I design with a bent towards cube which favors pushed cards that flirt with the boundaries of being printable. Selesnya is a notoriously weak guild in most cubes and I wanted to design a few options that would make it a bit more attractive. Constructive feedback is always welcome.
Fauna SummonerGW
Creature - Elf Shaman (M) 3, :Put a +1/+1 counter on Fauna Summoner then look at the top X cards of your library where X is equal to the number of +1/+1 counters on Fauna Summoner. You may reveal a creature card from among the cards you looked at, if you do, put it onto the battlefield. If you don’t, put the revealed card(s) back on top of your library in any order.
1/1
This is the high risk, high reward card I'd love to try in Selesnya. You can set it up with a Worldly Tutor. It pumps itself (albeit slowly), and the ability scales making it increasingly necessary to kill.
Bountiful Purification1GW
Destroy up to one target artifact or enchantment. Draw a card and gain 3 life.
Nature's Chant that replaces itself and gains life. Has a revitalize fallback plan if you don't have a target for it.
Eljon, the Uniter
Legendary Creature - Human Elf (R)
Champion an Elf or Human (When this enters the battlefield, sacrifice it unless you exile another Elf or Human you control. When this leaves the battlefield, that card returns to the battlefield.)
Green creatures you control get +1/+1
White creatures you control get +1/+1
2/2
A bit of a Selesnya take on Benalish Marshal. Requires you to have a card of the most prominent tribes in G/W to champion, but enters as a 4/4 that is an anthem or even a double anthem for 3CC.
Ajani the ProudGW
Legendary Planeswalker - Ajani (M)
+1: Put a +1/+1 counter on up to one target creature. If that creature deals combat damage to a player this turn put a loyalty counter on Ajani the Proud.
0: Ajani the Proud becomes an X/X green and white creature where X is equal to Ajani’s loyalty.
-X: You may cast a planeswalker with converted mana cost X or less from your hand without paying its mana cost. Gain X life.
(1)
Ajani pumps, he swings (often as a Watchwolf or better) and he can cast your walkers for free and provide incidental life gain. Value galore for 2CC. In exchange for the value train he has a low starting loyalty and does not have any form of protection as a creature.
I'm not sure what you mean by high risk for the fauna summoner. There is essentially no risk to the ability unless you mean paying mana is a risk then I can't even being to fathom what format this is. The ability needs retooling. You don't want the "if you dont" otherwise you have no instruction for what to do with the other cards when you do hit a creature.
An excessively pushed naturalize is reasonableish. It's just heaping extra text onto naturalize to make it playable so maybe mission accomplished.
Elton, I don't know how strong this is. Is Wiltleaf liege unplayable in cube? If so then i guess this is reasonable but if not then i can't imagine a more pushed version is ok.
I have to assume there is a typo somewhere on this Ajani. His + does the same thing as his 0 but also has extra text. This can't be right. Either the creature part isn't meant to be on his + or the 0 is supposed to be a completely different ability. Moving on from that. Ajani should move into Gideon's territory even if Gideon is gone. Ajani is a healer/support mage and he should try and stay that way. When using existing characters you should stick to what they do and use new characters when doing a mishmash ot completely new things. As is the 0 is worthless and the + is absurd. Growing stronger everytime they become a creature is interesting but that's all it should do.
For cube, playing a 1/1 that requires you pay GW and then 3 and tap it to potentially rip a powerful creature is high-risk, high reward. You're putting a lot of resources into getting the payoff and it is really easy to kill, but if you get the payoff, it can be absurdly strong. Thanks for the note on the wording. Will have to think of a way to accomplish this ability without being wordier than it already is.
Is it excessive or reasonable? Those are opposites. It isn't "extra text" it is a cantrip and lifegain which fits the guild perfectly and also prevents this from being a dead card if you don't have a target which is a great upgrade worth the 1 extra mana/being gold.
This isn't clearly more pushed then the Liege as it is legendary and requires you to champion a creature and not just any creature but one belonging to one of two specific tribes. The former is not a big difference, but championing puts you a creature down which isn't what decks that want an anthem want to do, but it is a fair tradeoff to get the effect earlier. Liege is not played in cube outside of very large lists. It might be considered the 8th or 9th best card in the guild? We are going to be doing the ranking project soon so I could tell you then.
Yeah, I typo'd on Ajani. It is correct now. I don't think any walker has the monopoly on animating. A walker that can turn into a creature but has no protections when it does is relatively new (Sarkhan the Masterless also does this) and interesting space to explore. Aside from that ability Ajani is doing everything it traditionally does, life gain, +1/+1 counters, PW support. How is the 0 worthless? It enables Ajani to swing as a 2/2 minimum on turn 3 and potentially as a 3/3 if you dealt damage to the player with the creature you gave a +1/+1 counter to the turn before.
Also, I have to add that while you are providing some good points for discussion, your tone isn't really constructive. You've got some great things to say, just say them how you would like the same said to you if this had been your idea. Thanks.
The excessive and reasonable are from viewing it from different sides. In a normal product it is excessive, I don't know nearly enough about cube to know where this actually falls on the power scale. If it needs to be that pushed to be played in cube then it needs to be that pushed but looking at it its excessive.
For Elton, again let me start by saying I don't know enough about cube but I actually see his champion a creature as a benefit. It is two highly played tribes with a wealth of etbs and plenty of token generation such that it being a cheaper liege is a huge upside.
The 0 was only useless on the original typo'd card where the +1 made Ajani a creature. You would never 0 if his +1 did the same but better. As for a monopoly on being a creature, obvious no one has any monopoly on any ability. However walkers do have things they do and Ajani doesn't join the fray. If he does everything ajani would do except this one thing. Then he isn't being ajani anymore he's being someone quite similar which isn't bad but it's not ajani.
As for tone I apologize. I am excessively bad at reading tone in written or even spoken words. It is not my intention to be rude.
I feel like Naturalize effects remain dead in hand with some regularity so Cube would love having a variant that has an acceptable fallback plan of Revitalize. Nature's Chant shows that Wizards already feels this effect can exist as a hybrid common. Adding 1 and making this gold again are real costs. A cantrip is usually 1 mana and adding 3 life could easily be worth going from hybrid to gold. Then you add the rarity bump and this is feeling very printable to me.
Eljon, not Elton! He isn't a rockstar! =P That said, it could be better. Not sure. (shrugs)
The latest Ajani makes a Pridemate token, until this iteration he didn't make tokens (beyond as an ultimate). I think you're imposing a rule that doesn't necessarily need to be in this instance. New designs can do new things assuming we're not out of the realm of something feasible for the character. It's not unfeasible that Ajani would join a fight beyond just as a supporting role. If I start giving Ajani blink abilities or something, than you're probably on to something.
The latest Ajani makes a Pridemate token, until this iteration he didn't make tokens (beyond as an ultimate). I think you're imposing a rule that doesn't necessarily need to be in this instance. New designs can do new things assuming we're not out of the realm of something feasible for the character. It's not unfeasible that Ajani would join a fight beyond just as a supporting role. If I start giving Ajani blink abilities or something, than you're probably on to something.
The very first Ajani created a Token. This newest Ajani is the fourth Ajani to create tokens, the third to create cat tokens. Even if its the first to make tokens as a non-ultimate you have to ignore a large portion of who Ajani is to ignore the fact that he makes tokens.
I'm not saying characters can't grow they should just do it as extensions of their already existing powers such as Chandra now caring about elementals when before she once created them and had a few cards connected to her that were elementals and pyromancy has on multiple occasions been linked to elementals. Ajani suddenly jumping into the fray, while believable from a story perspective is strange from a mechanical one. He is a 'healer' him fighting and the growing stronger mechanic itself are poor fits for his power set.
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Fauna Summoner GW
Creature - Elf Shaman (M)
3, :Put a +1/+1 counter on Fauna Summoner then look at the top X cards of your library where X is equal to the number of +1/+1 counters on Fauna Summoner. You may reveal a creature card from among the cards you looked at, if you do, put it onto the battlefield. If you don’t, put the revealed card(s) back on top of your library in any order.
1/1
This is the high risk, high reward card I'd love to try in Selesnya. You can set it up with a Worldly Tutor. It pumps itself (albeit slowly), and the ability scales making it increasingly necessary to kill.
Bountiful Purification 1GW
Destroy up to one target artifact or enchantment. Draw a card and gain 3 life.
Nature's Chant that replaces itself and gains life. Has a revitalize fallback plan if you don't have a target for it.
Eljon, the Uniter
Legendary Creature - Human Elf (R)
Champion an Elf or Human (When this enters the battlefield, sacrifice it unless you exile another Elf or Human you control. When this leaves the battlefield, that card returns to the battlefield.)
Green creatures you control get +1/+1
White creatures you control get +1/+1
2/2
A bit of a Selesnya take on Benalish Marshal. Requires you to have a card of the most prominent tribes in G/W to champion, but enters as a 4/4 that is an anthem or even a double anthem for 3CC.
Ajani the Proud GW
Legendary Planeswalker - Ajani (M)
+1: Put a +1/+1 counter on up to one target creature. If that creature deals combat damage to a player this turn put a loyalty counter on Ajani the Proud.
0: Ajani the Proud becomes an X/X green and white creature where X is equal to Ajani’s loyalty.
-X: You may cast a planeswalker with converted mana cost X or less from your hand without paying its mana cost. Gain X life.
(1)
Ajani pumps, he swings (often as a Watchwolf or better) and he can cast your walkers for free and provide incidental life gain. Value galore for 2CC. In exchange for the value train he has a low starting loyalty and does not have any form of protection as a creature.
An excessively pushed naturalize is reasonableish. It's just heaping extra text onto naturalize to make it playable so maybe mission accomplished.
Elton, I don't know how strong this is. Is Wiltleaf liege unplayable in cube? If so then i guess this is reasonable but if not then i can't imagine a more pushed version is ok.
I have to assume there is a typo somewhere on this Ajani. His + does the same thing as his 0 but also has extra text. This can't be right. Either the creature part isn't meant to be on his + or the 0 is supposed to be a completely different ability. Moving on from that. Ajani should move into Gideon's territory even if Gideon is gone. Ajani is a healer/support mage and he should try and stay that way. When using existing characters you should stick to what they do and use new characters when doing a mishmash ot completely new things. As is the 0 is worthless and the + is absurd. Growing stronger everytime they become a creature is interesting but that's all it should do.
Is it excessive or reasonable? Those are opposites. It isn't "extra text" it is a cantrip and lifegain which fits the guild perfectly and also prevents this from being a dead card if you don't have a target which is a great upgrade worth the 1 extra mana/being gold.
This isn't clearly more pushed then the Liege as it is legendary and requires you to champion a creature and not just any creature but one belonging to one of two specific tribes. The former is not a big difference, but championing puts you a creature down which isn't what decks that want an anthem want to do, but it is a fair tradeoff to get the effect earlier. Liege is not played in cube outside of very large lists. It might be considered the 8th or 9th best card in the guild? We are going to be doing the ranking project soon so I could tell you then.
Yeah, I typo'd on Ajani. It is correct now. I don't think any walker has the monopoly on animating. A walker that can turn into a creature but has no protections when it does is relatively new (Sarkhan the Masterless also does this) and interesting space to explore. Aside from that ability Ajani is doing everything it traditionally does, life gain, +1/+1 counters, PW support. How is the 0 worthless? It enables Ajani to swing as a 2/2 minimum on turn 3 and potentially as a 3/3 if you dealt damage to the player with the creature you gave a +1/+1 counter to the turn before.
Also, I have to add that while you are providing some good points for discussion, your tone isn't really constructive. You've got some great things to say, just say them how you would like the same said to you if this had been your idea. Thanks.
For Elton, again let me start by saying I don't know enough about cube but I actually see his champion a creature as a benefit. It is two highly played tribes with a wealth of etbs and plenty of token generation such that it being a cheaper liege is a huge upside.
The 0 was only useless on the original typo'd card where the +1 made Ajani a creature. You would never 0 if his +1 did the same but better. As for a monopoly on being a creature, obvious no one has any monopoly on any ability. However walkers do have things they do and Ajani doesn't join the fray. If he does everything ajani would do except this one thing. Then he isn't being ajani anymore he's being someone quite similar which isn't bad but it's not ajani.
As for tone I apologize. I am excessively bad at reading tone in written or even spoken words. It is not my intention to be rude.
Nature's Chant shows that Wizards already feels this effect can exist as a hybrid common. Adding 1 and making this gold again are real costs. A cantrip is usually 1 mana and adding 3 life could easily be worth going from hybrid to gold. Then you add the rarity bump and this is feeling very printable to me.
Eljon, not Elton! He isn't a rockstar! =P That said, it could be better. Not sure. (shrugs)
The latest Ajani makes a Pridemate token, until this iteration he didn't make tokens (beyond as an ultimate). I think you're imposing a rule that doesn't necessarily need to be in this instance. New designs can do new things assuming we're not out of the realm of something feasible for the character. It's not unfeasible that Ajani would join a fight beyond just as a supporting role. If I start giving Ajani blink abilities or something, than you're probably on to something.
I'm not saying characters can't grow they should just do it as extensions of their already existing powers such as Chandra now caring about elementals when before she once created them and had a few cards connected to her that were elementals and pyromancy has on multiple occasions been linked to elementals. Ajani suddenly jumping into the fray, while believable from a story perspective is strange from a mechanical one. He is a 'healer' him fighting and the growing stronger mechanic itself are poor fits for his power set.