My first line of this train of thought was in WOrld of Warcraft, whereby damage interrupts your spells. I had a few ideas for mages. Some are underpowered, some are overpowered. I seek your help. The following should not be taken as ready-for-print, but as cards that exist to convey the feeling of the mage I would want to put into a counterburn-friendly set.
The first time each turn that a spell or ability you control deals damage to an opponent, you may counter target spell that player controls unless he or she pays X, where X is the damage dealt to that player by that spell or ability.
T: CARDNAME deals 1 damage to target player.
3/2
(Had to do "the first time" to fix it, but i think "first time" is an obvious fix that is indicative of sloppy design. I'd like to clean this up and streamline it so there's no obvious sign of which parts were balanced and which were meant to be the gyst of the card)
Interrupt mage 2 -RRU
Legendary Creature – Human Wizard
2/2
Whenever a noncreature source you control deals damage to an opponent, you may untap CARDNAME.
T: CARDNAME deals one damage to target creature.
R, T: CARDNAME deals one damage to target player.
(He's more of a mechanical exercise.)
Gambit Mage - RU
Legendary Creature – Human Wizard
2/2
Whenever a noncreature source you control would deal damage to an opponent, you may prevent that damage. If you do, counter target spell that opponent controls unless he or she pays X, where X is the damage prevented this way. If a spell is countered this way, CARDNAME deals X damage to that opponent, where X is the damage prevented.
(Templating's a nightmare, but take a step back. In my humble opinion, it's kinda like Form of the Dragon. Odd at first, but makes sense once you play with it. Basically, the idea is that your burn spells can entail a risk because although they tax, they fizzle if your opponent pays the tax. Right now this makes lightning bolt a strictly better mana leak, so it's obviously on the broken side. Help fix?)
Another gambit mage - RU
Legendary creature – human wizard
Whenever a spell or ability an opponent controls is countered, put a charge counter on CARDNAME, then CARDNAME deals damage to that opponent equal to the number of charge counters on CARDNAME.
2/2
(I think his flavor kinda sells itself. Not the name, of course, but the text box)
Flames of Unreality - XXRU
Mythic Rare - Instant
Counter target spell unless its controller pays X. IF he or she does, CARDNAME deals X damage to each of up to two target creatures or players.
(Not quite a finisher for counterburn, but close to it. Not the best counterspell, but if they pay, they get hit in the face. Hard.)
Spellscorch - RU
Instant
Counter target spell. CARDNAME deals two damage to that spell’s controller and three damage to you.
(Two mana hard counter with a drawback. Kind of like char, but you have to pay a bit more if you're going to be countering. Balanced against countersquall and then amped up to make it playable. If TOO playable, happy to nerf)
A worse cryptic for the Most Part - 1UUU
Instant
Return target permanent to its owner’s hand. Counter target spell with converted mana cost equal to the permanent returned this way.
(It's not as exciting, but the feel of using your enemy's bounced permanent against them is loltacular)
Screwing Seas 3UR
Mythic Rare - Enchantment (aura)
Enchant land
Enchanted land is an island.
At the beginning of your upkeep, put a token onto the battlefield that is a copy of CARDNAME. Then, if there are no non-island lands on the battlefield, CARDNAME deals one damage to target creature or player and you draw a card.
(One hell of a finisher for counterburn. Screw their mana exponentially, counter when they try to kill it, then burn them out in one or two turns while making massive card advantage. It's wierd, because to me it's simultaneously overpowered and underpowered. Made for casual?)
Mindflame Spellbomb - 2RU
Artifact
Whenever a noncreature source you control deals damage or a spell is countered, put a charge counter on CARDNAME.
U, T, Sacrifice CARDNAME: Return each nonland permanent with converted mana cost equal to or less than the number of charge counters on CARDNAME to its owner’s hand.
R, T, Sacrifice CARDNAME: CARDNAME deals damage to target creature or player equal to the number of charge counters on CARDNAME.
(Works with red, works with blue, can turn your counterspells into burn or your burn into some serious bounce)
Super Shrapnel Burst - 2RU
Sorcery
Search your library for an artifact card and put it onto the battlefield tapped under target opponent’s control, then shuffle your library. CARDNAME deals X damage to target creature, where X is the converted mana cost of the artifact put onto the battlefield this way.
(Heh, immortal coil might make this broken, but if you have to run immortal coil with this, I say all the power to you. only hits creatures to prevent busted draco kills)
Forking Planeswalker - 2RU
+2: Put the top card of your library into your graveyard. Add R to your mana pool for each red mana symbol in the card put into a graveyard this way.
-2: CARDNAME deals three damage, divided as you choose, among any number of target creatures and/or players
-11: For the rest of the game, whenever a source you control would deal damage, you may divide its damage among any number of target creatures and/or players.
Loyalty 3
(this guy's a little complicated. I like that he can defend himself with his -2. His +2 is unpredictable and accelerating, which I hear red tends to do. Of course, blue's ability to manipulate the library makes his +2 quite relevant. And the -11 will require a lot of thinking, but it makes your damage go for the dome pretty fast. Worthy of a -11, but I don't like how this guy is all about extremes right now)
Bouncing Fireball
Sorcery – 1RU
CARDNAME deals two damage to target creature. If that creature is destroyed this way, CARDNAME deals one damage to another target creature or player. Otherwise, draw a card.
(I like that it can cantrip into enough burn to finish the creature, or act as a better forked bolt. To fix this one way would be to make it a sorcery. I'd like to keep the feeling while making it playable at instant speed)
Contraspell
Instant – 1RU
Counter target spell. Reveal the top card of your library. If it is red, CARDNAME deals one damage to target creature or player. If it is blue, draw a card. Otherwise, put the top card of your library into your graveyard
(The idea for this one is to make a counterspell that always has a relevant impact. Hitting for one is nice, so is getting that next blue counterspell. You have to watch out because it lowers your odds of getting a land drop, but late-game that's an asset)
Private Mod Note
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You know you have played M:TG too much when you find yourself calling shotgun "in response" to your friends calling shotgun.
You know your friends have played M:TG too much when you get it.
My first line of this train of thought was in WOrld of Warcraft, whereby damage interrupts your spells. I had a few ideas for mages. Some are underpowered, some are overpowered. I seek your help. The following should not be taken as ready-for-print, but as cards that exist to convey the feeling of the mage I would want to put into a counterburn-friendly set.
I like this concept.
Interrupt Mage 1 - 2RU
Legendary Creature – Elemental Wizard
The first time each turn that a spell or ability you control deals damage to an opponent, you may counter target spell that player controls unless he or she pays X, where X is the damage dealt to that player by that spell or ability.
T: CARDNAME deals 1 damage to target player.
3/2
(Had to do "the first time" to fix it, but i think "first time" is an obvious fix that is indicative of sloppy design. I'd like to clean this up and streamline it so there's no obvious sign of which parts were balanced and which were meant to be the gyst of the card)
eh....Why not make it the center of that deck? You're going to need to get it out and be able to protect it but why not
"Whenever a source you control deals damage to an opponent you may counter up to one target spell that opponent controls if its converted manacost is equal to or less than the damage dealt by that source."
So lightning bolt becomes counter target spell with a cmc of three or less and boom, three damage too. Just cost it appropriately and give it the right p/t combo + creature types.
Gambit Mage - RU
Legendary Creature – Human Wizard
2/2
Whenever a noncreature source you control would deal damage to an opponent, you may prevent that damage. If you do, counter target spell that opponent controls unless he or she pays X, where X is the damage prevented this way. If a spell is countered this way, CARDNAME deals X damage to that opponent, where X is the damage prevented.
(Templating's a nightmare, but take a step back. In my humble opinion, it's kinda like Form of the Dragon. Odd at first, but makes sense once you play with it. Basically, the idea is that your burn spells can entail a risk because although they tax, they fizzle if your opponent pays the tax. Right now this makes lightning bolt a strictly better mana leak, so it's obviously on the broken side. Help fix?)
I dunno how to make it less broken except remove the damage itself. If you do you stop it from being broken. Or instead of X damage the second time make it 1:
Whenever a non-creature source you control would deal damage to an opponent you may prevent X of it. If you do, you may counter up to one target spell that player controls unless he or she pays x. If a spell is countered this way CARDNAME deals X damage to that player.
Maybe?
[quote]Another gambit mage - RU
Legendary creature – human wizard
Whenever a spell or ability an opponent controls is countered, put a charge counter on CARDNAME, then CARDNAME deals damage to that opponent equal to the number of charge counters on CARDNAME.
2/2
Yeah I like this. Almost wish it was an artifact though instead of a creature.
(I think his flavor kinda sells itself. Not the name, of course, but the text box)
A worse cryptic for the Most Part - 1UUU
Instant
Return target permanent to its owner’s hand. Counter target spell with converted mana cost equal to the permanent returned this way.
(It's not as exciting, but the feel of using your enemy's bounced permanent against them is loltacular)
Templating it this way means you can't return a permanent unless there's another spell on the stack. But meh. They play a Sprouting Thrinax turn 2 and then follow it up with a Bloodbraid elf cascading into a Blightning turn 3 you're countering the blightning and bouncing the thrinax which is ++ good. More conditional than Cryptic command but still pretty good. (I never draw a card with cryptic command lol)
Mindflame Spellbomb - 2RU
Artifact
Whenever a noncreature source you control deals damage or a spell is countered, put a charge counter on CARDNAME.
Super Shrapnel Burst - 2RU
Sorcery
Search your library for an artifact card and put it onto the battlefield tapped under target opponent’s control, then shuffle your library. CARDNAME deals X damage to target creature, where X is the converted mana cost of the artifact put onto the battlefield this way.
(Heh, immortal coil might make this broken, but if you have to run immortal coil with this, I say all the power to you. only hits creatures to prevent busted draco kills)
Might have to template it to say "choose target creature" first then "then search your library for an artifact card with a converted manacost of X"
"Choose target creature then search your library for an artifact card with a converted manacost of X and put it on the battlefield under an opponent's control and shuffle your library. CARDNAME deals X damage to the chosen creature."
Legendary Creature – Elemental Wizard
(Had to do "the first time" to fix it, but i think "first time" is an obvious fix that is indicative of sloppy design. I'd like to clean this up and streamline it so there's no obvious sign of which parts were balanced and which were meant to be the gyst of the card)
(I think his flavor kinda sells itself. Not the name, of course, but the text box)
(Two mana hard counter with a drawback. Kind of like char, but you have to pay a bit more if you're going to be countering. Balanced against countersquall and then amped up to make it playable. If TOO playable, happy to nerf)
(It's not as exciting, but the feel of using your enemy's bounced permanent against them is loltacular)
(Heh, immortal coil might make this broken, but if you have to run immortal coil with this, I say all the power to you. only hits creatures to prevent busted draco kills)
Counter target spell. Reveal the top card of your library. If it is red, CARDNAME deals one damage to target creature or player. If it is blue, draw a card. Otherwise, put the top card of your library into your graveyard
(The idea for this one is to make a counterspell that always has a relevant impact. Hitting for one is nice, so is getting that next blue counterspell. You have to watch out because it lowers your odds of getting a land drop, but late-game that's an asset)
You know your friends have played M:TG too much when you get it.
I like this concept.
eh....Why not make it the center of that deck? You're going to need to get it out and be able to protect it but why not
"Whenever a source you control deals damage to an opponent you may counter up to one target spell that opponent controls if its converted manacost is equal to or less than the damage dealt by that source."
So lightning bolt becomes counter target spell with a cmc of three or less and boom, three damage too. Just cost it appropriately and give it the right p/t combo + creature types.
Yeah I like this. Almost wish it was an artifact though instead of a creature.
(I think his flavor kinda sells itself. Not the name, of course, but the text box)
Templating it this way means you can't return a permanent unless there's another spell on the stack. But meh. They play a Sprouting Thrinax turn 2 and then follow it up with a Bloodbraid elf cascading into a Blightning turn 3 you're countering the blightning and bouncing the thrinax which is ++ good. More conditional than Cryptic command but still pretty good. (I never draw a card with cryptic command lol)
Mindflame Spellbomb - 2RU
Might have to template it to say "choose target creature" first then "then search your library for an artifact card with a converted manacost of X"
"Choose target creature then search your library for an artifact card with a converted manacost of X and put it on the battlefield under an opponent's control and shuffle your library. CARDNAME deals X damage to the chosen creature."
Or something like that.