Some time ago, here, I announced a set I was working on. A year later? Well, let's just say most of my progress was made in the first 6 months. I'm still chipping away at it, but I've given up making it work that well with stanard, because well, it's a moving target. And I'm not retrofitting Kithkin.
The set info:
The young plane of Levalon may be unique in the multiverse. Levalon's core is a single piece of Lodestone, and as a result the world is a collection point for lost items from across the planes. Thran machines lost during Yawgmoth's first rebellion, artifacts of the Brother's War cast between universes by the Sylex Blast, even minor relics discarded by innumerable planeswalkers are all drawn slowly by the gentle pull of Levalon's core.
Young as Levalon is, its short history is already marked with conflict. Fueled by mana concentrated by the Lodestone, primeval elemental beings wage war, seeking to dominate the land. In their struggles, they and their followers have begun to discover the wealth of knowledge and power secreted across Levalon's surface.
Expanison Symbol: A shattered Anvil, with hammer.
Mechanics:
'Primal' - Reverse threshold. Formerly known as 'Innocence'.
'Purity' - if only one color of mana was spent, do extra
Mini-tribal for colored humanoid races
Major creature types:
All colors: Human
White: Cat (Leonin), Elemental, Angel?
Blue: Bird (Aven), Elemental, Sphinx, Drake
Black: Zombie (Ghouls...mostly), Horror, Demon
Red: Goblin, Minotaur, Dragon
Green: Elf, Beast, Wurm
Set Breakdown:
306 cards
20 basic lands
110 Commons
88 Uncommons
88 Rares
10 Land - 1 Common - 5 Uncommon - 4 Rare
49 Red - 19 Common - 14 Uncommon - 15 Rare
49 Green - 19 Common - 14 Uncommon - 15 Rare
49 White - 19 Common - 14 Uncommon - 15 Rare
49 Blue - 19 Common - 14 Uncommon - 15 Rare
49 Black - 19 Common - 14 Uncommon - 15 Rare
31 Artifact - 14 Common - 13 Uncommon - 9 Rare
So far I have 130+ cards made, including my 20 basics.
What do I need from the community? Well, I still need a keyword mechanic or two. I'd like suggestions. Also, if you have art (with credit) that would fit an unrendered card, please let me know.
Tidal Measure3UU
Sorcery (R)
Target Player takes another turn after this one. Tides can mark the hour, or the day, or the month...
Look Shimmering Grotto! Only mine's rare, becuase (good) 5-color land typically are. Not at common plus the vividcycle. (I made mine first.)
My Dual Land Cycle:
Submerged Cemetary
Land (U)
~ comes into play tapped. t: Add UB to your mana pool. ~ does not untap during your next untap step.
My Common Fixer Land:
It has been pointed out to me that this could be considered a functional reprint of Terramorphic Expanse.
The rest of the rare lands:
Lost Library
Land (R)
~ comes into play tapped. t: Add 1 to your mana pool.
When ~ comes into play, draw a card at the beginning of the next turn's upkeep.
Impact Crater
Land (R) t: Add 1 to your mana pool. x,t: You may put an artifact with converted mana cost X or less from your hand into play. The pull of Levalon's core is often gentle, but it always pulls.
Primordial Soil
Land (R)
~'s land types are the land types that are tied for the most common among lands in play. (Even if this card isn't in play). Newborn earth, it is as impressionable as all young things.
There is a mini-theme for the non-human tribes in the set. This combined with the youth of the plane led to this cycle:
Firstborn Aven :1mana::symu::symu:
Creature - Bird Wizard Primarch (U)
Flying
When ~ comes into play, if it is the only Bird in play, you may draw a card.
1/3
Firstborn Goblin :1mana::symr::symr:
Creature - Goblin Warrior Primarch (U)
When ~ comes into play, if it is the only Goblin in play, you may put two 1/1 red Goblin creature tokens into play.
2/2
Firstborn Elf :1mana::symg::symg:
Creature - Elf Druid Primarch (U)
When ~ comes into play, if it is the only Elf in play, you may search your library for a basic land card and put it into play tapped. If you do, shuffle your library.
2/3
Wanting to show the magnetism and mana-focusing ability of Lodestone led to this cycle:
Rockwall Lodestone 4
Artifact (U)
White spells you play cost W less to play. Attunded to the fields, it calls to order.
Seabed Lodestone 4
Artifact (U)
Blue spells you play cost U less to play. Attunded to the sea, it calls to thought.
Quagmired Lodestone 4
Artifact (U)
Black spells you play cost B less to play. Attunded to the mire, it calls to ambition.
Bedrock Lodestone 4
Artifact (U)
Red spells you play cost R less to play. Attunded to the stone, it calls to passion.
Rootbound Lodestone 4
Artifact (U)
Green spells you play cost Gless to play. Attunded to the trees, it calls to instinct.
Worldcore Lodestone 4
Artifact (U)
Artifact spells you play cost 1 less to play. Attunded to this world, it calls to others.
The Primeval Elementals mentioned in the description fancy themselves Gods, and everyone else seems to agree. Each god is the incarnation of its color. They tolerate their allies and want to wipe out their enemies. This spawned several cycles:
Arcturian, God of Light 3WWW
Legendary Creature - Elemental Avatar (R)
First Strike, lifelink, protection from black, protection from red, vigilance "Cast out the shadows and the clouds, leaving only the pure light of the sun!"
4/7
Prathas, Goddess of Tides 3UUU
Legendary Creature - Elemental Avatar (R)
When ~ comes into play, put target permanent on the top of it's owner's library.
~ is unblockable. "Soon, my children, the whole world will resonate with the eternal rhythm of the tides!"
5/5
Moresil, God of Darkness 3BBB
Legendary Creature - Elemental Avatar (R)
Fear
At the beginning of each player’s upkeep, that player sacrifices an artifact, creature, or land or discards a card. "All that lives will die and even the brightest star will fail. The future belongs to me."
6/4
Alstras, God of Storms 3RRR
Legendary Creature - Elemental Avatar (R)
Haste, flying, first strike 1R: ~ deals 1 damage to target creature or player. "I will flood the rivers and blot out the sun! All will revel in the Glory of the Storm!"
5/5
Voriel, Goddess of Life 3GGG
Legendary Creature - Elemental Avatar (R)
Trample
~ cannot be the target of spells or abilities your opponents control. "Bring life into the darkest and deepest reaches, until the whole world pulses with growth!"
7/7
Disciple of Light W
Creature - Human Cleric (C) 1W,t: Creatures you control get +1/+1 until end of turn.
1/1
Disciple of Life G
Creature - Elf Druid (C) 1G,t:Target creature gets +2/+2 and gains trample until end of turn.
1/1
Boon of Light 2W
Enchantment (U)
At the beginning of your upkeep, creatures you control gain protection from the colors of target permanent you control until end of turn.
Boon of Tides 3U
Enchantment (U)
At the beginning of your upkeep, you may draw a card, then discard a card. The tides give, and the tides take away.
Boon of Life needs new art. This was an hackjob for the FCC.
Wave of Light 2WW
Instant (R)
Remove all attacking or blocking creatures from the game. The heavens opened, and Grok knew he had made a horrible mistake.
Wave of Tides :2mana::symu::symu:
Instant (R)
Tap all creatures target player controls. Untap all creatures another target player controls. The tide comes in on one shore, while it goes out on another.
Wave of Darkness 2BB
Sorcery (R)
Non-black creatures get -2/-2 until end of turn. "I'm always amazed how many people are still afraid of the dark." -Halrin, Disciple of Darkness
Wave of Storms 2RR
Sorcery (R)
~ deals 3 damage to each creature and each player. Lightning is rarely discriminate.
Wave of Life :2mana::symg::symg:
Instant (R)
Lands become 2/2 creatures until end of turn. They are still lands. "All earth teems with life. It is little matter to make the earth itself alive." - Avol Madeli, Disciple of Life
Arcturian's Champions 3W
Creature - Elemental Spirit (C)
Flying W: ~ gets +0/+1 until end of turn. Arcturian empowered beings of pure light to carry his word.
2/3
Moresil's Servants 3B
Creature - Zombie Cleric (C)
When ~ is put into your graveyard from play, you may return another target creature card from your graveyard to your hand.
2/2
Alstras's Retinue 3R
Creature - Human Berserker (C)
Haste
When ~ becomes blocked, it gets +2/-1 and gains trample until end of turn.
3/3
Voriel's Guardians 3G
Creature - Elf Warrior (C)
~ cannot be the target of spells or abilities your opponents control.
3/3
This cycle started as an attempt and Mirage-style insta-chantments, but ended up being more conventional with Flash.
Cloak of Loyalty 1WW
Enchantment - Aura (C)
Flash
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature gets +2/+1.
Whenever the enchanted creature deals damage, you gain that much life.
Cloak of Dreams 1UU
Enchantment - Aura (C)
Flash
Enchant creature
When ~ comes into play, tap enchanted creature.
Enchanted creature doesn't untap during its controller's untap step.
I started playing in Mirrodin block, so when I was trying to think of rare, extraplanar equipment, I thought of the twoswords. I started with just one, but ended up finishing the cycle.
Sword of Life and Death 3
Artifact - Equipment (R)
Equipped creature gets +2/+2 and has protection from green and from black.
Whenever equipped creature deals combat damage to a player, target player discards a card. Put a +1/+1 counter on target creature.
Equip 2
Sword of Chaos and Order 3
Artifact - Equipment (R)
Equipped creature gets +2/+2 and has protection from red and from white.
Whenever equipped creature deals damage to a player, remove up to one target enchantment from the game. Search your library for a card, put that card into your hand, then discard a card at random. Then shuffle your library.
Equip 2
Sword of Thought and Instinct 3
Artifact - Equipment (R)
Equipped creature gets +2/+2 and has protection from blue and from green.
Whenever equipped creature deals combat damage to a player, you may tap or untap target permanent. Look at the top five cards of your library. You may reveal a creature card from among them and put it into your hand. Put the rest on the bottom of your library in any order.
Equip 2
I've also submitted a number of cards from Lost Relics to the FCC.
Call the Faithful 1W
Instant (C)
Untap all creatures you control. Purity - If only white mana was spent to play ~, creatures you control get +1/+1 until end of turn.
Temporal Banishing 1U
Sorcery (C)
Return target creature to its owner's hand. Purity - If only blue mana was spent to play ~, you may put that creature on top of its owner's library instead.
Disinter 1B
Sorcery (C)
Put any number of target creature cards from your graveyard on top of your library. Purity - If only black mana was spent to play ~, you may draw a card.
Lava Jet 1R
Instant (C)
~ deals 2 damage to target creature or player. Purity - If only red mana was spent to play ~, it deals 3 damage to that creature or player instead and that damage cannot be prevented.
Surge of Vitality 1G
Instanct (C)
Target creature gets +2/+2 until end of turn. Purity - If only green mana was spent to play ~, that creature gets+4/+4 until end of turn instead.
These cards would like better names. I was naming them when the reverse-threshold mechanic was still called 'Innocence'. Then I realized the reason I picked Primal for their names was it was a perfect description of the mechanic.
Primal Pilgrim 2W
Creature - Cat Cleric (C) Primal - ~ has protection from all colors as long as there are six or fewer cards in your graveyard.
2/2
Primal Scholar 2U
Creature - Bird Wizard (C)
Flying Primal - Sacrifice ~: You draw two cards. Play this ability only if there are six or fewer cards in your graveyard and only any time you could play a sorcery.
1/1
Primal Brawler 2R
Creature - Goblin Warrior (C) Primal - ~ has haste as long as there are six or fewer cards in your graveyard.
2/3
Primal Hunter GG
Creature - Elf Warrior (C) Primal - ~ gets +1/+1 as long as there are six or fewer cards in your graveyard.
2/3
Venomous Steelviper 3
Artifact Creature - Snake (C)
First Strike, deathtouch The bite of the steelviper is at once fire and ice: Chilling steel and burning venom.
1/1
As for the double depletion lands: They're not supposed to be the best multi lands. I also think that they're too powerful if they tap without locking down. While they're still pretty bad as fixers, they enable things like having 7 mana on turn 4. And of course, they're fun with untap tricks. I think they're fine Johnny cards as-is.
Themes:
I want to find a way to mechanically show that this is a new plane, in the literal sense. A way to show that things are happening here for the first time.
There is a flavor theme of a war between the five 'Gods', the powerful elemental beings mentioned in the set description. As a result of this, I want to push the set toward mono-color play, and outright discourage enemy-color play. (This is another reason for the double-depletion lands being less than great).
I want a way to show the discovery of knowledge from other planes without doing something silly like counting artifacts in play.
There is a mini-tribal theme for the color-aligned races, but it's back burner, the way the echantment theme was in Ravnica.
Err. The color aligned races are:
White - Leonin (Cats).
Blue - Aven (Birds).
Black - Zombies.
Red - Goblins.
Green - Elves.
That's all I can think of right now, but I'm tired. I'll expand more tomorrow.
Hoofprints is a good mechanic for that, come to think of it. Maybe hybridize it with Arcane Spyglass somehow. Stick it on at least one card in each color. Put extras in the colors that care about history or artifice (Blue, white, red.)
As far as showing that it is a "new" plane, how about this:
Unique:
If this permanent does not share the same name as another permanent in play, this gets [BONUS]. ie:
Brown Bear1G
Creature- Bear
Unique: Brown Bear gets +1/+1.
2/2
Or something less vanilla. Flavorwise, it would kind of push the "new plane/original creatures" thing. Just an idea.
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Thanks to High~Light Studios for the awesome sig. Go check'em out!
the "newness" them makes me think of Imperiosaur from Future Sight, using mana from lands "before" they get built upon or otherwise complicated.
also, "evolving" cards like the flip cards could work. or "eggs" like Rukh Egg, but in a cycle, with various conditions for breaking the egg.
and how about this mechanic...
Innocence (As long as you have no cards in your graveyard,...)
kind of the reverse of Threshold.
and here's a card your theme inspired me to create... Explorer 1G
Creature - Human Scout t: Draw a card. Play this ability only if you played a land this turn.
1/2
The Unique mechanic is what I was going for with the Firstborn cycle.
I like the Egg idea. I'll have to ponder that one. (I don't want to actually do flip cards.)
Innocence needs a better name, but reverse-threshold seems like a good idea, since Threshold represented time passing. But like Threshold, it'd be a pseudo-keyword, and I was already thinking of including Purity (from July's FCC) as one of those. So I still need an actual keyworded mechanic, because two pseudo-keywords is enough for a big set.
Ah, so all of the artifacts in the set aren't from the plane, and are otherplaner?
Nitpict: Aether Vial doesn't really do anything like the card. But non-mana abilities on mana-producing lands shouldn't be cheap anyway if you don't have to do anything to get them to work.
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The guy who found the new art for shock and other 10th edition cards on the wizards site.
Butcher of Words.
What Aether vial told me is that coming in only one turn later than normal, but uncounterable and instant, is still strong.
Not all the artifacts are from another plane. Pretty much all the equipment is native, for instance. The lodestones are native. However, all the artifact creatures are foreign (Although some have been repaired by native artificers). All but one of the 'regular' artifacts are foreign (Though I suppose one more could be argued.) I have 8 more artifact spots to fill (4 common, 4 rare), and I want for all of them to be otherplanar, with at least one rare equipment that's clearly extraplanar.
Update: The War Between the Gods section has been completed.
I was just thinking...when I was a kid and I first started playing Magic, I loved the card Coiled Tinviper. Since your set is using artifact creatures, could you maybe put in a fixed (as in "not crappy") tinviper? Wierd request, I know, but...consider it a compliment on you set that I wish you would put a card in it that I could make myself and put into my own set. I guess. Tinviper rulz!
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Thanks to High~Light Studios for the awesome sig. Go check'em out!
What Aether vial told me is that coming in only one turn later than normal, but uncounterable and instant, is still strong.
Not all the artifacts are from another plane. Pretty much all the equipment is native, for instance. The lodestones are native. However, all the artifact creatures are foreign (Although some have been repaired by native artificers). All but one of the 'regular' artifacts are foreign (Though I suppose one more could be argued.) I have 8 more artifact spots to fill (4 common, 4 rare), and I want for all of them to be otherplanar, with at least one rare equipment that's clearly extraplanar.
Update: The War Between the Gods section has been completed.
True, I just thought of the fact that the fact that Vial doesn't cost you mana to use. But what you said is still true.
Oh, and good thing I made a stupid statement.
Oh and regarding the Gods, I think that the blue one might be too good. It certainly isn't obviously *broken* at 6 mana with no self saving abilities. It has a very relevent CIP ability and can both block the ground and end the game in 4 turn of swinging. Maybe give him lower toughness?
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The guy who found the new art for shock and other 10th edition cards on the wizards site.
Butcher of Words.
I was just thinking...when I was a kid and I first started playing Magic, I loved the card Coiled Tinviper. Since your set is using artifact creatures, could you maybe put in a fixed (as in "not crappy") tinviper? Wierd request, I know, but...consider it a compliment on you set that I wish you would put a card in it that I could make myself and put into my own set. I guess. Tinviper rulz!
I can certainly do that. Which part of the Viper is it that you love, so I can make sure not to make the 'better' version something you wouldn't like? From your sig, I would assume that you just liked the fact it was a metal snake.
How was that a stupid statement? That's how I originally evisioned the set. The lodestones have to be native, though, and it was just easier to make flavorful quipment as stuff the natives used instead of random swords from across the planes.
Oh and regarding the Gods, I think that the blue one might be too good. It certainly isn't obviously *broken* at 6 mana with no self saving abilities. It has a very relevent CIP ability and can both block the ground and end the game in 4 turn of swinging. Maybe give him lower toughness?
Unblockable is good, but compare withTidal Kraken. Though on second look, I think I need to make the card always go to the top: Blue should not get Angel of Despair.
so, i just looked over your cards and my overall impression is: boring.
the theme is too generic and all the cards do things we've already seen. every set needs a backbone but when your "gods" and "waves" and "boons" aren't doing anything special, what is?
you need some razzle-dazzle in this set! something crazy! not broken, just crazy. look at Kaervek the Merciless. he's nuts but managable.
here's my own example. a god card that does something insane, that must be stopped but isn't an instant win...
Phoris, God of the Winds 2UUU
Creature - Incarnation
Flying
You may sacrifice four untapped lands you control rather than pay Phoris, God of the Winds's casting cost.
Your mana pool doesn't empty at the end of phases or turns. (This effect stops mana burn.)
Whenever an opponent taps a land for mana, you may add one mana of that type to your mana pool.
3/5
I don't really like the henchmen cycle, why do they all have the same cmc. Also, the red, green, and blue waves don't really seem interesting, either being a functional reprint of a old card (blue), being basically sufuric blast (red), or being almost exactly like a common (green) or combining one almost always common effect(land search) with a common ability of LD in green. And rares should be exciting or interesting.
The boons seem kinda lopsided in their power level. The red one is pretty good. The green one is okay, but the white one does nothing except if you play against someone who uses the same colors as you.
I do like the blue henchman a lot.
Oh, and needs to have may in its ability.
Edit: The black god, in particular doesn't say play me.
What is the intent of each cycle?
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The guy who found the new art for shock and other 10th edition cards on the wizards site.
Butcher of Words.
so, i just looked over your cards and my overall impression is: boring.
you need some razzle-dazzle in this set! something crazy! not broken, just crazy. look at Kaervek the Merciless. he's nuts but managable.
here's my own example. a god card that does something insane, that must be stopped but isn't an instant win...
Phoris, God of the Winds 2UUU
Creature - Incarnation
Flying
You may sacrifice four untapped lands you control rather than pay Phoris, God of the Winds's casting cost.
Your mana pool doesn't empty at the end of phases or turns. (This effect stops mana burn.)
Whenever an opponent taps a land for mana, you may add one mana of that type to your mana pool.
3/5
That card isn't blue. It's green (besides the flying.) And not every card in a 306 card expansion can be Kaervek.
I don't really like the henchmen cycle, why do they all have the same cmc. Also, the red, green, and blue waves don't really seem interesting, either being a functional reprint of a old card (blue), being basically sufuric blast (red), or being almost exactly like a common (green) or combining one almost always common effect(land search) with a common ability of LD in green. And rares should be exciting or interesting.
I agree the waves could use some work. The only ones I really like are the white and black ones. The red one is ok(Lightning Bolt at everything), but doesn't need to be rare. I like the green effect, but if I can find another Wave effect, I'd gladly move it to a Common.
The boons seem kinda lopsided in their power level. The red one is pretty good. The green one is okay, but the white one does nothing except if you play against someone who uses the same colors as you.
The white one is the worst boon. I can't think of a better way to grant a choice of protection without essentially making your army unblockable.
Edit: The black god, in particular doesn't say play me.
What is the intent of each cycle?
For black, I wanted a bigger power than toughness, fear, and an ability to reflect the inevitability of entropy. Better ideas for the ability?
The Gods themselves are supposed to be timmy-friendly rares. I'm considering cutting them all to 3ccc instead of 4ccc to make them more constructed-worthy.
The disciples are supposed to be decent to good in limited, with iconic color effects. The red one also gets the Tim slot for the set. They are the priests of their gods.
The boons were inspired by the Honden. As their flavor suggests, they are supposed to be gifts from the gods. Once blessed, you get renewing magical effect.
The waves are supposed to be the focused wrath of their respective god. I imagine a battlefield being covered by a vast wave of colored mana, driven by the will of a god. I do wish I had a better green effect, and possibly a better blue one, as it doesn't have the same 'affecting the board' impact the others do.
The henchmen are not priests or followers. They are more like bodygaurds. They are the gods' entourage. The fact they are all 3C is a coincidence. They vary from great (red, blue), to filler (green, black), to janky (white).
That card isn't blue. It's green (besides the flying.)
actually, it's blue. yes, the upwelling ability has been on a green card, but combined with the reverse-heartbeat, it's blue because it's not "growing" mana, it's "stealing" it through trickery.
And not every card in a 306 card expansion can be Kaervek.
no, of course not, but a couple should be and i don't see your "wow" cards yet. plus, even if they're not Kaervek, your other cards (even your commons, like Aven Riftwatcher) should at least be interesting in context. i'm seriously just trying to give you some constructive criticism here: you need to inject some excitement into this set.
It still seems very green to me. But I don't feel like getting into a color-pie debate.
Anywho, there's still almost 2/3 of the set to make. I didn't want to use up all my 'power' early. I think that Wave of Light and Boon of Storms, and Alstras's Retinue looked exciting anyway.
Ezra: What do you think of this -
Venomous Steelviper 3
Artifact Creature - Snake (C)
First Strike, deathtouch
1/1
It pushes the curve of what artifact creatures are capable of at 3, since FS and deathtouch are a deadly, deadly combo, so I lowered the power and left the toughness at 1 so it can be removed. What do you think?
The snake looks ok powerwise.
As for the waves: the blue one could be some form of Evacuation and the green one could be Hurricane style. Those are good mass removal effects in those colors.
Those are all good mass-removal effects in line with their colors, but they don't fit 'tides' or 'life'. Tides could be a global tapping effect. Green could be beacon of creation style.
The set info:
The young plane of Levalon may be unique in the multiverse. Levalon's core is a single piece of Lodestone, and as a result the world is a collection point for lost items from across the planes. Thran machines lost during Yawgmoth's first rebellion, artifacts of the Brother's War cast between universes by the Sylex Blast, even minor relics discarded by innumerable planeswalkers are all drawn slowly by the gentle pull of Levalon's core.
Young as Levalon is, its short history is already marked with conflict. Fueled by mana concentrated by the Lodestone, primeval elemental beings wage war, seeking to dominate the land. In their struggles, they and their followers have begun to discover the wealth of knowledge and power secreted across Levalon's surface.
Expanison Symbol: A shattered Anvil, with hammer.
Mechanics:
'Primal' - Reverse threshold. Formerly known as 'Innocence'.
'Purity' - if only one color of mana was spent, do extra
Mini-tribal for colored humanoid races
Major creature types:
All colors: Human
White: Cat (Leonin), Elemental, Angel?
Blue: Bird (Aven), Elemental, Sphinx, Drake
Black: Zombie (Ghouls...mostly), Horror, Demon
Red: Goblin, Minotaur, Dragon
Green: Elf, Beast, Wurm
Set Breakdown:
306 cards
20 basic lands
110 Commons
88 Uncommons
88 Rares
10 Land - 1 Common - 5 Uncommon - 4 Rare
49 Red - 19 Common - 14 Uncommon - 15 Rare
49 Green - 19 Common - 14 Uncommon - 15 Rare
49 White - 19 Common - 14 Uncommon - 15 Rare
49 Blue - 19 Common - 14 Uncommon - 15 Rare
49 Black - 19 Common - 14 Uncommon - 15 Rare
31 Artifact - 14 Common - 13 Uncommon - 9 Rare
So far I have 130+ cards made, including my 20 basics.
What do I need from the community? Well, I still need a keyword mechanic or two. I'd like suggestions. Also, if you have art (with credit) that would fit an unrendered card, please let me know.
In the meantime, I will be releasing cards.
---__----Previews----__---
Reprints/Functional Reprints:
Leonin Skyhunter
Spitting Earth
Drove of Elves
Reconstruction
Creature - Cat Warrior (R)
They follow the path of their savage cousins through the grass.
2/1
Bloated Ghouls 1BB
Creature - Zombie (C)
Fear
2/2
Tidal Measure 3UU
Sorcery (R)
Target Player takes another turn after this one.
Tides can mark the hour, or the day, or the month...
Look Shimmering Grotto! Only mine's rare, becuase (good) 5-color land typically are. Not at common plus the vividcycle. (I made mine first.)
My Dual Land Cycle:
Submerged Cemetary
Land (U)
~ comes into play tapped.
t: Add UB to your mana pool. ~ does not untap during your next untap step.
It has been pointed out to me that this could be considered a functional reprint of Terramorphic Expanse.
The rest of the rare lands:
Lost Library
Land (R)
~ comes into play tapped.
t: Add 1 to your mana pool.
When ~ comes into play, draw a card at the beginning of the next turn's upkeep.
Impact Crater
Land (R)
t: Add 1 to your mana pool.
x,t: You may put an artifact with converted mana cost X or less from your hand into play.
The pull of Levalon's core is often gentle, but it always pulls.
Primordial Soil
Land (R)
~'s land types are the land types that are tied for the most common among lands in play. (Even if this card isn't in play).
Newborn earth, it is as impressionable as all young things.
There is a mini-theme for the non-human tribes in the set. This combined with the youth of the plane led to this cycle:
Firstborn Aven :1mana::symu::symu:
Creature - Bird Wizard Primarch (U)
Flying
When ~ comes into play, if it is the only Bird in play, you may draw a card.
1/3
Firstborn Goblin :1mana::symr::symr:
Creature - Goblin Warrior Primarch (U)
When ~ comes into play, if it is the only Goblin in play, you may put two 1/1 red Goblin creature tokens into play.
2/2
Firstborn Elf :1mana::symg::symg:
Creature - Elf Druid Primarch (U)
When ~ comes into play, if it is the only Elf in play, you may search your library for a basic land card and put it into play tapped. If you do, shuffle your library.
2/3
Wanting to show the magnetism and mana-focusing ability of Lodestone led to this cycle:
Rockwall Lodestone 4
Artifact (U)
White spells you play cost W less to play.
Attunded to the fields, it calls to order.
Seabed Lodestone 4
Artifact (U)
Blue spells you play cost U less to play.
Attunded to the sea, it calls to thought.
Quagmired Lodestone 4
Artifact (U)
Black spells you play cost B less to play.
Attunded to the mire, it calls to ambition.
Bedrock Lodestone 4
Artifact (U)
Red spells you play cost R less to play.
Attunded to the stone, it calls to passion.
Rootbound Lodestone 4
Artifact (U)
Green spells you play cost Gless to play.
Attunded to the trees, it calls to instinct.
Worldcore Lodestone 4
Artifact (U)
Artifact spells you play cost 1 less to play.
Attunded to this world, it calls to others.
The Primeval Elementals mentioned in the description fancy themselves Gods, and everyone else seems to agree. Each god is the incarnation of its color. They tolerate their allies and want to wipe out their enemies. This spawned several cycles:
Legendary Creature - Elemental Avatar (R)
First Strike, lifelink, protection from black, protection from red, vigilance
"Cast out the shadows and the clouds, leaving only the pure light of the sun!"
4/7
Prathas, Goddess of Tides 3UUU
Legendary Creature - Elemental Avatar (R)
When ~ comes into play, put target permanent on the top of it's owner's library.
~ is unblockable.
"Soon, my children, the whole world will resonate with the eternal rhythm of the tides!"
5/5
Moresil, God of Darkness 3BBB
Legendary Creature - Elemental Avatar (R)
Fear
At the beginning of each player’s upkeep, that player sacrifices an artifact, creature, or land or discards a card.
"All that lives will die and even the brightest star will fail. The future belongs to me."
6/4
Alstras, God of Storms 3RRR
Legendary Creature - Elemental Avatar (R)
Haste, flying, first strike
1R: ~ deals 1 damage to target creature or player.
"I will flood the rivers and blot out the sun! All will revel in the Glory of the Storm!"
5/5
Voriel, Goddess of Life 3GGG
Legendary Creature - Elemental Avatar (R)
Trample
~ cannot be the target of spells or abilities your opponents control.
"Bring life into the darkest and deepest reaches, until the whole world pulses with growth!"
7/7
Creature - Human Cleric (C)
1W,t: Creatures you control get +1/+1 until end of turn.
1/1
Disciple of Life G
Creature - Elf Druid (C)
1G,t:Target creature gets +2/+2 and gains trample until end of turn.
1/1
Enchantment (U)
At the beginning of your upkeep, creatures you control gain protection from the colors of target permanent you control until end of turn.
Boon of Tides 3U
Enchantment (U)
At the beginning of your upkeep, you may draw a card, then discard a card.
The tides give, and the tides take away.
Boon of Life needs new art. This was an hackjob for the FCC.
Instant (R)
Remove all attacking or blocking creatures from the game.
The heavens opened, and Grok knew he had made a horrible mistake.
Wave of Tides :2mana::symu::symu:
Instant (R)
Tap all creatures target player controls. Untap all creatures another target player controls.
The tide comes in on one shore, while it goes out on another.
Wave of Darkness 2BB
Sorcery (R)
Non-black creatures get -2/-2 until end of turn.
"I'm always amazed how many people are still afraid of the dark."
-Halrin, Disciple of Darkness
Wave of Storms 2RR
Sorcery (R)
~ deals 3 damage to each creature and each player.
Lightning is rarely discriminate.
Wave of Life :2mana::symg::symg:
Instant (R)
Lands become 2/2 creatures until end of turn. They are still lands.
"All earth teems with life. It is little matter to make the earth itself alive."
- Avol Madeli, Disciple of Life
Creature - Elemental Spirit (C)
Flying
W: ~ gets +0/+1 until end of turn.
Arcturian empowered beings of pure light to carry his word.
2/3
Prathas's Heralds 3U
Creature - Bird Soldier (C)
Flying, vigilance
2/3
Moresil's Servants 3B
Creature - Zombie Cleric (C)
When ~ is put into your graveyard from play, you may return another target creature card from your graveyard to your hand.
2/2
Alstras's Retinue 3R
Creature - Human Berserker (C)
Haste
When ~ becomes blocked, it gets +2/-1 and gains trample until end of turn.
3/3
Voriel's Guardians 3G
Creature - Elf Warrior (C)
~ cannot be the target of spells or abilities your opponents control.
3/3
This cycle started as an attempt and Mirage-style insta-chantments, but ended up being more conventional with Flash.
Enchantment - Aura (C)
Flash
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature gets +2/+1.
Whenever the enchanted creature deals damage, you gain that much life.
Cloak of Dreams 1UU
Enchantment - Aura (C)
Flash
Enchant creature
When ~ comes into play, tap enchanted creature.
Enchanted creature doesn't untap during its controller's untap step.
Cloak of Weakness 1BB
Enchantment - Aura (C)
Flash
Enchant creature
Enchanted creatures gets -2/-2.
Cloak of Flames 1RR
Enchantment - Aura (C)
Flash
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature gets +2/+0 and has first strike.
Cloak of Strength 1GG
Enchantment - Aura (C)
Flash
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature gets +3/+3.
I started playing in Mirrodin block, so when I was trying to think of rare, extraplanar equipment, I thought of the two swords. I started with just one, but ended up finishing the cycle.
Artifact - Equipment (R)
Equipped creature gets +2/+2 and has protection from green and from black.
Whenever equipped creature deals combat damage to a player, target player discards a card. Put a +1/+1 counter on target creature.
Equip 2
Sword of Chaos and Order 3
Artifact - Equipment (R)
Equipped creature gets +2/+2 and has protection from red and from white.
Whenever equipped creature deals damage to a player, remove up to one target enchantment from the game. Search your library for a card, put that card into your hand, then discard a card at random. Then shuffle your library.
Equip 2
Sword of Thought and Instinct 3
Artifact - Equipment (R)
Equipped creature gets +2/+2 and has protection from blue and from green.
Whenever equipped creature deals combat damage to a player, you may tap or untap target permanent. Look at the top five cards of your library. You may reveal a creature card from among them and put it into your hand. Put the rest on the bottom of your library in any order.
Equip 2
Instant (C)
Untap all creatures you control.
Purity - If only white mana was spent to play ~, creatures you control get +1/+1 until end of turn.
Temporal Banishing 1U
Sorcery (C)
Return target creature to its owner's hand.
Purity - If only blue mana was spent to play ~, you may put that creature on top of its owner's library instead.
Disinter 1B
Sorcery (C)
Put any number of target creature cards from your graveyard on top of your library.
Purity - If only black mana was spent to play ~, you may draw a card.
Lava Jet 1R
Instant (C)
~ deals 2 damage to target creature or player.
Purity - If only red mana was spent to play ~, it deals 3 damage to that creature or player instead and that damage cannot be prevented.
Surge of Vitality 1G
Instanct (C)
Target creature gets +2/+2 until end of turn.
Purity - If only green mana was spent to play ~, that creature gets+4/+4 until end of turn instead.
These cards would like better names. I was naming them when the reverse-threshold mechanic was still called 'Innocence'. Then I realized the reason I picked Primal for their names was it was a perfect description of the mechanic.
Primal Pilgrim 2W
Creature - Cat Cleric (C)
Primal - ~ has protection from all colors as long as there are six or fewer cards in your graveyard.
2/2
Primal Scholar 2U
Creature - Bird Wizard (C)
Flying
Primal - Sacrifice ~: You draw two cards. Play this ability only if there are six or fewer cards in your graveyard and only any time you could play a sorcery.
1/1
Primal Brawler 2R
Creature - Goblin Warrior (C)
Primal - ~ has haste as long as there are six or fewer cards in your graveyard.
2/3
Primal Hunter GG
Creature - Elf Warrior (C)
Primal - ~ gets +1/+1 as long as there are six or fewer cards in your graveyard.
2/3
Artifact Creature - Snake (C)
First Strike, deathtouch
The bite of the steelviper is at once fire and ice: Chilling steel and burning venom.
1/1
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Butcher of Words.
Made by Spiderboy4
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I might if you could show some other cards.
Also, the double delpletion lands don't look very fun to play with. Would it be okay to give them a T, Add 1 to your mana pool?
Also, if you want some new mechinecs, what is the theme of the set? As it is, it just looks like Antiquities 2.0.
Butcher of Words.
Made by Spiderboy4
As for the double depletion lands: They're not supposed to be the best multi lands. I also think that they're too powerful if they tap without locking down. While they're still pretty bad as fixers, they enable things like having 7 mana on turn 4. And of course, they're fun with untap tricks. I think they're fine Johnny cards as-is.
Themes:
I want to find a way to mechanically show that this is a new plane, in the literal sense. A way to show that things are happening here for the first time.
There is a flavor theme of a war between the five 'Gods', the powerful elemental beings mentioned in the set description. As a result of this, I want to push the set toward mono-color play, and outright discourage enemy-color play. (This is another reason for the double-depletion lands being less than great).
I want a way to show the discovery of knowledge from other planes without doing something silly like counting artifacts in play.
There is a mini-tribal theme for the color-aligned races, but it's back burner, the way the echantment theme was in Ravnica.
Err. The color aligned races are:
White - Leonin (Cats).
Blue - Aven (Birds).
Black - Zombies.
Red - Goblins.
Green - Elves.
That's all I can think of right now, but I'm tired. I'll expand more tomorrow.
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Made by Spiderboy4
More previews have been added.
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Unique:
If this permanent does not share the same name as another permanent in play, this gets [BONUS]. ie:
Brown Bear 1G
Creature- Bear
Unique: Brown Bear gets +1/+1.
2/2
Or something less vanilla. Flavorwise, it would kind of push the "new plane/original creatures" thing. Just an idea.
Thanks to High~Light Studios for the awesome sig. Go check'em out!
also, "evolving" cards like the flip cards could work. or "eggs" like Rukh Egg, but in a cycle, with various conditions for breaking the egg.
and how about this mechanic...
Innocence (As long as you have no cards in your graveyard,...)
kind of the reverse of Threshold.
and here's a card your theme inspired me to create...
Explorer
1G
Creature - Human Scout
t: Draw a card. Play this ability only if you played a land this turn.
1/2
I like the Egg idea. I'll have to ponder that one. (I don't want to actually do flip cards.)
Innocence needs a better name, but reverse-threshold seems like a good idea, since Threshold represented time passing. But like Threshold, it'd be a pseudo-keyword, and I was already thinking of including Purity (from July's FCC) as one of those. So I still need an actual keyworded mechanic, because two pseudo-keywords is enough for a big set.
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Also, first post updated. You now know all Lost Relic's lands.
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Also, very flavorful.
Butcher of Words.
Made by Spiderboy4
And I'm glad you liked the flavor on it. I was worried it wasn't clear.
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Nitpict: Aether Vial doesn't really do anything like the card. But non-mana abilities on mana-producing lands shouldn't be cheap anyway if you don't have to do anything to get them to work.
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Made by Spiderboy4
Not all the artifacts are from another plane. Pretty much all the equipment is native, for instance. The lodestones are native. However, all the artifact creatures are foreign (Although some have been repaired by native artificers). All but one of the 'regular' artifacts are foreign (Though I suppose one more could be argued.) I have 8 more artifact spots to fill (4 common, 4 rare), and I want for all of them to be otherplanar, with at least one rare equipment that's clearly extraplanar.
Update: The War Between the Gods section has been completed.
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Thanks to High~Light Studios for the awesome sig. Go check'em out!
True, I just thought of the fact that the fact that Vial doesn't cost you mana to use. But what you said is still true.
Oh, and good thing I made a stupid statement.
Oh and regarding the Gods, I think that the blue one might be too good. It certainly isn't obviously *broken* at 6 mana with no self saving abilities. It has a very relevent CIP ability and can both block the ground and end the game in 4 turn of swinging. Maybe give him lower toughness?
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I can certainly do that. Which part of the Viper is it that you love, so I can make sure not to make the 'better' version something you wouldn't like? From your sig, I would assume that you just liked the fact it was a metal snake.
How was that a stupid statement? That's how I originally evisioned the set. The lodestones have to be native, though, and it was just easier to make flavorful quipment as stuff the natives used instead of random swords from across the planes.
Unblockable is good, but compare withTidal Kraken. Though on second look, I think I need to make the card always go to the top: Blue should not get Angel of Despair.
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the theme is too generic and all the cards do things we've already seen. every set needs a backbone but when your "gods" and "waves" and "boons" aren't doing anything special, what is?
you need some razzle-dazzle in this set! something crazy! not broken, just crazy. look at Kaervek the Merciless. he's nuts but managable.
here's my own example. a god card that does something insane, that must be stopped but isn't an instant win...
Phoris, God of the Winds
2UUU
Creature - Incarnation
Flying
You may sacrifice four untapped lands you control rather than pay Phoris, God of the Winds's casting cost.
Your mana pool doesn't empty at the end of phases or turns. (This effect stops mana burn.)
Whenever an opponent taps a land for mana, you may add one mana of that type to your mana pool.
3/5
The boons seem kinda lopsided in their power level. The red one is pretty good. The green one is okay, but the white one does nothing except if you play against someone who uses the same colors as you.
I do like the blue henchman a lot.
Oh, and needs to have may in its ability.
Edit: The black god, in particular doesn't say play me.
What is the intent of each cycle?
Butcher of Words.
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That card isn't blue. It's green (besides the flying.) And not every card in a 306 card expansion can be Kaervek.
I agree the waves could use some work. The only ones I really like are the white and black ones. The red one is ok(Lightning Bolt at everything), but doesn't need to be rare. I like the green effect, but if I can find another Wave effect, I'd gladly move it to a Common.
The white one is the worst boon. I can't think of a better way to grant a choice of protection without essentially making your army unblockable.
Thank you.
It's been fixed in my card file for awhile. It's just an old render.
For black, I wanted a bigger power than toughness, fear, and an ability to reflect the inevitability of entropy. Better ideas for the ability?
The Gods themselves are supposed to be timmy-friendly rares. I'm considering cutting them all to 3ccc instead of 4ccc to make them more constructed-worthy.
The disciples are supposed to be decent to good in limited, with iconic color effects. The red one also gets the Tim slot for the set. They are the priests of their gods.
The boons were inspired by the Honden. As their flavor suggests, they are supposed to be gifts from the gods. Once blessed, you get renewing magical effect.
The waves are supposed to be the focused wrath of their respective god. I imagine a battlefield being covered by a vast wave of colored mana, driven by the will of a god. I do wish I had a better green effect, and possibly a better blue one, as it doesn't have the same 'affecting the board' impact the others do.
The henchmen are not priests or followers. They are more like bodygaurds. They are the gods' entourage. The fact they are all 3C is a coincidence. They vary from great (red, blue), to filler (green, black), to janky (white).
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actually, it's blue. yes, the upwelling ability has been on a green card, but combined with the reverse-heartbeat, it's blue because it's not "growing" mana, it's "stealing" it through trickery.
no, of course not, but a couple should be and i don't see your "wow" cards yet. plus, even if they're not Kaervek, your other cards (even your commons, like Aven Riftwatcher) should at least be interesting in context. i'm seriously just trying to give you some constructive criticism here: you need to inject some excitement into this set.
Anywho, there's still almost 2/3 of the set to make. I didn't want to use up all my 'power' early. I think that Wave of Light and Boon of Storms, and Alstras's Retinue looked exciting anyway.
Ezra: What do you think of this -
Venomous Steelviper 3
Artifact Creature - Snake (C)
First Strike, deathtouch
1/1
It pushes the curve of what artifact creatures are capable of at 3, since FS and deathtouch are a deadly, deadly combo, so I lowered the power and left the toughness at 1 so it can be removed. What do you think?
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As for the waves: the blue one could be some form of Evacuation and the green one could be Hurricane style. Those are good mass removal effects in those colors.
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