Isode's Conjunction2UU
Enchantment (R)
When Isode’s Conjunction enters the battlefield, scry 4.
At the beginning of your upkeep, if you control a permanent with converted mana cost exactly 1 and a permanent with converted mana cost exactly 7, you may sacrifice Isode’s Conjunction. When you do, draw four cards.
IIW: I've been away so long that I've forgotten how to play. Design me a rare card that will teach me an important game concept while also appealing to casual players.
Norn's Embrace4WWW
Sorcery (M)
Target opponent gets an emblem with “Nonartifact spells you cast cost 3 more to cast.” “Be still, fleshling, and welcome perfection.”
—Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite
Bomb Vivant1R
Creature — Human Warrior (C)
Whenever you cast your second spell each turn, Bomb Vivant gets +2/+0 until end of turn. Sacrifice it at the beginning of the next end step. “Careful in the front row.”
—Juri, proprietor of the Juri Revue
2/2
Liege of the Sands3WW
Creature — Zombie Cleric (M)
When Liege of the Sands enters the battlefield, create two 1/1 colorless Sand creature tokens.
Other creatures you control get +1/+1. 1BB, Pay 2 life: Create a 1/1 colorless Sand creature token
2/5
Ghirapur Privateer1UU
Creature — Human Rogue (R) 2U, T: Create a token that’s a copy of target artifact or creature an opponent controls. That token gains haste. Exile it at the beginning of the next end step. The bootleg invention trade provides world class ingenuity at a fraction of the price and twice the liability.
2/2
Rogue Guy, Undercity BrokerWUBR
Legendary Creature — Human Rogue (M) 2, Pay 2 life: Draw a card. Any player may activate this ability but only during his or her turn. 4, Discard a card: Destroy another target creature. Any player may activate this ability but only during his or her turn.
4/4
In a perfect world you'd get nice things whenever another player uses one of his abilities, but that's a whole lot of words.
What are the archetypes for the custom cube you're building?
Archetypes? I don't know her.
WU Auras UB Mill BR Suicide RG idk lol GW idk lol WB Converted mana cost 2 or less matters. BG Swarmyard tribal GU Frogs UR Artifact aggro RW idk lol
But at the moment I'm just making dumb things and seeing what happens.
More silly cards
Don Gero, Zonot Chiormaster2GU
Legendary Creature — Human Shaman
At the beginning of your upkeep, draw a card for each Frog you control. 1GU, Discard a card: Create a 1/1 green and blue Frog creature token. Activate this ability only any time you could cast a sorcery.
2/3
Soveriegn of Nine Gales1WU
Creature — Bird Wizard
Flying
Whenever a player casts a spell that targets only a single creature you control, you may create a 1/1 blue and white Bird creature token with flying. If you do, change the target of that spell to that token.
2/2
Lord of the Cloth2WB
Creature — Zombie Cleric
Deathtouch, lifelink
Creatures you control with converted mana cost 2 or less have deathtouch and lifelink.
3/4
Rat King1BB
Creature — Rat
You may reveal Rat King as you draft it. If you do, add three cards that are copies of it to your draft pool.
Other Rats you control get +1/+1.
2/2
Panicked Pachyderm2GG
Creature — Elephant
Trample
Whenever Panicked Pachyderm becomes blocked by a Rat, return Panicked Pachyderm to its owner’s hand.
5/5
Unmarked Grave - Boy could this ever get annoying. I'm not sure it's exactly degenerate as a sac outlet feeder since you only get one piece of fodder at a time, barring Paradox Haze shenanigans and activating abilities during your upkeep, but I'd really prefer this dropped the ETB ability and then had the upkeep trigger reference "Spirit tokens" instead of "Spirits" so the subtypes of the other creatures you pick don't randomly cripple your engine.
That's actually a decent idea. My only design requirement here is "like Security Detail but not".
Ravening Bloodlord - This would be completely acceptable even outside of Cube. Great extension of red's damned-if-you-do-damned-if-you-don't punisher capabilities, expensive enough not to be a Constructed worry if it were in a Standard-legal set... generally a good package.
Yeah, the power level of this cube varies between "legitimately good" to "adorable but useless", skewing towards the later. I have lots of freedom to make what I want to be good actually good, but for now I'm just focused on making cute things.
Silas Renn's Skull - Took me a moment to remember that Silas Renn was some Esperite mage, not a brooding Dark Jedi played by America's heartthrob Adam Driver. The scry ability is perfectly fine, if perhaps slightly durdly to do every turn on a relatively durable package. The Unlimited Wish is... something else, it's a pretty splashy and memorabe ability but seven mana paid in two installments is expensive. What do you get to pick from in a Cube situation, exactly? Do you have a real sideboard or could you dig into your collection?
You get to dig through the rest of your pool, which perhaps means this is overcosted since it's probably not going to fetch you anything game breaking, but it's a flavour home run and I love it so much. Deepest lore. (For those not in the know, Silas Renn is an Esperite clockworker (deus-ex-machinamancer) and the guy whose severed head Tezzeret used to navigate the Sphinx Kamuel's maze.)
I should just go ahead and rename this thing Chemtrails Talks about Cards with void_nothing.
Just one weird one this time. I'm uncertain on the exact mechanics, but it'll be something like this:
Chosen MaidenW
Creature — Human 2W, T, Tap two untapped creatures you control: Sacrifice Chosen Maiden, then return it to the battlefield transformed. Activate this ability only if you control a Mountain.
1/1
// Favor of the Volcano God ⬤ Enchantment
When Favor of the Volcano God enters the battlefield, it deals 3 damage to each opponent.
Whenever a creature you control attacks, you may have Favor of the Volcano God deal 1 damage to target creature or player.
Riteborn Demon - Sure. A lot going on but it's all kind of wrapped up neatly, and the Western psyche is hardwired to see patterns in threes, or something. Dread Return homage there?
Let me take a moment to tell you about how aesthethically great this design actually is. Mana cost equals cumulative cost to make three Clerics, three having historical baggage in Magic (Dark Supplicant, Dread Return, Delraich). Six power, six toughness, six converted mana cost. Demons love six! Three coloured mana, three colourless mana, three Clerics. Six is a multiple of three. Triangles have three sides. Illuminati confirmed. Jokes aside, I think the narrative of a cult gathering to resurrect their long dead demon lord is resonant enough to cut through a lot of the mechanical baggage.
This guy originally made a 0/1 Plant, and then could put +1/+1 counters on tokens, but I decided Swarmyard Tribal is funnier.
Maybe if I post more, I'll actually finish this thing? Here goes nothin'.
Unmarked GraveW
Enchantment
When Unmarked Grave enters the battlefield, create 1/1 white Spirit creature token with flying.
At the beginning of your upkeep, if you control no Spirits, create 1/1 white Spirit creature token with flying.
Private EyeU
Creature - Homunculus
Private Eye can’t be blocked unless defending player player pays 2 for each creature blocking it.
Whenever Private Eye deals combat damage to a player, investigate. (Put a colorless Clue artifact token onto the battlefield with “2, Sacrifice this artifact: Draw a card.”)
1/1
Ravening Bloodlord3RR
Creature - Vampire Berserker
Haste
Whenever Ravening Bloodlord deals combat damage to a player, put a +1/+1 counter on Ravening Bloodlord.
Whenever Ravening Bloodlord deals combat damage to a creature, Ravening Bloodlord deals that much damage to that creature’s controller.
3/3
Silas Renn’s Skull2
Legendary Artifact 1, T: Scry 1. 5, T, Sacrifice Silas Renn’s Skull: Choose a card you own from outside the game and put it into your hand.
Rage of Demons2BB
Enchantment - Aura (M)
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature gains trample and rumble X, where X is the number of Swamps you control.
Creatures must block enchanted creature if able.
Isode's Conjunction 2UU
Enchantment (R)
When Isode’s Conjunction enters the battlefield, scry 4.
At the beginning of your upkeep, if you control a permanent with converted mana cost exactly 1 and a permanent with converted mana cost exactly 7, you may sacrifice Isode’s Conjunction. When you do, draw four cards.
IIW: I've been away so long that I've forgotten how to play. Design me a rare card that will teach me an important game concept while also appealing to casual players.
Sorcery (M)
Target opponent gets an emblem with “Nonartifact spells you cast cost 3 more to cast.”
“Be still, fleshling, and welcome perfection.”
—Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite
IIW: Spooky-ooky.
Creature — Human Warrior (C)
Whenever you cast your second spell each turn, Bomb Vivant gets +2/+0 until end of turn. Sacrifice it at the beginning of the next end step.
“Careful in the front row.”
—Juri, proprietor of the Juri Revue
2/2
IIW: Designers, rock the kasbah.
Creature — Zombie Cleric (M)
When Liege of the Sands enters the battlefield, create two 1/1 colorless Sand creature tokens.
Other creatures you control get +1/+1.
1BB, Pay 2 life: Create a 1/1 colorless Sand creature token
2/5
IIW: A card based on your hometown.
Ghirapur Privateer 1UU
Creature — Human Rogue (R)
2U, T: Create a token that’s a copy of target artifact or creature an opponent controls. That token gains haste. Exile it at the beginning of the next end step.
The bootleg invention trade provides world class ingenuity at a fraction of the price and twice the liability.
2/2
IIW: XX
Rogue Guy, Undercity Broker WUBR
Legendary Creature — Human Rogue (M)
2, Pay 2 life: Draw a card. Any player may activate this ability but only during his or her turn.
4, Discard a card: Destroy another target creature. Any player may activate this ability but only during his or her turn.
4/4
In a perfect world you'd get nice things whenever another player uses one of his abilities, but that's a whole lot of words.
UB Mill
BR Suicide
RG idk lol
GW idk lol
WB Converted mana cost 2 or less matters.
BG Swarmyard tribal
GU Frogs
UR Artifact aggro
RW idk lol
But at the moment I'm just making dumb things and seeing what happens.
Don Gero, Zonot Chiormaster 2GU
Legendary Creature — Human Shaman
At the beginning of your upkeep, draw a card for each Frog you control.
1GU, Discard a card: Create a 1/1 green and blue Frog creature token. Activate this ability only any time you could cast a sorcery.
2/3
Soveriegn of Nine Gales 1WU
Creature — Bird Wizard
Flying
Whenever a player casts a spell that targets only a single creature you control, you may create a 1/1 blue and white Bird creature token with flying. If you do, change the target of that spell to that token.
2/2
Lord of the Cloth 2WB
Creature — Zombie Cleric
Deathtouch, lifelink
Creatures you control with converted mana cost 2 or less have deathtouch and lifelink.
3/4
Rat King 1BB
Creature — Rat
You may reveal Rat King as you draft it. If you do, add three cards that are copies of it to your draft pool.
Other Rats you control get +1/+1.
2/2
Panicked Pachyderm 2GG
Creature — Elephant
Trample
Whenever Panicked Pachyderm becomes blocked by a Rat, return Panicked Pachyderm to its owner’s hand.
5/5
Yeah, the power level of this cube varies between "legitimately good" to "adorable but useless", skewing towards the later. I have lots of freedom to make what I want to be good actually good, but for now I'm just focused on making cute things.
You get to dig through the rest of your pool, which perhaps means this is overcosted since it's probably not going to fetch you anything game breaking, but it's a flavour home run and I love it so much. Deepest lore. (For those not in the know, Silas Renn is an Esperite clockworker (deus-ex-machinamancer) and the guy whose severed head Tezzeret used to navigate the Sphinx Kamuel's maze.)
I should just go ahead and rename this thing Chemtrails Talks about Cards with void_nothing.
Just one weird one this time. I'm uncertain on the exact mechanics, but it'll be something like this:
Chosen Maiden W
Creature — Human
2W, T, Tap two untapped creatures you control: Sacrifice Chosen Maiden, then return it to the battlefield transformed. Activate this ability only if you control a Mountain.
1/1
//
Favor of the Volcano God
⬤ Enchantment
When Favor of the Volcano God enters the battlefield, it deals 3 damage to each opponent.
Whenever a creature you control attacks, you may have Favor of the Volcano God deal 1 damage to target creature or player.
This guy originally made a 0/1 Plant, and then could put +1/+1 counters on tokens, but I decided Swarmyard Tribal is funnier.
Maybe if I post more, I'll actually finish this thing? Here goes nothin'.
Unmarked Grave W
Enchantment
When Unmarked Grave enters the battlefield, create 1/1 white Spirit creature token with flying.
At the beginning of your upkeep, if you control no Spirits, create 1/1 white Spirit creature token with flying.
Private Eye U
Creature - Homunculus
Private Eye can’t be blocked unless defending player player pays 2 for each creature blocking it.
Whenever Private Eye deals combat damage to a player, investigate. (Put a colorless Clue artifact token onto the battlefield with “2, Sacrifice this artifact: Draw a card.”)
1/1
Ravening Bloodlord 3RR
Creature - Vampire Berserker
Haste
Whenever Ravening Bloodlord deals combat damage to a player, put a +1/+1 counter on Ravening Bloodlord.
Whenever Ravening Bloodlord deals combat damage to a creature, Ravening Bloodlord deals that much damage to that creature’s controller.
3/3
Silas Renn’s Skull 2
Legendary Artifact
1, T: Scry 1.
5, T, Sacrifice Silas Renn’s Skull: Choose a card you own from outside the game and put it into your hand.