MTG Salvation

Neat card.

Though affinity for assassins doesn't seem necessary since it's already well costed. Also the destroy a non-assassin creature is an unnecessary modifier considering thematically backstabbing is a thing among assassins and it will also likely never come up in gameplay.

Overall it's a good card, if it were legendary it'd be an interesting general to be around.

Surge of Vigor 5G
Instant - Trap (R)
If a creature was returned to your hand by an effect controlled by an opponent, ~ costs 5 less to cast.
Put a creature from your hand onto the battlefield.

Nice trap. Would really annoy a blue mage, especially if you drop an Eternal Witness and get it back.

The affinity stuff on my card above is an idea I'm working on for a set I'm thinking about set on a prison planet. It's supposed to evoke the feeling of a criminal syndicate banding together.

Daggercloak Assassin seems to take its cues from Dune's Face Dancers. Dimir Doppelgangers only wish they were as cool.

Surge of Vigor's color-intensiveness should probably be upped to 4GG or 3GGG and the trap discount modified accordingly. Dramatic Entrance costs five but is restricted to green creatures, so an extra mana surcharge makes sense. But an additional surcharge for its "trappings" would be too much, because at seven mana, you're in Tooth and Nail territory.

* * *

Note that only creatures with an exact color match get the P/T bonus:

True Blood 2B
Instant (U)
Choose one or more colors. For each colored creature, that creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn if its colors are the same as ones chosen. Otherwise, it gets -1/-1 until end of turn.

True blood is interesting for sure. It's essentially a multi-modal spells without being a modal spell. In a block like Ravnica or Alara limited, it's absolutely sick, but in constructed it's pretty balanced.

Stopgap Measure 1U
Instant - (U)
Return target spell to it's owner's hand. If you only spent U to cast ~, that player may not cast spells with the same name as the returned spell until end of turn.

Re-remand? (sic) So you don't get the cantrip, but it can temporarily stave off Abrupt Decay and friends. In some scenarios, that small tempo gain can make all the difference.

* * *

The rules text could probably use some pruning here...

Sequence Breaker 2UR
Creature - Human Wizard (M)
You may take each of your turns in any order of steps and phases. (Untap, upkeep, draw, main, and end are steps and phases whose order can be changed. The combat step still takes place between the pre- and postcombat main phases and the cleanup step still takes place at the end of each turn.)
3/4

Hmm. The fact that the combat step still has to be after the precombat main phase can be a template problem, but otherwise, this looks solid as far as abilities go. May need to cost higher though; Imagine triggering the end step first, then swing with a Ball Lightning or something that normally dies end step.....


Next

Sunbolt Stinger 3R
Creature - Elemental (U)
Whenever Sunbolt Stinger deals damage to a player, that player discards that many cards, then draws a card for each card discarded this way.
1R, T: Sunbolt Stinger deals damage equal to its power to target creature or player.
2/2

Not quite Barbed Shocker, but what say you?


EDIT:

Sunbolt Stinger 3R
Creature - Elemental (U)
Whenever Sunbolt Stinger deals damage to a player, that player discards that many cards at random, then draws a card for each card discarded this way.
1R, T: Sunbolt Stinger deals damage equal to its power to target player.
2/2

I had to think on that one for a while. So it Arrests them, but then locks into them being under the effects of Arrest and can't be used again. I guess it's alright, but Arrest itself already CMCs to 3, so perhaps this should be :4mana:? Just a thought. I like it though, flavor and all.

Parunheod:symgw::symwu::symub::symbr::symrg::symgu::symur::symrw::symwb::symbg:
Legendary Creature - Avatar
Vigilance, protection from spells and legendary permanents.
At the beginning of each upkeep, gain control of all legendary creatjres you don't control. If Parunheod leaves play, return them to their owners control.
If Parunheod would be put into a graveyard from anywhere, instead put him sixth from top of your library.
Pay 5 life: Regenerate Parunheod.
7/12

Not sure if the formatting on the mana is the most desirable, but it looks neat, I think. If you could suggest another way to format it, feel free.

What is this, I don't even. I see nothing even comprehensible on this card, even though it is worded properly. While I do like the concept, I think that the last 2 abilities are stupid, since they don't fit with the rest of the card.

Flock of Angels :5mana::symw::symw::symw:
Creature - Angel {R}
Flying, Vigilance
Flock of Angels gets +4/+4 for each other Angel you control.
4/4

Generally, one Angel is enough to finish the game, but in case you needed more evidence of how phat Mirror Entity is...

Personally, I'd have given it the Coat of Arms effect, but confined to Angels.

* * *

For those who know their M:tG psychographics, this is a consummate Dave card:

Hyperinflation 2WW
Enchantment (R)
Spells cost twice as much mana to cast. (Mana cost includes color.)

I'm unsure as to templating. The intent is, for instance, if someone has an Omniscience out, he'd would still have to pay for each spell once.

Quote from Meritocracy

I'm unsure as to templating. The intent is, for instance, if someone has an Omniscience out, he'd would still have to pay for each spell once.

"Spells cost their mana cost to cast in addition to their mana costs."

Hyperinflation is bloody brutal for 4 mana; It easily shuts down a LOT of things, and renders it virtually impossible for anyone to play their bombs, EVER. 6cc should be better. And Fumar's wording idea for countering Omnisceience certainly fits, although on the flipside, this may get wonky with the costless suspends (absent mana cost cannot be paid, remember?)


Discard Utvara Hellkite, GG.

Mizzium Morphing 2UR
Sorcery (R)
As an additional cost to cast Mizzium Morphing, discard a creature card.
Target creature you control becomes a copy of the discarded card until end of turn.
Overload 4UURR

The overload cost probably needs to be more expensive, but what do you think?


EDIT:

Mizzium Morphing 2UR
Sorcery (R)
As an additional cost to cast Mizzium Morphing, discard a creature card.
Target creature you control becomes a copy of the discarded card until end of turn.
Overload 5UURR

Quote from magac

Hyperinflation is bloody brutal for 4 mana; It easily shuts down a LOT of things, and renders it virtually impossible for anyone to play their bombs, EVER. 6cc should be better. And Fumar's wording idea for countering Omnisceience certainly fits, although on the flipside, this may get wonky with the costless suspends (absent mana cost cannot be paid, remember?)


Discard Utvara Hellkite, GG.

Mizzium Morphing 2UR
Sorcery (R)
As an additional cost to cast Mizzium Morphing, discard a creature card.
Target creature you control becomes a copy of the discarded card until end of turn.
Overload 4UURR

The overload cost probably needs to be more expensive, but what do you think?

I doubt it's much off. I'd make it one more, as the only basis for this effect I could think of was Rite of Replication which is bomb in any format that goes that far.

Maybe 2, since you don't need anything super good on the field to utilize it, but then, you don't need a discard to make RoR work, so I think 4/9 is on the money.

Strangling Kelp - 2GU
Creaure - Plant
Defender
Creatures blocked by ~ don't untap during their next controller's untap phase.
0/5

With those stats, it can be a lot cheaper. Compare to Wall of Frost.

Elusive Predator 2G
Creature - Shapeshifter Beast
You may have Elusive Predator enter the battlefield as a copy of any creature on the battlefield, and it gains "When a creature with the same name as this creature enters the battlefield, sacrifice this creature."
"It mimics it's prey? Breeding must be... difficult."
0/0

It gets confused.

To green, w/German accent: No Clone for you!

* * *

Ravnica-themed card:

Transguild Rubout B
Instant (U)
As an additional cost to cast Transguild Rubout, tap an untapped bicolored creature you control.
Destroy target bicolored creature if it doesn’t share two colors with the creature tapped this way.

I know what you mean, and seems fair enough considering how ridiculously narrow this card is.


I'll put my Izzet ideas on backseat and do something else.

Visitor Screening 1W
Enchantment (U)
Whenever a creature enters the battlefield under an opponent's control, detain it.
"Halt! Who goes there?"

Weaker than Martial Law since it only counters Haste, at best. Comments?

you need a time limit on it. Detain describes a state, but all the cards with detain seem to have "until X". Otherwise, I'm trying to think up ways to abuse it. It stops them from blocking for a turn. It also stops there activated abilities that don't require tapping. I can't think of a way to "force" this effect, and as such I think it's GOOD!!

Spawn of the Pools - 1UG
Creature - Fish Mutant(U)
When ~ enters the battlefield destroy target artifact.
Conversion - Whenever ~ becomes tapped and isn't attacking, destroy target artifact.
2/1

So I don't know if I worded this right. Basically whenever this guy, or any "guy" with conversion, becomes tapped something happens, but I want to disclude attacking with it. Basically, you have to come up with reasons to tap him, not too hard.

Detain's rules actually state that detail effect lasts until your next turn, which means in my case, the creature is detained until the opponent's turn is over. (although in multiplayer game, the effect lasts until the opponent just before you ends their turn, thus the detain can last a bit longer). Which is why my card is much cheaper than Martial Law; Even though those creatures can't attack even if it has haste, they can still block later.


And your effect is good, although maybe Conversion may warrant an additional cost or something, although then again, "tap an untapped creature" effects aren't too common either (then again, Arcane Teaching?)


How about making loti?

Lotus Horticulture 2G
Enchantment - Aura (R)
Enchant land
Whenever enchanted land is tapped for mana, put a charge counter on it.
Enchanted land has "T, remove three charge counters from this permanent: Put a colorless Lotus artifact token with 'T, sacrifice this permanent: Add three mana of any color to your mana pool' onto the battlefield."

I know noncreature tokens are rare, but come on, they need love.

Spawn of the Pools - could you word it as "Whenever ~ becomes tapped, if it isn't attacking, destroy target artifact." ? I think this would work. Fair comparison to Trygon Predator as the noncombat version. (also on multicolored cards, symbols are in clockwise WUBRG order/GU not UG, same with WB, UR, BG, RW)

Lotus Horticulture seems a bit dangerous with Vivid Grove and the like. It seems a bit terrifying in a deck with Coretapper and Energy Chamber and artifact lands. I feel like it could go infinite, but then again it would require a significant effort just to get back your initial mana investment.

So here's an attempt to make cumulative upkeep not awful.

Approaching Thaw 1G
Enchantment (U)
Cumulative upkeep G
When Approaching Thaw is put into a graveyard, you may search your library for up to X basic lands, where X is the number of age counters on Approaching Thaw, and put those lands onto the battlefield. If you do, shuffle your library.

I figured ETB untapped was an acceptable tradeoff for being a risky slightly slower Rampant Growth, even though it does grow in size you've got to be prepared to funnel plenty of mana into it. Is it fair?

I always love the color bleed of White/Black destruction. I think I had a game where I was wishing this card existed.
... Man, this card would wreck the set my card's from...

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Now, I know the major downsides to Enchantment Creatures, but this guy's from a set I've been tinkering with that has both mechanical and flavorful reasons to have this card type around. I tried to make him have both the feel of an enchantment and a creature, though.

On Pleathers for Breakfast:

Modified Mortify? I realize it can't be played if there are no enchantments to target, but that seems rather easy to get around. The cost seems a little too low to me, but at the same time, 2WB seems too high. Perhaps it should have an additional cost. Maybe something like 1WB, Pay 2 Life?

On Harvest Familiar:

The abilities are all pretty interesting and flavorful, but 5 mana for a 2/2 enchantment creature seems like a bad deal. He dies to enchantment removal, creature destruction and damage. Basically, he's way too fragile (which fits flavor-wise with the image at least).


My Card

Cease Fire 1(R/W)(R/W)
Enchantment

Cease Fire enters the battlefield with three diplomacy counters on it.

Whenever a creature attacks, remove a diplomacy counter from Cease Fire and Cease Fire deals 2 damage to each attacking creature.

"Well, they seem to have gotten the fire part down at the very least..."

It stalls the game where neither player is doing anything for turns on end, or it immediately flips when one of you can't take advantage of it. Cards that say "lol, draw" should never be printed.

Quote from Ultimoron

The seems interesting, although there's some confusion: do you mean to deal just 2 damage, or are you meaning to deal 6 damage to each creature if three attack?

The latter. The idea being that the more creatures you attack with, the more you're breaking the Cease Fire and therefore the bigger the punishment.

Ultimoron: This doesn't make the game much fun to play when it's face-up, and a lot of people would be annoyed with it flipped. Still, there is a subset of people that would enjoy this.


That's a White-black color indicator.

Selective Memory, long time no see. Fer Urza's sake, take off that silly white and black paint!

But seriously, it's cool if the current matchup leaves you with one or more potential dead draws in your deck.

* * *

Blarrrrrrggggh! Johnny-card on your twelve:

Shadow Play 4U
Enchantment (R)
Nontoken permanents can't be the target of abilities of token permanents.
Token permanents can't be the target of abilities of nontoken permanents.
If a nontoken permanent would deal damage to a token permanent, it deals no damage to that permanent instead.
If a token permanent would deal damage to a nontoken permanent, it deals no damage to that permanent instead.

Quote from Meritocracy

Blarrrrrrggggh! Johnny-card on your twelve:

Shadow Play 4U
Enchantment (R)
Nontoken permanents can't be the target of abilities of token permanents.
Token permanents can't be the target of abilities of nontoken permanents.
If a nontoken permanent would deal damage to a token permanent, it deals no damage to that permanent instead.
If a token permanent would deal damage to a nontoken permanent, it deals no damage to that permanent instead.

I feel like this should also say something about copied vs. non-copied instant and sorcery spells. For the sake of completeness.