Survive Predation Instant
Choose a creature. If the chosen creature would die this turn, tap it and remove all damage from that creature instead. If you do, put a +1/+1 counter and your choice of a first strike, vigilance, lifelink, or shield counter on that creature. Pain's not bad—it's good. It teaches you things. Kill or be killed.
Alt Flavor Text 1
Predation can demand competition; that you compete for yourself, and stand as the apex predator you need to be.
That seems a little unnecessarily strong for just one mana. Stuff like Sheltering Light provides a similar effect but it requires white mana specifically and doesn't give any of the other advantages your design does. Plus the fact that there's five other counters involved makes this pretty confusing, especially if you plan to put it at Common. But other than that it's a nifty idea, good work!
While it does need tweaks, the overall idea of the card is pretty interesting.
First, like the previous poster said, this is way undercosted for its effect. Adding the 3 counters, especially with one being a shield counter, is going to make this a 3-4 mv spell.
Second, lifelink and first strike are not green abilities, so this works as mono-white and would work as G/W hybrid if it only could add a vigilance counter, but its not g/w hybrid as printed.
Third, the death prevention effect needs to be reworded. A creature doesn't actually die on the board, it dies when it is moved to the graveyard from the battlefield by destruction, being sacrificed, etc. If the effect said "If the chosen creature would be destroyed this turn,..." the replacement effect would work. There is still some weirdness where you could, say, Murder the same creature multiple times in a turn to get more counters, but that's a weird corner case.
So the workable versions of your card are either
Survive Predation 2(G/W)(G/W)
Instant
Choose a creature. If the chosen creature would be destroyed this turn, tap it and remove all damage from that creature instead. Then put a +1/+1 counter, a shield counter, and a vigilance counter on that creature.
OR
Survive Predation 2WW
Instant
Choose a creature. If the chosen creature would be destroyed this turn, tap it and remove all damage from that creature instead. Then put a +1/+1 counter, a shield counter, and your choice of a first strike, vigilance, or lifelink counter on that creature.
Presence and Blessing protect and temporarily buff a creature for one turn. Your card protects a creature for a turn, plus buffs it’s stat line and combat abilities permanently plus puts on a shield counter that will usually cost an opponent a removal spell or creature to remove so they can kill the creature.
It’s like it protects your creature twice, and since Amani’s blessing has strive you have the cost to double protect/buff right in front of your face: 2WW
I am on the ropes really myself. I was going to blend it down, and blend the shield counter into as an option with the ability ones; but really this basically reads:
Regenerate target creature. It gains Undying, and your choice of first strike, vigilance, or lifelink.
If it was written like that, it certainly wouldn't seem overstated (even for one mana). Right?
But when you use three different types of counters to do same thing...
I am on the ropes really myself. I was going to blend it down, and blend the shield counter into as an option with the ability ones; but really this basically reads:
Regenerate target creature. It gains Undying, and your choice of first strike, vigilance, or lifelink.
If it was written like that, it certainly wouldn't seem overstated (even for one mana). Right?
But when you use three different types of counters to do same thing...
If it read like that it would read way overpowered for one mana. Undying alone is worth one mana. And that's only until end of turn. Each additional effect is also worth about one mana so it snowballs quickly when you stack them like that.
I've decided to blend it down anyways, which is what I was leaning towards even when I realized it's basically just saying undying.
It's not for much loss, but makes the card more challenging, and highlights on which single counter suits the creature it's targeting best (based on its other abilities or not).
Great, you've made it slightly less powerful than it was previously. Still not a 1 mana spell, because you can still save the creature multiple times with only one card by choosing the shield counter, and still not green. Most likely it will fall at 1WW as written.
You want this to be 1 mana? Take off the shield option and roll the +1/+1 counter in with the other options. Want it to be G/W? Drop first strike and lifelink as options.
Being able to save a creature twice is nothing. This could easily just have Rebound, it would be one mana.
I am questioning if "Then" should be changed to "If you do" for better coherence that you only get the counters if it's prevented from dying.
“Then” is continuation of the same ability. “If you do” creates a reflexive trigger meaning there is an opportunity between the creature regenerating and you choosing which counter to put on that the opponents can potentially cast spells.
Note that your “example” is completely unrelated to the spell at hand. It doesn’t protect from destroy effects, it doesn’t protect small things from large damage sources, it doesn’t protect the creature before you next upkeep or after that turn.
There is a reflexive trigger in that if this was "regenerate", that simply creates a regeneration shield, and doesn't necessarily reflect the function of the creature being regenerated. It would need to say, "if regenerates this way" or the like. That's the same gig here.
It's not intended for you to get the counters unless the creature is actually prevented from dying.
Either way you only get the counter if the creature “regenerates”. The reflexive trigger if you use “if you do..” means someone could cast Murder between the creature regenerating and putting on the shield counter.
The only reason to use a reflexive trigger in a spell is if you need to target something based on information you get from the spell resolving, so there’s no benefit to it on your spell.
No, the context of "Then" in this case becomes a continuance of the first effect, which initially would suggest that the card gets the counter unconditionally (unless explained elsewhere).
The context of "If you do" here would reflect conditional of the first effect, which initially suggests that the counters are only placed after-the-fact-of the first effect resolving. It would not enable player's to cast Murder between. The creature would get the counter first as a replacement effect.
No, the context of "Then" in this case becomes a continuance of the first effect, which initially would suggest that the card gets the counter unconditionally (unless explained elsewhere).
The context of "If you do" here would reflect conditional of the first effect, which initially suggests that the counters are only placed after-the-fact-of the first effect resolving. It would not enable player's to cast Murder between. The creature would get the counter first as a replacement effect.
That's not how magic card templating works, but since its easier to convince a boulder to get up and walk away than it is to get you to understand how magic cards actually work, I won't bother explaining further than that.
I know that "If" generally denotes a state-based effect replacement: Darksteel Colossus.
There are "state based effects" and there are "replacement effects" and a replacement effect can replace a state based effect, but there is no such thing as a "state based effect replacement". A replacement effect is "If (blahblahblah A), (blahblahblah B) instead."
Your ability does create a replacement effect for the creature dying, but that is not the part of the effect we were discussing - We were discussing the second "If you do" statement which creates the reflexive trigger as written, but whether it is an If or a Then, it is still tied to the replacement effect and would not put the counter on during the resolution of the spell.
Why is this one mana? Check the precedent. You're not allowed to do this for one mana. Maybe you could get slightly more efficient than Undying Evil, but you've gone way overboard with extra abilities. Consider what one mana is allowed to do. It isn't this.
Printable version:
Survive Predation 2(G/W)
Instant (C)
Choose TARGET creature. If that creature would die this turn, tap it and remove all damage from that creature instead. Then put a +1/+1 counter and your choice of a first strike, vigilance, lifelink, or shield counter on that creature. Pain's not bad—it's good. It teaches you things. Kill or be killed.
GW is also fine.
Another alternate build:
Survive Predation(G/W)
Instant (C)
Kicker 1(G/W)
Choose target creature. If that creature would die this turn, tap it and remove all damage from that creature instead. Then, if survive Predation was kicked, put a +1/+1 counter and your choice of a first strike, vigilance, lifelink, or shield counter on that creature.
Remember how swingy an ability lifelink is. The impact on limited is especially dangerous, and you don't really want to go above common rarity with a card like this.
I don't have the foggiest notion what a reflexive trigger is. But I think the wording I used is a bit closer to how cards tend to be worded.
Instant
Choose a creature. If the chosen creature would die this turn, tap it and remove all damage from that creature instead. If you do, put a +1/+1 counter and your choice of a first strike, vigilance, lifelink, or shield counter on that creature.
Pain's not bad—it's good. It teaches you things. Kill or be killed.
Alt Flavor Text 1
Predation can demand competition; that you compete for yourself, and stand as the apex predator you need to be.
First, like the previous poster said, this is way undercosted for its effect. Adding the 3 counters, especially with one being a shield counter, is going to make this a 3-4 mv spell.
Second, lifelink and first strike are not green abilities, so this works as mono-white and would work as G/W hybrid if it only could add a vigilance counter, but its not g/w hybrid as printed.
Third, the death prevention effect needs to be reworded. A creature doesn't actually die on the board, it dies when it is moved to the graveyard from the battlefield by destruction, being sacrificed, etc. If the effect said "If the chosen creature would be destroyed this turn,..." the replacement effect would work. There is still some weirdness where you could, say, Murder the same creature multiple times in a turn to get more counters, but that's a weird corner case.
So the workable versions of your card are either
Survive Predation 2(G/W)(G/W)
Instant
Choose a creature. If the chosen creature would be destroyed this turn, tap it and remove all damage from that creature instead. Then put a +1/+1 counter, a shield counter, and a vigilance counter on that creature.
OR
Survive Predation 2WW
Instant
Choose a creature. If the chosen creature would be destroyed this turn, tap it and remove all damage from that creature instead. Then put a +1/+1 counter, a shield counter, and your choice of a first strike, vigilance, or lifelink counter on that creature.
Certainly not overstated by any considerations. 4 mana is lul-worthy.
Presence and Blessing protect and temporarily buff a creature for one turn. Your card protects a creature for a turn, plus buffs it’s stat line and combat abilities permanently plus puts on a shield counter that will usually cost an opponent a removal spell or creature to remove so they can kill the creature.
It’s like it protects your creature twice, and since Amani’s blessing has strive you have the cost to double protect/buff right in front of your face: 2WW
Regenerate target creature. It gains Undying, and your choice of first strike, vigilance, or lifelink.
If it was written like that, it certainly wouldn't seem overstated (even for one mana). Right?
But when you use three different types of counters to do same thing...
It's not for much loss, but makes the card more challenging, and highlights on which single counter suits the creature it's targeting best (based on its other abilities or not).
You want this to be 1 mana? Take off the shield option and roll the +1/+1 counter in with the other options. Want it to be G/W? Drop first strike and lifelink as options.
I am questioning if "Then" should be changed to "If you do" for better coherence that you only get the counters if it's prevented from dying.
“Then” is continuation of the same ability. “If you do” creates a reflexive trigger meaning there is an opportunity between the creature regenerating and you choosing which counter to put on that the opponents can potentially cast spells.
Note that your “example” is completely unrelated to the spell at hand. It doesn’t protect from destroy effects, it doesn’t protect small things from large damage sources, it doesn’t protect the creature before you next upkeep or after that turn.
It's not intended for you to get the counters unless the creature is actually prevented from dying.
The only reason to use a reflexive trigger in a spell is if you need to target something based on information you get from the spell resolving, so there’s no benefit to it on your spell.
The context of "If you do" here would reflect conditional of the first effect, which initially suggests that the counters are only placed after-the-fact-of the first effect resolving. It would not enable player's to cast Murder between. The creature would get the counter first as a replacement effect.
That's not how magic card templating works, but since its easier to convince a boulder to get up and walk away than it is to get you to understand how magic cards actually work, I won't bother explaining further than that.
Yeah, you don’t know what a reflexive trigger is.
There are "state based effects" and there are "replacement effects" and a replacement effect can replace a state based effect, but there is no such thing as a "state based effect replacement". A replacement effect is "If (blahblahblah A), (blahblahblah B) instead."
Your ability does create a replacement effect for the creature dying, but that is not the part of the effect we were discussing - We were discussing the second "If you do" statement which creates the reflexive trigger as written, but whether it is an If or a Then, it is still tied to the replacement effect and would not put the counter on during the resolution of the spell.
Printable version:
Survive Predation 2(G/W)
Instant (C)
Choose TARGET creature. If that creature would die this turn, tap it and remove all damage from that creature instead. Then put a +1/+1 counter and your choice of a first strike, vigilance, lifelink, or shield counter on that creature.
Pain's not bad—it's good. It teaches you things. Kill or be killed.
GW is also fine.
Another alternate build:
Survive Predation (G/W)
Instant (C)
Kicker 1(G/W)
Choose target creature. If that creature would die this turn, tap it and remove all damage from that creature instead. Then, if survive Predation was kicked, put a +1/+1 counter and your choice of a first strike, vigilance, lifelink, or shield counter on that creature.
Remember how swingy an ability lifelink is. The impact on limited is especially dangerous, and you don't really want to go above common rarity with a card like this.
I don't have the foggiest notion what a reflexive trigger is. But I think the wording I used is a bit closer to how cards tend to be worded.
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