While we're about to see spoilers for Core 2021, I was thinking ahead to Zendikar and what sort of mechanics might exist. When I was thinking about the possibility of land-based mechanics, I came up with something that might be interesting.
Arise X (Create an 0/0 colorless Elemental creature land token with X +1/+1 counters on and " , Add ")
Sample cards
Verdant Wanderings
Sorcery
Search your library for a land card, reveal it, and put it into your hand, then shuffle your library.
Arise 1
Sinister Currents
Sorcery
Draw 2 cards and lose 2 life.
Arise 2
Persistant Deluge
Instant
Return target creature to its owner's hand.
Arise 2
I suspect that I'm underestimating the power of permanent ramp (even if it's delayed for a turn without haste, fragile against kill spells, and only adds colorless mana) but I'm not sure to what degree. I know that wizards explored the idea of creating land tokens in the test cards of mystery boosters (generated horizons) and the fact that this effect is more flexible than awaken (it can be tied to triggered and activated abilities rather than just using this ability as a kicker effect... and it also triggers landfall.
You aren't too far off on a guess where the cost for such an effect should be. Obviously it would need testing to figure out how it balances on various effects such as how much stronger does this make an instant vs sorcery. Also if it is a significant theme then blue bounce becomes more relevant but not specifically more powerful. There is a lot to consider but it is at least an interesting mechanic.
The token should probably be a 0/0 with counters instead of an X/X, since you'd need to mark power/toughness on each token anyway.
You could tweak the keyword by either spelling out a land type with the keyword, or making Arise key off the color of the spell casing it. Either would make the tokes a bit more varied and give more options for interaction, but I not sure an elegant way to set the color and land type together.
Idea A) - Arise [Basic land type] X means "Create a colorless Elemental creature land token with the specified Basic land type(s) and X +1/+1 counters on it."
Verdant Wanderings 2G
Sorcery
Search your library for a land card, reveal it, and put it into your hand, then shuffle your library.
Arise Forest 1 (Create a 0/0 colorless Forest Elemental creature land token with a +1/+1 counter on it.)
The Good - Interacts with any Basic lands matters mechanics and you don't have to spell out the mana ability if you don't want to. Multi color spells could have Arise Forest Island X to create dual land tokens. Additionally, you could have the land type be different than the spell color if you really wanted, say, a green spell that made a Mountain.
The Bad - The keyword on the card itself is more awkward when read.
Rule Idea B) - Arise X means "Create a 0/0 Elemental creature land token that is the same color(s) as this spell with X +1/+1 counters on it and 'T: Add one mana that shares a color with this spell'".)
Verdant Wanderings 2G
Sorcery
Search your library for a land card, reveal it, and put it into your hand, then shuffle your library.
Arise 1 (Create a 0/0 Green Elemental creature land token with a +1/+1 counter on it and "T: Add G.".)
The Good - The color setting is more hidden under the hood of the keyword.
The Bad - No interaction with basic land type matters effects.
Option A gives more flexibility and opprotunity to give options interact with mechanics in a Land Matters set. If you went that direction, you might want to change the keyword to one word [Land]rise X (Forestrise 1, Islandrise 3, etc.) for flow and conciseness.
Having it enter the battlefield with +1/+1 counters so only one token is added makes sense.
I personally kept all of these lands colorless for specific reasons, though.
1. Most prominently, this is a 5-color ramp mechanic that isn’t temporary like treasure. As such, I feel that it needs to be handled VERY conservatively. Letting blue create islands and white create plains is a risky precedent to set while creating colorless lands seems a bit more acceptable in my mind.
2. While we won’t have Eldrazi spawn or scions this time around, having the lands produce colorless mana seemed like an entertaining little fallback to the history of zendikar sets having colorless mana generators.
I'd actually suggested the colored mana to draw the association away from the Eldrazi, since that was a lot of people's least favorite part of Zendikar.
As to the fixing issue, I don't think it would be a problem. Since most cards would only be creating lands of the same color, so you'd be increasing a color you already have rather than opening up a different color. i.e. You can't use arise to get a blue source if you don't have a blue source already.
In any event, the mechanic is a good idea. I'm interested to see what ways you can make the arise relevant beyond just being an add on to the card.
Like these:
3RR
Sorcery
Arise 3
Creatures you control get +2/+0 and gain haste until the end of turn.
2W
Sorcery
Arise 2
Gain life equal to the number of creatures you control.
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Arise X (Create an 0/0 colorless Elemental creature land token with X +1/+1 counters on and " , Add ")
Sample cards
Verdant Wanderings
Sorcery
Search your library for a land card, reveal it, and put it into your hand, then shuffle your library.
Arise 1
Sinister Currents
Sorcery
Draw 2 cards and lose 2 life.
Arise 2
Persistant Deluge
Instant
Return target creature to its owner's hand.
Arise 2
I suspect that I'm underestimating the power of permanent ramp (even if it's delayed for a turn without haste, fragile against kill spells, and only adds colorless mana) but I'm not sure to what degree. I know that wizards explored the idea of creating land tokens in the test cards of mystery boosters (generated horizons) and the fact that this effect is more flexible than awaken (it can be tied to triggered and activated abilities rather than just using this ability as a kicker effect... and it also triggers landfall.
Thoughts?
You could tweak the keyword by either spelling out a land type with the keyword, or making Arise key off the color of the spell casing it. Either would make the tokes a bit more varied and give more options for interaction, but I not sure an elegant way to set the color and land type together.
Idea A) - Arise [Basic land type] X means "Create a colorless Elemental creature land token with the specified Basic land type(s) and X +1/+1 counters on it."
Verdant Wanderings 2G
Sorcery
Search your library for a land card, reveal it, and put it into your hand, then shuffle your library.
Arise Forest 1 (Create a 0/0 colorless Forest Elemental creature land token with a +1/+1 counter on it.)
The Good - Interacts with any Basic lands matters mechanics and you don't have to spell out the mana ability if you don't want to. Multi color spells could have Arise Forest Island X to create dual land tokens. Additionally, you could have the land type be different than the spell color if you really wanted, say, a green spell that made a Mountain.
The Bad - The keyword on the card itself is more awkward when read.
Rule Idea B) - Arise X means "Create a 0/0 Elemental creature land token that is the same color(s) as this spell with X +1/+1 counters on it and 'T: Add one mana that shares a color with this spell'".)
Verdant Wanderings 2G
Sorcery
Search your library for a land card, reveal it, and put it into your hand, then shuffle your library.
Arise 1 (Create a 0/0 Green Elemental creature land token with a +1/+1 counter on it and "T: Add G.".)
The Good - The color setting is more hidden under the hood of the keyword.
The Bad - No interaction with basic land type matters effects.
Option A gives more flexibility and opprotunity to give options interact with mechanics in a Land Matters set. If you went that direction, you might want to change the keyword to one word [Land]rise X (Forestrise 1, Islandrise 3, etc.) for flow and conciseness.
I personally kept all of these lands colorless for specific reasons, though.
1. Most prominently, this is a 5-color ramp mechanic that isn’t temporary like treasure. As such, I feel that it needs to be handled VERY conservatively. Letting blue create islands and white create plains is a risky precedent to set while creating colorless lands seems a bit more acceptable in my mind.
2. While we won’t have Eldrazi spawn or scions this time around, having the lands produce colorless mana seemed like an entertaining little fallback to the history of zendikar sets having colorless mana generators.
As to the fixing issue, I don't think it would be a problem. Since most cards would only be creating lands of the same color, so you'd be increasing a color you already have rather than opening up a different color. i.e. You can't use arise to get a blue source if you don't have a blue source already.
In any event, the mechanic is a good idea. I'm interested to see what ways you can make the arise relevant beyond just being an add on to the card.
Like these:
3RR
Sorcery
Arise 3
Creatures you control get +2/+0 and gain haste until the end of turn.
2W
Sorcery
Arise 2
Gain life equal to the number of creatures you control.