With Nearby Planet getting revealed, i wanted to think about more Locuses, specifically to see if I could make a Locus theme in a (pauper) cube. Currently there is Cloudpost and Glimmerpost, so I'd like to figure out a couple more that are appropriately balanced as something that could each appear in a Standard set. Obviously there are power level concerns in eternal formats, but Cloudpost already exists so *shrug*.
Shinepost
Land - Locus
When CARNDAME enters the battlefield, look at the top X cards of your library where X is the number of Locuses you control. Put one of those cards back on top on your library, and the rest on the bottom in a random order. T: Add C.
(Scry X seemed too strong, so I went with a filter effect instead that does almost nothing for the first one.)
Steelpost
Land - Locus T: Add C.
3: CARDNAME becomes a 0/X Mirror artifact creature with defender and ward X until the end of turn, where X is the number of Locuses you control.
(The ward is more flavor than anything else, so could be dropped.)
So the first shinepost isn't a complete dud how about adding you may to putting a card on top. So the first is essentially Zhalfirn Void. While scry X does seem pushing the boundries this not quite scry feels appropriate.
Steelpost, I don't believe such a small wall land would be good. The concept of wall land at all is strange but I imagine it would need to be either massive or capable of blocking many attackers to be worth using. Even at twice X for toughness this seems too weak.
I'm not sure about Steelpost. I think it needs a bit more oomph. Maybe X/X but lose the ward (keep defender)? Shinepost works, although I don't know if the world is ready for SixteenPost :).
"Did you think to kill me? There's no flesh and blood within this cloak to kill. There is only an idea. Ideas are bulletproof." - V, V for Vendetta. Alan Moore
Yeah, I was intentionally trying to make the first Shinepost weaker than Zhalfiran Void, just because in a hypothetical limited environment the second and third ones become very good.
Steelpost is the weird one and a land that doesn't ETB tapped can only give so much advantage. I didn't go with X/X because I didn't want it to naturally be able to trade with attackers. What about this:
Steelpost
Land - Locus
As long as its not your turn, CARDNAME is an 0/X Mirror artifact creature in addition to its other types with defender, ward X and "This creature can block up to X creatures each combat.", where X is the number of Locuses you control.
T: Add C.
I hadn't considered rarity. A quick look shows no creature lands at common. Which makes any creature land at common a hard sell. Perusing common lands would say the obvious choice of pumping a creature for each locus is viable but I don't know if you want to go that route.
That said, this proposed wall land is fairly reasonable. I don't know if that animation condition is the best route but it's better than a high cost.
Can I helps you with one more? Becuase commander and stuff
Commandpost
Land - Locus T: Add C.
Commander spells that you have been casted at least once or more times this game cost X less, where X is the number of Locus you control.
I would drop the cost on Steelpost down by one (if Mutavault could teach us anything about this).
Shinepost risks being less than helpful outside of extended formats. Consider a range more static, that adds the number of locus you control as a bonus.
At the very least, if it was on the Temple of Epiphany band, without EBT, that would be amazing. This includes extending the range with the number of locus you control.
Honestly, I don’t think that locuses are good design… like at all.
While it’s interesting to consider a world where a colorless deck could be compensated by the mana base resembling a sliver deck, I believe that there is very much a maximum limit on the number of these cards that can ever be printed for power reasons.
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Shinepost
Land - Locus
When CARNDAME enters the battlefield, look at the top X cards of your library where X is the number of Locuses you control. Put one of those cards back on top on your library, and the rest on the bottom in a random order.
T: Add C.
(Scry X seemed too strong, so I went with a filter effect instead that does almost nothing for the first one.)
Steelpost
Land - Locus
T: Add C.
3: CARDNAME becomes a 0/X Mirror artifact creature with defender and ward X until the end of turn, where X is the number of Locuses you control.
(The ward is more flavor than anything else, so could be dropped.)
Steelpost, I don't believe such a small wall land would be good. The concept of wall land at all is strange but I imagine it would need to be either massive or capable of blocking many attackers to be worth using. Even at twice X for toughness this seems too weak.
Steelpost is the weird one and a land that doesn't ETB tapped can only give so much advantage. I didn't go with X/X because I didn't want it to naturally be able to trade with attackers. What about this:
Steelpost
Land - Locus
As long as its not your turn, CARDNAME is an 0/X Mirror artifact creature in addition to its other types with defender, ward X and "This creature can block up to X creatures each combat.", where X is the number of Locuses you control.
T: Add C.
This is a tough sell to be a common though.
That said, this proposed wall land is fairly reasonable. I don't know if that animation condition is the best route but it's better than a high cost.
Commandpost
Land - Locus
T: Add C.
Commander spells that you have been casted at least once or more times this game cost X less, where X is the number of Locus you control.
Shinepost risks being less than helpful outside of extended formats. Consider a range more static, that adds the number of locus you control as a bonus.
At the very least, if it was on the Temple of Epiphany band, without EBT, that would be amazing. This includes extending the range with the number of locus you control.
While it’s interesting to consider a world where a colorless deck could be compensated by the mana base resembling a sliver deck, I believe that there is very much a maximum limit on the number of these cards that can ever be printed for power reasons.