Lunar Desolation
Land
Lunar Desolation enters the battlefield tapped if you control more lands than an opponent.
T: Add 1.
T, Exile Lunar Desolation: Destroy target land. Activate this ability only any time you could cast a sorcery.
Is this meant to enter untapped on turn 1? As is the ETBT only functions if opponent misses land drops or you ramp. Also the effect is broken. The exile clause is rather insignificant, Wasteland isn't an oppressive card because you can recur it, its oppressive because it costs you next to nothing to use and can easily deny your opponent an entire color or a crucial amount of mana. Aim closer to Field of Ruin(a reasonable and powerful card) rather than Strip Mine(a stupid broken card).
all the drawbacks tacked on it (entering into play tapped if greater, exile, sorcery) do not make a single dent on how broken this is. It just makes the card more complicated.
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
Just to add to the other complaints, post-Oath of the Gatewatch, 1 is strictly the symbol for one generic mana in a mana cost ("generic mana" meaning you can pay mana of any color or colorless mana).
The land taps for one colorless mana, and the symbol for colorless mana post-Oath of the Gatewatch is C. So the land should really say "T: Add C."
The intent of this card is to create a land with free land destruction. I thought up an interesting alternative:
Lunar Desolation
Land
T: Add one colorless mana.
T, Sacrifice Lunar Desolation: Target opponent sacrifices an untapped land.
Therefore the opponent can tap all their lands, thereby probably be unable to cast spells for a turn, to circumvent the free land destruction. I have a hunch that this alteration makes this card relatively weak. But it's still an interesting variation of Strip Mine.
The intent of this card is to create a land with free land destruction.
What? Why? Why would that be your goal?
I'm not being glib here but some things shouldn't exist. You can't design free LD - much less on a land - without adding so many conditions you wind up with something swingy, overbalanced, and ugly, or something still gamebreakingly oppressive. It's like storm in Standard - just shouldn't happen.
While that land would probably be fine(meaning worthless). It would also trick far too many players into thinking it does something leading to endless feel bad moments when used on them or when they try to use it only to find out its worthless.
Ghost Quarter is already perfect free land destruction. It's unlikely you can find something else that isn't broken or worse.
The reason I made this card is because I am working on a small set, and the cards in this set will enable players to hit land drops more reliably, just as is the case with landcyclers from Scourge and Conflux. My fear is that making mana more reliably accessible will favor midrange and control decks, and hurt aggro decks. Hence, a land destruction tool that is easily accessible to all colors is warranted.
Yet, on further reflection, I indeed regard this card as ugly. There are some situations in which, if you are on the offensive, you can put it to good use, such as when you are swarming your opponent and you use it to prevent them from casting a board sweeper on their 4th or 5th turn. The biggest problem is that while this card would occasionally be terrific when you get to play first, it would be bad when you don't play first. Whoever gets to play first already has enough advantage, and there is no need to make this advantage even greater. So this is bad card design. Except for the card name and artwork.
But I don't want to give up on the concept of a land-that-destroys-lands just yet. How about this:
Lunar Desolation
T: Add one colorless mana.
At the beginning of your upkeep, put a phase counter on Lunar Desolation. Then if there are two or more phase counters on it, you may sacrifice it. If you do, each other player sacrifices a land.
If your goal is to help agro then you don't want a land. They want as few lands as possible and they usually need to produce their colors. If your land enablers are good enough on their own and cheap to use they actually favor aggressive decks that can cut the number of lands they run. It sounds like you should be more worried about 5 color good stuff mush decks rather than control or midrange. I'm not sure you are going about the right way to solve this problem, if it even is a problem.
If the goal is to help agro you want useable lands that can be sacrificed for value once you no longer need lands.
"If the goal is to help agro you want useable lands that can be sacrificed for value once you no longer need lands."
Like this, for example? This card allows aggro to at least exchange excess lands for 2/2 token creatures. It also increases the probability of essentially casting a 2-drop on turn 2 if you don't actually draw a 2-drop creature.
Highland Base
Land
Highland Base enters the battlefield tapped if you don’t control a Mountain.
T: Add R.
1, T, Discard a land card: Create a 2/2 red Scout creature token. Activate this ability only any time you could cast a sorcery.
I suppose this need for land-based-land destruction isn't really necessary for my goals.
Urza's Factory didn't see much use, but you are probably right that sorcery speed and discarding a land is not equal to 6. I suppose Highland Base will still be plenty good with an activation cost of 2, or perhaps even 3.
Interesting land, but why exile it if you're destroying one of their lands? If this is supposed to be kind like Strip Mine shouldn't you also sacrifice it if your opponent loses one?
Interesting land, but why exile it if you're destroying one of their lands? If this is supposed to be kind like Strip Mine shouldn't you also sacrifice it if your opponent loses one?
Only because Crucible of Worlds and Ramnunap Excavator now exist.
Contracted Dig Site
Land t: Add C 1, t, Sacrifice Contracted Dig Site: Destroy target land. That land's controller puts a colorless artifact token named Gold onto the battlefield. It has "Sacrifice this artifact: Add one mana of any color to your mana pool".
Land
Lunar Desolation enters the battlefield tapped if you control more lands than an opponent.
T: Add 1.
T, Exile Lunar Desolation: Destroy target land. Activate this ability only any time you could cast a sorcery.
I̟̥͍̠ͅn̩͉̣͍̬͚ͅ ̬̬͖t̯̹̞̺͖͓̯̤h̘͍̬e͙̯͈̖̼̮ ̭̬f̺̲̲̪i͙͉̟̩̰r̪̝͚͈̝̥͍̝̲s̼̻͇̘̳͔ͅt̲̺̳̗̜̪̙ ̳̺̥̻͚̗ͅm̜̜̟̰͈͓͎͇o̝̖̮̝͇m̯̻̞̼̫̗͓̤e̩̯̬̮̩n͎̱̪̲̹͖t͇̖s̰̮ͅ,̤̲͙̻̭̻̯̹̰ ̖t̫̙̺̯͖͚̯ͅh͙̯̦̳̗̰̟e͖̪͉̼̯ ̪͕g̞̣͔a̗̦t̬̬͓͙̫̖̭̻e̩̻̯ ̜̖̦̖̤̭͙̬t̞̹̥̪͎͉ͅo͕͚͍͇̲͇͓̺ ̭̬͙͈̣̻t͈͍͙͓̫̖͙̩h̪̬̖̙e̗͈ ̗̬̟̞̺̤͉̯ͅa̦̯͚̙̜̮f͉͙̲̣̞̼t̪̤̞̣͚e̲͉̳̥r͇̪̙͚͓l̥̞̞͎̹̯̹ͅi͓̬f̮̥̬̞͈ͅe͎ ̟̩̤̳̠̯̩̯o̮̘̲p̟͚̣̞͉͓e͍̩̣n͔̼͕͚̜e̬̱d̼̘͎̖̹͍̮̠,͖̺̭̱̮ ̣̲͖̬̪̭̥a̪͚n̟̲̝̤̤̞̗d̘̱̗͇̮͕̳͕͔ ͖̞͉͎t̹̙͎h̰̱͉̗e̪̞̱̝̹̩ͅ ̠̱̩̭̦p̯̙e͓o̳͚̰̯̺̱̰͔̘p̬͎̱̣̼̩͇l̗̟̖͚̠e̱͉͔̱̦̬̟̙ ̖͚̪͔̼̦w̺̖̤̱e͖̗̻̦͓̖̘̜r̭̥e͔̹̫̱͕̦̰͕ ̗͔̠p̠̗͍͍̱̳̠r̰͔͎̰o͉̥͓̰͚̥s̟͚̹̱͔̣t͉̙̳̖͖̪̮r̥̘̥͙̹a͉̟̫̟̳̠̟̭t͈̜̰͈͎e̞̣̭̲̬ ͚̗̯̟͙i͍͖̰̘̦͖͉ṇ̮̻̯̦̲̩͍ ̦̮͚̫̤t͉͖̫͕ͅͅh͙̮̻̘̣̮̼e͕̺ ͙l͕̠͎̰̥i̲͓͉̲g̫̳̟͈͇̖h̠̦̖t͓̯͎̗ ̳̪̘̟̙̩̦o̫̲f̙͔̰̙̠ ̹̪̗͇̯t͖̼̼͉͖̬h̹͇̩e͚̖̺̤͉̹͕̪ ͚͓̭̝̺G͎̗̯̩o̫̯̮̟̮̳̘d̜̲͙̠-̩̳̯̲̗̜P̹̘̥͉̝h͍͈̗̖̝ͅa͍̗̮̼̗r̜̖͇̙̺a̭̺͔̞̳͈o̪̣͓̯̬͙̯̰̗h̖̦͈̥̯͔.͇̣̙̝
"Sometimes, the situation is outracing a threat, sometimes it's ignoring it, and sometimes it involves sideboarding in 4x Hope//Pray." --Doug Linn
The land taps for one colorless mana, and the symbol for colorless mana post-Oath of the Gatewatch is C. So the land should really say "T: Add C."
Lunar Desolation
Land
T: Add one colorless mana.
T, Sacrifice Lunar Desolation: Target opponent sacrifices an untapped land.
Therefore the opponent can tap all their lands, thereby probably be unable to cast spells for a turn, to circumvent the free land destruction. I have a hunch that this alteration makes this card relatively weak. But it's still an interesting variation of Strip Mine.
What? Why? Why would that be your goal?
I'm not being glib here but some things shouldn't exist. You can't design free LD - much less on a land - without adding so many conditions you wind up with something swingy, overbalanced, and ugly, or something still gamebreakingly oppressive. It's like storm in Standard - just shouldn't happen.
I̟̥͍̠ͅn̩͉̣͍̬͚ͅ ̬̬͖t̯̹̞̺͖͓̯̤h̘͍̬e͙̯͈̖̼̮ ̭̬f̺̲̲̪i͙͉̟̩̰r̪̝͚͈̝̥͍̝̲s̼̻͇̘̳͔ͅt̲̺̳̗̜̪̙ ̳̺̥̻͚̗ͅm̜̜̟̰͈͓͎͇o̝̖̮̝͇m̯̻̞̼̫̗͓̤e̩̯̬̮̩n͎̱̪̲̹͖t͇̖s̰̮ͅ,̤̲͙̻̭̻̯̹̰ ̖t̫̙̺̯͖͚̯ͅh͙̯̦̳̗̰̟e͖̪͉̼̯ ̪͕g̞̣͔a̗̦t̬̬͓͙̫̖̭̻e̩̻̯ ̜̖̦̖̤̭͙̬t̞̹̥̪͎͉ͅo͕͚͍͇̲͇͓̺ ̭̬͙͈̣̻t͈͍͙͓̫̖͙̩h̪̬̖̙e̗͈ ̗̬̟̞̺̤͉̯ͅa̦̯͚̙̜̮f͉͙̲̣̞̼t̪̤̞̣͚e̲͉̳̥r͇̪̙͚͓l̥̞̞͎̹̯̹ͅi͓̬f̮̥̬̞͈ͅe͎ ̟̩̤̳̠̯̩̯o̮̘̲p̟͚̣̞͉͓e͍̩̣n͔̼͕͚̜e̬̱d̼̘͎̖̹͍̮̠,͖̺̭̱̮ ̣̲͖̬̪̭̥a̪͚n̟̲̝̤̤̞̗d̘̱̗͇̮͕̳͕͔ ͖̞͉͎t̹̙͎h̰̱͉̗e̪̞̱̝̹̩ͅ ̠̱̩̭̦p̯̙e͓o̳͚̰̯̺̱̰͔̘p̬͎̱̣̼̩͇l̗̟̖͚̠e̱͉͔̱̦̬̟̙ ̖͚̪͔̼̦w̺̖̤̱e͖̗̻̦͓̖̘̜r̭̥e͔̹̫̱͕̦̰͕ ̗͔̠p̠̗͍͍̱̳̠r̰͔͎̰o͉̥͓̰͚̥s̟͚̹̱͔̣t͉̙̳̖͖̪̮r̥̘̥͙̹a͉̟̫̟̳̠̟̭t͈̜̰͈͎e̞̣̭̲̬ ͚̗̯̟͙i͍͖̰̘̦͖͉ṇ̮̻̯̦̲̩͍ ̦̮͚̫̤t͉͖̫͕ͅͅh͙̮̻̘̣̮̼e͕̺ ͙l͕̠͎̰̥i̲͓͉̲g̫̳̟͈͇̖h̠̦̖t͓̯͎̗ ̳̪̘̟̙̩̦o̫̲f̙͔̰̙̠ ̹̪̗͇̯t͖̼̼͉͖̬h̹͇̩e͚̖̺̤͉̹͕̪ ͚͓̭̝̺G͎̗̯̩o̫̯̮̟̮̳̘d̜̲͙̠-̩̳̯̲̗̜P̹̘̥͉̝h͍͈̗̖̝ͅa͍̗̮̼̗r̜̖͇̙̺a̭̺͔̞̳͈o̪̣͓̯̬͙̯̰̗h̖̦͈̥̯͔.͇̣̙̝
Ghost Quarter is already perfect free land destruction. It's unlikely you can find something else that isn't broken or worse.
Yet, on further reflection, I indeed regard this card as ugly. There are some situations in which, if you are on the offensive, you can put it to good use, such as when you are swarming your opponent and you use it to prevent them from casting a board sweeper on their 4th or 5th turn. The biggest problem is that while this card would occasionally be terrific when you get to play first, it would be bad when you don't play first. Whoever gets to play first already has enough advantage, and there is no need to make this advantage even greater. So this is bad card design. Except for the card name and artwork.
But I don't want to give up on the concept of a land-that-destroys-lands just yet. How about this:
Lunar Desolation
T: Add one colorless mana.
At the beginning of your upkeep, put a phase counter on Lunar Desolation. Then if there are two or more phase counters on it, you may sacrifice it. If you do, each other player sacrifices a land.
If the goal is to help agro you want useable lands that can be sacrificed for value once you no longer need lands.
He's right. It's taboo.
..
.
.
Homebrew is creating Magic.
Are you a pilot or a creator??
Like this, for example? This card allows aggro to at least exchange excess lands for 2/2 token creatures. It also increases the probability of essentially casting a 2-drop on turn 2 if you don't actually draw a 2-drop creature.
Highland Base
Land
Highland Base enters the battlefield tapped if you don’t control a Mountain.
T: Add R.
1, T, Discard a land card: Create a 2/2 red Scout creature token. Activate this ability only any time you could cast a sorcery.
I suppose this need for land-based-land destruction isn't really necessary for my goals.
Obviously mana and discarding cards aren't fully equivalent costs, but I refuse to believe "discard a land card" = 6.
I̟̥͍̠ͅn̩͉̣͍̬͚ͅ ̬̬͖t̯̹̞̺͖͓̯̤h̘͍̬e͙̯͈̖̼̮ ̭̬f̺̲̲̪i͙͉̟̩̰r̪̝͚͈̝̥͍̝̲s̼̻͇̘̳͔ͅt̲̺̳̗̜̪̙ ̳̺̥̻͚̗ͅm̜̜̟̰͈͓͎͇o̝̖̮̝͇m̯̻̞̼̫̗͓̤e̩̯̬̮̩n͎̱̪̲̹͖t͇̖s̰̮ͅ,̤̲͙̻̭̻̯̹̰ ̖t̫̙̺̯͖͚̯ͅh͙̯̦̳̗̰̟e͖̪͉̼̯ ̪͕g̞̣͔a̗̦t̬̬͓͙̫̖̭̻e̩̻̯ ̜̖̦̖̤̭͙̬t̞̹̥̪͎͉ͅo͕͚͍͇̲͇͓̺ ̭̬͙͈̣̻t͈͍͙͓̫̖͙̩h̪̬̖̙e̗͈ ̗̬̟̞̺̤͉̯ͅa̦̯͚̙̜̮f͉͙̲̣̞̼t̪̤̞̣͚e̲͉̳̥r͇̪̙͚͓l̥̞̞͎̹̯̹ͅi͓̬f̮̥̬̞͈ͅe͎ ̟̩̤̳̠̯̩̯o̮̘̲p̟͚̣̞͉͓e͍̩̣n͔̼͕͚̜e̬̱d̼̘͎̖̹͍̮̠,͖̺̭̱̮ ̣̲͖̬̪̭̥a̪͚n̟̲̝̤̤̞̗d̘̱̗͇̮͕̳͕͔ ͖̞͉͎t̹̙͎h̰̱͉̗e̪̞̱̝̹̩ͅ ̠̱̩̭̦p̯̙e͓o̳͚̰̯̺̱̰͔̘p̬͎̱̣̼̩͇l̗̟̖͚̠e̱͉͔̱̦̬̟̙ ̖͚̪͔̼̦w̺̖̤̱e͖̗̻̦͓̖̘̜r̭̥e͔̹̫̱͕̦̰͕ ̗͔̠p̠̗͍͍̱̳̠r̰͔͎̰o͉̥͓̰͚̥s̟͚̹̱͔̣t͉̙̳̖͖̪̮r̥̘̥͙̹a͉̟̫̟̳̠̟̭t͈̜̰͈͎e̞̣̭̲̬ ͚̗̯̟͙i͍͖̰̘̦͖͉ṇ̮̻̯̦̲̩͍ ̦̮͚̫̤t͉͖̫͕ͅͅh͙̮̻̘̣̮̼e͕̺ ͙l͕̠͎̰̥i̲͓͉̲g̫̳̟͈͇̖h̠̦̖t͓̯͎̗ ̳̪̘̟̙̩̦o̫̲f̙͔̰̙̠ ̹̪̗͇̯t͖̼̼͉͖̬h̹͇̩e͚̖̺̤͉̹͕̪ ͚͓̭̝̺G͎̗̯̩o̫̯̮̟̮̳̘d̜̲͙̠-̩̳̯̲̗̜P̹̘̥͉̝h͍͈̗̖̝ͅa͍̗̮̼̗r̜̖͇̙̺a̭̺͔̞̳͈o̪̣͓̯̬͙̯̰̗h̖̦͈̥̯͔.͇̣̙̝
Vintage >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Legacy
Only because Crucible of Worlds and Ramnunap Excavator now exist.
{mana}, T, Exile CARDNAME: Exile target nonbasic land.
Avoids Crucible of Worlds on both sides.
An interesting notion, but such a card would still need a mana cost for that ability.
I̟̥͍̠ͅn̩͉̣͍̬͚ͅ ̬̬͖t̯̹̞̺͖͓̯̤h̘͍̬e͙̯͈̖̼̮ ̭̬f̺̲̲̪i͙͉̟̩̰r̪̝͚͈̝̥͍̝̲s̼̻͇̘̳͔ͅt̲̺̳̗̜̪̙ ̳̺̥̻͚̗ͅm̜̜̟̰͈͓͎͇o̝̖̮̝͇m̯̻̞̼̫̗͓̤e̩̯̬̮̩n͎̱̪̲̹͖t͇̖s̰̮ͅ,̤̲͙̻̭̻̯̹̰ ̖t̫̙̺̯͖͚̯ͅh͙̯̦̳̗̰̟e͖̪͉̼̯ ̪͕g̞̣͔a̗̦t̬̬͓͙̫̖̭̻e̩̻̯ ̜̖̦̖̤̭͙̬t̞̹̥̪͎͉ͅo͕͚͍͇̲͇͓̺ ̭̬͙͈̣̻t͈͍͙͓̫̖͙̩h̪̬̖̙e̗͈ ̗̬̟̞̺̤͉̯ͅa̦̯͚̙̜̮f͉͙̲̣̞̼t̪̤̞̣͚e̲͉̳̥r͇̪̙͚͓l̥̞̞͎̹̯̹ͅi͓̬f̮̥̬̞͈ͅe͎ ̟̩̤̳̠̯̩̯o̮̘̲p̟͚̣̞͉͓e͍̩̣n͔̼͕͚̜e̬̱d̼̘͎̖̹͍̮̠,͖̺̭̱̮ ̣̲͖̬̪̭̥a̪͚n̟̲̝̤̤̞̗d̘̱̗͇̮͕̳͕͔ ͖̞͉͎t̹̙͎h̰̱͉̗e̪̞̱̝̹̩ͅ ̠̱̩̭̦p̯̙e͓o̳͚̰̯̺̱̰͔̘p̬͎̱̣̼̩͇l̗̟̖͚̠e̱͉͔̱̦̬̟̙ ̖͚̪͔̼̦w̺̖̤̱e͖̗̻̦͓̖̘̜r̭̥e͔̹̫̱͕̦̰͕ ̗͔̠p̠̗͍͍̱̳̠r̰͔͎̰o͉̥͓̰͚̥s̟͚̹̱͔̣t͉̙̳̖͖̪̮r̥̘̥͙̹a͉̟̫̟̳̠̟̭t͈̜̰͈͎e̞̣̭̲̬ ͚̗̯̟͙i͍͖̰̘̦͖͉ṇ̮̻̯̦̲̩͍ ̦̮͚̫̤t͉͖̫͕ͅͅh͙̮̻̘̣̮̼e͕̺ ͙l͕̠͎̰̥i̲͓͉̲g̫̳̟͈͇̖h̠̦̖t͓̯͎̗ ̳̪̘̟̙̩̦o̫̲f̙͔̰̙̠ ̹̪̗͇̯t͖̼̼͉͖̬h̹͇̩e͚̖̺̤͉̹͕̪ ͚͓̭̝̺G͎̗̯̩o̫̯̮̟̮̳̘d̜̲͙̠-̩̳̯̲̗̜P̹̘̥͉̝h͍͈̗̖̝ͅa͍̗̮̼̗r̜̖͇̙̺a̭̺͔̞̳͈o̪̣͓̯̬͙̯̰̗h̖̦͈̥̯͔.͇̣̙̝
Contracted Dig Site
Land
t: Add C
1, t, Sacrifice Contracted Dig Site: Destroy target land. That land's controller puts a colorless artifact token named Gold onto the battlefield. It has "Sacrifice this artifact: Add one mana of any color to your mana pool".
"Sometimes, the situation is outracing a threat, sometimes it's ignoring it, and sometimes it involves sideboarding in 4x Hope//Pray." --Doug Linn