Suma, First of Abzan WBG
Legendary Creature - Human Warrior
4/4
At the beginning of your upkeep, gain 1 life for each creature with a +1/+1 counter on it. Then draw a card for every 4 life gained this way. Then gain control of one of those creatures for every 8 life gained this way. WBG: Put a +1/+1 counter on each creature your don’t control.
”Families are formed through compassion.”
Lore
Suma was the first “Khan” of Abzan. Abzan ancestral lands were the unforgiving deserts of Tarkir, where everyone fought for their own lives instead of for each other, but Suma believed otherwise. Through giving and sharing, Suma formed companionships later grew into the Abzan Houses we know today.
Flavor
- Suma’s creation was based on Mayael's Aria and Zedruu the Greathearted, an attempt to create a legend whose mechanics represent not only the Abzan Houses, but also explained how Abzan Houses came to be.
- In a way, Suma is like a modern Hollywood hero who earn respect and leadership via good deeds. As a 4/4 for three mana, Suma is not just a bleeding heart without arms to back himself up.
- Suma gains followers with similar ideals, which manifests as +1/+1 counter he gives out.
- Abzan Houses was known to adopt war orphans into their ranks, such as orcs from Mardu (which were called Krumar), so Suma’s control ability is like the “root” of that culture, albeit under a more benign tiding. W - Good deeds. B - Risky behavior G - Survival WG - Power in mass WB - Power in shared goals WBG - Abzan family and its expansion
Mechanics
- Abzan Houses from Tarkir put great emphasis on both in applying and utilizing +1/+1 counters, fitting to its grand theme of “family bonds”. In Suma’s case, he share with outsiders, therefore earn their loyalty in return.
- Suma’s wording was taken after Mayael's Aria, a card with a similar trigger.
- Suma’s activation only put counters on creatures you don’t control, but his trigger includes ALL creatures with +1/+1 counter, not just opponents’.
- “Creatures you don’t control” means in a team game like 2HG, your teammates would also get +1/+1 counters.
Gameplay
- In many ways, Suma could be played like Zedruu, instead of giving control of permanents you give +1/+1 counters. There are both benefit and harm to this as Zedruu could deliver permanent with no specific target, giving out +1/+1 counter however might make it easier for your opponents to kill you. Besides, creatures die more easily than other permanents, even a board wipe or a battle without you could radically reduce the reaping.
- It’s also true that creatures are amongst the easiest permanents to bring out/back, tokens and reanimation are well within the color of Abzan. Abzan also has no lack of its own creatures, and they are prone to having +1/+1 counter on them already. Suma’s trigger counts all creatures on the battlefield, not just opponents’. Suma himself is a 4/4 for three mana and only becomes stronger with more keywords supported by other Abzan cards such as Abzan Falconer and Abzan Battle Priest. WBG also has no lack of protection, hexproof, and indestructible.
- In time when you want to stop sharing, Daghatar the Adamant is one way to steal those counters back. Reyhan, Last of the Abzan keeps counters alive in case a creature you control dies. Anafenza, the Foremost herself supplies +1/+1 counter as well.
That is a lot of math and not easy math. You are saying "gain X life, then divide X by 4 and do Y that many times, also divide X by 8 and do Z that many times." While you might think it's simple it is a lot for players. I would like to assume MTG players are adept at math and thinking in general but 20 years of data says otherwise.
That is a lot of math and not easy math. You are saying "gain X life, then divide X by 4 and do Y that many times, also divide X by 8 and do Z that many times." While you might think it's simple it is a lot for players. I would like to assume MTG players are adept at math and thinking in general but 20 years of data says otherwise.
You don't need to be an adept to know how to divide numbers by 4 and 8 though, that's elementary level math. There are enough token/storm/proliferate players to suggest that even harder math is within MtG gameplay.
Besides, if a player cannot handle the math of a specific card/mechanic, he could always choose to play with another card/mechanic.
I'm assuming if I use life gain doublers, like Boon Reflection, that it will take less effort to get the 4 and 8 life portions to trigger.
I confess I did not think about it. O_O Would it be abusive enough that I should nerf the #?
Honestly, I would say no as it only counts the number of creatures with counters on them and not the number of counters, so it's still relatively hard to get the big 4 gain or 8 gain.
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WBG
Legendary Creature - Human Warrior
4/4
At the beginning of your upkeep, gain 1 life for each creature with a +1/+1 counter on it. Then draw a card for every 4 life gained this way. Then gain control of one of those creatures for every 8 life gained this way.
WBG: Put a +1/+1 counter on each creature your don’t control.
”Families are formed through compassion.”
Lore
Suma was the first “Khan” of Abzan. Abzan ancestral lands were the unforgiving deserts of Tarkir, where everyone fought for their own lives instead of for each other, but Suma believed otherwise. Through giving and sharing, Suma formed companionships later grew into the Abzan Houses we know today.
Flavor
- Suma’s creation was based on Mayael's Aria and Zedruu the Greathearted, an attempt to create a legend whose mechanics represent not only the Abzan Houses, but also explained how Abzan Houses came to be.
- In a way, Suma is like a modern Hollywood hero who earn respect and leadership via good deeds. As a 4/4 for three mana, Suma is not just a bleeding heart without arms to back himself up.
- Suma gains followers with similar ideals, which manifests as +1/+1 counter he gives out.
- Abzan Houses was known to adopt war orphans into their ranks, such as orcs from Mardu (which were called Krumar), so Suma’s control ability is like the “root” of that culture, albeit under a more benign tiding.
W - Good deeds.
B - Risky behavior
G - Survival
WG - Power in mass
WB - Power in shared goals
WBG - Abzan family and its expansion
Mechanics
- Abzan Houses from Tarkir put great emphasis on both in applying and utilizing +1/+1 counters, fitting to its grand theme of “family bonds”. In Suma’s case, he share with outsiders, therefore earn their loyalty in return.
- Suma’s wording was taken after Mayael's Aria, a card with a similar trigger.
- Suma’s activation only put counters on creatures you don’t control, but his trigger includes ALL creatures with +1/+1 counter, not just opponents’.
- “Creatures you don’t control” means in a team game like 2HG, your teammates would also get +1/+1 counters.
Gameplay
- In many ways, Suma could be played like Zedruu, instead of giving control of permanents you give +1/+1 counters. There are both benefit and harm to this as Zedruu could deliver permanent with no specific target, giving out +1/+1 counter however might make it easier for your opponents to kill you. Besides, creatures die more easily than other permanents, even a board wipe or a battle without you could radically reduce the reaping.
- It’s also true that creatures are amongst the easiest permanents to bring out/back, tokens and reanimation are well within the color of Abzan. Abzan also has no lack of its own creatures, and they are prone to having +1/+1 counter on them already. Suma’s trigger counts all creatures on the battlefield, not just opponents’. Suma himself is a 4/4 for three mana and only becomes stronger with more keywords supported by other Abzan cards such as Abzan Falconer and Abzan Battle Priest. WBG also has no lack of protection, hexproof, and indestructible.
- In time when you want to stop sharing, Daghatar the Adamant is one way to steal those counters back. Reyhan, Last of the Abzan keeps counters alive in case a creature you control dies. Anafenza, the Foremost herself supplies +1/+1 counter as well.
Shu Yun, the Silent Tempest WUR Voltron Control
Temmet, Vizier of Naktamun WU Unblockable Mirror Trickery
Ra's al Ghul (Sidar Kondo) and Face-Down Ninjas
Brudiclad, Token Engineer
Vaevictis (VV2) the Dire Lantern
Rona, Disciple of Gix
Tiana the Auror
Hallar
Ulrich the Politician
Zur the Rebel
Scorpion, Locust, Scarab, Egyptian Gods
O-Kagachi, Mathas, Mairsil
"Non-Tribal" Tribal Generals, Eggs
You don't need to be an adept to know how to divide numbers by 4 and 8 though, that's elementary level math. There are enough token/storm/proliferate players to suggest that even harder math is within MtG gameplay.
Besides, if a player cannot handle the math of a specific card/mechanic, he could always choose to play with another card/mechanic.
Shu Yun, the Silent Tempest WUR Voltron Control
Temmet, Vizier of Naktamun WU Unblockable Mirror Trickery
Ra's al Ghul (Sidar Kondo) and Face-Down Ninjas
Brudiclad, Token Engineer
Vaevictis (VV2) the Dire Lantern
Rona, Disciple of Gix
Tiana the Auror
Hallar
Ulrich the Politician
Zur the Rebel
Scorpion, Locust, Scarab, Egyptian Gods
O-Kagachi, Mathas, Mairsil
"Non-Tribal" Tribal Generals, Eggs
I confess I did not think about it. O_O Would it be abusive enough that I should nerf the #?
Shu Yun, the Silent Tempest WUR Voltron Control
Temmet, Vizier of Naktamun WU Unblockable Mirror Trickery
Ra's al Ghul (Sidar Kondo) and Face-Down Ninjas
Brudiclad, Token Engineer
Vaevictis (VV2) the Dire Lantern
Rona, Disciple of Gix
Tiana the Auror
Hallar
Ulrich the Politician
Zur the Rebel
Scorpion, Locust, Scarab, Egyptian Gods
O-Kagachi, Mathas, Mairsil
"Non-Tribal" Tribal Generals, Eggs
Honestly, I would say no as it only counts the number of creatures with counters on them and not the number of counters, so it's still relatively hard to get the big 4 gain or 8 gain.