"Make the boy watch," said the elder Shija, "If he so much as flinches, we will know that he is also corrupted."
Two clerics reached down to Ariz's arms, and tried to hoist him up, but Ariz was paralyzed with fear and could not move. A third cleric came over and grabbed the rotund baker by the legs. The three men shuffled him over to the bread oven, where the fire was just beginning to take hold. The sound of popping wood resin emanated from behind him. Ariz opened his eyes to look at his boy, but closed them again at the sight of his wife's lifeless body. Ariz gnashed his teeth. The executioner held the boy by the hair, and touched the edge of his scimitar to the boy's neck. The child held still and silent, his eyes glassy and wide.
"For whoring your soul to the Bird of Filth," said the elder Shija, "And for aiding her devils in the ransacking and slaughter of the countryside, and for butchering animals and children for use in your foul perversions, you will now die. The Lord of Light willing, this fire will be but a taste of the torment your soul will endure for all eternity in hell. Char-Khaya spits upon your memory, may it be washed clean from the land. Proceed."
Without delay, the three Shija hoisted the fat baker up and into the oven, then slammed the door shut behind him. Though the fire had not reached its full strength, the searing pain upon Ariz's skin was sudden and terrible. Flames shot up around him and singed his hair and clothes. Smoke from the wood and his own burning skin shot up his nostrils and choked him. The baker held back his cries, muffled from the ears of the boy outside, biting his lip until the blood ran from it and dropped to the fire, sizzling. He writhed in agony as the fire grew greater, and then his flailing arm touched somebody else's arm.
"Grab him, Fazel!" shouted a young woman's voice, "Pull him out of the fire! Quickly!"
The voice came not from outside, but from deeper within the oven. More and more hands grabbed at Ariz and pulled at his body: large hands, small hands, rough hands, delicate hands. Suddenly, Ariz tumbled onto the cold ground.
"His burns are bad," shouted the woman, "Get me two vials of the ointment, now! He could die!"
Ariz, charred, lay underneath a vast dome of carved rock, within a sweeping, empty arcade of stone and shadow. Four figures stood over him - a pockmarked dervish with wild hair; a mouse-faced little man fumbling with glasses of bright liquid; a shirtless, bald, and mustachioed laborer, built like an ox; and a young pauper girl. She wore tattered brown rags over her tattered brown skin, old sandals with broken straps, and a threadbare, sea-colored kerchief holding back her dark, dirty hair. Her eyes were wild and alive, bright as the noon sun shining through the fronds of a date palm. As Ariz looked up at her, the little mouse-face man suddenly shoved past her and sprinkled thick drops of oil all over Ariz's body.
"Quick enough for you, Marjhan?" said the alchemist, "Not a faster hand in Tarkaz, or wherever we are!"
Evoke 2U(You may cast this spell for its evoke cost. If you do, it’s sacrificed when it enters the battlefield.)
When Intelligence Tonic is put into a graveyard from the battlefield, draw two cards.
Fireball Solute1
Artifact - Potion [COM]
Evoke 1R(You may cast this spell for its evoke cost. If you do, it’s sacrificed when it enters the battlefield.)
When Fireball Solute is put into a graveyard from the battlefield, it deals 3 damage to each opponent.
Efflorescent Dram3
Artifact - Potion [COM]
Evoke 3G(You may cast this spell for its evoke cost. If you do, it’s sacrificed when it enters the battlefield.)
When Efflorescent Dram is put into a graveyard from the battlefield, untap all lands you control.
Daring ArchaeologistGU
Creature - Human Scout Artificer [UNC]
Nonbasic landwalk
When Daring Archaeologist enters the battlefield, put a colorless Treasure Chest artifact token onto the battlefield. It has “:2mana:, Sacrifice this artifact: Draw a card.”
Evoke—:1mana:, Sacrifice an artifact (You may cast this spell for its evoke cost. If you do, it’s sacrificed when it enters the battlefield.)
When Bubbling Reagent is put into a graveyard from the battlefield, add to your mana pool for each artifact put into a graveyard from the battlefield this turn.
Volatile Reagent
Artifact - Potion [UNC]
Evoke—:1mana:, Sacrifice an artifact (You may cast this spell for its evoke cost. If you do, it’s sacrificed when it enters the battlefield.)
When Volatile Reagent is put into a graveyard from the battlefield, add to your mana pool for each artifact put into a graveyard from the battlefield this turn.
Resinous Reagent
Artifact - Potion [UNC]
Evoke—:1mana:, Sacrifice an artifact (You may cast this spell for its evoke cost. If you do, it’s sacrificed when it enters the battlefield.)
When Resinous Reagent is put into a graveyard from the battlefield, add to your mana pool for each artifact put into a graveyard from the battlefield this turn.
Basically, I realized that Potions aren't numerous, strong, or focused enough to carry a type-based mechanic.
Anyway, that makes these much more powerful. I'll be listening for the degeneracy alarm as the rest of the set comes in.
Here are some fresh ones - the bottom two entries from what might be another red vertical cycle, and a blue rare:
Scrapyard Roach3R
Creature - Insect [COM]
First strike
Scrapyard Roach gets +3/+0 as long as three or more artifact cards are in a single graveyard.
[2/2]
Firepit Swine2RRR
Creature - Boar [UNC]
Trample
:1mana:: Target creature can’t block Firepit Swine this turn. Activate this ability only if three or more artifact cards are in a single graveyard.
[5/4]
Moonlight Requisition1UU
Sorcery [RARE]
Search target opponent’s library for an artifact creature card and put that card onto the battlefield under your control. Then that player shuffles his or her library.
I figure the last one might excite some current Standard players.
Liking the Roach as a better but more restrictive Saberclaw Golem.
Could Firepit Swine possibly have a lower toughness, ala Spin Engine? There's not much incentive to build around his activated ability when he can just trample over the opponent's entire board.
Liking the Roach as a better but more restrictive Saberclaw Golem.
Could Firepit Swine possibly have a lower toughness, ala Spin Engine? There's not much incentive to build around his activated ability when he can just trample over the opponent's entire board.
I'm realizing that the "three or more artifact cards in a single graveyard" could be perceived as a Metalcraft knockoff (Trashcraft?), which is not really what I want. I'm going for a more general artifact + graveyard theme for red, so I'm going to do something different for the piggy:
Midden Razorback2RRR
Creature - Boar [UNC]
Trample
Whenever Midden Razorback deals combat damage to a player, choose up to two cards at random in your graveyard. Return each artifact card chosen this way to your hand, then reorder your graveyard as you choose.
[5/3]
As for Moonlight Requisition, it's definitely an on-or-off sort of thing. My basis for cost comparison is Mind Control : Domineer as Bribery : this. This card certainly could have you rockin' out of the gate on turn three. It does punish your opponent for playing big creatures, but I'm hoping the impact of that is limited on account of it hitting artifact creatures only. The artifact creatures in this set gravitate more towards midrange, so I'm feeling like it's not going to create many unfun moments where you lose your big game-winning guy. Mostly, I like it for other formats, like somewhere where it can be the silver bullet vs. Blightsteel Colossus or Sundering Titan.
Razorback should be "whenever." Could the random reordering be done after resolving the ability, ala Fossil Find? As written, if you whiff, you'll have to remember to put the revealed cards back in the exact position they were in after randomizing. Trample is good with the damage trigger as well.
Domineer can be played around and destroyed more easily than Requisition, and also doesn't let you see their entire library. I'm not sure that giving the jackass blue EDH player more Bribery effects is necessarily a good thing, but if you limit the power level of any other artifact-centric sets in the megablock as well, it shouldn't break Limited, at least.
Are there other cards at lower rarities that do encourage players to play artifact creature cards?
What is the flavor reason for having both Djinns and Efreets in the same set? For having both artifact creatures and colorless non-artifact creatures?
Domineer can be played around and destroyed more easily than Requisition, and also doesn't let you see their entire library. I'm not sure that giving the jackass blue EDH player more Bribery effects is necessarily a good thing, but if you limit the power level of any other artifact-centric sets in the megablock as well, it shouldn't break Limited, at least.
This is the only artifact-centric set in the megablock. Other sets will certainly have artifacts, and maybe even a minor special theme (I might do an Equipment subtheme later, since it really isn't featured here), but this is the big hurrah.
So, as far as the megablock is concerned, if Moonlight Requisition isn't degenerate in this set, it's probably not going to be degenerate when the rest of the megablock falls into place. If enough people can convince me that Bribery effects are just undesirable in Magic in general, I will certainly reconsider.
Are there other cards at lower rarities that do encourage players to play artifact creature cards?
Assemble, Brass Bull, and Chiseled Strength do, explicitly. Some others reward it tangentially. I still have five more common slots in green, and at least one of those slots is going to go to a pro-artifact-creature card. What do you suggest? Do you think I need more explicit support than that?
What is the flavor reason for having both Djinns and Efreets in the same set? For having both artifact creatures and colorless non-artifact creatures?
Meh. I've been very resistant to Efreets, because they create flavor confusion. The Djinn vs. Efreet thing is like having two separate creature types for Elves vs. Wood Elves. Efreets should be a sub-race of Djinns, right along with Marids. But, I also have to acknowledge that Magic will forever classify them as distinct races (thank you, King Suleiman). I can't really change that.
For the Sardars, I originally had them as Djinns, but as I started designing the rest of the Djinns, it became apparent that the Sardars were much smaller than my other Djinns. So, I toyed with the idea of making the Sardars Efreets, and that's where they are now. I don't know if I'm going to keep them that way. If I do, I will have to find a flavor justification for Efreets, and give them a distinct identity.
The colorless nonartifact creature thing (the Zindani), was completely a mechanical desire, not a flavor one. I wanted some creatures that could make the maximum use of the unseal mechanic, but that weren't artifacts themselves (to prevent arbitrarily-large ETB loops). If I had to give them a flavor justification at this point, it would be that the Zindani have been bound within the Padishah's artifact-prisons for so long that they have almost become artifacts themselves, but not quite. Anyway, the flavor is very much following the function, here. If it's just too weird, I can reconsider, but I kind of like the colorless mana cost on this mechanic for this cycle.
For the "green, likes artifact dudes" card, the best I can think of is some kind of Metallurgeon/Golem Artisan variant: tapping to regenerate or hand out a keyword buff to an artifact dude.
I also like having at least one intimidate guy in the set, to punish players who go completely artifact-less.
Maybe an uncommon that rewards you for controlling lots of Homunculi/tokens/artifact creatures, like Broodwarden?
For the "green, likes artifact dudes" card, the best I can think of is some kind of Metallurgeon/Golem Artisan variant: tapping to regenerate or hand out a keyword buff to an artifact dude.
I think regeneration is spot-on here. I've kind of touched on that with Hulking Zindani, but I'm probably going to give that whole cycle another once-over to refine the abilities a bit. A common artifact-creature-regenerator would be an excellent addition, I agree.
Maybe an uncommon that rewards you for controlling lots of Homunculi/tokens/artifact creatures, like Broodwarden?
Also an excellent idea. I have Takwin Sludge, but there's still room for a general artifact creature lord, and also room for things that interact with Homunculi. For the record, I still plan to do a card that ties Homunculi and Potions together. It will probably be one of the mythics.
I also like having at least one intimidate guy in the set, to punish players who go completely artifact-less.
Aha! You have hit on another one of the set's / block's secret design principles!
For each of these sets, one of the first things that I'm doing is explicitly excluding some mechanics from each set. For this set, it's mostly white / black stuff (no surprise there). So, for example, there is no protection in this set, and no life loss effects or life payments. Even though it's in-color, I opted to also include intimidate on the cut list. Part of that is the desire to give each of these sets a distinct mechanical identity, part of that is because I don't think it's the greatest thematic fit, but one big reason is that I want PTP-PTP-PTP draft to feel different from PTP-???-??? draft. Other sets will have intimidate, and I want that addition to make drafts with PTP feel different.
Also, there's another big, related reason: intimidate is going to have a major role in "Heavy Metal", the next set in the block. Not to spoil anything, but Prism-Shell Mantis is a bit of foreshadowing towards that. I don't want to steal intimidate's thunder, so it's all quiet on that front for now.
Here are new versions of the Viziers. The :symr:/:symg: one hasn't changed:
Vizier of Mirrors4UURR
Creature - Djinn [RARE]
Flash
Unseal (You may cast this by returning an artifact you control to hand and paying the difference in mana cost between this and the returned artifact. Mana cost includes color.)
:1mana:, Discard an artifact card: Change the target of target spell with a single target.
[6/6]
Vizier of Sands3RRGG
Creature - Djinn [RARE]
Unseal (You may cast this by returning an artifact you control to hand and paying the difference in mana cost between this and the returned artifact. Mana cost includes color.)
Trample, haste
At the beginning of the end step, sacrifice Vizier of Sands.
[11/1]
Vizier of Cyclones5GGUU
Creature - Djinn [RARE]
Unseal (You may cast this by returning an artifact you control to hand and paying the difference in mana cost between this and the returned artifact. Mana cost includes color.)
Flying
When Vizier of Cyclones attacks, destroy all creatures with flying you don’t control.
[7/5]
The :symu:/:symr: one may still need some work, but I'm feeling good about the :symg:/:symu: one.
Unseal (You may cast this by returning an artifact you control to hand and paying the difference in mana cost between this and the returned artifact. Mana cost includes color.)
Put any number of artifact cards from your hand onto the battlefield.
Strange RebirthGGGG
Legendary Enchantment [MR]
Each nonartifact permanent you control has reconstruct. (When it is put into a graveyard from the battlefield, search your library for an artifact card that costs less and put that card onto the battlefield. Then shuffle your library.)
Replacing Assemble & Void Ring, and updating Brass Bull:
Reintegrate4GG
Sorcery [COM]
Unseal (You may cast this by returning an artifact you control to hand and paying the difference in mana cost between this and the returned artifact. Mana cost includes color.)
Target player gains 8 life.
Tablet of Dominance3
Artifact [RARE]
When a spell you've cast is countered, sacrifice Tablet of Dominance. If you do, put a 4/4 colorless Lammasu artifact creature token with flying onto the battlefield.
Reconstruct (When this is put into a graveyard from the battlefield, search your library for an artifact card that costs less and put that card onto the battlefield. Then shuffle your library.)
Brass Bull4
Artifact Creature - Ox [COM]
Trample
Whenever Brass Bull attacks, it gets +2/+0 until end of turn for each other attacking artifact creature.
[1/3]
I'm cutting lifelink from the set to reinforce the absence of :symw:/:symb:.
Magnum Opus: Unlike other uber-expensive Mythics, I can see this actually being playable in Limited, since if you have an expensive artifact in your pool you can Unseal it and plop it right back onto the battlefield. Of course, it all but ensures that this will never be hardcast, which I'm not sure is a good thing. The only really degenerate interaction I can think of involves cheapo artifact-based ramp anyway (Mox Diamond/Chrome Mox/Sol Ring + any two-cost mana rock + any four-mana artifact = turn 3 Blightsteel).
Strange Rebirth: Referencing "each" in the reminder text seems odd - maybe move it to the rules text, like Wren's Run Packmaster? I'm assuming it's legendary to combo with itself?
Reintegrate: Crappy lifegain card is still crappy, but I guess it's for Limited.
Tablet of Dominance: Multani's Presence says this is weird, but probably okay. Artifact Lammasu??
Of course, it all but ensures that this will never be hardcast, which I'm not sure is a good thing.
The instances where you would hardcast this are exceptionally few and make little sense, it's true. But, I feel like having one such card for the mechanic is OK. With six colorless mana to blow through, there's a lot of variability in how you can curve it out with the unseal cost.
Strange Rebirth: Referencing "each" in the reminder text seems odd - maybe move it to the rules text, like Wren's Run Packmaster? I'm assuming it's legendary to combo with itself?
Your templating is the correct templating. Thanks!
It's legendary to prevent multiple instances of reconstruct on the same permanent. Or, at least, to make it very challenging to achieve them.
Reintegrate: Crappy lifegain card is still crappy, but I guess it's for Limited.
Yep.
Tablet of Dominance: Multani's Presence says this is weird, but probably okay. Artifact Lammasu??
The original version had the standard "countered by a spell or ability" wording, but I'm pushing another anti-counterspell card really hard in this set (the Padishah, who is going to get a development update soon), and I wanted this card to feel different. So, I made this version that works with countering via loss of legal targets.
This card is on my watch list, though - it's functionality might change a bit. The same can be said for my other rare, noncreature reconstruct card.
First, a little dude. Specifically, the artifact-creature-regenerator suggested by Jenesis:
Sticky RootwallaG
Creature - Lizard [COM]
:symg:: Choose one — Regenerate target artifact creature you control; or Sticky Rootwalla gets +1/+1 until end of turn. Activate this ability only once each turn.
[1/1]
I like the activate-once modal ability, and I would cycle it out if I thought the cycle would fit into the set, but I don't. I might make it some kind of block megacycle, though.
Now, a new Targh-Rider Witch, a new Apocalypse Serum, and the Padishah goes mach 3:
Padishah ZardURG
Legendary Creature - Djinn [MR]
Padishah Zard can’t be countered.
Artifact spells you control can’t be countered.
You may have each artifact you control enter the battlefield as a copy of any artifact on the battlefield.
[3/4]
Targh-Rider Witch2RR
Creature - Human Shaman [RARE]
:symr:, :symtap:: Target opponent gains control of target artifact you control. If that player does, you put X 2/1 red Hyena creature tokens with haste onto the battlefield, where X is that artifact’s converted mana cost. Exile the tokens at the beginning of the next end step.
[2/2]
Apocalypse Serum8
Artifact - Potion [MR]
Evoke 2RRRR(You may cast this spell for its evoke cost. If you do, it’s sacrificed when it enters the battlefield.)
When Apocalypse Serum is put into a graveyard from the battlefield, destroy all permanents.
A few things about the Padishah:
He no longer gives any benefit to your opponents.
I will, eventually, settle on his proper name. I really like this new one.
I would like him to cost exactly URG, so that Spike may wield him to maximum efficacy in an artifact-based deck.
He needs to be at least 3/3.
I wanted an ability that reflected authority, but not front-line combat. Since he was already making artifacts uncounterable, I figured I'd just make him uncounterable as well.
I don't mind if he's preposterously good, so long as he's not JTMS good. In fact, I would like to push him pretty aggressively.
A few things about the Witch:
I wanted to differentiate the Hyena tokens more from the set's somewhat ubiquitous Homunculus tokens, so I made them 2/1 and had them only last for a turn (they always had haste).
I might put another Hyena-token-producer at common or uncommon. Maybe.
Does the Witch's new reusability make her busted? If so, would upping the activation cost help that?
Sticky Rootwalla: Cute card, don't really understand the name. My mental image is that he's covered in glue and sniffing it gives him temporary steroids.
Padishah: If you think his power level is too high, I'd push him down to a 3/3 to mirror the three words in the typeline and three abilities. I was pushing for non-symmetrical abilities in the beginning, so nice to see them here.
Witch: I like how nicely she curves into Bronze Bombshell. Considering it's just a 2/2 that doesn't have an immediate impact on the board, requires artifacts to do anything, and has a high cmc for a red aggro deck, I think she's fine. As for Hyena tokens at un/common, nah. Make Hyena creature cards, but rare-only makes the tokens feel more special.
Apocalypse Serum: Strictly better Planar Cleansing that also nukes lands (unfun). Also, red has never had a sweeper that hits all enchantments.
Sticky Rootwalla: Cute card, don't really understand the name. My mental image is that he's covered in glue and sniffing it gives him temporary steroids.
"Adhesive Rootwalla" or "Bonding Agent Rootwalla" just didn't sound as good.
I'll fix it in the flavor text!
Padishah: If you think his power level is too high, I'd push him down to a 3/3 to mirror the three words in the typeline and three abilities. I was pushing for non-symmetrical abilities in the beginning, so nice to see them here.
He was 3/3 in the previous version. I'm just daring the precipice here.
IMO, the Padishah is the kind of card that single-handedly makes you want to build a competitive artifact deck. If he's not, that's what I want him to be. I think that the P/T is somewhat secondary to that purpose, but I don't want to make it a liability. Whatever it ends up being, he'll have a solid body.
Witch: I like how nicely she curves into Bronze Bombshell. Considering it's just a 2/2 that doesn't have an immediate impact on the board, requires artifacts to do anything, and has a high cmc for a red aggro deck, I think she's fine. As for Hyena tokens at un/common, nah. Make Hyena creature cards, but rare-only makes the tokens feel more special.
Agreed. After I wrote the above, I realized it's probably more important for me to have a little bit extra token variety than token consistency. So, I agree that it's fine if she's the only Hyena token producer. Right now the set has:
1/1 colorless Homunculus artifact creature tokens
2/1 red Hyena creature tokens with haste
3/3 colorless Lammasu artifact creature tokens with flying and first strike*
(*working version)
I will probably add one or two other token varieties.
Apocalypse Serum: Strictly better Planar Cleansing that also nukes lands (unfun). Also, red has never had a sweeper that hits all enchantments.
Well, Planar Cleansing is a Core Set card, and I commend WotC for making a card that does everything a Core Set board-sweeper ought to do. It's simple, it's big, it's exciting, it doesn't grief lands, and it leaves the door open for more aggressively-costed sweepers in expansions.
I agree that Armageddon effects are to be handled with hazmat equipment. But, they weren't left in the dustbin of time; theystillexist in modern Magic.
I guess I'm just wondering if you think that it's something that could be addressed with a different costing. I don't necessarily think that the costing is too aggressive, but I could hear arguments to that effect (keeping in mind that the most problematic formats for these kinds of effects are casual or multiplayer ones). Also, I could go for "nonenchantment" permanents.
Pure Armageddon effects like Boom // Bust are fine, provided they leave players with some way to close out the game. Something like "Destroy all permanents" on turn 6, especially in group multiplayer games, causes a whole heap of eye-rolling because you just wasted all those turns not advancing the game state in any meaningful way, and/or are now stuck drawing off the top for the rest of the game.
New Limited cards: I like Fledgling Rukh and Shi'b Refugees the least. 2/2 flier for 3 and 3/3 trampler for 4 are both on-curve for a Core Set; 1/1 haste is not, and the conditional flying doesn't make up for it in my book. With Shi'b Refugees, I feel you can have your guy I can't block, and you can have your guy I can't kill, but combining both onto the same card and making it common is just unfun, especially since red is lacking evasion to race when it's on defense. I'd like a 7 toughness green guy much better if red had forestwalk and green had islandwalk instead, since blue's removal is toughness-independent, unlike red's.
Diffract: I agree with Kajar that this drawback seems silly in a vacuum, as well as in multi-set draft where there's a sufficient quantity of blue that taking it is worthwhile.
Grandsire of the Sea: I really wonder if trying to differentiate Djinns and Efreets is more trouble than it's worth. I can easily see players being confused by two creatures with similar looking artwork getting two different sets of bonuses, and making poor play decisions based on that.
Magnetic Mantle: Again, a card whose utility varies widely based on which sets are being drafted. About 1/3 of PTP (excluding tokens) is artifacts, so this is a potent build-around-me, but its value drops steeply when you can't count on picking up a single artifact in two whole packs.
Churn the Heaps: Cool!
Huskwidow: Love the creepy mental imagery here, though the cost and body are a bit small for my liking at rare. I'm not convinced that I would first-pick him over Fangren Marauder, for instance.
Ark of A'tan: This card would make no sense to me were it not for the Biblical(?) flavor. Any reason why the number five?
Currently, no. However, it's supposed to be set #1 in a 10-set "megablock" of small, three-color sets. So, while I kind of wrapped a bow around the initial design process for TPatP, I left a few cards undesigned so that I could seed some foreshadowing elements into this set that would later manifest in sets 2-10.
So, it's still officially a Work in Progress. I've been busy doing some other things besides chugging away at the megablock (I kind of lost interest last year when everybody and their horse started doing wedge / shard sets again.) But, in the future, I hope to return to the megablock in general and TPatP in particular, to really finish it up once and for all.
Heck, once I finish Call to Glory, I'll probably need a thematic break before I jump right into Murmurs from Beyond. So, that would probably be a great time to revisit this megablock. "Heavy Metal" and "Permanence" are next on the docket. Keep an eye out.
Two clerics reached down to Ariz's arms, and tried to hoist him up, but Ariz was paralyzed with fear and could not move. A third cleric came over and grabbed the rotund baker by the legs. The three men shuffled him over to the bread oven, where the fire was just beginning to take hold. The sound of popping wood resin emanated from behind him. Ariz opened his eyes to look at his boy, but closed them again at the sight of his wife's lifeless body. Ariz gnashed his teeth. The executioner held the boy by the hair, and touched the edge of his scimitar to the boy's neck. The child held still and silent, his eyes glassy and wide.
"For whoring your soul to the Bird of Filth," said the elder Shija, "And for aiding her devils in the ransacking and slaughter of the countryside, and for butchering animals and children for use in your foul perversions, you will now die. The Lord of Light willing, this fire will be but a taste of the torment your soul will endure for all eternity in hell. Char-Khaya spits upon your memory, may it be washed clean from the land. Proceed."
Without delay, the three Shija hoisted the fat baker up and into the oven, then slammed the door shut behind him. Though the fire had not reached its full strength, the searing pain upon Ariz's skin was sudden and terrible. Flames shot up around him and singed his hair and clothes. Smoke from the wood and his own burning skin shot up his nostrils and choked him. The baker held back his cries, muffled from the ears of the boy outside, biting his lip until the blood ran from it and dropped to the fire, sizzling. He writhed in agony as the fire grew greater, and then his flailing arm touched somebody else's arm.
"Grab him, Fazel!" shouted a young woman's voice, "Pull him out of the fire! Quickly!"
The voice came not from outside, but from deeper within the oven. More and more hands grabbed at Ariz and pulled at his body: large hands, small hands, rough hands, delicate hands. Suddenly, Ariz tumbled onto the cold ground.
"His burns are bad," shouted the woman, "Get me two vials of the ointment, now! He could die!"
Ariz, charred, lay underneath a vast dome of carved rock, within a sweeping, empty arcade of stone and shadow. Four figures stood over him - a pockmarked dervish with wild hair; a mouse-faced little man fumbling with glasses of bright liquid; a shirtless, bald, and mustachioed laborer, built like an ox; and a young pauper girl. She wore tattered brown rags over her tattered brown skin, old sandals with broken straps, and a threadbare, sea-colored kerchief holding back her dark, dirty hair. Her eyes were wild and alive, bright as the noon sun shining through the fronds of a date palm. As Ariz looked up at her, the little mouse-face man suddenly shoved past her and sprinkled thick drops of oil all over Ariz's body.
"Quick enough for you, Marjhan?" said the alchemist, "Not a faster hand in Tarkaz, or wherever we are!"
Artifact - Potion [COM]
Evoke 2U (You may cast this spell for its evoke cost. If you do, it’s sacrificed when it enters the battlefield.)
When Intelligence Tonic is put into a graveyard from the battlefield, draw two cards.
Artifact - Potion [COM]
Evoke 1R (You may cast this spell for its evoke cost. If you do, it’s sacrificed when it enters the battlefield.)
When Fireball Solute is put into a graveyard from the battlefield, it deals 3 damage to each opponent.
Artifact - Potion [COM]
Evoke 3G (You may cast this spell for its evoke cost. If you do, it’s sacrificed when it enters the battlefield.)
When Efflorescent Dram is put into a graveyard from the battlefield, untap all lands you control.
Creature - Human Scout Artificer [UNC]
Nonbasic landwalk
When Daring Archaeologist enters the battlefield, put a colorless Treasure Chest artifact token onto the battlefield. It has “:2mana:, Sacrifice this artifact: Draw a card.”
[2/2]
Artifact - Potion [UNC]
Evoke—:1mana:, Sacrifice an artifact (You may cast this spell for its evoke cost. If you do, it’s sacrificed when it enters the battlefield.)
When Bubbling Reagent is put into a graveyard from the battlefield, add to your mana pool for each artifact put into a graveyard from the battlefield this turn.
Artifact - Potion [UNC]
Evoke—:1mana:, Sacrifice an artifact (You may cast this spell for its evoke cost. If you do, it’s sacrificed when it enters the battlefield.)
When Volatile Reagent is put into a graveyard from the battlefield, add to your mana pool for each artifact put into a graveyard from the battlefield this turn.
Artifact - Potion [UNC]
Evoke—:1mana:, Sacrifice an artifact (You may cast this spell for its evoke cost. If you do, it’s sacrificed when it enters the battlefield.)
When Resinous Reagent is put into a graveyard from the battlefield, add to your mana pool for each artifact put into a graveyard from the battlefield this turn.
Anyway, that makes these much more powerful. I'll be listening for the degeneracy alarm as the rest of the set comes in.
Creature - Insect [COM]
First strike
Scrapyard Roach gets +3/+0 as long as three or more artifact cards are in a single graveyard.
[2/2]
Firepit Swine2RRRCreature - Boar [UNC]
Trample
:1mana:: Target creature can’t block Firepit Swine this turn. Activate this ability only if three or more artifact cards are in a single graveyard.
[5/4]
Sorcery [RARE]
Search target opponent’s library for an artifact creature card and put that card onto the battlefield under your control. Then that player shuffles his or her library.
I figure the last one might excite some current Standard players.
Could Firepit Swine possibly have a lower toughness, ala Spin Engine? There's not much incentive to build around his activated ability when he can just trample over the opponent's entire board.
3-mana Bribery? Seems good in EDH.
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I'm realizing that the "three or more artifact cards in a single graveyard" could be perceived as a Metalcraft knockoff (Trashcraft?), which is not really what I want. I'm going for a more general artifact + graveyard theme for red, so I'm going to do something different for the piggy:
Creature - Boar [UNC]
Trample
Whenever Midden Razorback deals combat damage to a player, choose up to two cards at random in your graveyard. Return each artifact card chosen this way to your hand, then reorder your graveyard as you choose.
[5/3]
Domineer can be played around and destroyed more easily than Requisition, and also doesn't let you see their entire library. I'm not sure that giving the jackass blue EDH player more Bribery effects is necessarily a good thing, but if you limit the power level of any other artifact-centric sets in the megablock as well, it shouldn't break Limited, at least.
Are there other cards at lower rarities that do encourage players to play artifact creature cards?
What is the flavor reason for having both Djinns and Efreets in the same set? For having both artifact creatures and colorless non-artifact creatures?
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Fixed!
This is the only artifact-centric set in the megablock. Other sets will certainly have artifacts, and maybe even a minor special theme (I might do an Equipment subtheme later, since it really isn't featured here), but this is the big hurrah.
So, as far as the megablock is concerned, if Moonlight Requisition isn't degenerate in this set, it's probably not going to be degenerate when the rest of the megablock falls into place. If enough people can convince me that Bribery effects are just undesirable in Magic in general, I will certainly reconsider.
Assemble, Brass Bull, and Chiseled Strength do, explicitly. Some others reward it tangentially. I still have five more common slots in green, and at least one of those slots is going to go to a pro-artifact-creature card. What do you suggest? Do you think I need more explicit support than that?
Meh. I've been very resistant to Efreets, because they create flavor confusion. The Djinn vs. Efreet thing is like having two separate creature types for Elves vs. Wood Elves. Efreets should be a sub-race of Djinns, right along with Marids. But, I also have to acknowledge that Magic will forever classify them as distinct races (thank you, King Suleiman). I can't really change that.
For the Sardars, I originally had them as Djinns, but as I started designing the rest of the Djinns, it became apparent that the Sardars were much smaller than my other Djinns. So, I toyed with the idea of making the Sardars Efreets, and that's where they are now. I don't know if I'm going to keep them that way. If I do, I will have to find a flavor justification for Efreets, and give them a distinct identity.
The colorless nonartifact creature thing (the Zindani), was completely a mechanical desire, not a flavor one. I wanted some creatures that could make the maximum use of the unseal mechanic, but that weren't artifacts themselves (to prevent arbitrarily-large ETB loops). If I had to give them a flavor justification at this point, it would be that the Zindani have been bound within the Padishah's artifact-prisons for so long that they have almost become artifacts themselves, but not quite. Anyway, the flavor is very much following the function, here. If it's just too weird, I can reconsider, but I kind of like the colorless mana cost on this mechanic for this cycle.
I also like having at least one intimidate guy in the set, to punish players who go completely artifact-less.
Maybe an uncommon that rewards you for controlling lots of Homunculi/tokens/artifact creatures, like Broodwarden?
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I think regeneration is spot-on here. I've kind of touched on that with Hulking Zindani, but I'm probably going to give that whole cycle another once-over to refine the abilities a bit. A common artifact-creature-regenerator would be an excellent addition, I agree.
Also an excellent idea. I have Takwin Sludge, but there's still room for a general artifact creature lord, and also room for things that interact with Homunculi. For the record, I still plan to do a card that ties Homunculi and Potions together. It will probably be one of the mythics.
Aha! You have hit on another one of the set's / block's secret design principles!
For each of these sets, one of the first things that I'm doing is explicitly excluding some mechanics from each set. For this set, it's mostly white / black stuff (no surprise there). So, for example, there is no protection in this set, and no life loss effects or life payments. Even though it's in-color, I opted to also include intimidate on the cut list. Part of that is the desire to give each of these sets a distinct mechanical identity, part of that is because I don't think it's the greatest thematic fit, but one big reason is that I want PTP-PTP-PTP draft to feel different from PTP-???-??? draft. Other sets will have intimidate, and I want that addition to make drafts with PTP feel different.
Also, there's another big, related reason: intimidate is going to have a major role in "Heavy Metal", the next set in the block. Not to spoil anything, but Prism-Shell Mantis is a bit of foreshadowing towards that. I don't want to steal intimidate's thunder, so it's all quiet on that front for now.
Creature - Djinn [RARE]
Flash
Unseal (You may cast this by returning an artifact you control to hand and paying the difference in mana cost between this and the returned artifact. Mana cost includes color.)
:1mana:, Discard an artifact card: Change the target of target spell with a single target.
[6/6]
Creature - Djinn [RARE]
Unseal (You may cast this by returning an artifact you control to hand and paying the difference in mana cost between this and the returned artifact. Mana cost includes color.)
Trample, haste
At the beginning of the end step, sacrifice Vizier of Sands.
[11/1]
Creature - Djinn [RARE]
Unseal (You may cast this by returning an artifact you control to hand and paying the difference in mana cost between this and the returned artifact. Mana cost includes color.)
Flying
When Vizier of Cyclones attacks, destroy all creatures with flying you don’t control.
[7/5]
Sorcery [MR]
Unseal (You may cast this by returning an artifact you control to hand and paying the difference in mana cost between this and the returned artifact. Mana cost includes color.)
Put any number of artifact cards from your hand onto the battlefield.
Legendary Enchantment [MR]
Each nonartifact permanent you control has reconstruct. (When it is put into a graveyard from the battlefield, search your library for an artifact card that costs less and put that card onto the battlefield. Then shuffle your library.)
Replacing Assemble & Void Ring, and updating Brass Bull:
Sorcery [COM]
Unseal (You may cast this by returning an artifact you control to hand and paying the difference in mana cost between this and the returned artifact. Mana cost includes color.)
Target player gains 8 life.
Artifact [RARE]
When a spell you've cast is countered, sacrifice Tablet of Dominance. If you do, put a 4/4 colorless Lammasu artifact creature token with flying onto the battlefield.
Reconstruct (When this is put into a graveyard from the battlefield, search your library for an artifact card that costs less and put that card onto the battlefield. Then shuffle your library.)
Artifact Creature - Ox [COM]
Trample
Whenever Brass Bull attacks, it gets +2/+0 until end of turn for each other attacking artifact creature.
[1/3]
I'm cutting lifelink from the set to reinforce the absence of :symw:/:symb:.
Strange Rebirth: Referencing "each" in the reminder text seems odd - maybe move it to the rules text, like Wren's Run Packmaster? I'm assuming it's legendary to combo with itself?
Reintegrate: Crappy lifegain card is still crappy, but I guess it's for Limited.
Tablet of Dominance: Multani's Presence says this is weird, but probably okay. Artifact Lammasu??
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The instances where you would hardcast this are exceptionally few and make little sense, it's true. But, I feel like having one such card for the mechanic is OK. With six colorless mana to blow through, there's a lot of variability in how you can curve it out with the unseal cost.
Your templating is the correct templating. Thanks!
It's legendary to prevent multiple instances of reconstruct on the same permanent. Or, at least, to make it very challenging to achieve them.
Yep.
The original version had the standard "countered by a spell or ability" wording, but I'm pushing another anti-counterspell card really hard in this set (the Padishah, who is going to get a development update soon), and I wanted this card to feel different. So, I made this version that works with countering via loss of legal targets.
This card is on my watch list, though - it's functionality might change a bit. The same can be said for my other rare, noncreature reconstruct card.
Creature - Lizard [COM]
:symg:: Choose one — Regenerate target artifact creature you control; or Sticky Rootwalla gets +1/+1 until end of turn. Activate this ability only once each turn.
[1/1]
Now, a new Targh-Rider Witch, a new Apocalypse Serum, and the Padishah goes mach 3:
Legendary Creature - Djinn [MR]
Padishah Zard can’t be countered.
Artifact spells you control can’t be countered.
You may have each artifact you control enter the battlefield as a copy of any artifact on the battlefield.
[3/4]
Creature - Human Shaman [RARE]
:symr:, :symtap:: Target opponent gains control of target artifact you control. If that player does, you put X 2/1 red Hyena creature tokens with haste onto the battlefield, where X is that artifact’s converted mana cost. Exile the tokens at the beginning of the next end step.
[2/2]
Artifact - Potion [MR]
Evoke 2RRRR (You may cast this spell for its evoke cost. If you do, it’s sacrificed when it enters the battlefield.)
When Apocalypse Serum is put into a graveyard from the battlefield, destroy all permanents.
A few things about the Padishah:
Padishah: If you think his power level is too high, I'd push him down to a 3/3 to mirror the three words in the typeline and three abilities. I was pushing for non-symmetrical abilities in the beginning, so nice to see them here.
Witch: I like how nicely she curves into Bronze Bombshell. Considering it's just a 2/2 that doesn't have an immediate impact on the board, requires artifacts to do anything, and has a high cmc for a red aggro deck, I think she's fine. As for Hyena tokens at un/common, nah. Make Hyena creature cards, but rare-only makes the tokens feel more special.
Apocalypse Serum: Strictly better Planar Cleansing that also nukes lands (unfun). Also, red has never had a sweeper that hits all enchantments.
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"Adhesive Rootwalla" or "Bonding Agent Rootwalla" just didn't sound as good.
I'll fix it in the flavor text!
He was 3/3 in the previous version. I'm just daring the precipice here.
IMO, the Padishah is the kind of card that single-handedly makes you want to build a competitive artifact deck. If he's not, that's what I want him to be. I think that the P/T is somewhat secondary to that purpose, but I don't want to make it a liability. Whatever it ends up being, he'll have a solid body.
Agreed. After I wrote the above, I realized it's probably more important for me to have a little bit extra token variety than token consistency. So, I agree that it's fine if she's the only Hyena token producer. Right now the set has:
I will probably add one or two other token varieties.
Well, Planar Cleansing is a Core Set card, and I commend WotC for making a card that does everything a Core Set board-sweeper ought to do. It's simple, it's big, it's exciting, it doesn't grief lands, and it leaves the door open for more aggressively-costed sweepers in expansions.
I agree that Armageddon effects are to be handled with hazmat equipment. But, they weren't left in the dustbin of time; they still exist in modern Magic.
I guess I'm just wondering if you think that it's something that could be addressed with a different costing. I don't necessarily think that the costing is too aggressive, but I could hear arguments to that effect (keeping in mind that the most problematic formats for these kinds of effects are casual or multiplayer ones). Also, I could go for "nonenchantment" permanents.
New Limited cards: I like Fledgling Rukh and Shi'b Refugees the least. 2/2 flier for 3 and 3/3 trampler for 4 are both on-curve for a Core Set; 1/1 haste is not, and the conditional flying doesn't make up for it in my book. With Shi'b Refugees, I feel you can have your guy I can't block, and you can have your guy I can't kill, but combining both onto the same card and making it common is just unfun, especially since red is lacking evasion to race when it's on defense. I'd like a 7 toughness green guy much better if red had forestwalk and green had islandwalk instead, since blue's removal is toughness-independent, unlike red's.
Diffract: I agree with Kajar that this drawback seems silly in a vacuum, as well as in multi-set draft where there's a sufficient quantity of blue that taking it is worthwhile.
Grandsire of the Sea: I really wonder if trying to differentiate Djinns and Efreets is more trouble than it's worth. I can easily see players being confused by two creatures with similar looking artwork getting two different sets of bonuses, and making poor play decisions based on that.
Magnetic Mantle: Again, a card whose utility varies widely based on which sets are being drafted. About 1/3 of PTP (excluding tokens) is artifacts, so this is a potent build-around-me, but its value drops steeply when you can't count on picking up a single artifact in two whole packs.
Churn the Heaps: Cool!
Huskwidow: Love the creepy mental imagery here, though the cost and body are a bit small for my liking at rare. I'm not convinced that I would first-pick him over Fangren Marauder, for instance.
Ark of A'tan: This card would make no sense to me were it not for the Biblical(?) flavor. Any reason why the number five?
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Wow! I never thought anybody would ask.
Currently, no. However, it's supposed to be set #1 in a 10-set "megablock" of small, three-color sets. So, while I kind of wrapped a bow around the initial design process for TPatP, I left a few cards undesigned so that I could seed some foreshadowing elements into this set that would later manifest in sets 2-10.
So, it's still officially a Work in Progress. I've been busy doing some other things besides chugging away at the megablock (I kind of lost interest last year when everybody and their horse started doing wedge / shard sets again.) But, in the future, I hope to return to the megablock in general and TPatP in particular, to really finish it up once and for all.
Heck, once I finish Call to Glory, I'll probably need a thematic break before I jump right into Murmurs from Beyond. So, that would probably be a great time to revisit this megablock. "Heavy Metal" and "Permanence" are next on the docket. Keep an eye out.