Apparently, the curse guy from the tribal commander decks (as seen on curse of opulence and the like) is one of the most popular requests Mark Rosewater gets to make a legend for... in spite of not having a name. I wanted to see what I could do with this concept.
Rodrick Boonbottom
Legendary Creature- Human
Curse cards cost you less to cast. This effect reduces only the amount of colored mana you pay.
Whenever a nontoken curse enters the battlefield attached to you, for each opponent create a token copy of that curse enchanting that opponent.
2/3 "What's the worst that can happen?"
So you are supposed to curse yourself? Interesting but I think they need an additional benefit to putting negative enchantments on yourself besides also putting them on opponents.
That's a creative approach to a WUBRG legend, I must say. I'll have to keep "costs WUBRG less to cast" in mind for my own designs. Personally, I'd make his mana cost BR rather than WB, as BR are the two top Curse colors. I'd also have him be a Xantcha-style legend who enters the battlefield under an opponent's control, and changes controllers at the beginning of each turn, causing whoever currently controls him to become an utter Curse magnet. Say, by moving all Curses in play to the player who gains control of him? Ooh, mind if I post my own idea?
Roderick BoonbottomBR
Legendary Creature - Human
Curse spells cost WUBRG less to cast. This effect reduces only the amount of colored mana players pay. (For example, if a player casts a Curse spell with mana cost 2B, that spell cost 2 to cast.)
When ~ enters the battlefield and at the beginning of your upkeep, an opponent chosen at random gains control of ~.
Whenever you gain control of ~, attach all Curses on the battlefield to yourself.
2/2
And if I may, could I suggest a few Curse designs to accompany this guy?
Curse of Wrath2WW
Enchantment - Aura Curse
Enchant player
At the beginning of enchanted player's upkeep, that player chooses a creature they control, then sacrifices the rest. "That was close!"
Curse of Imitation2UU
Enchantment - Aura Curse
Enchant player
Whenever a nontoken creature enters the battlefield under enchanted player's control, each other player may create a token that's a copy of that creature. "I've always said imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but this is ridiculous!"
Curse of Taint2BB
Enchantment - Aura Curse
Enchant player
If enchanted player would gain life, enchanted player loses that much life instead. "Yikes! This wine is so strong, it's burning my throat! Wait, that's not wine..."
Curse of Fortune2RR
Enchantment - Aura Curse
Enchant player
At the beginning of enchanted player's upkeep, enchanted player discards their hand, then draws that many cards. "Sooner or later, they'll run out of bad prizes. Then I'll hit the jackpot!"
Curse of Allure2GG
Enchantment - Aura Curse
Enchant player
At the beginning of enchanted player's upkeep, each of that player's opponents may put a creature card from their hand onto the battlefield. "Note to self: Do not buy fragrances derived from baloth mating pheromones."
MTGS Wikia Article about "New World Order"
Every time I read a comment about "Well if this card had card draw/trample/haste/indestructible/hexproof/life gain...", I think "You're missing the point." They're armchair developer comments that fail to take into account the card's role in the greater Limited and Standard environment. No, it may not be as good as whatever card you're comparing it to. There's a reason for that. Not every burn spell is Lightning Bolt, nor does it need to be or should be.
PSA to everyone who keeps forgetting about the Reserved List:
You're on a website dedicated to talking about MtG. You're only a few keystrokes away from finding out what cards are on the Reserved List. You're also only a few keystrokes away from finding out why some cards on the Reserved List got foil printings in FtV, as Judge promos, or whatnot, as well as why that won't happen again. Stop doing this.
We sure he's a planeswalker? Was that confirmed? I mean, sure, we the players represent planeswalkers, so I guess Curse Guy could be said to be a planeswalker by proxy...but by that logic, these people should all be planeswalkers too:
Guess I can try a second approach based on the possibility of CG being a PW:
Roderick Boonbottom1RR
Legendary Planeswalker - Roderick
Curse spells that target ~'s controller cost WUBRG less to cast. This effect reduces only the amount of colored mana players pay. (For example, if a player casts a Curse spell with mana cost 2B, that spell costs 2 to cast.)
+1: Target opponent gains control of ~. Attach all Curses in play to that player.
-X: Discard your hand, then reveal the top X cards of your library. Put each Curse card revealed this way onto the battlefield attached to yourself, then put the rest into your hand.
3
MTGS Wikia Article about "New World Order"
Every time I read a comment about "Well if this card had card draw/trample/haste/indestructible/hexproof/life gain...", I think "You're missing the point." They're armchair developer comments that fail to take into account the card's role in the greater Limited and Standard environment. No, it may not be as good as whatever card you're comparing it to. There's a reason for that. Not every burn spell is Lightning Bolt, nor does it need to be or should be.
PSA to everyone who keeps forgetting about the Reserved List:
You're on a website dedicated to talking about MtG. You're only a few keystrokes away from finding out what cards are on the Reserved List. You're also only a few keystrokes away from finding out why some cards on the Reserved List got foil printings in FtV, as Judge promos, or whatnot, as well as why that won't happen again. Stop doing this.
No, the people in the art of all Curses are not planeswalkers because of the enchant player. "Curse Guy" is a planeswalker because he's on a different plane in every card in his cycle.
Good call on him being a planeswalker. Somehow never noticed that. On the mechanical side, I just added text that blanks the curses during your turn (to add some assymmetry), though I have to say that I love Manite's Versions (creature and walker).
That's a creative approach to a WUBRG legend, I must say. I'll have to keep "costs WUBRG less to cast" in mind for my own designs.
I've personally had an idea for a colorless eldrazi legend with this text (and maybe something like "whenever you cast an eldrazi creature spell, target player sacrifices a permanent")... I could never figure out how to print a legendary eldrazi that wasn't one of the three titans, however.
That's a creative approach to a WUBRG legend, I must say. I'll have to keep "costs WUBRG less to cast" in mind for my own designs.
I'm pretty proud of this, myself. I've had some plans for a colorless eldrazi legend (as they should be) with this text and something like "whenever you cast an eldrazi creature spell, target opponent sacrifices a permanent" but producing a legendary eldrazi that isn't one of the three titans is a trick that I haven't figured out yet.
I don't think he needs to do more to justify cursing yourself. Not at all.
Cursing everyone instead of just one person is a good way to make curses more viable in multiplayer. It means that his own cycle of curses will have twice the effect, Curse of Misfortunes and Curse of Echoes become hilarious, anything with Constellation goes crazy, bad cards that care about enchantments/auras become good, good cards that care about enchantments/auras become incredibly nasty, and so on. All for just 3 mana.
I don't think we have any reason to believe the guy in the art is Matias - I don't think anyone knew what Matias looked like at the time those cards came out. It's a Twitter joke.
On the other hand, the original ability here was pretty prescient - just got printed as Morophon, the Boundless.
Rodrick Boonbottom
Legendary Creature- Human
Curse cards cost you less to cast. This effect reduces only the amount of colored mana you pay.
Whenever a nontoken curse enters the battlefield attached to you, for each opponent create a token copy of that curse enchanting that opponent.
2/3
"What's the worst that can happen?"
Also, curse guy is not a mere legend but the unluckiest Planeswalker in the Multiverse, you can see he is found on Innistrad for Curse of Vitality, Fiora for Curse of Verbosity, Grixis for Curse of Disturbance, Ravnica for Curse of Opulence, and Tarkir for Curse of Bounty.
Roderick Boonbottom BR
Legendary Creature - Human
Curse spells cost WUBRG less to cast. This effect reduces only the amount of colored mana players pay. (For example, if a player casts a Curse spell with mana cost 2B, that spell cost 2 to cast.)
When ~ enters the battlefield and at the beginning of your upkeep, an opponent chosen at random gains control of ~.
Whenever you gain control of ~, attach all Curses on the battlefield to yourself.
2/2
And if I may, could I suggest a few Curse designs to accompany this guy?
Enchantment - Aura Curse
Enchant player
At the beginning of enchanted player's upkeep, that player chooses a creature they control, then sacrifices the rest.
"That was close!"
Curse of Imitation 2UU
Enchantment - Aura Curse
Enchant player
Whenever a nontoken creature enters the battlefield under enchanted player's control, each other player may create a token that's a copy of that creature.
"I've always said imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but this is ridiculous!"
Curse of Taint 2BB
Enchantment - Aura Curse
Enchant player
If enchanted player would gain life, enchanted player loses that much life instead.
"Yikes! This wine is so strong, it's burning my throat! Wait, that's not wine..."
Curse of Fortune 2RR
Enchantment - Aura Curse
Enchant player
At the beginning of enchanted player's upkeep, enchanted player discards their hand, then draws that many cards.
"Sooner or later, they'll run out of bad prizes. Then I'll hit the jackpot!"
Curse of Allure 2GG
Enchantment - Aura Curse
Enchant player
At the beginning of enchanted player's upkeep, each of that player's opponents may put a creature card from their hand onto the battlefield.
"Note to self: Do not buy fragrances derived from baloth mating pheromones."
Every time I read a comment about "Well if this card had card draw/trample/haste/indestructible/hexproof/life gain...", I think "You're missing the point." They're armchair developer comments that fail to take into account the card's role in the greater Limited and Standard environment. No, it may not be as good as whatever card you're comparing it to. There's a reason for that. Not every burn spell is Lightning Bolt, nor does it need to be or should be.
I̟̥͍̠ͅn̩͉̣͍̬͚ͅ ̬̬͖t̯̹̞̺͖͓̯̤h̘͍̬e͙̯͈̖̼̮ ̭̬f̺̲̲̪i͙͉̟̩̰r̪̝͚͈̝̥͍̝̲s̼̻͇̘̳͔ͅt̲̺̳̗̜̪̙ ̳̺̥̻͚̗ͅm̜̜̟̰͈͓͎͇o̝̖̮̝͇m̯̻̞̼̫̗͓̤e̩̯̬̮̩n͎̱̪̲̹͖t͇̖s̰̮ͅ,̤̲͙̻̭̻̯̹̰ ̖t̫̙̺̯͖͚̯ͅh͙̯̦̳̗̰̟e͖̪͉̼̯ ̪͕g̞̣͔a̗̦t̬̬͓͙̫̖̭̻e̩̻̯ ̜̖̦̖̤̭͙̬t̞̹̥̪͎͉ͅo͕͚͍͇̲͇͓̺ ̭̬͙͈̣̻t͈͍͙͓̫̖͙̩h̪̬̖̙e̗͈ ̗̬̟̞̺̤͉̯ͅa̦̯͚̙̜̮f͉͙̲̣̞̼t̪̤̞̣͚e̲͉̳̥r͇̪̙͚͓l̥̞̞͎̹̯̹ͅi͓̬f̮̥̬̞͈ͅe͎ ̟̩̤̳̠̯̩̯o̮̘̲p̟͚̣̞͉͓e͍̩̣n͔̼͕͚̜e̬̱d̼̘͎̖̹͍̮̠,͖̺̭̱̮ ̣̲͖̬̪̭̥a̪͚n̟̲̝̤̤̞̗d̘̱̗͇̮͕̳͕͔ ͖̞͉͎t̹̙͎h̰̱͉̗e̪̞̱̝̹̩ͅ ̠̱̩̭̦p̯̙e͓o̳͚̰̯̺̱̰͔̘p̬͎̱̣̼̩͇l̗̟̖͚̠e̱͉͔̱̦̬̟̙ ̖͚̪͔̼̦w̺̖̤̱e͖̗̻̦͓̖̘̜r̭̥e͔̹̫̱͕̦̰͕ ̗͔̠p̠̗͍͍̱̳̠r̰͔͎̰o͉̥͓̰͚̥s̟͚̹̱͔̣t͉̙̳̖͖̪̮r̥̘̥͙̹a͉̟̫̟̳̠̟̭t͈̜̰͈͎e̞̣̭̲̬ ͚̗̯̟͙i͍͖̰̘̦͖͉ṇ̮̻̯̦̲̩͍ ̦̮͚̫̤t͉͖̫͕ͅͅh͙̮̻̘̣̮̼e͕̺ ͙l͕̠͎̰̥i̲͓͉̲g̫̳̟͈͇̖h̠̦̖t͓̯͎̗ ̳̪̘̟̙̩̦o̫̲f̙͔̰̙̠ ̹̪̗͇̯t͖̼̼͉͖̬h̹͇̩e͚̖̺̤͉̹͕̪ ͚͓̭̝̺G͎̗̯̩o̫̯̮̟̮̳̘d̜̲͙̠-̩̳̯̲̗̜P̹̘̥͉̝h͍͈̗̖̝ͅa͍̗̮̼̗r̜̖͇̙̺a̭̺͔̞̳͈o̪̣͓̯̬͙̯̰̗h̖̦͈̥̯͔.͇̣̙̝
Guess I can try a second approach based on the possibility of CG being a PW:
Roderick Boonbottom 1RR
Legendary Planeswalker - Roderick
Curse spells that target ~'s controller cost WUBRG less to cast. This effect reduces only the amount of colored mana players pay. (For example, if a player casts a Curse spell with mana cost 2B, that spell costs 2 to cast.)
+1: Target opponent gains control of ~. Attach all Curses in play to that player.
-X: Discard your hand, then reveal the top X cards of your library. Put each Curse card revealed this way onto the battlefield attached to yourself, then put the rest into your hand.
3
Every time I read a comment about "Well if this card had card draw/trample/haste/indestructible/hexproof/life gain...", I think "You're missing the point." They're armchair developer comments that fail to take into account the card's role in the greater Limited and Standard environment. No, it may not be as good as whatever card you're comparing it to. There's a reason for that. Not every burn spell is Lightning Bolt, nor does it need to be or should be.
I̟̥͍̠ͅn̩͉̣͍̬͚ͅ ̬̬͖t̯̹̞̺͖͓̯̤h̘͍̬e͙̯͈̖̼̮ ̭̬f̺̲̲̪i͙͉̟̩̰r̪̝͚͈̝̥͍̝̲s̼̻͇̘̳͔ͅt̲̺̳̗̜̪̙ ̳̺̥̻͚̗ͅm̜̜̟̰͈͓͎͇o̝̖̮̝͇m̯̻̞̼̫̗͓̤e̩̯̬̮̩n͎̱̪̲̹͖t͇̖s̰̮ͅ,̤̲͙̻̭̻̯̹̰ ̖t̫̙̺̯͖͚̯ͅh͙̯̦̳̗̰̟e͖̪͉̼̯ ̪͕g̞̣͔a̗̦t̬̬͓͙̫̖̭̻e̩̻̯ ̜̖̦̖̤̭͙̬t̞̹̥̪͎͉ͅo͕͚͍͇̲͇͓̺ ̭̬͙͈̣̻t͈͍͙͓̫̖͙̩h̪̬̖̙e̗͈ ̗̬̟̞̺̤͉̯ͅa̦̯͚̙̜̮f͉͙̲̣̞̼t̪̤̞̣͚e̲͉̳̥r͇̪̙͚͓l̥̞̞͎̹̯̹ͅi͓̬f̮̥̬̞͈ͅe͎ ̟̩̤̳̠̯̩̯o̮̘̲p̟͚̣̞͉͓e͍̩̣n͔̼͕͚̜e̬̱d̼̘͎̖̹͍̮̠,͖̺̭̱̮ ̣̲͖̬̪̭̥a̪͚n̟̲̝̤̤̞̗d̘̱̗͇̮͕̳͕͔ ͖̞͉͎t̹̙͎h̰̱͉̗e̪̞̱̝̹̩ͅ ̠̱̩̭̦p̯̙e͓o̳͚̰̯̺̱̰͔̘p̬͎̱̣̼̩͇l̗̟̖͚̠e̱͉͔̱̦̬̟̙ ̖͚̪͔̼̦w̺̖̤̱e͖̗̻̦͓̖̘̜r̭̥e͔̹̫̱͕̦̰͕ ̗͔̠p̠̗͍͍̱̳̠r̰͔͎̰o͉̥͓̰͚̥s̟͚̹̱͔̣t͉̙̳̖͖̪̮r̥̘̥͙̹a͉̟̫̟̳̠̟̭t͈̜̰͈͎e̞̣̭̲̬ ͚̗̯̟͙i͍͖̰̘̦͖͉ṇ̮̻̯̦̲̩͍ ̦̮͚̫̤t͉͖̫͕ͅͅh͙̮̻̘̣̮̼e͕̺ ͙l͕̠͎̰̥i̲͓͉̲g̫̳̟͈͇̖h̠̦̖t͓̯͎̗ ̳̪̘̟̙̩̦o̫̲f̙͔̰̙̠ ̹̪̗͇̯t͖̼̼͉͖̬h̹͇̩e͚̖̺̤͉̹͕̪ ͚͓̭̝̺G͎̗̯̩o̫̯̮̟̮̳̘d̜̲͙̠-̩̳̯̲̗̜P̹̘̥͉̝h͍͈̗̖̝ͅa͍̗̮̼̗r̜̖͇̙̺a̭̺͔̞̳͈o̪̣͓̯̬͙̯̰̗h̖̦͈̥̯͔.͇̣̙̝
Also...
I've personally had an idea for a colorless eldrazi legend with this text (and maybe something like "whenever you cast an eldrazi creature spell, target player sacrifices a permanent")... I could never figure out how to print a legendary eldrazi that wasn't one of the three titans, however.
I do have to say that I love both versions that Manite came up with, however.
Also...
I'm pretty proud of this, myself. I've had some plans for a colorless eldrazi legend (as they should be) with this text and something like "whenever you cast an eldrazi creature spell, target opponent sacrifices a permanent" but producing a legendary eldrazi that isn't one of the three titans is a trick that I haven't figured out yet.
Cursing everyone instead of just one person is a good way to make curses more viable in multiplayer. It means that his own cycle of curses will have twice the effect, Curse of Misfortunes and Curse of Echoes become hilarious, anything with Constellation goes crazy, bad cards that care about enchantments/auras become good, good cards that care about enchantments/auras become incredibly nasty, and so on. All for just 3 mana.
- Rabid Wombat
1. He seems impulsive.
2. Red can't get rid of enchantments.
Hands to the sky
Give a round of applause
For the great Miss Y!
https://twitter.com/fireshoes/status/1142944416790974464
On the other hand, the original ability here was pretty prescient - just got printed as Morophon, the Boundless.