Thought I would make a thread for all my card ideas.
Explanations in spoilers for ease of viewing.
feel free to give critiques/thoughts on cards.
I will likely add more to the op
Would images of cards made in Gimp be allowed in this thread, even if they use the copyrighted mana symbols, as long as I disclaim that they are property of WotC?
Broken Spectre 2WU
Enchantment - Aura
Aura - Enchant creature
Creatures controlled by enchanted creature's controller can't attack unless their power is greater than or equal to enchanted creature's power
Brocken spectre is an optical illusion in which an observer's shadow from behind is reflected on the cloud or mist on his front, which then
appears enormous and magnified. The idea is that the spectre scares other creatures and keeps them from going to battle. Put it on their
biggest guy and it makes a bigger, scarier spectre. I like this as an uncommon, the effect is powerful as a team pacifism but on some boards
can be underwhelming, and can never pacify their biggest guy.
Combines really well with 0/6's since you are giving your opponent an Akron Legionnaire, a big creature that you don't want
to kill because it has the drawback of holding their team back.
Tsujigiri 1WR
Enchantment
Whenever an equipment enters the battlefield, you may attach that equipment to a samurai creature you control, if you do that creature deals damage
equal to it's power to target creature an opponent controls
Tsujigiri (literally 'crossroads killing') is a Japanese term for a practice when a samurai, after receiving a new katana or developing
a new fighting style or weapon, tests its effectiveness by attacking a human opponent, usually a random defenseless passer-by, in many cases during nighttime.
For a RW Samurai/Equipment-matters theme in a hypothetical return to Kamigawa (Tamiyo being re-introduced to the story gives me hope). soul's fire
was in red but it seems with rabid bite they are moving this ability to green though it makes the most sense for samurai and equipment
themes to be in these colors based on the rest of the color pie precedents. This one is tough to cost because it is an enchantment that does nothing unless you
already have a samurai in play and resolve an equipment, but gives a pretty sizable advantage of free equip and turning all your equipment into FTKs. Maybe would
be better as a stand alone equipment. Maybe remove the samurai condition to make it more generally playable
Tsujigiri Blade 5
Artifact - equipment
Equip - 2
Whenever an [cardname] enters the battlefield, you may attach it to target samurai creature you control, if you do that creature deals damage
equal to it's power to target creature an opponent controls.
Equipped creature gets +1/+1 and has first strike
With this equipment you are paying for the enters the battlefield trigger as it is not spectacular otherwise ( 5 mana hunt the weak that leaves behind an sharpened pitchfork). I like the samurai restriction a lot more on this card since it lets you keep the damage aspect of the card in colors with lots of samurai (mardu as of last Kamigawa block) and makes sure the card gets to those colors in draft which is important for a colorless rare if RW equipment samurai is an archetype in our theoretical return to Kamigawa
Shadow clone 2UB
Enchantment
Whenever a Ninja you control is targeted by a spell or ability an opponent controls put a 2/2 blue ninja creature token into play,
then change that spells target to a random ninja you control
A common trope with ninja is when you attack them they can make weaker copies of themselves and sometimes you kill the copy instead. It makes a Frenetic Sliver affect for your ninja, but worst case you get a 2/2. Your ninja can never run out if they all die to targeted spells, so maybe change to whenever a nontoken Ninja you control is targeted? I thought of making it symmetrical, such that giant growthing your ninja gives you a token, but then you might end up pumping the token that's not attacking instead, which is more of a drawback, also would have to change to instant/sorcery because cheap equipment just pump out tokens otherwise. Also may need to specify "with only a single target" to fit within the rules of magic
<proper name>, killer of planeswalkers 1B
Creature - Assassin Mercenary
protection from Planeswalkers
when [cardname] attacks a Planeswalker, [cardname] cannot be blocked this turn.
when [cardname] blocks a creature attacking a planeswalker, [cardname] gains first strike until end of turn.
3/1
I'm not good with names, sue me. I like the idea of an assassin that specializes in killing planeswalkers, makes it so they are not the end-all be all of the multiverse. He also protects walkers, so maybe he is hired by one walker to kill another in the storyline?. I also wanted a mono b aggro card for cube that isn't embarrassing without planeswalkers around to kill or protect, but he interacts favorably against them, maybe he always needs first strike for this to be the case. Maybe a 2/1 with first strike that gets +2/+0 and un blockable when attacking a planes walker
Trapweb Spider 2G
Whenever trapweb spider blocks a creature without a -1/-1 counter, put a -1/-1 counter on it at the end of combat.
trapweb spider can block any number of creatures with -1/-1 counters on them
0/5
when it blocks you get caught in it's web and thus limits your mobility, and since you are still in it's web you get to block everything still. really annoying to attack into so I made it not a cumulative effect, also made the -1/-1 come after damage for this reason. I intend for it to block one new creature each combat, which might not be obvious (one creature without a -1/-1 counter and any number that have the counters)
Mana burn
instant
Split second
Remove all mana from each player's mana pool, [cardname] deals damage to each player for each mana removed from their mana pool this way.
kind of silly design, just putting mana burn on a split second spell, but it's an anti combo card that make sense in r/g maybe just red since green shouldn't have a spell that deals 8 to their opponent, but then again red shouldn't have a spell that interferes with the opponent's mana pool
NOW!! R
instant
put target spell or ability on the top of the stack
WotC would never print this card since they don't like referencing the stack, and it's not too obvious what it does. Here are some uses: beats a counter spell (if your original spell goes on top of the stack it will resolve before the counter spell, beats a pump spell/protection spell by letting your burn spell resolve before they get the pump. It can even beat a Kira, glass spinner trigger or force your spellskite or goblin king into play when they cast their removal spell in response to you casting it. Basically if your opponent is trying to do something tricky on the stack you get to resolve your spell before their interaction resolves. Not really even a good card, but it fits red and gives them some tricky stack interaction that they are normally not privy to
Knife for throwing 3
equip 2
equipped creature gets +2/+0
Equipped creature gains first strike: unattach [cardname] from equipped creature, use this ability only during combat and only once a turn
throwing Knife was already a card name so this is more of a playtest name than anything else. The idea is you get to either hold the knife and have a weapon that makes you stronger or throw it and hit them first. Equip cost might not be prohibitive enough but I kind of want it to move around a lot and not just be a really bad bonesplitter. It makes creatures hard to block because if you just want to trade they can give it first strike but if you double block they probably have enough power to trade with both your guys, but you can't just let a creature with +2 power hit you again and again.
Haunted Hedge Maze 2G
Creature - Plant
defender
Whenever [cardname] blocks put the top 3 cards of your library into your graveyard
0/6
a wall that gives you some short term benefit from mill if your opponent dares to attack into it, but you cannot block with it forever cause then you mill out
Scorned Telepath 1UU
Creature - Human Wizard
[cardname] is Unblockable
[cardname] can only attack alone
Whenever [cardname] deals damage to an player, look at that player's hand
3/2
A play on the "mind-reader that no one likes to be around" trope. No one can intercept him cause he knows to avoid them, but no one wants to go fight with him. When he gets close enough to the opponent he can read their mind (see their hand). There is some tension in information verses damage, if you attack with this every turn it will take long to kill your opponent, but if you don't you won't know what they drew last turn, this tension would be heightened if the telepath had lower power, maybe this is the direction to go (like a 1/4) I don't know how strong the ability to see your opponents hand is, especially when it only matters after you have declared attackers. This is intended for the return to kamigawa envirnonment,which may have ninjutsu. Any unblockable creature should come with great downside in that environment
Manic Landscaper 1G
Creature - Druid Shaman
Whenever a basic land enters the battlefield under your control, you may have each other land you control become a copy of that land until end of turn. t: return a land you control to it's owner's hand
2/1
A bizzare mana fixer that requires you to have basics and gives pretty big timing restrictions for this "fixing." I liked the interaction between elsewhere flask and all the flow of ideas cards, this gives you access to all that on a creature that can do other cool things like protect creature lands from removal, add a mana when you don't have a land drop, trigger etb's of lands
Targeted Annihilation2WW
Sorcery (R)
Each player chooses a nonland permanent type.
Destroy all permanents of the chosen types.
wasn't sure if this was obvious or not.
You choose first and players may choose a type already chosen by another player
One of the big problems Wotc has with 4 mana wraths is they are very strong with walkers, well with this one your opponent can choose to kill your walkers/enchantments/artifacts, whatever you are using to break the symmetry of the wrath. It's a cheap powerful effect that gives all players a decision to make, I like this design. This also just kills everything in multiplayer, so if it can't make it into standard it'd slot nicely into the conspiracy style set they do every year/a commander precon.
Winding Trebuchet4
Artifact Creature - Construct (U) T: [CardName] deals 1 damage to target creature or player, put a charge counter on [cardname] T: Put 2 charge counters on [CardName]
remove three charge counters from [CardName]: untap [CardName]
1/3
This was just a pinger that's also a coffee card. Pingers are deemed too complex in the NWO so this'll never see print but I think this card is a good power level with many decisions.
Demonic Wing-Collector5BB
Creature - Demon (M)
Flying, Trample
Whenever an Angel or God creature dies, exile that creature. Create an X/X black Demon creature, where X is the exiled creature's power. The brighter they shone, the more fun it is to watch them fall.
6/6
Top down design for a demon that is converting fallen angels. Incidentally good against The Scarab God type of "indestructibility". The type of swingy card for low-powered EDH games that the many people like to play.
Gideon, Akroan Tactician2WR
Planeswalker - Gideon (M)
[+1]: Put an Bait counter on up to one target creature, that creature gains "must attack or block a Gideon Planeswalker each combat if able".
[-1]: Untap all creatures with Bait counters. Until end of turn ~ becomes a 5/5 Human Soldier creature with indestructible and haste that's still a Planeswalker. Prevent all damage that would be dealt to him this turn.
[-6]: Destroy all tapped creatures.
[[4]]
The bait counter doesn't do anything except let the players remember what has been "baited." I liked this one, all these are "gideon" feeling planeswalker abilities that work well together, cohesively. Maybe too well coordinated for Gideon's character, but it's only good at controlling creatures/ combat so it fits.
Siege Rig1
Artifact-Equipment (U) 2: Equip
Equipped creature assigns combat damage equal to it's toughness rather than it's power.
If equipped creature has defender it may attack as though it didn't have defender.
I wanted a limited, uncommon build-around, Defender support card that combines Doran and Rolling stones, since the existing effects that do one or the other don't really do anything, they both need to happen to make defenders into attackers. Making the right powerlevel card with the doran effect is difficult, 3 mana 0/5 is unplayable, 3 mana 5/5 is strong, so turning all your unplayables into the strongest creatures on the battlefield is way too swingy. Warbringer's Chariot is incredibly weak and Assault Formation is incredibly strong, even without the 2G pump. I think this is the right powerlevel for this type of effect, since it only buffs one creature at a time it also lets your other walls be walls and hold down the fort while you plink in with your 0/6. It also does a non-zero amount outside of a wall deck, I don't know how many 2/4s I would need before I consider playing this. I probably wouldn't play it if it's a narrow darksteel axe, in my deck, but it definitely would make it so I don't need as many dedicated walls to play this.
Wasted Opportunity3UU
Sorcery (M)
Take an extra turn after this one, if an opponent would lose the game during that turn, they win the game instead.
Exile Wasted Opportunity
If an opponent can kill themselves during your extra turn they win, so the drawback is real. I originally wanted to make it so you cannot win on the extra turn, seemed cleaner, but If you got your opponent to 0 and passed you would win before they could do anything on their next turn, which is basically the same, so this seemed better, also more compatible with multiplayer.
Xenophobic Hazing2R
Enchantment - Curse (R)
Aura - Enchant player
Whenever a creature enters the battlefield under enchanted player's control, each creature that player controls that doesn't share a creature type with it deals one damage to it.
A "Go wide" hoser that doesn't lock you out of playing more creatures entirely. An idea I had for one of the monthly card contests that I didn't end up using, so I put it here (the original was a fight, but that was too harsh). I like how this one encourages players to chump attack to clear out some of their off-type creatures and encourages opponents to not block since leaving bad creatures in play could keep better ones from coming down. I generally enjoy cards that change the way both players want to play the game.
Mental Preparation1UU
Instant (R)
Counter target spell
You may pay 0 instead of paying [Cardname]'s mana cost if you haven't taken a turn yet this game.
A cancel that is a zero mana counter only on your opponent's turn 1 if you are on the draw. This seems to me like a "fair" free counter, potentially for modern. It's probably not even a strong enough card for modern actually.
Ruthless Mercenary3BB
Creature - Mercenary Assassin (R) 1: Put a bounty counter on target creature 3: Put a bounty counter on target creature, any player may activate this ability T: destroy target creature with a bounty counter.
At the beginning of your upkeep you may pay 1 for each creature on the battlefield with a bounty counter,
if you don't lose 2 life and target opponent gains control of [cardname]
2/3
This one probably has too much text, but I like the way the abilities overlap. At base level, it is a Cheaper Vraska, that costs mana when you use it and has an upkeep cost. But your opponents can tag your creatures, or each other's creatures and make it more difficult to control the creature (maybe it should only put bounties on creatures you don't control). I like this flavor, the assassin will work for anyone, for a price (but it should not be able to put a bounty on itself). It's probably too easy for your opponents to make it so you give this away, but the best case scenario of a 5 mana vraska is so strong it should have a drawback.
Goblin InformantRR
Creature - Goblin
Haste
Whenever [cardname] attacks, defending player may look at the top card of your library, if they do, they may choose to put it on the bottom of your library.
3/3
A reverse Goblin guide, perhaps a little too inbred a design. The idea is that if you are playing burn your opponent fatsealing your spells to the bottom is really bad for you cause lands are useless once you have 2. I like this as a drawback and may use it somewhere else.
Knockback Blast1R
Sorcery (U)
Choose one
~ deals 5 damage to target creature you don't control and one damage to each creature you control
~ deals 5 damage to target creature you control and 1 damage to each creature you don't control
When I first fired the Doom Blaster it killed more of us than them. That's when I got the idea to turn it around ...
- Toggo, Goblin Weaponsmith
A red card for controlling decks where the drawback can be ignored. Roast was the baseline card I compared to, This is situationaly better/worse, which is about where I would want it to be. It's also flavorful and versatile, which is something that is needed in Red.
[Silver Bordered] Troll Aesthetic1GG
Creature - Troll Shaman (R)
Troll-Shroud (creatures with Troll-Shroud have Hexproof)
Reveal a card's art from your hand, any opponent has 10 seconds to guess that art's artist.
If you reveal the artist and no player guessed correctly, regenerate Troll Aesthetic.
3/2
Card built around this pun. You reveal the card because there are instances where it's tough to identify the art when there are multiple arts (Hymn to Torach, etc). The 10 seconds is to disincentivise people from using Gatherer, which they would otherwise be allowed to do when their opponent put the ability on the stack. I could have just said don't use gatherer but this seemed cleaner/ faster. The idea is eventually you will run out of cards to show, since once you do use an art your opponent will know the artist for next time. Running mismatched arts/ basics is now advantageous, slightly, which will bother a lot of people in just the right way.
Underworld Toll-keeperWB
Creature - demon (R)
Whenever an opponent draws a card, [Cardname] deals 1 damage to that player
3/2
Designed to be a Leovoldesq card that punishes brainstorms in legacy, but not as a blue card. Since they can't print cards as powerful as brainstorm, wotc should print cards that are good against it in non-blue colors, to give them a shot.
Blood for the blood god1B
Instant (U)
each opponent sacrifices a creature, then you lose X life, where X is 6 minus the combined power of creatures sacrificed this way. I deem your tribute ... insufficient
The name of this card is a friend's twitch handle, top-down design based on that. I don't hate this card, I just think the numbers are a little off and it didn't come out the best. This is basically a multiplayer only card since it's drawback is too severe outside of that/ there are many better options. But it's usually better to pay more for a splashier effect in multiplayer formats, so the efficiency is lost there. Maybe it should cost B to be efficient enough to matter?
Equalizer2
Artifact (R)
When ~ enters the battlefield draw a card
Non-land cards in your hand have basic landcycling 2
Land cards in your hand have cycling 2
Name is a play on Fluctuator / Stabilizer
Card just lets you turn all your lands into random cards and spells into basic lands. The cost is kind of steep, but it ensures you will never flood or color screw. Not the best card, but I wonder how much more consistent magic would be if this was just always an option.
Vial Tainter2B
Creature - Cleric Assassin (R)
At the beginning of each endstep, each player who gained life this turn loses twice that much life. W, T: Target player gains 2 life He practices malpractice
2/3
Since this triggers on endstep you can target yourself after the trigger to actually just gain life, or target an opponent in postcombat mainphase to make them lose 2 on endstep. I know wotc doesn't like printing cards like this because someone will mess it up and just give their opponent 2 life and complain about it, but this seems more flavorful and elegant to me.
Scourge of Muraganda2B
Creature - Human Mutant (C)
Whenever ~ deals damage to a creature with no abilities, destroy that creature.
1/5
An Idea for one of the monthly challenges that I never got around to submitting. For the record I don't really like it when people submit their cards for these in DCC, feels lazy to me. I would post unused ideas but not a fan of doubling up.
Curse of Immortality3WB
Enchantment (M)
If you would lose the game, instead shuffle your hand and graveyard into your library, draw three cards, your life total becomes half your starting life total rounded down, remove all counters from yourself, and an opponent of your choice gains control of ~.
Inspired by Stunning Reversal if you end up using it in a dual you have to give it to your opponent, and then you have to fight through it if you want to kill them. Or someone could destroy an enchantment. Might be too swingy. I couldn't imagine playing this with the plan to kill yourself (e.g. Ad Nauseam)would be worth it but that is a danger.
Urban Planner1W
Creature - Human Advisor (R)
Whenever a land enters the battlefield, destroy it unless it's controller pays 1 for each other land that entered the battlefield under their control this turn.
2/2
Hoser for ramp/ fetchlands. It scales for how much you do it so you can fetch on an opponent's turn to ignore the tax, but it still might have kept you from using the mana how you wanted. Like a toned down Leonin Arbiter.
I was looking for a word to describe "the process of designing a city to be symmetrical", which I guess doesn't exist.
Atraxa, Phyrexian Emissary2UB
Planeswalker - Atraxa (M)
[+1]: Put a -1/-1 counter on up to one target creature.
[-2]: Proliferate.
[-5]: Destroy all creatures with a -1/-1 counter on them, return to the battlefield under your control each creature destroyed this way.
[[3]]
Uh Oh, Phyrexian can planeswalk again.
This card is interesting in that the -2 is really a -1 since it proliferates one counter back to itself, but If you -2 twice in a row (or when it is at 2 loyalty) Atraxa will die before you can proliferate the counter back. I also like how the ultimate might make you not want to fully proliferate your -1/-1 counters
Sword from the Stone4
Legendary Artifact - Equipment
Equipped creature is legendary, has +2/+1, Indestructible, and "when this creature attacks alone, tap all creatures defending player controls".
Tap an untapped Legendary creature you control with 2 power or less: Attach ~ to that creature. You become the monarch. ~ gains, "equip: 2."
It does not have an equip cost initially. It needs to activate it's ability with a creature of power 2 or less, afterwards it gains an equip cost and can be equipped to any creature normally.
Top down design based off the Sword in the Stone/ King Arthur. The flavor is it cannot be wielded until a meek hero pulls it out of the stone. The sword also make you the monarch (king) when you pick it up. I thought this was really flavorful, but it didn't get many votes. Probably too convoluted. It could certainly stand to have less text on this card. The tap part mechanically helps you get back the monarch and flavor-wise it was said that the sword blinded King Arthur's enemies, not sure if this was a well known fact.
Enraged Bee Colony2G
Creature - Insect (U)
Flying, Deathtouch
Whenever ~ deals damage to a creature, sacrifice ~ at the end of combat.
2/2
If a bee stings something it dies, I like this flavor as a drawback to an otherwise aggressively costed green flyer.
Deranged Gardener3GG
Creature - Elf Shaman (R)
When ~ enters the battlefield create four 0/1 plant creature tokens. T, Sacrifice a land: Create a 0/1 plant creature token. 1G: Put a +1/+1 counter on target Plant.
Sacrifice a plant creature with 2 or greater power: Search your library for a land card and put it onto the battlefield.
1/1
Deranged Hermit inspired. I cost the abilities to try and avoid loops, card gives you a lot of options and resources. Not sure how well the fact that the creatures have no starting power but can be turned into actual board presence with mana translates to the effect that echo has at making the spell cost more than it seems. this one was hard to balance and I'm probably a little off
Two-Headed Gladiator4RR
Creature - Giant Warrior(R)
Menace.
~ can block an additional creature each combat. T,3: ~ Fights target creature an opponent controls, then fights another target creature the same opponent controls of their choice
4/6
Magus of the Arena That fights two things, one of your choice, one of the opponent's. It needs 2 targets to use it's ability. Wanted this to be able to kill two things for free but only in specific scenarios and since your opponent gets to chose one of their fighters after you chose they can always pick the best one to finish it off. Maybe should cost 1 more for limited.
HivelingWUBRG
Creature - Sliver Shapeshifter (M) W: Untap target Sliver. U: Target Sliver Gains Hexproof until end of turn. B: Target Sliver gains Lifelink R: Target creature blocks a Sliver you control this turn if able G: Target Sliver gains Trample until end of turn. 1: Choose one Target sliver gets -1/+1, or +1/-1 until end of turn.
7/7
I originally set out to make a morphling that gained Skulk, but realized someone else had done that.
So I made a Sliver Queen/Morphling hybrid thing people seemed to like it.
Essence Symbiote2GG
Creature - Elemental (R)
Whenever you gain life for the first time each turn, put that many +1/+1 counters on ~. 1(2/G): ~'s controller gain's 1 life, each player may activate this ability once per turn.
2/3
This card was not received very well, but I really like it. I'm not sure how good it is since it's a pride mate that gains it's own life, but it's capped to one trigger per turn. Ageless Entity isn't a particularly strong card so I thought it was fine to base its cost around that. The idea of the opponent using the ability is that if you would gain 5 life (at once) your opponent could give you 1 life to stop you from putting 5 counters on it, you only get 1. I wanted a card like this for my Archetype cube, but most people would see this as a commander card and maybe wanted to see it cost for that. The group hug activation also makes it look more like a commander card.
Battlefield Prophet1W
Creature - Human Shaman Warrior (U)
At the beginning of combat on each of your turns, target opponent reveals a card at random from their hand.
2/2
Looking at their hand isn't very white, but The idea is sometimes you see a combat trick and controlling combat is White.
I like this effect and have some ideas to refine it that I might submit some other time.
Rabid Rout2BG
Instant - (U)
Untap all creatures you control, they gain deathtouch and get -1/-1 until end of turn.
Inspired by Tenacity, the -1/-1 is to temper the effectiveness of using this with tokens and 1/x's. Most creatures will be dying the turn you cast this. and you need to use real creatures to use it effectively, but you still get to trade up.
Litterbug3
Artifact Creature - Insect
Flying
Whenever a non-token artifact dies or an artifact card is discarded, put a +1/+1 counter on ~ and create a 1/1 colorless Insect artifact creature token with flying.
0/2
Thought of the name, and created a card around it. This one got a lot of votes if I recall correctly. I'm not sure why.
The Grim Captain3BB
Legendary Creature - Spirit Pirate (M)
As an additional cost to cast ~, sacrifice two Treasure.
Flying
Other Spirits you control have flying.
Whenever another non-Spirit Pirate you control dies, return it to the battlefield tapped, it becomes a spirit in addition to it's other types. His is no skeleton crew
3/3
Every Pirate comes back as a Ghost pirate. Basically cost 7 since you need treasure to cast it, which I'm surprised isn't something that wotc did in ixalan, honestly. Interesting for a commander too, since it will be difficult to always have treasure to recast it.
Gharlbark, the Toppler3WR
Legendary Creature - Giant Ogre Soldier (R)
Whenever ~ deals combat damage to a Wall[SIC], destroy that creature.
Vigilance
Sacrifice a Wall[SIC] you control T: The sacrificed creature deals damage equal to its toughness to each creature it blocked this turn. Activate this ability only during combat. The only thing scarier than seeing him approach your castle is having him defend it.
3/5
Top-down design: the giant pushes the wall ontop of the people assaulting it. This is a way to use Defenders that I hadn't seen before. though the fact that he is a 3/5 vigilance already makes it so attacking into you isn't free, so this might not be the best body to put on this guy, but he has to be big enough to make sense as a wall toppler.
Cleansing Flame2R
Sorcery - (R)
Deals 3 Damage to target Creature or Planeswalker
Whenever you gain life You may pay 1W, When you do return ~ from your graveyard to it's owner's hand
Punishing Fire that triggers off of you gaining life. Mana cost's are fixed since it's not hard to trigger it and punishing fire isin need of some nerfing.
Advocate for Slaughter1R
Instant (M)
Untap target creature, it gains Doublestrike and loses trample until end of turn. That creature must attack or block this turn if able. 4RR:Overload(You may cast this spell for its overload cost. If you do, change its text by replacing all instances of the word "Target" with "Each")
Avatar of Slaughter's ability if you overload it. More Rakados than Izzet flavorfully, but I like how it's a fine trick when cast for 2 but a game changer when overloaded.
Pool Resources2W
Enchantment - Aura (M)
Enchant Planeswalker you control
Whenever an effect would cause you to gain life you may instead put that many loyalty counters on Enchanted Planeswalker
An interesting way to "turn on" lifegain as a resource. This effect could be very powerful as you could end up ultimating the planeswalker very quick. often which is absurd with most 'walkers. But it's an aura and easy to 2 for 1.
Escaped Experiment1UG
Creature - Human Ooze (R)
Whenever ~ deals 3 or more combat damage to a player, that player gains control of ~ (this effect doesn't end at end of turn). 1: ~ has base power and toughness 7/6 and gains trample until end of turn
2/3
This was a weird mechanical idea I had, I retrofitted the flavor later to fit it. I wanted a rootwalla type effect where the creature had a big drawback for using it, but the boost was sort of "too good" that your opponent can't really play around it. This one came out weird, not even sure it this is good or bad.
Squee's Clairvoyance1R
Enchantment (R)
At the beginning of your upkeep look at the top 3 cards of your library, put them back in a random order. You may shuffle your library.
Original idea was a ponder that put the cards back in a random order. Thought about making it 5 cards since randomising more would make the effect less powerful, but more informative long-term.
Really like this card, It's a Mirri's Guile but since you put the cards back in a random order you don't have to make a ton of time intensive decisions each turn. You can however shuffle if you don't like any of the cards. This seems like Red's kind of card selection. You know the general quality of the top of your deck and you can change it, but you never know exactly what you will draw. It's interesting in that even if you see a card you want in the top 3 you might never draw it. I feel like if Wotc made this card you would have to sacrifice the enchantment if you shuffled, I don't think this is necessary.
Hunker Down2WR
Enchantment - (R)
Creatures you control have defender.
Creatures your opponents control attack each combat if able.
Whenever a creature you control is dealt combat damage, put a +1/+1 counter on it.
Defender matters card. The problem with these kinds of cards is they create a subgame where, if your board is better than theirs you plague wind them and lock them out of casting more creatures. I like the idea of needing to find a way to kill your enchantment to kill them, but this also drags out the game after you've locked them out.
Lucid dreamer1UU
Creature - Human (R)
When ~ enters the battlefield, create a 5/4 blue, Nightmare Illusion creature token with flying and trample.
Whenever ~ leaves the battlefield, exile all Nightmares you control. It seems so real
0/1
Thought this would be more interesting than a phantasmal dragon, cause it dies to a pyroclasm effect, but this is just bland and doesn't lead to good gameplay
Fighting SpiritG
Sorcery (U)
Target creature gains "T : Fight target creature", and "1G: Untap this creature" until end of turn.
Interesting idea of fighting as many creatures until the creature you control dies, but it's super broken with a dork that makes multiple mana. Not actually that interesting.
Unnatural Enlistment3BB
Sorcery (U)
Return target Creature card from your graveyard to the battlefield it becomes a Zombie in addition to it's other types.
Whenever you cast a Zombie you may pay 2B, if you do return ~ from your graveyard to your hand.
There was a combat trick in Amonket that has this same trigger. I like this design as a tribal sorcery that doesn't have the supertype tribal. This card is just kind of bland. I thought the symmetry of the spell returning creatures and creatures returning the spell would be cooler. I'm not sure where I went wrong but I don't really like it anymore.
Tsujigiri is waaay too restrictive in use. It's an enchantment that needs a samurai and need an equipment. In any other deck that isn't constructed samurai+equipment (and that includes limited), it's a dead card.
My suggestion would be to make it somewhat useful in decks that aren't samurai+equipment.
TsujigiriWR
Enchantment
Whenever an equipment enters the battlefield, you may attach that equipment to a creature you control. If that creature is a samurai, that creature deals damage
equal to it's power to target creature an opponent controls.
At least with that change, you can still play it in limited, albeit not that great a card unless you're playing with samurais.
Shadow clone -- should be red if you're doing random targetting. Also, because it is a "whenever". It's way too expensive at 4cc, and I'm not sure if it retriggers. Its much worse that "all ninjas you control have hexproof". Like Tsujigiri, very narrow in application.
Tsujigiri is waaay too restrictive in use. It's an enchantment that needs a samurai and need an equipment. In any other deck that isn't constructed samurai+equipment (and that includes limited), it's a dead card.
This one is tough to cost because it is an enchantment that does nothing unless you
already have a samurai in play and resolve an equipment, but gives a pretty sizable advantage of free equip and turning all your equipment into FTKs. Maybe would
be better as a stand alone equipment. Maybe remove the samurai condition to make it more generally playable
but it is really context dependent, if samurai are supported like Eldrazi were in BFZ then you can easily have enough samurai to trigger this without going out of your way to draft them. If samurai are supported like wolf/werewolf matters is supported in SOI then it might not come together enough to warrant a restrictive cost. The fact that it requires an equipment in addition to a samurai is troubling, I've definitely drafted the avacynian missionaries deck and drawn all my equipment/ other creature augmentation cards after getting my creature killed and this creates that same deck building restraint where you need a bunch of cards in your deck that need other cards to be good and come in the right order. I definitely like the idea of it doing something with each equipment and being better with samurai, which is what you've suggested.
Shadow clone -- should be red if you're doing random targetting. Also, because it is a "whenever". It's way too expensive at 4cc
I think this is fine in UB cause the idea isn't chaotic targeting, its more of, "your opponents are so perfectly deceived that they don't know who to attack" and deception fits perfectly in UB. Also if this were to be UR then there would have to be R ninja which is weird, to me at least. RE:4cc if I spent 4 mana on an enchantment and it did stone nothing because my opponent never tried to target my ninja; it would feel awful. Maybe this is a sideboard card, but that's still a failure of a "draft around" card if the card that makes you want to draft around UB ninja doesn't even make your main deck.
That being said this effect seems very powerful when it works. Imagine casting a Reduce to Ashes on your opponent's creature and it just kills a freshly made token instead; (4R:put this card into your graveyard) and when their spell works it's a curse of the swine for 4R that only gets one guy. It also makes tappers and combat effective tricks much worse. Also having it go to a random ninja is huge in my opinion, if your opponent has a 3/4 ninja and a 2/2 ninja with an activated ability that you have to deal with and all you have is a spell that deals 3 damage, you are 1/3 to kill the 2/2 that you have to kill, 1/3 to kill the token which is neutral, and 1/3 to mark 3 damage on the 3/4 and give them a 2/2 which sticks around and makes your next spell even less likely to do anything. All this scenario needs is for your opponent to have 2 ninja in play in their ninja deck which seems likely enough.
I originally wanted to but it on a legendary ninja creature but it would be weird if he got targeted by something that was aimed at someone else. "I see a lightning bolt is headed towards my ninja comrade, I shall make a clone and deceive the bolt's caster. Wait, why is it headed towards me now!?" Maybe the enchantment needs to make a 2/2 ninja when it enters the battlefield to make the 1/3 scenario the default. It wouldn't feel weird if the token took one for the team. Maybe the ninja need to be 0/3 or something that would be more likely to just stick around and just be annoying.
Mana burn
instant
Split second
Remove all mana from each player's mana pool, [cardname] deals damage to each player for each mana removed from their mana pool this way.
kind of silly design, just putting mana burn on a split second spell, but it's an anti combo card that make sense in r/g maybe just red since green shouldn't have a spell that deals 8 to their opponent, but then again red shouldn't have a spell that interferes with the opponent's mana pool
NOW!! R
instant
put target spell or ability on the top of the stack
WotC would never print this card since they don't like referencing the stack, and it's not too obvious what it does. Here are some uses: beats a counter spell (if your original spell goes on top of the stack it will resolve before the counter spell, beats a pump spell/protection spell by letting your burn spell resolve before they get the pump. It can even beat a Kira, glass spinner trigger or force your spellskite or goblin king into play when they cast their removal spell in response to you casting it. Basically if your opponent is trying to do something tricky on the stack you get to resolve your spell before their interaction resolves. Not really even a good card, but it fits red and gives them some tricky stack interaction that they are normally not privy to
Knife for throwing 3
equip 2
equipped creature gets +2/+0
Equipped creature gains first strike: unattach [cardname] from equipped creature, use this ability only during combat and only once a turn
throwing Knife was already a card name so this is more of a playtest name than anything else. The idea is you get to either hold the knife and have a weapon that makes you stronger or throw it and hit them first. Equip cost might not be prohibitive enough but I kind of want it to move around a lot and not just be a really bad bonesplitter. It makes creatures hard to block because if you just want to trade they can give it first strike but if you double block they probably have enough power to trade with both your guys, but you can't just let a creature with +2 power hit you again and again.
[quote[Imagine casting a Reduce to Ashes on your opponent's creature and it just kills a freshly made token instead[/quote]
Which is better: your opponent missing <50% of the time, or your opponent not being able to cast the spell at all?
What the spell does is make a spell miss, sometimes. In that situation, hexproof is better, because it removes your opponent's choice in the matter. What will happen is an opponent won't cast a targetted spell unless he's desperate. In which case hexproof is still better, because not matter how desperate an opponent is, he still can't cast his spell.
Try it. Play some games, and replace the wording with "all your creatures gain hexproof". See which is better.
I'm well aware of the flavor of the card. The problem is that (1) 4cc is just too much for a spell that acts like a worse hexproof (2) It's overly complicated for a spell that acts like a worse hexproof.
Now -- This has been proposed numerous times before. The problem is that the WoTC dislikes using the word "stack" in the rules text, and rewording the spell not to use the word "Stack" is not worth the complication. It might do as a rare, but who would want this as a rare?
Mana burn -- this spell has been proposed in the past. It absolutely does not work like you hope it would. The only deck it can hit is dark ritual-based decks (and only if the string more than 1 dark ritual consecutively), or maybe decks that carry over mana over turns (forgot which card does that). For details as to why it doesn't work, you might want to review the rules on priority in casting spells.
knife -- I like this. However, gaining first strike as a cost is uninutive, and the "once per turn" clause is unnecessary
0: Equipped craeture gains first strike until end of turn. Unattach ~. Use this ability only during the combat phase.
Mana Burn seems Super OP since it removes mana from people's mana pools before they can even use it and burns them in the process for 1 mana. Obviously all you would need to do is tap one mana to pay for the spell while they are tapping out for 4 or 5 you burn them and basically end their turn. Mana Burn surprisingly enough is more of a combo card than a anti combo card,
Private Mod Note
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Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Ophelia Le Doux (R/B)
Creature - Vampire Assassin
Haste First Strike
1/1
Mana Burn seems Super OP since it removes mana from people's mana pools before they can even use it and burns them in the process for 1 mana. Obviously all you would need to do is tap one mana to pay for the spell while they are tapping out for 4 or 5 you burn them and basically end their turn. Mana Burn surprisingly enough is more of a combo card than a anti combo card,
No, that doesn't work, due to priority.
Player A taps lands for the mana to cast a huge spell.
Player B cannot cast mana burn, because player B does not have priority. He has to wait until player A passes priority (likely after the spell player A is casting is already on the stack).
To illustrate: see mana short. Mana short has to be cast during a player's upkeep in order to prevent main phase spells. It can't go "oh, after you've tapped your lands, I cast mana short on you so that you can't cast that spell you were planning to cast".
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"Sometimes, the situation is outracing a threat, sometimes it's ignoring it, and sometimes it involves sideboarding in 4x Hope//Pray." --Doug Linn
I understand that hexproof is better than the ability, the idea isn't to just make better cards it's a top-down design to flavor-fully emulate the clone trope of ninja into the game of magic the gathering. Sometimes the enemy kills the real ninja when he makes a clone of himself, happens. Asceticism cost 3GG making it cheaper and tribal is lazy design, as is hexproof IMHO. Hexproof is awful to play against, this at least gives you a chance to hit the thing you want to hit and there is some minor interaction in if you get them to trade their ninja in combat you have better odds of hitting the right one with your spell
The only deck it can hit is dark ritual-based decks
The once a turn thing was to eliminate some weird rules interaction (think nomads en-kor) where you get some benefit from activating and artifact infinite times a turn. As far as I know nothing exists but might as well make it safe
Edit adding cards to OP
Haunted Hedge Maze 2G
Creature - Plant
defender
Whenever [cardname] blocks put the top 3 cards of your library into your graveyard
0/6
a wall that gives you some short term benefit from mill if your opponent dares to attack into it, but you cannot block with it forever cause then you mill out
Scorned Telepath 1UU
Creature - Human Wizard
[cardname] is Unblockable
[cardname] can only attack alone
Whenever [cardname] deals damage to an player, look at that player's hand
3/2
A play on the "mind-reader that no one likes to be around" trope. No one can intercept him cause he knows to avoid them, but no one wants to go fight with him. When he gets close enough to the opponent he can read their mind (see their hand). There is some tension in information verses damage, if you attack with this every turn it will take long to kill your opponent, but if you don't you won't know what they drew last turn, this tension would be heightened if the telepath had lower power, maybe this is the direction to go (like a 1/4) I don't know how strong the ability to see your opponents hand is, especially when it only matters after you have declared attackers. This is intended for the return to kamigawa envirnonment,which may have ninjutsu. Any unblockable creature should come with great downside in that environment
Manic Landscaper 1G
Creature - Druid Shaman
Whenever a basic land enters the battlefield under your control, you may have each other land you control become a copy of that land until end of turn. t: return a land you control to it's owner's hand
2/1
A bizzare mana fixer that requires you to have basics and gives pretty big timing restrictions for this "fixing." I liked the interaction between elsewhere flask and all the flow of ideas cards, this gives you access to all that on a creature that can do other cool things like protect creature lands from removal, add a mana when you don't have a land drop, trigger etb's of lands
Explanations in spoilers for ease of viewing.
feel free to give critiques/thoughts on cards.
I will likely add more to the op
Would images of cards made in Gimp be allowed in this thread, even if they use the copyrighted mana symbols, as long as I disclaim that they are property of WotC?
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Broken Spectre 2WU
Enchantment - Aura
Aura - Enchant creature
Creatures controlled by enchanted creature's controller can't attack unless their power is greater than or equal to enchanted creature's power
Brocken spectre is an optical illusion in which an observer's shadow from behind is reflected on the cloud or mist on his front, which then
appears enormous and magnified. The idea is that the spectre scares other creatures and keeps them from going to battle. Put it on their
biggest guy and it makes a bigger, scarier spectre. I like this as an uncommon, the effect is powerful as a team pacifism but on some boards
can be underwhelming, and can never pacify their biggest guy.
Combines really well with 0/6's since you are giving your opponent an Akron Legionnaire, a big creature that you don't want
to kill because it has the drawback of holding their team back.
Tsujigiri 1WR
Enchantment
Whenever an equipment enters the battlefield, you may attach that equipment to a samurai creature you control, if you do that creature deals damage
equal to it's power to target creature an opponent controls
a new fighting style or weapon, tests its effectiveness by attacking a human opponent, usually a random defenseless passer-by, in many cases during nighttime.
For a RW Samurai/Equipment-matters theme in a hypothetical return to Kamigawa (Tamiyo being re-introduced to the story gives me hope). soul's fire
was in red but it seems with rabid bite they are moving this ability to green though it makes the most sense for samurai and equipment
themes to be in these colors based on the rest of the color pie precedents. This one is tough to cost because it is an enchantment that does nothing unless you
already have a samurai in play and resolve an equipment, but gives a pretty sizable advantage of free equip and turning all your equipment into FTKs. Maybe would
be better as a stand alone equipment. Maybe remove the samurai condition to make it more generally playable
Tsujigiri Blade 5
Artifact - equipment
Equip - 2
Whenever an [cardname] enters the battlefield, you may attach it to target samurai creature you control, if you do that creature deals damage
equal to it's power to target creature an opponent controls.
Equipped creature gets +1/+1 and has first strike
Shadow clone 2UB
Enchantment
Whenever a Ninja you control is targeted by a spell or ability an opponent controls put a 2/2 blue ninja creature token into play,
then change that spells target to a random ninja you control
<proper name>, killer of planeswalkers 1B
Creature - Assassin Mercenary
protection from Planeswalkers
when [cardname] attacks a Planeswalker, [cardname] cannot be blocked this turn.
when [cardname] blocks a creature attacking a planeswalker, [cardname] gains first strike until end of turn.
3/1
Trapweb Spider 2G
Whenever trapweb spider blocks a creature without a -1/-1 counter, put a -1/-1 counter on it at the end of combat.
trapweb spider can block any number of creatures with -1/-1 counters on them
0/5
Mana burn
instant
Split second
Remove all mana from each player's mana pool, [cardname] deals damage to each player for each mana removed from their mana pool this way.
NOW!! R
instant
put target spell or ability on the top of the stack
Knife for throwing 3
equip 2
equipped creature gets +2/+0
Equipped creature gains first strike: unattach [cardname] from equipped creature, use this ability only during combat and only once a turn
Haunted Hedge Maze 2G
Creature - Plant
defender
Whenever [cardname] blocks put the top 3 cards of your library into your graveyard
0/6
Scorned Telepath 1UU
Creature - Human Wizard
[cardname] is Unblockable
[cardname] can only attack alone
Whenever [cardname] deals damage to an player, look at that player's hand
3/2
Manic Landscaper 1G
Creature - Druid Shaman
Whenever a basic land enters the battlefield under your control, you may have each other land you control become a copy of that land until end of turn.
t: return a land you control to it's owner's hand
2/1
Targeted Annihilation 2WW
Sorcery (R)
Each player chooses a nonland permanent type.
Destroy all permanents of the chosen types.
You choose first and players may choose a type already chosen by another player
One of the big problems Wotc has with 4 mana wraths is they are very strong with walkers, well with this one your opponent can choose to kill your walkers/enchantments/artifacts, whatever you are using to break the symmetry of the wrath. It's a cheap powerful effect that gives all players a decision to make, I like this design. This also just kills everything in multiplayer, so if it can't make it into standard it'd slot nicely into the conspiracy style set they do every year/a commander precon.
Winding Trebuchet 4
Artifact Creature - Construct (U)
T: [CardName] deals 1 damage to target creature or player, put a charge counter on [cardname]
T: Put 2 charge counters on [CardName]
remove three charge counters from [CardName]: untap [CardName]
1/3
This was just a pinger that's also a coffee card. Pingers are deemed too complex in the NWO so this'll never see print but I think this card is a good power level with many decisions.
Demonic Wing-Collector 5BB
Creature - Demon (M)
Flying, Trample
Whenever an Angel or God creature dies, exile that creature. Create an X/X black Demon creature, where X is the exiled creature's power.
The brighter they shone, the more fun it is to watch them fall.
6/6
Top down design for a demon that is converting fallen angels. Incidentally good against The Scarab God type of "indestructibility". The type of swingy card for low-powered EDH games that the many people like to play.
Gideon, Akroan Tactician 2WR
Planeswalker - Gideon (M)
[+1]: Put an Bait counter on up to one target creature, that creature gains "must attack or block a Gideon Planeswalker each combat if able".
[-1]: Untap all creatures with Bait counters. Until end of turn ~ becomes a 5/5 Human Soldier creature with indestructible and haste that's still a Planeswalker. Prevent all damage that would be dealt to him this turn.
[-6]: Destroy all tapped creatures.
[[4]]
The bait counter doesn't do anything except let the players remember what has been "baited." I liked this one, all these are "gideon" feeling planeswalker abilities that work well together, cohesively. Maybe too well coordinated for Gideon's character, but it's only good at controlling creatures/ combat so it fits.
Siege Rig 1
Artifact-Equipment (U)
2: Equip
Equipped creature assigns combat damage equal to it's toughness rather than it's power.
If equipped creature has defender it may attack as though it didn't have defender.
I wanted a limited, uncommon build-around, Defender support card that combines Doran and Rolling stones, since the existing effects that do one or the other don't really do anything, they both need to happen to make defenders into attackers. Making the right powerlevel card with the doran effect is difficult, 3 mana 0/5 is unplayable, 3 mana 5/5 is strong, so turning all your unplayables into the strongest creatures on the battlefield is way too swingy. Warbringer's Chariot is incredibly weak and Assault Formation is incredibly strong, even without the 2G pump. I think this is the right powerlevel for this type of effect, since it only buffs one creature at a time it also lets your other walls be walls and hold down the fort while you plink in with your 0/6. It also does a non-zero amount outside of a wall deck, I don't know how many 2/4s I would need before I consider playing this. I probably wouldn't play it if it's a narrow darksteel axe, in my deck, but it definitely would make it so I don't need as many dedicated walls to play this.
Wasted Opportunity 3UU
Sorcery (M)
Take an extra turn after this one, if an opponent would lose the game during that turn, they win the game instead.
Exile Wasted Opportunity
If an opponent can kill themselves during your extra turn they win, so the drawback is real. I originally wanted to make it so you cannot win on the extra turn, seemed cleaner, but If you got your opponent to 0 and passed you would win before they could do anything on their next turn, which is basically the same, so this seemed better, also more compatible with multiplayer.
Xenophobic Hazing 2R
Enchantment - Curse (R)
Aura - Enchant player
Whenever a creature enters the battlefield under enchanted player's control, each creature that player controls that doesn't share a creature type with it deals one damage to it.
A "Go wide" hoser that doesn't lock you out of playing more creatures entirely. An idea I had for one of the monthly card contests that I didn't end up using, so I put it here (the original was a fight, but that was too harsh). I like how this one encourages players to chump attack to clear out some of their off-type creatures and encourages opponents to not block since leaving bad creatures in play could keep better ones from coming down. I generally enjoy cards that change the way both players want to play the game.
Mental Preparation 1UU
Instant (R)
Counter target spell
You may pay 0 instead of paying [Cardname]'s mana cost if you haven't taken a turn yet this game.
A cancel that is a zero mana counter only on your opponent's turn 1 if you are on the draw. This seems to me like a "fair" free counter, potentially for modern. It's probably not even a strong enough card for modern actually.
Ruthless Mercenary 3BB
Creature - Mercenary Assassin (R)
1: Put a bounty counter on target creature
3: Put a bounty counter on target creature, any player may activate this ability
T: destroy target creature with a bounty counter.
At the beginning of your upkeep you may pay 1 for each creature on the battlefield with a bounty counter,
if you don't lose 2 life and target opponent gains control of [cardname]
2/3
This one probably has too much text, but I like the way the abilities overlap. At base level, it is a Cheaper Vraska, that costs mana when you use it and has an upkeep cost. But your opponents can tag your creatures, or each other's creatures and make it more difficult to control the creature (maybe it should only put bounties on creatures you don't control). I like this flavor, the assassin will work for anyone, for a price (but it should not be able to put a bounty on itself). It's probably too easy for your opponents to make it so you give this away, but the best case scenario of a 5 mana vraska is so strong it should have a drawback.
Goblin Informant RR
Creature - Goblin
Haste
Whenever [cardname] attacks, defending player may look at the top card of your library, if they do, they may choose to put it on the bottom of your library.
3/3
A reverse Goblin guide, perhaps a little too inbred a design. The idea is that if you are playing burn your opponent fatsealing your spells to the bottom is really bad for you cause lands are useless once you have 2. I like this as a drawback and may use it somewhere else.
Knockback Blast 1R
Sorcery (U)
Choose one
- Toggo, Goblin Weaponsmith
A red card for controlling decks where the drawback can be ignored. Roast was the baseline card I compared to, This is situationaly better/worse, which is about where I would want it to be. It's also flavorful and versatile, which is something that is needed in Red.
[Silver Bordered]
Troll Aesthetic 1GG
Creature - Troll Shaman (R)
Troll-Shroud (creatures with Troll-Shroud have Hexproof)
Reveal a card's art from your hand, any opponent has 10 seconds to guess that art's artist.
If you reveal the artist and no player guessed correctly, regenerate Troll Aesthetic.
3/2
Card built around this pun. You reveal the card because there are instances where it's tough to identify the art when there are multiple arts (Hymn to Torach, etc). The 10 seconds is to disincentivise people from using Gatherer, which they would otherwise be allowed to do when their opponent put the ability on the stack. I could have just said don't use gatherer but this seemed cleaner/ faster. The idea is eventually you will run out of cards to show, since once you do use an art your opponent will know the artist for next time. Running mismatched arts/ basics is now advantageous, slightly, which will bother a lot of people in just the right way.
Underworld Toll-keeper WB
Creature - demon (R)
Whenever an opponent draws a card, [Cardname] deals 1 damage to that player
3/2
Designed to be a Leovoldesq card that punishes brainstorms in legacy, but not as a blue card. Since they can't print cards as powerful as brainstorm, wotc should print cards that are good against it in non-blue colors, to give them a shot.
Blood for the blood god 1B
Instant (U)
each opponent sacrifices a creature, then you lose X life, where X is 6 minus the combined power of creatures sacrificed this way.
I deem your tribute ... insufficient
The name of this card is a friend's twitch handle, top-down design based on that. I don't hate this card, I just think the numbers are a little off and it didn't come out the best. This is basically a multiplayer only card since it's drawback is too severe outside of that/ there are many better options. But it's usually better to pay more for a splashier effect in multiplayer formats, so the efficiency is lost there. Maybe it should cost B to be efficient enough to matter?
Equalizer 2
Artifact (R)
When ~ enters the battlefield draw a card
Non-land cards in your hand have basic landcycling 2
Land cards in your hand have cycling 2
Name is a play on Fluctuator / Stabilizer
Card just lets you turn all your lands into random cards and spells into basic lands. The cost is kind of steep, but it ensures you will never flood or color screw. Not the best card, but I wonder how much more consistent magic would be if this was just always an option.
Vial Tainter 2B
Creature - Cleric Assassin (R)
At the beginning of each endstep, each player who gained life this turn loses twice that much life.
W, T: Target player gains 2 life
He practices malpractice
2/3
Since this triggers on endstep you can target yourself after the trigger to actually just gain life, or target an opponent in postcombat mainphase to make them lose 2 on endstep. I know wotc doesn't like printing cards like this because someone will mess it up and just give their opponent 2 life and complain about it, but this seems more flavorful and elegant to me.
Scourge of Muraganda 2B
Creature - Human Mutant (C)
Whenever ~ deals damage to a creature with no abilities, destroy that creature.
1/5
An Idea for one of the monthly challenges that I never got around to submitting. For the record I don't really like it when people submit their cards for these in DCC, feels lazy to me. I would post unused ideas but not a fan of doubling up.
Curse of Immortality 3WB
Enchantment (M)
If you would lose the game, instead shuffle your hand and graveyard into your library, draw three cards, your life total becomes half your starting life total rounded down, remove all counters from yourself, and an opponent of your choice gains control of ~.
Inspired by Stunning Reversal if you end up using it in a dual you have to give it to your opponent, and then you have to fight through it if you want to kill them. Or someone could destroy an enchantment. Might be too swingy. I couldn't imagine playing this with the plan to kill yourself (e.g. Ad Nauseam)would be worth it but that is a danger.
Urban Planner 1W
Creature - Human Advisor (R)
Whenever a land enters the battlefield, destroy it unless it's controller pays 1 for each other land that entered the battlefield under their control this turn.
2/2
Hoser for ramp/ fetchlands. It scales for how much you do it so you can fetch on an opponent's turn to ignore the tax, but it still might have kept you from using the mana how you wanted. Like a toned down Leonin Arbiter.
I was looking for a word to describe "the process of designing a city to be symmetrical", which I guess doesn't exist.
Atraxa, Phyrexian Emissary 2UB
Planeswalker - Atraxa (M)
[+1]: Put a -1/-1 counter on up to one target creature.
[-2]: Proliferate.
[-5]: Destroy all creatures with a -1/-1 counter on them, return to the battlefield under your control each creature destroyed this way.
[[3]]
Uh Oh, Phyrexian can planeswalk again.
This card is interesting in that the -2 is really a -1 since it proliferates one counter back to itself, but If you -2 twice in a row (or when it is at 2 loyalty) Atraxa will die before you can proliferate the counter back. I also like how the ultimate might make you not want to fully proliferate your -1/-1 counters
Sword from the Stone 4
Legendary Artifact - Equipment
Equipped creature is legendary, has +2/+1, Indestructible, and "when this creature attacks alone, tap all creatures defending player controls".
Tap an untapped Legendary creature you control with 2 power or less: Attach ~ to that creature. You become the monarch. ~ gains, "equip: 2."
Top down design based off the Sword in the Stone/ King Arthur. The flavor is it cannot be wielded until a meek hero pulls it out of the stone. The sword also make you the monarch (king) when you pick it up. I thought this was really flavorful, but it didn't get many votes. Probably too convoluted. It could certainly stand to have less text on this card. The tap part mechanically helps you get back the monarch and flavor-wise it was said that the sword blinded King Arthur's enemies, not sure if this was a well known fact.
Enraged Bee Colony 2G
Creature - Insect (U)
Flying, Deathtouch
Whenever ~ deals damage to a creature, sacrifice ~ at the end of combat.
2/2
If a bee stings something it dies, I like this flavor as a drawback to an otherwise aggressively costed green flyer.
Deranged Gardener3GG
Creature - Elf Shaman (R)
When ~ enters the battlefield create four 0/1 plant creature tokens.
T, Sacrifice a land: Create a 0/1 plant creature token.
1G: Put a +1/+1 counter on target Plant.
Sacrifice a plant creature with 2 or greater power: Search your library for a land card and put it onto the battlefield.
1/1
Deranged Hermit inspired. I cost the abilities to try and avoid loops, card gives you a lot of options and resources. Not sure how well the fact that the creatures have no starting power but can be turned into actual board presence with mana translates to the effect that echo has at making the spell cost more than it seems. this one was hard to balance and I'm probably a little off
Two-Headed Gladiator 4RR
Creature - Giant Warrior(R)
Menace.
~ can block an additional creature each combat.
T,3: ~ Fights target creature an opponent controls, then fights another target creature the same opponent controls of their choice
4/6
Magus of the Arena That fights two things, one of your choice, one of the opponent's. It needs 2 targets to use it's ability. Wanted this to be able to kill two things for free but only in specific scenarios and since your opponent gets to chose one of their fighters after you chose they can always pick the best one to finish it off. Maybe should cost 1 more for limited.
Hiveling WUBRG
Creature - Sliver Shapeshifter (M)
W: Untap target Sliver.
U: Target Sliver Gains Hexproof until end of turn.
B: Target Sliver gains Lifelink
R: Target creature blocks a Sliver you control this turn if able
G: Target Sliver gains Trample until end of turn.
1: Choose one Target sliver gets -1/+1, or +1/-1 until end of turn.
7/7
I originally set out to make a morphling that gained Skulk, but realized someone else had done that.
So I made a Sliver Queen/Morphling hybrid thing people seemed to like it.
Essence Symbiote 2GG
Creature - Elemental (R)
Whenever you gain life for the first time each turn, put that many +1/+1 counters on ~.
1(2/G): ~'s controller gain's 1 life, each player may activate this ability once per turn.
2/3
This card was not received very well, but I really like it. I'm not sure how good it is since it's a pride mate that gains it's own life, but it's capped to one trigger per turn. Ageless Entity isn't a particularly strong card so I thought it was fine to base its cost around that. The idea of the opponent using the ability is that if you would gain 5 life (at once) your opponent could give you 1 life to stop you from putting 5 counters on it, you only get 1. I wanted a card like this for my Archetype cube, but most people would see this as a commander card and maybe wanted to see it cost for that. The group hug activation also makes it look more like a commander card.
Battlefield Prophet 1W
Creature - Human Shaman Warrior (U)
At the beginning of combat on each of your turns, target opponent reveals a card at random from their hand.
2/2
Looking at their hand isn't very white, but The idea is sometimes you see a combat trick and controlling combat is White.
I like this effect and have some ideas to refine it that I might submit some other time.
Rabid Rout 2BG
Instant - (U)
Untap all creatures you control, they gain deathtouch and get -1/-1 until end of turn.
Inspired by Tenacity, the -1/-1 is to temper the effectiveness of using this with tokens and 1/x's. Most creatures will be dying the turn you cast this. and you need to use real creatures to use it effectively, but you still get to trade up.
Litterbug 3
Artifact Creature - Insect
Flying
Whenever a non-token artifact dies or an artifact card is discarded, put a +1/+1 counter on ~ and create a 1/1 colorless Insect artifact creature token with flying.
0/2
Thought of the name, and created a card around it. This one got a lot of votes if I recall correctly. I'm not sure why.
The Grim Captain 3BB
Legendary Creature - Spirit Pirate (M)
As an additional cost to cast ~, sacrifice two Treasure.
Flying
Other Spirits you control have flying.
Whenever another non-Spirit Pirate you control dies, return it to the battlefield tapped, it becomes a spirit in addition to it's other types.
His is no skeleton crew
3/3
Every Pirate comes back as a Ghost pirate. Basically cost 7 since you need treasure to cast it, which I'm surprised isn't something that wotc did in ixalan, honestly. Interesting for a commander too, since it will be difficult to always have treasure to recast it.
Gharlbark, the Toppler 3WR
Legendary Creature - Giant Ogre Soldier (R)
Whenever ~ deals combat damage to a Wall[SIC], destroy that creature.
Vigilance
Sacrifice a Wall[SIC] you control T: The sacrificed creature deals damage equal to its toughness to each creature it blocked this turn. Activate this ability only during combat.
The only thing scarier than seeing him approach your castle is having him defend it.
3/5
Top-down design: the giant pushes the wall ontop of the people assaulting it. This is a way to use Defenders that I hadn't seen before. though the fact that he is a 3/5 vigilance already makes it so attacking into you isn't free, so this might not be the best body to put on this guy, but he has to be big enough to make sense as a wall toppler.
Cleansing Flame 2R
Sorcery - (R)
Deals 3 Damage to target Creature or Planeswalker
Whenever you gain life You may pay 1W, When you do return ~ from your graveyard to it's owner's hand
Punishing Fire that triggers off of you gaining life. Mana cost's are fixed since it's not hard to trigger it and punishing fire isin need of some nerfing.
Advocate for Slaughter 1R
Instant (M)
Untap target creature, it gains Doublestrike and loses trample until end of turn. That creature must attack or block this turn if able.
4RR:Overload(You may cast this spell for its overload cost. If you do, change its text by replacing all instances of the word "Target" with "Each")
Avatar of Slaughter's ability if you overload it. More Rakados than Izzet flavorfully, but I like how it's a fine trick when cast for 2 but a game changer when overloaded.
Pool Resources 2W
Enchantment - Aura (M)
Enchant Planeswalker you control
Whenever an effect would cause you to gain life you may instead put that many loyalty counters on Enchanted Planeswalker
An interesting way to "turn on" lifegain as a resource. This effect could be very powerful as you could end up ultimating the planeswalker very quick. often which is absurd with most 'walkers. But it's an aura and easy to 2 for 1.
Escaped Experiment 1UG
Creature - Human Ooze (R)
Whenever ~ deals 3 or more combat damage to a player, that player gains control of ~ (this effect doesn't end at end of turn).
1: ~ has base power and toughness 7/6 and gains trample until end of turn
2/3
This was a weird mechanical idea I had, I retrofitted the flavor later to fit it. I wanted a rootwalla type effect where the creature had a big drawback for using it, but the boost was sort of "too good" that your opponent can't really play around it. This one came out weird, not even sure it this is good or bad.
Squee's Clairvoyance 1R
Enchantment (R)
At the beginning of your upkeep look at the top 3 cards of your library, put them back in a random order. You may shuffle your library.
Original idea was a ponder that put the cards back in a random order. Thought about making it 5 cards since randomising more would make the effect less powerful, but more informative long-term.
Really like this card, It's a Mirri's Guile but since you put the cards back in a random order you don't have to make a ton of time intensive decisions each turn. You can however shuffle if you don't like any of the cards. This seems like Red's kind of card selection. You know the general quality of the top of your deck and you can change it, but you never know exactly what you will draw. It's interesting in that even if you see a card you want in the top 3 you might never draw it. I feel like if Wotc made this card you would have to sacrifice the enchantment if you shuffled, I don't think this is necessary.
Hunker Down 2WR
Enchantment - (R)
Creatures you control have defender.
Creatures your opponents control attack each combat if able.
Whenever a creature you control is dealt combat damage, put a +1/+1 counter on it.
Defender matters card. The problem with these kinds of cards is they create a subgame where, if your board is better than theirs you plague wind them and lock them out of casting more creatures. I like the idea of needing to find a way to kill your enchantment to kill them, but this also drags out the game after you've locked them out.
Lucid dreamer 1UU
Creature - Human (R)
When ~ enters the battlefield, create a 5/4 blue, Nightmare Illusion creature token with flying and trample.
Whenever ~ leaves the battlefield, exile all Nightmares you control.
It seems so real
0/1
Thought this would be more interesting than a phantasmal dragon, cause it dies to a pyroclasm effect, but this is just bland and doesn't lead to good gameplay
Fighting Spirit G
Sorcery (U)
Target creature gains "T : Fight target creature", and "1G: Untap this creature" until end of turn.
Interesting idea of fighting as many creatures until the creature you control dies, but it's super broken with a dork that makes multiple mana. Not actually that interesting.
Unnatural Enlistment 3BB
Sorcery (U)
Return target Creature card from your graveyard to the battlefield it becomes a Zombie in addition to it's other types.
Whenever you cast a Zombie you may pay 2B, if you do return ~ from your graveyard to your hand.
There was a combat trick in Amonket that has this same trigger. I like this design as a tribal sorcery that doesn't have the supertype tribal. This card is just kind of bland. I thought the symmetry of the spell returning creatures and creatures returning the spell would be cooler. I'm not sure where I went wrong but I don't really like it anymore.
My Cubes:Pauper|Archetype
My Deviant Art
My suggestion would be to make it somewhat useful in decks that aren't samurai+equipment.
Tsujigiri WR
Enchantment
Whenever an equipment enters the battlefield, you may attach that equipment to a creature you control. If that creature is a samurai, that creature deals damage
equal to it's power to target creature an opponent controls.
At least with that change, you can still play it in limited, albeit not that great a card unless you're playing with samurais.
Shadow clone -- should be red if you're doing random targetting. Also, because it is a "whenever". It's way too expensive at 4cc, and I'm not sure if it retriggers. Its much worse that "all ninjas you control have hexproof". Like Tsujigiri, very narrow in application.
"Sometimes, the situation is outracing a threat, sometimes it's ignoring it, and sometimes it involves sideboarding in 4x Hope//Pray." --Doug Linn
I said as much in my explanation (in the spoiler)
but it is really context dependent, if samurai are supported like Eldrazi were in BFZ then you can easily have enough samurai to trigger this without going out of your way to draft them. If samurai are supported like wolf/werewolf matters is supported in SOI then it might not come together enough to warrant a restrictive cost. The fact that it requires an equipment in addition to a samurai is troubling, I've definitely drafted the avacynian missionaries deck and drawn all my equipment/ other creature augmentation cards after getting my creature killed and this creates that same deck building restraint where you need a bunch of cards in your deck that need other cards to be good and come in the right order. I definitely like the idea of it doing something with each equipment and being better with samurai, which is what you've suggested.
I think this is fine in UB cause the idea isn't chaotic targeting, its more of, "your opponents are so perfectly deceived that they don't know who to attack" and deception fits perfectly in UB. Also if this were to be UR then there would have to be R ninja which is weird, to me at least. RE:4cc if I spent 4 mana on an enchantment and it did stone nothing because my opponent never tried to target my ninja; it would feel awful. Maybe this is a sideboard card, but that's still a failure of a "draft around" card if the card that makes you want to draft around UB ninja doesn't even make your main deck.
That being said this effect seems very powerful when it works. Imagine casting a Reduce to Ashes on your opponent's creature and it just kills a freshly made token instead; (4R:put this card into your graveyard) and when their spell works it's a curse of the swine for 4R that only gets one guy. It also makes tappers and combat effective tricks much worse. Also having it go to a random ninja is huge in my opinion, if your opponent has a 3/4 ninja and a 2/2 ninja with an activated ability that you have to deal with and all you have is a spell that deals 3 damage, you are 1/3 to kill the 2/2 that you have to kill, 1/3 to kill the token which is neutral, and 1/3 to mark 3 damage on the 3/4 and give them a 2/2 which sticks around and makes your next spell even less likely to do anything. All this scenario needs is for your opponent to have 2 ninja in play in their ninja deck which seems likely enough.
I originally wanted to but it on a legendary ninja creature but it would be weird if he got targeted by something that was aimed at someone else. "I see a lightning bolt is headed towards my ninja comrade, I shall make a clone and deceive the bolt's caster. Wait, why is it headed towards me now!?" Maybe the enchantment needs to make a 2/2 ninja when it enters the battlefield to make the 1/3 scenario the default. It wouldn't feel weird if the token took one for the team. Maybe the ninja need to be 0/3 or something that would be more likely to just stick around and just be annoying.
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Added 3 more cards to the OP
Mana burn
instant
Split second
Remove all mana from each player's mana pool, [cardname] deals damage to each player for each mana removed from their mana pool this way.
NOW!! R
instant
put target spell or ability on the top of the stack
Knife for throwing 3
equip 2
equipped creature gets +2/+0
Equipped creature gains first strike: unattach [cardname] from equipped creature, use this ability only during combat and only once a turn
My Cubes:Pauper|Archetype
My Deviant Art
Which is better: your opponent missing <50% of the time, or your opponent not being able to cast the spell at all?
What the spell does is make a spell miss, sometimes. In that situation, hexproof is better, because it removes your opponent's choice in the matter. What will happen is an opponent won't cast a targetted spell unless he's desperate. In which case hexproof is still better, because not matter how desperate an opponent is, he still can't cast his spell.
Try it. Play some games, and replace the wording with "all your creatures gain hexproof". See which is better.
I'm well aware of the flavor of the card. The problem is that (1) 4cc is just too much for a spell that acts like a worse hexproof (2) It's overly complicated for a spell that acts like a worse hexproof.
Now -- This has been proposed numerous times before. The problem is that the WoTC dislikes using the word "stack" in the rules text, and rewording the spell not to use the word "Stack" is not worth the complication. It might do as a rare, but who would want this as a rare?
Mana burn -- this spell has been proposed in the past. It absolutely does not work like you hope it would. The only deck it can hit is dark ritual-based decks (and only if the string more than 1 dark ritual consecutively), or maybe decks that carry over mana over turns (forgot which card does that). For details as to why it doesn't work, you might want to review the rules on priority in casting spells.
knife -- I like this. However, gaining first strike as a cost is uninutive, and the "once per turn" clause is unnecessary
0: Equipped craeture gains first strike until end of turn. Unattach ~. Use this ability only during the combat phase.
"Sometimes, the situation is outracing a threat, sometimes it's ignoring it, and sometimes it involves sideboarding in 4x Hope//Pray." --Doug Linn
Ophelia Le Doux (R/B)
Creature - Vampire Assassin
Haste First Strike
1/1
Gold: 0
Inventory: Clothes
Abilities:
Traits: Speed
Experience: 6/20
Mana: R
Odula Besa (U/B)
Creature - Vampire Artificer
T: Target artifact creature gets your choice of -1/-0 or +1/+0 until end of turn.
1/1
Gold: 41
Inventory: Adventurer's Clothes, Basic Artificer Toolkit, 3 pounds of Basic metal.
Abilities: N/A
Current Goals:
Experience: 1/20
Mana: 2(U/B)(U/B)
No, that doesn't work, due to priority.
Player A taps lands for the mana to cast a huge spell.
Player B cannot cast mana burn, because player B does not have priority. He has to wait until player A passes priority (likely after the spell player A is casting is already on the stack).
To illustrate: see mana short. Mana short has to be cast during a player's upkeep in order to prevent main phase spells. It can't go "oh, after you've tapped your lands, I cast mana short on you so that you can't cast that spell you were planning to cast".
"Sometimes, the situation is outracing a threat, sometimes it's ignoring it, and sometimes it involves sideboarding in 4x Hope//Pray." --Doug Linn
The only deck it can hit is dark ritual-based decks
The once a turn thing was to eliminate some weird rules interaction (think nomads en-kor) where you get some benefit from activating and artifact infinite times a turn. As far as I know nothing exists but might as well make it safe
Edit adding cards to OP
Haunted Hedge Maze 2G
Creature - Plant
defender
Whenever [cardname] blocks put the top 3 cards of your library into your graveyard
0/6
Scorned Telepath 1UU
Creature - Human Wizard
[cardname] is Unblockable
[cardname] can only attack alone
Whenever [cardname] deals damage to an player, look at that player's hand
3/2
Manic Landscaper 1G
Creature - Druid Shaman
Whenever a basic land enters the battlefield under your control, you may have each other land you control become a copy of that land until end of turn.
t: return a land you control to it's owner's hand
2/1
My Cubes:Pauper|Archetype
My Deviant Art