Merkai's Gift(U/B)
Sorcery [U]
Look at the top three cards of each player's library. For each player, put one back and the rest into that player's graveyard, then each player draws a card. "Enjoy."
See spoiler for original version of Merkai's Gift:
Merkai's Gift
Sorcery [U]
Look at the top three cards of each player's library, then put them back in any order. Each player puts the top two cards of his or her library into his or her graveyard.
Each player draws a card. "Enjoy."
Merkai, Persuasive Djinn1UB
Legendary Creature – Djinn [MR]
Flying
Whenever an opponent searches his or her library, draw two cards. T: Each opponent may search his or her library for a card, reveal that card, shuffle his or her library and put that card on top of it. Each player that searched his or her library this way loses 2 life. "Let me help you." 2/2
Gift, why the mill and draw when you can just put the card into their hand and the rest into graveyard?
The draw two cards on opp search might be too strong. And the tap ability does basically nothing.
Merkai's tap ability triggers its own "Whenever" ability. Its also not useless as you would be allowing the opponent to search their deck for any card they desire. If any of your opponents have a card draw engine or way to cast off the top like Future Sight, they can also make use of it sooner, especially in case of something like a Magewright's Stone which would allow the owner of Merkai to draw 12 cards in a 4-player Commander game, while the opponents effectively only searched for 1 card they desired and lost 4 life as a result.
Gift, why the mill and draw when you can just put the card into their hand and the rest into graveyard?
The draw two cards on opp search might be too strong. And the tap ability does basically nothing.
Merkai's tap ability triggers its own "Whenever" ability. Its also not useless as you would be allowing the opponent to search their deck for any card they desire. If any of your opponents have a card draw engine or way to cast off the top like Future Sight, they can also make use of it sooner, especially in case of something like a Magewright's Stone which would allow the owner of Merkai to draw 12 cards in a 4-player Commander game, while the opponents effectively only searched for 1 card they desired and lost 4 life as a result.
The activated ability is a may ability, so the Magewright's Stone trick doesn't work, but still being able to potentially draw 6 cards in a 4 person game and also being able to use a card like Merkai's Gift or Horrifying Revelation if an opponent searches up something you really don't like is nice.
Gift, why the mill and draw when you can just put the card into their hand and the rest into graveyard?
The draw two cards on opp search might be too strong. And the tap ability does basically nothing.
Merkai's tap ability triggers its own "Whenever" ability. Its also not useless as you would be allowing the opponent to search their deck for any card they desire. If any of your opponents have a card draw engine or way to cast off the top like Future Sight, they can also make use of it sooner, especially in case of something like a Magewright's Stone which would allow the owner of Merkai to draw 12 cards in a 4-player Commander game, while the opponents effectively only searched for 1 card they desired and lost 4 life as a result.
It effectivly does nothing because it is a may ability that gives you so much more advantage the only time an opponent would take it would be if they can win the game off the tutor while still being able to deal with anything you have.
Gift, why the mill and draw when you can just put the card into their hand and the rest into graveyard?
The draw two cards on opp search might be too strong. And the tap ability does basically nothing.
Merkai's tap ability triggers its own "Whenever" ability. Its also not useless as you would be allowing the opponent to search their deck for any card they desire. If any of your opponents have a card draw engine or way to cast off the top like Future Sight, they can also make use of it sooner, especially in case of something like a Magewright's Stone which would allow the owner of Merkai to draw 12 cards in a 4-player Commander game, while the opponents effectively only searched for 1 card they desired and lost 4 life as a result.
It effectivly does nothing because it is a may ability that gives you so much more advantage the only time an opponent would take it would be if they can win the game off the tutor while still being able to deal with anything you have.
I disagree here. Players make decisions that aren't entirely rational in commander all the time, even good players (think Tempt with Discovery). Besides, there also can be a political angle that can be played with the ability. For example, the Merkai and an opponent team up so they can tutor an answer to another threat on the board.
Here is an new version of Merkai's Gift with better wording:
Merkai's Gift
Sorcery [U]
Look at the top three cards of each player's library. For each player, put one back and the rest into that player's graveyard, then each player draws a card. "Enjoy."
Merkai should probably only draw you one card per search if he triggers off of searches other than the one from his ability.
If this was the case there wouldn't be a strong enough incentive to use the activated ability because no one wants a free Whispers of the Muse by paying the price of giving a free Vampiric Tutor to your opponent(s).
If this was the case there wouldn't be a strong enough incentive to use the activated ability because no one wants a free Whispers of the Muse by paying the price of giving a free Vampiric Tutor to your opponent(s).
The ability will trigger for each opponent. Maybe add an unconditional "draw a card" to the activated ability in addition to reducing the trigger to only one card so that you definitely get the one card even if nobody searches? That would make the ability better in a 1v1 (where it is otherwise essentially useless) and also more balanced in multiplayer since you won't draw potentially 6 cards from a single activiation of a CMC-3 creature.
Sorcery [U]
Look at the top three cards of each player's library. For each player, put one back and the rest into that player's graveyard, then each player draws a card.
"Enjoy."
See spoiler for original version of Merkai's Gift:
Sorcery [U]
Look at the top three cards of each player's library, then put them back in any order. Each player puts the top two cards of his or her library into his or her graveyard.
Each player draws a card.
"Enjoy."
Legendary Creature – Djinn [MR]
Flying
Whenever an opponent searches his or her library, draw two cards.
T: Each opponent may search his or her library for a card, reveal that card, shuffle his or her library and put that card on top of it. Each player that searched his or her library this way loses 2 life.
"Let me help you."
2/2
UBRKess, Dissident MageUBR - Controlling Dissidents
GRhonas the IndomitableG - Indomitable Four Drops
WUBOloro, Ageless AsceticWUB - Loot & Renanimate
The draw two cards on opp search might be too strong. And the tap ability does basically nothing.
I think that would be cleaner phrasing with Merkai's Gift. Can you please help me with the exact wording?
Merkai, Persuasive Djinn's tap ability in Commander would be very useful, some opponents would definitely take the free Vampiric Tutor.
UBRKess, Dissident MageUBR - Controlling Dissidents
GRhonas the IndomitableG - Indomitable Four Drops
WUBOloro, Ageless AsceticWUB - Loot & Renanimate
The activated ability is a may ability, so the Magewright's Stone trick doesn't work, but still being able to potentially draw 6 cards in a 4 person game and also being able to use a card like Merkai's Gift or Horrifying Revelation if an opponent searches up something you really don't like is nice.
UBRKess, Dissident MageUBR - Controlling Dissidents
GRhonas the IndomitableG - Indomitable Four Drops
WUBOloro, Ageless AsceticWUB - Loot & Renanimate
I disagree here. Players make decisions that aren't entirely rational in commander all the time, even good players (think Tempt with Discovery). Besides, there also can be a political angle that can be played with the ability. For example, the Merkai and an opponent team up so they can tutor an answer to another threat on the board.
UBRKess, Dissident MageUBR - Controlling Dissidents
GRhonas the IndomitableG - Indomitable Four Drops
WUBOloro, Ageless AsceticWUB - Loot & Renanimate
Sorcery [U]
Look at the top three cards of each player's library. For each player, put one back and the rest into that player's graveyard, then each player draws a card.
"Enjoy."
UBRKess, Dissident MageUBR - Controlling Dissidents
GRhonas the IndomitableG - Indomitable Four Drops
WUBOloro, Ageless AsceticWUB - Loot & Renanimate
- Rabid Wombat
If this was the case there wouldn't be a strong enough incentive to use the activated ability because no one wants a free Whispers of the Muse by paying the price of giving a free Vampiric Tutor to your opponent(s).
UBRKess, Dissident MageUBR - Controlling Dissidents
GRhonas the IndomitableG - Indomitable Four Drops
WUBOloro, Ageless AsceticWUB - Loot & Renanimate
- Rabid Wombat