Am I the only one who feels like they should be holding back from posting new card designs, just in case they end up participating in the Great Designer Search? (Like I would ever get in, but still, you know?)
At any rate, once the contestants get announced and I'm not amongst them (:p) I'll have plenty of new stuff to post. But I can't help myself from posting for that long, so here's some other stuff, a lot of which had been posted by me at some point or another in the past, but I want more feedback.
BolsterW
Instant (C)
Target creature gets +0/+4 until end of turn.
This a simple combat trick, roughly equivalent to Shieldmate's Blessing. But besides "preventing" more damage to the creature, it also interacts with the M10 damage rules such that, when gang-blocking, you can cast this on the blocker in first position in order to protect the creatures below it in blocking order. Damage prevention effects can't do that. And such a simple and elegant design as this hasn't been done, to my knowledge. This is one of my favorites, despite not being a very "good" card.
Hazy Phantasm1UU
Creature - Illusion (U)
Protection from creatures
2/1
According to Mark Rosewater's keyword proposal, the color blue should be getting more creatures with protection abilities that protect from qualities besides color. There has been exactly one such creature since the proposal went into effect: Horizon Drake. This design helps fulfill that design goal, and extends mechanics and themes already present in blue. Take Phantom Warrior and add damage prevention effects like Guard Gomazoa, not to mention effectively acting as "shroud" from activated abilities of creatures, and protection from creatures turns out to be something that could fit naturally into blue's toolbox.
Fragility2B OR 2R
Instant (R)
Each creature's toughness becomes 1 until end of turn.
This is an effect that really hasn't been done often in Magic, and I feel that it could fit into either black or red. This spell ruins an opponent's defensive line and makes Pyroclasm into Day of Judgment.
Mark of Agony1R
Enchantment - Aura (C/U)
Flash
Enchant creature
If a source would deal damage to enchanted creature, it deals that much damage plus 1 to enchanted creature instead.
Makes your chump blockers surprisingly lethal. I just thought it would be an interesting combat trick.
Pouncing Tiger2G
Creature - Cat (U)
When Pouncing Tiger enters the battlefield, if it’s on the battlefield, it deals damage equal to its power to target creature an opponent controls and that creature deals damage equal to its power to Pouncing Tiger.
2/2
More direct damage in green? Not as pie-bending as Hornet Sting, and makes use of mechanics that already exist in green. And the flavor is great, too, I think.
Golem's Heart2
Artifact (U)
Whenever a player casts an artifact spell, you may gain 1 life.
This is just for the sake of completeness. I've been waiting for the "New Lucky Charm" equivalent of Urza's Chalice for a while now. Who knows, maybe we'll see this one in the new Mirrodin block?
Some very nice and simple ideas, there. "Bolster" is a good name for that card. Pouncing Tiger is indeed a better approach for green direct damage in my opinion.
Some good stuff, I am particularly a fan of Mark of Agony.
Fragility should just be called Frailty for a more even roll off the tongue.
Bolster is nice and refreshingly simple, and I'm honestly surprised they haven't done it yet.
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When editing cards in the first post of a thread, PLEASE leave the original so that everyone can comment on the thread and not just those who saw the original. Those who did not see the original can't leave comments as we don't have any idea WTF is going on.
Colourless mana comes FIRST! Try actually looking at a Magic card some time. It is NOT UU3, it's 3UU. What game are you making cards for?
I can no longer tell people to check their card names, because I am made of suck and fail.
Some very nice and simple ideas, there. "Bolster" is a good name for that card. Pouncing Tiger is indeed a better approach for green direct damage in my opinion.
I disagree. That word suggests something permanent. I'd go for something like "Boost"; it's more "temporary".
Good point on the name. I don't think "Boost" has the right feel, though, it doesn't seem defensive enough... "Protect" maybe? But that would imply a protection ability... hmmm... brainstorming will be done, but it's staying as Bolster for now.
Fragility is really more of a black effect, even if it's more "useful" in red, but keep stuff like Nausea in mind. Frailty is a good name for it, too. You could also consider making it an enchantment that costs at least 4 (but more likely 5).
I think I'd like Hazy Phantasm better at :2mana::symu: for some reason.
My favorite card here is Golem's Heart, for some reason. Haha.
I'd prefer to see Hazy Phantasm as a 1U1/1, myself
My original idea was exactly that, a colorshift of Devoted Chaplain. But I wanted to differentiate it a little bit, and make it more offensively useful.
And by saying I'm reluctant to post card designs, I don't want to sound like I think someone else will steal them, or anything. Quite the opposite, in fact. I feel like if I get feedback or new ideas from people's comments, and I end up wanting to use that design as part of the contest, it won't really be "my" design since it includes other people's input and ideas. I'm still holding back on posting some of the things I've made, because I really want to make sure they're purely from my brain alone, but I've also stopped myself from looking at other people's designs now that the contest has been announced. I don't want to unintentionally incorporating someone else's design into my own work, even unconsciously. So I probably won't be giving feedback or critiques of anyone else's stuff for a little while either. No offense to anyone else, I just don't want to end up using your work unfairly.
Hazy Phantasm -- Sure. A funny cross between Phantom Warrior, Fog Bank, and shroud. It might be a little too good on the defense, but blue is supposed to be a defensive color too.
Fragility -- I think this might need two colored mana symbols in its cost (i.e.: 1BB), especially as an instant, but otherwise it is pretty interesting.
Mark of Agony -- I've done a similar ability on an equipment, but it worked both directions like Furnace of Rath. Flash is an interesting ability on this, but also a little strange as an enchantment since you are probably going to be using it when you blocking with multiple creatures in order to kill the creature. meh, it sticks around in case the creature is bolstered by another combat trick.
Pouncing Tiger -- More fitting than Hornet Sting, but unfortunately more wordy too. oh well. Tracker's wording would be a little bit simpler:
When CARDNAME enters the field, it deals damage equal to its power to target creature an opponent controls. That creature deals damage equal to its power to CARDNAME.
Golem's Heart -- Reasonable, although, unlike Dragon's Claw and its ilk, it does trigger when you cast a second copy. The name makes me think of Ur-Golem's Eye.
Iron Will! So it HAS been done. Even without cycling, I'd consider this a valid Limited combat trick, and I don't need it to be more than that. The simplicity is more appealing to me, personally.
Mark of Agony being an enchantment enables more long-term shenanigans with Stuffy Doll, everyone's favorite plush combo piece.
The wording for Pouncing Tiger was taken from Stalking Yeti. I'm pretty sure the "if it's still on the battlefield" clause is there to prevent you from being able to put the trigger on the stack and bounce it in response, letting you burn a creature without risking the Yeti/Tiger. But since the Tiger doesn't have that built-in bounce ability, it's probably unnecessary, since I doubt there's going to be THAT much Unsummoning your own tiger for a reusable Shock.
Golem's Heart triggers from additional copies of itself, but artifacts are less common than colored spells in general anyway. And I don't think anyone would complain about the power level of Wurm's Tooth, et al if it could also trigger itself.
oh snap, I fail at recollection! You'd think I'd remember that
Private Mod Note
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Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
When editing cards in the first post of a thread, PLEASE leave the original so that everyone can comment on the thread and not just those who saw the original. Those who did not see the original can't leave comments as we don't have any idea WTF is going on.
Colourless mana comes FIRST! Try actually looking at a Magic card some time. It is NOT UU3, it's 3UU. What game are you making cards for?
I can no longer tell people to check their card names, because I am made of suck and fail.
Being a Canadian resident puts a considerable hamper on me being able to do the Great Designer Search, but the last time it was done I took the time to design cards to fit every round of the competition and was happy with many of mine. As I consider my grasp on modern Magic design to be solid, though I do tend to design more Spike-oriented cards than others, I thought you might appreciate some constructive criticism and feedback.
Bolster: A+. This is a simple but effective combat trick, making it a perfect White common for the purposes of both Limited and casual Constructed. I would be happy to see this in my packs.
Hazy Phantasm: A. Another excellent design. The idea that an Illusion would be unable to interact with physical creatures is very easy to imagine; Shadow was a mechanic that represented the possibilities of this design, and protection from creatures is similar when drawing comparisons to combat and board position. Protection is one of the most limited core abilities, often only seen on White and, of times, Black permanents, with the odd smattering of cards to represent five card cycles of some sort; it being moved into Blue with more distinguished forms besides color would give Blue a mechanic that is not often as powerful as Shroud and still evasive in manners that Flying is not.
Fragility: A. I can not decide which color I like this effect in more. The toughness shrinking seems naturally Black, but a creature only having 1 toughness is the same as it being stacked with damage in Red's manner, making it a beautiful piece of design either or. The casting cost seems appropriate given that the card, in of itself, does not destroy any creatures.
Mark of Agony: B. Part of me wants this card to work symmetrically, meaning the enchanted creature would deal more damage and take more damage, would be very much like Red's manner of giving creatures +X/-X. That makes the card better if played aggressively, but still effective when used as pseudo-removal.
Pouncing Tiger: B. A bit wordy, but fine at Uncommon. Considering the Arena ability seems to be Primary for Green (it is used in Green as often as it is in Red, for the most part), I could see this creature actually being better than what you posted. A 3/2 might be do-able. It having Flash could also be really interesting. Perhaps those designs would need it to cost more colored mana. Still, straight forward and useful.
Golem's Heart: B. A nice completion to a cycle that continues to see print, though perhaps they might just spare the effort by printing a card at 3 that gains you a life whenever an opponent casts any spell, to save some card slots. Makes perfect sense in a block with a high artifact density, like Scars of Mirrodin is reported to have.
Thank you! I appreciate all the feedback I get, and both praise and criticism are very useful to trying to polish my design skills.
I think I might go back and go through each round of the first Designer Search and make cards for each round, just for practice, since obviously the same challenges won't be used (maybe similar ones, though?) and it's good to push one's limits. When just making cards in my spare time, they end up being pretty much random ideas, but having to fill a particular challenge or hole focuses you more, and shows whether you really can make something under pressure.
Nice designs, though I don't consider Mark of Agony to be worth the cost - a better red card would deal damage to the blocked creature before it gets through. For example, "This deals X damage to target blocked creature, where X are the creatures blocking it."
I know yours is more versatile, but it takes more collateral damage.
Fragility seems... meh. I mean, the effect is white, blue and black, and it generally costs much cheaper. Red doesn't seem to want the card because it takes the whole fun out of piling enough burn to kill something. Black is more at home with it, but that kind of trick is more welcomed in blue as in Diminish or Ovinize.
Frailty/Fragility reminds me of Death Pits of Rath style cards. Effectively the same, without too many rules connotations. It doesn't work for -X/-1 effects though.
I'm fond of the tiger and want to give it flash.
Can Mark of Agony just double the damage? Just... just double it?
Hazy Phantasm: I've contemplated using this exact name for a very similar creature (unblockable/can't block) I'd add "~ can't block." as it doesn't seem very illiusion-like nor blue
Fragility: I don't really agree this is necessarily black or red, nor do I feel it should see print. Layer rules are a *****
Mark of Agony: sure
Pouncing Tiger: I agree. This ability should be very rare though and probably only exist on weak creatures like this one.
Golem's Heart: While the card is nice, I'd be happy if all these worthless artifacts would disappear from the core set. The only one which has seen constructed play is the red one, for mirror games... and they ruin limited. I played GP Gothenburg this weekend and opened 4 of these and 2 leylines. Dead cards.
I'd rather keep the Phantasm simple and have just a protection ability. Being able to block without getting hurt isn't a big deal, I don't think, especially considering this is quite vulnerable to noncreature removal. Even Hornet Sting is a threat!
Layering rules when setting power and toughness aren't that bad, especially when it's only temporary. My favorite thing about Fragility/Frailty is that it acts as a retroactive Death Pits of Rath for the turn; any creature with any amount of damage already on it gets destroyed, not just ones that take damage after the spell is cast.
Golem's Heart is theoretically much, much better than Dragon's Claw and friends in an environment like Mirrodin, which is probably the only place it would be printed anyway. Because A) you can trigger your own with multiple copies of it, and B) in an artifact-heavy environment you can generally rely on any opponent to be running artifacts, making it more useful in the main deck and not just in a mirror match.
Not really... the card itself is incredibly obvious, especially in an artifact block. The name is pretty straightforward too, since there aren't really any iconic artifact creature types other than Golem, and Heart is the "body part" that makes the most sense and wasn't used by another member of the cycle.
Not really... the card itself is incredibly obvious, especially in an artifact block. The name is pretty straightforward too, since there aren't really any iconic artifact creature types other than Golem, and Heart is the "body part" that makes the most sense and wasn't used by another member of the cycle.
It was at that moment that I realized: I'm kinda just making these things up. We can just write the rules the way we want them to work. People will have fun, and people will get it.
At any rate, once the contestants get announced and I'm not amongst them (:p) I'll have plenty of new stuff to post. But I can't help myself from posting for that long, so here's some other stuff, a lot of which had been posted by me at some point or another in the past, but I want more feedback.
Instant (C)
Target creature gets +0/+4 until end of turn.
Creature - Illusion (U)
Protection from creatures
2/1
Instant (R)
Each creature's toughness becomes 1 until end of turn.
Enchantment - Aura (C/U)
Flash
Enchant creature
If a source would deal damage to enchanted creature, it deals that much damage plus 1 to enchanted creature instead.
Creature - Cat (U)
When Pouncing Tiger enters the battlefield, if it’s on the battlefield, it deals damage equal to its power to target creature an opponent controls and that creature deals damage equal to its power to Pouncing Tiger.
2/2
Artifact (U)
Whenever a player casts an artifact spell, you may gain 1 life.
Comments and critiques welcomed, as always.
R Citizen Cane (Feldon of the Third Path)
• Recent Card Ideas • My Drawings at DeviantArt
Fragility should just be called Frailty for a more even roll off the tongue.
Bolster is nice and refreshingly simple, and I'm honestly surprised they haven't done it yet.
Colourless mana comes FIRST! Try actually looking at a Magic card some time. It is NOT UU3, it's 3UU. What game are you making cards for?
I can no longer tell people to check their card names, because I am made of suck and fail.
Thanks! I'm glad you agree.
Frailty is a good name, and is especially fitting in Black.
Good point on the name. I don't think "Boost" has the right feel, though, it doesn't seem defensive enough... "Protect" maybe? But that would imply a protection ability... hmmm... brainstorming will be done, but it's staying as Bolster for now.
R Citizen Cane (Feldon of the Third Path)
Fragility is really more of a black effect, even if it's more "useful" in red, but keep stuff like Nausea in mind. Frailty is a good name for it, too. You could also consider making it an enchantment that costs at least 4 (but more likely 5).
I think I'd like Hazy Phantasm better at :2mana::symu: for some reason.
I'd prefer to see Hazy Phantasm as a 1U1/1, myself
My original idea was exactly that, a colorshift of Devoted Chaplain. But I wanted to differentiate it a little bit, and make it more offensively useful.
And by saying I'm reluctant to post card designs, I don't want to sound like I think someone else will steal them, or anything. Quite the opposite, in fact. I feel like if I get feedback or new ideas from people's comments, and I end up wanting to use that design as part of the contest, it won't really be "my" design since it includes other people's input and ideas. I'm still holding back on posting some of the things I've made, because I really want to make sure they're purely from my brain alone, but I've also stopped myself from looking at other people's designs now that the contest has been announced. I don't want to unintentionally incorporating someone else's design into my own work, even unconsciously. So I probably won't be giving feedback or critiques of anyone else's stuff for a little while either. No offense to anyone else, I just don't want to end up using your work unfairly.
R Citizen Cane (Feldon of the Third Path)
Hazy Phantasm -- Sure. A funny cross between Phantom Warrior, Fog Bank, and shroud. It might be a little too good on the defense, but blue is supposed to be a defensive color too.
Fragility -- I think this might need two colored mana symbols in its cost (i.e.: 1BB), especially as an instant, but otherwise it is pretty interesting.
Mark of Agony -- I've done a similar ability on an equipment, but it worked both directions like Furnace of Rath. Flash is an interesting ability on this, but also a little strange as an enchantment since you are probably going to be using it when you blocking with multiple creatures in order to kill the creature. meh, it sticks around in case the creature is bolstered by another combat trick.
Pouncing Tiger -- More fitting than Hornet Sting, but unfortunately more wordy too. oh well. Tracker's wording would be a little bit simpler:
When CARDNAME enters the field, it deals damage equal to its power to target creature an opponent controls. That creature deals damage equal to its power to CARDNAME.
Golem's Heart -- Reasonable, although, unlike Dragon's Claw and its ilk, it does trigger when you cast a second copy. The name makes me think of Ur-Golem's Eye.
Mark of Agony being an enchantment enables more long-term shenanigans with Stuffy Doll, everyone's favorite plush combo piece.
The wording for Pouncing Tiger was taken from Stalking Yeti. I'm pretty sure the "if it's still on the battlefield" clause is there to prevent you from being able to put the trigger on the stack and bounce it in response, letting you burn a creature without risking the Yeti/Tiger. But since the Tiger doesn't have that built-in bounce ability, it's probably unnecessary, since I doubt there's going to be THAT much Unsummoning your own tiger for a reusable Shock.
Golem's Heart triggers from additional copies of itself, but artifacts are less common than colored spells in general anyway. And I don't think anyone would complain about the power level of Wurm's Tooth, et al if it could also trigger itself.
R Citizen Cane (Feldon of the Third Path)
Colourless mana comes FIRST! Try actually looking at a Magic card some time. It is NOT UU3, it's 3UU. What game are you making cards for?
I can no longer tell people to check their card names, because I am made of suck and fail.
Bolster: A+. This is a simple but effective combat trick, making it a perfect White common for the purposes of both Limited and casual Constructed. I would be happy to see this in my packs.
Hazy Phantasm: A. Another excellent design. The idea that an Illusion would be unable to interact with physical creatures is very easy to imagine; Shadow was a mechanic that represented the possibilities of this design, and protection from creatures is similar when drawing comparisons to combat and board position. Protection is one of the most limited core abilities, often only seen on White and, of times, Black permanents, with the odd smattering of cards to represent five card cycles of some sort; it being moved into Blue with more distinguished forms besides color would give Blue a mechanic that is not often as powerful as Shroud and still evasive in manners that Flying is not.
Fragility: A. I can not decide which color I like this effect in more. The toughness shrinking seems naturally Black, but a creature only having 1 toughness is the same as it being stacked with damage in Red's manner, making it a beautiful piece of design either or. The casting cost seems appropriate given that the card, in of itself, does not destroy any creatures.
Mark of Agony: B. Part of me wants this card to work symmetrically, meaning the enchanted creature would deal more damage and take more damage, would be very much like Red's manner of giving creatures +X/-X. That makes the card better if played aggressively, but still effective when used as pseudo-removal.
Pouncing Tiger: B. A bit wordy, but fine at Uncommon. Considering the Arena ability seems to be Primary for Green (it is used in Green as often as it is in Red, for the most part), I could see this creature actually being better than what you posted. A 3/2 might be do-able. It having Flash could also be really interesting. Perhaps those designs would need it to cost more colored mana. Still, straight forward and useful.
Golem's Heart: B. A nice completion to a cycle that continues to see print, though perhaps they might just spare the effort by printing a card at 3 that gains you a life whenever an opponent casts any spell, to save some card slots. Makes perfect sense in a block with a high artifact density, like Scars of Mirrodin is reported to have.
I think I might go back and go through each round of the first Designer Search and make cards for each round, just for practice, since obviously the same challenges won't be used (maybe similar ones, though?) and it's good to push one's limits. When just making cards in my spare time, they end up being pretty much random ideas, but having to fill a particular challenge or hole focuses you more, and shows whether you really can make something under pressure.
R Citizen Cane (Feldon of the Third Path)
I know yours is more versatile, but it takes more collateral damage.
Fragility seems... meh. I mean, the effect is white, blue and black, and it generally costs much cheaper. Red doesn't seem to want the card because it takes the whole fun out of piling enough burn to kill something. Black is more at home with it, but that kind of trick is more welcomed in blue as in Diminish or Ovinize.
I'm fond of the tiger and want to give it flash.
Can Mark of Agony just double the damage? Just... just double it?
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I'd rather keep the Phantasm simple and have just a protection ability. Being able to block without getting hurt isn't a big deal, I don't think, especially considering this is quite vulnerable to noncreature removal. Even Hornet Sting is a threat!
Layering rules when setting power and toughness aren't that bad, especially when it's only temporary. My favorite thing about Fragility/Frailty is that it acts as a retroactive Death Pits of Rath for the turn; any creature with any amount of damage already on it gets destroyed, not just ones that take damage after the spell is cast.
Golem's Heart is theoretically much, much better than Dragon's Claw and friends in an environment like Mirrodin, which is probably the only place it would be printed anyway. Because A) you can trigger your own with multiple copies of it, and B) in an artifact-heavy environment you can generally rely on any opponent to be running artifacts, making it more useful in the main deck and not just in a mirror match.
R Citizen Cane (Feldon of the Third Path)
Can I go ahead and win the Next Great Designer Search now? Apparently I already design like Wizards.
R Citizen Cane (Feldon of the Third Path)
R Citizen Cane (Feldon of the Third Path)
R Citizen Cane (Feldon of the Third Path)
This has made a lot of people very angry and been widely regarded as a bad move."
Comic Book Set
Archester: Frontier of Steam (A steampunk set!)
A Good Place to Start Designing