My newest attempt at a cycle of multicolored 'graft-able' chimeras and a legendary chimera lord. They're based off of the old visions chimeras (Iron-Heart, Brass-Talon, Lead-Belly, Tin-Wing)
They're all part-blue because chimeras are a blue 'tribe' (insofar as they are a tribe at all). The science-y splicing theme also 'feels' blue.
Effervescent Chimera3WU
Creature - Chimera (R)
Flying, lifelink
Reinforce 2-3W (3W, Discard this card: Put two +1/+1 counters on target creature.)
As long as Effervescent Chimera is in your graveyard, each creature you control with a counter on it has lifelink.
2/5
Exquisite ChimeraUB
Creature - Chimera (R)
Flying, deathtouch
Reinforce 2-3B (3B, Discard this card: Put two +1/+1 counters on target creature.)
As long as Exquisite Chimera is in your graveyard, each creature you control with a counter on it has deathtouch.
2/1
Calamitous Chimera1UR
Creature - Chimera (R)
Flying, menace
Reinforce 2-3R (3R, Discard this card: Put two +1/+1 counters on target creature.)
As long as Calamitous Chimera is in your graveyard, each creature you control with a counter on it has menace.
3/2
Floral Chimera2UG
Creature - Chimera (R)
Flying, trample
Reinforce 2-3G (3G, Discard this card: Put two +1/+1 counters on target creature.)
As long as Floral Chimera is in your graveyard, each creature you control with a counter on it has trample.
4/3
Clavius, Master Splicer2U
Creature - Human Chimera (M)
Flying BG: Choose target creature, then put the top four cards of your library into your graveyard. For each creature card put into your graveyard this way, put a +1/+1 counter on the chosen creature. WR: Each creature you control with a counter on it gets +1/+1 and haste until end of turn.
2/2
Thoughts? Suggestions? Criticisms? Are the chimeras too strong or does requiring a counter do a good job of keeping them from being Anger 2.0?
Clavius in particular is pretty tentative.
They're all fairly wordy, but they all look fine in Magic Set Editor in terms of text box space.
(edit: updated reinforce costs to 4 to stay in line with similarly costed and relatively more fragile auras)
Being very difficult to get rid of and fairly easy to turn on makes them dubious on power level. The counter part makes a good attempt at keeping these from being on the same level as Anger, but then you go and give them an easy way to get into the graveyard undoing the work. Ignoring the cards except for Reinforce 2 and assume you have no other significant ways to grant +1/+1 counters they are already very favorable when compared to similarly costed Auras, such that I would increase the cost on their ability by at least 1. Because you have the option of playing these as a pseudo Aura or a creature you should make both sides worse than if you only had the one option. The fact that you also gain their graveyard effect after its been a creature and dies in combat makes for another concern on the power front. If you really copied the old Visions design and made them only effect Chimeras then they would be interesting lords but effecting everything makes them far too strong.
The vows are probably the best comparison point, since they are made for commander and also have a dual-use (vows can be used on opposing creatures, while the chimeras can themselves be creatures).
There is a definite advantage over normal auras in that the chimeras affect all your creatures with counters once they're discarded to reinforce. They're removed by graveyard hate instead of enchantment hate, and while GY hate is more narrow it also tends to be very efficient. But they also aren't removed by the host creature dying, which is definitely worth something.
At some point upping the reinforce cost becomes irrelevant and you just find some other way to get these into your graveyard. But raising the cost to 4 should still make using reinforce in absence of other options tempting, while also rewarding the inclusion of other mill/discard outlets rather than them being entirely self-sufficient.
I think it's safe for them to be reasonably good as creatures, since using them as one precludes immediately gaining their arguably more desirable graveyard effect.
They're all part-blue because chimeras are a blue 'tribe' (insofar as they are a tribe at all). The science-y splicing theme also 'feels' blue.
Effervescent Chimera 3WU
Creature - Chimera (R)
Flying, lifelink
Reinforce 2-3W (3W, Discard this card: Put two +1/+1 counters on target creature.)
As long as Effervescent Chimera is in your graveyard, each creature you control with a counter on it has lifelink.
2/5
Exquisite Chimera UB
Creature - Chimera (R)
Flying, deathtouch
Reinforce 2-3B (3B, Discard this card: Put two +1/+1 counters on target creature.)
As long as Exquisite Chimera is in your graveyard, each creature you control with a counter on it has deathtouch.
2/1
Calamitous Chimera 1UR
Creature - Chimera (R)
Flying, menace
Reinforce 2-3R (3R, Discard this card: Put two +1/+1 counters on target creature.)
As long as Calamitous Chimera is in your graveyard, each creature you control with a counter on it has menace.
3/2
Floral Chimera 2UG
Creature - Chimera (R)
Flying, trample
Reinforce 2-3G (3G, Discard this card: Put two +1/+1 counters on target creature.)
As long as Floral Chimera is in your graveyard, each creature you control with a counter on it has trample.
4/3
Clavius, Master Splicer 2U
Creature - Human Chimera (M)
Flying
BG: Choose target creature, then put the top four cards of your library into your graveyard. For each creature card put into your graveyard this way, put a +1/+1 counter on the chosen creature.
WR: Each creature you control with a counter on it gets +1/+1 and haste until end of turn.
2/2
Thoughts? Suggestions? Criticisms? Are the chimeras too strong or does requiring a counter do a good job of keeping them from being Anger 2.0?
Clavius in particular is pretty tentative.
They're all fairly wordy, but they all look fine in Magic Set Editor in terms of text box space.
(edit: updated reinforce costs to 4 to stay in line with similarly costed and relatively more fragile auras)
- Rabid Wombat
Boar Umbra/Elephant Guide
Vow of Malice, Vow of Flight, etc.
Armadillo Cloak (though it requires multiple colors)
Dragon Grip
Gift of Orzhova
The vows are probably the best comparison point, since they are made for commander and also have a dual-use (vows can be used on opposing creatures, while the chimeras can themselves be creatures).
There is a definite advantage over normal auras in that the chimeras affect all your creatures with counters once they're discarded to reinforce. They're removed by graveyard hate instead of enchantment hate, and while GY hate is more narrow it also tends to be very efficient. But they also aren't removed by the host creature dying, which is definitely worth something.
At some point upping the reinforce cost becomes irrelevant and you just find some other way to get these into your graveyard. But raising the cost to 4 should still make using reinforce in absence of other options tempting, while also rewarding the inclusion of other mill/discard outlets rather than them being entirely self-sufficient.
I think it's safe for them to be reasonably good as creatures, since using them as one precludes immediately gaining their arguably more desirable graveyard effect.
- Rabid Wombat