Solescurio is a plane where a beautiful cityscape dotted with ancient towers meshes fluidly with the twisting canals. Outside of the city proper lays wilderness pristine and undisturbed by the sprawl of civilization. On this idylllic plane, the source of all magic is music, a natural fact exalted by the residents who masterfully play all manner of instruments. This peace is due to be shattered, however, as outside planeswalkerrs intrude upon the plane to find the elusive Eversong, one melody rumoured to be powerful enough to generate enough mana to sustain an entire plane.These outsiders quickly discover that they are not the first to seek this power — dark horrors from the outside planes arrived thousands of years prior and don't take kindly to competition.
For an idea of the world itself, Solescurio is both the name of the plane and the massive country-sized city that sits on the bottom pole of the globe. The city is ringed by five gatehouses that lead into the lower Selvaggia, the forest wilderness that encompasses the rest of the southern hemisphere. Past the equator, outsider magic (such as those of planeswalkers and the elder) are nullified, creating the border for the upper Selvaggia. In the center of the upper Selvaggia, on the northern pole of the world, lies the sacred World Tree, where the Eversong is rumored to be hidden.
Indigenous magic in this world is powered exclusively by music, a sacred connection that is taken for granted by its inhabitants. While traditional fantasy weapons are still used in combat, wizards and other magic casters use all manner of musical instruments to channel their energy. Even melee combat has been altered by the setting, with enchanted flutes and cymbalscale armor proving to be the equivalent of typical enchanted weapons. Civilian life is affected as well by the musical nature of magic. Gondoliers strum beautifully on lutes to steer passengers through the canals, and boisterous pipers craft dough into intricate pastries. A stroll through Solescurio would truly be breathtaking, with its traditional Venetian beauty complemented by the perpetual musical harmony in the air.
The gentler areas of the lower Selvaggia exists in the same musical vein. Sacred magical locales continuously resonate dulcet tones, like a waterfall falling to the tune of a thousand chimes in the wind, or a mountain pulsing with urging beat of a massive drum. This natural magic inspires intrepid explorers to write their own impassioned ballads that themselves will grow to carry their own melodious energy.
In the upper Selvaggia, the Pelocanto too have become excellent musicians to survive in the unforgiving forest. The music here is not as melodious, but more noble and powerful. Bolstered by this magic, the Pelocanto have established a stable, if not peaceful, existence centered upon the protection of the forest. Separated by the lower Selvaggia, the Pelocanto are only loosely aware of the existence of Solescurio, and the existence of savage beast-people in the forest is merely a spurious rumor among the explorers.
Discordant music exists, and its use is as vile and forbidden as necromancy in more traditional settings. Only the most depraved of souls seek to harness this wild energy, and more are consumed by the unnatural effort than successful in controlling the massive energy generated. These medleys of misshapen chords and sour scales brings about aberrant results and are responsible for most of the forsaken abominations in the wilderness and city sewers.
Two primary groups of exceptions exist - the twisted magic of the Elder and the outworld strength of the planeswalkers. The elder represent the very opposite of the Solescurio natives - their very aura silences the air and their touch is sufficient to eliminate any hint of rhythm. The planeswalkers have their own unique power sources, and their ability to use magic without making a sound never fails to marvel the denizens of Solescurio.
Manatune(Each permanent without manatune you return to your hand while casting this spell reduces its cost by 1 or by one mana of that permanent's color.)
Volume X(This creature/permanent enters the battlefield with X volume counters on it.)
Manatune is used to supplement the "wisdom" mechanic present in all colors. Flavorfully, it represents creatures and spells that have a natural affinity with music. It exists in commons and uncommons as easy ways to fill your hand, large creatures that can be snuck in early at a serious cost, and combat tricks that mess with both the board and the size of each player's hand.
Volume is primarily used on creatures, with the values varying based on the strength of the bonus that is given when that creature has the highest Volume on the board. Flavorfully, it represents the musical "volume" of a certain creature, and that only the loudest would be active because it "drowns" out all other musical competitors. My goal for limited play would be to make Volume 1 rarely active and Volume 5 almost always active, with creatures with Volume used both because of their effectiveness and for their ability to disrupt your opponent's Volume creatures.
Epic is used in a manner similar to its use in Saviors of Kamigawa. It's only used in a cycle of mythics, each of which representing a legendary epic ballad centered upon a mythical instrument in the same style as more traditional setting would revere legendary weapons.
The Guard: The Tutela guard is primarily responsible for the safety of the citizens within the city proper. Having not faced any true adversary for the better part of thirty years, most of the soldiers have not experienced actual combat - their daily vigil is defined by a constant struggle against the rogues of the city streets. They are stationed in squads throughout the massive city, but their headquarters is the massive Cittadella Avorio in the center of Solescurio. They are funded primary by the more conscientious members of the aristocracy, the most notable of which is Saviero Addobati, a planeswalker who has recently ignited his spark.
The Guard are primarily white, with red being a secondary color. Mechanically, they favor aggressive assaults, as well as calculated ambushes, represented by the prevalence of flash.
The Explorers: The cartographers and explorers are drawn to the mysteries and challenges of the Selvaggia. They are typically organized in companies, the largest of which have several thousands members and multiple concurrent excursions. Their aims are as varied as their personalities - some seek to get wealthy of off the forest's rich spoils, others seek fame for walking where none other had done for, but many explore simply for the thrill of discovery. The company bases are typically stationed and affiliated with one of the five gatehouses, and many have camps set up at varying depths into the Selvaggia. One conspicuous explorer is Sevon Gandalar, a gifted extraplanar explorer who views the Selvaggia as an ultimate challenge.
The Explorers are primarily blue, with green being a secondary color. Mechanically, focus most heavily out of all the colors on card-drawing and bounce, giving it a greater number of manatune cards than any other color.
The Church: The Strada Grigio is the dominant church in Solescurio. Its basilicas are spread through each of the city's dioceses and presided over by a bishop. On the lower echelons, they are a genuinely benevolent organization, but the higher branches are dominated exclusively by the Elder, a race of twisted Lovecraftian humanoid horrors that arrived on the plane thousands of years ago. The ultimate goal of the Chruch parallels the objective of the Elder - to locate and harness the energy of the Eversong for their own designs. The Catterdrale Grigio is the largest cathedral of the Chruch, positioned directly across the Cittadella Avorio, an ironic statement considering that the wealthy aristocrat-backed Church is frequently beyond the authority of the law. Orith Mundur is a planeswalker who has infiltrated the Strada Grigio in the same manner as the Elder. After discovering the existence of the Elder, he has made it his objective to purge the Chruch of this evil.
The Church is primarily black, with white being a secondary color. Mechanically, they are shaping out to be focused on reducing your opponent's hands size, through discard or other abilities.
The Ruffians: The rogues and strongmen of the streets lead a dangerous life, skittering constantly just out of reach of the Tutela Guard. Ranging from illicit merchants providing the nobles of the city with saurian eggs from the forest to desperate highway man accosting hapless travelers in dark alleys, the ruffians are united only by the constant risk of their daily lives. They flourish in the underworld of even the most stringently guarded regions, and in areas where the Tutela is weak, they rage almost outright war. Maya Mitsumi, known on the streets as the Queen of Tricks, has seized control of the underworld. Under her guidance, she has crafted an extensive intelligence network that exposes all but the most protected secrets of Solescurio.
The Ruffians are primarily red, with blue being a secondary color. Mechanically, they are risk-taking barbarians and reckless vagabonds, represented by the random discard mechanic.
The Beasts: The Pelocanto of the upper Selvaggia are a warlike nation of beast-humanoids. Though there exists some intertribe conflict, the groups of Pelocanto are largely united in their reverence for nature. They are ruthless in their persecution of trespassers, though, and several patrols exist along the equator and border between upper and lower Selvaggia for this very purpose. Prior experience has taught them not to stray too far from the haven of the upper forest, where menacing outsider powers are nullified. The center of their worship is the World Tree at the northernmost center of the forest. A group of exiles from Solescurio exists also in the upper Selvaggia in an uneasy coexistence with the Pelocanto. Led by Dharag Venthos, these exiles plot to redress the grievous wrong inflicted upon them by the Solescurio nobles thirty years ago.
The Beasts are primarily green, with black being a secondary color. Mechanically, they rely on the strength of the group and the force of nature, represented by a Beast-tribal theme.
Goals: My objective here is to make each faction and enemy color combination feasible in limited, but to not make it linear enough so that they are the only possible combinations. To this end, enemy colors tend to work well together, but the definitive mechanics are either lacking or modular enough that they don't pose a significant restriction to allied color decks if the opportunity arises.
Booming Squadron1W
Creature - Human Soldier (c)
First Strike
When Booming Squadron enters the battlefield, you may search your library for up to three cards named Booming Squadron, reveal them, put them into your hand, then shuffle your library.
1/1
Trillhawk1W
Creature — Bird (c)
Flash
Flying
Trillhawk gets +1/+1 if you have more cards in hand than each opponent. Although their cries more melodic, Solescurio hawks are no less fierce than those found elsewhere.
1/1
Tutela Scout1W
Creature — Human Scout (c)
Plainswalk 4R: Target creature gains mountainwalk until end of turn. In the name of the law, there’s no road they have not patrolled, no building they have not mapped.
2/1
Charming Concertinist2W
Creature — Human Wizard (c)
Volume 3 (This permanent enters the battlefield with three volume counters on it.) T: Tap target creature. Activate this ability only if Charming Concertinist has more volume counters than each permanent you don’t control. When he plays, everyone listens.
2/2
Intervention Warpriest2W
Creature — Human Cleric (c)
Flash
When Intervention Warpriest enters the battlefield, prevent the next 2 damage that would be dealt to target creature or player. Not content to wait for the gods, Tutela warpriests take divine intervention into their own hands.
2/2
Zithershield Vanguard2W
Creature — Human Soldier (c)
Volume 2 (This permanent enters the battlefield with five volume counters on it.)
Vigilance
As long as Zithershield Vanguard has more volume counters than each permanent you don't control, Zithershield Vanguard gets +1/+2.
2/2
Clamorclear Commander3WW
Creature - Human Soldier (C)
Flash
Whenever a creature enters the battlefield under your control, it gets +2/+2 until end of turn.
2/3
Skyhymn Griffin4WW
Creature — Griffin (c)
Manatune (Each permanent without manatune you return to your hand while casting this spell reduces its cost by 1 or by one mana of that permanent’s color.)
Flying The street miscreant dreads nothing more than the dulcet tones of its calling song.
3/3
UnveilW
Sorcery (c)
Exile target enchantment. “Neither petty pretenses nor childish charms will be tolerated here. Our magic will strip you bare and show you for what you truly are.”
Versebound ShacklesW
Enchantment — Aura (c)
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature can’t attack or block unless its controller has more cards in hand than you. The shackles can only be opened with a melody more beautiful than the one with which they were locked.
Tactical Prelude1W
Instant (C)
Creatures you control gain your choice of first strike, vigilance, or lifelink until end of turn.
Raise the Alarm1W
Instant (C)
Put two 1/1 white Soldier creature tokens onto the battlefield.
Shielding Paean2W
Instant (c)
Manatune (Each permanent without manatune you return to your hand while casting this spell reduces its cost by 1 or by one mana of that permanent’s color.)
Target creature gets +2/+2 and can block any number of creatures until end of turn.
Blinding Accent4W
Instant (C)
Prevent all combat damage that would be dealt this turn.
Draw two cards.
Brightlyre AscendantW
Creature — Human Shaman (u)
At the beginning of your upkeep, you may put a volume counter on Brightlyre Ascendant.
As long as Brightlyre Ascendant has four or more volume counters on it, it is a Spirit, gets +3/+3, and has lifelink.
1/1
Old-Verse Veteran1WW
Creature - Human Soldier (U)
At the beginning of your upkeep, if ~ is in your graveyard, you may gain 1 life.
2/3
Fettlesinger3W
Creature — Human Cleric (u) T: Prevent the next 2 damage that would be dealt to target creature this turn. Put a volume counter on Fettlesinger for each 1 damage prevented this way. 1, Remove a volume counter from Fettlesinger: Target player gains 1 life.
2/2
Streetguard Silencer2WW
Creature — Human Wizard (u)
When Streetguard Silencer enters the battlefield, exile target permanent with a volume counter on it. “On this plane, silence is far stronger a tool than brittle swords or decrepit effigies.”
—Saviero Addobati
2/2
Ghosts of the Chorus3WW
Creature — Spirit (u)
Manatune (Each permanent without manatune you return to your hand while casting this spell reduces its cost by 1 or by one mana of that permanent’s color.)
When Ghosts of the Chorus enters the battlefield, tap X target creatures, where X is the number of cards in your hand.
3/3
Cathedral Gargyole5W
Creature — Gargoyle (u)
Flash
Defender, flying 4: Cathedral Gargyole loses defender until end of turn. The persisting secrecy over the inner workings of the Strada Grigio is a testament to the effectiveness of its cathedrals’ stone guardians.
4/5
Exonerate1W
Instant (U)
Exile target creature. Its controller may draw a card. Finally, you are pure.
Bolstering ChoraleWW
Instant (U)
Creatures you control get +1/+1 until end of turn.
Whenever a creature enters the battlefield under your control, you may return ~ to your hand from the graveyard.
Indoctrinate2WW
Enchantment - Aura (U) - Fumar
Enchant creature
You control enchanted creature.
Enchanted creature can't attack or block.
Guardian's Theme3WW
Enchantment (r)
Volume 5
As long as Guardian’s Theme has more volume counters than each permanent you don't control, you have shroud.
Remove a counter from Guardian’s Theme: Target creature is indestructible until end of turn.
Solo Adjudicator2WW
Creature - Human Wizard (R)
Flash
Each player can't cast more than one spell each turn.
2/2
Perpetual PastoraleWWW
Enchantment (R)
Prevent the first 3 damage that would be dealt each turn.
Mindsanction Angel3WW
Creature — Angel (r)
Flash; flying
Spells and abilities your opponents control can’t cause you to discard cards. “I may be able to protect your body, but for your mind, we must pray for the strength of the heavens.”
—Lucca, Tutela Captain
5/5
Lucca, Tutela Captain4WW
Creature — Human Soldier (r)
Flash
White creature cards you own that aren’t on the battlefield have flash.
White creatures you control have “W: Return this creature to its owner’s hand.” “No one is going to die today.”
3/6
Sunshield Clavichordist1WW
Creature — Human Wizard (r)
At the beginning of each player's upkeep, you may reveal a card from your hand. If you do, creatures you control have protection from each of that card’s colors until end of turn. “No matter what manner of enemy we’re going to be up against, I’ve got everything we need right here.”
2/2
Termination Descant4WW
Sorcery (r)
Choose a color. Destroy all permanents of the chosen color. “These outsiders have seen countless planes obliterated in the blink of an eye. I fear for the day when I myself will become as jaded.”
—Saviero Addobati
Nobleclef Archon5WWW
Creature - Archon (M)
Flying
At the beginning of your upkeep, you may gain 1 life for each permanent you control.
6/6
Tale of the Immortal Harp7WW
Sorcery (m)
Put X 1/1 white Spirit creature tokens with lifelink onto the battlefield, where X is half your life total, rounded up.
Epic (For the rest of the game, you can’t cast spells. At the beginning of each of your upkeeps, copy this spell except for its epic ability.)
Canalside PerformerU
Creature - Human Rogue (C) R: ~ gets +1/+0 until end of turn. The fire he breathes is more than just for show.
1/1
Caisapole Seeker1U
Creature — Human Wizard (c)
Volume 5 (This permanent enters the battlefield with five volume counters on it.) T: Draw a card, then discard a card. Activate this ability only if Caisapole Seeker has more volume counters than each permanent you don't control.
1/1
Expedition Scout1U
Creature — Human Scout (c)
Islandwalk 4G: Target creature gains foreswalk until end of turn. The Selvaggia is only a distant story for most citizens of Solescurio, but for the intrepid explorers, it’s a harsh daily reality.
2/1
Welkin Gull1UU
Creature - Bird (C)
Flying
When ~ enters the battlefield, return target creature to its owner's hand.
1/1
Homebound Surveyor2U
Creature - Human Wizard (C)
2/3
Spireballad Drake3U
Creature — Drake (c)
Volume 2 (This permanent enters the battlefield with two volume counters on it.)
Flying
As long Spireballad Drake has more volume counters than each permanent you don't control, Spireballad Drake gets +2/+2.
2/2
Waltzwing Literati3UU
Creature — Human Wizard (c)
Flying
When Waltzwing Literati enters the battlefield, if you have more cards in hand than each opponent, draw two cards. Matchless in study, flawless in combat, peerless in flight.
3/2
Carillon Serpent5UU
Creature — Serpent (c)
Manatune (Each permanent without manatune you return to your hand while casting this spell reduces its cost by 1 or by one mana of that permanent’s color.)
Carillon Serpent can’t attack unless you have more cards in hand than each opponent.
5/5
DiminuendoU
Instant (C)
Target creature gets -5/-0 until end of turn.
TunetheftU
Instant (c)
Move all volume counters from target creature onto another target creature. “How exquisite! Unfortunately for you, I’ll be taking that.”
—Sevon Gandalar
Booming Blunder1U
Instant (c)
Counter target noncreature spell unless that spell's controller pays 1. You may search your library for up to three cards named Booming Blunder, reveal them, put them in your hand, then shuffle your library.
Trailblazer Refrain2U
Enchantment (C)
Whenever a player draws a card, you may have target player put the top card of his or her library into his or her graveyard.
Countertone2U
Instant (c)
Manatune (Each permanent without manatune you return to your hand while casting this spell reduces its cost by 1 or by one mana of that permanent’s color.)
Counter target spell if it has converted cost X or less, where X is the number of cards in your hand.
Waterstrider Lullaby3U
Enchantment — Aura (c)
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature doesn't untap during its controller's untap step. 1U: Return Waterstrider Lullaby to its owner's hand. Tantalized by its promise, even the most recalcitrant of listeners wake too late from its fantasy and find themselves gasping for breath.
Thought Symphony3U
Sorcery (c)
Look at the top X cards of your library, where X is the number of cards in your hand. Put up to two in your hand and the rest on the bottom of your library in any order. No single melody can sound as beautiful as an overwhelming stream of ideas.
Sudden Requiem2UU
Instant (C)
Return two target creatures to their owners' hands.
Subtle Accent4U
Instant (C)
Tap or untap target artifact, creature, or land.
Draw two cards.
Rainconch AscendantU
Creature — Human Shaman (u)
At the beginning of your upkeep, you may put a volume counter on Rainconch Ascendant.
As long as Rainconch Ascendant has four or more volume counters on it, it is a Spirit, gets +3/+3, and has shroud.
1/1
Canal Azurewatch2U
Creature — Spirit (u)
Defender, flying
Return three lands you control to their owners’ hands: Canal Azurewatch is indestructible until end of turn. Its strength lies not in its spectral form, but in the might of the water it guards.
0/5
Nimble Chimehunter2U
Creature — Human Scout (u)
When Nimble Chimehunter enters the battlefield, draw a card.
Whenever Nimble Chimehunter deals combat damage to a player, if you have more cards in hand than that player, draw a card. They follow the haunting echoes of the legendary chimes in hopes that they would be the first to chance upon them.
1/2
Deepfreeze Cimbassist2UU
Creature — Human Wizard (u) ,T: Tap target creature. It doesn’t untap during its controller’s next untap step. ,T: Return target tapped creature to its owner’s hand. “What most others don’t realize is that you can’t give them time to thaw.”
2/2
Fantasia Gharial3UU
Creature - Crocodile (U)
Manatune (Each permanent without manatune you return to your hand while casting this spell reduces its cost by or by one mana of that permanent’s color.)
When ~ enters the battlefield, untap X lands, where X is the number of cards in your hand.
3/3
Key Shift2UU
Enchantment — Aura (u)
Enchant permanent with a volume counter
You control enchanted permanent. Guido watched in amazement as the roving beast fell silent. From its fallen form rose its beautiful spectral equivalent, already floating over to its new master.
Lacrimoso Tidings4UU
Sorcery (U)
Manatune (Each permanent without manatune you return to your hand while casting this spell reduces its cost by 1 or by one mana of that permanent's color.)
Draw four cards.
Echoshaper3UU
Creature - Shapeshifter (R) 3UU: Target creature becomes a copy of target nonlegendary creature until end of turn.
3/3
Intuition ChordU
Enchantment (R)
When ~ enters the battlefield, target opponent searches your library for seven cards and exiles them in a face-down pile. Then shuffle the pile and your library.
If you would draw a card, you may instead put the top card of the pile into your hand.
Phantasomancer2UU
Creature — Human Wizard (r)
Flying
Whenever a creature becomes the target of a spell or ability, its controller sacrifices it. “All things at their essence are as fragile as a breath in the wind. I merely make that inherent weakness more . . . concrete.”
4/4
Researcher's Theme5UU
Enchantment (r)
Volume 5
As long as Researcher’s Theme has more volume counters than each permanent you don't control, draw an additional card at the beginning of your draw step.
Remove a volume counter from Researcher’s Theme: Draw a card.
Spelltempo Analyst1UUU
Creature — Human Wizard (r)
You may cast sorcery cards as though they have flash.
Whenever you cast a sorcery spell, you may draw a card. “Ah yes, yes, I see, of course. But the real question is: how much faster can it go?”
1/1
Surging Sky Swallower5UU
Creature — Leviathan (r)
Flying
When Surging Sky Swallower enters the battlefield, return all other permanents you control to their owners’ hands.
You have no maximum hand size.
Surging Sky Swallower gets +1/+1 for each card in your hand. The sky darkens, the canals dry, the people scream.
3/3
Unimaginable Intellect3UU
Enchantment (r)
When you have 20 or more cards in your hand, you win the game. The wizard who memorizes a thousand books is insane. The wizard who writes a thousand books is legendary.
Coda Sphinx6UUU
Creature - Sphinx (M)
Flying
When you cast ~, take an extra turn after this one.
8/8
Tale of the Infinite Chimes6UU
Sorcery (m)
Search your library for an artifact card and put it onto the battlefield. Then shuffle your library.
Epic (For the rest of the game, you can’t cast spells. At the beginning of each of your upkeeps, copy this spell except for its epic ability. You may choose a new target for the copy.)
Din MiserB
Creature - Human Wizard (C)
Each opponent's maximum hand size is reduced by one.
1/1
Sanity Thief1B
Creature - Human Rogue (C)
As long as each opponent has three or less cards in hand, ~ gets +2/+1 and lifelink.
2/1
Strada Grigio Scout1B
Creature — Human Scout (c)
Swampwalk 4W: Target creature gains plainswalk until end of turn. For those who walk among ancient catacombs and decaying tombs, penetrating into the realm of death is just as dangerous as combating the perils of life.
2/1
Cryptviol Initiate2B
Creature — Human Cleric (c)
Volume 4 (This permanent enters the battlefield with four volume counters on it.)
Sacrifice Cryptviol Initiate: Target creature gets -2/-2 until end of turn. Activate this ability only if Cryptviol Initiate has more volume counters than each permanent you don't control.
2/2
Undergrowth Shade1BB
Creature — Shade (c) B, Exile a card from an opponent’s graveyard: Undergrowth Shade gets +1/+1 until end of turn. “It lurks within the fertile earth of graves. From the strength of the dead it reaps its vitality, and from the will of the past it draws its animosity."
—Dharag Venthos
2/2
Truculent Strangler2B
Creature - Beast Warrior (C) G: ~ gains shroud until end of turn.
3/2
Gluttonous Abomination3B
Creature - Horror (C) The Elder take many forms within the Church, with the lowliest masquerading as members and the greatest as insatiable patrons.
4/2
Ravenous Bloodwing3B
Creature — Bat (c)
Flying
Pay 3 life: Ravenous Bloodwing gets +2/+1 until end of turn. Activate this ability only once per turn. You offer it your own blood and in turn it brings you the blood of your enemies.
2/2
Unmasked Elder3B
Creature — Horror Warrior (c)
Deathtouch
When Unmasked Elder enters the battlefield, remove all volume counters from target permanent. The Elder infiltrated the Strada Grigio far before all other outsiders, donning cunning facades. The very glance of their exposed visage drains all musical energy from the beholder.
2/3
Endstring Slasher4B
Creature — Beast Warrior (c)
Volume 2 (This permanent enters the battlefield with two volume counters on it.)
Intimidate
As long Endstring Slasher, has more volume counters than each permanent you don't control, Endstring Slasher gets +2/+1.
3/2
Bleak ConsecrationB
Instant (C)
Regenerate target creature. That creature's controller loses 2 life.
Ode to Shadow1B
Enchantment - Aura (C)
Enchant creature.
Enchanted creature gets +2/+1.
As long as each opponent has three or less cards in hand, if enchanted creature would be put into a graveyard, return it to its owner's hand instead.
Booming Plague1B
Sorcery (c)
Target creature gets -1/-1 until end of turn. You may search your library for up to three cards named Booming Plague, reveal them, put them in your hand, then shuffle your library.
Macabre Waltz1B
Sorcery (c)
Return up to two target creature cards from your graveyard to your hand, then discard a card. Just as the living feel the indomitable pull of the ready grave, the dead cannot resist the vivacity and virtuosity of life’s melodies.
Opus Necrosis3B
Instant (c)
Manatune (Each permanent without manatune you return to your hand while casting this spell reduces its cost by 1 or by one mana of that permanent’s color.)
Opus Necrosis deals X damage to target creature and you gain X life, where X is the number of cards in your hand. The living cannot withstand the raw artistry of the craving dead.
Haunting Opera2BB
Sorcery (c)
Target opponent reveals his or her hand. You choose a card from it, and that player discards that card. Then, if that player has three or less cards in hand, repeat this process once. Agosto retained his mind for a split second as he saw her open her mouth. The soulful beauty of the melody was swiftly lost to his disintegrating sanity.
Baneful Accent4B
Instant (C)
Target creature gets deathtouch until end of turn.
Draw two cards.
Grimcello AscendantB
Creature — Human Shaman (u)
At the beginning of your upkeep, you may put a volume counter on Grimcello Ascendant.
As long as Grimcello Ascendant has four or more volume counters on it, it is a Spirit, gets +3/+3, and has deathtouch.
1/1
Delirium Purist1B
Creature — Zombie Cleric (u)
When Delirium Purist enters the battlefield, you lose 2 life.
Whenever an opponent discards a card, that player loses 2 life. He won’t stop preaching until you’re as demented as he is.
2/1
Discord Sower2BB
Creature - Human Wizard (U)
Intimidate
Each opponent's maximum hand size is reduced by two.
2/1
Fyr Ghadal Specter4B
Creature — Specter (u)
Flying
When Fyr Ghadal Specter enters the battlefield, target player discards a card.
Whenever Fyr Ghadal Specter deals combat damage to a player, if that player has three or less cards in hand, that player discards a card.
3/1
Soundcensor Pontiff3BB
Creature — Human Cleric (u)
Manatune (Each permanent without manatune you return to your hand while casting this spell reduces its cost by 1 or by one mana of that permanent’s color.)
When Soundcensor Pontiff enters the battlefield, target creature gets -X/-X until end of turn, where X is the number of cards in your hand.
3/3
Treacherous Tutor2B
Sorcery (U)
Each player searches his or her library for a card and puts that card into his or her hand. Then, each player shuffles his or her library.
Dooming Dirge2BB
Sorcery (U)
Up to two target creatures get -2/-2 until end of turn.
Whispering Ambition2BB
Sorcery (U)
Target player draws three cards and loses 3 life.
Initiation Bloodpsalm4B
Enchantment — Aura (u)
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature gets +3/-3.
When Initiation Bloodpsalm is put into a graveyard from the battlefield, you gain 3 life. Not all survive the brutal initiation, but invariably, the Church benefits.
Lord of Cacophony4BB
Creature - Demon (R)
Each opponent's maximum hand size is reduced by four.
At the beginning of each opponent's upkeep, ~ deals X damage to that player, where X is 4 minus the number of cards in his or her hand.
4/4
Pestiferous Fugue3BB
Enchantment (R)
Nonblack creatures get -1/-1.
Aria of Dominance6BBB
Sorcery (r)
You control target player during that player’s next turn. (You see all cards that player could see and make all decisions for the player.) “Will is such a weak little force against the unstoppable force of my ruthless ambition.”
—Orith Mundur
Aronne, High Confessor3BB
Legendary Creature — Human Cleric (r)
Flying
Pay 7 life: Aronne, High Confessor gets +7/+7 until end of turn. “Aronne exemplifies the corruption of the Strada Grigio. The weak of mind succumb to the touch of the Elder and transform into twisted imitations.”
—Orith Mundur
0/1
Dark ConsultationBBB
Enchantment (r)
If you would draw a card, instead reveal the top seven cards of your library. Put one of the cards revealed this way into your hand and exile the rest. “I was offered greatness beyond my wildest dreams. How could I refuse?”
—Aronne, High Confessor
Forsaken Thanatos3B
Creature — Beast Shaman (r) T: Target player discards a card. Activate this ability only any time you could cast a sorcery. 3B, T: Choose target nonland card in a graveyard. Search its owner's graveyard, hand, and library for any number of cards with that name and exile them. Then that player shuffles his or her library.
2/2
Reaper's Theme3BB
Enchantment (r)
Volume 5
As long as Reaper’s Theme has more volume counters than each permanent you don't control, whenever an opponent loses life, you gain that much life.
Remove a volume counter from Reaper’s Theme: Target creature gains lifelink until end of turn.
Fleshling3BB
Creature - Shapeshifter (M) B: ~ gains lifelink until end of turn. B: ~ gains intimidate until end of turn. B: Regenerate ~. 1: ~ gets +1/-1 until end of turn. 1: ~ gets -1/+1 until end of turn.
4/4
Tale of the Deathless Viol4BB
Sorcery (m)
Put target creature card in a graveyard onto the battlefield under your control.
Epic (For the rest of the game, you can’t cast spells. At the beginning of each of your upkeeps, copy this spell except for its epic ability. You may choose a new target for the copy.)
Whipflare SparkR
Creature — Elemental (c)
Volume 1 (This creature enters the battlefield with a volume counter on it.)
As long as Whipflare Spark has more volume counters than each permanent you don’t control, Whipflare Spark gets +1/+0.
1/1
Queen's Scout1R
Creature — Human Scout (c)
Mountainwalk 4U: Target creature gains islandwalk until end of turn. They are the ubiquitous eyes and ears of the Queen of Tricks. Nothing occurs in the streets of Solescurio without the Queen taking notice.
2/1
Temperskin Taunter1R
Creature — Human Rogue (c) T: Draw a card, then discard a card at random. The first beat alerts them to her presence, the second beat pulls them to their feet, and the third beat starts the brawl.
2/1
Matchbeat Thug1R
Creature - Human Rogue (C)
~ can't attack unless you discarded a card at random this turn.
3/3
Reckless Strongarm2R
Creature — Human Rogue (c) Warriors excluded from the Tutela guard for “unstable temperament” find more raucous applications of their talents on the streets of Solescurio.
3/2
Cannonade Taborist2R
Creature — Human Wizard (c)
Volume 3 (This creature enters the battlefield with three volume counters on it.) T: Cannonade Taborist deals 1 damage to target creature or player. Activate this ability only if Cannonade Taborist has more volume counters than each permanent you don’t control.
2/1
Thrillpulse Striker1RR
Creature — Human Soldier (c)
Haste
When Thrillpulse Striker enters the battlefield, discard a card at random. “It is hypocrisy of the greatest degree how the Tutela dare label my vassals as barbaric.”
—Maya Mitsumi
4/2
Minotaur Monitor3R
Creature - Minotaur Soldier (C) W: ~ gains vigilance until end of turn.
3/3
Rubbletune Crew3RR
Creature — Goblin Rogue (c)
As long as you have no cards in hand, Rubbletune Crew gets +2/+2 and has intimidate. “Okay, let’s see what’s on the schedule. We’re supposed to clear up Brashfield, blow up the new memorial, and pay Sig. Guido a visit. Looks like a busy day for everyone.”
3/3
Ignorant Bliss1R
Instant (C)
Exile all cards from your hand face down. At the beginning of the next end step, return those cards to your hand, then draw a card.
Brazen Insight1R
Sorcery (C)
Target player draws four cards, then discards three cards at random.
Booming Blast1R
Instant (c)
Booming Blast deals 1 damage to target creature or player. You may search your library for up to three cards named Booming Blast, reveal them, put them in your hand, then shuffle your library.
Timbrecharged1R
Enchantment — Aura (c)
Enchant creature
When Timbrecharged enters the battlefield, put a volume counter on enchanted creature.
Enchanted creature has “Remove a volume counter from this creature: This creature deals 1 damage to target creature or player.” Voice to vengeance, music to mayhem
Sforzando Blaze2R
Instant (C)
~ deals 2 damage to target creature or player.
If you discard ~, ~ deals 4 damage to target creature or player.
Demolition Suite4R
Sorcery (C)
Destroy target artifact or land. ~ deals 3 damage to that permanent's controller.
Daunting Accent4R
Instant (C)
Target creature gets +2/+0 until end of turn.
Draw two cards.
Flashdance4R
Instant (c)
Manatune (Each permanent without manatune you return to your hand while casting this spell reduces its cost by 1 or by one mana of that permanent’s color.)
Flashdance deals 5 damage to target creature. The heart throbs, the body burns.
Fireclaves AscendantR
Creature — Human Shaman (u)
At the beginning of your upkeep, you may put a volume counter on Fireclaves Ascendant.
As long as Fireclaves Ascendant has four or more volume counters on it, it is a Spirit, gets +3/+3, and has “R: Fireclaves Ascendant gets +1/+0 until end of turn.”
1/1
Explosive Rattleraider2R
Creature — Goblin Rogue (u)
Sacrifice a land: Target creature can’t block until end of turn.
Sacrifice three lands: Creatures you control get +2/+0 until end of turn. “Take advice from an expert — ain’t nothing more intimidating than seeing the earth come alive and chase ya.”
2/2
Bombastic Alchemist2RR
Creature - Human Wizard (U)
Haste
Whenever ~ deals combat damage to a player, you may discard three cards at random. If you do, ~ deals 6 damage to each creature and player.
2/2
Magma Flowstroke4R
Creature - Elemental (U)
When ~ enters the battlefield, each player sacrifices a land.
~ gets +1/+0 for each land card in all graveyards.
4/4
Kilnbeat Furnace3RR
Creature — Elemental (u)
Manatune (Each permanent without manatune you return to your hand while casting this spell reduces its cost by 1 or by one mana of that permanent’s color.)
When Kilnbeat Furnace enters the battlefield, target creature gets +X/+0 until end of turn, where X is the number of cards in your hand.
3/3
Yorescarred Walker3RR
Creature — Giant Warrior (u)
Whenever you discard a card at random, Yorescarred Walker deals 1 damage to target creature or player.
Discard a card at random: Yorescarred Walker has first strike until end of turn. “The time will come when the songcasters will pay in blood for the scars of my ancestors.”
6/3
Erratic Encore2R
Sorcery (U)
Return two cards at random from your graveyard to your hand, then reorder your graveyard as you choose.
Goblin Lighthouse1RR
Enchantment (u)
Whenever you discard a card at random, you may have target creature get +1/+0 until end of turn.
Discard a card at random: Target creature gains haste until end of turn. “Quite ingenious what these goblins devise. Such resourcefulness is too often is taken as stupidity.”
—Maya Mitsumi
Reverberating Firewing5RR
Creature - Dragon (R)
Flying
Whenever you cast an instant or sorcery spell, you may copy that spell. You may choose new targets for the copy.
5/5
Blazing Impromptu1R
Instant (R)
Whenever a creature you control is put into a graveyard from the battlefield this turn, it deals damage equal to its power to target creature or player.
Brightpyre Phoenix3RR
Creature — Phoenix (r)
Flying, haste
Discard two cards at random: Return Brightpyre Phoenix from the graveyard to your hand. “The phoenix has long been associated with the Addobati family. Noble, beautiful, vengeful, and immortal; it embodies all that we hold dear.”
—Saviero Addobati
4/3
Calamitious FinaleRRR
Sorcery (r)
As an additional cost to play Calamitious Finale, discard X cards at random.
Calamitious Finale deals X damage to target player and each creature he or she controls, where X is twice the number of cards discarded this way.
Chasmrager Dragon2RR
Creature — Dragon (r)
Defender
Discard a card at random: Chasmrager Dragon loses defender until end of turn.
Discard a card at random: Chasmrager Dragon has flying until end of turn.
6/6
Punisher's Theme3RR
Enchantment (r)
Volume 5
As long as Punisher’s Theme has more volume counters than each permanent you don't control, if a source would deal damage to a creature or player, it deals double that damage instead.
Remove a volume counter from Punisher’s Theme: Punisher’s Theme deals 1 damage to target creature.
Tale of the Relentless Drum3RR
Sorcery (m)
Up to two target lands become 7/1 red Elemental creatures with trample. They're still lands.
Epic (For the rest of the game, you can’t cast spells. At the beginning of each of your upkeeps, copy this spell except for its epic ability. You may choose a new target for the copy.)
Woodchant PresiderG
Creature - Beast Druid (C)
Whenever another Beast enters the battlefield, add one mana of any color to your mana pool.
1/1
Hazetone Wall1G
Creature — Plant Wall (c)
Defender
Sacrifice Hazetone Wall: Prevent all combat damage that would be dealt this turn. Activate this ability only if you have more cards in hand than each opponent.
0/4
Pipestaff Runeclaw1G
Creature — Beast Warrior (c)
Volume 4 (This permanent enters the battlefield with four volume counters on it.)
As long Pipestaff Runeclaw has more volume counters than each permanent you don't control, Pipestaff Runeclaw gets +1/+1.
2/2
Selvaggia Scout1G
Creature — Human Scout (c)
Forestwalk 4B: Target creature gains swampwalk until end of turn. “Neither wilderness nor darkness is our enemy — the strength of the unknown will propel us far beyond those that initiated our exile.”
2/1
Songmail Armorsmith2G
Creature — Beast Druid (c) 2G: Regenerate target Beast. Activate this ability only if you have more cards in hand than each opponent. “Through the melodies of the forest, they have crafted an armor harder than dragon scales yet lighter than angel wings.”
—Sevon Gandalar
3/3
Resonant Adventurer2G
Creature - Human Wizard (C) U: Return ~ to its owner's hand.
2/3
Zuffolo Channeler3G
Creature — Beast Druid (c)
Volume 3 (This permanent enters the battlefield with three volume counters on it.) 2G: Zuffolo Channeller gets +3/+3 until end of turn. Activate this ability only if Zuffolo Channeller has more volume counters than each permanent you don't control and only once per turn.
3/3
Laughing Longlegs3GG
Creature — Spider (c)
Reach, deathtouch Laughing longlegs are not named for the horrible cackling noise they make as they hunt, but instead for the twisted euphoria their poison implants into the minds of their victims before stopping their heart.
1/5
Timberchant Wurm6GG
Creature — Wurm (c)
Manatune (Each permanent without manatune you return to your hand while casting this spell reduces its cost by 1 or by one mana of that permanent’s color.) It slumbers beneath the earth, lying in wait for the time it will awaken to ancient rites and primeval incantations.
6/6
Booming Growth1G
Instant (c)
Target creature gets +2/+2 until end of turn. You may search your library for up to three cards named Booming Growth, reveal them, put them in your hand, then shuffle your library.
Natural Cadence1G
Enchantment — Aura (c)
Enchant artifact or enchantment
At the beginning of your upkeep, you may destroy enchanted permanent.
At the beginning of your precombat main phase, add G to your mana pool. All things return to the earth in death. Some are more eager to embrace this destiny.
Primal Crescendo1G
Sorcery (C)
Search your library for up to two basic land cards, reveal them, and put them into your hand. Then shuffle your library.
Amplify2G
Instant (c)
Manatune (Each permanent without manatune you return to your hand while casting this spell reduces its cost by 1 or by one mana of that permanent’s color.)
Target creature gets +3/+3 and gains trample until end of turn. Bigger and louder is always better.
Spider Mold3G
Enchantment - Aura (C)
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature gets +2/+4 and has reach.
Guarded Accent4G
Instant (C)
Target creature gains shroud until end of turn.
Draw two cards.
Wildpipe AscendantG
Creature — Human Shaman (u)
At the beginning of your upkeep, you may put a volume counter on Wildpipe Ascendant.
As long as Wildpipe Ascendant has four or more volume counters on it, it is a Spirit, gets +3/+3, and has trample.
1/1
Feralzeal Ascetic1G
Creature — Human Druid (u)
Whenever a creature attacks or blocks, you may gain 1 life.
Creatures you control have vigilance. “Our destiny lies with the Pelocanto and not the city-dwellers. The world is changing and those who cannot commune with the Selvaggia will be lost in the transition.”
1/1
Reveille Patrol2G
Creature - Beast Warrior (U)
Whenever another Beast enters the battlefield, Beasts you control get +2/+2 until end of turn.
2/2
Vicious Packlord1GG
Creature — Beast Warrior (u)
Other Beast creatures you control get +1/+1. T: Target creature blocks target Beast this turn if able. “Easy. See that one over there, the biggest, baddest, furriest of the lot? Without fail in groups like these, that’ll be the pack leader.”
—Sevon Gandalar
3/3
Raveling Kudzu3GG
Creature - Plant Wall (U)
Defender
When ~ enters the battlefield, destroy target noncreature permanent.
5/3
Pelocanto Tocsinist3GG
Creature — Beast Druid (u)
Manatune (Each permanent without manatune you return to your hand while casting this spell reduces its cost by 1 or by one mana of that permanent’s color.)
When Pelocanto Tocsinist enters the battlefield, gain X life, where X is the number of cards in your hand.
3/3
Lutesworn Behemoth4GG
Creature - Beast (U)
Trample
~ gets +2/+2 for each other Beast you control.
4/4
Briarmight Diapason2GGG
Sorcery (u)
Creatures you control get +X/+X and trample until end of turn, where X is the number of cards in your hand. “Let the strength of our resolve be heard above the overwhelming intensity of our roar!”
—Malvaga, Anthem Chief
Accelerando Dryad1G
Creature - Dryad (R)
Whenever you cast a noncreature spell, put a volume counter on ~.
~ gets +1/+1 for each volume counter on it.
1/1
Will of the Hunt4GG
Enchantment - Aura (R)
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature gets +3/+3.
Creatures your opponent controls with power less than enchanted creature can't block.
Earthroar Horde6G
Sorcery (r)
Put a 5/5 green Beast creature token onto the battlefield under your control.
When you cast Earthroar Horde, copy it for each land that entered the battlefield this turn.
Malvaga, Anthem Chieftain1GG
Legendary Creature — Beast Warrior (r)
Each creature you control gets +1/+1 for each volume counter on it. T: Put a volume counter on target creature. “Our hearts pulse in rhythm with the beat of Selvaggia. As it hastens, we are blessed with great might. We know not the reason, but never before has the Selvaggia beat so quickly.”
2/2
Protean Runner1GG
Creature — Beast Warrior (r)
When Protean Runner is put into the graveyard from the battlefield, search your library for any number of creature cards with total converted mana cost 2 or less and put them onto the battlefield. Then shuffle your library. “Quite frankly, I’ve lost my appetite.”
—Sevon Gandalar
2/2
Savage's Theme1GG
Enchantment (r)
Volume 5
As long as Savage’s Theme has more volume counters than each permanent you don't control, creatures you control get +1/+1.
Remove a volume counter from Savage’s Theme: Target creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn.
Songbane HydraGGG
Creature — Hydra (r)
Songbane Hydra costs 1 more to play for each card in your hand.
Trample “We cannot tame it with our songs. Its strength and ire magnify in the presence of any melody.”
—Malvaga, Anthem Chieftain
7/7
Feral Exemplar4GGG
Creature - Avatar (M)
~ can't be countered.
~ gets +1/+1 for each untapped land on the battlefield.
4/4
Tale of the Boundless Lute4GG
Sorcery (m)
Search your library up to two land cards and put them onto the battlefield. Then shuffle your library.
Epic (For the rest of the game, you can’t cast spells. At the beginning of each of your upkeeps, copy this spell except for its epic ability. You may choose a new target for the copy.)
Templemark Retriever3
Creature — Spirit (c)
Flying
When Templemark Retriever enters the battlefield, put a 1/1 white and black Spirit creature token with flying onto the battlefield. It is foolish to believe that the Church’s influence ends at the cathedral gates.
2/2
Sparkpace Informer5
Creature — Goblin Rogue (c)
Sparkpace Informer is unblockable.
When Sparkpace Informer enters the battlefield, you may return target instant or sorcery card from your graveyard to your hand. The Queen of Tricks rewards valuable information with riches beyond imagination.
2/3
Graveraiser Exile3
Creature — Human Wizard (c)
:symbg:: Regenerate Graveraiser Exile
When Graveraiser Exile enters the battlefield, return target creature card with converted mana cost 3 or less from your graveyard to your hand. “Decades ago, we were banished unjustly. Unshackled, we have reached our full potential.”
2/2
Warpline Combatant3
Creature — Human Soldier (c)
Flash
When Warpline Combatant enters the battlefield, target creature gains double strike until end of turn. “It matters not that this is our maiden fight. The flow of the battlefield is rightfully ours to control.”
2/2
Outworld Cartographer2
Creature — Human Wizard (c)
Shroud
When Outworld Cartographer enters the battlefield, reveal the top four cards of your library. Put all land cards revealed this way into your hand and the rest on the bottom of your library in any order. The only thing he hasn’t got mapped out is his own courtyard.
2/2
Firestriker's DuetRW
Instant (u)
Choose one — Firestriker’s Duet deals 3 damage to target player; or the next 3 damage that would be dealt to target creature this turn is dealt to another target creature instead. Anger or honor?
Fleshcrafter's DuetBG
Instant (u)
Choose one — Target creature gets -3/-3 until end of turn; or target creature gets +3/+3 until end of turn. Death or growth?
Spellwright's DuetUR
Instant (u)
Choose one — Counter target instant or sorcery spell with converted mana cost 3 or less; or copy target instant or sorcery spell with converted mana cost 3 or less. You may choose new targets for the copy. Will or guile?
Spirittracer's DuetWB
Sorcery (u)
Choose one — Exile target creature with converted mana cost 3 or less; or return target creature card with converted mana cost 3 or less from your graveyard to the battlefield. Banishment or revival?
Willweaver's DuetGU
Instant (u)
Choose one — Untap up to three target permanents; or tap up to three target permanents. Freedom or oppression?
Sunblade Elite2RW
Creature — Human Soldier (r)
Double strike, lifelink
Other creatures you control with first strike have double strike. “A flash of light blinded us all, but in our sightlessness we rejoiced, for it meant the Sunblades had joined the fray.”
2/2
Tonestarved Devourer1BG
Creature — Beast Plant (r)
Whenever a card is put into a graveyard from anywhere, Tonestarved Devourer gets +1/+1 until end of turn. Brutal massacres make the most fulfilling of meals.
3/3
Medleycaster2UR
Creature — Human Wizard (r)
When Medleycaster enters the battlefield, search your library for up to three instant or sorcery cards with different names and converted converted mana cost 2 or less and exile them. Then, shuffle your library. T: You may cast a card exiled with Medleycaster without paying its mana cost.
2/2
Mimeoscale Saurian1GU
Creature — Lizard (r)
Creatures you don’t control lose all abilities and are 6/6. “What an interesting defensive mechanism. A pity that most transformed hunters are perfectly capable of taking it down.”
—Sevon Gandalar
6/6
Oathsworn AngelWB
Creature — Angel (r)
As Oathsworn Angel enters the battlefield, target opponent names two nonland cards.
You cannot cast the named cards.
Flying, lifelink “I’d give my life for my lord, but there are certain lines I’ll never cross.”
3/3
Orith Mundur3WB
Planeswalker — Orith (m)
+2: Exile target card in a graveyard.
-1: Target opponent reveals his or her hand. You choose a nonland card from it and exile that card.
-9: Return all exiled permanent cards to play under your control.
4
Saviero Addobati3RW
Planeswalker — Saviero (m)
+1: Whenever a creature attacks this turn, it gets +2/+0 until end of turn.
-3: Untap all creatures that attacked this turn. After this main phase, there is an additional combat phase followed by an additional main phase.
-8: You get an emblem with “Creatures you control become 8/8 red Avatars with flying.”
4
Sevon Gandalar2GU
Planeswalker — Sevon (m)
+1: Reveal the top card of your library. If it’s a creature card, put it in your hand.
-X: Put a creature card with converted mana cost X from your hand onto the battlefield.
-8: Discard a creature card. If you do, creatures you control become copies of that creature until end of turn.
5
Maya Mitsumi1UR
Planeswalker — Maya (m)
+1: Draw a card. Activate this ability only if you have the same or fewer cards in hand than each opponent.
+1: Maya Mitsumi deals 1 damage to target player. Activate this ability only if you have more cards in hand than each opponent.
-5: Maya Mitsumi deals X damage to target player, where X is equal to twice the number of cards in your hand.
3
Dharag Venthos3BG
Planeswalker — Dharag (m)
+1: Sacrifice a land. If you do, search your library for up to two basic land cards and put them onto the battlefield tapped. Then shuffle your library.
-2: Return up to three target land cards from your graveyard to your hand.
-8: You get an emblem with “Lands you control are 4/4 black and green Plant Zombie creatures. They are still lands.”
4
Bellicoso Bell3
Artifact (C)
Manatune (Each permanent without manatune you return to your hand while casting this spell reduces its cost by 1 or by one mana of that permanent's color.) T: Add W or R to your mana pool.
Scatenato Bell3
Artifact (C)
Manatune (Each permanent without manatune you return to your hand while casting this spell reduces its cost by 1 or by one mana of that permanent's color.) T: Add R or U to your mana pool.
Eroico Bell3
Artifact (C)
Manatune (Each permanent without manatune you return to your hand while casting this spell reduces its cost by 1 or by one mana of that permanent's color.) T: Add U or G to your mana pool.
Libero Bell3
Artifact (C)
Manatune (Each permanent without manatune you return to your hand while casting this spell reduces its cost by 1 or by one mana of that permanent's color.) T: Add G or B to your mana pool.
Devoto Bell3
Artifact (C)
Manatune (Each permanent without manatune you return to your hand while casting this spell reduces its cost by 1 or by one mana of that permanent's color.) T: Add B or W to your mana pool.
Harmonic Prism1
Artifact (c)
Volume 2 (This permanent enters the battlefield with two volume counters on it.) ,T: Add one mana of any color to your mana pool. Activate this ability only if Harmonic Prism has more volume counters than each permanent you don't control.
Sacrifice Harmonic Prism: Draw a card.
Composition Crafter3
Artifact Creature — Construct (c) T: Untap another target permanent.
You have no maximum hand size. Modeled after the ancient Eversong Titans, these helpful constructs were well-known for their ability to help even the most uninspired of players craft spellbinding music.
1/1
Ravensong Tablet1
Artifact (c) T: Put the top two cards of your library into the graveyard. 3, Sacrifice Ravensong Tablet: Return target card from your graveyard to your hand.
Soundswell Sword1
Artifact — Equipment (c)
Whenever equipped creature deals combat damage, put two volume counters on equipped creature.
Remove a volume counter from equipped creature: Equipped creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn.
Equip 1
Staffmarked Scroll1
Artifact (u) T: Return target artifact or land you control to its owner’s hand. ,T: Draw a card. Activate this ability only if you have exactly seven cards in hand. Songs of old to be performed by the players of tomorrow.
Cymbalscale Armor2
Artifact — Equipment (u)
Return Cymbalscale Armor to its owner’s hand: Return equipped creature to its owner’s hand.
Equip 2 “If this armor saves my life, then so be it. No melody is sweeter than life’s song.”
Rattling Stone4
Artifact (u)
Volume 5 (This permanent enters the battlefield with five volume counters on it.) T, Remove a volume counter from Rattling Stone: Remove a volume counter from target permanent.
Sacrifice Rattling Stone: Put a volume counter on target permanent.
Musestone Colossus8
Artifact Creature — Golem (u)
Trample 8: Musestone Colossus gets +X/+X until end of turn, where X is the number of cards in your hand. As Leonardo played his flute, the ancient construct rumbled slowly to life. His eyes widened in surprise, but he dare not stop playing.
5/5
Null Vox3
Artifact (R)
As an additional cost to play ~, discard your hand.
Volume 3
Players can't draw cards.
At the beginning of your upkeep, remove a volume counter from ~. When the last is removed, sacrifice it.
Mindcloister Urn5
Artifact (r)
When Mindcloister Urn enters the battlefield, exile all cards from each player’s hand.
Players may play cards exiled by Mindcloister Urn. The world is yours for the taking, if you know where to look.
Eversong Titan14
Artifact Creature — Golem (r)
Manatune (Each permanent without manatune you return to your hand while casting this spell reduces its cost by 1 or by one mana of that permanent’s color.)
Trample
Eversong Titan’s power and toughness is equal to twice the number of cards in your hand.
*/*
Espirando Engine2
Artifact (r) T: Add 2 to your mana pool.
When Espirando Engine is put into your graveyard from the battlefield, you lose half your life, rounded up. The power it generates is enormous, but the risk it harbors is correspondingly grave.
Resounding Pillar7
Artifact (r)
Whenever you cast an instant or sorcery spell, you may search your library for up to three cards with the same name, reveal them, put them into your hand, then shuffle your library. One note played, a thousand returned.
Willtether Flutes2
Artifact — Equipment (r)
When equipped creature leaves the battlefield, put a volume counter on Willtether Flutes.
Remove two volume counters from Willtether Flutes: Return target creature card from your graveyard to the battlefield.
Equip 2
Chronovault5
Artifact (M) 0: Put a volume counter on ~. You skip your next turn. Activate this ability only once each turn.
When ~ has seven or more volume counters on it, you win the game.
Inspiration Falls
Land (C)
~ enters the battlefield tapped.
As ~ enters the battlefield, you may pay 2. If you do, draw a card. T: Add 1 to your mana pool.
Amber Citadel
Land (u)
As Amber Citadel enters the battlefield, you may return an untapped land you control to its owner’s hand. If you don’t, Amber Citadel enters the battlefield tapped. T: Add R or W to your mana pool.
Fertile Grave
Land (u)
As Fertile Grave enters the battlefield, you may return an untapped land you control to its owner’s hand. If you don’t, Fertile Grave enters the battlefield tapped. T: Add B or G to your mana pool.
Shrouded Glen
Land (u)
As Shrouded Glen enters the battlefield, you may return an untapped land you control to its owner’s hand. If you don’t, Shrouded Glen enters the battlefield tapped. T: Add G or U to your mana pool.
Skyflare Rocks
Land (u)
As Skyflare Rocks enters the battlefield, you may return an untapped land you control to its owner’s hand. If you don’t, Skyflare Rocks enters the battlefield tapped. T: Add U or R to your mana pool.
Holy Sepulcher
Land (u)
As Holy Sepulcher enters the battlefield, you may return an untapped land you control to its owner’s hand. If you don’t, Holy Sepulcher enters the battlefield tapped. T: Add W or B to your mana pool.
Hushed Sanctuary
Land (u)
Volume 1 (This permanent enters the battlefield with a volume counter on it.) T: Add 1 to your mana pool. T, Remove a volume counter from Hushed Sanctuary: Add one mana of any color to your mana pool. Activate this ability only if Hushed Sanctuary has more volume counters than each permanent you don't control.
Swiftsand
Land (u)
Swiftsand enters the battlefield tapped.
When Swiftsand enters the battlefield, you may pay 2. If you do, target creature without flying gets -1/-1 until end of turn. T: Add 1 to your mana pool. “Not all hazards are content to wait.”
Balemyth Basin
Land (r)
Balemyth Basin enters the battlefield tapped. T: Add U or R to your mana pool. 2UR: Until end of turn, Balemyth Basin becomes a 1/7 blue and red Elemental creature with “1: Switch this creature’s power and toughness until end of turn.” It’s still a land.
Grimborn Grove
Land (r)
Grimborn Grove enters the battlefield tapped. T: Add B or G to your mana pool. 1BG: Until end of turn, Grimborn Grove becomes a 4/2 black and green Elemental creature with deathtouch and trample. It’s still a land.
Mountainside Maruder
Land (r)
Mountainside Maruder enters the battlefield tapped. T: Add R or W to your mana pool. 1RW: Until end of turn, Mountainside Maruder becomes a 2/2 red and white Elemental creature with double strike. It’s still a land.
Soulbane Steppe
Land (r)
Soulbane Steppeenters the battlefield tapped. T: Add W or B to your mana pool. WB: Until end of turn, Soulbane Steppe becomes a 3/3 white and black Elemental creature with lifelink. It’s still a land.
Wildspawn Weald
Land (r)
Wildspawn Weald enters the battlefield tapped. T: Add G or U to your mana pool. 3GU: Until end of turn, Wildspawn Weald becomes a 6/6 green and blue Elemental creature with shroud. It’s still a land.
Assoluto, the Pristine Pinnacle
Legendary Land (R)
~ enters the battlefield tapped.
When ~ enters the battlefield, sacrifice it unless you pay 4. T: Add 4 to your mana pool.
Beautiful world you've created, rich with character. Would love to see some of the artwork and more of the flavour pour through in the cards. A world dominated by music sounds quite charming, and interesting.
I'm curious as to your choice of themes, such as wisdom, enemy pairings and epic. Will have t wait and see how these fit into the set.
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Gaymer
Custom Card / Set Reviewer
When reviewing custom cards / sets, I look for (a) flavour, (b) function, and (c) cohesiveness, generally through a risk focus.
Beautiful world you've created, rich with character. Would love to see some of the artwork and more of the flavour pour through in the cards. A world dominated by music sounds quite charming, and interesting.
I'm curious as to your choice of themes, such as wisdom, enemy pairings and epic. Will have t wait and see how these fit into the set.
Thanks!
I've now finished adding all of the cards for your consideration, with a link to all of the renders on the imgur album.
I love the card interactions you've created here, and how the whole world feels very "Fantasia". That said, I was very disappointed while browsing through the blue cards to find that none of them had any sort of milling effect. Mill has become such an accepted part of Magic that every set has at least a few cards that mill, divided between blue, black, and artifact cards. Those are the cards I usually like to see, and without them, a set is missing a big part of what draws me to Magic in the first place.
Beautiful interesting set. Haven't gone through all the cards yet though, as I better enjoy going through full picture cards and the site you chose makes it hard to see them all effectivly. Anyway keep it up! Will you make other sets in this block? Also perhaps you could write more about the world and the general story.
I love the card interactions you've created here, and how the whole world feels very "Fantasia". That said, I was very disappointed while browsing through the blue cards to find that none of them had any sort of milling effect. Mill has become such an accepted part of Magic that every set has at least a few cards that mill, divided between blue, black, and artifact cards. Those are the cards I usually like to see, and without them, a set is missing a big part of what draws me to Magic in the first place.
That would be my oversight - I had simply forgotten that part of the color pie. How about something like this?:
Canalside Crab1U
Creature - Crab (C)
Whenever a player draws a card, you may have target player put the top card of his or her library into his or her graveyard.
0/2
It's simple, but it could fit in a set where keeping a large hand is even more important than normal.
Quote from RubyClaw »
Beautiful interesting set. Haven't gone through all the cards yet though, as I better enjoy going through full picture cards and the site you chose makes it hard to see them all effectivly. Anyway keep it up! Will you make other sets in this block? Also perhaps you could write more about the world and the general story.
Thanks!
I have the storyline loosely sketched out, although the writing's too atrocious and brief to be fit for display here. I might go there after I get the cards themselves hammered out.
Does imgur make it difficult to browse through the cards? I tried making that convenient for viewers with the album, where you can click on any card and cycle through the rest with the arrow on the bottom left corner of the image window that pops up.
That's very similar to Jace's erasure, and I rather like it. Perhaps though you could go with something that cares about the number of cards in your hand, such as:
Canalside Crab :1mana::symu:
Creature - Crab
Whenever you draw a card, you may have target player put the top X cards of his or her library into his or her graveyard, where X is the number of cards in your hand.
0/3
That's very similar to Jace's erasure, and I rather like it. Perhaps though you could go with something that cares about the number of cards in your hand, such as:
Canalside Crab :1mana::symu:
Creature - Crab
Whenever you draw a card, you may have target player put the top X cards of his or her library into his or her graveyard, where X is the number of cards in your hand.
0/3
I thought about doing something like that, but it quickly turns out to be way too powerful at any aggressive cost. I figured a two way Jace's Erasure would be a bit milder, although I could see adding a mill effect tied to cards in hand at 5cc or higher at Uncommon - keep in mind that with Manatune, the hand size can inflate to ridiculous proportions very quickly.
I thought about doing something like that, but it quickly turns out to be way too powerful at any aggressive cost. I figured a two way Jace's Erasure would be a bit milder, although I could see adding a mill effect tied to cards in hand at 5cc or higher at Uncommon - keep in mind that with Manatune, the hand size can inflate to ridiculous proportions very quickly.
Fair enough. Still seems to be rather good. I'd put the creature at a 0/3 still though. Compare to Hedron Crab.
Fair enough. Still seems to be rather good. I'd put the creature at a 0/3 still though. Compare to Hedron Crab.
I can agree with a 0/3. I'm not really sure how to evaluate Hedron Crab. It its efficiency, it really eclipses any other mill card before it in any deck with fetchlands. Classics like Millstone simply can't compete with a one mana 0/2 body milling 3-6 cards a turn for free.
Millstone has been outclassed for ages though. It was the first mill card, and as such there will obviously be advances on the mechanic. Yes, Hedron Crab is quite potent, but he's also easily removable being that he's a creature.
Haha, excellent! I quite liked reading through these, and my musical vocabulary has increased dramatically.
The mechanics seem to fit nicely with each other, and I quite like Vol as your counter of choice for the set. Some of these cards are quite strong outside of this set (e.g. anything with 5 Vol counters), but if they are played only in limited then it's fine.
Some card notes:
Brightlyre Ascendant - Quite a nice card, that, but make the trigger optional. Same for the other Ascendants.
Lucca, Tutela Captain - Love the idea here. Helps achieve the Wisdom threshold. Somewhat repetitive ability to bounce stuff for (relatively) free given Manatune. Still, this does it differently, so that's okay.
Carillon Serpent - Can come out very early in games and smash face. Bit of an all-or-nothing card. Reminds me of Siege Wurm - is it in the right colour, then?
Phantasomancer - Compare this to Horobi, Death's Wail. Your card is too strong and in the wrong colour.
Unimaginable Intellect - I love it! Great with the above serpent.
Aria of Dominance - Pity Mindslaver is so much more playable in terms of cost/s, colour-friendliness, and being able to steal a turn two turns earlier than this. I understand why this is so expensive though.
Cryptviol Initiate - I like how this has the dual purpose of shutting down other Vol creatures.
Dark Consultation - Very nice.
That's it from me for the moment - back to study. Overall very enjoyable to see this set - thank you.
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Gaymer
Custom Card / Set Reviewer
When reviewing custom cards / sets, I look for (a) flavour, (b) function, and (c) cohesiveness, generally through a risk focus.
Wisdom - The more I think about it, the more I see this a a win-more mechanic, whcih isn't necessarily a bad thing. I like how it works with Manatune in that it offsets the drawback of having to bounce your own things. I do like how red got to play with hand size differently.
Carillon Serpent (again) - Never mind, just saw Timberchant Wurm.
Phantasomancer (again) - This ability seems to have shifted to blue in recent years, but I believe it is only for your own permanents to show their fragility. Black would be better at making your opponents' creatures fragile, not blue.
Forsaken Thanatos - Kuro, Pitlord shows just how powerful this ability is. You've gravely undercosted it.
Opus Necrosis - Points for the best card name in the set.
Tale of the Deathless Viol - Seems like a very precarious position to put yourself in.
Tomb Concerto - Put the restriction first. Do you want a common to be restrictive as to when you can play it? I can envision games where you'll be frustrated you can't cast this. Could this have a normal, weaker effect, and get stronger when the condition is met? Otherwise, Macabre Waltz would fit perfectly in this set, helping both in flavour and function.
Calamitous Finale - Reword as "deals two times X damage". Potentially devastating - I like.
Demolition Crew - Haha, like the flavour here. This is too strong land destruction for common - should be upped by 1. Even feels a bit uncommon for me as it trades so many cards.
Insanity Bond - Feels BR to me - red shouldn't have such good discard.
Tale of the Relentless Drum - This feels pretty blah.
Temperskin Taunter - M11 confused me - is it blue or red who gets this kind of ability? I kinda like this Alluring Siren though.
Thrillpulse Striker - Red shouldn't get a 2/1 first striker for 1R.
Timbrecharged - I would like this more if it gave the creature a Vol counter when this ETB. That would make it more useful and compatible with other cards, as well as making other Vol stuff work better.
Whipflare Spark - Whoa! Even within the context of this set, this card is insanely good. Outside of this set it's broken.
Longwood Songsmith - The flavour (card name, flavour text) don't seem to match with the ability - will this be fixed in the artwork?
Malvaga, Anthem Chieftain - Word as "Each creature you control gets +1/+1 for each Vol counter on it".
Natural Cadence - Enchantments that tap? Nuh-uh. Make the mana some other way.
Pelocanto Tocsinist - Shuffle your library..?
Vicious Parklord - Word as "target Beast creature this turn if able".
Zuffolo Channeller - The cost is a bit much for a Rootwalla ability - bring it down to 2G maybe.
Your Planeswalkers don't have starting loyalties or loyalty costs, so can't rate them as yet.
Demented Judge - Great card. Word as "each exiled creature card."
Fleshcrafter's Duet - Man I wish this was an instant.
Mimeoscale Saurian - Haha, a Johnny delight! If only I could Donate it. You need to reword it though to "are 6/6" rather than "become 6/6" as it's a continuous effect.
Volatile Rattlesage - Neither of these colours should have access to gross discard like that. If they discarded two cards at random then yes. This also needs to cost at least 1 more as it can hit for 3 unblockable damage per turn.
Willweaver's Duet - Change to "up to three" for both clauses to make it better.
Templemark Retriever - White shouldn't be able to hit life like that.
Warpline Combatant - Word as "exile another target creature".
Outworld Cartographer - Blue shouldn't get land fetching so easily - it'd be more pie-fitting if you had to sac a land to fetch any land, which would fit with blue's redesign the world theme.
Cymbalscale Armor - This could cost 1.
Eversong Titan - This feels a bit mythic, but can pass as regular rare too. Quite nice and chunky.
Mindcloister Urn - Very nice set counter.
Plague Engine - Hmm, I'm hesitant about this one. It's not easy enough to destroy, so most games it'll just be too good.
Resounding Pillar - Word as "spells you cast".
Soundswell Sword - Nice and sibilant name. This is too costly and set-specific to be playable. Timbrecharged has a similar problem. It'd be nicer if it gave the counters directly to the equipped creature and also gave it an ability to let them use those counters.
Hushed Sanctuary - This is too strong to be played outside of this set.
Swiftsand - Nice homage, but this is too strong. Lands that kill stuff when they ETB are dangerous.
Okay, in sum a lot of your cards are very nicely designed and well balanced. I think this set could only be played within itself, as there are too many cards which, outside of this block, are stupidly good. I agree that this set should be played alone a la Coldsnap, but each of those cards was playable outside of that set too, which isn't true of all of your cards.
The cycles all seem quite good - Epic is a hard one to work with but I think you have done this well. The lower-costed ones are where you have the most trouble, so make them big and incredible. For example, would you consider having Aria of Dominance as the black Epic spell? That would be delicious. The mana cost is fine as is I think, considering the drawback of Epic.
This set is beautifully conceived and is bursting with flavour. You have captured the essence of classical music wonderfully in these cards, and the Italian names are a delight to read out.
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Gaymer
Custom Card / Set Reviewer
When reviewing custom cards / sets, I look for (a) flavour, (b) function, and (c) cohesiveness, generally through a risk focus.
Brightlyre Ascendant - Quite a nice card, that, but make the trigger optional. Same for the other Ascendants.
Ah - good idea. Changed.
Carillon Serpent - Can come out very early in games and smash face. Bit of an all-or-nothing card. Reminds me of Siege Wurm - is it in the right colour, then?
I've given access to manatune to all colors, although you're probably correct that the ability in a vacuum would not be too appropriate for blue. It sort of fits the big common sea serpent with a drawback slot though, since more often than not you'll be bouncing Islands.
Phantasomancer - Compare this to Horobi, Death's Wail. Your card is too strong and in the wrong colour.
You're correct that it's too powerful - Horobi is an excellent precedent that I overlooked and it'd definitely cost 1 more. I'm unsure as to whether or not it's excusable for it to be blue, though - Horobi indicates that it would typically be part of Black's slice of the color pie, but I think the phantasm flavor is iconic enough for blue to justify the bleed in this case.
Phantasomancer (again) - This ability seems to have shifted to blue in recent years, but I believe it is only for your own permanents to show their fragility. Black would be better at making your opponents' creatures fragile, not blue.
See above where I feel a wizard impressing that fragility upon all creatures is perhaps within blue's realm flavorfully. I considered changing it to make only your own creatures into "phantoms," but at that point it felt like more of a black-drawback style fatty than a blue phantom-manipulating wizard.
Forsaken Thanatos - Kuro, Pitlord shows just how powerful this ability is. You've gravely undercosted it.
I have. Would 3 life seem like a fair price?
Tale of the Deathless Viol - Seems like a very precarious position to put yourself in.
Cleaned up the wording here. I agree that it's not a very powerful, and I would welcome any suggestions, as appropriate, interactive alternative has eluded me. It does happen to play well with Cranial Extraction type cards in a way that hasn't been available to Johnnys before.
Tomb Concerto - Put the restriction first. Do you want a common to be restrictive as to when you can play it? I can envision games where you'll be frustrated you can't cast this. Could this have a normal, weaker effect, and get stronger when the condition is met? Otherwise, Macabre Waltz would fit perfectly in this set, helping both in flavour and function.
Macabre Waltz is an excellent substitution. Much thanks.
Calamitous Finale - Reword as "deals two times X damage". Potentially devastating - I like.
Again, you have my thanks - I wasn't sure how to word that.
Demolition Crew - Haha, like the flavour here. This is too strong land destruction for common - should be upped by 1. Even feels a bit uncommon for me as it trades so many cards.
It's definitely on the border, but I was lacking the ubiquitous common artifact and land destruction, so in the common slot he goes. I wasn't aware it was too powerful, so I'll add 1 and make it a 3/2 for good measure.
Insanity Bond - Feels BR to me - red shouldn't have such good discard.
I don't really think the discard is that good for 5 mana, and it thought that it fit with red's subtheme well enough to justify its inclusion.
Tale of the Relentless Drum - This feels pretty blah.
Eh, yeah. Couldn't think of anything better - got any ideas?
Temperskin Taunter - M11 confused me - is it blue or red who gets this kind of ability? I kinda like this Alluring Siren though.
When the color pie gets blurry, I tend to take a flavor perspective. Here, I see a bard inciting her enemies to recklessness or urging her companions to advance, and to me, that focus on emotion is very red.
Thrillpulse Striker - Red shouldn't get a 2/1 first striker for 1R.
Not quite clear here on why. There certainly aren't any precedents, but there are several variations of 2cc red creatures with first strike and 3 power upon satisfying some requirement.
Timbrecharged - I would like this more if it gave the creature a Vol counter when this ETB. That would make it more useful and compatible with other cards, as well as making other Vol stuff work better.
Indeed your idea is better than it is as it stands. Changed.
Whipflare Spark - Whoa! Even within the context of this set, this card is insanely good. Outside of this set it's broken.
I'm not quite sure what I was thinking. Changed it to the following:
Whipflare SparkR
Creature — Elemental (c)
Vol 1 (This creature comes into play with a vol counter on it.)
Trample, haste
As long as Whipflare Spark has more vol counters than each other permanent, Whipflare Spark gets +3+0.
At the beginning of the end step, sacrifice Whipflare Spark.
1/1
Longwood Songsmith - The flavour (card name, flavour text) don't seem to match with the ability - will this be fixed in the artwork?
The artwork for this card's not spectacular. The flavor I was going for is that the Songsmith is a Pelocanto druid harnessing the natural song of the trees to craft magic. Crafting a song from nature was supposed to be the equivalent of drawing mana from the earth.
Malvaga, Anthem Chieftain - Word as "Each creature you control gets +1/+1 for each Vol counter on it".
Thanks, fixed.
Natural Cadence - Enchantments that tap? Nuh-uh. Make the mana some other way.
How's this?
Natural Cadence1G
Enchantment — Aura (c)
Enchant artifact or enchantment
At the beginning of your upkeep, you may destroy enchanted permanent.
At the beginning of your precombat main phase, add G to that your mana pool. All things return to the earth in death. Some are more eager to embrace this destiny.
Pelocanto Tocsinist - Shuffle your library..?
Fixed.
Vicious Parklord - Word as "target Beast creature this turn if able".
Likewise.
Zuffolo Channeller - The cost is a bit much for a Rootwalla ability - bring it down to 2G maybe.
Sounds good.
Your Planeswalkers don't have starting loyalties or loyalty costs, so can't rate them as yet.
Didn't notice that at all - fixed and ready for critique.
Demented Judge - Great card. Word as "each exiled creature card."
Fixed.
Fleshcrafter's Duet - Man I wish this was an instant.
Perhaps, but I'm a tad concerned about its power level.
Mimeoscale Saurian - Haha, a Johnny delight! If only I could Donate it. You need to reword it though to "are 6/6" rather than "become 6/6" as it's a continuous effect.
Fixed.
Volatile Rattlesage - Neither of these colours should have access to gross discard like that. If they discarded two cards at random then yes. This also needs to cost at least 1 more as it can hit for 3 unblockable damage per turn.
Made it cost 1 more as well as changing the discard to random.
Willweaver's Duet - Change to "up to three" for both clauses to make it better.
Agreed.
Templemark Retriever - White shouldn't be able to hit life like that.
How's just gaining 2 life?
Warpline Combatant - Word as "exile another target creature".
Fixed.
Outworld Cartographer - Blue shouldn't get land fetching so easily - it'd be more pie-fitting if you had to sac a land to fetch any land, which would fit with blue's redesign the world theme.
Excellent Idea. How's this?
Outworld Cartographer2
Creature — Human Wizard (c)
Shroud
When Outworld Cartographer enters the battlefield, you may sacrifice a land. If you do, you may search your library for a land card and put that card onto the battlefield tapped. Then shuffle your library. The only thing he hasn’t got mapped out is his own courtyard.
2/2
Cymbalscale Armor - This could cost 1.
Wasn't sure if that was too powerful, but I agree.
Plague Engine - Hmm, I'm hesitant about this one. It's not easy enough to destroy, so most games it'll just be too good.
It is fairly format defining as it is. It's not really more powerful than any other bomb rare in limited, and I feel like the drawback is severe enough to limit unrestrained use in constructed.
Resounding Pillar - Word as "spells you cast".
Thanks.
Soundswell Sword - Nice and sibilant name. This is too costly and set-specific to be playable. Timbrecharged has a similar problem. It'd be nicer if it gave the counters directly to the equipped creature and also gave it an ability to let them use those counters.
All good points. How's this:
Soundswell Sword2
Artifact — Equipment (c)
Whenever equipped creature deals combat damage, put a vol counter on equipped creature.
Remove a vol counter from equipped creature: Target creature gets +2/+2 until end of turn.
Equip 2
Hushed Sanctuary - This is too strong to be played outside of this set.
Would making it like Tendo Ice Bridge with vol counters be okay?
Swiftsand - Nice homage, but this is too strong. Lands that kill stuff when they ETB are dangerous.
Would -1/-1 still be too powerful? I feel like having some sort of ETB land to abuse with manatune would be a healthy addition to the set. I'm not sure as to whether or not -1/-1 would be too powerful for constructed.
Okay, in sum a lot of your cards are very nicely designed and well balanced. I think this set could only be played within itself, as there are too many cards which, outside of this block, are stupidly good. I agree that this set should be played alone a la Coldsnap, but each of those cards was playable outside of that set too, which isn't true of all of your cards.
I envision a constructed environment where this set would be available as one with sufficient cause for using vol counters that the vol cards would not be unduly powerful. Especially since rarity is null in constructed, some of the commons would definitely be too powerful in a vacuum, but pale in comparison to the other rares available.
Scanning back over the Vol 5 "Themes" cycle, I added 1 to the cost of the black Reaper's Theme and the blue Researcher's Theme. The others don't seem to be to be that overpowered in a vacuum, much less in an environment where vol could very well be a common occurrence. For either the creatures or the themes, do you have any specific cards your concerned about?
The cycles all seem quite good - Epic is a hard one to work with but I think you have done this well. The lower-costed ones are where you have the most trouble, so make them big and incredible. For example, would you consider having Aria of Dominance as the black Epic spell? That would be delicious. The mana cost is fine as is I think, considering the drawback of Epic.
Blue was initially going to get a Mindslaver epic, but realistically it wouldn't make a very good epic. On one hand, you completely take out interactivity in the game, which was a key design concern. On the other hand, some decks may not physically have a way of killing themselves, and its important the just having the epic spell is sufficient for you to win the game.
This set is beautifully conceived and is bursting with flavour. You have captured the essence of classical music wonderfully in these cards, and the Italian names are a delight to read out.
Much thanks for looking over the set. Your detailed critiques were most helpful, and I know it must've taken you a long time to go through all of the cards like that.
First off - your complaint that Limited games are "not fun," I suspect, has a lot to do with the mechanics themselves. I'm not offering suggestions, in fact I may just be pointing out the obvious, but here goes...
Manatune: Is there a reason why that wonky "without manatune" clause is in there? All manatune guys have pretty high mana costs - is there a degenerate combo in the works I don't know about? Flavorfully, I should think multiple manatune guys would be more "in tune" with each other. Mechanically it just makes players feel bad for having a bunch of manatune guys in their deck, and it feels like a very all-or-nothing mechanic (ex. all your lands tap for double mana, but you have to replay them), since unlike convoke and delve, you're incurring a significant cost in resources you might want to use in the future.
Wisdom: Two things. One, this mechanic encourages players to hold cards in their hands rather than play them. (Yes, I see the synergy with manatune offsets this somewhat.) Two, this mechanic is a "comparative threshold," in that only the highest-number player gets a benefit, and everyone else gets nothing. Games can stagnate into draw-go as neither player wants to give up his wisdom advantage, especially on an already clogged board or if one wisdom card has a great difference between its "on" and "off" state.
Crescendo: Why is this a keyword? Or, more specifically, why isn't this a keyword in some frequency at higher rarities? I know that this set is designed primarily for Limited, but the rare enabler doesn't really make sense given this focus, as it's unlikely you'll be swimming in multiple copies of different instants and sorceries. There's also the fact that all the Booming spells (except Plague) are very solid picks in their colors (unlike, say, Dampen Thought), so it's that much harder for one player to get multiples unless they're literally the only one playing that color in the pod. If you're leaving it at so few cards, unlike Epic, this ability isn't hard to write out, nor is it particularly novel (compare the Odyssey burst cycle and the Coldsnap cycle).
Vol: Hate the name. Couldn't it be written out "Volume"? "Vol" by itself doesn't have any particular flavorful resonance. This has the same problem as manatune + wisdom, in that you don't want to play a bunch of these guys in the same deck, because only one can be active at a time, and when one of these guys is turned on, every other one, including your opponents', is turned off (with some exceptions; these are generally solid and consistent cards).
Random discard: Feels like purely a Spike mechanic, dependent on card quality. One of MaRo's GDS1 articles talked about how players didn't like discarding a bunch of cards to turn on threshold, and I suspect discarding cards at random will put off Timmies and Johnnies even more.
Epic: No problems here, except the exorbitant cost of some of these makes them much less likely to go off in Limited. I've been blown out by Endless Swarm before, but only because my opponent was digging like a fiend with Elder Pine of Jukai and I couldn't kill him quickly enough.
You have a LOT of cycles. I'll consider them here:
Common hybrid cycle: Why are the only hybrids in the set common? These should all be multicolor, imo. Unblockable and temporary exiling isn't red and Crop Rotation isn't blue. Of these I like the black/green one best - it's smartly costed so it can't return other copies of itself (as much as I like Corpse Recur, it's kinda ridic when it goes undisrupted.)
Uncommon duet cycle: There's an extraneous "of" in the first half of Spirittracer (double "t" kthx). I like the nod to Unearth. I'm not sure how Willweaver is green, since WU are the kings of un/tapping, but I suppose it gives you a second use out of your lands. Firestriker is interesting without being broken, though I'd still rather play Helix. Spellwright is a little close to Odds for me. Why can't Fleshcrafter be an instant? We've got Urge to Feed and Agony Warp, and it's not like Giant Growth is a particularly high pick in Limited.
Rare utility guy cycle: Demented Judge would be good enough as a 6 mana Royal Assassin. It's unfortunate he will rarely be able to take advantage of his second ability, though. Saurian is Johnnytastic, Devourer is nice, Elite has that wonky "other" clause for rules reasons I suppose, and Rattlesage would be much better if the discard wasn't random, because as it is you'd never want to target yourself. Overall a nice batch.
Mythic Planeswalkers: Very good synergy, something I see missing with a lot of 'walkers. Dharag's ultimate should use the emblem object type (You get an emblem with "ability"), as should Saviero's. Saviero's plus doesn't work at all because there's never a time during your main phase when a creature is attacking. "Whenever a creature attacks this turn, it gets +2/+0 until end of turn" would work, and combos with effects like his minus. Why the heck does Sevon have a starting loyalty higher than his cmc? His abilities aren't bad! Orith is fine but painfully unoriginal. I guess Maya's crap ultimate is fine in light of her low cmc and two plus abilities. First one should say "fewer cards" and for the second, "If no opponent has more cards in hand." Equally awkward?
Uncommon land cycle: "As" abilities can't target. "An untapped land."
Rare land cycle: The blue/green one is probably the worst since it's expensive and can be chumped all day, but it does dodge all kinds of removal. Auto-include in Block Constructed, obv.
Common booming cycle: See "Crescendo." Solid removal stuff even without the copy effect that will go highly in Limited.
Common vol activated ability cycle: Why is Cannonade Taborist strictly better than Prodigal Pyromancer out-of-block? And why is his vol # higher than the tapper guy and the looter? I can understand Channeler's Rootwalla and Initiate's sac, but Taborist should be lowered to 3 - he kills a significant number of creatures. Seeker also comes online a turn before everyone else and is strictly better than Looter out-of-block, but the ability is deck-dependent so it seems fine.
Common manatune instants: Shielding Paean is awful on attack, but it fits the flavor. Countertone doesn't work because targets are chosen before costs are paid, so this doesn't take into account any cards you bounce to pay for it: change "with" to "if it has" and we've got a winner. The rest are solid but unexciting.
Common scout cycle: Good gods, do these guys suck. Requiring the same mana costs as the landwalk abilities they give only makes it that much less likely that they'll be useful at all, especially in Limited, and that mana cost for conditional unblockability is simply awful. Sadly, I can see these guys actually winning a (slow, painful) game against a mirror match who's run out of removal, especially the GU one.
Common vol self-pump cycle: Whipflare Spark is really good for common out-of-block...yeah. Not much else to say. They're all solid in their "turned off" states, except for said Spark.
Uncommon ascendant cycle: "May" is the only comment I had on these, then you changed it.
Uncommon manatune wisdom dudes: This isn't technically a cycle because Carillon Serpent is a common, but I may as well talk about it here. Standard on-color effects, nothing terribly exciting except Pelocanto Tocsinist (wow is that a mouthful) because of deckbuilding potential. Four of these can chain into each other. I wonder if that's a bad thing.
Rare "theme" Vol 5 cycle: Good fix on the blue one's cmc. Otherwise, they're just mimicking existing non-vol rares - again, solid but unexciting.
Mythic "tale" epic cycle: Immortal Harp feels sufficiently epic. Why the wonky reveal-mill-or-else-nothing clause on Infinite Chimes? Compare Enduring Ideal, a straight tutor is more elegant and less annoying. Deathless Viol is odd because if you reveal a card but don't put it in that player's hand, it stays on top of the deck anyway. Temporarily exiling the cards then putting them on the bottom clears that up, and could use "in any order" for clarity. How much better Relentless Drum would be if it wasn't random. "Each player and each creature" too good? Perhaps up the cost? Boundless Lute is fine, though I wish it weren't tied to hand size like the other Epic spells (makes a supremely lousy topdeck). We've already been-there-done-that with Endless Swarm.
Wow, that's a lot of words. I'll wrap it up for now and take a look at the rest later.
Manatune: Is there a reason why that wonky "without manatune" clause is in there? All manatune guys have pretty high mana costs - is there a degenerate combo in the works I don't know about? Flavorfully, I should think multiple manatune guys would be more "in tune" with each other. Mechanically it just makes players feel bad for having a bunch of manatune guys in their deck, and it feels like a very all-or-nothing mechanic (ex. all your lands tap for double mana, but you have to replay them), since unlike convoke and delve, you're incurring a significant cost in resources you might want to use in the future.
The ETB Cycle of Manatune cards like Pelocanto Tocsinist were getting kind of degenerate in limited testing, so I added the "without manatune" clause. They weren't really like a super-fast combo or anything - two manatune ETB guys just provided a dangerous, repeatable advantage. That's okay in trace amounts in limited, but picking up two was way too common. I could have erred here though, as my sample size is limited to about 4 sealed matches.
Flavorfully it could be interpreted either way, with manatune creature's interfering with the "tunes" of the other creatures. Mechanically, I see what you mean about players not wanting to have to have too many, but realistically its minimized - only lands and cheap creatures are typically candidates for bouncing.
Manatune definitely opens itself to immediate interpretation as an all-or-nothing like mechanic, but once you play with it some more, you realize that more often than not you're not going to be bouncing massive amounts of land in an attempt to turboboost out a fatty or to eek every bit out of an ETB effect. Manatune was often used for playing a creature even when you otherwise would be a land or two shy, or for refilling your hand for wisdom. It can be a significant cost, but it could also be as minimal as bouncing two lands and replaying one immediately.
Quote from Jenesis »
Wisdom: Two things. One, this mechanic encourages players to hold cards in their hands rather than play them. (Yes, I see the synergy with manatune offsets this somewhat.) Two, this mechanic is a "comparative threshold," in that only the highest-number player gets a benefit, and everyone else gets nothing. Games can stagnate into draw-go as neither player wants to give up his wisdom advantage, especially on an already clogged board or if one wisdom card has a great difference between its "on" and "off" state.
Both of these were important factors that I felt made the games not as enjoyable as I would've thought. You've noted that I tried to use manatune to circumvent the "I can't afford to play cards" mentality and were also correct in that it has proved woefully insufficient. I'm unsure as to how to fix this.
Crescendo: Why is this a keyword? Or, more specifically, why isn't this a keyword in some frequency at higher rarities? I know that this set is designed primarily for Limited, but the rare enabler doesn't really make sense given this focus, as it's unlikely you'll be swimming in multiple copies of different instants and sorceries. There's also the fact that all the Booming spells (except Plague) are very solid picks in their colors (unlike, say, Dampen Thought), so it's that much harder for one player to get multiples unless they're literally the only one playing that color in the pod. If you're leaving it at so few cards, unlike Epic, this ability isn't hard to write out, nor is it particularly novel (compare the Odyssey burst cycle and the Coldsnap cycle).
Both a rare Crescendo and a rare Manatune cycle are planned to be added when I work on expanding this to a full large set. You've noted that it was modeled heavily on the Coldsnap Ripple cycle (With even my own Thrumming Stone). Resounding Pillar is indeed a useless rare for limited, but I'm not too concerned with a set having a few rares like that.
Vol: Hate the name. Couldn't it be written out "Volume"? "Vol" by itself doesn't have any particular flavorful resonance. This has the same problem as manatune + wisdom, in that you don't want to play a bunch of these guys in the same deck, because only one can be active at a time, and when one of these guys is turned on, every other one, including your opponents', is turned off (with some exceptions; these are generally solid and consistent cards).
You've touched upon the second issue here, where having multiple creatures with Vol isn't really favorable. I similarly have very little idea how to fix this without drastically altering the set.
I'm don't feel particularly strongly towards either "vol" and "volume." I would like other's input before changing to to the latter though.
Random discard: Feels like purely a Spike mechanic, dependent on card quality. One of MaRo's GDS1 articles talked about how players didn't like discarding a bunch of cards to turn on threshold, and I suspect discarding cards at random will put off Timmies and Johnnies even more.
I could see several ways some of the red random discard rares could potentially be appealing towards Johnnies. I do see your point about how red could turn off Timmies - I'll make a note to add some type of large drawback-less dragon.
Really, I see red in Solescurio as having some important parallels with the Rakdos guild in Ravnica. That was a tad before my time, and I don't really recall how that was received - I'm sure you could enlighten me?
Epic: No problems here, except the exorbitant cost of some of these makes them much less likely to go off in Limited. I've been blown out by Endless Swarm before, but only because my opponent was digging like a fiend with Elder Pine of Jukai and I couldn't kill him quickly enough.
The set's primary focus is on limited, but I still wanted for it to feel like a realistic coherent set. I didn't take any pains to make sure that any specific rare would be playable in limited.
Common hybrid cycle: Why are the only hybrids in the set common? These should all be multicolor, imo. Unblockable and temporary exiling isn't red and Crop Rotation isn't blue. Of these I like the black/green one best - it's smartly costed so it can't return other copies of itself (as much as I like Corpse Recur, it's kinda ridic when it goes undisrupted.)
I'm cautious of dipping too heavily into multicolor, especially at the common level, as without excessive mana-fixing, it makes limited a nightmare. It also threatens to make cut limited into just the 5 enemy color pairs. These are hybrid and common mostly to facilitate enemy-colored decks, while giving the opportunity for allied-color decks as well.
Unbreakability in red is definitely borderline, and I took Noggle Bandit as an excuse for squeezing it in.
Temporary exiling has been change to giving target creature Double Strike until end of turn - does that sound good?
Crop rotation ability on Outworld Cartographer is both a flavor specific interpretation of the setting and an interpretation of Crop Rotation as Polymorph for lands. Yes, it's a stretch, but I couldn't really find any other passable ETB abilities for G/U, other than draw a card.
Uncommon duet cycle: There's an extraneous "of" in the first half of Spirittracer (double "t" kthx). I like the nod to Unearth. I'm not sure how Willweaver is green, since WU are the kings of un/tapping, but I suppose it gives you a second use out of your lands. Firestriker is interesting without being broken, though I'd still rather play Helix. Spellwright is a little close to Odds for me. Why can't Fleshcrafter be an instant? We've got Urge to Feed and Agony Warp, and it's not like Giant Growth is a particularly high pick in Limited.
Fixed Spirittracer's Duet.
Spellwright's was basically shoehorned into that slot by necessity of completing the cycle.
I guess Fleshcrafter can be an instant. Changed.
Mythic Planeswalkers: Very good synergy, something I see missing with a lot of 'walkers. Dharag's ultimate should use the emblem object type (You get an emblem with "ability"), as should Saviero's. Saviero's plus doesn't work at all because there's never a time during your main phase when a creature is attacking. "Whenever a creature attacks this turn, it gets +2/+0 until end of turn" would work, and combos with effects like his minus. Why the heck does Sevon have a starting loyalty higher than his cmc? His abilities aren't bad! Orith is fine but painfully unoriginal. I guess Maya's crap ultimate is fine in light of her low cmc and two plus abilities. First one should say "fewer cards" and for the second, "If no opponent has more cards in hand." Equally awkward?
Fixed Dharag and Saviero.
I don't think Sevon's starting loyalty makes him too powerful, and it allows him to be used to instantly accelerate into a 5cc creature.
Fixed Maya using your suggestions.
Uncommon land cycle: "As" abilities can't target. "An untapped land."
Fixed - thanks!
Common vol activated ability cycle: Why is Cannonade Taborist strictly better than Prodigal Pyromancer out-of-block? And why is his vol # higher than the tapper guy and the looter? I can understand Channeler's Rootwalla and Initiate's sac, but Taborist should be lowered to 3 - he kills a significant number of creatures. Seeker also comes online a turn before everyone else and is strictly better than Looter out-of-block, but the ability is deck-dependent so it seems fine.
Lowered Taborist to Vol 3, as per your suggestion. The 2/1 body was actually put there in an attempt to make not strictly worse than Prodigal Pyromancer.
Common manatune instants: Shielding Paean is awful on attack, but it fits the flavor. Countertone doesn't work because targets are chosen before costs are paid, so this doesn't take into account any cards you bounce to pay for it: change "with" to "if it has" and we've got a winner. The rest are solid but unexciting.
Fixed Countertone as per your suggestion.
Mythic "tale" epic cycle: Immortal Harp feels sufficiently epic. Why the wonky reveal-mill-or-else-nothing clause on Infinite Chimes? Compare Enduring Ideal, a straight tutor is more elegant and less annoying. Deathless Viol is odd because if you reveal a card but don't put it in that player's hand, it stays on top of the deck anyway. Temporarily exiling the cards then putting them on the bottom clears that up, and could use "in any order" for clarity. How much better Relentless Drum would be if it wasn't random. "Each player and each creature" too good? Perhaps up the cost? Boundless Lute is fine, though I wish it weren't tied to hand size like the other Epic spells (makes a supremely lousy topdeck). We've already been-there-done-that with Endless Swarm.
Not quite sure why Infinite Chimes was so weird. Made it look like Enduring Ideal.
Not sure if this was the wording you meant on Deathless Viol:
Tale of the Deathless Viol3BB
Sorcery (m)
Exile cards from the top of target player’s library until you exile a nonland card. You may put that card into that player’s hand. If you do, that player loses life equal to its converted mana cost and you gain life equal to the life lost this way. Put all cards exiled this way on the bottom of that player’s library in any order.
Epic (For the rest of the game, you can’t play spells. At the beginning of each of your upkeeps, copy this spell except for its epic ability. You may choose a new target for the copy.)
I could see "target player and each creature he or she controls" on Relentless Drum if I raise the cost by 1. I would like to keep the random discard though, in hopes of limiting its power and keeping it in line with red's random discard theme.
Much thanks for your fixes and criticism - they've already helped a lot.
Huh. Didn't notice there are only 6 cards with ripple.
I'm not super familiar with Ravnica play, but I will note from a design standpoint that turning on Hellbent for one Rakdos card makes all of them better, while discarding a random card to activate one SOL red card's ability reduces the amount of other cards' abilities you can use.
Crop Rotation Guy is less like Polymorph and more like a Trinket Mage for lands. What if it was like Merfolk Wayfinder's ability instead? "Reveal the top 4, put any revealed [basic] land cards into your hand, then Sage Owl (or bottom) the rest." Does the blue likes scrying, green likes lands thing without being totally degenerate.
Dharag's ultimate should say "They're still lands" (unless you want them not to be), Saverio's should use "are" instead of "become".
Yes, Deathless Viol being a bit like cascade, where if you don't want to put the exiled card in their hand, it goes on the bottom.
You still have "comes into play" for the vol reminder text.
Haunting Opera: How isn't this "If I have more cards in hand than you, 4 mana Wit's End at common"?
Initiation Bloodpsalm: There is no such thing as "the graveyard." I assume you mean "a graveyard" (so the Psalm's controller gains the life).
Extraneous "that" in Natural Cadence's second ability.
Harmonic Prism says "Rattling Prism" in its rules text.
I wish the enemy-color theme had more of a presence in the set. A few more off-color activations or "gets a bonus for [color] card" abilities at common would have done it. Right now, aside from the manafixing and a few rares, there's really no incentive for me to draft, say, WB as opposed to WU or BR.
Phantasomancer - What other blue cards get to kill creatures (as permanents, not spells) outright?
Forsaken Thanatos - Paying 3 life would probably be okay, but then you have two other cards in black which require you to pay life for gain. best not to overload on these effects as they're non-synergistic. A different method of payment would suffice.
Demolition Crew - Glad to see the power go up. I'd ass R as a cost to the LD ability so that it's a bit more in line with a similar card, Barbarian Riftcutter.
Thrillpulse Striker - Red tends to get temporary effects allow it to have a 2 cost 2+/1 creature with first strike, but not have one in its own right, especially with an additional bonus ability. It's just too good for the colour. If this creature was 1/1 with +2/) for having more cards in hand then yes, that would be acceptable. I suspect that one day will will see a generic 1R 2/1 FS; the only problem is this makes red quite a good defensive colour.
Whipflare Spark - Hmm, the issue with your newer version is that, without Vol, this is pretty useless. It's a fine line between obsoleting Spark Elemental and making it too good. How about this?
Whipflare Spark
R
Creature - Elemental
Common
Vol 1
When Whipflare Elemental enters the battlefield, if it has more Vol counters than any other permanent, you may have it get +2/+0 and gains haste and trample until end of turn. If you do, sacrifice it at the beginning of the next end step.
1/1
Natural Cadence v2 - Looks good.
Templemark Retriever - Now it doesn't feel black. Perhaps Beckon Apparition instead?
Fleshcrafter's Duet - As an instant this won't be that wow. Consume Strength wasn't that played and it gave you both. This is better, IMO, but not too good to warp the format.
Volatile Rattlesage - This is better. A Cerebral Vortex every turn (yet with no inherent bonus to your opponent) is still worthy of a higher cost though. 2UR for a 1/2 looks about right to me, but you can scale up either P or T as you see fit.
Outworld Cartographer - Yup, I like. I've always thought grabbing lands from your deck seemed more in line with blue's exploration than green's gardening / nature growing (who grows a Mountain or Island, honestly).
Soundswell Sword - Still love the name. It would make more sense if the ability granted by the sword pumped up the creature to which it was equipped, not just any old creature. Also, considering the length (cost & damage trigger) you go to to get the counter, you'd want it to do a bit more. Two counters would be even more fun, and would work with and throw off other Vol countered creatures. =J
Hushed Sanctuary - Yep, Tendo's a go-go.
Swiftsand - This works quite nicely with Manatune, but may still be too strong at -1/-1. Hard to know without playtesting.
With the Vol cards, the one that struck me immediately was Zithershield Vanguage. It's easily a 2W 3/4 vigilance at common with little in the way to disrupt that. That's too strong. Many of your Vol cards, when played in a non-Vol environment, are simply too good for their cost. Vol is only a drawback within the confines of this set.
There are a couple of ways out of this rut. Vol counters can be used as a depleting resource, however in some cases you will have to ensure that the resource does deplete to prevent the card remaining too strong. Another option is to make Vol some kind of drawback, similar to how Shadowmoor used -1/-1 counters, however this isn't advisable as it adds unnecessary complexity and weakens cards. Thirdly, you could have the card do a bit extra to get those counters - Fettlesinger is a good example of this.
Interesting tidbit: On French cards, Vol is Flying.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Gaymer
Custom Card / Set Reviewer
When reviewing custom cards / sets, I look for (a) flavour, (b) function, and (c) cohesiveness, generally through a risk focus.
I'm not super familiar with Ravnica play, but I will note from a design standpoint that turning on Hellbent for one Rakdos card makes all of them better, while discarding a random card to activate one SOL red card's ability reduces the amount of other cards' abilities you can use.
True. I can't think of a theme that would fit both red and the set as a whole better though - it pairs well with manatune, blue's carddraw for the R/U pair, and gives red a unique way to make handsize matter.
Crop Rotation Guy is less like Polymorph and more like a Trinket Mage for lands. What if it was like Merfolk Wayfinder's ability instead? "Reveal the top 4, put any revealed [basic] land cards into your hand, then Sage Owl (or bottom) the rest." Does the blue likes scrying, green likes lands thing without being totally degenerate.
That's a solid idea. Changed.
Dharag's ultimate should say "They're still lands" (unless you want them not to be), Saverio's should use "are" instead of "become".
Fixed.
You still have "comes into play" for the vol reminder text.
Good catch.
Haunting Opera: How isn't this "If I have more cards in hand than you, 4 mana Wit's End at common"?
The way it's written is certainly incorrect. How would you suggest wording it so that the process is only repeated once?
Initiation Bloodpsalm: There is no such thing as "the graveyard." I assume you mean "a graveyard" (so the Psalm's controller gains the life).
Fixed.
Extraneous "that" in Natural Cadence's second ability.
Fixed.
Harmonic Prism says "Rattling Prism" in its rules text.
Likewise.
I wish the enemy-color theme had more of a presence in the set. A few more off-color activations or "gets a bonus for [color] card" abilities at common would have done it. Right now, aside from the manafixing and a few rares, there's really no incentive for me to draft, say, WB as opposed to WU or BR.
If you'll check the prospective additions category, I've got two pending cycles for addition when I expand the set, one of which seems to fit what you're talking about. Again, thanks for the criticism and fixes.
Phantasomancer - What other blue cards get to kill creatures (as permanents, not spells) outright?
I'm not quite sure what you mean by outright - Phantasomancer certainly does not go as far as direct creature destruction. It's more akin to Frozen Solid than Doom Blade.
Forsaken Thanatos - Paying 3 life would probably be okay, but then you have two other cards in black which require you to pay life for gain. best not to overload on these effects as they're non-synergistic. A different method of payment would suffice.
Would sacrificing a Swamp and -2/-2 be within Black's domain?
Demolition Crew - Glad to see the power go up. I'd ass R as a cost to the LD ability so that it's a bit more in line with a similar card, Barbarian Riftcutter.
I'm not quite sure that's necessary - I don't want to make this too unplayable in limited.
Thrillpulse Striker - Red tends to get temporary effects allow it to have a 2 cost 2+/1 creature with first strike, but not have one in its own right, especially with an additional bonus ability. It's just too good for the colour. If this creature was 1/1 with +2/) for having more cards in hand then yes, that would be acceptable. I suspect that one day will will see a generic 1R 2/1 FS; the only problem is this makes red quite a good defensive colour.
1/1 and +2/+0 then, I guess.
Whipflare Spark - Hmm, the issue with your newer version is that, without Vol, this is pretty useless. It's a fine line between obsoleting Spark Elemental and making it too good. How about this?
Whipflare Spark
R
Creature - Elemental
Common
Vol 1
When Whipflare Elemental enters the battlefield, if it has more Vol counters than any other permanent, you may have it get +2/+0 and gains haste and trample until end of turn. If you do, sacrifice it at the beginning of the next end step.
1/1
That sounds great.
Templemark Retriever - Now it doesn't feel black. Perhaps Beckon Apparition instead?
A fine alternative.
Volatile Rattlesage - This is better. A Cerebral Vortex every turn (yet with no inherent bonus to your opponent) is still worthy of a higher cost though. 2UR for a 1/2 looks about right to me, but you can scale up either P or T as you see fit.
2UR and 2/2 sounds good.
Outworld Cartographer - Yup, I like. I've always thought grabbing lands from your deck seemed more in line with blue's exploration than green's gardening / nature growing (who grows a Mountain or Island, honestly).
What do you think of Jenesis's idea of making the ability akin to Merfolk Wayfinder?
Soundswell Sword - Still love the name. It would make more sense if the ability granted by the sword pumped up the creature to which it was equipped, not just any old creature. Also, considering the length (cost & damage trigger) you go to to get the counter, you'd want it to do a bit more. Two counters would be even more fun, and would work with and throw off other Vol countered creatures. =J
Updated with both suggestions. This does start to infringe upon the domain of Willtether Flutes. I've changed the latter to the following:
Willtether Flutes2
Artifact — Equipment (r)
When equipped creature leaves the battlefield, put a volume counter on Willtether Flutes.
Remove three volume counter from Willtether Flutes: Return target creature card from your graveyard to play.
Equip 2
With the Vol cards, the one that struck me immediately was Zithershield Vanguage. It's easily a 2W 3/4 vigilance at common with little in the way to disrupt that. That's too strong. Many of your Vol cards, when played in a non-Vol environment, are simply too good for their cost. Vol is only a drawback within the confines of this set.
There are a couple of ways out of this rut. Vol counters can be used as a depleting resource, however in some cases you will have to ensure that the resource does deplete to prevent the card remaining too strong. Another option is to make Vol some kind of drawback, similar to how Shadowmoor used -1/-1 counters, however this isn't advisable as it adds unnecessary complexity and weakens cards. Thirdly, you could have the card do a bit extra to get those counters - Fettlesinger is a good example of this.
Is a 3/4 white creature for 2W really too powerful for Standard? Would making it 3/3 with bonus be better?
I don't think the Vol cards can be evaluated in isolation, even in a constructed environment. Any environment where are played in can't be simply a non-Vol environment. Your deck may have some pretty solid vol guys if left unmolested, but you can bet that your opponent's will be playing some vol permanents as well.
Interesting tidbit: On French cards, Vol is Flying.
That's perhaps a tad more than an interesting tidbit - Changing it to Volume would probably be necessary to avoid confusion. Fixed.
--------------------------------------------
Some updates. First of all, a change to the horribly inelegant Tale of the Deathless Viol:
Tale of the Deathless Viol4BB
Sorcery (m)
Exile the top three cards of target player’s library. You may put any of those cards into that player’s hand. For each card you do so, that player loses life equal to its converted mana cost and you gain life equal to the life lost this way.
Epic (For the rest of the game, you can’t play spells. At the beginning of each of your upkeeps, copy this spell except for its epic ability. You may choose a new target for the copy.)
This reduces the amount of text, which is important because at it were, the text could barely fit on the card (I don't really feel like I can afford to cut off the reminder text for Epic when it occurs so rarely). It's perhaps a little bit more exciting now, as well?
Second, I've thought some bit about what Jenesis was saying about comparative wisdom cards not being fun for the players and encouraging stalled games where no one wants to play a card. What do you guys think about changing most of the comparative wisdom conditions to "if you have X or more cards in hand?" Not sure what would be a fair value for X, since varying it would be too confusing. Perhaps 3 or 4? That way at least after that point, players could feel free to play cards again.
I might keep the comparative clause on Maya Mitsumi, though, because of inherent synergies. Black could even get a negative version of Wisdom, where bonuses are only activated if your opponent as a certain amount of cards or less, giving it a much needed theme. Since this would be a fairly serious change, I thought I'd get some feedback before going in an altering all of the cards.
Third, I've been toying with doing a similar change to Volume, where Volume creatures get their bonus unless a permanent has more volume counters on it. This increase their ability to work together a little with other creatures that are "in tune" with it. The problems with it would be that it's a tad off flavorfully, it makes the Volume creatures quite a bit harder to turn off, and it doesn't really eliminate the disadvantages of having multiple creatures with Volume.
A similar change would see the condition adjusted to only be deactivated if your opponent has a a permanent with the same or more volume counters. That shares the flavor issues with the first proposed change (although it could be written off as your creatures sharing the same "melody" that's disparate from your opponent's melody), but fixes the other two issues nicely. Again, I'd be grateful if you could provide your insight on this.
"Wisdomcraft" could work (choosing a number lower than 7 - that was a major flaw of Saviors design), though I think the most fun would be if it scaled with # of cards in hand. Of course, that's the hardest to balance.
For volume - What if only a permanent with the same number of counters "blanked" it out? If you listen to real music, there's a ton of melodies and harmonies, louds and softs, high and low pitches. Obviously this would require a lot of rebalancing, but the idea is you'd get synergies between Volume 1, 2, and 3 guys, and maybe create cards that allow you to shift the number of volume counters on a guy up and down.
Fettlesinger: extra "damage" in the text. This is a good way to do it.
Lucca: Her powerlevel is a bit worrisome because all your creatures can never die. Would it be so much worse if it cost W? There's no 0cmc white creature nowadays, but there may be in the future.
Canal Azurewatch: Indestructible on a wall is pretty redundant, but as a wisdom-enabler in disguise he's pretty good.
Spelltempo Analyst: Triple-blue flash-granter guy, when white seems to have the majority of the flash cards in this set? Feels like he belongs elsewhere.
Surging Sky Swallower: He's already Terminate, gg - would a Spellbook clause make this guy too good, as presumably you're already returning 7 cards (your tapped lands) to your hand? If you're going to go big, go big!
Waterstrider Lullaby: I'm not a fan of the fact that only one ability is useful at a time.
Aronne: Flying? Is that because she's a "High" Confessor? I predict a lot of extremely swingy games. Maybe lower the life/pump a bit and once/turn?
Dark Consultation: Really interesting drawback. Plays well with Demented Judge.
Forsaken Thanatos: Seems too good, really, since lands are often blank in the lategame. Trading my 0-mana card for your 3-mana card is hardly ever a bad deal.
Gluttonous Abomination: Why make the choice easy? If this was a rare, I could see land, but as it's an uncommon I'd restrict it to creature.
Haunting Opera: "...repeat this process once."
Brightpyre Phoenix: Swapping a random card in your hand for an unkillable 4/3 haste flier worries me a bit. Maybe if it was two cards.
Jovial Evil, Dwarven Shrine As an additional cost to play Calamitious Finale, discard any number of cards at random.
Calamitious Finale deals X damage to target player and each creature he or she controls, where X is twice the number of cards discarded this way.
In general WotC doesn't like making people do X-related math.
Yorescarred Walker: Unimpressive body and two abilities that don't work well together. Meh.
Briarmight Diapason: If you have a bunch of creatures, a bunch of lands, and a bunch of cards in hand, how aren't you already winning? Win-more cards that are worthless when you're losing are especially bad.
Earthroar Horde: I like, something for Timmy/Johnny to play with.
Vicious Packlord: The standard for a 1CC lord is 2/2, but I suppose the ability isn't as good as haste, unblockability, or making more mana.
Composition Crafter: The abilities don't seem to have anything to do with each other. Infy/infy Wake Thrasher?
Harmonic Prism has two instances of the word "Sacrifice."
Plague Engine doesn't fit the set. Seems like a totally random Spike rare.
"Wisdomcraft" could work (choosing a number lower than 7 - that was a major flaw of Saviors design), though I think the most fun would be if it scaled with # of cards in hand. Of course, that's the hardest to balance.
I already have quite a few that scale with the number of cards - I think it would be nice to be able to include "wisdom" matters on cards that would otherwise not be able to have an effective scaling wisdom clause. I'm sort of leaning towards 3 - I'll test it out and let you guys know.
For volume - What if only a permanent with the same number of counters "blanked" it out? If you listen to real music, there's a ton of melodies and harmonies, louds and softs, high and low pitches. Obviously this would require a lot of rebalancing, but the idea is you'd get synergies between Volume 1, 2, and 3 guys, and maybe create cards that allow you to shift the number of volume counters on a guy up and down.
That's certainly an idea, but I'm not sure you'll get enough Volume creatures in limited to make it matter. Even if you pick up three creatures of the same volume, chances aren't that high that they'd disrupt each other. It would also make interacting with your opponent's Volume creatures harder, as now you have to "aim."
Fettlesinger: extra "damage" in the text. This is a good way to do it.
Fixed.
Lucca: Her powerlevel is a bit worrisome because all your creatures can never die. Would it be so much worse if it cost W? There's no 0cmc white creature nowadays, but there may be in the future.
I think I agree with this - Alexis Janson talked a lot about the importance of "shields down" moments, and this would certainly add one.
Spelltempo Analyst: Triple-blue flash-granter guy, when white seems to have the majority of the flash cards in this set? Feels like he belongs elsewhere.
Technically, white is focused on tactical combat - this is represented mechanically through flash on creatures as a theme. Giving sorceries flash is another thing altogether. Regardless, you're correct that this a just a filler rare. I'll make a note to replace it if I think of something better. I do like the name though, in relation to the set's theme - in a world where music is magic the importance of tempo in spellweaving certainly seems intriguing.
Surging Sky Swallower: He's already Terminate, gg - would a Spellbook clause make this guy too good, as presumably you're already returning 7 cards (your tapped lands) to your hand? If you're going to go big, go big!
That's a good idea. I left it off initially because of power concerns, but playing it makes you vulnerable enough that I think you're correct.
Waterstrider Lullaby: I'm not a fan of the fact that only one ability is useful at a time.
Eh, I think it's okay. I like how you can pacify your opponent's creatures or give your own creatures islandwalk. I also like the tension before playing it where if you have to decide whether or not you can tap down the enchanted creature every turn because you just made it effectively unblockable.
Aronne: Flying? Is that because she's a "High" Confessor? I predict a lot of extremely swingy games. Maybe lower the life/pump a bit and once/turn?
The flavor here is that the Aronne is not quite human. In exchange for his life energy, he is gifted with twisted Elder strength. I wanted to keep the Hatred feel without making it too powerful, and 7 is a perfect number, as it restricts you to two uses (assuming no life gain).
Forsaken Thanatos: Seems too good, really, since lands are often blank in the lategame. Trading my 0-mana card for your 3-mana card is hardly ever a bad deal.
Do you think -1/-1 instead of -2/-2 or sacrificing more lands would sufficiently weaken the card, or would you recommend another cost entirely?
Gluttonous Abomination: Why make the choice easy? If this was a rare, I could see land, but as it's an uncommon I'd restrict it to creature.
Without any notable token generators in the text, I fear that restricting it to just creatures would make the card too bad. If you think it's too powerful, do you think making it 5/5 would suffice?
Haunting Opera: "...repeat this process once."
Really, that would work? I thought that adding "once" wouldn't really change anything, because technically you only repeat it once each time before you follow the instruction again.
Brightpyre Phoenix: Swapping a random card in your hand for an unkillable 4/3 haste flier worries me a bit. Maybe if it was two cards.
I can see that.
Jovial Evil, Dwarven Shrine As an additional cost to play Calamitious Finale, discard any number of cards at random.
Calamitious Finale deals X damage to target player and each creature he or she controls, where X is twice the number of cards discarded this way.
In general WotC doesn't like making people do X-related math.
Thanks.
Yorescarred Walker: Unimpressive body and two abilities that don't work well together. Meh.
How's this?:
Yorescarred Walker3RR
Creature — Giant Warrior (u)
Whenever you discard a card at random, Yorescarred Walker deals 1 damage to target creature or player.
Discard a card at random: Yorescarred Walker has first strike until end of turn. “The time will come when the songcasters will pay in blood for the scars of my ancestors.”
6/3
Briarmight Diapason: If you have a bunch of creatures, a bunch of lands, and a bunch of cards in hand, how aren't you already winning? Win-more cards that are worthless when you're losing are especially bad.
Briarmight Diapason plays a role very similar to Overrun in limited. Overrun is definitely not a win-more card (if anything it permits you to win games you have no business winning), and having three cards in hand and one additional mana isn't difficult enough to make this card practical only in select situations. Especially with manatune in the set, it could turn out surprisingly powerful and could definitely steal games for players who are behind in a race.
Vicious Packlord: The standard for a 1CC lord is 2/2, but I suppose the ability isn't as good as haste, unblockability, or making more mana.
Testing has actually shown this card to be fairly powerful. I won't change it yet, but I'll keep an eye on it during any more games I playtest.
Composition Crafter: The abilities don't seem to have anything to do with each other. Infy/infy Wake Thrasher?
Yeah, the maximum hand size clause was a relic from when Eversong Titan had the same clause and I figured that having a playable Spellbook effect at common would be good.
The effects don't really link mechanically, but both sort of get across the "utility robot" feel that I'm going for. I'm not too concerned about the Wave Thrasher combo, as Composition Crafter is far from the only card that combos with it.
Harmonic Prism has two instances of the word "Sacrifice."
Fixed.
Plague Engine doesn't fit the set. Seems like a totally random Spike rare.
Forsaken Thanatos: Generally this kind of effect involves a mana payment, sacrificing a creature, and/or tapping to activate. See Drana, Kalastria Bloodchief; Phyrexian Plaguelord. Play around with it.
Gluttonous: 5/5 could work. Makes it a fair bit more deal-with-able. (Trades with Angel, dies to Flashdance, etc)
Haunting Opera: Development
Saying "X more times" means that, and no more.
Scarred Walker: Nice.
Diapason: Yes, you have manatune, but those guys are fairly sizeable anyway (if you have Timberchant Wurm in play, pumping it is just win-more). The major difference is that Overrun is awesome in topdeck mode, while this is awful until you wait a few more turns to build up your hand size. Then consider we got an Overrun upgrade in Overwhelming Stampede (having one 3/x guy is easier than having 3 cards in hand, especially when you're green). Then again, I haven't played with the set, so it may be the case that players are holding cards in hand.
Forsaken Thanatos: Generally this kind of effect involves a mana payment, sacrificing a creature, and/or tapping to activate. See Drana, Kalastria Bloodchief; Phyrexian Plaguelord. Play around with it.
I was going to fool around with a -X/-X effect, but I feel like Black really already has enough. I figured changing it in anticipation of Black's discard/antiwisdomcraft subtheme would be a good idea:
Forsaken Thanatos2BB
Creature — Beast Shaman (r) T: Target player discards a card. Activate this ability only any time you could cast a sorcery. 4B, T: Put target creature card in a graveyard onto the battlefield under your control. Exiled by the city and abandoned by the forest, the desperate thanatos wander the plane crafting their resentment into terrible discordant magic.
2/2
Diapason: Yes, you have manatune, but those guys are fairly sizeable anyway (if you have Timberchant Wurm in play, pumping it is just win-more). The major difference is that Overrun is awesome in topdeck mode, while this is awful until you wait a few more turns to build up your hand size. Then consider we got an Overrun upgrade in Overwhelming Stampede (having one 3/x guy is easier than having 3 cards in hand, especially when you're green). Then again, I haven't played with the set, so it may be the case that players are holding cards in hand.
From what I've played, there's lots of reasons for keeping cards in your hand and plenty of ways to get it accomplished. Some manatune creatures are large, but just as many aren't very big at all, and there exists also the manatune instants. I'll make another note to watch this along with Vicious Packlord in testing.
The new 79 cards to be added to Solescurio are tentatively finished and ready for review.
Additionally, a sizable portion of the old cards have been changed (to the extent that it would almost be unjustified to say the set completely redesigned) as well to better accommodate the new introductions, to reflect new thoughts on the set themes, and to adjust to observations from playtesting, both of the sealed deck and 2-of-each-common-plus-lands variety. Major mechanical changes include Volume not being deactivated by your own creatures with greater volume, and crescendo being eliminated altogether. "Wisdomcraft" was abandoned because the straight up comparative wisdom was not proving disruptive enough in limited to justify losing the interaction, although "antiwisdomcraft" persists in Black as a mechanical theme.
Comments on the new cards are especially appreciated, though I'd encourage even those who looked through the old set to scan through them again in order to be able to judge the set holistically.
I notice a predominance of creatures as opposed to noncreatures in white common and uncommon, but the way you sort your cards is inconsistent. I suggest sorting them all (folding the "pending additions" into the set proper) by creature, then noncreature, each group in order of ascending cmc (like Wizards does). Then you can determine if your set has the ratio of creatures to noncreatures that you want for each color.
Streetguard Silencer, being a super-strong but narrow hate card, seems uncommon. On the other hand, Unmasked Elder is fine.
I'd like to see one of the common manatune cards have a "wisdomcraft" rider. Maybe Shielding Paean can block X additional creatures, where that's the number of cards in your hand? In practice that won't make much difference (how often are 5+ creatures attacking you?) but it reinforces the set theme.
Mystifying Canticle is crap, with only one common white enchantment in the set (a one-cmc Aura).
Does Cryptviol Initiate have volume 4 or 5?
Ravenous Bloodwing seems a bit too swingy for common. Consider that Putrid Leech requires a specific manabase, doesn't have evasion, and still sees plenty of play in Extended. You don't even have to activate the ability if your unblockable 2/2 is getting the job done.
Booming Rise and Macabre Waltz are both common 2-mana sorceries that can Raise Dead. One of them needs to die.
Aria of Dominance's reminder text should be italicized.
Forsaken Thanatos: You may want to use "any number," like Cranial Extraction's update Memoricide, which avoids unnecessary judge calls.
Every red rare except the ones in cycles has the text "Discard ... at random." That's pushing your theme a bit much. For reference, there are five total cards that care about randomly discarding at common and uncommon combined.
Relentless Drum is meh (compare Form of the Dragon) and overlaps the design space of Calamitous Finale.
How is Boundless Lute supposed to win you the game, compared to "Make 10 billion lifelinking tokens," "Tutor my whole deck," "Zombify everyone else's best creatures," and "Burn the world"?
Incremental Rattlesage: Compare Kaho, Minamo Historian. You have to write it all out, really - you may as well say "three instant or sorcery cards with converted mana cost 2 or less," though the flavor will need changing. I suppose you were going for a "Cone of spells" here, though that would make a much better instant/sorcery itself: "Search your library for an instant or sorcery card with converted mana cost 1, AIOSCWCMC2, and AIOSCWCMC3, and reveal them. Put the revealed cards into your hand and shuffle your library."
Oathsworn Angel: How is this an Angel without the Angel creature type? Also, the ability seems very meta-dependent and will do next to nothing in Limited, for sure.
Harmonic Prism should only say "Draw a card" once, I think.
Composition Crafter: Is there a very good reason that this doesn't say "another target permanent"?
Based on the order of the abilities, is Tablet's last ability supposed to be usable only on the battlefield?
You couldn't find an awesome-sounding musical name for Plague Engine? Or is it flavored as elder/outworld magic?
Willtether Flutes: "To the battlefield."
Enemy-bounce uncommon duals: You don't need "instead." Overgrown Tomb and friends.
I'm pretty sure the RW rare dual should be "Marauder."
On to the new stuff!
"Accent" cycle: Do we really need an un-landfalled Mysteries of the Deep in every color? I could see some of them being "cycled" for no strategic purpose (like playing the green one on an opponent's creature at their eot) just to draw cards.
"Vesper" means "evening" in Classical Latin. "Welkin" is an archaic term referring to the upper sky. I think we're missing a noun here.
Trailblazer Refrain is just a tweaked Jace's Erasure, but I suppose it fits blue's theme of card drawing.
An Assassin with huge power and no abilities? ...Sure?
Daunting Accent: Why the hell would you ever want to play this at instant speed??
Vinereveille Patrol: There's cool and foreign-sounding, then there's just utter gobbledygook. What's wrong with just "Reveille"?
Bells: Nicely implemented, I like.
Discord Sower: Did Locust Miser need to be made strictly better?
Erratic Encore: Plays nicely with the "discard at random" theme in red. The Surreal Memoir of the deck.
Lutesworn Behemoth: I'd shrink his base stats a bit, considering he's already a 6/6 trample if you have one other Beast. Compare Baloth Woodcrasher, who costs G more, and requires landfall to be 8/8 for a turn.
Raveling Kudzu: At first I thought you meant "unravel" and it was a typo. Then I checked the dictionary. In general, not having to check the dictionary is good.
I'm really not a fan of the Seals, since you already have a multicolored cycle of generic "glue gun" cards in the Duets. Also, Seals tend to be more powerful than their comparable instants, because you don't have to keep holding up mana for them. Maybe in another set, but I don't think this one needs a cycle of Ravnica knock-off Spike cards.
Perpetual Pastorale: It's an interesting effect I haven't seen before.
Echoshaper: "3UU: Kill target Commander and your opponent's second-best creature too"?
Intuition Chord: Interesting mind game for both players.
Pestiferous Fugue: Consider Night of Souls' Betrayal is legendary, and this is better most of the time.
Null Vox: This should be Mythic, if only because it can aggravate casual players to Mythic proportions. Amusingly, this goes quite well alongside the turn 1-Grim Lavamancer turn 2-double Wild Nacatl draw. Note also that you will get to draw a card immediately after the last "vanishing" counter is removed.
Assoluto: 10 mana on turn 6? Fairly clunky but fairly nutty, especially in Commander.
Mythics: Something for everyone (except Limited players, though I guess Fleshling is it)? Where's red?
Set Name: Solescurio
Size: 249 cards (15 Mythic Rares, 53 Rares, 60 Uncommons, 101 Commons, 20 Basic Lands)
Keywords: Manatune, Volume, Epic
Mechanics: Hand Size (Wisdom), Multicolor (Enemy Colors)
Exp. Code: SOL
Solescurio is a plane where a beautiful cityscape dotted with ancient towers meshes fluidly with the twisting canals. Outside of the city proper lays wilderness pristine and undisturbed by the sprawl of civilization. On this idylllic plane, the source of all magic is music, a natural fact exalted by the residents who masterfully play all manner of instruments. This peace is due to be shattered, however, as outside planeswalkerrs intrude upon the plane to find the elusive Eversong, one melody rumoured to be powerful enough to generate enough mana to sustain an entire plane.These outsiders quickly discover that they are not the first to seek this power — dark horrors from the outside planes arrived thousands of years prior and don't take kindly to competition.
For an idea of the world itself, Solescurio is both the name of the plane and the massive country-sized city that sits on the bottom pole of the globe. The city is ringed by five gatehouses that lead into the lower Selvaggia, the forest wilderness that encompasses the rest of the southern hemisphere. Past the equator, outsider magic (such as those of planeswalkers and the elder) are nullified, creating the border for the upper Selvaggia. In the center of the upper Selvaggia, on the northern pole of the world, lies the sacred World Tree, where the Eversong is rumored to be hidden.
Indigenous magic in this world is powered exclusively by music, a sacred connection that is taken for granted by its inhabitants. While traditional fantasy weapons are still used in combat, wizards and other magic casters use all manner of musical instruments to channel their energy. Even melee combat has been altered by the setting, with enchanted flutes and cymbalscale armor proving to be the equivalent of typical enchanted weapons. Civilian life is affected as well by the musical nature of magic. Gondoliers strum beautifully on lutes to steer passengers through the canals, and boisterous pipers craft dough into intricate pastries. A stroll through Solescurio would truly be breathtaking, with its traditional Venetian beauty complemented by the perpetual musical harmony in the air.
The gentler areas of the lower Selvaggia exists in the same musical vein. Sacred magical locales continuously resonate dulcet tones, like a waterfall falling to the tune of a thousand chimes in the wind, or a mountain pulsing with urging beat of a massive drum. This natural magic inspires intrepid explorers to write their own impassioned ballads that themselves will grow to carry their own melodious energy.
In the upper Selvaggia, the Pelocanto too have become excellent musicians to survive in the unforgiving forest. The music here is not as melodious, but more noble and powerful. Bolstered by this magic, the Pelocanto have established a stable, if not peaceful, existence centered upon the protection of the forest. Separated by the lower Selvaggia, the Pelocanto are only loosely aware of the existence of Solescurio, and the existence of savage beast-people in the forest is merely a spurious rumor among the explorers.
Discordant music exists, and its use is as vile and forbidden as necromancy in more traditional settings. Only the most depraved of souls seek to harness this wild energy, and more are consumed by the unnatural effort than successful in controlling the massive energy generated. These medleys of misshapen chords and sour scales brings about aberrant results and are responsible for most of the forsaken abominations in the wilderness and city sewers.
Two primary groups of exceptions exist - the twisted magic of the Elder and the outworld strength of the planeswalkers. The elder represent the very opposite of the Solescurio natives - their very aura silences the air and their touch is sufficient to eliminate any hint of rhythm. The planeswalkers have their own unique power sources, and their ability to use magic without making a sound never fails to marvel the denizens of Solescurio.
Manatune (Each permanent without manatune you return to your hand while casting this spell reduces its cost by 1 or by one mana of that permanent's color.)
Volume X (This creature/permanent enters the battlefield with X volume counters on it.)
Manatune is used to supplement the "wisdom" mechanic present in all colors. Flavorfully, it represents creatures and spells that have a natural affinity with music. It exists in commons and uncommons as easy ways to fill your hand, large creatures that can be snuck in early at a serious cost, and combat tricks that mess with both the board and the size of each player's hand.
Volume is primarily used on creatures, with the values varying based on the strength of the bonus that is given when that creature has the highest Volume on the board. Flavorfully, it represents the musical "volume" of a certain creature, and that only the loudest would be active because it "drowns" out all other musical competitors. My goal for limited play would be to make Volume 1 rarely active and Volume 5 almost always active, with creatures with Volume used both because of their effectiveness and for their ability to disrupt your opponent's Volume creatures.
Epic is used in a manner similar to its use in Saviors of Kamigawa. It's only used in a cycle of mythics, each of which representing a legendary epic ballad centered upon a mythical instrument in the same style as more traditional setting would revere legendary weapons.
The Guard: The Tutela guard is primarily responsible for the safety of the citizens within the city proper. Having not faced any true adversary for the better part of thirty years, most of the soldiers have not experienced actual combat - their daily vigil is defined by a constant struggle against the rogues of the city streets. They are stationed in squads throughout the massive city, but their headquarters is the massive Cittadella Avorio in the center of Solescurio. They are funded primary by the more conscientious members of the aristocracy, the most notable of which is Saviero Addobati, a planeswalker who has recently ignited his spark.
The Guard are primarily white, with red being a secondary color. Mechanically, they favor aggressive assaults, as well as calculated ambushes, represented by the prevalence of flash.
The Explorers: The cartographers and explorers are drawn to the mysteries and challenges of the Selvaggia. They are typically organized in companies, the largest of which have several thousands members and multiple concurrent excursions. Their aims are as varied as their personalities - some seek to get wealthy of off the forest's rich spoils, others seek fame for walking where none other had done for, but many explore simply for the thrill of discovery. The company bases are typically stationed and affiliated with one of the five gatehouses, and many have camps set up at varying depths into the Selvaggia. One conspicuous explorer is Sevon Gandalar, a gifted extraplanar explorer who views the Selvaggia as an ultimate challenge.
The Explorers are primarily blue, with green being a secondary color. Mechanically, focus most heavily out of all the colors on card-drawing and bounce, giving it a greater number of manatune cards than any other color.
The Church: The Strada Grigio is the dominant church in Solescurio. Its basilicas are spread through each of the city's dioceses and presided over by a bishop. On the lower echelons, they are a genuinely benevolent organization, but the higher branches are dominated exclusively by the Elder, a race of twisted Lovecraftian humanoid horrors that arrived on the plane thousands of years ago. The ultimate goal of the Chruch parallels the objective of the Elder - to locate and harness the energy of the Eversong for their own designs. The Catterdrale Grigio is the largest cathedral of the Chruch, positioned directly across the Cittadella Avorio, an ironic statement considering that the wealthy aristocrat-backed Church is frequently beyond the authority of the law. Orith Mundur is a planeswalker who has infiltrated the Strada Grigio in the same manner as the Elder. After discovering the existence of the Elder, he has made it his objective to purge the Chruch of this evil.
The Church is primarily black, with white being a secondary color. Mechanically, they are shaping out to be focused on reducing your opponent's hands size, through discard or other abilities.
The Ruffians: The rogues and strongmen of the streets lead a dangerous life, skittering constantly just out of reach of the Tutela Guard. Ranging from illicit merchants providing the nobles of the city with saurian eggs from the forest to desperate highway man accosting hapless travelers in dark alleys, the ruffians are united only by the constant risk of their daily lives. They flourish in the underworld of even the most stringently guarded regions, and in areas where the Tutela is weak, they rage almost outright war. Maya Mitsumi, known on the streets as the Queen of Tricks, has seized control of the underworld. Under her guidance, she has crafted an extensive intelligence network that exposes all but the most protected secrets of Solescurio.
The Ruffians are primarily red, with blue being a secondary color. Mechanically, they are risk-taking barbarians and reckless vagabonds, represented by the random discard mechanic.
The Beasts: The Pelocanto of the upper Selvaggia are a warlike nation of beast-humanoids. Though there exists some intertribe conflict, the groups of Pelocanto are largely united in their reverence for nature. They are ruthless in their persecution of trespassers, though, and several patrols exist along the equator and border between upper and lower Selvaggia for this very purpose. Prior experience has taught them not to stray too far from the haven of the upper forest, where menacing outsider powers are nullified. The center of their worship is the World Tree at the northernmost center of the forest. A group of exiles from Solescurio exists also in the upper Selvaggia in an uneasy coexistence with the Pelocanto. Led by Dharag Venthos, these exiles plot to redress the grievous wrong inflicted upon them by the Solescurio nobles thirty years ago.
The Beasts are primarily green, with black being a secondary color. Mechanically, they rely on the strength of the group and the force of nature, represented by a Beast-tribal theme.
Goals: My objective here is to make each faction and enemy color combination feasible in limited, but to not make it linear enough so that they are the only possible combinations. To this end, enemy colors tend to work well together, but the definitive mechanics are either lacking or modular enough that they don't pose a significant restriction to allied color decks if the opportunity arises.
Renders Here (Outdated and Incomplete)
Bassgleam Volunteer W
Creature - Human Soldier (C)
1/2
Voltenor Chaplain 1W
Creature - Human Cleric (C)
B: Regenerate ~.
2/2
Booming Squadron 1W
Creature - Human Soldier (c)
First Strike
When Booming Squadron enters the battlefield, you may search your library for up to three cards named Booming Squadron, reveal them, put them into your hand, then shuffle your library.
1/1
Trillhawk 1W
Creature — Bird (c)
Flash
Flying
Trillhawk gets +1/+1 if you have more cards in hand than each opponent.
Although their cries more melodic, Solescurio hawks are no less fierce than those found elsewhere.
1/1
Tutela Scout 1W
Creature — Human Scout (c)
Plainswalk
4R: Target creature gains mountainwalk until end of turn.
In the name of the law, there’s no road they have not patrolled, no building they have not mapped.
2/1
Charming Concertinist 2W
Creature — Human Wizard (c)
Volume 3 (This permanent enters the battlefield with three volume counters on it.)
T: Tap target creature. Activate this ability only if Charming Concertinist has more volume counters than each permanent you don’t control.
When he plays, everyone listens.
2/2
Intervention Warpriest 2W
Creature — Human Cleric (c)
Flash
When Intervention Warpriest enters the battlefield, prevent the next 2 damage that would be dealt to target creature or player.
Not content to wait for the gods, Tutela warpriests take divine intervention into their own hands.
2/2
Zithershield Vanguard 2W
Creature — Human Soldier (c)
Volume 2 (This permanent enters the battlefield with five volume counters on it.)
Vigilance
As long as Zithershield Vanguard has more volume counters than each permanent you don't control, Zithershield Vanguard gets +1/+2.
2/2
Clamorclear Commander 3WW
Creature - Human Soldier (C)
Flash
Whenever a creature enters the battlefield under your control, it gets +2/+2 until end of turn.
2/3
Skyhymn Griffin 4WW
Creature — Griffin (c)
Manatune (Each permanent without manatune you return to your hand while casting this spell reduces its cost by 1 or by one mana of that permanent’s color.)
Flying
The street miscreant dreads nothing more than the dulcet tones of its calling song.
3/3
Unveil W
Sorcery (c)
Exile target enchantment.
“Neither petty pretenses nor childish charms will be tolerated here. Our magic will strip you bare and show you for what you truly are.”
Versebound Shackles W
Enchantment — Aura (c)
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature can’t attack or block unless its controller has more cards in hand than you.
The shackles can only be opened with a melody more beautiful than the one with which they were locked.
Tactical Prelude 1W
Instant (C)
Creatures you control gain your choice of first strike, vigilance, or lifelink until end of turn.
Raise the Alarm 1W
Instant (C)
Put two 1/1 white Soldier creature tokens onto the battlefield.
Shielding Paean 2W
Instant (c)
Manatune (Each permanent without manatune you return to your hand while casting this spell reduces its cost by 1 or by one mana of that permanent’s color.)
Target creature gets +2/+2 and can block any number of creatures until end of turn.
Smiting Siren 2W
Instant (C)
Destroy target attacking creature.
Blinding Accent 4W
Instant (C)
Prevent all combat damage that would be dealt this turn.
Draw two cards.
Brightlyre Ascendant W
Creature — Human Shaman (u)
At the beginning of your upkeep, you may put a volume counter on Brightlyre Ascendant.
As long as Brightlyre Ascendant has four or more volume counters on it, it is a Spirit, gets +3/+3, and has lifelink.
1/1
Old-Verse Veteran 1WW
Creature - Human Soldier (U)
At the beginning of your upkeep, if ~ is in your graveyard, you may gain 1 life.
2/3
Fettlesinger 3W
Creature — Human Cleric (u)
T: Prevent the next 2 damage that would be dealt to target creature this turn. Put a volume counter on Fettlesinger for each 1 damage prevented this way.
1, Remove a volume counter from Fettlesinger: Target player gains 1 life.
2/2
Streetguard Silencer 2WW
Creature — Human Wizard (u)
When Streetguard Silencer enters the battlefield, exile target permanent with a volume counter on it.
“On this plane, silence is far stronger a tool than brittle swords or decrepit effigies.”
—Saviero Addobati
2/2
Ghosts of the Chorus 3WW
Creature — Spirit (u)
Manatune (Each permanent without manatune you return to your hand while casting this spell reduces its cost by 1 or by one mana of that permanent’s color.)
When Ghosts of the Chorus enters the battlefield, tap X target creatures, where X is the number of cards in your hand.
3/3
Cathedral Gargyole 5W
Creature — Gargoyle (u)
Flash
Defender, flying
4: Cathedral Gargyole loses defender until end of turn.
The persisting secrecy over the inner workings of the Strada Grigio is a testament to the effectiveness of its cathedrals’ stone guardians.
4/5
Exonerate 1W
Instant (U)
Exile target creature. Its controller may draw a card.
Finally, you are pure.
Bolstering Chorale WW
Instant (U)
Creatures you control get +1/+1 until end of turn.
Whenever a creature enters the battlefield under your control, you may return ~ to your hand from the graveyard.
Indoctrinate 2WW
Enchantment - Aura (U) - Fumar
Enchant creature
You control enchanted creature.
Enchanted creature can't attack or block.
Guardian's Theme 3WW
Enchantment (r)
Volume 5
As long as Guardian’s Theme has more volume counters than each permanent you don't control, you have shroud.
Remove a counter from Guardian’s Theme: Target creature is indestructible until end of turn.
Solo Adjudicator 2WW
Creature - Human Wizard (R)
Flash
Each player can't cast more than one spell each turn.
2/2
Perpetual Pastorale WWW
Enchantment (R)
Prevent the first 3 damage that would be dealt each turn.
Mindsanction Angel 3WW
Creature — Angel (r)
Flash; flying
Spells and abilities your opponents control can’t cause you to discard cards.
“I may be able to protect your body, but for your mind, we must pray for the strength of the heavens.”
—Lucca, Tutela Captain
5/5
Lucca, Tutela Captain 4WW
Creature — Human Soldier (r)
Flash
White creature cards you own that aren’t on the battlefield have flash.
White creatures you control have “W: Return this creature to its owner’s hand.”
“No one is going to die today.”
3/6
Sunshield Clavichordist 1WW
Creature — Human Wizard (r)
At the beginning of each player's upkeep, you may reveal a card from your hand. If you do, creatures you control have protection from each of that card’s colors until end of turn.
“No matter what manner of enemy we’re going to be up against, I’ve got everything we need right here.”
2/2
Termination Descant 4WW
Sorcery (r)
Choose a color. Destroy all permanents of the chosen color.
“These outsiders have seen countless planes obliterated in the blink of an eye. I fear for the day when I myself will become as jaded.”
—Saviero Addobati
Nobleclef Archon 5WWW
Creature - Archon (M)
Flying
At the beginning of your upkeep, you may gain 1 life for each permanent you control.
6/6
Tale of the Immortal Harp 7WW
Sorcery (m)
Put X 1/1 white Spirit creature tokens with lifelink onto the battlefield, where X is half your life total, rounded up.
Epic (For the rest of the game, you can’t cast spells. At the beginning of each of your upkeeps, copy this spell except for its epic ability.)
Canalside Performer U
Creature - Human Rogue (C)
R: ~ gets +1/+0 until end of turn.
The fire he breathes is more than just for show.
1/1
Caisapole Seeker 1U
Creature — Human Wizard (c)
Volume 5 (This permanent enters the battlefield with five volume counters on it.)
T: Draw a card, then discard a card. Activate this ability only if Caisapole Seeker has more volume counters than each permanent you don't control.
1/1
Expedition Scout 1U
Creature — Human Scout (c)
Islandwalk
4G: Target creature gains foreswalk until end of turn.
The Selvaggia is only a distant story for most citizens of Solescurio, but for the intrepid explorers, it’s a harsh daily reality.
2/1
Welkin Gull 1UU
Creature - Bird (C)
Flying
When ~ enters the battlefield, return target creature to its owner's hand.
1/1
Homebound Surveyor 2U
Creature - Human Wizard (C)
2/3
Spireballad Drake 3U
Creature — Drake (c)
Volume 2 (This permanent enters the battlefield with two volume counters on it.)
Flying
As long Spireballad Drake has more volume counters than each permanent you don't control, Spireballad Drake gets +2/+2.
2/2
Waltzwing Literati 3UU
Creature — Human Wizard (c)
Flying
When Waltzwing Literati enters the battlefield, if you have more cards in hand than each opponent, draw two cards.
Matchless in study, flawless in combat, peerless in flight.
3/2
Carillon Serpent 5UU
Creature — Serpent (c)
Manatune (Each permanent without manatune you return to your hand while casting this spell reduces its cost by 1 or by one mana of that permanent’s color.)
Carillon Serpent can’t attack unless you have more cards in hand than each opponent.
5/5
Diminuendo U
Instant (C)
Target creature gets -5/-0 until end of turn.
Tunetheft U
Instant (c)
Move all volume counters from target creature onto another target creature.
“How exquisite! Unfortunately for you, I’ll be taking that.”
—Sevon Gandalar
Booming Blunder 1U
Instant (c)
Counter target noncreature spell unless that spell's controller pays 1. You may search your library for up to three cards named Booming Blunder, reveal them, put them in your hand, then shuffle your library.
Trailblazer Refrain 2U
Enchantment (C)
Whenever a player draws a card, you may have target player put the top card of his or her library into his or her graveyard.
Countertone 2U
Instant (c)
Manatune (Each permanent without manatune you return to your hand while casting this spell reduces its cost by 1 or by one mana of that permanent’s color.)
Counter target spell if it has converted cost X or less, where X is the number of cards in your hand.
Waterstrider Lullaby 3U
Enchantment — Aura (c)
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature doesn't untap during its controller's untap step.
1U: Return Waterstrider Lullaby to its owner's hand.
Tantalized by its promise, even the most recalcitrant of listeners wake too late from its fantasy and find themselves gasping for breath.
Thought Symphony 3U
Sorcery (c)
Look at the top X cards of your library, where X is the number of cards in your hand. Put up to two in your hand and the rest on the bottom of your library in any order.
No single melody can sound as beautiful as an overwhelming stream of ideas.
Sudden Requiem 2UU
Instant (C)
Return two target creatures to their owners' hands.
Subtle Accent 4U
Instant (C)
Tap or untap target artifact, creature, or land.
Draw two cards.
Rainconch Ascendant U
Creature — Human Shaman (u)
At the beginning of your upkeep, you may put a volume counter on Rainconch Ascendant.
As long as Rainconch Ascendant has four or more volume counters on it, it is a Spirit, gets +3/+3, and has shroud.
1/1
Canal Azurewatch 2U
Creature — Spirit (u)
Defender, flying
Return three lands you control to their owners’ hands: Canal Azurewatch is indestructible until end of turn.
Its strength lies not in its spectral form, but in the might of the water it guards.
0/5
Nimble Chimehunter 2U
Creature — Human Scout (u)
When Nimble Chimehunter enters the battlefield, draw a card.
Whenever Nimble Chimehunter deals combat damage to a player, if you have more cards in hand than that player, draw a card.
They follow the haunting echoes of the legendary chimes in hopes that they would be the first to chance upon them.
1/2
Deepfreeze Cimbassist 2UU
Creature — Human Wizard (u)
,T: Tap target creature. It doesn’t untap during its controller’s next untap step.
,T: Return target tapped creature to its owner’s hand.
“What most others don’t realize is that you can’t give them time to thaw.”
2/2
Inexorable Phantom 4U
Creature - Illusion (U)
Shroud
~ is unblockable.
1/5
Fantasia Gharial 3UU
Creature - Crocodile (U)
Manatune (Each permanent without manatune you return to your hand while casting this spell reduces its cost by or by one mana of that permanent’s color.)
When ~ enters the battlefield, untap X lands, where X is the number of cards in your hand.
3/3
Key Shift 2UU
Enchantment — Aura (u)
Enchant permanent with a volume counter
You control enchanted permanent.
Guido watched in amazement as the roving beast fell silent. From its fallen form rose its beautiful spectral equivalent, already floating over to its new master.
Lacrimoso Tidings 4UU
Sorcery (U)
Manatune (Each permanent without manatune you return to your hand while casting this spell reduces its cost by 1 or by one mana of that permanent's color.)
Draw four cards.
Echoshaper 3UU
Creature - Shapeshifter (R)
3UU: Target creature becomes a copy of target nonlegendary creature until end of turn.
3/3
Intuition Chord U
Enchantment (R)
When ~ enters the battlefield, target opponent searches your library for seven cards and exiles them in a face-down pile. Then shuffle the pile and your library.
If you would draw a card, you may instead put the top card of the pile into your hand.
Phantasomancer 2UU
Creature — Human Wizard (r)
Flying
Whenever a creature becomes the target of a spell or ability, its controller sacrifices it.
“All things at their essence are as fragile as a breath in the wind. I merely make that inherent weakness more . . . concrete.”
4/4
Researcher's Theme 5UU
Enchantment (r)
Volume 5
As long as Researcher’s Theme has more volume counters than each permanent you don't control, draw an additional card at the beginning of your draw step.
Remove a volume counter from Researcher’s Theme: Draw a card.
Spelltempo Analyst 1UUU
Creature — Human Wizard (r)
You may cast sorcery cards as though they have flash.
Whenever you cast a sorcery spell, you may draw a card.
“Ah yes, yes, I see, of course. But the real question is: how much faster can it go?”
1/1
Surging Sky Swallower 5UU
Creature — Leviathan (r)
Flying
When Surging Sky Swallower enters the battlefield, return all other permanents you control to their owners’ hands.
You have no maximum hand size.
Surging Sky Swallower gets +1/+1 for each card in your hand.
The sky darkens, the canals dry, the people scream.
3/3
Unimaginable Intellect 3UU
Enchantment (r)
When you have 20 or more cards in your hand, you win the game.
The wizard who memorizes a thousand books is insane. The wizard who writes a thousand books is legendary.
Coda Sphinx 6UUU
Creature - Sphinx (M)
Flying
When you cast ~, take an extra turn after this one.
8/8
Tale of the Infinite Chimes 6UU
Sorcery (m)
Search your library for an artifact card and put it onto the battlefield. Then shuffle your library.
Epic (For the rest of the game, you can’t cast spells. At the beginning of each of your upkeeps, copy this spell except for its epic ability. You may choose a new target for the copy.)
Din Miser B
Creature - Human Wizard (C)
Each opponent's maximum hand size is reduced by one.
1/1
Sanity Thief 1B
Creature - Human Rogue (C)
As long as each opponent has three or less cards in hand, ~ gets +2/+1 and lifelink.
2/1
Strada Grigio Scout 1B
Creature — Human Scout (c)
Swampwalk
4W: Target creature gains plainswalk until end of turn.
For those who walk among ancient catacombs and decaying tombs, penetrating into the realm of death is just as dangerous as combating the perils of life.
2/1
Cryptviol Initiate 2B
Creature — Human Cleric (c)
Volume 4 (This permanent enters the battlefield with four volume counters on it.)
Sacrifice Cryptviol Initiate: Target creature gets -2/-2 until end of turn. Activate this ability only if Cryptviol Initiate has more volume counters than each permanent you don't control.
2/2
Undergrowth Shade 1BB
Creature — Shade (c)
B, Exile a card from an opponent’s graveyard: Undergrowth Shade gets +1/+1 until end of turn.
“It lurks within the fertile earth of graves. From the strength of the dead it reaps its vitality, and from the will of the past it draws its animosity."
—Dharag Venthos
2/2
Truculent Strangler 2B
Creature - Beast Warrior (C)
G: ~ gains shroud until end of turn.
3/2
Gluttonous Abomination 3B
Creature - Horror (C)
The Elder take many forms within the Church, with the lowliest masquerading as members and the greatest as insatiable patrons.
4/2
Ravenous Bloodwing 3B
Creature — Bat (c)
Flying
Pay 3 life: Ravenous Bloodwing gets +2/+1 until end of turn. Activate this ability only once per turn.
You offer it your own blood and in turn it brings you the blood of your enemies.
2/2
Unmasked Elder 3B
Creature — Horror Warrior (c)
Deathtouch
When Unmasked Elder enters the battlefield, remove all volume counters from target permanent.
The Elder infiltrated the Strada Grigio far before all other outsiders, donning cunning facades. The very glance of their exposed visage drains all musical energy from the beholder.
2/3
Endstring Slasher 4B
Creature — Beast Warrior (c)
Volume 2 (This permanent enters the battlefield with two volume counters on it.)
Intimidate
As long Endstring Slasher, has more volume counters than each permanent you don't control, Endstring Slasher gets +2/+1.
3/2
Bleak Consecration B
Instant (C)
Regenerate target creature. That creature's controller loses 2 life.
Ode to Shadow 1B
Enchantment - Aura (C)
Enchant creature.
Enchanted creature gets +2/+1.
As long as each opponent has three or less cards in hand, if enchanted creature would be put into a graveyard, return it to its owner's hand instead.
Booming Plague 1B
Sorcery (c)
Target creature gets -1/-1 until end of turn. You may search your library for up to three cards named Booming Plague, reveal them, put them in your hand, then shuffle your library.
Macabre Waltz 1B
Sorcery (c)
Return up to two target creature cards from your graveyard to your hand, then discard a card.
Just as the living feel the indomitable pull of the ready grave, the dead cannot resist the vivacity and virtuosity of life’s melodies.
Opus Necrosis 3B
Instant (c)
Manatune (Each permanent without manatune you return to your hand while casting this spell reduces its cost by 1 or by one mana of that permanent’s color.)
Opus Necrosis deals X damage to target creature and you gain X life, where X is the number of cards in your hand.
The living cannot withstand the raw artistry of the craving dead.
Haunting Opera 2BB
Sorcery (c)
Target opponent reveals his or her hand. You choose a card from it, and that player discards that card. Then, if that player has three or less cards in hand, repeat this process once.
Agosto retained his mind for a split second as he saw her open her mouth. The soulful beauty of the melody was swiftly lost to his disintegrating sanity.
Baneful Accent 4B
Instant (C)
Target creature gets deathtouch until end of turn.
Draw two cards.
Grimcello Ascendant B
Creature — Human Shaman (u)
At the beginning of your upkeep, you may put a volume counter on Grimcello Ascendant.
As long as Grimcello Ascendant has four or more volume counters on it, it is a Spirit, gets +3/+3, and has deathtouch.
1/1
Delirium Purist 1B
Creature — Zombie Cleric (u)
When Delirium Purist enters the battlefield, you lose 2 life.
Whenever an opponent discards a card, that player loses 2 life.
He won’t stop preaching until you’re as demented as he is.
2/1
Discord Sower 2BB
Creature - Human Wizard (U)
Intimidate
Each opponent's maximum hand size is reduced by two.
2/1
Fyr Ghadal Specter 4B
Creature — Specter (u)
Flying
When Fyr Ghadal Specter enters the battlefield, target player discards a card.
Whenever Fyr Ghadal Specter deals combat damage to a player, if that player has three or less cards in hand, that player discards a card.
3/1
Soundcensor Pontiff 3BB
Creature — Human Cleric (u)
Manatune (Each permanent without manatune you return to your hand while casting this spell reduces its cost by 1 or by one mana of that permanent’s color.)
When Soundcensor Pontiff enters the battlefield, target creature gets -X/-X until end of turn, where X is the number of cards in your hand.
3/3
Treacherous Tutor 2B
Sorcery (U)
Each player searches his or her library for a card and puts that card into his or her hand. Then, each player shuffles his or her library.
Dooming Dirge 2BB
Sorcery (U)
Up to two target creatures get -2/-2 until end of turn.
Whispering Ambition 2BB
Sorcery (U)
Target player draws three cards and loses 3 life.
Initiation Bloodpsalm 4B
Enchantment — Aura (u)
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature gets +3/-3.
When Initiation Bloodpsalm is put into a graveyard from the battlefield, you gain 3 life.
Not all survive the brutal initiation, but invariably, the Church benefits.
Lord of Cacophony 4BB
Creature - Demon (R)
Each opponent's maximum hand size is reduced by four.
At the beginning of each opponent's upkeep, ~ deals X damage to that player, where X is 4 minus the number of cards in his or her hand.
4/4
Pestiferous Fugue 3BB
Enchantment (R)
Nonblack creatures get -1/-1.
Aria of Dominance 6BBB
Sorcery (r)
You control target player during that player’s next turn. (You see all cards that player could see and make all decisions for the player.)
“Will is such a weak little force against the unstoppable force of my ruthless ambition.”
—Orith Mundur
Aronne, High Confessor 3BB
Legendary Creature — Human Cleric (r)
Flying
Pay 7 life: Aronne, High Confessor gets +7/+7 until end of turn.
“Aronne exemplifies the corruption of the Strada Grigio. The weak of mind succumb to the touch of the Elder and transform into twisted imitations.”
—Orith Mundur
0/1
Dark Consultation BBB
Enchantment (r)
If you would draw a card, instead reveal the top seven cards of your library. Put one of the cards revealed this way into your hand and exile the rest.
“I was offered greatness beyond my wildest dreams. How could I refuse?”
—Aronne, High Confessor
Forsaken Thanatos 3B
Creature — Beast Shaman (r)
T: Target player discards a card. Activate this ability only any time you could cast a sorcery.
3B, T: Choose target nonland card in a graveyard. Search its owner's graveyard, hand, and library for any number of cards with that name and exile them. Then that player shuffles his or her library.
2/2
Reaper's Theme 3BB
Enchantment (r)
Volume 5
As long as Reaper’s Theme has more volume counters than each permanent you don't control, whenever an opponent loses life, you gain that much life.
Remove a volume counter from Reaper’s Theme: Target creature gains lifelink until end of turn.
Fleshling 3BB
Creature - Shapeshifter (M)
B: ~ gains lifelink until end of turn.
B: ~ gains intimidate until end of turn.
B: Regenerate ~.
1: ~ gets +1/-1 until end of turn.
1: ~ gets -1/+1 until end of turn.
4/4
Tale of the Deathless Viol 4BB
Sorcery (m)
Put target creature card in a graveyard onto the battlefield under your control.
Epic (For the rest of the game, you can’t cast spells. At the beginning of each of your upkeeps, copy this spell except for its epic ability. You may choose a new target for the copy.)
Whipflare Spark R
Creature — Elemental (c)
Volume 1 (This creature enters the battlefield with a volume counter on it.)
As long as Whipflare Spark has more volume counters than each permanent you don’t control, Whipflare Spark gets +1/+0.
1/1
Queen's Scout 1R
Creature — Human Scout (c)
Mountainwalk
4U: Target creature gains islandwalk until end of turn.
They are the ubiquitous eyes and ears of the Queen of Tricks. Nothing occurs in the streets of Solescurio without the Queen taking notice.
2/1
Temperskin Taunter 1R
Creature — Human Rogue (c)
T: Draw a card, then discard a card at random.
The first beat alerts them to her presence, the second beat pulls them to their feet, and the third beat starts the brawl.
2/1
Matchbeat Thug 1R
Creature - Human Rogue (C)
~ can't attack unless you discarded a card at random this turn.
3/3
Reckless Strongarm 2R
Creature — Human Rogue (c)
Warriors excluded from the Tutela guard for “unstable temperament” find more raucous applications of their talents on the streets of Solescurio.
3/2
Cannonade Taborist 2R
Creature — Human Wizard (c)
Volume 3 (This creature enters the battlefield with three volume counters on it.)
T: Cannonade Taborist deals 1 damage to target creature or player. Activate this ability only if Cannonade Taborist has more volume counters than each permanent you don’t control.
2/1
Thrillpulse Striker 1RR
Creature — Human Soldier (c)
Haste
When Thrillpulse Striker enters the battlefield, discard a card at random.
“It is hypocrisy of the greatest degree how the Tutela dare label my vassals as barbaric.”
—Maya Mitsumi
4/2
Minotaur Monitor 3R
Creature - Minotaur Soldier (C)
W: ~ gains vigilance until end of turn.
3/3
Rubbletune Crew 3RR
Creature — Goblin Rogue (c)
As long as you have no cards in hand, Rubbletune Crew gets +2/+2 and has intimidate.
“Okay, let’s see what’s on the schedule. We’re supposed to clear up Brashfield, blow up the new memorial, and pay Sig. Guido a visit. Looks like a busy day for everyone.”
3/3
Ignorant Bliss 1R
Instant (C)
Exile all cards from your hand face down. At the beginning of the next end step, return those cards to your hand, then draw a card.
Brazen Insight 1R
Sorcery (C)
Target player draws four cards, then discards three cards at random.
Booming Blast 1R
Instant (c)
Booming Blast deals 1 damage to target creature or player. You may search your library for up to three cards named Booming Blast, reveal them, put them in your hand, then shuffle your library.
Timbrecharged 1R
Enchantment — Aura (c)
Enchant creature
When Timbrecharged enters the battlefield, put a volume counter on enchanted creature.
Enchanted creature has “Remove a volume counter from this creature: This creature deals 1 damage to target creature or player.”
Voice to vengeance, music to mayhem
Sforzando Blaze 2R
Instant (C)
~ deals 2 damage to target creature or player.
If you discard ~, ~ deals 4 damage to target creature or player.
Demolition Suite 4R
Sorcery (C)
Destroy target artifact or land. ~ deals 3 damage to that permanent's controller.
Daunting Accent 4R
Instant (C)
Target creature gets +2/+0 until end of turn.
Draw two cards.
Flashdance 4R
Instant (c)
Manatune (Each permanent without manatune you return to your hand while casting this spell reduces its cost by 1 or by one mana of that permanent’s color.)
Flashdance deals 5 damage to target creature.
The heart throbs, the body burns.
Fireclaves Ascendant R
Creature — Human Shaman (u)
At the beginning of your upkeep, you may put a volume counter on Fireclaves Ascendant.
As long as Fireclaves Ascendant has four or more volume counters on it, it is a Spirit, gets +3/+3, and has “R: Fireclaves Ascendant gets +1/+0 until end of turn.”
1/1
Explosive Rattleraider 2R
Creature — Goblin Rogue (u)
Sacrifice a land: Target creature can’t block until end of turn.
Sacrifice three lands: Creatures you control get +2/+0 until end of turn.
“Take advice from an expert — ain’t nothing more intimidating than seeing the earth come alive and chase ya.”
2/2
Bombastic Alchemist 2RR
Creature - Human Wizard (U)
Haste
Whenever ~ deals combat damage to a player, you may discard three cards at random. If you do, ~ deals 6 damage to each creature and player.
2/2
Magma Flowstroke 4R
Creature - Elemental (U)
When ~ enters the battlefield, each player sacrifices a land.
~ gets +1/+0 for each land card in all graveyards.
4/4
Kilnbeat Furnace 3RR
Creature — Elemental (u)
Manatune (Each permanent without manatune you return to your hand while casting this spell reduces its cost by 1 or by one mana of that permanent’s color.)
When Kilnbeat Furnace enters the battlefield, target creature gets +X/+0 until end of turn, where X is the number of cards in your hand.
3/3
Yorescarred Walker 3RR
Creature — Giant Warrior (u)
Whenever you discard a card at random, Yorescarred Walker deals 1 damage to target creature or player.
Discard a card at random: Yorescarred Walker has first strike until end of turn.
“The time will come when the songcasters will pay in blood for the scars of my ancestors.”
6/3
Erratic Encore 2R
Sorcery (U)
Return two cards at random from your graveyard to your hand, then reorder your graveyard as you choose.
Goblin Lighthouse 1RR
Enchantment (u)
Whenever you discard a card at random, you may have target creature get +1/+0 until end of turn.
Discard a card at random: Target creature gains haste until end of turn.
“Quite ingenious what these goblins devise. Such resourcefulness is too often is taken as stupidity.”
—Maya Mitsumi
Reverberating Firewing 5RR
Creature - Dragon (R)
Flying
Whenever you cast an instant or sorcery spell, you may copy that spell. You may choose new targets for the copy.
5/5
Blazing Impromptu 1R
Instant (R)
Whenever a creature you control is put into a graveyard from the battlefield this turn, it deals damage equal to its power to target creature or player.
Brightpyre Phoenix 3RR
Creature — Phoenix (r)
Flying, haste
Discard two cards at random: Return Brightpyre Phoenix from the graveyard to your hand.
“The phoenix has long been associated with the Addobati family. Noble, beautiful, vengeful, and immortal; it embodies all that we hold dear.”
—Saviero Addobati
4/3
Calamitious Finale RRR
Sorcery (r)
As an additional cost to play Calamitious Finale, discard X cards at random.
Calamitious Finale deals X damage to target player and each creature he or she controls, where X is twice the number of cards discarded this way.
Chasmrager Dragon 2RR
Creature — Dragon (r)
Defender
Discard a card at random: Chasmrager Dragon loses defender until end of turn.
Discard a card at random: Chasmrager Dragon has flying until end of turn.
6/6
Punisher's Theme 3RR
Enchantment (r)
Volume 5
As long as Punisher’s Theme has more volume counters than each permanent you don't control, if a source would deal damage to a creature or player, it deals double that damage instead.
Remove a volume counter from Punisher’s Theme: Punisher’s Theme deals 1 damage to target creature.
Tale of the Relentless Drum 3RR
Sorcery (m)
Up to two target lands become 7/1 red Elemental creatures with trample. They're still lands.
Epic (For the rest of the game, you can’t cast spells. At the beginning of each of your upkeeps, copy this spell except for its epic ability. You may choose a new target for the copy.)
Woodchant Presider G
Creature - Beast Druid (C)
Whenever another Beast enters the battlefield, add one mana of any color to your mana pool.
1/1
Hazetone Wall 1G
Creature — Plant Wall (c)
Defender
Sacrifice Hazetone Wall: Prevent all combat damage that would be dealt this turn. Activate this ability only if you have more cards in hand than each opponent.
0/4
Pipestaff Runeclaw 1G
Creature — Beast Warrior (c)
Volume 4 (This permanent enters the battlefield with four volume counters on it.)
As long Pipestaff Runeclaw has more volume counters than each permanent you don't control, Pipestaff Runeclaw gets +1/+1.
2/2
Selvaggia Scout 1G
Creature — Human Scout (c)
Forestwalk
4B: Target creature gains swampwalk until end of turn.
“Neither wilderness nor darkness is our enemy — the strength of the unknown will propel us far beyond those that initiated our exile.”
2/1
Songmail Armorsmith 2G
Creature — Beast Druid (c)
2G: Regenerate target Beast. Activate this ability only if you have more cards in hand than each opponent.
“Through the melodies of the forest, they have crafted an armor harder than dragon scales yet lighter than angel wings.”
—Sevon Gandalar
3/3
Resonant Adventurer 2G
Creature - Human Wizard (C)
U: Return ~ to its owner's hand.
2/3
Wildborder Warden 2GG
Creature - Beast Warrior (C)
4/4
Zuffolo Channeler 3G
Creature — Beast Druid (c)
Volume 3 (This permanent enters the battlefield with three volume counters on it.)
2G: Zuffolo Channeller gets +3/+3 until end of turn. Activate this ability only if Zuffolo Channeller has more volume counters than each permanent you don't control and only once per turn.
3/3
Laughing Longlegs 3GG
Creature — Spider (c)
Reach, deathtouch
Laughing longlegs are not named for the horrible cackling noise they make as they hunt, but instead for the twisted euphoria their poison implants into the minds of their victims before stopping their heart.
1/5
Timberchant Wurm 6GG
Creature — Wurm (c)
Manatune (Each permanent without manatune you return to your hand while casting this spell reduces its cost by 1 or by one mana of that permanent’s color.)
It slumbers beneath the earth, lying in wait for the time it will awaken to ancient rites and primeval incantations.
6/6
Booming Growth 1G
Instant (c)
Target creature gets +2/+2 until end of turn. You may search your library for up to three cards named Booming Growth, reveal them, put them in your hand, then shuffle your library.
Natural Cadence 1G
Enchantment — Aura (c)
Enchant artifact or enchantment
At the beginning of your upkeep, you may destroy enchanted permanent.
At the beginning of your precombat main phase, add G to your mana pool.
All things return to the earth in death. Some are more eager to embrace this destiny.
Primal Crescendo 1G
Sorcery (C)
Search your library for up to two basic land cards, reveal them, and put them into your hand. Then shuffle your library.
Amplify 2G
Instant (c)
Manatune (Each permanent without manatune you return to your hand while casting this spell reduces its cost by 1 or by one mana of that permanent’s color.)
Target creature gets +3/+3 and gains trample until end of turn.
Bigger and louder is always better.
Spider Mold 3G
Enchantment - Aura (C)
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature gets +2/+4 and has reach.
Guarded Accent 4G
Instant (C)
Target creature gains shroud until end of turn.
Draw two cards.
Wildpipe Ascendant G
Creature — Human Shaman (u)
At the beginning of your upkeep, you may put a volume counter on Wildpipe Ascendant.
As long as Wildpipe Ascendant has four or more volume counters on it, it is a Spirit, gets +3/+3, and has trample.
1/1
Feralzeal Ascetic 1G
Creature — Human Druid (u)
Whenever a creature attacks or blocks, you may gain 1 life.
Creatures you control have vigilance.
“Our destiny lies with the Pelocanto and not the city-dwellers. The world is changing and those who cannot commune with the Selvaggia will be lost in the transition.”
1/1
Reveille Patrol 2G
Creature - Beast Warrior (U)
Whenever another Beast enters the battlefield, Beasts you control get +2/+2 until end of turn.
2/2
Vicious Packlord 1GG
Creature — Beast Warrior (u)
Other Beast creatures you control get +1/+1.
T: Target creature blocks target Beast this turn if able.
“Easy. See that one over there, the biggest, baddest, furriest of the lot? Without fail in groups like these, that’ll be the pack leader.”
—Sevon Gandalar
3/3
Raveling Kudzu 3GG
Creature - Plant Wall (U)
Defender
When ~ enters the battlefield, destroy target noncreature permanent.
5/3
Pelocanto Tocsinist 3GG
Creature — Beast Druid (u)
Manatune (Each permanent without manatune you return to your hand while casting this spell reduces its cost by 1 or by one mana of that permanent’s color.)
When Pelocanto Tocsinist enters the battlefield, gain X life, where X is the number of cards in your hand.
3/3
Lutesworn Behemoth 4GG
Creature - Beast (U)
Trample
~ gets +2/+2 for each other Beast you control.
4/4
Harmonize 2GG
Sorcery (U)
Draw three cards.
Briarmight Diapason 2GGG
Sorcery (u)
Creatures you control get +X/+X and trample until end of turn, where X is the number of cards in your hand.
“Let the strength of our resolve be heard above the overwhelming intensity of our roar!”
—Malvaga, Anthem Chief
Accelerando Dryad 1G
Creature - Dryad (R)
Whenever you cast a noncreature spell, put a volume counter on ~.
~ gets +1/+1 for each volume counter on it.
1/1
Will of the Hunt 4GG
Enchantment - Aura (R)
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature gets +3/+3.
Creatures your opponent controls with power less than enchanted creature can't block.
Earthroar Horde 6G
Sorcery (r)
Put a 5/5 green Beast creature token onto the battlefield under your control.
When you cast Earthroar Horde, copy it for each land that entered the battlefield this turn.
Malvaga, Anthem Chieftain 1GG
Legendary Creature — Beast Warrior (r)
Each creature you control gets +1/+1 for each volume counter on it.
T: Put a volume counter on target creature.
“Our hearts pulse in rhythm with the beat of Selvaggia. As it hastens, we are blessed with great might. We know not the reason, but never before has the Selvaggia beat so quickly.”
2/2
Protean Runner 1GG
Creature — Beast Warrior (r)
When Protean Runner is put into the graveyard from the battlefield, search your library for any number of creature cards with total converted mana cost 2 or less and put them onto the battlefield. Then shuffle your library.
“Quite frankly, I’ve lost my appetite.”
—Sevon Gandalar
2/2
Savage's Theme 1GG
Enchantment (r)
Volume 5
As long as Savage’s Theme has more volume counters than each permanent you don't control, creatures you control get +1/+1.
Remove a volume counter from Savage’s Theme: Target creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn.
Songbane Hydra GGG
Creature — Hydra (r)
Songbane Hydra costs 1 more to play for each card in your hand.
Trample
“We cannot tame it with our songs. Its strength and ire magnify in the presence of any melody.”
—Malvaga, Anthem Chieftain
7/7
Feral Exemplar 4GGG
Creature - Avatar (M)
~ can't be countered.
~ gets +1/+1 for each untapped land on the battlefield.
4/4
Tale of the Boundless Lute 4GG
Sorcery (m)
Search your library up to two land cards and put them onto the battlefield. Then shuffle your library.
Epic (For the rest of the game, you can’t cast spells. At the beginning of each of your upkeeps, copy this spell except for its epic ability. You may choose a new target for the copy.)
Templemark Retriever 3
Creature — Spirit (c)
Flying
When Templemark Retriever enters the battlefield, put a 1/1 white and black Spirit creature token with flying onto the battlefield.
It is foolish to believe that the Church’s influence ends at the cathedral gates.
2/2
Sparkpace Informer 5
Creature — Goblin Rogue (c)
Sparkpace Informer is unblockable.
When Sparkpace Informer enters the battlefield, you may return target instant or sorcery card from your graveyard to your hand.
The Queen of Tricks rewards valuable information with riches beyond imagination.
2/3
Graveraiser Exile 3
Creature — Human Wizard (c)
:symbg:: Regenerate Graveraiser Exile
When Graveraiser Exile enters the battlefield, return target creature card with converted mana cost 3 or less from your graveyard to your hand.
“Decades ago, we were banished unjustly. Unshackled, we have reached our full potential.”
2/2
Warpline Combatant 3
Creature — Human Soldier (c)
Flash
When Warpline Combatant enters the battlefield, target creature gains double strike until end of turn.
“It matters not that this is our maiden fight. The flow of the battlefield is rightfully ours to control.”
2/2
Outworld Cartographer 2
Creature — Human Wizard (c)
Shroud
When Outworld Cartographer enters the battlefield, reveal the top four cards of your library. Put all land cards revealed this way into your hand and the rest on the bottom of your library in any order.
The only thing he hasn’t got mapped out is his own courtyard.
2/2
Firestriker's Duet RW
Instant (u)
Choose one — Firestriker’s Duet deals 3 damage to target player; or the next 3 damage that would be dealt to target creature this turn is dealt to another target creature instead.
Anger or honor?
Fleshcrafter's Duet BG
Instant (u)
Choose one — Target creature gets -3/-3 until end of turn; or target creature gets +3/+3 until end of turn.
Death or growth?
Spellwright's Duet UR
Instant (u)
Choose one — Counter target instant or sorcery spell with converted mana cost 3 or less; or copy target instant or sorcery spell with converted mana cost 3 or less. You may choose new targets for the copy.
Will or guile?
Spirittracer's Duet WB
Sorcery (u)
Choose one — Exile target creature with converted mana cost 3 or less; or return target creature card with converted mana cost 3 or less from your graveyard to the battlefield.
Banishment or revival?
Willweaver's Duet GU
Instant (u)
Choose one — Untap up to three target permanents; or tap up to three target permanents.
Freedom or oppression?
Sunblade Elite 2RW
Creature — Human Soldier (r)
Double strike, lifelink
Other creatures you control with first strike have double strike.
“A flash of light blinded us all, but in our sightlessness we rejoiced, for it meant the Sunblades had joined the fray.”
2/2
Tonestarved Devourer 1BG
Creature — Beast Plant (r)
Whenever a card is put into a graveyard from anywhere, Tonestarved Devourer gets +1/+1 until end of turn.
Brutal massacres make the most fulfilling of meals.
3/3
Medleycaster 2UR
Creature — Human Wizard (r)
When Medleycaster enters the battlefield, search your library for up to three instant or sorcery cards with different names and converted converted mana cost 2 or less and exile them. Then, shuffle your library.
T: You may cast a card exiled with Medleycaster without paying its mana cost.
2/2
Mimeoscale Saurian 1GU
Creature — Lizard (r)
Creatures you don’t control lose all abilities and are 6/6.
“What an interesting defensive mechanism. A pity that most transformed hunters are perfectly capable of taking it down.”
—Sevon Gandalar
6/6
Oathsworn Angel WB
Creature — Angel (r)
As Oathsworn Angel enters the battlefield, target opponent names two nonland cards.
You cannot cast the named cards.
Flying, lifelink
“I’d give my life for my lord, but there are certain lines I’ll never cross.”
3/3
Orith Mundur 3WB
Planeswalker — Orith (m)
+2: Exile target card in a graveyard.
-1: Target opponent reveals his or her hand. You choose a nonland card from it and exile that card.
-9: Return all exiled permanent cards to play under your control.
4
Saviero Addobati 3RW
Planeswalker — Saviero (m)
+1: Whenever a creature attacks this turn, it gets +2/+0 until end of turn.
-3: Untap all creatures that attacked this turn. After this main phase, there is an additional combat phase followed by an additional main phase.
-8: You get an emblem with “Creatures you control become 8/8 red Avatars with flying.”
4
Sevon Gandalar 2GU
Planeswalker — Sevon (m)
+1: Reveal the top card of your library. If it’s a creature card, put it in your hand.
-X: Put a creature card with converted mana cost X from your hand onto the battlefield.
-8: Discard a creature card. If you do, creatures you control become copies of that creature until end of turn.
5
Maya Mitsumi 1UR
Planeswalker — Maya (m)
+1: Draw a card. Activate this ability only if you have the same or fewer cards in hand than each opponent.
+1: Maya Mitsumi deals 1 damage to target player. Activate this ability only if you have more cards in hand than each opponent.
-5: Maya Mitsumi deals X damage to target player, where X is equal to twice the number of cards in your hand.
3
Dharag Venthos 3BG
Planeswalker — Dharag (m)
+1: Sacrifice a land. If you do, search your library for up to two basic land cards and put them onto the battlefield tapped. Then shuffle your library.
-2: Return up to three target land cards from your graveyard to your hand.
-8: You get an emblem with “Lands you control are 4/4 black and green Plant Zombie creatures. They are still lands.”
4
Bellicoso Bell 3
Artifact (C)
Manatune (Each permanent without manatune you return to your hand while casting this spell reduces its cost by 1 or by one mana of that permanent's color.)
T: Add W or R to your mana pool.
Scatenato Bell 3
Artifact (C)
Manatune (Each permanent without manatune you return to your hand while casting this spell reduces its cost by 1 or by one mana of that permanent's color.)
T: Add R or U to your mana pool.
Eroico Bell 3
Artifact (C)
Manatune (Each permanent without manatune you return to your hand while casting this spell reduces its cost by 1 or by one mana of that permanent's color.)
T: Add U or G to your mana pool.
Libero Bell 3
Artifact (C)
Manatune (Each permanent without manatune you return to your hand while casting this spell reduces its cost by 1 or by one mana of that permanent's color.)
T: Add G or B to your mana pool.
Devoto Bell 3
Artifact (C)
Manatune (Each permanent without manatune you return to your hand while casting this spell reduces its cost by 1 or by one mana of that permanent's color.)
T: Add B or W to your mana pool.
Harmonic Prism 1
Artifact (c)
Volume 2 (This permanent enters the battlefield with two volume counters on it.)
,T: Add one mana of any color to your mana pool. Activate this ability only if Harmonic Prism has more volume counters than each permanent you don't control.
Sacrifice Harmonic Prism: Draw a card.
Composition Crafter 3
Artifact Creature — Construct (c)
T: Untap another target permanent.
You have no maximum hand size.
Modeled after the ancient Eversong Titans, these helpful constructs were well-known for their ability to help even the most uninspired of players craft spellbinding music.
1/1
Ravensong Tablet 1
Artifact (c)
T: Put the top two cards of your library into the graveyard.
3, Sacrifice Ravensong Tablet: Return target card from your graveyard to your hand.
Soundswell Sword 1
Artifact — Equipment (c)
Whenever equipped creature deals combat damage, put two volume counters on equipped creature.
Remove a volume counter from equipped creature: Equipped creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn.
Equip 1
Staffmarked Scroll 1
Artifact (u)
T: Return target artifact or land you control to its owner’s hand.
,T: Draw a card. Activate this ability only if you have exactly seven cards in hand.
Songs of old to be performed by the players of tomorrow.
Cymbalscale Armor 2
Artifact — Equipment (u)
Return Cymbalscale Armor to its owner’s hand: Return equipped creature to its owner’s hand.
Equip 2
“If this armor saves my life, then so be it. No melody is sweeter than life’s song.”
Rattling Stone 4
Artifact (u)
Volume 5 (This permanent enters the battlefield with five volume counters on it.)
T, Remove a volume counter from Rattling Stone: Remove a volume counter from target permanent.
Sacrifice Rattling Stone: Put a volume counter on target permanent.
Musestone Colossus 8
Artifact Creature — Golem (u)
Trample
8: Musestone Colossus gets +X/+X until end of turn, where X is the number of cards in your hand.
As Leonardo played his flute, the ancient construct rumbled slowly to life. His eyes widened in surprise, but he dare not stop playing.
5/5
Null Vox 3
Artifact (R)
As an additional cost to play ~, discard your hand.
Volume 3
Players can't draw cards.
At the beginning of your upkeep, remove a volume counter from ~. When the last is removed, sacrifice it.
Mindcloister Urn 5
Artifact (r)
When Mindcloister Urn enters the battlefield, exile all cards from each player’s hand.
Players may play cards exiled by Mindcloister Urn.
The world is yours for the taking, if you know where to look.
Eversong Titan 14
Artifact Creature — Golem (r)
Manatune (Each permanent without manatune you return to your hand while casting this spell reduces its cost by 1 or by one mana of that permanent’s color.)
Trample
Eversong Titan’s power and toughness is equal to twice the number of cards in your hand.
*/*
Espirando Engine 2
Artifact (r)
T: Add 2 to your mana pool.
When Espirando Engine is put into your graveyard from the battlefield, you lose half your life, rounded up.
The power it generates is enormous, but the risk it harbors is correspondingly grave.
Resounding Pillar 7
Artifact (r)
Whenever you cast an instant or sorcery spell, you may search your library for up to three cards with the same name, reveal them, put them into your hand, then shuffle your library.
One note played, a thousand returned.
Willtether Flutes 2
Artifact — Equipment (r)
When equipped creature leaves the battlefield, put a volume counter on Willtether Flutes.
Remove two volume counters from Willtether Flutes: Return target creature card from your graveyard to the battlefield.
Equip 2
Chronovault 5
Artifact (M)
0: Put a volume counter on ~. You skip your next turn. Activate this ability only once each turn.
When ~ has seven or more volume counters on it, you win the game.
Inspiration Falls
Land (C)
~ enters the battlefield tapped.
As ~ enters the battlefield, you may pay 2. If you do, draw a card.
T: Add 1 to your mana pool.
Amber Citadel
Land (u)
As Amber Citadel enters the battlefield, you may return an untapped land you control to its owner’s hand. If you don’t, Amber Citadel enters the battlefield tapped.
T: Add R or W to your mana pool.
Fertile Grave
Land (u)
As Fertile Grave enters the battlefield, you may return an untapped land you control to its owner’s hand. If you don’t, Fertile Grave enters the battlefield tapped.
T: Add B or G to your mana pool.
Shrouded Glen
Land (u)
As Shrouded Glen enters the battlefield, you may return an untapped land you control to its owner’s hand. If you don’t, Shrouded Glen enters the battlefield tapped.
T: Add G or U to your mana pool.
Skyflare Rocks
Land (u)
As Skyflare Rocks enters the battlefield, you may return an untapped land you control to its owner’s hand. If you don’t, Skyflare Rocks enters the battlefield tapped.
T: Add U or R to your mana pool.
Holy Sepulcher
Land (u)
As Holy Sepulcher enters the battlefield, you may return an untapped land you control to its owner’s hand. If you don’t, Holy Sepulcher enters the battlefield tapped.
T: Add W or B to your mana pool.
Hushed Sanctuary
Land (u)
Volume 1 (This permanent enters the battlefield with a volume counter on it.)
T: Add 1 to your mana pool.
T, Remove a volume counter from Hushed Sanctuary: Add one mana of any color to your mana pool. Activate this ability only if Hushed Sanctuary has more volume counters than each permanent you don't control.
Swiftsand
Land (u)
Swiftsand enters the battlefield tapped.
When Swiftsand enters the battlefield, you may pay 2. If you do, target creature without flying gets -1/-1 until end of turn.
T: Add 1 to your mana pool.
“Not all hazards are content to wait.”
Balemyth Basin
Land (r)
Balemyth Basin enters the battlefield tapped.
T: Add U or R to your mana pool.
2UR: Until end of turn, Balemyth Basin becomes a 1/7 blue and red Elemental creature with “1: Switch this creature’s power and toughness until end of turn.” It’s still a land.
Grimborn Grove
Land (r)
Grimborn Grove enters the battlefield tapped.
T: Add B or G to your mana pool.
1BG: Until end of turn, Grimborn Grove becomes a 4/2 black and green Elemental creature with deathtouch and trample. It’s still a land.
Mountainside Maruder
Land (r)
Mountainside Maruder enters the battlefield tapped.
T: Add R or W to your mana pool.
1RW: Until end of turn, Mountainside Maruder becomes a 2/2 red and white Elemental creature with double strike. It’s still a land.
Soulbane Steppe
Land (r)
Soulbane Steppeenters the battlefield tapped.
T: Add W or B to your mana pool.
WB: Until end of turn, Soulbane Steppe becomes a 3/3 white and black Elemental creature with lifelink. It’s still a land.
Wildspawn Weald
Land (r)
Wildspawn Weald enters the battlefield tapped.
T: Add G or U to your mana pool.
3GU: Until end of turn, Wildspawn Weald becomes a 6/6 green and blue Elemental creature with shroud. It’s still a land.
Assoluto, the Pristine Pinnacle
Legendary Land (R)
~ enters the battlefield tapped.
When ~ enters the battlefield, sacrifice it unless you pay 4.
T: Add 4 to your mana pool.
Snipped for space
My Custom Set: Solescurio
I'm curious as to your choice of themes, such as wisdom, enemy pairings and epic. Will have t wait and see how these fit into the set.
Custom Card / Set Reviewer
When reviewing custom cards / sets, I look for (a) flavour, (b) function, and (c) cohesiveness, generally through a risk focus.
Thanks!
I've now finished adding all of the cards for your consideration, with a link to all of the renders on the imgur album.
My Custom Set: Solescurio
My art blog
Claims:
The kicker variant in WWK will be "Kicker without a kicked effect." - proven wrong Jan 2010 : 2 wrongs
Decks:
:symu::symb: Bloodchief Ascension - Modern
:symb::symr: Rakdos, the Defiler - EDH
:symu::symb::symw: Sharuum the Hegemon - EDH
:symw::symu::symb: Zur the Enchanter - EDH
That would be my oversight - I had simply forgotten that part of the color pie. How about something like this?:
Creature - Crab (C)
Whenever a player draws a card, you may have target player put the top card of his or her library into his or her graveyard.
0/2
It's simple, but it could fit in a set where keeping a large hand is even more important than normal.
Thanks!
I have the storyline loosely sketched out, although the writing's too atrocious and brief to be fit for display here. I might go there after I get the cards themselves hammered out.
Does imgur make it difficult to browse through the cards? I tried making that convenient for viewers with the album, where you can click on any card and cycle through the rest with the arrow on the bottom left corner of the image window that pops up.
My Custom Set: Solescurio
Canalside Crab :1mana::symu:
Creature - Crab
Whenever you draw a card, you may have target player put the top X cards of his or her library into his or her graveyard, where X is the number of cards in your hand.
0/3
My art blog
Claims:
The kicker variant in WWK will be "Kicker without a kicked effect." - proven wrong Jan 2010 : 2 wrongs
Decks:
:symu::symb: Bloodchief Ascension - Modern
:symb::symr: Rakdos, the Defiler - EDH
:symu::symb::symw: Sharuum the Hegemon - EDH
:symw::symu::symb: Zur the Enchanter - EDH
I thought about doing something like that, but it quickly turns out to be way too powerful at any aggressive cost. I figured a two way Jace's Erasure would be a bit milder, although I could see adding a mill effect tied to cards in hand at 5cc or higher at Uncommon - keep in mind that with Manatune, the hand size can inflate to ridiculous proportions very quickly.
My Custom Set: Solescurio
Fair enough. Still seems to be rather good. I'd put the creature at a 0/3 still though. Compare to Hedron Crab.
My art blog
Claims:
The kicker variant in WWK will be "Kicker without a kicked effect." - proven wrong Jan 2010 : 2 wrongs
Decks:
:symu::symb: Bloodchief Ascension - Modern
:symb::symr: Rakdos, the Defiler - EDH
:symu::symb::symw: Sharuum the Hegemon - EDH
:symw::symu::symb: Zur the Enchanter - EDH
I can agree with a 0/3. I'm not really sure how to evaluate Hedron Crab. It its efficiency, it really eclipses any other mill card before it in any deck with fetchlands. Classics like Millstone simply can't compete with a one mana 0/2 body milling 3-6 cards a turn for free.
My Custom Set: Solescurio
My art blog
Claims:
The kicker variant in WWK will be "Kicker without a kicked effect." - proven wrong Jan 2010 : 2 wrongs
Decks:
:symu::symb: Bloodchief Ascension - Modern
:symb::symr: Rakdos, the Defiler - EDH
:symu::symb::symw: Sharuum the Hegemon - EDH
:symw::symu::symb: Zur the Enchanter - EDH
The mechanics seem to fit nicely with each other, and I quite like Vol as your counter of choice for the set. Some of these cards are quite strong outside of this set (e.g. anything with 5 Vol counters), but if they are played only in limited then it's fine.
Some card notes:
Brightlyre Ascendant - Quite a nice card, that, but make the trigger optional. Same for the other Ascendants.
Lucca, Tutela Captain - Love the idea here. Helps achieve the Wisdom threshold. Somewhat repetitive ability to bounce stuff for (relatively) free given Manatune. Still, this does it differently, so that's okay.
Carillon Serpent - Can come out very early in games and smash face. Bit of an all-or-nothing card. Reminds me of Siege Wurm - is it in the right colour, then?
Phantasomancer - Compare this to Horobi, Death's Wail. Your card is too strong and in the wrong colour.
Unimaginable Intellect - I love it! Great with the above serpent.
Aria of Dominance - Pity Mindslaver is so much more playable in terms of cost/s, colour-friendliness, and being able to steal a turn two turns earlier than this. I understand why this is so expensive though.
Cryptviol Initiate - I like how this has the dual purpose of shutting down other Vol creatures.
Dark Consultation - Very nice.
That's it from me for the moment - back to study. Overall very enjoyable to see this set - thank you.
Custom Card / Set Reviewer
When reviewing custom cards / sets, I look for (a) flavour, (b) function, and (c) cohesiveness, generally through a risk focus.
Wisdom - The more I think about it, the more I see this a a win-more mechanic, whcih isn't necessarily a bad thing. I like how it works with Manatune in that it offsets the drawback of having to bounce your own things. I do like how red got to play with hand size differently.
Carillon Serpent (again) - Never mind, just saw Timberchant Wurm.
Phantasomancer (again) - This ability seems to have shifted to blue in recent years, but I believe it is only for your own permanents to show their fragility. Black would be better at making your opponents' creatures fragile, not blue.
Forsaken Thanatos - Kuro, Pitlord shows just how powerful this ability is. You've gravely undercosted it.
Opus Necrosis - Points for the best card name in the set.
Tale of the Deathless Viol - Seems like a very precarious position to put yourself in.
Tomb Concerto - Put the restriction first. Do you want a common to be restrictive as to when you can play it? I can envision games where you'll be frustrated you can't cast this. Could this have a normal, weaker effect, and get stronger when the condition is met? Otherwise, Macabre Waltz would fit perfectly in this set, helping both in flavour and function.
Calamitous Finale - Reword as "deals two times X damage". Potentially devastating - I like.
Demolition Crew - Haha, like the flavour here. This is too strong land destruction for common - should be upped by 1. Even feels a bit uncommon for me as it trades so many cards.
Insanity Bond - Feels BR to me - red shouldn't have such good discard.
Tale of the Relentless Drum - This feels pretty blah.
Temperskin Taunter - M11 confused me - is it blue or red who gets this kind of ability? I kinda like this Alluring Siren though.
Thrillpulse Striker - Red shouldn't get a 2/1 first striker for 1R.
Timbrecharged - I would like this more if it gave the creature a Vol counter when this ETB. That would make it more useful and compatible with other cards, as well as making other Vol stuff work better.
Whipflare Spark - Whoa! Even within the context of this set, this card is insanely good. Outside of this set it's broken.
Longwood Songsmith - The flavour (card name, flavour text) don't seem to match with the ability - will this be fixed in the artwork?
Malvaga, Anthem Chieftain - Word as "Each creature you control gets +1/+1 for each Vol counter on it".
Natural Cadence - Enchantments that tap? Nuh-uh. Make the mana some other way.
Pelocanto Tocsinist - Shuffle your library..?
Vicious Parklord - Word as "target Beast creature this turn if able".
Zuffolo Channeller - The cost is a bit much for a Rootwalla ability - bring it down to 2G maybe.
Your Planeswalkers don't have starting loyalties or loyalty costs, so can't rate them as yet.
Demented Judge - Great card. Word as "each exiled creature card."
Fleshcrafter's Duet - Man I wish this was an instant.
Mimeoscale Saurian - Haha, a Johnny delight! If only I could Donate it. You need to reword it though to "are 6/6" rather than "become 6/6" as it's a continuous effect.
Volatile Rattlesage - Neither of these colours should have access to gross discard like that. If they discarded two cards at random then yes. This also needs to cost at least 1 more as it can hit for 3 unblockable damage per turn.
Willweaver's Duet - Change to "up to three" for both clauses to make it better.
Templemark Retriever - White shouldn't be able to hit life like that.
Warpline Combatant - Word as "exile another target creature".
Outworld Cartographer - Blue shouldn't get land fetching so easily - it'd be more pie-fitting if you had to sac a land to fetch any land, which would fit with blue's redesign the world theme.
Cymbalscale Armor - This could cost 1.
Eversong Titan - This feels a bit mythic, but can pass as regular rare too. Quite nice and chunky.
Mindcloister Urn - Very nice set counter.
Plague Engine - Hmm, I'm hesitant about this one. It's not easy enough to destroy, so most games it'll just be too good.
Resounding Pillar - Word as "spells you cast".
Soundswell Sword - Nice and sibilant name. This is too costly and set-specific to be playable. Timbrecharged has a similar problem. It'd be nicer if it gave the counters directly to the equipped creature and also gave it an ability to let them use those counters.
Hushed Sanctuary - This is too strong to be played outside of this set.
Swiftsand - Nice homage, but this is too strong. Lands that kill stuff when they ETB are dangerous.
Okay, in sum a lot of your cards are very nicely designed and well balanced. I think this set could only be played within itself, as there are too many cards which, outside of this block, are stupidly good. I agree that this set should be played alone a la Coldsnap, but each of those cards was playable outside of that set too, which isn't true of all of your cards.
The cycles all seem quite good - Epic is a hard one to work with but I think you have done this well. The lower-costed ones are where you have the most trouble, so make them big and incredible. For example, would you consider having Aria of Dominance as the black Epic spell? That would be delicious. The mana cost is fine as is I think, considering the drawback of Epic.
This set is beautifully conceived and is bursting with flavour. You have captured the essence of classical music wonderfully in these cards, and the Italian names are a delight to read out.
Custom Card / Set Reviewer
When reviewing custom cards / sets, I look for (a) flavour, (b) function, and (c) cohesiveness, generally through a risk focus.
Ah - good idea. Changed.
I've given access to manatune to all colors, although you're probably correct that the ability in a vacuum would not be too appropriate for blue. It sort of fits the big common sea serpent with a drawback slot though, since more often than not you'll be bouncing Islands.
You're correct that it's too powerful - Horobi is an excellent precedent that I overlooked and it'd definitely cost 1 more. I'm unsure as to whether or not it's excusable for it to be blue, though - Horobi indicates that it would typically be part of Black's slice of the color pie, but I think the phantasm flavor is iconic enough for blue to justify the bleed in this case.
See above where I feel a wizard impressing that fragility upon all creatures is perhaps within blue's realm flavorfully. I considered changing it to make only your own creatures into "phantoms," but at that point it felt like more of a black-drawback style fatty than a blue phantom-manipulating wizard.
I have. Would 3 life seem like a fair price?
Cleaned up the wording here. I agree that it's not a very powerful, and I would welcome any suggestions, as appropriate, interactive alternative has eluded me. It does happen to play well with Cranial Extraction type cards in a way that hasn't been available to Johnnys before.
Macabre Waltz is an excellent substitution. Much thanks.
Again, you have my thanks - I wasn't sure how to word that.
It's definitely on the border, but I was lacking the ubiquitous common artifact and land destruction, so in the common slot he goes. I wasn't aware it was too powerful, so I'll add 1 and make it a 3/2 for good measure.
I don't really think the discard is that good for 5 mana, and it thought that it fit with red's subtheme well enough to justify its inclusion.
Eh, yeah. Couldn't think of anything better - got any ideas?
When the color pie gets blurry, I tend to take a flavor perspective. Here, I see a bard inciting her enemies to recklessness or urging her companions to advance, and to me, that focus on emotion is very red.
Not quite clear here on why. There certainly aren't any precedents, but there are several variations of 2cc red creatures with first strike and 3 power upon satisfying some requirement.
Indeed your idea is better than it is as it stands. Changed.
I'm not quite sure what I was thinking. Changed it to the following:
Creature — Elemental (c)
Vol 1 (This creature comes into play with a vol counter on it.)
Trample, haste
As long as Whipflare Spark has more vol counters than each other permanent, Whipflare Spark gets +3+0.
At the beginning of the end step, sacrifice Whipflare Spark.
1/1
The artwork for this card's not spectacular. The flavor I was going for is that the Songsmith is a Pelocanto druid harnessing the natural song of the trees to craft magic. Crafting a song from nature was supposed to be the equivalent of drawing mana from the earth.
Thanks, fixed.
How's this?
Enchantment — Aura (c)
Enchant artifact or enchantment
At the beginning of your upkeep, you may destroy enchanted permanent.
At the beginning of your precombat main phase, add G to that your mana pool.
All things return to the earth in death. Some are more eager to embrace this destiny.
Fixed.
Likewise.
Sounds good.
Didn't notice that at all - fixed and ready for critique.
Fixed.
Perhaps, but I'm a tad concerned about its power level.
Fixed.
Made it cost 1 more as well as changing the discard to random.
Agreed.
How's just gaining 2 life?
Fixed.
Excellent Idea. How's this?
Creature — Human Wizard (c)
Shroud
When Outworld Cartographer enters the battlefield, you may sacrifice a land. If you do, you may search your library for a land card and put that card onto the battlefield tapped. Then shuffle your library.
The only thing he hasn’t got mapped out is his own courtyard.
2/2
Wasn't sure if that was too powerful, but I agree.
It is fairly format defining as it is. It's not really more powerful than any other bomb rare in limited, and I feel like the drawback is severe enough to limit unrestrained use in constructed.
Thanks.
All good points. How's this:
Artifact — Equipment (c)
Whenever equipped creature deals combat damage, put a vol counter on equipped creature.
Remove a vol counter from equipped creature: Target creature gets +2/+2 until end of turn.
Equip 2
Would making it like Tendo Ice Bridge with vol counters be okay?
Would -1/-1 still be too powerful? I feel like having some sort of ETB land to abuse with manatune would be a healthy addition to the set. I'm not sure as to whether or not -1/-1 would be too powerful for constructed.
I envision a constructed environment where this set would be available as one with sufficient cause for using vol counters that the vol cards would not be unduly powerful. Especially since rarity is null in constructed, some of the commons would definitely be too powerful in a vacuum, but pale in comparison to the other rares available.
Scanning back over the Vol 5 "Themes" cycle, I added 1 to the cost of the black Reaper's Theme and the blue Researcher's Theme. The others don't seem to be to be that overpowered in a vacuum, much less in an environment where vol could very well be a common occurrence. For either the creatures or the themes, do you have any specific cards your concerned about?
Blue was initially going to get a Mindslaver epic, but realistically it wouldn't make a very good epic. On one hand, you completely take out interactivity in the game, which was a key design concern. On the other hand, some decks may not physically have a way of killing themselves, and its important the just having the epic spell is sufficient for you to win the game.
Much thanks for looking over the set. Your detailed critiques were most helpful, and I know it must've taken you a long time to go through all of the cards like that.
My Custom Set: Solescurio
Wisdom: Two things. One, this mechanic encourages players to hold cards in their hands rather than play them. (Yes, I see the synergy with manatune offsets this somewhat.) Two, this mechanic is a "comparative threshold," in that only the highest-number player gets a benefit, and everyone else gets nothing. Games can stagnate into draw-go as neither player wants to give up his wisdom advantage, especially on an already clogged board or if one wisdom card has a great difference between its "on" and "off" state.
Crescendo: Why is this a keyword? Or, more specifically, why isn't this a keyword in some frequency at higher rarities? I know that this set is designed primarily for Limited, but the rare enabler doesn't really make sense given this focus, as it's unlikely you'll be swimming in multiple copies of different instants and sorceries. There's also the fact that all the Booming spells (except Plague) are very solid picks in their colors (unlike, say, Dampen Thought), so it's that much harder for one player to get multiples unless they're literally the only one playing that color in the pod. If you're leaving it at so few cards, unlike Epic, this ability isn't hard to write out, nor is it particularly novel (compare the Odyssey burst cycle and the Coldsnap cycle).
Vol: Hate the name. Couldn't it be written out "Volume"? "Vol" by itself doesn't have any particular flavorful resonance. This has the same problem as manatune + wisdom, in that you don't want to play a bunch of these guys in the same deck, because only one can be active at a time, and when one of these guys is turned on, every other one, including your opponents', is turned off (with some exceptions; these are generally solid and consistent cards).
Random discard: Feels like purely a Spike mechanic, dependent on card quality. One of MaRo's GDS1 articles talked about how players didn't like discarding a bunch of cards to turn on threshold, and I suspect discarding cards at random will put off Timmies and Johnnies even more.
Epic: No problems here, except the exorbitant cost of some of these makes them much less likely to go off in Limited. I've been blown out by Endless Swarm before, but only because my opponent was digging like a fiend with Elder Pine of Jukai and I couldn't kill him quickly enough.
You have a LOT of cycles. I'll consider them here:
Uncommon duet cycle: There's an extraneous "of" in the first half of Spirittracer (double "t" kthx). I like the nod to Unearth. I'm not sure how Willweaver is green, since WU are the kings of un/tapping, but I suppose it gives you a second use out of your lands. Firestriker is interesting without being broken, though I'd still rather play Helix. Spellwright is a little close to Odds for me. Why can't Fleshcrafter be an instant? We've got Urge to Feed and Agony Warp, and it's not like Giant Growth is a particularly high pick in Limited.
Rare utility guy cycle: Demented Judge would be good enough as a 6 mana Royal Assassin. It's unfortunate he will rarely be able to take advantage of his second ability, though. Saurian is Johnnytastic, Devourer is nice, Elite has that wonky "other" clause for rules reasons I suppose, and Rattlesage would be much better if the discard wasn't random, because as it is you'd never want to target yourself. Overall a nice batch.
Mythic Planeswalkers: Very good synergy, something I see missing with a lot of 'walkers. Dharag's ultimate should use the emblem object type (You get an emblem with "ability"), as should Saviero's. Saviero's plus doesn't work at all because there's never a time during your main phase when a creature is attacking. "Whenever a creature attacks this turn, it gets +2/+0 until end of turn" would work, and combos with effects like his minus. Why the heck does Sevon have a starting loyalty higher than his cmc? His abilities aren't bad! Orith is fine but painfully unoriginal. I guess Maya's crap ultimate is fine in light of her low cmc and two plus abilities. First one should say "fewer cards" and for the second, "If no opponent has more cards in hand." Equally awkward?
Uncommon land cycle: "As" abilities can't target. "An untapped land."
Rare land cycle: The blue/green one is probably the worst since it's expensive and can be chumped all day, but it does dodge all kinds of removal. Auto-include in Block Constructed, obv.
Common booming cycle: See "Crescendo." Solid removal stuff even without the copy effect that will go highly in Limited.
Common vol activated ability cycle: Why is Cannonade Taborist strictly better than Prodigal Pyromancer out-of-block? And why is his vol # higher than the tapper guy and the looter? I can understand Channeler's Rootwalla and Initiate's sac, but Taborist should be lowered to 3 - he kills a significant number of creatures. Seeker also comes online a turn before everyone else and is strictly better than Looter out-of-block, but the ability is deck-dependent so it seems fine.
Common manatune instants: Shielding Paean is awful on attack, but it fits the flavor. Countertone doesn't work because targets are chosen before costs are paid, so this doesn't take into account any cards you bounce to pay for it: change "with" to "if it has" and we've got a winner. The rest are solid but unexciting.
Common scout cycle: Good gods, do these guys suck. Requiring the same mana costs as the landwalk abilities they give only makes it that much less likely that they'll be useful at all, especially in Limited, and that mana cost for conditional unblockability is simply awful. Sadly, I can see these guys actually winning a (slow, painful) game against a mirror match who's run out of removal, especially the GU one.
Common vol self-pump cycle: Whipflare Spark is really good for common out-of-block...yeah. Not much else to say. They're all solid in their "turned off" states, except for said Spark.
Uncommon ascendant cycle: "May" is the only comment I had on these, then you changed it.
Uncommon manatune wisdom dudes: This isn't technically a cycle because Carillon Serpent is a common, but I may as well talk about it here. Standard on-color effects, nothing terribly exciting except Pelocanto Tocsinist (wow is that a mouthful) because of deckbuilding potential. Four of these can chain into each other. I wonder if that's a bad thing.
Rare "theme" Vol 5 cycle: Good fix on the blue one's cmc. Otherwise, they're just mimicking existing non-vol rares - again, solid but unexciting.
Mythic "tale" epic cycle: Immortal Harp feels sufficiently epic. Why the wonky reveal-mill-or-else-nothing clause on Infinite Chimes? Compare Enduring Ideal, a straight tutor is more elegant and less annoying. Deathless Viol is odd because if you reveal a card but don't put it in that player's hand, it stays on top of the deck anyway. Temporarily exiling the cards then putting them on the bottom clears that up, and could use "in any order" for clarity. How much better Relentless Drum would be if it wasn't random. "Each player and each creature" too good? Perhaps up the cost? Boundless Lute is fine, though I wish it weren't tied to hand size like the other Epic spells (makes a supremely lousy topdeck). We've already been-there-done-that with Endless Swarm.
Wow, that's a lot of words. I'll wrap it up for now and take a look at the rest later.
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The ETB Cycle of Manatune cards like Pelocanto Tocsinist were getting kind of degenerate in limited testing, so I added the "without manatune" clause. They weren't really like a super-fast combo or anything - two manatune ETB guys just provided a dangerous, repeatable advantage. That's okay in trace amounts in limited, but picking up two was way too common. I could have erred here though, as my sample size is limited to about 4 sealed matches.
Flavorfully it could be interpreted either way, with manatune creature's interfering with the "tunes" of the other creatures. Mechanically, I see what you mean about players not wanting to have to have too many, but realistically its minimized - only lands and cheap creatures are typically candidates for bouncing.
Manatune definitely opens itself to immediate interpretation as an all-or-nothing like mechanic, but once you play with it some more, you realize that more often than not you're not going to be bouncing massive amounts of land in an attempt to turboboost out a fatty or to eek every bit out of an ETB effect. Manatune was often used for playing a creature even when you otherwise would be a land or two shy, or for refilling your hand for wisdom. It can be a significant cost, but it could also be as minimal as bouncing two lands and replaying one immediately.
Both of these were important factors that I felt made the games not as enjoyable as I would've thought. You've noted that I tried to use manatune to circumvent the "I can't afford to play cards" mentality and were also correct in that it has proved woefully insufficient. I'm unsure as to how to fix this.
Both a rare Crescendo and a rare Manatune cycle are planned to be added when I work on expanding this to a full large set. You've noted that it was modeled heavily on the Coldsnap Ripple cycle (With even my own Thrumming Stone). Resounding Pillar is indeed a useless rare for limited, but I'm not too concerned with a set having a few rares like that.
You've touched upon the second issue here, where having multiple creatures with Vol isn't really favorable. I similarly have very little idea how to fix this without drastically altering the set.
I'm don't feel particularly strongly towards either "vol" and "volume." I would like other's input before changing to to the latter though.
I could see several ways some of the red random discard rares could potentially be appealing towards Johnnies. I do see your point about how red could turn off Timmies - I'll make a note to add some type of large drawback-less dragon.
Really, I see red in Solescurio as having some important parallels with the Rakdos guild in Ravnica. That was a tad before my time, and I don't really recall how that was received - I'm sure you could enlighten me?
The set's primary focus is on limited, but I still wanted for it to feel like a realistic coherent set. I didn't take any pains to make sure that any specific rare would be playable in limited.
I'm cautious of dipping too heavily into multicolor, especially at the common level, as without excessive mana-fixing, it makes limited a nightmare. It also threatens to make cut limited into just the 5 enemy color pairs. These are hybrid and common mostly to facilitate enemy-colored decks, while giving the opportunity for allied-color decks as well.
Unbreakability in red is definitely borderline, and I took Noggle Bandit as an excuse for squeezing it in.
Temporary exiling has been change to giving target creature Double Strike until end of turn - does that sound good?
Crop rotation ability on Outworld Cartographer is both a flavor specific interpretation of the setting and an interpretation of Crop Rotation as Polymorph for lands. Yes, it's a stretch, but I couldn't really find any other passable ETB abilities for G/U, other than draw a card.
Fixed Spirittracer's Duet.
Spellwright's was basically shoehorned into that slot by necessity of completing the cycle.
I guess Fleshcrafter can be an instant. Changed.
Fixed Dharag and Saviero.
I don't think Sevon's starting loyalty makes him too powerful, and it allows him to be used to instantly accelerate into a 5cc creature.
Fixed Maya using your suggestions.
Fixed - thanks!
Lowered Taborist to Vol 3, as per your suggestion. The 2/1 body was actually put there in an attempt to make not strictly worse than Prodigal Pyromancer.
Fixed Countertone as per your suggestion.
Not quite sure why Infinite Chimes was so weird. Made it look like Enduring Ideal.
Not sure if this was the wording you meant on Deathless Viol:
Sorcery (m)
Exile cards from the top of target player’s library until you exile a nonland card. You may put that card into that player’s hand. If you do, that player loses life equal to its converted mana cost and you gain life equal to the life lost this way. Put all cards exiled this way on the bottom of that player’s library in any order.
Epic (For the rest of the game, you can’t play spells. At the beginning of each of your upkeeps, copy this spell except for its epic ability. You may choose a new target for the copy.)
I could see "target player and each creature he or she controls" on Relentless Drum if I raise the cost by 1. I would like to keep the random discard though, in hopes of limiting its power and keeping it in line with red's random discard theme.
Much thanks for your fixes and criticism - they've already helped a lot.
My Custom Set: Solescurio
I'm not super familiar with Ravnica play, but I will note from a design standpoint that turning on Hellbent for one Rakdos card makes all of them better, while discarding a random card to activate one SOL red card's ability reduces the amount of other cards' abilities you can use.
Crop Rotation Guy is less like Polymorph and more like a Trinket Mage for lands. What if it was like Merfolk Wayfinder's ability instead? "Reveal the top 4, put any revealed [basic] land cards into your hand, then Sage Owl (or bottom) the rest." Does the blue likes scrying, green likes lands thing without being totally degenerate.
Dharag's ultimate should say "They're still lands" (unless you want them not to be), Saverio's should use "are" instead of "become".
Yes, Deathless Viol being a bit like cascade, where if you don't want to put the exiled card in their hand, it goes on the bottom.
You still have "comes into play" for the vol reminder text.
Haunting Opera: How isn't this "If I have more cards in hand than you, 4 mana Wit's End at common"?
Initiation Bloodpsalm: There is no such thing as "the graveyard." I assume you mean "a graveyard" (so the Psalm's controller gains the life).
Extraneous "that" in Natural Cadence's second ability.
Harmonic Prism says "Rattling Prism" in its rules text.
I wish the enemy-color theme had more of a presence in the set. A few more off-color activations or "gets a bonus for [color] card" abilities at common would have done it. Right now, aside from the manafixing and a few rares, there's really no incentive for me to draft, say, WB as opposed to WU or BR.
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Phantasomancer - What other blue cards get to kill creatures (as permanents, not spells) outright?
Forsaken Thanatos - Paying 3 life would probably be okay, but then you have two other cards in black which require you to pay life for gain. best not to overload on these effects as they're non-synergistic. A different method of payment would suffice.
Demolition Crew - Glad to see the power go up. I'd ass R as a cost to the LD ability so that it's a bit more in line with a similar card, Barbarian Riftcutter.
Thrillpulse Striker - Red tends to get temporary effects allow it to have a 2 cost 2+/1 creature with first strike, but not have one in its own right, especially with an additional bonus ability. It's just too good for the colour. If this creature was 1/1 with +2/) for having more cards in hand then yes, that would be acceptable. I suspect that one day will will see a generic 1R 2/1 FS; the only problem is this makes red quite a good defensive colour.
Whipflare Spark - Hmm, the issue with your newer version is that, without Vol, this is pretty useless. It's a fine line between obsoleting Spark Elemental and making it too good. How about this?
Whipflare Spark
R
Creature - Elemental
Common
Vol 1
When Whipflare Elemental enters the battlefield, if it has more Vol counters than any other permanent, you may have it get +2/+0 and gains haste and trample until end of turn. If you do, sacrifice it at the beginning of the next end step.
1/1
Natural Cadence v2 - Looks good.
Templemark Retriever - Now it doesn't feel black. Perhaps Beckon Apparition instead?
Fleshcrafter's Duet - As an instant this won't be that wow. Consume Strength wasn't that played and it gave you both. This is better, IMO, but not too good to warp the format.
Volatile Rattlesage - This is better. A Cerebral Vortex every turn (yet with no inherent bonus to your opponent) is still worthy of a higher cost though. 2UR for a 1/2 looks about right to me, but you can scale up either P or T as you see fit.
Outworld Cartographer - Yup, I like. I've always thought grabbing lands from your deck seemed more in line with blue's exploration than green's gardening / nature growing (who grows a Mountain or Island, honestly).
Soundswell Sword - Still love the name. It would make more sense if the ability granted by the sword pumped up the creature to which it was equipped, not just any old creature. Also, considering the length (cost & damage trigger) you go to to get the counter, you'd want it to do a bit more. Two counters would be even more fun, and would work with and throw off other Vol countered creatures. =J
Hushed Sanctuary - Yep, Tendo's a go-go.
Swiftsand - This works quite nicely with Manatune, but may still be too strong at -1/-1. Hard to know without playtesting.
With the Vol cards, the one that struck me immediately was Zithershield Vanguage. It's easily a 2W 3/4 vigilance at common with little in the way to disrupt that. That's too strong. Many of your Vol cards, when played in a non-Vol environment, are simply too good for their cost. Vol is only a drawback within the confines of this set.
There are a couple of ways out of this rut. Vol counters can be used as a depleting resource, however in some cases you will have to ensure that the resource does deplete to prevent the card remaining too strong. Another option is to make Vol some kind of drawback, similar to how Shadowmoor used -1/-1 counters, however this isn't advisable as it adds unnecessary complexity and weakens cards. Thirdly, you could have the card do a bit extra to get those counters - Fettlesinger is a good example of this.
Interesting tidbit: On French cards, Vol is Flying.
Custom Card / Set Reviewer
When reviewing custom cards / sets, I look for (a) flavour, (b) function, and (c) cohesiveness, generally through a risk focus.
True. I can't think of a theme that would fit both red and the set as a whole better though - it pairs well with manatune, blue's carddraw for the R/U pair, and gives red a unique way to make handsize matter.
That's a solid idea. Changed.
Fixed.
Good catch.
The way it's written is certainly incorrect. How would you suggest wording it so that the process is only repeated once?
Fixed.
Fixed.
Likewise.
If you'll check the prospective additions category, I've got two pending cycles for addition when I expand the set, one of which seems to fit what you're talking about. Again, thanks for the criticism and fixes.
I'm not quite sure what you mean by outright - Phantasomancer certainly does not go as far as direct creature destruction. It's more akin to Frozen Solid than Doom Blade.
Would sacrificing a Swamp and -2/-2 be within Black's domain?
I'm not quite sure that's necessary - I don't want to make this too unplayable in limited.
1/1 and +2/+0 then, I guess.
That sounds great.
A fine alternative.
2UR and 2/2 sounds good.
What do you think of Jenesis's idea of making the ability akin to Merfolk Wayfinder?
Updated with both suggestions. This does start to infringe upon the domain of Willtether Flutes. I've changed the latter to the following:
Artifact — Equipment (r)
When equipped creature leaves the battlefield, put a volume counter on Willtether Flutes.
Remove three volume counter from Willtether Flutes: Return target creature card from your graveyard to play.
Equip 2
Is a 3/4 white creature for 2W really too powerful for Standard? Would making it 3/3 with bonus be better?
I don't think the Vol cards can be evaluated in isolation, even in a constructed environment. Any environment where are played in can't be simply a non-Vol environment. Your deck may have some pretty solid vol guys if left unmolested, but you can bet that your opponent's will be playing some vol permanents as well.
That's perhaps a tad more than an interesting tidbit - Changing it to Volume would probably be necessary to avoid confusion. Fixed.
--------------------------------------------
Some updates. First of all, a change to the horribly inelegant Tale of the Deathless Viol:
Sorcery (m)
Exile the top three cards of target player’s library. You may put any of those cards into that player’s hand. For each card you do so, that player loses life equal to its converted mana cost and you gain life equal to the life lost this way.
Epic (For the rest of the game, you can’t play spells. At the beginning of each of your upkeeps, copy this spell except for its epic ability. You may choose a new target for the copy.)
This reduces the amount of text, which is important because at it were, the text could barely fit on the card (I don't really feel like I can afford to cut off the reminder text for Epic when it occurs so rarely). It's perhaps a little bit more exciting now, as well?
Second, I've thought some bit about what Jenesis was saying about comparative wisdom cards not being fun for the players and encouraging stalled games where no one wants to play a card. What do you guys think about changing most of the comparative wisdom conditions to "if you have X or more cards in hand?" Not sure what would be a fair value for X, since varying it would be too confusing. Perhaps 3 or 4? That way at least after that point, players could feel free to play cards again.
I might keep the comparative clause on Maya Mitsumi, though, because of inherent synergies. Black could even get a negative version of Wisdom, where bonuses are only activated if your opponent as a certain amount of cards or less, giving it a much needed theme. Since this would be a fairly serious change, I thought I'd get some feedback before going in an altering all of the cards.
Third, I've been toying with doing a similar change to Volume, where Volume creatures get their bonus unless a permanent has more volume counters on it. This increase their ability to work together a little with other creatures that are "in tune" with it. The problems with it would be that it's a tad off flavorfully, it makes the Volume creatures quite a bit harder to turn off, and it doesn't really eliminate the disadvantages of having multiple creatures with Volume.
A similar change would see the condition adjusted to only be deactivated if your opponent has a a permanent with the same or more volume counters. That shares the flavor issues with the first proposed change (although it could be written off as your creatures sharing the same "melody" that's disparate from your opponent's melody), but fixes the other two issues nicely. Again, I'd be grateful if you could provide your insight on this.
My Custom Set: Solescurio
For volume - What if only a permanent with the same number of counters "blanked" it out? If you listen to real music, there's a ton of melodies and harmonies, louds and softs, high and low pitches. Obviously this would require a lot of rebalancing, but the idea is you'd get synergies between Volume 1, 2, and 3 guys, and maybe create cards that allow you to shift the number of volume counters on a guy up and down.
Fettlesinger: extra "damage" in the text. This is a good way to do it.
Lucca: Her powerlevel is a bit worrisome because all your creatures can never die. Would it be so much worse if it cost W? There's no 0cmc white creature nowadays, but there may be in the future.
Versebound: Neat tweak on Cowed by Wisdom.
Canal Azurewatch: Indestructible on a wall is pretty redundant, but as a wisdom-enabler in disguise he's pretty good.
Spelltempo Analyst: Triple-blue flash-granter guy, when white seems to have the majority of the flash cards in this set? Feels like he belongs elsewhere.
Surging Sky Swallower: He's already Terminate, gg - would a Spellbook clause make this guy too good, as presumably you're already returning 7 cards (your tapped lands) to your hand? If you're going to go big, go big!
Waterstrider Lullaby: I'm not a fan of the fact that only one ability is useful at a time.
Aronne: Flying? Is that because she's a "High" Confessor? I predict a lot of extremely swingy games. Maybe lower the life/pump a bit and once/turn?
Dark Consultation: Really interesting drawback. Plays well with Demented Judge.
Forsaken Thanatos: Seems too good, really, since lands are often blank in the lategame. Trading my 0-mana card for your 3-mana card is hardly ever a bad deal.
Gluttonous Abomination: Why make the choice easy? If this was a rare, I could see land, but as it's an uncommon I'd restrict it to creature.
Haunting Opera: "...repeat this process once."
Brightpyre Phoenix: Swapping a random card in your hand for an unkillable 4/3 haste flier worries me a bit. Maybe if it was two cards.
Jovial Evil, Dwarven Shrine
As an additional cost to play Calamitious Finale, discard any number of cards at random.
Calamitious Finale deals X damage to target player and each creature he or she controls, where X is twice the number of cards discarded this way.
In general WotC doesn't like making people do X-related math.
Yorescarred Walker: Unimpressive body and two abilities that don't work well together. Meh.
Briarmight Diapason: If you have a bunch of creatures, a bunch of lands, and a bunch of cards in hand, how aren't you already winning? Win-more cards that are worthless when you're losing are especially bad.
Earthroar Horde: I like, something for Timmy/Johnny to play with.
Vicious Packlord: The standard for a 1CC lord is 2/2, but I suppose the ability isn't as good as haste, unblockability, or making more mana.
Composition Crafter: The abilities don't seem to have anything to do with each other. Infy/infy Wake Thrasher?
Harmonic Prism has two instances of the word "Sacrifice."
Plague Engine doesn't fit the set. Seems like a totally random Spike rare.
Staffmarked Scroll: Scroll of Origins could use an update anyway.
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I already have quite a few that scale with the number of cards - I think it would be nice to be able to include "wisdom" matters on cards that would otherwise not be able to have an effective scaling wisdom clause. I'm sort of leaning towards 3 - I'll test it out and let you guys know.
That's certainly an idea, but I'm not sure you'll get enough Volume creatures in limited to make it matter. Even if you pick up three creatures of the same volume, chances aren't that high that they'd disrupt each other. It would also make interacting with your opponent's Volume creatures harder, as now you have to "aim."
Fixed.
I think I agree with this - Alexis Janson talked a lot about the importance of "shields down" moments, and this would certainly add one.
Technically, white is focused on tactical combat - this is represented mechanically through flash on creatures as a theme. Giving sorceries flash is another thing altogether. Regardless, you're correct that this a just a filler rare. I'll make a note to replace it if I think of something better. I do like the name though, in relation to the set's theme - in a world where music is magic the importance of tempo in spellweaving certainly seems intriguing.
That's a good idea. I left it off initially because of power concerns, but playing it makes you vulnerable enough that I think you're correct.
Eh, I think it's okay. I like how you can pacify your opponent's creatures or give your own creatures islandwalk. I also like the tension before playing it where if you have to decide whether or not you can tap down the enchanted creature every turn because you just made it effectively unblockable.
The flavor here is that the Aronne is not quite human. In exchange for his life energy, he is gifted with twisted Elder strength. I wanted to keep the Hatred feel without making it too powerful, and 7 is a perfect number, as it restricts you to two uses (assuming no life gain).
Do you think -1/-1 instead of -2/-2 or sacrificing more lands would sufficiently weaken the card, or would you recommend another cost entirely?
Without any notable token generators in the text, I fear that restricting it to just creatures would make the card too bad. If you think it's too powerful, do you think making it 5/5 would suffice?
Really, that would work? I thought that adding "once" wouldn't really change anything, because technically you only repeat it once each time before you follow the instruction again.
I can see that.
Thanks.
How's this?:
Creature — Giant Warrior (u)
Whenever you discard a card at random, Yorescarred Walker deals 1 damage to target creature or player.
Discard a card at random: Yorescarred Walker has first strike until end of turn.
“The time will come when the songcasters will pay in blood for the scars of my ancestors.”
6/3
Briarmight Diapason plays a role very similar to Overrun in limited. Overrun is definitely not a win-more card (if anything it permits you to win games you have no business winning), and having three cards in hand and one additional mana isn't difficult enough to make this card practical only in select situations. Especially with manatune in the set, it could turn out surprisingly powerful and could definitely steal games for players who are behind in a race.
Testing has actually shown this card to be fairly powerful. I won't change it yet, but I'll keep an eye on it during any more games I playtest.
Yeah, the maximum hand size clause was a relic from when Eversong Titan had the same clause and I figured that having a playable Spellbook effect at common would be good.
The effects don't really link mechanically, but both sort of get across the "utility robot" feel that I'm going for. I'm not too concerned about the Wave Thrasher combo, as Composition Crafter is far from the only card that combos with it.
Fixed.
Like Spelltempo Analyst, another filler rare.
My Custom Set: Solescurio
Gluttonous: 5/5 could work. Makes it a fair bit more deal-with-able. (Trades with Angel, dies to Flashdance, etc)
Haunting Opera: Development
Saying "X more times" means that, and no more.
Scarred Walker: Nice.
Diapason: Yes, you have manatune, but those guys are fairly sizeable anyway (if you have Timberchant Wurm in play, pumping it is just win-more). The major difference is that Overrun is awesome in topdeck mode, while this is awful until you wait a few more turns to build up your hand size. Then consider we got an Overrun upgrade in Overwhelming Stampede (having one 3/x guy is easier than having 3 cards in hand, especially when you're green). Then again, I haven't played with the set, so it may be the case that players are holding cards in hand.
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I was going to fool around with a -X/-X effect, but I feel like Black really already has enough. I figured changing it in anticipation of Black's discard/antiwisdomcraft subtheme would be a good idea:
Creature — Beast Shaman (r)
T: Target player discards a card. Activate this ability only any time you could cast a sorcery.
4B, T: Put target creature card in a graveyard onto the battlefield under your control.
Exiled by the city and abandoned by the forest, the desperate thanatos wander the plane crafting their resentment into terrible discordant magic.
2/2
From what I've played, there's lots of reasons for keeping cards in your hand and plenty of ways to get it accomplished. Some manatune creatures are large, but just as many aren't very big at all, and there exists also the manatune instants. I'll make another note to watch this along with Vicious Packlord in testing.
My Custom Set: Solescurio
Additionally, a sizable portion of the old cards have been changed (to the extent that it would almost be unjustified to say the set completely redesigned) as well to better accommodate the new introductions, to reflect new thoughts on the set themes, and to adjust to observations from playtesting, both of the sealed deck and 2-of-each-common-plus-lands variety. Major mechanical changes include Volume not being deactivated by your own creatures with greater volume, and crescendo being eliminated altogether. "Wisdomcraft" was abandoned because the straight up comparative wisdom was not proving disruptive enough in limited to justify losing the interaction, although "antiwisdomcraft" persists in Black as a mechanical theme.
Comments on the new cards are especially appreciated, though I'd encourage even those who looked through the old set to scan through them again in order to be able to judge the set holistically.
My Custom Set: Solescurio
I notice a predominance of creatures as opposed to noncreatures in white common and uncommon, but the way you sort your cards is inconsistent. I suggest sorting them all (folding the "pending additions" into the set proper) by creature, then noncreature, each group in order of ascending cmc (like Wizards does). Then you can determine if your set has the ratio of creatures to noncreatures that you want for each color.
Streetguard Silencer, being a super-strong but narrow hate card, seems uncommon. On the other hand, Unmasked Elder is fine.
I'd like to see one of the common manatune cards have a "wisdomcraft" rider. Maybe Shielding Paean can block X additional creatures, where that's the number of cards in your hand? In practice that won't make much difference (how often are 5+ creatures attacking you?) but it reinforces the set theme.
Mystifying Canticle is crap, with only one common white enchantment in the set (a one-cmc Aura).
Does Cryptviol Initiate have volume 4 or 5?
Ravenous Bloodwing seems a bit too swingy for common. Consider that Putrid Leech requires a specific manabase, doesn't have evasion, and still sees plenty of play in Extended. You don't even have to activate the ability if your unblockable 2/2 is getting the job done.
Booming Rise and Macabre Waltz are both common 2-mana sorceries that can Raise Dead. One of them needs to die.
Aria of Dominance's reminder text should be italicized.
Forsaken Thanatos: You may want to use "any number," like Cranial Extraction's update Memoricide, which avoids unnecessary judge calls.
Every red rare except the ones in cycles has the text "Discard ... at random." That's pushing your theme a bit much. For reference, there are five total cards that care about randomly discarding at common and uncommon combined.
Relentless Drum is meh (compare Form of the Dragon) and overlaps the design space of Calamitous Finale.
How is Boundless Lute supposed to win you the game, compared to "Make 10 billion lifelinking tokens," "Tutor my whole deck," "Zombify everyone else's best creatures," and "Burn the world"?
Incremental Rattlesage: Compare Kaho, Minamo Historian. You have to write it all out, really - you may as well say "three instant or sorcery cards with converted mana cost 2 or less," though the flavor will need changing. I suppose you were going for a "Cone of spells" here, though that would make a much better instant/sorcery itself: "Search your library for an instant or sorcery card with converted mana cost 1, AIOSCWCMC2, and AIOSCWCMC3, and reveal them. Put the revealed cards into your hand and shuffle your library."
Oathsworn Angel: How is this an Angel without the Angel creature type? Also, the ability seems very meta-dependent and will do next to nothing in Limited, for sure.
Harmonic Prism should only say "Draw a card" once, I think.
Composition Crafter: Is there a very good reason that this doesn't say "another target permanent"?
Based on the order of the abilities, is Tablet's last ability supposed to be usable only on the battlefield?
You couldn't find an awesome-sounding musical name for Plague Engine? Or is it flavored as elder/outworld magic?
Willtether Flutes: "To the battlefield."
Enemy-bounce uncommon duals: You don't need "instead." Overgrown Tomb and friends.
I'm pretty sure the RW rare dual should be "Marauder."
On to the new stuff!
"Accent" cycle: Do we really need an un-landfalled Mysteries of the Deep in every color? I could see some of them being "cycled" for no strategic purpose (like playing the green one on an opponent's creature at their eot) just to draw cards.
"Vesper" means "evening" in Classical Latin. "Welkin" is an archaic term referring to the upper sky. I think we're missing a noun here.
Trailblazer Refrain is just a tweaked Jace's Erasure, but I suppose it fits blue's theme of card drawing.
An Assassin with huge power and no abilities? ...Sure?
Bleak Consecration: Interesting choice there.
Brazen Insight: Goblin Lore is uncommon.
Daunting Accent: Why the hell would you ever want to play this at instant speed??
Vinereveille Patrol: There's cool and foreign-sounding, then there's just utter gobbledygook. What's wrong with just "Reveille"?
Bells: Nicely implemented, I like.
Discord Sower: Did Locust Miser need to be made strictly better?
Erratic Encore: Plays nicely with the "discard at random" theme in red. The Surreal Memoir of the deck.
Lutesworn Behemoth: I'd shrink his base stats a bit, considering he's already a 6/6 trample if you have one other Beast. Compare Baloth Woodcrasher, who costs G more, and requires landfall to be 8/8 for a turn.
Raveling Kudzu: At first I thought you meant "unravel" and it was a typo. Then I checked the dictionary. In general, not having to check the dictionary is good.
I'm really not a fan of the Seals, since you already have a multicolored cycle of generic "glue gun" cards in the Duets. Also, Seals tend to be more powerful than their comparable instants, because you don't have to keep holding up mana for them. Maybe in another set, but I don't think this one needs a cycle of Ravnica knock-off Spike cards.
Perpetual Pastorale: It's an interesting effect I haven't seen before.
Echoshaper: "3UU: Kill target Commander and your opponent's second-best creature too"?
Intuition Chord: Interesting mind game for both players.
Pestiferous Fugue: Consider Night of Souls' Betrayal is legendary, and this is better most of the time.
Will of the Hunt: Aura Gnarlid spliced onto Elephant Guide? Why not?
Sanity Moppet: Millstone spliced onto Stuffy Doll? ...Meh.
Null Vox: This should be Mythic, if only because it can aggravate casual players to Mythic proportions. Amusingly, this goes quite well alongside the turn 1-Grim Lavamancer turn 2-double Wild Nacatl draw. Note also that you will get to draw a card immediately after the last "vanishing" counter is removed.
Assoluto: 10 mana on turn 6? Fairly clunky but fairly nutty, especially in Commander.
Mythics: Something for everyone (except Limited players, though I guess Fleshling is it)? Where's red?
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