So here's the mechanic:
EDIT: underlined was added after comments
Sift #(At the beginning of your upkeep, put all cards exiled with this permanent into their owners’ graveyards, then you may exile the top # card(s) of your library.)
Then the cards have abilities based on the card(s) exiled with them.
There are a bunch of cards I just brainstormed in the spoiler below. My main questions are these:
1) Is it even interesting?
2) Would it be better if the cards were put on the bottom of the library?
3) Is it broken? Would the change in the above question make it more or less broken?
4) Is this all irrelevant because it's too wordy/complicated?
Gilded-Mind Cavalry3W
Creature — Human Knight (U)
Sift 2 (At the beginning of your upkeep, put all cards exiled with this permanent into their owners’ graveyards, then you may exile the top two cards of your library.)
Gilded-Mind Cavalry has vigilance and lifelink as long as an enchantment card is exiled with it.
3/4
Noble Herald1W
Creature — Human Cleric (R)
Sift 1 (At the beginning of your upkeep, put all cards exiled with this permanent into their owners’ graveyards, then you may exile the top card of your library.)
Permanents you control with converted mana cost less than the highest converted mana cost among cards exiled with Noble Herald have indestructible.
1/4
Fora, Meddlesome MageUU
Legendary Creature — Human Wizard (R)
Hexproof
Sift 1 (At the beginning of your upkeep, put all cards exiled with this permanent into their owners’ graveyards, then you may exile the top card of your library.)
Your opponents can’t cast spells that share a type with a card exiled with Fora, Meddlesome Mage.
2/2
Spellwaft Scout2U
Creature — Human Scout (C)
Sift 1 (At the beginning of your upkeep, put all cards exiled with this permanent into their owners’ graveyards, then you may exile the top card of your library.)
Spellwaft Scout has flying as long as an instant or sorcery card is exiled with it.
2/3
Noxious Walker1B
Creature — Zombie (C)
Sift 2 (At the beginning of your upkeep, put all cards exiled with this permanent into their owners’ graveyards, then you may exile the top two cards of your library.)
Whenever Noxious Walker becomes blocked, defending player loses 2 life for each Swamp card exiled with it.
3/1
Ruinous Specter2BB
Creature — Specter (R)
Flying
Sift 1 (At the beginning of your upkeep, put all cards exiled with this permanent into their owners’ graveyards, then you may exile the top card of your library.)
Whenever Ruinous Specter deals combat damage to a player, that player sacrifices a permanent that shares a type with a card exiled with Ruinous Specter.
2/2
Fury Seeker3R
Creature — Human Warrior (C)
Sift 1 (At the beginning of your upkeep, put all cards exiled with this permanent into their owners’ graveyards, then you may exile the top card of your library.)
Fury Seeker has first strike as long as a creature card is exiled with it.
4/2
Hellkite of the Peaks3RR
Creature — Dragon (R)
Flying
Sift 2 (At the beginning of your upkeep, put all cards exiled with this permanent into their owners’ graveyards, then you may exile the top two cards of your library.)
Whenever Hellkite of the Peaks attacks, it deals 4 damage to target creature or player for each Mountain card exiled with it.
4/4
Determined Trailblazer2G
Creature — Human Scout (C)
Sift 2 (At the beginning of your upkeep, put all cards exiled with this permanent into their owners’ graveyards, then you may exile the top two cards of your library.)
Determined Trailblazer gets +1/+1 for each land card exiled with it.
2/2
Moody Baloth3G
Creature — Beast (R)
Trample
Sift 3 (At the beginning of your upkeep, put all cards exiled with this permanent into their owners’ graveyards, then you may exile the top three cards of your library.)
Moody Baloth gets +X/+0, where X is the total converted mana cost of cards exiled with it.
0/5
Metal-Shard Hourglass3
Artifact (R)
Sift 2 (At the beginning of your upkeep, put all cards exiled with this permanent into their owners’ graveyards, then you may exile the top two cards of your library.) T: Look at the top X cards of your library, where X is the highest converted mana cost among artifact cards exiled with Metal-Shard Hourglass. Put one into your hand and the rest on the bottom of your library in random order.
Any specific criticisms on the cards in the above spoiler are also appreciated.
There's a lot to remember here, but not necessarily more than there is with, say, imprint. The mechanic itself is quite grokkable - it's sort of assembly-line-ish - and it should be easy to know which are the current sifted cards. I will say it does provide a very consistent source of self-mill, but in strictly limited quantities and on a delay, so breakability is hardly a concern. You're probably aware of how complex these are, but that's fine depending on the environment you put them in. I will say Moody Baloth is considerably more red than it is green, and I sort of wish the flavor were more evocative for all of these but the artifact.
The keyword itself is boring because it's just self mill. That said the cards themselves do a much better job of showing off your ability, where it is no longer boring, but rather frustrating. Most of your cards vary from absurdly strong to disappointingly weak, and they do this turn by turn. This isn't the type of behavior you want across the majority of a set (or even a large portion) and occasional rare with this kind of variance can be fun but a major set mechanic is frustrating. Without library manipulation players will feel at the mercy of the die as they find out each upkeep if their cards are strong or weak.
If you lower the power variance between on and off, make the ability optional and maybe bottom of library (this really depends on the rest of the set[is cards in grave good?]); it would fix nearly all of the problems I mentioned.
I think that based on the comments so far, my instinct is to:
1) Add a "you may" to the exiling cards from your library.
2) Not do too many cards with this at low rarities, or in total for that matter
3) Find either a graveyard mechanic or a library-manipulation/peeking mechanic to pair with it.
I think that based on the comments so far, my instinct is to:
1) Add a "you may" to the exiling cards from your library.
2) Not do too many cards with this at low rarities, or in total for that matter
3) Find either a graveyard mechanic or a library-manipulation/peeking mechanic to pair with it.
EDIT: underlined was added after comments
Sift # (At the beginning of your upkeep, put all cards exiled with this permanent into their owners’ graveyards, then you may exile the top # card(s) of your library.)
Then the cards have abilities based on the card(s) exiled with them.
There are a bunch of cards I just brainstormed in the spoiler below. My main questions are these:
1) Is it even interesting?
2) Would it be better if the cards were put on the bottom of the library?
3) Is it broken? Would the change in the above question make it more or less broken?
4) Is this all irrelevant because it's too wordy/complicated?
Gilded-Mind Cavalry 3W
Creature — Human Knight (U)
Sift 2 (At the beginning of your upkeep, put all cards exiled with this permanent into their owners’ graveyards, then you may exile the top two cards of your library.)
Gilded-Mind Cavalry has vigilance and lifelink as long as an enchantment card is exiled with it.
3/4
Noble Herald 1W
Creature — Human Cleric (R)
Sift 1 (At the beginning of your upkeep, put all cards exiled with this permanent into their owners’ graveyards, then you may exile the top card of your library.)
Permanents you control with converted mana cost less than the highest converted mana cost among cards exiled with Noble Herald have indestructible.
1/4
Fora, Meddlesome Mage UU
Legendary Creature — Human Wizard (R)
Hexproof
Sift 1 (At the beginning of your upkeep, put all cards exiled with this permanent into their owners’ graveyards, then you may exile the top card of your library.)
Your opponents can’t cast spells that share a type with a card exiled with Fora, Meddlesome Mage.
2/2
Spellwaft Scout 2U
Creature — Human Scout (C)
Sift 1 (At the beginning of your upkeep, put all cards exiled with this permanent into their owners’ graveyards, then you may exile the top card of your library.)
Spellwaft Scout has flying as long as an instant or sorcery card is exiled with it.
2/3
Noxious Walker 1B
Creature — Zombie (C)
Sift 2 (At the beginning of your upkeep, put all cards exiled with this permanent into their owners’ graveyards, then you may exile the top two cards of your library.)
Whenever Noxious Walker becomes blocked, defending player loses 2 life for each Swamp card exiled with it.
3/1
Ruinous Specter 2BB
Creature — Specter (R)
Flying
Sift 1 (At the beginning of your upkeep, put all cards exiled with this permanent into their owners’ graveyards, then you may exile the top card of your library.)
Whenever Ruinous Specter deals combat damage to a player, that player sacrifices a permanent that shares a type with a card exiled with Ruinous Specter.
2/2
Fury Seeker 3R
Creature — Human Warrior (C)
Sift 1 (At the beginning of your upkeep, put all cards exiled with this permanent into their owners’ graveyards, then you may exile the top card of your library.)
Fury Seeker has first strike as long as a creature card is exiled with it.
4/2
Hellkite of the Peaks 3RR
Creature — Dragon (R)
Flying
Sift 2 (At the beginning of your upkeep, put all cards exiled with this permanent into their owners’ graveyards, then you may exile the top two cards of your library.)
Whenever Hellkite of the Peaks attacks, it deals 4 damage to target creature or player for each Mountain card exiled with it.
4/4
Determined Trailblazer 2G
Creature — Human Scout (C)
Sift 2 (At the beginning of your upkeep, put all cards exiled with this permanent into their owners’ graveyards, then you may exile the top two cards of your library.)
Determined Trailblazer gets +1/+1 for each land card exiled with it.
2/2
Moody Baloth 3G
Creature — Beast (R)
Trample
Sift 3 (At the beginning of your upkeep, put all cards exiled with this permanent into their owners’ graveyards, then you may exile the top three cards of your library.)
Moody Baloth gets +X/+0, where X is the total converted mana cost of cards exiled with it.
0/5
Metal-Shard Hourglass 3
Artifact (R)
Sift 2 (At the beginning of your upkeep, put all cards exiled with this permanent into their owners’ graveyards, then you may exile the top two cards of your library.)
T: Look at the top X cards of your library, where X is the highest converted mana cost among artifact cards exiled with Metal-Shard Hourglass. Put one into your hand and the rest on the bottom of your library in random order.
I̟̥͍̠ͅn̩͉̣͍̬͚ͅ ̬̬͖t̯̹̞̺͖͓̯̤h̘͍̬e͙̯͈̖̼̮ ̭̬f̺̲̲̪i͙͉̟̩̰r̪̝͚͈̝̥͍̝̲s̼̻͇̘̳͔ͅt̲̺̳̗̜̪̙ ̳̺̥̻͚̗ͅm̜̜̟̰͈͓͎͇o̝̖̮̝͇m̯̻̞̼̫̗͓̤e̩̯̬̮̩n͎̱̪̲̹͖t͇̖s̰̮ͅ,̤̲͙̻̭̻̯̹̰ ̖t̫̙̺̯͖͚̯ͅh͙̯̦̳̗̰̟e͖̪͉̼̯ ̪͕g̞̣͔a̗̦t̬̬͓͙̫̖̭̻e̩̻̯ ̜̖̦̖̤̭͙̬t̞̹̥̪͎͉ͅo͕͚͍͇̲͇͓̺ ̭̬͙͈̣̻t͈͍͙͓̫̖͙̩h̪̬̖̙e̗͈ ̗̬̟̞̺̤͉̯ͅa̦̯͚̙̜̮f͉͙̲̣̞̼t̪̤̞̣͚e̲͉̳̥r͇̪̙͚͓l̥̞̞͎̹̯̹ͅi͓̬f̮̥̬̞͈ͅe͎ ̟̩̤̳̠̯̩̯o̮̘̲p̟͚̣̞͉͓e͍̩̣n͔̼͕͚̜e̬̱d̼̘͎̖̹͍̮̠,͖̺̭̱̮ ̣̲͖̬̪̭̥a̪͚n̟̲̝̤̤̞̗d̘̱̗͇̮͕̳͕͔ ͖̞͉͎t̹̙͎h̰̱͉̗e̪̞̱̝̹̩ͅ ̠̱̩̭̦p̯̙e͓o̳͚̰̯̺̱̰͔̘p̬͎̱̣̼̩͇l̗̟̖͚̠e̱͉͔̱̦̬̟̙ ̖͚̪͔̼̦w̺̖̤̱e͖̗̻̦͓̖̘̜r̭̥e͔̹̫̱͕̦̰͕ ̗͔̠p̠̗͍͍̱̳̠r̰͔͎̰o͉̥͓̰͚̥s̟͚̹̱͔̣t͉̙̳̖͖̪̮r̥̘̥͙̹a͉̟̫̟̳̠̟̭t͈̜̰͈͎e̞̣̭̲̬ ͚̗̯̟͙i͍͖̰̘̦͖͉ṇ̮̻̯̦̲̩͍ ̦̮͚̫̤t͉͖̫͕ͅͅh͙̮̻̘̣̮̼e͕̺ ͙l͕̠͎̰̥i̲͓͉̲g̫̳̟͈͇̖h̠̦̖t͓̯͎̗ ̳̪̘̟̙̩̦o̫̲f̙͔̰̙̠ ̹̪̗͇̯t͖̼̼͉͖̬h̹͇̩e͚̖̺̤͉̹͕̪ ͚͓̭̝̺G͎̗̯̩o̫̯̮̟̮̳̘d̜̲͙̠-̩̳̯̲̗̜P̹̘̥͉̝h͍͈̗̖̝ͅa͍̗̮̼̗r̜̖͇̙̺a̭̺͔̞̳͈o̪̣͓̯̬͙̯̰̗h̖̦͈̥̯͔.͇̣̙̝
If you lower the power variance between on and off, make the ability optional and maybe bottom of library (this really depends on the rest of the set[is cards in grave good?]); it would fix nearly all of the problems I mentioned.
1) Add a "you may" to the exiling cards from your library.
2) Not do too many cards with this at low rarities, or in total for that matter
3) Find either a graveyard mechanic or a library-manipulation/peeking mechanic to pair with it.
All really good ideaa, yes.
I̟̥͍̠ͅn̩͉̣͍̬͚ͅ ̬̬͖t̯̹̞̺͖͓̯̤h̘͍̬e͙̯͈̖̼̮ ̭̬f̺̲̲̪i͙͉̟̩̰r̪̝͚͈̝̥͍̝̲s̼̻͇̘̳͔ͅt̲̺̳̗̜̪̙ ̳̺̥̻͚̗ͅm̜̜̟̰͈͓͎͇o̝̖̮̝͇m̯̻̞̼̫̗͓̤e̩̯̬̮̩n͎̱̪̲̹͖t͇̖s̰̮ͅ,̤̲͙̻̭̻̯̹̰ ̖t̫̙̺̯͖͚̯ͅh͙̯̦̳̗̰̟e͖̪͉̼̯ ̪͕g̞̣͔a̗̦t̬̬͓͙̫̖̭̻e̩̻̯ ̜̖̦̖̤̭͙̬t̞̹̥̪͎͉ͅo͕͚͍͇̲͇͓̺ ̭̬͙͈̣̻t͈͍͙͓̫̖͙̩h̪̬̖̙e̗͈ ̗̬̟̞̺̤͉̯ͅa̦̯͚̙̜̮f͉͙̲̣̞̼t̪̤̞̣͚e̲͉̳̥r͇̪̙͚͓l̥̞̞͎̹̯̹ͅi͓̬f̮̥̬̞͈ͅe͎ ̟̩̤̳̠̯̩̯o̮̘̲p̟͚̣̞͉͓e͍̩̣n͔̼͕͚̜e̬̱d̼̘͎̖̹͍̮̠,͖̺̭̱̮ ̣̲͖̬̪̭̥a̪͚n̟̲̝̤̤̞̗d̘̱̗͇̮͕̳͕͔ ͖̞͉͎t̹̙͎h̰̱͉̗e̪̞̱̝̹̩ͅ ̠̱̩̭̦p̯̙e͓o̳͚̰̯̺̱̰͔̘p̬͎̱̣̼̩͇l̗̟̖͚̠e̱͉͔̱̦̬̟̙ ̖͚̪͔̼̦w̺̖̤̱e͖̗̻̦͓̖̘̜r̭̥e͔̹̫̱͕̦̰͕ ̗͔̠p̠̗͍͍̱̳̠r̰͔͎̰o͉̥͓̰͚̥s̟͚̹̱͔̣t͉̙̳̖͖̪̮r̥̘̥͙̹a͉̟̫̟̳̠̟̭t͈̜̰͈͎e̞̣̭̲̬ ͚̗̯̟͙i͍͖̰̘̦͖͉ṇ̮̻̯̦̲̩͍ ̦̮͚̫̤t͉͖̫͕ͅͅh͙̮̻̘̣̮̼e͕̺ ͙l͕̠͎̰̥i̲͓͉̲g̫̳̟͈͇̖h̠̦̖t͓̯͎̗ ̳̪̘̟̙̩̦o̫̲f̙͔̰̙̠ ̹̪̗͇̯t͖̼̼͉͖̬h̹͇̩e͚̖̺̤͉̹͕̪ ͚͓̭̝̺G͎̗̯̩o̫̯̮̟̮̳̘d̜̲͙̠-̩̳̯̲̗̜P̹̘̥͉̝h͍͈̗̖̝ͅa͍̗̮̼̗r̜̖͇̙̺a̭̺͔̞̳͈o̪̣͓̯̬͙̯̰̗h̖̦͈̥̯͔.͇̣̙̝