I wanted to take a stab at Titans. Uro is a cool card but unfortunately he is almost too good. I also wanted to try a different approach to them escaping and avoid the escape mechanic in place of something else. The idea remains the same for the most part.
Vrex, Titan of Life and Death1BG
Legendary Creature - Elder Giant
When Vrex enters the battlefield, sacrifice it unless it was Summoned.
Whenever Vrex, Titan of Life and Death enters the battlefield or attacks, you may return a card from your graveyard to your hand.
Summoning BBGG(You may cast this from your graveyard by sacrificing three permanents and paying its Summoning cost.)
6/6
Escape wasn't bad. I think the 'order of operations text' should have been adapted to suite this.
For example, putting the 'escaped' clauses next to (under or above [on the bottom of the card]—the escape ability clause.
It wanted to work like Forecast, which wasn't a good keyword, but did at least always tell you what to do.
I have always had strict rules for keyword development, and have forced myself to never develop keywords (especially new and 'unique-to-set' keywords) that hide the reminder text. The reminder text provides coherence and character to cards it's apart of. It sets them apart from other cards, and gives them a look and feel of power.
Sadly, the MTG team appears to be getting more slack, and unprofessional, and just plain careless, and negligent, and overly-comfortable with their implementations in the modern era product (since Innistrad). Geriatrics hits some people hard, and I would strongly suggest that this has played a key role in this decline.
I'd say this is a bit weak for what it does. Uro and Kroxa are both very relevant if cast as early as possible in game, but getting a regrowth on turn 3 is rarely going to get back anything relevant. Adding some self-mill to the trigger would make it more relevant and, since this version doesn't use escape, it wouldn't be super broken.
That said, I'm not a big fan of the summoning mechanic. Escape was balanced as it was (Uro's issue is its card/ramp advantage, not escape) and saccing three creatures is a FAAAAAAAR higher cost than exiling 5 from the bin.
I'd suggest either (a) making it mill 2 before the return to hand and leave it with Summoning or (b) reanimate a creature without haste (a la Footsteps of Goryo) until end of turn and then sac that creature and give your titan traditional Escape... maybe even mill one and reanimate.
I think it's a weird choice to not just use Regrowth text on it instead of a wording that specifically gets around targeted graveyard removal like Cremate. Is it meant to be able to return itself to your hand just to enable G/B death trigger stuff with buyback kinda? I can understand that, but I think G/B bicolor identity has probably invested too much into the Grave Pact stuff already.
I think it's a weird choice to not just use Regrowth text on it instead of a wording that specifically gets around targeted graveyard removal like Cremate. Is it meant to be able to return itself to your hand just to enable G/B death trigger stuff with buyback kinda? I can understand that, but I think G/B bicolor identity has probably invested too much into the Grave Pact stuff already.
Regeowth text actually makes more sense; there was not a specific reason why I worded it the way I did. It was just a lack of my wording skill honestly.
Also, I think this is weaker than Escape, however I want my cycle of these guys to be more recurring than the original titans. While escape may be easier, it runs out of steam in the long run. My mechanic of Summoning does the same, but you can get back permanents from the graveyard more readily than get back cards from exile.
Uro isn't broken because of the escape mechanic. Uro is broken because of its enters the battlefield abilities. Just look at the cheaper brother and see how much weaker it is. Even costs less and still not nearly as good.
Uro has 2 abilities that are very very good. Drawing a card represents 1/4 of a turn. (According to The Dojo) putting a land into play is also 1/4 a turn. (Again, according to The Dojo). So each time you play Uro you are getting a half turn of upside. Plus the 3 life. Kroxa only costs them 1/4 turn. The 3 life on either card isn't really that strong. 3 life only matters when it's the last 3 life. And you can get into the 50s and still lose.
All that said to say if your titan was
Vrex, Titan of Life and Death 1BG
Legendary Creature - Elder Giant
When Vrex enters the battlefield, sacrifice it unless it escaped.
Whenever Vrex, Titan of Life and Death enters the battlefield or attacks, you may return another card from your graveyard to your hand.
Escape BBGG, Exile 5 other cards from your graveyard.
6/6
It would still be fine. You are getting a situational and limited 1/4 of a turn.
Lastly I added another card rather than a card so that way it can't continually return itself.
How many cards actually let one just sacrifice any type of permanent? Making a whole mechanic that allows that would certainly be welcome for a lot of decks.
Vrex, Titan of Life and Death 1BG
Legendary Creature - Elder Giant
When Vrex enters the battlefield, sacrifice it unless it was Summoned.
Whenever Vrex, Titan of Life and Death enters the battlefield or attacks, you may return a card from your graveyard to your hand.
Summoning BBGG (You may cast this from your graveyard by sacrificing three permanents and paying its Summoning cost.)
6/6
Dunes of Zairo
SHANDALAR
Innistrad - The Darkest Night
~THE RAVNICAN CONSORTIUM~
A Community Set
Commander: Allies & Adversaries
For example, putting the 'escaped' clauses next to (under or above [on the bottom of the card]—the escape ability clause.
It wanted to work like Forecast, which wasn't a good keyword, but did at least always tell you what to do.
I have always had strict rules for keyword development, and have forced myself to never develop keywords (especially new and 'unique-to-set' keywords) that hide the reminder text. The reminder text provides coherence and character to cards it's apart of. It sets them apart from other cards, and gives them a look and feel of power.
Sadly, the MTG team appears to be getting more slack, and unprofessional, and just plain careless, and negligent, and overly-comfortable with their implementations in the modern era product (since Innistrad). Geriatrics hits some people hard, and I would strongly suggest that this has played a key role in this decline.
That said, I'm not a big fan of the summoning mechanic. Escape was balanced as it was (Uro's issue is its card/ramp advantage, not escape) and saccing three creatures is a FAAAAAAAR higher cost than exiling 5 from the bin.
I'd suggest either (a) making it mill 2 before the return to hand and leave it with Summoning or (b) reanimate a creature without haste (a la Footsteps of Goryo) until end of turn and then sac that creature and give your titan traditional Escape... maybe even mill one and reanimate.
Regeowth text actually makes more sense; there was not a specific reason why I worded it the way I did. It was just a lack of my wording skill honestly.
Also, I think this is weaker than Escape, however I want my cycle of these guys to be more recurring than the original titans. While escape may be easier, it runs out of steam in the long run. My mechanic of Summoning does the same, but you can get back permanents from the graveyard more readily than get back cards from exile.
Dunes of Zairo
SHANDALAR
Innistrad - The Darkest Night
~THE RAVNICAN CONSORTIUM~
A Community Set
Commander: Allies & Adversaries
Uro has 2 abilities that are very very good. Drawing a card represents 1/4 of a turn. (According to The Dojo) putting a land into play is also 1/4 a turn. (Again, according to The Dojo). So each time you play Uro you are getting a half turn of upside. Plus the 3 life. Kroxa only costs them 1/4 turn. The 3 life on either card isn't really that strong. 3 life only matters when it's the last 3 life. And you can get into the 50s and still lose.
All that said to say if your titan was
Vrex, Titan of Life and Death 1BG
Legendary Creature - Elder Giant
When Vrex enters the battlefield, sacrifice it unless it escaped.
Whenever Vrex, Titan of Life and Death enters the battlefield or attacks, you may return another card from your graveyard to your hand.
Escape BBGG, Exile 5 other cards from your graveyard.
6/6
It would still be fine. You are getting a situational and limited 1/4 of a turn.
Lastly I added another card rather than a card so that way it can't continually return itself.
Kroxa, Titan of Death's Hunger
Omnath, Locus of Rage
Kinnan, Bonder Prodigy
Toshiro Umezawa
Thraximundar
Jirina Kudro
Geist of Saint Traft
Krark, the Thumbless + Sakashima of a Thousand Faces
This site has me constantly saying "Some peoples' kids"