type). So it's definitely something I'll give some thought to.
II.
Yea, that's a good point. Simpler to just have things bounce back to your hand or just write out the flicker wording. And you don't need a ton of cards to put that theme into place (Kaladesh had the same UW theme). I had Ethereal/Vanishing in mind when I picked flicker out as a theme, but I hadn't even thought about how tweaking the theme could make it work both with Ethereal and Melodious. Good catch!
III.
Why is that the case? Do these not work as I intend them?
Consider these four cards:
Dreamdusk Satyr 1G
Creature -- Satyr Shaman (U)
Melodious
When Dreamdusk Satyr attacks, mill two and return up to one land from your graveyard to your hand.
2/2
Whisp of Blossoms 2GG
Creature -- Plant Whisp (R)
Melodious
When Whisp of Blossoms enters the battlefield, draw a card if you have four or fewer cards in your hand.
2/3
Sandborn Crackler 2RR
Creature -- Elemental Shaman (R)
Haste, Melodious
When Sandborn Shaman enters the battlefield, it deals one damage to target player and one damage to any target that player controls.
4/3
Satyr Lute 2
Artifact -- Equipment (U)
Equipped creature has Melodious.
Equip 3
Firstly, do these work as intended? (I intend for instants, sorcieries, and enchantments to trigger as if the creature were attacking or entering the battlefield). Secondly, I'm conflicted on which I prefer. Obviously there's more design space for the ability word -- an alternate version of prowess. But there's something both weirdly dissonant and exciting about this version of melodious.
IV.I think this is one of my favorites of the ten I presented as well, in part because it is straight forward and in part because it is a combat-oriented mechanic in a set that doesn't yet have one.
Long story short --> I started thinking about this project again in December, put some work into improving the mechanics, and I feel very good about the general feel of the set and about some of the set mechanics. I'm trying to figure out what the last mechanic should be, and I think it needs to feel centered in Black. Criticism and feedback on these other mechanics is also welcome.
Ethereal WUBRG
Focus WUBRG
Melodious RGUW
Flicker UW (Don't know whether to count keywording common language as a mechanic, but here it is)
Ethereal N [This enters the battlefield with N reality counters. When it attacks, blocks, or activates an ability, remove a reality counter. When the last is removed, sacrifice it at the end of turn.)
Focus (To focus this spell, exile it from your hand and pay its mana cost. When you do, you may cast it during your next turn without paying its mana cost. Focus only at sorcery speed.)
Melodious (This permanent's triggered abilities trigger whenever you cast an instant, sorcery, or enchantment spell.)
Flicker [TARGET] (Exile it and return it to the battlefield at the beginning of the next end step.)
Rhymnir is a dreamworld, created by Ashiok in her own mind. As a dreamworld, this is a set about imagination and possibility, about experiencing the surreal and reaching into the infinite, as Coleridge would say. Wendigos (UB or UBR) inhabit Rhymnir. In North American folklore, Wendigos are cannibalistic and greedy creatures that are always hungry, always gaunt, insatiable, starving no matter how much food they eat. They are a fitting creature type to include on Rhymnir because they can represent the mind's restlessness and thirst for new stimulation. I've been trying to use them as inspiration for a mechanic.
Here are some I've created:
1) Feast -- At the beginning of combat, you may sacrifice a permanent. If you do, [EFFECT].
2) Consume N -- Exile N cards from your graveyard. *keyword action*
3) Consume [Mana Symbols] -- Exile [Mana Symbols] from your graveyard. *keyword action*
4) Vivid [Mana Symbols] (You can make this spell vivid by exiling [mana symbols] from your graveyard when you cast it.)
5) Insatiable (When this creature attacks, you may exile two cards from your graveyard. If you do, put a +1/+1 counter on it.)
6) Insatiable (When this creature attacks, you may exile two cards from your graveyard.)
7) Insatiable [Mana Symbols] -- At the beginning of combat/When this creature attacks, you may exile [mana symbols] from your graveyard. If you do, [EFFECT].
8) Consume (When this enters the battlefield, you may sacrifice a nontoken nonland permanent.)
9) Consume [COST] (When this enters the battlefield, sacrifice it unless you exile a permanent that costs [COST] or greater. When this leaves the battlefield, return that card to the battlefield.)
10) Consume -- Whenever a counter is removed from a permanent you control, [EFFECT].
11) Consume -- Whenever a permanent you control leaves the battlefield, [EFFECT] or [put a +1/+1 counter on this].
12) Consume -- Whenever a nontoken permanent you control leaves the battlefield you may exile it. If you do, [effect].
I'm having trouble determining which of these is best, or which, if any, is a great mechanic. One thing to keep in mind is that whichever mechanic I ultimately go with should work well with at least one of the other mechanics. But at any rate, I think I've hit a mental roadblock. Let me know what y'all think about this, or if the setting/set inspires a different mechanic I haven't yet thought of. All feedback and criticism is welcome. Thanks!
Dreamdusk Satyr 1G
Creature — Satyr Shaman (U)
Melodious (This permanent's triggered abilities trigger whenever you cast an instant, sorcery, or enchantment spell.)
When Dreamdusk Satyr attacks, put the top two cards of your library into your graveyard and return up to one land card from your graveyard to your hand.
2/2