How do you guys playtest anyway? I'd love to playtest (back when I did Yu-Gi-Oh! CCG we'd put all our cards on YVD and duel a ton), but I don't really know how to find people or put cards, I'd assume you use a program like Cockatrice.
Personally, I print the cards out in Magic Set Editor, cut them off the sheet and stuff them in a sleeve with an old basic land. I have a handful of friends (most of whom, like myself, have been playing Magic for 20 years) that I bounce the set off of. It's been a process for sure. I've printed my 295 card set in it's entirety twice, and probably replaced every card on its own at least once. It's amazing how little of a design will remain intact if you actively polish it for more than a year. I'd probably get more playtests in if I could do it online too, but I'm pretty sure the custom format I'm designing for is impossible to replicate online. I'd also really love an external playtest from some other designer-types, but that would require physically running off a copy of my set and shipping it somewhere.
How do you guys playtest anyway? I'd love to playtest (back when I did Yu-Gi-Oh! CCG we'd put all our cards on YVD and duel a ton), but I don't really know how to find people or put cards, I'd assume you use a program like Cockatrice.
Personally, I print the cards out in Magic Set Editor, cut them off the sheet and stuff them in a sleeve with an old basic land. I have a handful of friends (most of whom, like myself, have been playing Magic for 20 years) that I bounce the set off of. It's been a process for sure. I've printed my 295 card set in it's entirety twice, and probably replaced every card on its own at least once. It's amazing how little of a design will remain intact if you actively polish it for more than a year. I'd probably get more playtests in if I could do it online too, but I'm pretty sure the custom format I'm designing for is impossible to replicate online. I'd also really love an external playtest from some other designer-types, but that would require physically running off a copy of my set and shipping it somewhere.
If they have Notecards, they can do something I did back when I wanted to play Yu-Gi-Oh but had no access to cards or YVD: Take out notecards and write the card info down on it, then you just use them as if they were actual cards. Takes some effort from the person on the other side of the world but it can use in a pinch compared to making actual sheets.
If they have Notecards, they can do something I did back when I wanted to play Yu-Gi-Oh but had no access to cards or YVD: Take out notecards and write the card info down on it, then you just use them as if they were actual cards. Takes some effort from the person on the other side of the world but it can use in a pinch compared to making actual sheets.
I did exactly that for the first playtest of my set, before I caved and just bought a printer. Writing the cards out longhand probably took 18 hours in total. I think making someone familiarize themselves with the custom ruleset I use would be as much as I'd be willing to burden them with.
I'm not really remotely qualified to say, but Haste on Flectomancer seems out of place: I get that it is so that you can use its abilities immediately, but the kind of Haste-y feel to it makes it feel like it'd also need a cost up and having Flash, so you could use it to redirect spells on your opponent's turn. As-is the Haste feels like it makes it better but not really connected to the card?
Also @ Flatline: Yes, I'm the one who made Monochromatic, and I'm hoping to make more cards for it. Sadly me being gone for so long means I haven't worked on it much, but one day I'll make the Monochromatic set (no idea where to start, really...).
EDIT: Bloodburn got made because I made this card I'm really happy about that cares about your own creatures dying, which made me think of both Devour and a mechanic that would work with your own creatures dying. But that'd be just a more boring/worse Morbid at base, so I thought of how to work it, which reminded me of "Paincast"...so I made an Ability Word that basically cares about you doing harm to yourself for an effect. No pain, no gain! Also fits very well in Black and Red.
Honorable Mention: Flatline (Personally, I find it odd the Brainwashing does nothing on the card itself, which makes it look out of place. I'd consider making it a Shock to non-Brainwashed creatures and 4 damage to Brainwashed ones, giving you the choice of brainwashing a creature for less damage OR frying the brain of someone whose still an issue after being brainwashed. Also because of how Branwash works, it deals 4 damage total right now, doesn't it? It feels like you won't often use it to Brainwash a creature but to kill it, which hurts the flavor.)
Yes, Shock Therapy does for all intents and purposes deal 4 damage to the creature. This is the main attraction for the card, and what differentiates it from Lightning Strike outside of the environment it's designed for. I will say though, it is one of those cards that is a lot cooler in the environment it's designed for (think Melira, Sylvok Outcast), but I thought I could get away with it in the DCC because the flavor is so good. It's is actually my personal favorite card I've ever made from a flavor standpoint, but that might just be because of my excitement or the set it is designed for. BTW, the environment it is designed for is the Brotherhood of Ormos set that I am working on with Indighost and bravelion83 (Tilwin too). If you've got the time please check it out. I'm really excited about where it's going so far. Here's a link if anybody is interested....
http://www.mtgsalvation.com/forums/creativity/custom-card-creation/custom-set-creation-and/622473-brotherhood-of-ormos
Edit: BTW, I have no problem with this card killing most creatures instead of brainwashing them. I just think this shows that some creatures just aren't strong enough to survive the process. The people that are performing the therapy (Brotherhood re-educators) don't necessarily mind if that's what happens.
Edit2: It is possible that Shock Therapy would need to be bumped up to an uncommon for limited purposes due to the "4 damage" aspect of the card though.
Edit3: One last thing...I'm fine with Shock Therapy being strictly better than Lightning Strike because it's still no Lightning Bolt. Because of this, I can't see Shock Therapy being played outside of standard, therefor, you only need to worry about its power there (and limited).
(22 Total) - October 2014; December 2014; January 2015; April 2015; June 2015; August 2015; September 2015; November 2015; December 2015(T); January 2016; March 2016(T); April 2016; June 2016; October 2016; December 2016(T); February 2017; April 2017; December 2017; November 2018(T); January 2019; April 2019; June 2019
(8 Total) - May 2015; May 2016; June 2016; August 2016; October 2016; December 2016; October 2017; May 2019
(7 Total) - September 2015; October 2015; January 2016; March 2016; April 2016; July 2016(T); March 2019(T)
Honorable Mention: Flatline (Personally, I find it odd the Brainwashing does nothing on the card itself, which makes it look out of place. I'd consider making it a Shock to non-Brainwashed creatures and 4 damage to Brainwashed ones, giving you the choice of brainwashing a creature for less damage OR frying the brain of someone whose still an issue after being brainwashed. Also because of how Branwash works, it deals 4 damage total right now, doesn't it? It feels like you won't often use it to Brainwash a creature but to kill it, which hurts the flavor.)
Yes, Shock Therapy does for all intents and purposes deal 4 damage to the creature. This is the main attraction for the card, and what differentiates it from Lightning Strike outside of the environment it's designed for. I will say though, it is one of those cards that is a lot cooler in the environment it's designed for (think Melira, Sylvok Outcast), but I thought I could get away with it in the DCC because the flavor is so good. It's is actually my personal favorite card I've ever made from a flavor standpoint, but that might just be because of my excitement or the set it is designed for. BTW, the environment it is designed for is the Brotherhood of Ormos set that I am working on with Indighost and bravelion83 (Tilwin too). If you've got the time please check it out. I'm really excited about where it's going so far. Here's a link if anybody is interested....
http://www.mtgsalvation.com/forums/creativity/custom-card-creation/custom-set-creation-and/622473-brotherhood-of-ormos
Edit: BTW, I have no problem with this card killing most creatures instead of brainwashing them. I just think this shows that some creatures just aren't strong enough to survive the process. The people that are performing the therapy (Brotherhood re-educators) don't necessarily mind if that's what happens.
Edit2: It is possible that Shock Therapy would need to be bumped up to an uncommon for limited purposes due to the "4 damage" aspect of the card though.
Edit3: One last thing...I'm fine with Shock Therapy being strictly better than Lightning Strike because it's still no Lightning Bolt. Because of this, I can't see Shock Therapy being played outside of standard, therefor, you only need to worry about its power there (and limited).
I've read a bit about the Brotherhood stuff but I haven't looked at it in-depth.
Personally I thought the fact that 90% of the time it'll be used just for killing a creature hurt the flavor, because how often are you really going to use it to brainwash something, since it has to have 5+ toughness? I get that they don't mind if they die or if they're strong enough for it, but the thing that makes the card cool flavor-wise is the idea of delivering shock "therapy" to them until they're brainwashed, but if you never brainwash anyone then the flavor feels lost to me. That's why I suggested the idea of making it do less to non-brainwashed (Meaning you're more likely to use it to brainwah things) and doing more to brainwashed ones (They amp it up on people who won't be pacified until it mollifies them with likely death).
I see your point RukiMotomiya, and am starting to come around to your way of thinking. Honestly, maybe it should just cost , and only deal 1 damage. I feel like this is infinitely less powerful though, although I think you're probably right about the flavor at this point. Maybe I could change it to this also...
Shock Therapy
Enchantment - Aura
Enchant creature
When ~ enters the battlefield, and at the beginning of your upkeep, ~ deals 1 damage to enchanted creature.
Brainwash (Whenever this deals damage to a creature, put a -1/-1 counter on that creature. If it isn't brainwashed, it becomes brainwashed.)
This would represent the fact that the shock therapy is recurring, and after too much of it, the creature just can't handle anymore. I'm not sure the wording on the enchantment version is correct though. BTW, thanks for the input Ruki, it's much appreciated.
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(8 Total) - May 2015; May 2016; June 2016; August 2016; October 2016; December 2016; October 2017; May 2019
(7 Total) - September 2015; October 2015; January 2016; March 2016; April 2016; July 2016(T); March 2019(T)
I see your point RukiMotomiya, and am starting to come around to your way of thinking. Honestly, maybe it should just cost , and only deal 1 damage. I feel like this is infinitely less powerful though, although I think you're probably right about the flavor at this point. Maybe I could change it to this also...
Shock Therapy
Enchantment - Aura
Enchant creature
When ~ enters the battlefield, and at the beginning of your upkeep, ~ deals 1 damage to enchanted creature.
Brainwash (Whenever this deals damage to a creature, put a -1/-1 counter on that creature. If it isn't brainwashed, it becomes brainwashed.)
This would represent the fact that the shock therapy is recurring, and after too much of it, the creature just can't handle anymore. I'm not sure the wording on the enchantment version is correct though. BTW, thanks for the input Ruki, it's much appreciated.
This would be a pretty neat card, it's interesting because of the fact it can either just be a Shock OR you can put it on a big creature to give it -1/-1s every turn, and it has the flavor of repeatable "shocks". It also fits with the card "Shock" by doing 2 "damage" (Well 1 damage and -1/-1) each turn.
Just because I may as well show, my initial idea for it being different
Shock Therapy1R
Instant (R)
Shock Therapy deals 1 damage to target creature or player. If the target is brainwashed, deal 4 damage instead.
Brainwash (Whenever this deals damage to a creature, put a -1/-1 counter on that creature. If it isn't brainwashed, it becomes brainwashed.)
For the feel of poking something (With a Shock) to mollify it + a wider range of Brainwashable options (Everything 3+)...but if you don't take to re-education quickly, the Brotherhood amps it up until you're fried one way or another, and potential 5 damage for 2 while perhaps pushing it TOO far (It may need to be 4) would be fairly splashy yet simple.
HM bravelion83 (Solid card, and I like how it happens to go well with my entry )
It was just a coincidence! I've had all DCC entries for the rest of the month planned in a MSE file since at least about ten days ago, and that was the card planned to be posted yesterday. Tomorrow's one will be another thing like that Sarkhan bomb a few months ago against Indighost, but this time with my favorite planeswalker, who knows me knows who he is... I want to end the month with a bang again, even if I have no chance of victory this time.
I'm not positive I have to say "..another spell..", probably just "..a spell.." works, right?....
Precarious Hold
Enchantment – Aura (R)
Enchant creature
You control enchanted creature.
When enchanted creature becomes the target of another spell or ability, sacrifice Precarious Hold. As the rebellion continued to grow, the Brotherhood’s grasp on the minds of its followers slowly began to weaken.
Not only "a spell" works, but it's the correct templating there. For that ability to work, the Aura must be already on the battlefield, so it's not a spell anymore, it's a permanent now!
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MCC - Winner (6): Oct 2014, Apr Nov 2017, Jan 2018, Apr Jun 2019 || Host (15): Dec 2014, Apr Jul Aug Dec 2015, Mar Jul Aug Oct 2016, Feb Jul 2017, Jun Nov 2018, Feb Jul 2019 (last one here) || Judge (34): every month from Nov 2014 to Nov 2016 except Oct 2015, every month from Feb to Jul 2017 except Apr 2017, then Oct 2017, May Jun Nov 2018, Feb Jul 2019 (last one here) CCL - Winner (3): Jul 2016 (tied with Flatline), May 2017, Jul 2019 (last one here) || Host (5): Feb 2015, Mar Apr May Jun 2016 DCC - Winner (1): Mar 2015 (tied with Piar) || Host (3): May Oct 2015, Jan 2016
• The two public custom sets I've been part a part of the design team for: "Brotherhood of Ormos" - Blog post with all info - set thread - design skeleton / card list || "Extinctia: Homo Evanuit" - Blog post with all info - set thread - card list spreadsheet
• "The Lion's Lair", my article series about MTG and custom card design in particular. Latest article here. Here is the article index.Rather outdated by now, and based on the old MCC rubric, but I'm leaving this here for anybody that might be interested anyway.
• My only public attempt at being a writer: the story of my Leonin custom planeswalker Jeff Lionheart. (I have a very big one that I'm working on right now but that's private for now, and I don't know if I will ever actually publish it, and I also have ideas for multiple future ones, including one where I'm going to reprise Jeff.)
Perfect. Thanks bravelion. I know how they work of course, but for some reason auras sometime give me trouble. I don't know why.
I wish I could say I had my cards planned out ahead of time, and I do have some thoughts on file, but most of my ideas just hit me then and there. Even when I go with an idea I have on file, I generally have to do a lot of on the spot editing as I post it.
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(22 Total) - October 2014; December 2014; January 2015; April 2015; June 2015; August 2015; September 2015; November 2015; December 2015(T); January 2016; March 2016(T); April 2016; June 2016; October 2016; December 2016(T); February 2017; April 2017; December 2017; November 2018(T); January 2019; April 2019; June 2019
(8 Total) - May 2015; May 2016; June 2016; August 2016; October 2016; December 2016; October 2017; May 2019
(7 Total) - September 2015; October 2015; January 2016; March 2016; April 2016; July 2016(T); March 2019(T)
@Indighost....I'm not supposed to start posting the DCC until Thursday, right?
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(8 Total) - May 2015; May 2016; June 2016; August 2016; October 2016; December 2016; October 2017; May 2019
(7 Total) - September 2015; October 2015; January 2016; March 2016; April 2016; July 2016(T); March 2019(T)
Ok, I don't know where Indighost is, but I'm going to start posting the thread. Sorry for the triple post, I just wanted to make sure this was seen.
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(22 Total) - October 2014; December 2014; January 2015; April 2015; June 2015; August 2015; September 2015; November 2015; December 2015(T); January 2016; March 2016(T); April 2016; June 2016; October 2016; December 2016(T); February 2017; April 2017; December 2017; November 2018(T); January 2019; April 2019; June 2019
(8 Total) - May 2015; May 2016; June 2016; August 2016; October 2016; December 2016; October 2017; May 2019
(7 Total) - September 2015; October 2015; January 2016; March 2016; April 2016; July 2016(T); March 2019(T)
I have no idea what ever became of MDenham. If you ever find out, please let me know. The question has been raised here many times since he left, with no answer that I know of. Has anyone asked Moss Elemental?
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(22 Total) - October 2014; December 2014; January 2015; April 2015; June 2015; August 2015; September 2015; November 2015; December 2015(T); January 2016; March 2016(T); April 2016; June 2016; October 2016; December 2016(T); February 2017; April 2017; December 2017; November 2018(T); January 2019; April 2019; June 2019
(8 Total) - May 2015; May 2016; June 2016; August 2016; October 2016; December 2016; October 2017; May 2019
(7 Total) - September 2015; October 2015; January 2016; March 2016; April 2016; July 2016(T); March 2019(T)
I don't think anybody knows. At least I do not. Now the DCC is hosted by a rotation of Indighost, Flatline and myself.
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MCC - Winner (6): Oct 2014, Apr Nov 2017, Jan 2018, Apr Jun 2019 || Host (15): Dec 2014, Apr Jul Aug Dec 2015, Mar Jul Aug Oct 2016, Feb Jul 2017, Jun Nov 2018, Feb Jul 2019 (last one here) || Judge (34): every month from Nov 2014 to Nov 2016 except Oct 2015, every month from Feb to Jul 2017 except Apr 2017, then Oct 2017, May Jun Nov 2018, Feb Jul 2019 (last one here) CCL - Winner (3): Jul 2016 (tied with Flatline), May 2017, Jul 2019 (last one here) || Host (5): Feb 2015, Mar Apr May Jun 2016 DCC - Winner (1): Mar 2015 (tied with Piar) || Host (3): May Oct 2015, Jan 2016
• The two public custom sets I've been part a part of the design team for: "Brotherhood of Ormos" - Blog post with all info - set thread - design skeleton / card list || "Extinctia: Homo Evanuit" - Blog post with all info - set thread - card list spreadsheet
• "The Lion's Lair", my article series about MTG and custom card design in particular. Latest article here. Here is the article index.Rather outdated by now, and based on the old MCC rubric, but I'm leaving this here for anybody that might be interested anyway.
• My only public attempt at being a writer: the story of my Leonin custom planeswalker Jeff Lionheart. (I have a very big one that I'm working on right now but that's private for now, and I don't know if I will ever actually publish it, and I also have ideas for multiple future ones, including one where I'm going to reprise Jeff.)
Just a quick reminder of what life is like under the iron rule of Flatline.....People should still have their cards up by 10 PM EST (same as Indighost), as that is the time I try to get the thread up, but more often than not, I put it up around 11 PM EST. On Friday nights it may occasionally be up quite a bit later (sometimes as late as 4 AM), but that's only if I'm out playing Magic, which doesn't always happen. That's about it. Let's make some good cards in September!
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(22 Total) - October 2014; December 2014; January 2015; April 2015; June 2015; August 2015; September 2015; November 2015; December 2015(T); January 2016; March 2016(T); April 2016; June 2016; October 2016; December 2016(T); February 2017; April 2017; December 2017; November 2018(T); January 2019; April 2019; June 2019
(8 Total) - May 2015; May 2016; June 2016; August 2016; October 2016; December 2016; October 2017; May 2019
(7 Total) - September 2015; October 2015; January 2016; March 2016; April 2016; July 2016(T); March 2019(T)
Unity is meant to be Surge's counterpart, or an idea for what it might be anyway, in this whole "Monocolor Matters" thing I've got going. Two questions I had for it:
- Should it only work for monocolored or should I make it so they could be multicolored? I was worried making it monocolored would be too parasitic and play too poorly in a Limited enviroment, so I made it work with multicolored.
Rhox Duelist
Creature – Rhino Soldier (U)
Exalted (Whenever a creature you control attacks alone, that creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn.)
Whenever a creature you control attacks alone, that creature can't be blocked by more than one creature this turn.
2/2
MCC - Winner (6): Oct 2014, Apr Nov 2017, Jan 2018, Apr Jun 2019 || Host (15): Dec 2014, Apr Jul Aug Dec 2015, Mar Jul Aug Oct 2016, Feb Jul 2017, Jun Nov 2018, Feb Jul 2019 (last one here) || Judge (34): every month from Nov 2014 to Nov 2016 except Oct 2015, every month from Feb to Jul 2017 except Apr 2017, then Oct 2017, May Jun Nov 2018, Feb Jul 2019 (last one here) CCL - Winner (3): Jul 2016 (tied with Flatline), May 2017, Jul 2019 (last one here) || Host (5): Feb 2015, Mar Apr May Jun 2016 DCC - Winner (1): Mar 2015 (tied with Piar) || Host (3): May Oct 2015, Jan 2016
• The two public custom sets I've been part a part of the design team for: "Brotherhood of Ormos" - Blog post with all info - set thread - design skeleton / card list || "Extinctia: Homo Evanuit" - Blog post with all info - set thread - card list spreadsheet
• "The Lion's Lair", my article series about MTG and custom card design in particular. Latest article here. Here is the article index.Rather outdated by now, and based on the old MCC rubric, but I'm leaving this here for anybody that might be interested anyway.
• My only public attempt at being a writer: the story of my Leonin custom planeswalker Jeff Lionheart. (I have a very big one that I'm working on right now but that's private for now, and I don't know if I will ever actually publish it, and I also have ideas for multiple future ones, including one where I'm going to reprise Jeff.)
Thank you once again courageouscat! For all the help you've given to me, I feel like I should send you some money, or least a nice fruit basket.
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(8 Total) - May 2015; May 2016; June 2016; August 2016; October 2016; December 2016; October 2017; May 2019
(7 Total) - September 2015; October 2015; January 2016; March 2016; April 2016; July 2016(T); March 2019(T)
Hey Indighost, I'm totally going to try out Caller of the Exotic as an uncommon cycle in the set I'm doing now (although green is probably doing something with +1/+1 counters, moving card drawing to blue. And I'm doing them as enchantments with Morph.) It's a nice partner for my Unity mechanic.
That cool? I'll totally give you some credit when I eventually add the set to my site (Same for you, CrazyMatt and that land type triland).
Bravelion93 (This actually feels like a love letter to Obsidian Fireheart...especially since it can just kill lands without Blaze Counters on them. :))
Thanks because you made me ten years younger!
Anyway, I referred to the flavor text that was meant to highlight the absurdity of the Fireheart's reminder text. I didn't think about it when designing the mechanics, I just wanted a good top-down design that made sense with that flavor text. Now that you make me notice that synergy, it's actually quite ironic indeed!
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MCC - Winner (6): Oct 2014, Apr Nov 2017, Jan 2018, Apr Jun 2019 || Host (15): Dec 2014, Apr Jul Aug Dec 2015, Mar Jul Aug Oct 2016, Feb Jul 2017, Jun Nov 2018, Feb Jul 2019 (last one here) || Judge (34): every month from Nov 2014 to Nov 2016 except Oct 2015, every month from Feb to Jul 2017 except Apr 2017, then Oct 2017, May Jun Nov 2018, Feb Jul 2019 (last one here) CCL - Winner (3): Jul 2016 (tied with Flatline), May 2017, Jul 2019 (last one here) || Host (5): Feb 2015, Mar Apr May Jun 2016 DCC - Winner (1): Mar 2015 (tied with Piar) || Host (3): May Oct 2015, Jan 2016
• The two public custom sets I've been part a part of the design team for: "Brotherhood of Ormos" - Blog post with all info - set thread - design skeleton / card list || "Extinctia: Homo Evanuit" - Blog post with all info - set thread - card list spreadsheet
• "The Lion's Lair", my article series about MTG and custom card design in particular. Latest article here. Here is the article index.Rather outdated by now, and based on the old MCC rubric, but I'm leaving this here for anybody that might be interested anyway.
• My only public attempt at being a writer: the story of my Leonin custom planeswalker Jeff Lionheart. (I have a very big one that I'm working on right now but that's private for now, and I don't know if I will ever actually publish it, and I also have ideas for multiple future ones, including one where I'm going to reprise Jeff.)
@HopefulHawkeye: If my card was one of the ones you have issue with, I'd appreciate if you did speak up, as I am not used to templating MTG cards and I don't get to play MTG much so I do not have the best grasp of balance, and hearing people's opinions would help me learn.
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Personally, I print the cards out in Magic Set Editor, cut them off the sheet and stuff them in a sleeve with an old basic land. I have a handful of friends (most of whom, like myself, have been playing Magic for 20 years) that I bounce the set off of. It's been a process for sure. I've printed my 295 card set in it's entirety twice, and probably replaced every card on its own at least once. It's amazing how little of a design will remain intact if you actively polish it for more than a year. I'd probably get more playtests in if I could do it online too, but I'm pretty sure the custom format I'm designing for is impossible to replicate online. I'd also really love an external playtest from some other designer-types, but that would require physically running off a copy of my set and shipping it somewhere.
If they have Notecards, they can do something I did back when I wanted to play Yu-Gi-Oh but had no access to cards or YVD: Take out notecards and write the card info down on it, then you just use them as if they were actual cards. Takes some effort from the person on the other side of the world but it can use in a pinch compared to making actual sheets.
I did exactly that for the first playtest of my set, before I caved and just bought a printer. Writing the cards out longhand probably took 18 hours in total. I think making someone familiarize themselves with the custom ruleset I use would be as much as I'd be willing to burden them with.
Also @ Flatline: Yes, I'm the one who made Monochromatic, and I'm hoping to make more cards for it. Sadly me being gone for so long means I haven't worked on it much, but one day I'll make the Monochromatic set (no idea where to start, really...).
EDIT: Bloodburn got made because I made this card I'm really happy about that cares about your own creatures dying, which made me think of both Devour and a mechanic that would work with your own creatures dying. But that'd be just a more boring/worse Morbid at base, so I thought of how to work it, which reminded me of "Paincast"...so I made an Ability Word that basically cares about you doing harm to yourself for an effect. No pain, no gain! Also fits very well in Black and Red.
Yes, Shock Therapy does for all intents and purposes deal 4 damage to the creature. This is the main attraction for the card, and what differentiates it from Lightning Strike outside of the environment it's designed for. I will say though, it is one of those cards that is a lot cooler in the environment it's designed for (think Melira, Sylvok Outcast), but I thought I could get away with it in the DCC because the flavor is so good. It's is actually my personal favorite card I've ever made from a flavor standpoint, but that might just be because of my excitement or the set it is designed for. BTW, the environment it is designed for is the Brotherhood of Ormos set that I am working on with Indighost and bravelion83 (Tilwin too). If you've got the time please check it out. I'm really excited about where it's going so far. Here's a link if anybody is interested....
http://www.mtgsalvation.com/forums/creativity/custom-card-creation/custom-set-creation-and/622473-brotherhood-of-ormos
Edit: BTW, I have no problem with this card killing most creatures instead of brainwashing them. I just think this shows that some creatures just aren't strong enough to survive the process. The people that are performing the therapy (Brotherhood re-educators) don't necessarily mind if that's what happens.
Edit2: It is possible that Shock Therapy would need to be bumped up to an uncommon for limited purposes due to the "4 damage" aspect of the card though.
Edit3: One last thing...I'm fine with Shock Therapy being strictly better than Lightning Strike because it's still no Lightning Bolt. Because of this, I can't see Shock Therapy being played outside of standard, therefor, you only need to worry about its power there (and limited).
I've read a bit about the Brotherhood stuff but I haven't looked at it in-depth.
Personally I thought the fact that 90% of the time it'll be used just for killing a creature hurt the flavor, because how often are you really going to use it to brainwash something, since it has to have 5+ toughness? I get that they don't mind if they die or if they're strong enough for it, but the thing that makes the card cool flavor-wise is the idea of delivering shock "therapy" to them until they're brainwashed, but if you never brainwash anyone then the flavor feels lost to me. That's why I suggested the idea of making it do less to non-brainwashed (Meaning you're more likely to use it to brainwah things) and doing more to brainwashed ones (They amp it up on people who won't be pacified until it mollifies them with likely death).
I think it should be uncommon @ 4 damage.
Shock Therapy
Enchantment - Aura
Enchant creature
When ~ enters the battlefield, and at the beginning of your upkeep, ~ deals 1 damage to enchanted creature.
Brainwash (Whenever this deals damage to a creature, put a -1/-1 counter on that creature. If it isn't brainwashed, it becomes brainwashed.)
This would represent the fact that the shock therapy is recurring, and after too much of it, the creature just can't handle anymore. I'm not sure the wording on the enchantment version is correct though. BTW, thanks for the input Ruki, it's much appreciated.
This would be a pretty neat card, it's interesting because of the fact it can either just be a Shock OR you can put it on a big creature to give it -1/-1s every turn, and it has the flavor of repeatable "shocks". It also fits with the card "Shock" by doing 2 "damage" (Well 1 damage and -1/-1) each turn.
Just because I may as well show, my initial idea for it being different
Shock Therapy 1R
Instant (R)
Shock Therapy deals 1 damage to target creature or player. If the target is brainwashed, deal 4 damage instead.
Brainwash (Whenever this deals damage to a creature, put a -1/-1 counter on that creature. If it isn't brainwashed, it becomes brainwashed.)
For the feel of poking something (With a Shock) to mollify it + a wider range of Brainwashable options (Everything 3+)...but if you don't take to re-education quickly, the Brotherhood amps it up until you're fried one way or another, and potential 5 damage for 2 while perhaps pushing it TOO far (It may need to be 4) would be fairly splashy yet simple.
It was just a coincidence! I've had all DCC entries for the rest of the month planned in a MSE file since at least about ten days ago, and that was the card planned to be posted yesterday. Tomorrow's one will be another thing like that Sarkhan bomb a few months ago against Indighost, but this time with my favorite planeswalker, who knows me knows who he is... I want to end the month with a bang again, even if I have no chance of victory this time.
Not only "a spell" works, but it's the correct templating there. For that ability to work, the Aura must be already on the battlefield, so it's not a spell anymore, it's a permanent now!
MCC - Winner (6): Oct 2014, Apr Nov 2017, Jan 2018, Apr Jun 2019 || Host (15): Dec 2014, Apr Jul Aug Dec 2015, Mar Jul Aug Oct 2016, Feb Jul 2017, Jun Nov 2018, Feb Jul 2019 (last one here) || Judge (34): every month from Nov 2014 to Nov 2016 except Oct 2015, every month from Feb to Jul 2017 except Apr 2017, then Oct 2017, May Jun Nov 2018, Feb Jul 2019 (last one here)
CCL - Winner (3): Jul 2016 (tied with Flatline), May 2017, Jul 2019 (last one here) || Host (5): Feb 2015, Mar Apr May Jun 2016
DCC - Winner (1): Mar 2015 (tied with Piar) || Host (3): May Oct 2015, Jan 2016
• The two public custom sets I've been part a part of the design team for:
"Brotherhood of Ormos" - Blog post with all info - set thread - design skeleton / card list || "Extinctia: Homo Evanuit" - Blog post with all info - set thread - card list spreadsheet
• "The Lion's Lair", my article series about MTG and custom card design in particular. Latest article here. Here is the article index. Rather outdated by now, and based on the old MCC rubric, but I'm leaving this here for anybody that might be interested anyway.
• My only public attempt at being a writer: the story of my Leonin custom planeswalker Jeff Lionheart. (I have a very big one that I'm working on right now but that's private for now, and I don't know if I will ever actually publish it, and I also have ideas for multiple future ones, including one where I'm going to reprise Jeff.)
I wish I could say I had my cards planned out ahead of time, and I do have some thoughts on file, but most of my ideas just hit me then and there. Even when I go with an idea I have on file, I generally have to do a lot of on the spot editing as I post it.
Sorry if this is already common knowledge, but I haven't been in this forum for a while.
MCC - Winner (6): Oct 2014, Apr Nov 2017, Jan 2018, Apr Jun 2019 || Host (15): Dec 2014, Apr Jul Aug Dec 2015, Mar Jul Aug Oct 2016, Feb Jul 2017, Jun Nov 2018, Feb Jul 2019 (last one here) || Judge (34): every month from Nov 2014 to Nov 2016 except Oct 2015, every month from Feb to Jul 2017 except Apr 2017, then Oct 2017, May Jun Nov 2018, Feb Jul 2019 (last one here)
CCL - Winner (3): Jul 2016 (tied with Flatline), May 2017, Jul 2019 (last one here) || Host (5): Feb 2015, Mar Apr May Jun 2016
DCC - Winner (1): Mar 2015 (tied with Piar) || Host (3): May Oct 2015, Jan 2016
• The two public custom sets I've been part a part of the design team for:
"Brotherhood of Ormos" - Blog post with all info - set thread - design skeleton / card list || "Extinctia: Homo Evanuit" - Blog post with all info - set thread - card list spreadsheet
• "The Lion's Lair", my article series about MTG and custom card design in particular. Latest article here. Here is the article index. Rather outdated by now, and based on the old MCC rubric, but I'm leaving this here for anybody that might be interested anyway.
• My only public attempt at being a writer: the story of my Leonin custom planeswalker Jeff Lionheart. (I have a very big one that I'm working on right now but that's private for now, and I don't know if I will ever actually publish it, and I also have ideas for multiple future ones, including one where I'm going to reprise Jeff.)
- Should it only work for monocolored or should I make it so they could be multicolored? I was worried making it monocolored would be too parasitic and play too poorly in a Limited enviroment, so I made it work with multicolored.
- Two or more or three or more other creatures?
Pfff, I didn't notice until you bought it up. That IS quite amusing.
I guess our thoughts were...in unity.
Yes, it does, unless you want the effect to last indefinitely. Examples (with generic "can't be blocked" for lack of ones with the exact ability): Elusive Spellfist, Incursion Specialist*, Trespassing Souleater*, Vectis Agents*.
* = see Oracle text.
MCC - Winner (6): Oct 2014, Apr Nov 2017, Jan 2018, Apr Jun 2019 || Host (15): Dec 2014, Apr Jul Aug Dec 2015, Mar Jul Aug Oct 2016, Feb Jul 2017, Jun Nov 2018, Feb Jul 2019 (last one here) || Judge (34): every month from Nov 2014 to Nov 2016 except Oct 2015, every month from Feb to Jul 2017 except Apr 2017, then Oct 2017, May Jun Nov 2018, Feb Jul 2019 (last one here)
CCL - Winner (3): Jul 2016 (tied with Flatline), May 2017, Jul 2019 (last one here) || Host (5): Feb 2015, Mar Apr May Jun 2016
DCC - Winner (1): Mar 2015 (tied with Piar) || Host (3): May Oct 2015, Jan 2016
• The two public custom sets I've been part a part of the design team for:
"Brotherhood of Ormos" - Blog post with all info - set thread - design skeleton / card list || "Extinctia: Homo Evanuit" - Blog post with all info - set thread - card list spreadsheet
• "The Lion's Lair", my article series about MTG and custom card design in particular. Latest article here. Here is the article index. Rather outdated by now, and based on the old MCC rubric, but I'm leaving this here for anybody that might be interested anyway.
• My only public attempt at being a writer: the story of my Leonin custom planeswalker Jeff Lionheart. (I have a very big one that I'm working on right now but that's private for now, and I don't know if I will ever actually publish it, and I also have ideas for multiple future ones, including one where I'm going to reprise Jeff.)
That cool? I'll totally give you some credit when I eventually add the set to my site (Same for you, CrazyMatt and that land type triland).
Thanks because you made me ten years younger!
Anyway, I referred to the flavor text that was meant to highlight the absurdity of the Fireheart's reminder text. I didn't think about it when designing the mechanics, I just wanted a good top-down design that made sense with that flavor text. Now that you make me notice that synergy, it's actually quite ironic indeed!
MCC - Winner (6): Oct 2014, Apr Nov 2017, Jan 2018, Apr Jun 2019 || Host (15): Dec 2014, Apr Jul Aug Dec 2015, Mar Jul Aug Oct 2016, Feb Jul 2017, Jun Nov 2018, Feb Jul 2019 (last one here) || Judge (34): every month from Nov 2014 to Nov 2016 except Oct 2015, every month from Feb to Jul 2017 except Apr 2017, then Oct 2017, May Jun Nov 2018, Feb Jul 2019 (last one here)
CCL - Winner (3): Jul 2016 (tied with Flatline), May 2017, Jul 2019 (last one here) || Host (5): Feb 2015, Mar Apr May Jun 2016
DCC - Winner (1): Mar 2015 (tied with Piar) || Host (3): May Oct 2015, Jan 2016
• The two public custom sets I've been part a part of the design team for:
"Brotherhood of Ormos" - Blog post with all info - set thread - design skeleton / card list || "Extinctia: Homo Evanuit" - Blog post with all info - set thread - card list spreadsheet
• "The Lion's Lair", my article series about MTG and custom card design in particular. Latest article here. Here is the article index. Rather outdated by now, and based on the old MCC rubric, but I'm leaving this here for anybody that might be interested anyway.
• My only public attempt at being a writer: the story of my Leonin custom planeswalker Jeff Lionheart. (I have a very big one that I'm working on right now but that's private for now, and I don't know if I will ever actually publish it, and I also have ideas for multiple future ones, including one where I'm going to reprise Jeff.)