"[cost using phyrexian mana]: Compleat [this]. (Exile it, then return it to the battlefield transformed under your control at the beginning of your next upkeep. Compleat only as a sorcery.)
So this makes use of DFCs to let you turn your creatures or planeswalkers into Phyrexians. Here's an example:
Mirran ResearcherU
Creature - Vedalken Wizard
1/1 T: Scry 1. 3 : Compleat Mirran Researcher. (Exile it, then return it to the battlefield transformed under your control at the beginning of your next upkeep. Compleat only as a sorcery.)
// Phyrexian Researcher
Creature - Phyrexian Vedalken Wizard
3/2
When Phyrexian Researcher enters the battlefield, draw two cards.
Whenever Phyrexian Researcher attacks, scry 1.
The pros:
This allows the inclusion of phyrexian mana without actually bending/breaking the color pie, since you have to pay real colored mana up front.
This allows the set to basically show off what-if scenarios for every non-Phyrexian creature/planeswalker in the set, with one side displaying their normal form and the other side showing their compleated form. Not all of these have to be canon, but just a cool way to show off what they would look like if they were compleated.
Upgrade/mana sink mechanics tend to do a lot for limited environments.
The flavor is obvious: The creature is being taken to Jin-Gitaxias for the compleation process, then sent back out to fight in its new form. It also contributes to the overall narrative, showing the Phyrexians as an unstoppable force that corrupts anything it touches, transforming things into more frightening versions of themselves.
It's open ended and easy to balance. The floor of the ability isn't all that high, since you have to activate at sorcery speed and wait until your next turn to get the card back. This also means it has summoning sickness again, which is why I imagine all the Phyrexian sides having impactful etb abilities (or haste). Basically, since the cost is so high just in terms of time, the mana cost is more flexible and the abilities can be more flashy.
The cons:
Including the reminder text for phyrexian mana would probably push the reminder text over the edge, although I'm not sure it's entirely necessary at this point. This reminder text could easily be included on other cards or on a rules tip card like with poison.
DFCs. They're divisive and cumbersome and in the past two years we've had quite a lot of them.
How about a Prototype template but reversed asi in the alternate cost is the Compleated Cost and the weaker regular card is the normal cost
like Mirran Researcher U
Creature - Vedalken Wizard
Compleat 3(U/P)(You may cast this spell with different mana cost and size. It is a Phyrexian in addition to its other types and add the words in square brackets, otherwise ignore them.)[3/2]
Whene Mirran Researcher enters the battlefield [or attacks], scry 1. [Then you can draw a card and if you do, discard a card.] 1/1
How about a Prototype template but reversed asi in the alternate cost is the Compleated Cost and the weaker regular card is the normal cost
like Mirran Researcher U
Creature - Vedalken Wizard
Compleat 3(U/P)(You may cast this spell with different mana cost and size. It is a Phyrexian in addition to its other types and add the words in square brackets, otherwise ignore them.)[3/2]
Whene Mirran Researcher enters the battlefield [or attacks], scry 1. [Then you can draw a card and if you do, discard a card.] 1/1
For me, the biggest loss with this idea is artwork depicting the compleated version of the creature, not to mention that it’s exclusive to creatures so planeswalkers can’t use it. I do like the idea of using brackets for an ability like this, a sort of cleave for permanents sounds cool.
I would do something in between these ideas, I think.
DFCs have a lot of baggage that would stop us from getting too many and that would make them a headache to reprint. Further, the tempo-loss from exiling them and not being able to attack with them the turn they blink back in would be pretty considerable.
Using compleation as an alternate casting cost, meanwhile, reintroduces the color pie problems that phyrexian mana originally struggled with.
How about something like Monstrous/Adapt?
Miriam Researcher
Creature- Vedalken Wizard
Compleation 2- (if this card isn’t compleated, put two +1/+1 counters on it and it becomes a phyrexian artifact in addition to its other types)
When Vedalken researcher attacks, scry 1. Then, if Vedalken Researcher is compleated, draw a card.
1/1
That gives you both sides for the artwork and you don't need to add the brackets.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
pucatrade
big receipts
alpha mox emerald
beta time walk
4 goyfs received
3 liliana of the veil
4 karn liberated
3 force of will
4 grove of the burnwillows
snapcaster mage
3 horizon canopy
2 full art damnation
So this makes use of DFCs to let you turn your creatures or planeswalkers into Phyrexians. Here's an example:
Mirran Researcher U
Creature - Vedalken Wizard
1/1
T: Scry 1.
3
//
Phyrexian Researcher
Creature - Phyrexian Vedalken Wizard
3/2
When Phyrexian Researcher enters the battlefield, draw two cards.
Whenever Phyrexian Researcher attacks, scry 1.
The pros:
The cons:
Anyway, that's it.
like
Mirran Researcher U
Creature - Vedalken Wizard
Compleat 3(U/P)(You may cast this spell with different mana cost and size. It is a Phyrexian in addition to its other types and add the words in square brackets, otherwise ignore them.)[3/2]
Whene Mirran Researcher enters the battlefield [or attacks], scry 1. [Then you can draw a card and if you do, discard a card.]
1/1
DFCs have a lot of baggage that would stop us from getting too many and that would make them a headache to reprint. Further, the tempo-loss from exiling them and not being able to attack with them the turn they blink back in would be pretty considerable.
Using compleation as an alternate casting cost, meanwhile, reintroduces the color pie problems that phyrexian mana originally struggled with.
How about something like Monstrous/Adapt?
Miriam Researcher
Creature- Vedalken Wizard
Compleation 2-
When Vedalken researcher attacks, scry 1. Then, if Vedalken Researcher is compleated, draw a card.
1/1
That gives you both sides for the artwork and you don't need to add the brackets.
pucatrade
big receipts
alpha mox emerald
beta time walk
4 goyfs received
3 liliana of the veil
4 karn liberated
3 force of will
4 grove of the burnwillows
snapcaster mage
3 horizon canopy
2 full art damnation
I would only question the name should be different than Completed. Phyresis, obviously; or maybe something new and dynamic like Evolv.
I would even say like you could spell it like, Evølv; to give it a new edge feel; and that classic Phyrexian style (The Great Evølution).