Fu-on, Phoenix of Dying Thought 4UBR
Legendary Creature - Phoenix
5/5
UBR: Shuffle ~ into your library. If ~ is shuffled into the library in this way, create three 1/1 red elemental tokens with, “At the beginning of your end step, put the top card of your library into your graveyard.” You may use this ability only if ~ is in the command zone or on the battlefield.
Flying, haste, lifelink
When ~ is put into your graveyard from your library, you may pay UBR. If you do, put it onto the battlefield.
EDIT 1: Added mana cost for its graveyard trigger as well as shrinking its size, so it's not too "swingy" in 60 cards deck. Also reduce the original casting cost by 3 to balance it.
EDIT 2: Edited the wording so the Phoenix could be shuffled into your library without going directly back into the command zone.
——————
Lore
On a remote plane, inhabitants’ souls were not delivered by angels or demons, but by phoenixes who feast on their final moment, allowing their last thought and tinder of life to reborn into far greater beings.
Among them, the great Fu-on was said to have consumed thousands of souls in its short existence, both an omen of salvation and a testament of never-ending cycle. Some wizards attempted to catch this mysterious fire bird, always a few feathers short, each enriched with the last moments of those whom Fu-on absorbed.
Mechanic
The mechanic of Fu-on follows its lore background, self-milling via elementals symbolizes a person’s dying mind/life. The more “kindlings” you have, the quicker your deteriorate, but instead of death you come back to life again as the fire bird.
Deck
Self-milling is probably going to be the core theme of a Fu-on deck, though no doubt people would do phoenix tribal with it, which is fitting. I myself might go with a Sevinne grave spellsling.
It's a neat card, though a little lackluster for a 7CMC creature even if the mana cost is more for show than practicality it can easily go down by 1. Also, remember that self milling is typically GB so it will clash with the past if you push that into jeskai. Though as long as you keep the mill targetable then blue always does mill and often is utilized in selfmill despite it not being a theme there.
The activated ability working from the command zone is a problem, because you can always just choose to replace it going into your library with returning it to the command zone, which means the ability can be activated every turn for as many times as you have mana for.
Try this template:
UBR: Shuffle ~ into your library. If ~CARDNAME~ is shuffled into the library in this way, create three 1/1 red elemental tokens with, “At the beginning of your end step, put the top card of your library into your graveyard.” You may use this ability only if ~ is in the command zone or on the battlefield.
It's a neat card, though a little lackluster for a 7CMC creature even if the mana cost is more for show than practicality it can easily go down by 1. Also, remember that self milling is typically GB so it will clash with the past if you push that into jeskai. Though as long as you keep the mill targetable then blue always does mill and often is utilized in selfmill despite it not being a theme there.
Fu-on is not Jeskai though, it's Grixis, and each of UBR has a long history of utilizing shufflinxg, milling, and graveyard, especially since Odyssey block.
The activated ability working from the command zone is a problem, because you can always just choose to replace it going into your library with returning it to the command zone, which means the ability can be activated every turn for as many times as you have mana for.
Try this template:
UBR: Shuffle ~ into your library. If ~CARDNAME~ is shuffled into the library in this way, create three 1/1 red elemental tokens with, “At the beginning of your end step, put the top card of your library into your graveyard.” You may use this ability only if ~ is in the command zone or on the battlefield.
Thank you, that makes a lot more sense. I forgot commanders are now immune to tucking, even to your own effect. While it could be a "drawback" if someone attempt to make too many of such tokens, the cheap, repeatable token generation could sport a larger issue.
4UBR
Legendary Creature - Phoenix
5/5
UBR: Shuffle ~ into your library. If ~ is shuffled into the library in this way, create three 1/1 red elemental tokens with, “At the beginning of your end step, put the top card of your library into your graveyard.” You may use this ability only if ~ is in the command zone or on the battlefield.
Flying, haste, lifelink
When ~ is put into your graveyard from your library, you may pay UBR. If you do, put it onto the battlefield.
EDIT 1: Added mana cost for its graveyard trigger as well as shrinking its size, so it's not too "swingy" in 60 cards deck. Also reduce the original casting cost by 3 to balance it.
EDIT 2: Edited the wording so the Phoenix could be shuffled into your library without going directly back into the command zone.
——————
Lore
On a remote plane, inhabitants’ souls were not delivered by angels or demons, but by phoenixes who feast on their final moment, allowing their last thought and tinder of life to reborn into far greater beings.
Among them, the great Fu-on was said to have consumed thousands of souls in its short existence, both an omen of salvation and a testament of never-ending cycle. Some wizards attempted to catch this mysterious fire bird, always a few feathers short, each enriched with the last moments of those whom Fu-on absorbed.
Mechanic
The mechanic of Fu-on follows its lore background, self-milling via elementals symbolizes a person’s dying mind/life. The more “kindlings” you have, the quicker your deteriorate, but instead of death you come back to life again as the fire bird.
Deck
Self-milling is probably going to be the core theme of a Fu-on deck, though no doubt people would do phoenix tribal with it, which is fitting. I myself might go with a Sevinne grave spellsling.
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
Try this template:
UBR: Shuffle ~ into your library. If ~CARDNAME~ is shuffled into the library in this way, create three 1/1 red elemental tokens with, “At the beginning of your end step, put the top card of your library into your graveyard.” You may use this ability only if ~ is in the command zone or on the battlefield.
Fu-on is not Jeskai though, it's Grixis, and each of UBR has a long history of utilizing shufflinxg, milling, and graveyard, especially since Odyssey block.
Thank you, that makes a lot more sense. I forgot commanders are now immune to tucking, even to your own effect. While it could be a "drawback" if someone attempt to make too many of such tokens, the cheap, repeatable token generation could sport a larger issue.
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