Esparand is an arabian- and egyptian-themed set. The plane is mostly a desert, and it's haunted by the storm of time, a chaotic event which incalculably influences the flow of time, and even intertwines different epochs and timelines to become one. It rises the dead to walk the earth again, it causes your loved ones to have never existed, and it foreshadows future events, such as your own death.
A godlike being, known as The Beholder watches over Esparand. His dark minions roam the plane, trying to preserve the flow of time, and punishing those who dare to toy with it.
Esparand introduces four new keyword abilities:
Foreshadow {cost}(Pay {cost} and play with this card revealed from your hand. You can’t cast it this turn. Foreshadow only as a sorcery.)
On Esparand, the future is often already known because it happened before. Foreshadow shows your opponent the cause of his or her inevitable demise. Each spell with foreshadow has a more powerful effect if it was foreshadowed. Once foreshadowed, the card remains revealed and foreshadowed for as long as it is in the player’s hand.
Epitaph {cost} (When this is put into your graveyard from anywhere, you may pay {cost} and remember it. Otherwise, exile it.)
What do you do when you’ve seen the future and know the very second of your own death? Epitaph allows your creatures to still have an effect on the game even after they’ve died. Epitaph represents two abilities. The first is a triggered ability: “When this card is put into your graveyard from anywhere, exile it unless you pay its epitaph cost.” The second ability states: “As this card’s epitaph cost is paid, it becomes remembered for as long as it's in your graveyard.’” Each card with epitaph has an additional ability that is only active as long as the card is remembered.
Consign {cost}(Pay {cost} and exile this card from your hand consigned to target creature you control. That creature gains “T: You may cast a copy the exiled card without paying its mana cost.” Consign only as a sorcery.)
The inhabitants of Esparand set great value upon preserving their knowledge, so it might survive the chaos of time. Consign allows your creatures to cast your instants or sorceries each turn again and again. You may consign a card at any time you could cast it. You exile the card as part of the cost, but it doesn’t become consigned to the creature until the ability resolves. If the consigned card is removed from exile, it’s no longer consigned to the creature.
Scry X(To scry X, look at the top X cards of your library. Put any number of them on the bottom of your library in any order and the rest on top in any order.)
To some extent, the timeline on Esparand can be manipulated. Scry, a returning mechanic, allows you to smooth out your draws and reduces the variance of a game. From this set forward, scry is an evergreen mechanic.
Other themes & mechanics:
Chaotic
Different timelines merge with each other on Esparand. Cards are chaotic and disordered with many references to past expansions. Only rare cards are chaotic.
Rewind Rewind is an ability word with no exact rules meaning. It merely signals an activated ability, that when activated more or less reverses the effects of the ability preceding it on the card.
Oases
Oasis is a new land subtype. Some cards care about you controlling an Oasis.
“My name is Telar. I come from a chaotic world, a world where time flows unpredictably and darkness looms over every aeon. A phenomenon known as the Storm of Time holds scourge over this world. It intertwines the past, the present and the future, it shows your own death to you and it even raises the dead from their grave. Amongst this chaos, I became somewhat a legend to my people, due to my millennia-long struggle with the guardian of time, the “Beholder.” This being is the most powerful from among those that call themselves gods; and the most malicious. We do not know the true nature of these beings or their origin. They are tied to the Storm of Time, but they are certainly not gods.
Years ago, the Beholder took away my beloved wife, Jaleh. Still young and brash back then, I recklessly experimented on the Storm of Time. I tried to use it to rewind the events of the past and bring my wife back to me. But I failed. I wandered to every aeon imaginable, always hiding from the omnipresent gaze of the Beholder. And although the people of Esparand have accepted the Storm of Time as mundane, that the flow of time has always been chaotic and unpredictable, now that my days are coming to an end, I realize that I was the one who created it. I know now that my lifelong struggle was futile; it is I that I must stop. But I am old and weak now and I need more time to solve the last pieces of the puzzle.
However, all is not lost yet. Long ago, the Beholder told me that I was destined to fail, that the past and the future are already written and nothing I do can change it. Maybe he is right and I cannot. But I know someone who can: Niusha. The planeswalker. It was written that she will die, but she cheated death by igniting her spark. This event was not predestined; it was not supposed to happen. The girl may very well be the key to change the future of my plane, and its past. I have to meet her!”
Telar narrates his own timeline. Events that happened in his past may very well have taken place in the future.
Aeons Torn7
Instant (R)
Take an extra turn after this one. “Somewhere in the distant future, our gods will be overthrown by those from another world. But will their arrival be our salvation, or our damnation?”
Angel of the Sands2WW
Creature — Angel (R)
Flying
When Angel of the Sands is put into your graveyard from anywhere, you may gain 3 life. The light of hope exists outside the restraints of time.
3/5
Angelic Resolve1W
Enchantment (U)
Creatures with flying you control get +1/+1. Tajul dreamt of mounting a pegasus one day, so he may charge into battle side by side with the angels.
Ankhal Embalmer1W
Creature — Human Cleric (U)
When Ankhal Embalmer enters the battlefield, you may exile target creature card from a graveyard. If you do, its owner puts a 1/1 white Spirit creature token with flying onto the battlefield. The funerary goods serve as a beacon for the spirits lost in the vortex of time.
2/1
Ankhal LightcasterW
Creature — Human Cleric (R)
Epitaph 1WW(When this is put into your graveyard from anywhere, you may pay 1WW and remember it. Otherwise, exile it.)
Creatures you control get +1/+1 as long as Ankhal Lightcaster is remembered. “There will be the day when the true gods will reckon with you, but this day is not today.”
2/1
Archangel of Ascendance3WWW
Creature — Angel (M)
Flying
Whenever Archangel of Ascendance deals combat damage to a player, return target creature card from your graveyard to the battlefield. That creature is a white Angel in addition to its other colors and types and it gains flying.
5/5
Arrest2W
Enchantment — Aura (U)
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature can’t attack or block and its activated abilities can’t be activated. “Maybe you didn’t know you were going to assassinate the prince, but we did”
—Lasoul of the royal guard
Borrowed Time3WW
Sorcery (R)
Return target creature card from your graveyard to the battlefield.
Rewind — 2B, Sacrifice a creature: Return Borrowed Time from your graveyard to your hand. Activate this ability only any time you could cast
a sorcery.
Call the Ancestors5W
Instant (U)
Put three 1/1 white Spirit creature tokens with flying onto the battlefield. Scry 1. (To scry 1, look at the top card of your library, then you may put that card on the bottom of your library.) You can’t call your ancestors if they haven’t been born yet.
Celestial Judge4W
Creature — Angel (U)
Foreshadow 2B(Pay 2B and play with this card revealed from your hand. You can’t cast it this turn. Foreshadow only as a sorcery.)
Flying
When Celestial Judge enters the battlefield, if it was foreshadowed, destroy target tapped creature.
3/4
Confess!2W
Sorcery (C)
Destroy target creature that attacked you or a planeswalker you control during its controller’s last turn. Scry 1. (To scry 1, look at the top card of your library, then you may put that card on the bottom of your library.) It sees through lies, it never forgives, and it most certainly never forgets.
Crescent PaladinWW
Creature — Human Knight (C)
Vigilance 2W, T: Tap target creature. The paladins of Ankhal invoke the starlight to blind their enemies, and to bless their sabers.
2/2
Daughter of the Living Wind1W
Creature — Spirit (C)
Flying
When Daughter of the Living Wind dies, put a 1/1 white Spirit creature token with flying onto the battlefield, then scry 1. (To scry 1, look at the top card of your library, then you may put that card on the bottom of your library.)
1/1
Epoch Wanderer5WW
Creature — Elemental (R)
Vigilance
Foreshadow 2WW(Pay 2WW and play with this card revealed from your hand. You can’t cast it this turn. Foreshadow only as a sorcery.)
When Epoch Wanderer enters the battlefield, if it was foreshadowed, your life total becomes your starting life total and you shuffle your graveyard into your library.
6/7
Expulsion2W
Instant (C)
Choose one — Exile target artifact; or exile target enchantment; or exile target card from a graveyard. “In the name of the living, I expel you from this realm.”
—Sheral, ankhal lightcaster
Gul-Shad Outrider3W
Creature — Human Knight (C)
Vigilance
Epitaph 1W(When this is put into your graveyard from anywhere, you may pay 1W and remember it. Otherwise, exile it.)
White creatures you control have vigilance as long as Gul-Shad Outrider is remembered.
3/3
Kharj Albatross4W
Creature — Bird (C)
Flying, lifelink May you find a patron to guide your ways when the stars cannot.
—Elvish saying
3/2
Leonin Sentinel2W
Creature — Cat Warrior (U)
As long as you control an Oasis, Leonin Sentinel has first strike and vigilance. Over the ages, many different tribes held control over the great oases. If you’re denied access, simply travel to another time.
3/2
The Memory RemainsW
Instant (U)
Each player chooses a card from cards in his or her graveyard. Exile the rest. “I will conquer time itself to bring you back, Jaleh.”
—Telar’s oath
Mercenary Legion3WW
Creature — Human Soldier (C)
First strike Are they truly loyal to the city of Qareh, or only to whoever is the highest bidder? We’re unlikely to ever find out.
3/4
Monument of Auria6WW
Enchantment (R)
At the beginning of your end step, return target permanent card from your graveyard to the battlefield. “We know that Auria will be absent until the end of time. Still I remain hopeful, for she exists beyond time.”
—Princess Mina
Mounted Ramorock3W
Creature — Beast (C)
Mounted Ramorock gets +1/+1 as long as you control an Oasis. Ramorocks can survive months without water, but their riders cannot.
2/4
Nullifier Giant5W
Creature — Giant Warrior (U)
As Nullifier Giant enters the battlefield, name an instant or sorcery card.
Spells with the chosen name can’t be cast. Telar’s constructs are tasked with protecting his sanctuaries from thieves and pillagers, but also his fellow magi.
4/6
Oathsworn Defender1W
Creature — Human Knight (C)
Epitaph W(When this is put into your graveyard from anywhere, you may pay W and remember it. Otherwise, exile it.)
At the beginning of your upkeep, if Oathsworn Defender is remembered, you may gain 1 life. “If I can’t fulfill my oath in this life, I will do so in death.”
2/2
Phantom of the Past1WW
Creature — Spirit (C)
Flying “Don’t believe everything you see. Our eyes are not designed to perceive the complex fabric of time.”
—Kaluhl, high priest of Ankhal
2/3
Plea to the Divine1W
Instant (C)
Foreshadow W(Pay W and play with this card revealed from your hand. You can’t cast it this turn. Foreshadow only as a sorcery.)
Target creature you control gains indestructible until end of turn. If Plea to the Divine was foreshadowed, instead creatures you control gain indestructible until end of turn.
Pulse of Purging5W
Instant (C)
Choose one or both — Exile target creature; and/or exile target creature card from a graveyard. The magi of the spires never bothered attuning their spells to be without effect to the living.
Sage ErrantW
Creature — Human Advisor (C)
When Sage Errant dies, put a +1/+1 counter on target creature you control. “I learned from the philosophers of both the first and the second millennium.”
1/1
Sculptured Seraph2W
Creature — Angel Wall (C)
Defender
When Sculptured Seraph enters the battlefield, scry 2. (To scry 2, look at the top two cards of your library. Put any number of them on the bottom of your library in any order and the rest on top in any order.)
1/5
Spectral Guide3W
Creature — Spirit (U)
Flying
Epitaph 2W(When this is put into your graveyard from anywhere, you may pay 2W and remember it. Otherwise, exile it.)
At the beginning of your upkeep, if Spectral Guide is remembered, put a 1/1 white Spirit creature token with flying onto the battlefield.
2/2
Sphere of Denial2W
Enchantment (U)
Flash
When Sphere of Denial enters the battlefield, exile target noncreature spell.
When Sphere of Denial leaves the battlefield, the owner of the exiled card may cast it without paying its mana cost.
StorytellerX1W
Creature — Human Advisor (R)
When Storyteller enters the battlefield, choose X or less — Shuffle up to three target cards from your graveyard into your library; or you gain 3 life; and/or scry 3. “Lay down and let me tell you of fabulous tales, some that happened, and some that will happen.”
2/2
Strength of the Heavens2W
Instant (C)
Target creature gets +3/+5 until end of turn. You gain 3 life. “I did not forsake my people. He is keeping me severed from this realm.”
—Archangel Auria
Telar, the Wearied1W
Legendary Creature — Human Wizard (M) W, T: Exile target spell. At the beginning of its controller’s next upkeep, he or she may cast that card from exile without paying its mana cost. “Forgive me, Jaleh. I tried to stop him.”
1/3
Touched by the Stars4W
Enchantment — Aura (C)
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature gets +2/+2 and has “Whenever this creature attacks, you may tap target creature.” Becoming a glowing sphere of light may offer enlightenment, but it also tends to repel the people around you.
Tower of the ElocutorsW
Artifact (R) W, T, Name a nonland card: Spells with the chosen name can’t be cast this turn. (They can still be cast until this resolves.) The false gods aren’t the only ones who want to seize control over the timeline.
Tribal Assault1W
Instant (C)
Until end of turn, target creature gets +1/+0 for each creature you control and gains first strike. “We only take what is rightfully ours.” —Naroyu general
“The sethkal thought that way, too.”
—Mayeli prisoner
Apprentice Chronomancer2U
Creature — Human Wizard (U)
When Apprentice Chronomancer enters the battlefield, you may return target exiled card you own with consign to your hand. “To understand the past, we must learn from the future.”
2/3
Arakk Stormbringer4U
Creature — Bird Wizard (C)
Flying
Epitaph 2U(When this is put into your graveyard from anywhere, you may pay 2U and remember it. Otherwise, exile it.)
Blue creatures you control have flying as long as Arakk Stormbringer is remembered.
3/3
Architect of Constellations5UU
Creature — Human Wizard (U)
When Architect of Constellations enters the battlefield, scry 3, then draw three cards. (To scry 3, look at the top three cards of your library. Put any number of them on the bottom of your library in any order and the rest on top in any order.)
3/2
Astronomy2U
Instant (C)
Draw two cards, then discard a card. If you’ve cast Astronomy before your fourth turn of the game, instead draw three cards, then discard a card. “The stars align this way only once every millennium. This is the chance we were waiting for.”
Crystal Drake2U
Creature — Drake (C)
Flying 3U: Untap Crystal Drake. The Mountains of Glass are home to a rare breed of drakes, able to not only withstand the temporal storms, but to feed upon them instead.
1/3
Dissolve1UU
Instant (C)
Counter target spell. Scry 1. (To scry 1, look at the top card of your library, then you may put that card on the bottom of your library.) The magi of the spires are often seen as killjoys for their excessive use of countermagic.
Enter MadnessU
Instant (C)
Target player puts the top three cards of his or her library into his or her graveyard.
Consign 3U(Pay 3U and exile this card from your hand consigned to target creature you control. That creature gains “T: You may cast a copy of the exiled card without paying its mana cost.” Consign only as a sorcery.)
Fiddle with Fate2U
Instant (U)
Return target creature to its owner’s hand. Scry 2. (To scry 2, look at the top two cards of your library. Put any number of them on the bottom of your library in any order and the rest on top in any order.) “Stop existing!”
—Nousha, obsidian cleric
Gateway to the Aeons4UUU
Enchantment (M)
At the beginning of your upkeep, if it’s not an extra turn, take an extra turn after this one. “Meet me at the end of time, Niusha. There we’ll be undisturbed.”
—Telar, magus of the aeons
Grim VisionU
Sorcery (C)
Look at the top two cards of your library. Put one of them into your hand and the other into your graveyard. Predicting the future is merely a matter of looking it up in a book.
HydrokinesisU
Instant (C)
Target creature gets -4/-0 until end of turn.
Consign 3UU(Pay 3UU and exile this card from your hand consigned to target creature you control. That creature gains “T: You may cast a copy of the exiled card without paying its mana cost.” Consign only as a sorcery.) “Don’t restrain! You’ve got to be very thirsty.”
IncorporealizeU
Instant (R)
When target creature becomes the target of a spell not named Incorporealize this turn, its controller sacrifices it.
Consign 1UU(Pay 1UU and exile this card from your hand consigned to target creature you control. That creature gains “T: You may cast a copy of the exiled card without paying its mana cost.” Consign only as a sorcery.)
Legacy Mage3UU
Creature — Human Wizard Avatar (R)
Flying
When Legacy Mage enters the battlefield, draw a card.
Epitaph 2UU(When this is put into your graveyard from anywhere, you may pay 2UU and remember it. Otherwise, exile it.)
At the beginning of your upkeep, if Legacy Mage is remembered, draw a card.
3/3
Merfolk Oracle2U
Creature — Merfolk Wizard (C)
When Merfolk Oracle enters the battlefield, scry 1, then draw a card. (To scry 1, look at the top card of your library, then you may put that card on the bottom of your library.) “We were gifted with vision beyond our five senses. We should not forgo its use.”
1/3
Moonlit Inscriber1U
Creature — Human Wizard (U)
Whenever you cast an instant or sorcery spell, you may pay 1. If you do, draw a card, then discard a card. “All magic is more potent under the gaze of the moon.”
2/1
Moonlit Revenant3UU
Creature — Spirit (C)
Moonlit Revenant can’t be blocked.
When Moonlit Revenant enters the battlefield, return target creature to its owner’s hand. As if men dreaded a full moon’s night not enough already.
2/2
Niusha of the SpiresXU
Planeswalker — Niusha (M)
0: Tap target creature with power equal to or less than Niusha of the Spires’ loyalty. It doesn’t untap during its controller’s next untap step.
-1: Scry 1, then draw a card. (To scry 1, look at the top card of your library, then you may put that card on the bottom of your library.)
-6: Take an extra turn after this one.
{X}
Preserve Lore5U
Sorcery (U)
Return up to two target instant and/or sorcery cards from your graveyard to your hand. Exile Preserve Lore. “I trust books more than I trust the sands.”
—Kulan, eternal librarian
Psychic Blades1U
Instant (C)
Target creature gets +2/+0 until end of
turn and can’t be blocked this turn.
Consign 2U(Pay 2U and exile this card from your hand consigned to target creature you control. That creature gains “T: You may cast a copy of the exiled card without paying its mana cost.” Consign only as a sorcery.)
Reconstellate2U
Instant (C)
Foreshadow 1U(Pay 1U and play with this card revealed from your hand. You can’t cast it this turn. Foreshadow only as a sorcery.)
Reconstellate costs 2 less to cast as long as it’s foreshadowed.
Counter target noncreature spell.
Relic Thief2U
Creature — Human Rogue (U)
Foreshadow R(Pay R and play with this card revealed from your hand. You can’t cast it this turn. Foreshadow only as a sorcery.)
When Relic Thief enters the battlefield, if it was foreshadowed, it gains haste.
Whenever Relic Thief deals combat damage to a player, draw a card.
1/3
Ripplemage1U
Creature — Human Wizard (R) 1U, T, Exile an instant or sorcery spell you control: Search your library for an instant or sorcery card with converted mana cost 1 plus the exiled spell’s converted mana cost or less and cast that card without paying its mana cost. Then shuffle your library.
2/1
Sage of the Sands1U
Creature — Human Wizard (C)
Epitaph U(When this is put into your graveyard from anywhere, you may pay U and remember it. Otherwise, exile it.)
At the beginning of your upkeep, if Sage of the Sands is remembered, target player puts the top card of his or her library into his or her graveyard.
2/1
Seal of Oblivion1U
Enchantment (C)
Sacrifice Seal of Oblivion: Each player puts the top five cards of his or her library into his or her graveyard. Liliana’s research in the old library was fruitless. The existence of the demon she was looking for had been purged completely from the current timeline.
Sewer Stalker1UU
Creature — Merfolk Rogue (C)
Flash (You may cast this spell any time you could cast an instant.)
When Sewer Stalker enters the battlefield, tap target creature. That creature doesn’t untap during its controller’s next untap step.
2/2
Slipstream4U
Instant (U)
Target player puts the top four cards of his or her library into his or her graveyard, then put target creature that player owns on top of that library. Just as something can emerge without a cause from the storm of time, you can be sucked into it and simply cease to exist.
Sphinx of Azshadi4UU
Creature — Sphinx (R)
Flying
When Sphinx of Azshadi enters the battlefield, reveal the top card of your library. An opponent puts that card either into your hand or graveyard. Repeat this process four more times with the same opponent. That opponent may put no more than two cards into your graveyard this way.
4/4
Spire Wardens1U
Creature — Human Wizard (U)
Defender, hexproof “There’s no citadel here or ever was. Your mind is just playing tricks on you, old man.”
0/4
Stitched Sacrilege6U
Creature — Zombie Giant (C)
Stitched Sacrilege costs 1 less to cast for each creature card in your graveyard.
Flying “It’s an undead angel! Well, to appreciate it, you need a healthy sense of irony...”
—Kalen Thal, necromancer
3/5
Stream of KnowledgeU
Instant (U)
Draw a card.
Consign 2UU(Pay 2UU and exile this card from your hand consigned to target creature you control. That creature gains “T: You may cast a copy of the exiled card without paying its mana cost.” Consign only as a sorcery.)
Sudden Stagnation3U
Enchantment — Aura (C)
Flash (You may cast this spell any time you could cast an instant.)
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature doesn’t untap during its controller’s untap step. Sometimes, time freezes in just the right moment.
Tempest of Souls3UU
Creature — Elemental (U)
Flying
At the beginning of your upkeep, each player puts the top two cards of his or her library into his or her graveyard. It devours existence as an appetizer.
4/4
Time Dilation Field4UU
Enchantment (R)
Whenever a creature attacks you, tap that creature and remove it from combat. It doesn’t untap during its controller’s next untap step. At the beginning of that creature’s controller’s next declare attacker’s step, it becomes attacking you if able.
Unlearn1U
Instant (C)
Counter target spell unless its controller pays 1 and discards a card. “Your memories are the one thing I can destroy permanently. You won’t remember how to turn back time and undo it.”
—Doman Gul, spire mage
Beholder’s Judgment2B
Sorcery (R)
Foreshadow 1WW(Pay 1WW and play with this card revealed from your hand. You can’t cast it this turn. Foreshadow only as a sorcery.)
Destroy target creature. Destroy all creatures instead if Beholder’s Judgment was foreshadowed.
Blast of VoodooB
Instant (C)
Exile target card from a graveyard.
Consign 1B(Pay 1B and exile this card from your hand consigned to target creature you control. That creature gains “T: You may cast a copy of the exiled card without paying its mana cost.” Consign only as a sorcery.)
Bloodlord of Qareh2BB
Creature — Vampire Rogue (U)
Flying
Epitaph 1B(When this is put into your graveyard from anywhere, you may pay 1B and remember it. Otherwise, exile it.)
Whenever a creature dies, if Bloodlord of Qareh is remembered, target player loses 1 life and you gain 1 life.
3/2
Boneyard Reaver5BB
Creature — Skeleton Horror (R)
When Boneyard Reaver enters the battlefield, return target creature card from your graveyard to the battlefield.
Sacrifice another creature: Regenerate Boneyard Reaver. The boneyards are where animals go to die, and where necromancers go to raise an army.
4/3
Cavern MinotaurB
Creature — Zombie Minotaur (C)
When Cavern Minotaur enters the battlefield, discard a card. “Minotaurs are already ruthless when they still have a soul.”
—Javed Nima, Qareh outrider
2/3
Cemetery Keeper3B
Creature — Spirit (C)
Epitaph 1B(When this is put into your graveyard from anywhere, you may pay 1B and remember it. Otherwise, exile it.)
At the beginning of your upkeep, if Cemetery Keeper is remembered, target player loses 1 life. “You will all learn. Only death is eternal.”
2/4
Crypt Betrayal3BB
Sorcery (U)
Put target creature card from a graveyard onto the battlefield under your control. Scry 1. (To scry 1, look at the top card of your library, then you may put that card on the bottom of your library.) If you need an army, go to the crypts of Ankhal.
Dark Whispers2B
Sorcery (U)
Foreshadow—Sacrifice a creature. (Sacrifice a creature and play with this card revealed from your hand. You can’t cast it this turn. Foreshadow only as a sorcery.)
Target player sacrifices a creature. That player sacrifices two creatures instead if Dark Whispers was foreshadowed.
Darkmoon Cultist2B
Creature — Vampire Shaman (C)
Lifelink
Epitaph 2B(When this is put into your graveyard from anywhere, you may pay 2B and remember it. Otherwise, exile it.)
Black creatures you control have lifelink as long as Darkmoon Cultist is remembered.
2/2
Dire Famine1B
Sorcery (U)
Foreshadow 1B(Pay 1B and play with this card revealed from your hand. You can’t cast it this turn. Foreshadow only as a sorcery.)
All creatures get -1/-1 until end of turn. Those creatures get -2/-2 until end of turn instead if Dire Famine was foreshadowed.
Disciple of the False Gods1B
Creature — Human Shaman (C)
Sacrifice another creature: Disciple of the False Gods gets +1/+1 until end of turn. One great lie told and a thousand lives taken.
2/1
Eclipse the Sun2B
Instant (U)
Put two 1/1 black Bat creature tokens with flying onto the battlefield. “Giant black butterflies
Have blotted out the sunshine.
A closed book of magic spells,
The horizon sleeps—silent.”
—Pierrot Lunaire, Night
Embrace the Void2BB
Sorcery (R)
Target opponent reveals any number of cards from his or her hand. You may have that player discard those cards. If you don’t, that player discards all but those cards. “Let go of all that you hold dear. Then it will be easier when I take everything else away.”
—The Beholder
Form of the Scorpion3BB
Enchantment (R)
Cards you own that aren’t on the battlefield, spells you control, and permanents you control have deathtouch. It took him a while learning to walk on six legs, much longer than to use his deadly tail.
Giant Scarlopede5B
Creature — Insect (C)
Flying
When Giant Scarlopede dies, you may have target creature get -2/-2 until end of turn. Many consider locusts a blessing. Increase their size a hundredfold and those people will reconsider.
3/2
He Who Defies Logic3BBB
Legendary Creature — God (M)
Flying
Pay 6 life: Put a token that’s a copy of He Who Defies Logic onto the battlefield tapped.
As long as He Who Defies Logic is in your graveyard, creatures you control named He Who Defies Logic have lifelink. “Destroy me? But Telar, you created me, don’t you remember?”
6/6
Immorticide2BB
Instant (C)
Target creature’s controller sacrifices it. “Today, my fellow acolytes, we will achieve what was deemed impossible. Today, we kill a god.”
—Khalar, herald of the unnamed
Inveterate TaintB
Instant (U)
Foreshadow 3G(Pay 3G and play with this card revealed from your hand. You can’t cast it this turn. Foreshadow only as a sorcery.)
Target creature gains deathtouch until end of turn. All creatures able to block it this turn do so if Inveterate Taint was foreshadowed.
Lich’s SecretsB
Instant (C)
Target player loses 3 life.
Consign 3BB(Pay 3BB and exile this card from your hand consigned to target creature you control. That creature gains “T: You may cast a copy of the exiled card without paying its mana cost.” Consign only as a sorcery.)
Liliana, the Tomb Raider2BB
Planeswalker — Liliana (M)
+1: Each opponent loses 1 life. You gain life equal to the life lost this way.
-X: Return target creature card with converted mana cost X or less from your graveyard to the battlefield.
-8: Put thirteen 2/2 black Zombie creature tokens onto the battlefield tapped.
{5}
Mindless Rotsnout4B
Creature — Zombie Elephant (C)
When Mindless Rotsnout enters the battlefield from your graveyard or dies, put a 2/2 black Zombie creature token onto the battlefield. “Horrific, mighty, obeying. A perfect design.”
—Kalen Thal, necromancer
3/4
Paradoxic Birth2B
Sorcery (U)
Choose one — Put two 2/2 black Zombie creature tokens onto the battlefield, then sacrifice a creature; or sacrifice a creature, then put two 2/2 black Zombie creature tokens onto the battlefield. “Conquer your enemies before their birth or you’ll never truly defeat them.”
—Nousha, obsidian cleric
ParchB
Sorcery (C)
Target creature gets -2/-2 until end of turn. Put the top two cards of your library into your graveyard. Nothing can survive in the southern wastes, but that doesn’t keep many from trying.
Preserver’s Touch4B
Sorcery (C)
Preserver’s Touch deals 3 damage to target creature and you gain 3 life. Scry 1. (To scry 1, look at the top card of your library, then you may put that card on the bottom of your library.) “You will die. It is written.” —The Beholder
“Nothing is written.” —Telar
Purge the Forbidden1BB
Sorcery (C)
Name a nonland card. Target player reveals his or her hand and discards a card with that name.
Draw a card. “Let the gods see into your mind. A faithful subject should have nothing to hide.”
—Nousha, obsidian cleric
Queen of the Night’s Feast3BB
Creature — Vampire Shaman (R)
Flying
At the beginning of each end step, if four or more creatures died this turn, you may return Queen of the Night’s Feast from your graveyard to the battlefield. When there’s so much fresh blood available, vampires are more than happy to share.
5/4
Rush of the Night2B
Instant (C)
Target creature gets +2/+0 and gains flying and lifelink until end of turn. At daytime, you want to rest in the shadow of the great cities. At nighttime, you want to be anywhere else.
Sethkal Husk1B
Creature — Zombie (C)
Deathtouch
At the beginning of your upkeep, you may put the top card of your library into your graveyard. The sethkal created it with only one purpose: To feed on elves.
1/2
Shadowland Harpy2B
Creature — Harpy Rogue (C)
Flying
When Shadowland Harpy enters the battlefield, it deals 2 damage to you. “Abandon hope, all ye who enter here.”
—Signpost at the Shadowlands
3/1
Shadowland Witches1BB
Creature — Harpy Shaman (U)
Flying B, T, Sacrifice a creature: Target player loses 2 life and you gain 2 life. “Shrieks, incoherent mumble and cackling laughter... I hear that every night from beyond the gate. What dark deeds are committed here?”
—Noryan, warden of the shadowlands
1/2
Spawn of the Unnamed8B
Creature — Demon (U)
Flying
When Spawn of the Unnamed enters the battlefield, target player loses 5 life and you gain 5 life. Rather spontaneously, demons spawn from the chaos that is Esparand’s timeline.
5/5
Veiled Ascension4B
Enchantment — Aura (U)
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature gets +1/+1 for each Swamp you control and has intimidate. The vampires operate from the shadows of Qareh, still waiting for the perfect moment to rise.
Vizier of Qareh1BB
Creature — Human Wizard (R)
Deathtouch
At the beginning of your upkeep, you may have each player draw a card and lose 2 life.
Rewind — At the beginning of your end step, you may have each player discard a card and gain 2 life.
2/3
Void Prophet2B
Creature — Zombie Cleric (C)
Foreshadow B(Pay B and play with this card revealed from your hand. You can’t cast it this turn. Foreshadow only as a sorcery.)
When Void Prophet enters the battlefield, if it was foreshadowed, target player discards a card.
2/2
Zombify3B
Sorcery (C)
Return target creature card from your graveyard to the battlefield. “Imprudent fools. They should have known pharaohs never rest.”
—Liliana Vess
Ancient RitualR
Instant (U)
Add RR to your mana pool.
Consign 2R(Pay 2R and exile this card from your hand consigned to target creature you control. That creature gains “T: You may cast a copy of the exiled card without paying its mana cost.” Consign only as a sorcery.) Ancient magic is always the easiest to abuse.
Ashborn Phoenix1RR
Creature — Phoenix (M)
Flying, haste
Cast Ashborn Phoenix only if you’ve cast two or more instant and/or sorcery spells this turn.
You may cast Ashborn Phoenix from your graveyard.
4/3
Bloodfeather Harpy3R
Creature — Harpy Rogue (C)
Flying
When Bloodfeather Harpy enters the battlefield, target creature can’t block this turn. “The harpy: Vicious by nature, with long talons for feet and graceful wings for arms.”
—Charius Nair, Journey to the Outland
2/2
Bloodhorn Stomper5R
Creature — Minotaur Warrior (C)
Haste
Epitaph 1R(When this is put into your graveyard from anywhere, you may pay 1R and remember it. Otherwise, exile it.)
Red creatures you control have haste as long as Bloodhorn Stomper is remembered.
4/4
Bloodhorn Warcaller2R
Creature — Minotaur Warrior (U)
Foreshadow 5W(Pay 5W and play with this card revealed from your hand. You can’t cast it this turn. Foreshadow only as a sorcery.)
Haste
When Bloodhorn Warcaller enters the battlefield, if it was foreshadowed, creatures you control get +2/+2 until end of turn.
2/2
Channel the Storm1R
Instant (C)
Channel the Storm deals 2 damage to target creature or player. Scry 1. (To scry 1, look at the top card of your library, then you may put that card on the bottom of your library.) Only few mortals can exert control over the storm of time.
Demon’s Mark2R
Sorcery (U)
Foreshadow 6R(Pay 6R and play with this card revealed from your hand. You can’t cast it this turn. Foreshadow only as a sorcery.)
Gain control of target creature until end of turn. Untap that creature. It gains haste until end of turn. If Demon’s Mark was foreshadowed, repeat this process for up to one other target creature.
Embermane Fiend2RR
Creature — Elemental Beast (R)
Trample, haste
When Embermane Fiend dies, each player sacrifices a land. “One day the entire desert will be aflame, and this will herald the end of time.”
—Deh Moosa, Gul-Shad sage
4/3
Flame of the Sands2RR
Instant (C)
Flame of the Sands deals 5 damage to target creature. If that creature would die this turn, exile it instead. “No one lives forever. Also, no one stays dead forever, unless we make sure of it.”
—Doman Gul of the Spires
Infernal Inquisition2RR
Sorcery (U)
Name a nonland card. Target opponent reveals his or her hand. If a card with that name is in his or her hand, Infernal Inquisition deals 6 damage to that player. “Do not let doubt disclose your intentions. He cannot know you’re lying.”
—Telar, magus of the aeons
Lavaborn Revenant2R
Creature — Spirit (U)
Lavaborn Revenant attacks each turn if able.
Epitaph 2R(When this is put into your graveyard from anywhere, you may pay 2R and remember it. Otherwise, exile it.)
Whenever a creature you control attacks, if Lavaborn Revenant is remembered, Lavaborn Revenant deals 1 damage to defending player.
4/1
Mad Machinations1R
Instant (C)
Choose one — Draw two cards, then discard two cards; or discard two cards, then draw two cards. “Causality is a useless concept in my realm.”
—Mirza, the shaper
Molten ClawsR
Instant (C)
Foreshadow 2R(Pay 2R and play with this card revealed from your hand. You can’t cast it this turn. Foreshadow only as a sorcery.)
Target creature gets +1/+0 and gains first strike until end of turn. That creature gets +1/+0 and gains double strike until end of turn instead if Molten Claws was foreshadowed.
MultiplyRR
Instant (R)
Copy target instant or sorcery spell you control. You may choose new targets for the copy.
Consign 2RR(Pay 2RR and exile this card from your hand consigned to target creature you control. That creature gains “T: You may cast a copy of the exiled card without paying its mana cost.” Consign only as a sorcery.)
Outland Hellion3R
Creature — Hellion (C)
Foreshadow R(Pay R and play with this card revealed from your hand. You can’t cast it this turn. Foreshadow only as a sorcery.)
When Outland Hellion enters the battlefield, if it was foreshadowed, it gains haste. The quaking earth forebodes its coming, but still it’s too late to run.
4/2
Philter Imps1R
Creature — Homunculus (C)
Whenever you cast an instant or sorcery spell, Philter Imps gets +2/+0 until end of turn. “Careful, student. Your new potion is just running away.”
—Shahin, the mentor
0/4
Prince of Fire3RR
Creature — Elemental (U)
Whenever you cast an instant or sorcery spell, Prince of Fire deals 1 damage to target creature an opponent controls. That creature can’t block this turn. “Fire conquered the dunes long before mortal kings began to conquer, and it never renounced its claim.”
—The Millennial Story
5/4
Quaking Dunewurm4RR
Creature — Wurm (U)
Whenever Quaking Dunewurm becomes blocked, defending player sacrifices a land. A butterfly flaps its wings. The vibrations attract a wurm. The wurm devours the butterfly and the surrounding landscape.
—Popular explanation of the ‘butterfly effect’
6/4
Reckless WurmriderRR
Creature — Human Warrior (R)
Reckless Wurmrider can’t be blocked by Wurms.
At the beginning of combat on your turn, each opponent chooses up to one target creature he or she controls. Reckless Wurmrider fights those creatures. “Temporal storms are the only perils of the desert which concern me even a bit.”
3/4
Redsand Raider1R
Creature — Human Berserker (C) In his time, his clan killed everyone that wasn’t them. Now times have changed, but he still remains loyal to the ancient ways.
2/2
Sandborn Strider4R
Creature — Insect (C)
When Sandborn Strider enters the battlefield, scry 1. (To scry 1, look at the top card of your library, then you may put that card on the bottom of your library.) The sands don’t need to prophesy that its appearance entails destruction.
5/3
Sandscale Hellkite4RR
Creature — Dragon (R)
Flying R: Sandscale Hellkite gets +1/+0 until end of turn.
Rewind — Sandscale Hellkite gets -1/-0 until end of turn: Add R to your mana pool. Activate this ability only if Sandscale Hellkite’s power is 5 or greater.
4/6
Scattershard2R
Creature — Elemental (C)
When Scattershard dies, it deals 3 damage to target creature or player. “The earth knows other forms than sand. And it will always take on the one that kills you the quickest.”
—Kal Turah, geomancer
1/1
Seismic WaveR
Instant (C)
Target creature can’t block this turn.
Consign R(Pay R and exile this card from your hand consigned to target creature you control. That creature gains “T: You may cast a copy of the exiled card without paying its mana cost.” Consign only as a sorcery.)
Smash2R
Instant (C)
Destroy target artifact.
Draw a card. “When this fight is done, I will need a new arena.”
—Lord Saraj, arena master
Spark of IgnitionR
Instant (C)
Spark of Ignition deals 1 damage to target creature or player.
Consign 2R(Pay 2R and exile this card from your hand consigned to target creature you control. That creature gains “T: You may cast a copy of the exiled card without paying its mana cost.” Consign only as a sorcery.)
Spire Raiders4R
Creature — Human Warrior (U)
Flying
Spire Raiders can’t attack unless you discard a card.
Whenever Spire Raiders deals combat damage to a player, draw a card. They put all eggs in one giant drake’s basket.
3/3
Straying MauR
Creature — Cat (U)
Straying Mau enters the battlefield with a +1/+1 counter on it.
Straying Mau attacks each turn if able as long as it has a +1/+1 counter on it.
Tap another untapped creature you control: Remove a +1/+1 counter from Straying Mau.
1/1
Telar, the Reckless1RR
Legendary Creature — Human Wizard (M)
Whenever you discard a card, add R to your mana pool. RR, T: Draw two cards, then discard two cards. “You waste your breath, old man. Why should I stop now, when I’m this close?”
2/2
Temporal DisasterXRR
Sorcery (R)
Temporal Disaster deals X damage to each creature unless an opponent has you take an extra turn after this one. Repeat this process one more time. “I’ve foreseen all this happening. In five seconds I will die. One, two, three, four, six...”
—Niusha of the Spires
Temporal Lightning1RR
Instant (U)
Temporal Lightning deals 3 damage to target creature or player. Add RRR to your mana pool. You can’t spell temporal without tempest.
Tomb Robber1R
Creature — Human Rogue (C)
Epitaph 1R(When this is put into your graveyard from anywhere, you may pay 1R and remember it. Otherwise, exile it.)
Attacking creatures you control get +1/+0 as long as Tomb Robber is remembered. “The next defiled tomb will be yours.”
—Zhubin, tomb guardian
2/1
Tribal Gathering2R
Sorcery (C)
Put two 1/1 red Goblin creature tokens onto the battlefield. If you control an Oasis, put three of those tokens onto the battlefield instead. A chieftain’s call is much more likely to be heard if refreshment is provided for.
Twin Flames5R
Sorcery (C)
Twin Flames deals 2 damage to target creature or player.
Twin Flames deals 2 damage to target creature or player. “My audience always catches fire too quickly.”
Wrath of Aeons1RR
Creature — Elemental (R)
Foreshadow 2RRR(Pay 2RRR and play with this card revealed from your hand. You can’t cast it this turn. Foreshadow only as a sorcery.)
Trample, haste
At the beginning of your end step, sacrifice Wrath of Aeons.
When Wrath of Aeons enters the battlefield, if it was foreshadowed, it gains double strike until end of turn.
5/1
Aquatic Eidolon2G
Creature — Spirit (U)
Foreshadow 1U(Pay 1U and play with this card revealed from your hand. You can’t cast it this turn. Foreshadow only as a sorcery.)
Flash (You may cast this spell any time you could cast an instant.)
When Aquatic Eidolon enters the battlefield, if it was foreshadowed, creatures your opponents control get -2/-0 until end of turn.
3/2
Call of Destiny5G
Enchantment (R)
At the beginning of your upkeep, scry 2, then reveal the top card of your library. If it’s a land card, put it onto the battlefield. (To scry 2, look at the top two cards of your library. Put any number of them on the bottom of your library in any order and the rest on top in any order.) “My destiny is to change yours.”
—Niusha of the Spires
Corroding Growth2G
Instant (C)
Destroy target artifact or enchantment. Put a 1/1 green Saproling creature token onto the battlefield. Telar found the relic corroded and useless. He had to travel to another aeon to pick it up again.
Descendant of Sethek1G
Creature — Human Druid (U)
Deathtouch T: Add G to your mana pool. Ever since sethek’s disappearance, his children wait for him to return. Time travelers know: At the end of time, they will still be waiting.
1/1
Druid of ParadiseGG
Creature — Elf Druid (M) G, T: Put a 0/1 green Bird creature token named Birds of Paradise onto the battlefield. It has flying and “T: Add one mana of any color to your mana pool.” The sun never sets over Lanuznari, mystical oasis of the southern plains.
1/1
Dryad’s BlessingG
Instant (C)
Foreshadow 1G(Pay 1G and play with this card revealed from your hand. You can’t cast it this turn. Foreshadow only as a sorcery.)
Target creature gets +2/+2 until end of turn. Put two +1/+1 counters on that creature instead if Dryad’s Blessing was foreshadowed.
Dune Gorger5GGG
Creature — Wurm (U)
Trample “I’ve seen worms longer than the highest spire. These magi have no idea what forces really rule the outland.”
—Javed Nima, Qareh outrider
9/9
Dwell on the PastG
Sorcery (C)
Target player shuffles up to four target cards from his or her graveyard into his or her library. Princess Mina lived many lives, but her loved ones lived only one.
Elephant Caravan4G
Creature — Elephant (C)
Vigilance “No guards, no weapons. They’ve put a lot of trust into their elephants.”
—Omid, Gul-Shad thief
4/5
Envoys of Lanuznari2GG
Creature — Elf Druid (C)
Epitaph 2G(When this is put into your graveyard from anywhere, you may pay 2G and remember it. Otherwise, exile it.)
At the beginning of your end step, if Envoys of Lanuznari is remembered, you may put a +1/+1 counter on target creature.
4/3
Fist of Mayeli2G
Creature — Human Warrior (C)
Trample
Whenever Fist of Mayeli attacks, it gets +1/+1 until end of turn for each Oasis you control. “This utopia doesn’t come without a price. We must remain vigilant eternally.”
3/1
Lakeside Ambush1G
Instant (C)
Target creature gets +3/+3 until end of turn. Untap that creature if you control an Oasis. “Try to dodge their sentries. Elves don’t like to share.”
—Sil-thar, sethkal recruiter
Mayeli Beastcaller2GG
Creature — Elf Shaman (R)
Vigilance
Whenever Mayeli Beastcaller attacks,
put a 3/3 Beast creature token onto the battlefield. 1G, T: Another target creature you control fights target creature blocking Mayeli Beastcaller.
2/2
Mayeli Grovekeeper1G
Creature — Elf Archer (C)
Reach
Epitaph 1G(When this is put into your graveyard from anywhere, you may pay 1G and remember it. Otherwise, exile it.)
Green creatures you control have reach as long as Mayeli Grovekeeper is remembered.
2/2
Memorial Druid1GG
Creature — Human Druid (U) T: Add G to your mana pool for each creature card in your graveyard. “In memory of all that could have been.”
2/2
Mirage Spirit1G
Creature — Spirit (C)
When Mirage Spirit enters the battlefield, scry 1. (To scry 1, look at the top card of your library, then you may put that card on the bottom of your library.) A benevolent spirit or just an illusion, an imagination of the dying mind?
2/2
Mistborn HydraXGG
Creature — Hydra (R)
Mistborn Hydra costs 1 less to cast for each creature card in your graveyard
Trample
Mistborn Hydra enters the battlefield with X +1/+1 counters on it. As it came into existence, it immediately devoured the very cause of it, creating a paradox.
0/0
Naroyu-Tribe Shaman1G
Creature — Cat Shaman (U)
Epitaph G(When this is put into your graveyard from anywhere, you may pay G and remember it. Otherwise, exile it.)
At the beginning of your precombat main phase, if Naroyu-Tribe Shaman is remembered, add one mana of any color to your mana pool.
2/2
Outland Wurm6G
Creature — Wurm (C) “The gods created the wurms to dwell the desert, for they were mournful that it is lifeless and empty.”
—The Millennial Story
7/6
Primal Roar2G
Sorcery (U)
Foreshadow 1G(Pay 1G and play with this card revealed from your hand. You can’t cast it this turn. Foreshadow only as a sorcery.)
You may cast Primal Roar as though it had flash as long as it’s foreshadowed.
Target creature gets +5/+5 and gains trample until end of turn.
Resurgence3G
Sorcery (U)
Return target card from your graveyard to your hand. Scry 2. (To scry 2, look at the top two cards of your library. Put any number of them on the bottom of your library in any order and the rest on top in any order.)
Ruin Viper4GG
Creature — Snake (U)
Deathtouch
Whenever another creature dies, scry 1. (To scry 1, look at the top card of your library, then you may put that card on the bottom of your library.) “Such a giant doesn’t need its poison for us, but for the creatures that don’t view it as ‘giant’”
5/4
Scavenging Ant5G
Creature — Insect (C)
Scavenging Ant cost 1 less to cast for each creature card in your graveyard.
Reach Hoping to shelter yourself from the sun, you won’t realize that the thicket you treaded into is actually a giant anthill.
3/5
Seal with BranchesG
Instant (C)
Creatures you control and creature cards in your graveyard can’t be the target of spells or abilities your opponents control this turn. “So, that’s why you never see an undead elf.”
—Kalen Thal, necromancer
Seed Life1G
Sorcery (C)
Reveal the top four cards of your library. Put a land card from among them onto the battlefield tapped. Put the rest into your graveyard. “You see a desert, lifeless and without solace. I see soil for a meadow, immeasurable and lush.”
Sepulchral Genesis3G
Sorcery (U)
Put an X/X green Ooze creature token onto the battlefield, where X is the greatest power among creature cards in your graveyard. “So, this is what my end will be? Well, at least my death is not all in vain.”
—Tordir, elder of Mayeli
Sethkal Serpent Guard1GG
Creature — Snake Warrior (C)
Deathtouch “The humans stole Mayeli from us, our sacred oasis. Now they have our water, but we can still drink their blood.”
2/3
Skeletal Bloomer1G
Creature — Plant Skeleton (C)
Defender
At the beginning of your upkeep, you may put the top card of your library into your graveyard. Some oases are littered with creatures who drain upon them until they are as lifeless as the desert.
0/4
Soilsoaker4G
Creature — Fungus Beast (C)
When Soilsoaker enters the battlefield, you gain 2 life for each creature card in your graveyard. For such a creature, desolate wastes are the lands of milk and honey.
2/4
Sovereign Wartusk4GG
Creature — Elephant (R)
When Sovereign Wartusk enters the battlefield, put a 3/3 green Elephant creature token onto the battlefield.
Other Elephant creatures you control get +3/+3. When the Mayeli tribe leaves its oasis, it does so fully prepared for battle.
3/3
Sylvan Spirit2G
Creature — Spirit (U)
Whenever a creature card is put into your graveyard from anywhere, put a +1/+1 counter on Sylvan Spirit. The pools have dried out and the trees have withered. Now the spirits of the once great oasis cry out in sorrow.
1/3
Temple Stomper2GG
Creature — Elephant (R)
Flash
Epitaph 1G(When this is put into your graveyard from anywhere, you may pay 1G and remember it. Otherwise, exile it.)
You may cast creature cards as though they had flash as long as Temple Stomper is remembered.
4/4
Toy with Life3G
Instant (R)
Distribute three +1/+1 counters among any number of target creatures.
Rewind — G, Remove three +1/+1 counters from among creatures you control: Return Toy with Life from your graveyard to your hand. Activate this ability only any time you could cast a sorcery.
Track Down2G
Sorcery (C)
Target creature you control gets +1/+1 until end of turn. Then it fights target creature you don’t control. (Each deals damage equal to its power to the other.) “Finally, we tracked it down. Kind of...”
—Qezal, primordial hunter
Tyrant of the Dunes3GGG
Creature — Wurm (M)
Trample
At the beginning of your upkeep, exile target creature an opponent controls until Tyrant of the Dunes leaves the battlefield, then each creature card exiled with Tyrant of the Dunes deals damage equal to its power to Tyrant of the Dunes.
6/9
Hand of the Beholder3WB
Creature — Spirit Warrior (M)
Flying, deathtouch, indestructible
At the beginning of your upkeep, any player may pay 4 life. If a player does, tap Hand of the Beholder. “Hopeless! It will never stop hunting us.”
—Niusha of the Spires
4/4
Infinite Archive5UR
Enchantment (R)
Each instant and sorcery card you own has consign. The consign cost is equal to its mana cost. (Pay its consign cost and exile it from your hand consigned to target creature you control. That creature gains “T: You may cast a copy the exiled card without paying its mana cost.” Consign only as a sorcery.)
Mirza, the Shaper1UR
Legendary Creature — Human Wizard (R)
At the beginning of your draw step, draw two additional cards.
Whenever you cast a spell, skip the draw step during your next turn. “All inventions require time. Good inventions require an eternity.”
3/2
Planar Decay3BBG
Sorcery (R)
Destroy all nonland permanents. “I will not be stopped. I will rule this plane or see it rotten to wastes around me.”
—The Unnamed
Voyaging Prince1RW
Creature — Human Warrior (R)
Double strike
Epitaph 3RW(When this is put into your graveyard from anywhere, you may pay 3RW and remember it. Otherwise, exile it.)
Creatures you control have double strike as long as Voyaging Prince is remembered.
2/2
Divine Retribution4RRW
Sorcery (R)
Divine Retribution deals 10 damage to target player and you gain 10 life. “It was foolish of us to strive to become equal to the gods. We should have known that he would interfere.”
—Andala, high cleric
Ophidian Mystic1GU
Creature — Human Shaman (R)
Deathtouch
When Ophidian Mystic enters the battlefield, target creature an opponent controls loses all abilities and becomes a 1/1 green Snake for as long as your control Ophidian Mystic.
2/2
Think into Existence6GU
Sorcery (R)
Choose one — Draw a card for each creature you control, then put a 1/1 green Saproling creature token onto the battlefield for each card in your hand; or put a 1/1 green Saproling creature token onto the battlefield for each card in your hand, then draw a card for each creature you control.
Boneyard Ooze1:symbg::symbg:
Creature — Ooze (R)
Boneyard Ooze’s power is equal to the greatest power among creature cards in all graveyards and its toughness is equal to the greatest toughness among those cards. Where is death, there is ooze.
*/*
Astronomicum1
Artifact (C) 1, T, Sacrifice Astronomicum: Choose land or nonland. Reveal cards from the top of your library until you reveal a card of the chosen kind. Put that card into your hand and the rest on the bottom of your library in any order. “You read the future in the stars. I tell the stars what I’d like the future to be.”
Empyreal Sword2
Artifact — Equipment (C)
Equipped creature gets +2/+1.
When Empyreal Sword enters the battlefield, scry 1. (Look at the top card of your library. You may put that card on the bottom of your library.)
Equip 3
Gem Fountain4
Artifact (U) T: Add one mana of any color to your mana pool. You gain 1 life. “So many delicate playthings litter the prince’s garden. Too bad my army isn’t light on foot.”
—The Unnamed
Mox Obsidian
Artifact (M)
As an additional cost to cast Mox Obsidian, sacrifice a creature. T: Add one mana of any color to your mana pool. By its corruption, kingdoms fall. By its power, new ones are built.
Obelisk of the Ages3
Artifact (C) T: Add 1 to your mana pool.
At the beginning of your upkeep, target player puts the top card of his or her library into his or her graveyard. The only constant in a chaotic world.
Orb of Prophecies2
Artifact (U)
When Orb of Prophecies enters the battlefield, draw a card.
You may look at the top card of your library. (You may do this at any time.) It’s color is always purple. It signals doom.
Pocket Portal1
Artifact (U) T: Target player exiles a card from his or her graveyard. 1, T, Sacrifice Pocket Portal: Return any number of cards exiled with Pocket Portal to their owner’s graveyards. Draw a card. Because a backpack isn’t fit for storing souls.
Prophetic Prism2
Artifact (C)
When Prophetic Prism enters the battlefield, draw a card. 1, T: Add one mana of any color to your mana pool. Every facet is a mirror into one of many possible futures.
Pyramid Scrabbler2
Artifact Creature — Construct (C)
When Pyramid Scrabbler dies, each player may scry 1. (To scry 1, look at the top card of your library, then you may put that card on the bottom of your library.) The glyphs on its hull tell of the demise of its creators.
2/1
Runebound Blade2
Artifact — Equipment (U)
Equipped creature has first strike.
Whenever you cast an instant or sorcery spell, equipped creature gets +2/+0 until end of turn.
Equip 2 A wizard has to have a good reason to wield such a clunky sword. Limitless power is one of them.
Slayer of Kings2
Artifact — Equipment (R)
Equipped creature gets +2/+0 and has first strike.
All legendary creatures able to block equipped creature do so.
Equip 2 “No king rules forever.”
—Sword inscription
Timewalker’s Suit2
Artifact — Equipment (R)
Equipped creature gets +0/+2.
When equipped creature deals combat damage to a player, you may sacrifice Timewalker’s Suit. If you do, take an extra turn after this one.
Equip 4
Tomb Guardian5
Artifact Creature — Construct (U)
Epitaph 2 (When this is put into your graveyard from anywhere, you may pay 2 and remember it. Otherwise, exile it.)
Creatures you control get +0/+1 as long as Tomb Guardian is remembered. Its past self guards its own tomb.
3/4
Barren Pools
Land — Oasis (C)
Barren Pools enters the battlefield tapped.
When Barren Pools enters the battlefield, creatures you control get +0/+2 until end of turn. T: Add W to your mana pool. When you’re wandering the desert for weeks, every puddle appears as a vast ocean to you.
Cursed Ruin
Land — Oasis (C)
Cursed Ruin enters the battlefield tapped.
When Cursed Ruin enters the battlefield, target creature gains intimidate until end of turn. T: Add B to your mana pool.
Emerald Oasis
Land — Oasis (C)
Emerald Oasis enters the battlefield tapped.
When Emerald Oasis enters the battlefield, you gain 2 life. T: Add G to your mana pool. “Do you see that emerald glow on the horizon? Let’s hope it’s not from actual emeralds.”
Forgotten Vale
Land — Oasis (C)
Forgotten Vale enters the battlefield tapped.
When Forgotten Vale enters the battlefield, target player puts the top two cards of his or her library into his or her graveyard. T: Add U to your mana pool.
Horizon Flats
Land (R)
Horizon Flats enters the battlefield tapped. T: Add W or B to your mana pool. 1WB: Until end of turn, Horizon Flats becomes a 2/2 white and black Elemental creature with flying and lifelink. It’s still a land.
Mystic Rock
Land (R)
Mystic Rock enters the battlefield tapped. T: Add G or U to your mana pool. 2GU: Until end of turn, Mystic Rock becomes a 2/4 green and blue Elemental creature. It’s still a land.
Whenever Mystic Rock deals combat damage to a player, draw a card.
Outland Fort
Land — Oasis (C)
Outland Fort enters the battlefield tapped.
When Outland Fort enters the battlefield, creatures you control get +1/+0 until end of turn. T: Add R to your mana pool. In a land that hostile to life, all sources of water are guarded heavily.
Steamrift Bluffs
Land (R)
Steamrift Bluffs enters the battlefield tapped. T: Add U or R to your mana pool. UR: Until end of turn, Steamrift Bluffs becomes a 1/4 blue and red Elemental creature with “1: This creature gets +1/-1 until end of turn.” It’s still a land.
Stonefist Spire
Land (R)
Stonefist Spire enters the battlefield tapped. T: Add R or W to your mana pool. 2RW: Until end of turn, Stonefist Spire becomes a 2/3 red and white Elemental creature with double strike. It’s still a land.
Walking Boneyard
Land (R)
Walking Boneyard enters the battlefield tapped. T: Add B or G to your mana pool. 6BG: Until end of turn, Walking Boneyard becomes a 5/5 black and green Elemental creature. It’s still a land. This ability costs 1 less to activate for each creature card in your graveyard.
Ankhal, the Chthonic Crypt
Land (R)
Ankhal, the Chthonic Crypt enters the battlefield tapped.
At the beginning of your upkeep, if you control seven or more Swamps, you may return target creature card from your graveyard to the battlefield. T: Add B to your mana pool.
Turtle Island
Land Creature — Island Turtle (R) (Turtle Island isn’t a spell, it’s affected by summoning sickness, and it has “T: Add U to your mana pool.”)
Turtle Island is blue. During the ages it slept, it appeared on maps as a rocky island.
1/1
“What do we say to death? Not today!”
—Kaluhl, high priest of Ankhal
I see what you did there.
Anyway, I found epitaph to be really confusing. It took me several readings to realize what was going on. Obviously this would be hard to do, but maybe you could convey the meaning more clearly using a modified frame like levelers, with the epitaph ability highlighted. Or something to that effect.
I like time reversal but the name itself is as inspiring as a potato. I would like to see something more evocative like "reverse the sands" or a single elegant word like just "reversal" or "rewind". Or something to that effect.
But otherwise, the set looks promising. Or something to that effect.
Anyway, I found epitaph to be really confusing. It took me several readings to realize what was going on. Obviously this would be hard to do, but maybe you could convey the meaning more clearly using a modified frame like levelers, with the epitaph ability highlighted. Or something to that effect.
I have an alternate templating I considered. It would be:
Oathsworn Defender :1mana::symw:
Creature — Human Knight (C)
Epitaph 1W(When this is put into your graveyard from anywhere, exile it unless you pay 1W. If you do, it gains its epitaph ability.)
Epitaph — At the beginning of your upkeep, you may gain 1 life. “If I can’t fulfill my oath in this life, I will do so in death.”
2/2
I like time reversal but the name itself is as inspiring as a potato. I would like to see something more evocative like "reverse the sands" or a single elegant word like just "reversal" or "rewind". Or something to that effect.
I think you're too harsh on the name, but "Rewind" would also work. I'll get some more opinions on it.
Epitaph {cost} — {ability} (When this permanent is put into your graveyard from anywhere, you may pay {cost}. If you do you gain an emblem with {ability}.)
?
The epitaph effect is intended to be removed once the creature leaves the graveyard. An emblem would be permanent.
But you might want to add "If ~ is in your graveyard" to the ability. It's not necessary depending on how you write the rules for Epitaph, but it would make the cards a lot clearer.
Here's another option:
Oathsworn Defender
Creature — Human Knight (C)
Epitaph 1W (When this is put into your graveyard from anywhere, pay 1W or exile it.)
At the beginning of your upkeep, if Oathsworn Defender is in your graveyard, you may gain 1 life.
“If I can’t fulfill my oath in this life, I will do so in death.”
2/2
Temple Stomper 2GG
Creature — Elephant (R)
Flash
Epitaph 1G (When this is put into your graveyard from anywhere, pay 1G or exile it.)
If Temple Stomper is in your graveyard and you paid its epitaph cost, you may cast creature cards as though they had flash.
4/4
Note that you don't need to put "and you paid its epitaph cost" unless you have to. And yes, this is a slight functional change with Stifle (or a Missed Trigger), but it's probably fine.
Epitaph should exile if you pay the cost, because then it's way easier to keep track of (your epitaphed cards can be off in a nice neat pile for all to see). Unless you're worried about these cards being harder to deal with than cards in a 'yard - an opponent can always exile them and turn them off if they work from the graveyard - but graveyard exiling effects aren't exactly commonplace anyway and you can always reprint Pull from Eternity.
But you might want to add "If ~ is in your graveyard" to the ability. It's not necessary depending on how you write the rules for Epitaph, but it would make the cards a lot clearer.
This is the best version of epitaph, IMO. It's clean and direct.
Here's a hybrid of your suggestions and my original wording. This should be clear enough without having too long of a text:
Oathsworn Defender :1mana::symw:
Creature — Human Knight (C)
Epitaph 1W — At the beginning of your upkeep, you may gain 1 life. (When this is put into your graveyard from anywhere, exile it unless you pay 1W. If you do, it gains this ability for as long as it's in your graveyard.) “If I can’t fulfill my oath in this life, I will do so in death.”
I appreciate the feedback on Epitaph, but should we still be unable to find a good wording, maybe it's better to discuss it in a thread in the CCC forum instead. That being said, do you guys have more thoughts on the individual cards of the set?
Epitaph should exile if you pay the cost, because then it's way easier to keep track of (your epitaphed cards can be off in a nice neat pile for all to see). Unless you're worried about these cards being harder to deal with than cards in a 'yard - an opponent can always exile them and turn them off if they work from the graveyard - but graveyard exiling effects aren't exactly commonplace anyway and you can always reprint Pull from Eternity.
I don't want to change it functionally. In addition to the problems you pointed out, you get the problem of having cards in the same zone exiled because of epitaph and because of other reasons, while exiling it unless you pay the cost means that an epitaph card in a graveyard always has its effect (unless in super fringe cases).
Alright, most of the people I asked understood what Epitaph does with the changed wording, so I'll go with:
Epitaph {cost} — {ability}(When this is put into your graveyard from anywhere, exile it unless you pay {cost}. If you do, it gains this ability for as long as it's in your graveyard.)
I've also renamed Time Reversal to Rewind.
I've changed some of the card names. Here are new cards. They're updated in the .pdf, I'll update the text versions when I'm in the mood:
Mercenary Legion :3mana::symw::symw:
Creature — Human Soldier (C)
First strike Are they truly loyal to the city of Qareh, or only to whoever is the highest bidder? We’re unlikely to ever find out.
3/4
Pulse of Purging :5mana::symw: (New version)
Instant (C)
Choose one or both — Exile target creature; and/or exile target creature card from a graveyard. The magi of the spires never bothered attuning their spells to be without effect to the living.
//Cost up from 5 to 6.
Arrest :2mana::symw:
Enchantment — Aura (U)
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature can’t attack or block and its activated abilities can’t be activated. “Maybe you didn’t know you were going to assassinate the prince, but we did”
—Lasoul of the royal guard
Aquatic Loop
Instant (C)
Target creature gets -3/-0 until end of turn.
Consign :5mana::symu: (Pay :5mana::symu: and exile this card from your hand consigned to target creature you control. That creature gains “:symtap:: You may cast a copy the exiled card without paying its mana cost.” Consign only as a sorcery.) “Don’t restrain! You’ve got to be very thirsty.”
Moonlit Inscriber :1mana::symu:
Creature — Human Wizard (U)
Whenever you cast an instant or sorcery spell, you may pay :1mana:. If you do, draw a card, then discard a card. “All magic is more potent under the gaze of the moon.”
2/1
Niusha of the SpiresXU(New version)
Planeswalker — Niusha (M)
0: Tap target creature with power equal to or less than Niusha of the Spires’ loyalty. It doesn’t untap during its controller’s next untap step.
-1: Look at the top card of your library. You may put that card on the bottom of your library. Draw a card.
-5: Take an extra turn after this one.
{X}
//Some buffs to her. Opt instead of "Draw a card" on her -1.
Spire Wardens :1mana::symu:
Creature — Human Wizard (U)
Defender, hexproof “There’s no citadel here or ever was. Your mind is just playing tricks on you, old man.”
0/4
Unlearn :1mana::symu:
Instant (C)
Counter target spell unless its controller pays and discards a card. “Maybe you should start with something smaller, like summoning a little pink bunny. How would I ever beat that?”
Dark Seneschal :symb::symb:
Creature — Zombie Advisor (R)
Dark Seneschal can’t block.
Epitaph — At the beginning of your upkeep, you may return Dark Seneschal from your graveyard to the battlefield. (When this is put into your graveyard from anywhere, exile it unless you pay :symb:. If you do, it gains this ability for as long as its in your graveyard.)
2/2
Hand of the Beholder :4mana::symw::symb:
Creature — Spirit Warrior (R)
Flying, deathtouch
Hand of the Beholder can’t die.
At the beginning of your upkeep, any player may pay 4 life. If a player does, tap Hand of the Beholder. “It is hopeless. It will never stop hunting us.”
—Niusha of the Spires
4/4
The colorshifting theme seems pretty weak. In Planar Chaos, everything was different and even the cards that weren't colorshifted were abnormal. Just look at Enslave, Dreamscape Artist, and Dawn Charm. They aren't colorshifted, but they show how different the colors could be. Having 2 or 3 colorshifted cards for each color is not going to be that interesting. You need to either increase the number of colorshifted cards or make more of the cards seem out of place.
Sphere of Denial :1mana::symw::symw:
Instant (U)
Foreshadow (Pay and play with this card revealed from your hand. You can’t cast it this turn. Foreshadow only as a sorcery.)
Counter target spell if Sphere of Denial was foreshadowed.
Based on the fact that white seems to get on-board counterspells, such as Frontline Medic.
There will be some color-bleed for the time based themes (extra turns in other colors than blue), but I won't go as far as Planar Chaos.
As I've mentioned elsewhere, I love the concept here. Time, as a mechanic, is fascinating and I think there's still plenty of design space around that theme. The Desert setting works will too, as has been proven elsewhere (see: Prince of Persia).
On colorshifting - I don't think there's anything wrong with this being a very minor theme, it's interesting even if it's not as pervasive as it was in the Time Spiral block.
Blue Mind Rot works great, and I'd love to see a green battle hymn, but some of these seem a bit meh. Red Grizzly Bears works, sure, but it's certainly not exciting. Black Baloth is a bit more exciting, and would make a great card but nothing to drive a theme home on. Green Moment of Heroism works, but I like the idea of Battle Hymn more (even if Moment works better).
The White Counterspell is the one I'm not a big fan of. Foreshadow is a cool mechanic, but it just doesn't feel right on a counterspell. Yes, it's effective somewhat, almost a pseudo-silence, but at that point it's not a counterspell, regardless of what the text says. For a white counterspell, I would go more with a mana-leak variant or something safer, but that's just me.
I want to do the red bear timeshifted, just as a snide comment like "Seriously, guys? Creatures have gotten this good and you're still holding onto that outdated restriction of no red or blue bears?"
I'll do blue Mind Rot and green Battle Hymn then, and decide on the others later.
On the white counterspell: As I've said, the design is based on the fact that white tends to get on-board counterspells, so counterspells your opponent knows about. Of course it could also be Mana Leak instead of Cancel, that would be even more in line with white counterspells, but on the other hand Mana Leak is a much more powerful card than Cancel, so "foreshadow-timeshifting" Cancel might be safer.
Here are the new cards for now. Left the white counterspell out for now:
Phantom of the Past :2mana::symw:
Creature — Spirit (C)
Flying “Don’t believe everything you see. Our eyes are not designed to perceive the complex fabric of time.”
—Kaluhl, high priest of Ankhal
2/2
Plea to the Divine
Instant (C)
Foreshadow :1mana::symw: (Pay :1mana::symw: and play with this card revealed from your hand. You can’t cast it this turn. Foreshadow only as a sorcery.)
Prevent all damage that would be dealt to you this turn. Prevent all damage that would dealt to creatures you control this turn if Plea to the Divine was foreshadowed.
Stream of Knowledge
Instant (U)
Draw a card.
Consign :2mana::symu::symu: (Pay :2mana::symu::symu: and exile this card from your hand consigned to target creature you control. That creature gains “:symtap:: You may cast a copy the exiled card without paying its mana cost.” Consign only as a sorcery.)
Dementia :2mana::symu:
Sorcery (C)
Target player discards two cards. “I could defeat you a thousand times, and you would just turn back time and undo everything. But your memories are something I can destroy, permanently.”
—Spire mage Avasheen
Giant Scarlopede :4mana::symb:
Creature — Insect (C)
When Giant Scarlopede dies, you may put a -1/-1 counter on target creature. Many consider locusts a blessing. Increase their size a hundredfold and those people will reconsider.
3/2
Multiply :symr::symr:
Instant (R)
Copy target instant or sorcery spell you control. You may choose new targets for the copy.
Consign :2mana::symr::symr: (Pay :2mana::symr::symr: and exile this card from your hand consigned to target creature you control. That creature gains “:symtap:: You may cast a copy the exiled card without paying its mana cost.” Consign only as a sorcery.)
Twin Flames :5mana::symr:
Sorcery (C)
Twin Flames deals 2 damage to target creature or player.
Twin Flames deals 2 damage to target creature or player. “Death, please meet destruction. Oh, you already know each other?”
Redsand Raider :1mana::symr:
Creature — Human Berserker (C) In his time, his clan killed everyone that wasn’t them. Now times have changed, but he still remains loyal to the ancient ways.
2/2
Naoy-Tribe Shaman :1mana::symg:
Creature — Cat Shaman (U)
Epitaph 1G — At the beginning of your precombat main phase, add one mana of any color to your mana pool. (When this is put into your graveyard from anywhere, exile it unless you pay 1G. If you do, it gains this ability for as long as it’s in your graveyard.)
2/2
Behemoth Viper :4mana::symg:
Creature — Snake (U)
Deathtouch Many people wonder why such a colossal creature would use poison to incapacitate its prey, but they are easy to forget the scale of dune wurms it may encounter in the desert.
4/5
Sepulchral Genesis :3mana::symg:
Sorcery (U)
Exile target creature card from your graveyard. Put an X/X green Ooze creature token onto the battlefield, where X the exiled card’s power. “So, this is what my end will be? Well, at least my death is not all in vain.”
—Tordir, elder of Mayeli
Nature’s Chant :1mana::symg:
Instant (U)
Add to your mana pool for each creature you control. “If you base healing spells on sylvan magic, it cures people. If you base summoning spells on sylvan magic, it summons beasts. It works!”
—Loenith, born of Lanuznari
Orb of Prophecies
Artifact (U)
When Orb of Prophecies enters the battlefield, draw a card.
You may look at the top card of your library. (You may do this at any time.) It’s color is always purple. It signals doom.
Sword of Fate and Fortune
Artifact — Equipment (M)
Equipped creature gets +2/+2 and has protection from blue and black.
Whenever equipped creature deals combat damage to a player, look at the top card of that player’s library, you may put that card on the bottom of that player’s library, and you search your library for a card, then shuffle your library and put that card on top of it.
Equip 2
//Card designed by foo_intherain.
Paradox Caverns
Land (R)
:symtap:: Add 1 to your mana pool.
:7mana:, :symtap:, Sacrifice Paradox Caverns: Take an extra turn after this one. Rewind — Skip your next turn: Return Paradox Caverns from your graveyard to the battlefield. Activate this ability only any time you could cast a sorcery.
Edit: Talked with someone about the card, and we decided on Negate:
Sphere of Denial :1mana::symw:
Instant (U)
Foreshadow (Pay and play with this card revealed from your hand. You can’t cast it this turn. Foreshadow only as a sorcery.)
Counter target noncreature spell if Sphere of Denial was foreshadowed.
As I've said, the design is based on the fact that white tends to get on-board counterspells,
Actually the only precedent for that is Frontline Medic (not counting old cards) and even that is a bad precedent. The counter was added to the Medic by development just to deal with Bonfire of the Damned. If it had been designed in a vacuum, it wouldn't have had the counter.
Actually the only precedent for that is Frontline Medic (not counting old cards) and even that is a bad precedent. The counter was added to the Medic by development just to deal with Bonfire of the Damned. If it had been designed in a vacuum, it wouldn't have had the counter.
There's also Judge's Familiar. Maybe we'll see more of this kind in the future.
The White Counterspell is the one I'm not a big fan of. Foreshadow is a cool mechanic, but it just doesn't feel right on a counterspell. Yes, it's effective somewhat, almost a pseudo-silence, but at that point it's not a counterspell, regardless of what the text says. For a white counterspell, I would go more with a mana-leak variant or something safer, but that's just me.
I agree, you have to be very careful with white counterspells. Imo, it's very hard to create good ones with the foreshadow mechanic. But I think the taxing is the right direction.
Maybe try something like this:
Name {Cost}
Instant [Rarity]
Foreshadow {Cost}
Counter target spell unless its controller pays 1. If ~ was foreshadowed, counter target spell unless its controller pays 5 instead.
Or go into this direction:
Name {Cost}
Instant [Rarity]
Foreshadow {Cost}
Creatures target opponent can't attack during his or her next turn. If ~ was foreshadowed, that player can't cast spells during his or her next turn.
Whatcha think? Needs proper costing, wording, etc but I just wanted to throw the idea into the pool.
PS: Great set and idea so far! Really love the flavor.
Your first version is very well designed. You can either aim for the "gotcha" effect, if you don't foreshadow it, or get a hard counter if you do. I'm trying to use a signature blue spell as the design base though. I don't see what exactly your intention with the second version is.
It's also a possibility and something to look back to in case I wanted to make an allied color cycle. Currently, I have no plans on doing that though.
Some more cards:
Astronomy :2mana::symu:
Instant (C)
Draw two cards, then discard a card. If you've cast Astronomy before your fourth turn of the game, instead draw three cards, then discard a card. “The stars align this way only once every millennium. This is the chance we were waiting for.”
Time Tourist :1mana::symu:
Creature — Human Wizard (R)
Reveal Time Tourist from your hand: Choose target creature named Time Tourist you control, target card in your graveyard named Time Tourist and target exiled card named Time Tourist you own. You win the game.
2/1
Graveyard Stirrings :5mana::symb:
Enchantment — Aura (U)
Enchant creature card in your graveyard
At the beginning of your upkeep, target opponent loses life equal to enchanted creature card’s power. Some people just won’t give it a rest.
Paradoxic Birth :2mana::symb: (New version)
Sorcery (U)
Choose one — Put two 2/2 black Zombie creature tokens onto the battlefield, then sacrifice a creature; or sacrifice a creature, then put two 2/2 black Zombie creature tokens onto the battlefield. “Conquer your enemies before their birth or you’ll never truly defeat them.”
—Nousha, obsidian cleric
//New name and art.
Wakened Lagoon
Land (R)
Wakened Lagoon enters the battlefield tapped.
:symtap:: Add or to your mana pool.
:2mana::symg::symu:: Until end of turn, Wakened Lagoon becomes a 2/4 green and blue Elemental creature.
Whenever Wakened Lagoon deals combat damage to a player, draw a card.
//As with the Sword of Fate and Fortune, this is a new card added to a cycle from a different block. I intend to do more of these.
Alright, not super much time right now, so updates will be a bit slower, but here are some more changes I've made:
The block is now a +1/+1 counter block instead of a -1/-1 counter block. I couldn't think of much to do with the -1/-1 counters besides just having them, and +1/+1 counters have much more design space.
I've made a new epitaph cycle which all give a keyword to creatures of its color. They're a bit similar to the Incarnation cycle.
I've replaced a few cards or changed them significantly.
Aeon Entanglement :5mana::symw::symw: (Removed)
Instant (M)
Return to the battlefield all permanent cards in your graveyard that were put there from the battlefield this turn. Take an extra turn after this one. When the storms of time rage the strongest, inhabitants of Esparand give up on exact historiography.
Ankhal Lightcaster
Creature — Human Cleric (R)
Epitaph :1mana::symw: — Creatures you control get +1/+1. (When this is put into your graveyard from anywhere, exile it unless you pay 1W. If you do, it gains this ability for as long as it’s in your graveyard.) “There will be the day when the true gods will reckon with you, but this day is not today.”
1/1
Knight of the Barrens :2mana::symw:
Creature — Human Knight (C)
Vigilance
Epitaph :1mana::symw: — White creatures you control have vigilance. (When this is put into your graveyard from anywhere, exile it unless you pay 1W. If you do, it gains this ability for as long as it’s in your graveyard.) “Another settlement laid to waste.”
1/3
Plea to the Divine :1mana::symw: (Revamped)
Instant (C)
Foreshadow :1mana::symw: (Pay :1mana::symw: and play with this card revealed from your hand. You can’t cast it this turn. Foreshadow only as a sorcery.)
Target creature you control gains indestructible until end of turn. If Plea to the Divine was foreshadowed, instead creatures you control gain indestructible until end of turn.
Preserver’s Touch :1mana::symw: (Changed)
Instant (C)
Target attacking or blocking creature gets -3/-3 until end of turn. “You will die. It is written.” —The beholder
“Nothing is written.” —Telar
//No longer uses -1/-1 counters.
Sphere of Denial(Changed)
Instant (U)
Foreshadow 0(Pay 0 and play with this card revealed from your hand. You can’t cast it this turn. Foreshadow only as a sorcery.)
Counter target noncreature spell unless its controller pays if Sphere of Denial was foreshadowed.
//Now Spell Pierce instead of Negate.
Sanctity(Removed)
Instant (C)
Target creature gains indestructible until end of turn. “What do we say to death? Not today!”
—Kaluhl, high priest of Ankhal
Arakk Stormbringer :4mana::symu:
Creature — Bird Wizard (C)
Flying
Epitaph :2mana::symu: — Blue creatures you control have flying. (When this is put into your graveyard from anywhere, exile it unless you pay 2U. If you do, it gains this ability for as long as it’s in your graveyard.)
3/3
Arakk Storm Prophet :3mana::symu: (Removed)
Creature — Bird Wizard (C)
Foreshadow :1mana::symu: (Pay 2U and play with this card revealed from your hand. You can't cast it this turn. Foreshadow only as a sorcery.)
Flying
When Arakk Storm Prophet enters the battlefield, if it was foreshadowed, return target creature to its owner's hand.
2/3
Mind Contraction
Instant (C)
Target player puts the top three cards of his or her library into his or her graveyard.
Consign :3mana::symu: (Pay :3mana::symu: and exile this card from your hand consigned to target creature you control. That creature gains “:symtap:: You may cast a copy the exiled card without paying its mana cost.” Consign only as a sorcery.)
Darkmoon Cultist :2mana::symb:
Creature — Vampire Shaman (C)
Lifelink
Epitaph :2mana::symb: — Black creatures you control have lifelink. (When this is put into your graveyard from anywhere, exile it unless you pay 2B. If you do, it gains this ability for as long as it’s in your graveyard.)
2/2
Giant Scarlopede :5mana::symb: (Changed)
Creature — Insect (C)
Flying
When Giant Scarlopede dies, you may have target creature get -2/-2 until end of turn. Many consider locusts a blessing. Increase their size a hundredfold and those people will reconsider.
3/2
//No longer uses -1/-1 counters.
Liliana, the Tomb Raider :2mana::symb::symb: (Revamped)
Planeswalker — Liliana (M)
+1: Each opponent loses 1 life and you gain that much life.
-X: Return target creature card with converted mana cost X or less from your graveyard to the battlefield.
-9: Target player sacrifices a permanent for each card in your graveyard.
{5}
//Changed her first and third abilities. Previously the first ability put a -1/-1 counter on a creature, which wasn't very fun to play against. Starting loyalty 5 is probably on the pushed side, but let's try it out.
Outland Revenant :1mana::symb::symb:
Creature — Spirit (R)
Outland Revenant’s power is equal to the greatest power among creature cards in all graveyards and its toughness is equal to the greatest toughness among those cards. “Your deaths were never pointless. They all made me stronger.”
—The Beholder
*/*
Bloodhorn Stomper :5mana::symr: (Revamped)
Creature — Minotaur Warrior (C)
Haste
Epitaph :1mana::symr: — Red creatures you control have haste. (When this is put into your graveyard from anywhere, exile it unless you pay 1R. If you do, it gains this ability for as long as it’s in your graveyard.) “I die for my tribe, knowing that thunder and lightning will avenge my death.”
4/4
Quillboar Warchief :4mana::symr: (Removed)
Creature — Boar Warrior (U)
Haste
Epitaph :2mana::symr: — Creatures you control have haste. (When this is put into your graveyard from anywhere, exile it unless you pay 2R. If you do, it gains this ability for as long as it’s in your graveyard.)
3/3
Envoys of Lanuznari :4mana::symg:
Creature — Elf Druid (U)
Epitaph :2mana::symg: — At the beginning of your upkeep, put a 1/1 green Saproling creature token onto the battlefield. (When this is put into your graveyard from anywhere, exile it unless you pay 2G. If you do, it gains this ability for as long as it’s in your graveyard.)
3/5
Fist of Mayeli :2mana::symg:
Creature — Human Warrior (C)
Trample
Whenever Fist of Mayeli attacks, it gets +1/+1 until end of turn for each Oasis you control. “This utopia doesn’t come without a price. We must remain vigilant eternally.”
3/1
Lakeside Ambush :1mana::symg:
Instant (C)
Target creature gets +3/+3 until end of turn. Untap that creature if you control an Oasis. “Try to dodge their sentries. Elves don’t like to share.”
—Sil-thar, sethkal recruiter
Mayeli Grovekeeper :1mana::symg:
Creature — Elf Archer (C)
Reach
Epitaph :1mana::symg: — Green creatures you control have reach. (When this is put into your graveyard from anywhere, exile it unless you pay 1G. If you do, it gains this ability for as long as it’s in your graveyard.)
2/1
Naoy-Tribe Shaman :1mana::symg: (Changed)
Creature — Cat Shaman (U)
Epitaph — At the beginning of your precombat main phase, add one mana of any color to your mana pool. (When this is put into your graveyard from anywhere, exile it unless you pay G. If you do, it gains this ability for as long as it’s in your graveyard.)
2/2
//Reduced the epitaph cost further. This should be the epitaph card that makes it into constructed without ruining limited.
Tides of Life :4mana::symg:
Instant (U)
Put three +1/+1 counters on target creature. Rewind — :symg:, Remove three +1/+1 counters from a creature you control: Return Tides of Life from your graveyard to your hand. Activate this ability only any time you could cast a sorcery.
Aeons Torn
Instant (R)
Take an extra turn after this one. “Somewhere in the distant future, our gods will be overthrown by those from another world. But will their arrival be our salvation, or our damnation?”
Archangel of Ascendance :3mana::symw::symw::symw:
Creature — Angel (M)
Flying
Whenever Archangel of Ascendance deals combat damage to a player, return target creature card from your graveyard to the battlefield. That creature is a white Angel in addition to its other colors and types and it gains flying and this ability.
5/5
Epoch Wanderer :5mana::symw::symw:
Creature — Elemental (R)
Foreshadow :3mana::symw: (Pay :3mana::symw: and play with this card revealed from your hand. You can’t cast it this turn. Foreshadow only as a sorcery.)
Vigilance
When Epoch Wanderer enters the battlefield, if it was foreshadowed, your life total becomes your starting life total.
4/7
Angelic Resolve :1mana::symw:
Enchantment (U)
Creatures with flying you control get +1/+1. Tajul dreamt of mounting a pegasus one day, so he may charge into battle side by side with the angels.
Chronoplasm :1mana::symu:
Creature — Elemental (R)
Flash; flying
As an additional cost to cast Chronoplasm, exile a spell you control. Whenever a temporal storm rages over Esparand, elementals appear to feast upon the old timeline.
4/3
Fiddle with Fate :4mana::symu:
Instant (U)
Choose one — Put target creature on top of its owner’s library, then target player puts the top five cards of his or her library into his or her graveyard; or target player puts the top five cards of his or her library into his or her graveyard, then put target creature on top of its owner’s library.
Glimpse of Infinity :5mana::symu::symu: (New version)
Sorcery (U)
Draw six cards. You have no maximum hand size until your next turn. “All the answers could be revealed to me, but what questions are there left to ask?”
Incorporealize
Instant (R)
Choose target creature. When that creature becomes the target of a spell the next time this turn, its controller sacrifices it.
Consign :1mana::symu::symu: (Pay :1mana::symu::symu: and exile this card from your hand consigned to target creature you control. That creature gains “:symtap:: You may cast a copy the exiled card without paying its mana cost.” Consign only as a sorcery.)
Stitched Angel :6mana::symu:
Creature — Zombie Giant (C)
Stitched Angel costs less to cast for each creature card in your graveyard.
Flying “To appreciate it, you need a healthy sense of irony.”
—Kalen Thal, necromancer
3/5
Tempest of Souls :3mana::symu::symu:
Creature — Elemental (U)
Flying
At the beginning of your upkeep, sacrifice Tempest of Souls unless you put the top two cards of your library into your graveyard. Its entrée is your existence.
4/4
Disciple of the False Gods :1mana::symb:
Creature — Human Shaman (C)
Sacrifice a creature: Disciple of the False Gods get +1/+1 until end of turn. “One great lie or a thousand lives?”
—Vezavetru, false god,
to Telar, magus of the aeons
2/1
Embrace the Void :2mana::symb::symb:
Sorcery (R)
Target opponent reveals any number of cards from his or her hand. You may have that player discard those cards. If you don’t, that player discards all but those cards.
Mindless Rotsnout :3mana::symb::symb:
Creature — Zombie Elephant (C)
When Mindless Rotsnout dies, target player loses 3 life and another target player discards a card. “Horrific, mighty, obeying. I hate to admit it, but this is so much better than all those ghouls and skeletons I created.”
—Kalen Thal, necromancer
4/4
Queen of the Night’s Feast :3mana::symb::symb:
Creature — Vampire Shaman (R)
Flying
At the beginning of each end step, if three or more creatures died this turn, you may return Queen of the Night’s Feast from your graveyard to the battlefield. When there’s so much fresh blood available, vampires are more than happy to share.
5/3
Shadowland Witches :1mana::symb::symb:
Creature — Harpy Shaman (U)
Flying
:symb:, :symtap:, Sacrifice a creature: Target player loses 2 life and you gain 2 life.
1/2
Bloodfeather Harpy :3mana::symr: (Revamped)
Creature — Harpy Rogue (C)
Flying
When Bloodfeather Harpy enters the battlefield, target creature can’t block this turn. “The harpy: Vicious by nature, with long talons for feet and graceful wings for arms.”
—Charius Nair, Journey to the Outland
2/2
Canyon Maker :4mana::symr:
Creature — Insect (C) As it crawls its way through the outland, canyons form and cities disappear.
5/3
Lavaborn Revenant :2mana::symr:
Creature — Spirit (U)
Lavaborn Revenant attacks each turn if able.
Epitaph :2mana::symr: — Whenever a creature you control attacks, Lavaborn Revenant deals 1 damage to defending player. (When this is put into your graveyard from anywhere, exile it unless you pay 2R. If you pay, it gains its epitaph ability.)
4/1
Quaking Dunewurm :4mana::symr::symr:
Creature — Wurm (U)
When Quaking Dunewurm becomes blocked, defending player sacrifices a land. A butterfly flaps its wings. The vibrations attract a wurm. The wurm devours the butterfly and the surrounding landscape.
—Popular explanation of the ‘butterfly effect’
6/4
Temporal Disaster :xmana::symr::symr:
Sorcery (R)
Temporal Disaster deals X damage to each creature unless an opponent has you take an extra turn after this one. Repeat this process one more time. “I’ve foreseen all this happening. In five seconds I will die. One, two, three, four, six...”
—Niusha of the Spires
Tribal Gathering :2mana::symr:
Sorcery (C)
Put two 1/1 red Goblin creature tokens onto the battlefield. If you control an Oasis, put three of those tokens onto the battlefield instead. A chieftain’s call is much more likely to be heard if refreshment is provided for.
Giant Ant :4mana::symg:
Creature — Insect (C)
Reach Hoping to shelter yourself from the sun, you won’t realize that the thicket you treaded into is actually a giant anthill.
3/5
Mayeli Beastcaller :2mana::symg::symg:
Creature — Elf Shaman (R)
Vigilance
Whenever Mayeli Beastcaller attacks, put a 3/3 Beast creature token onto the battlefield.
:1mana::symg:, :symtap:: Another target creature you control fights target creature blocking Mayeli Beastcaller.
2/2
Mistborn Hydra :xmana::symg::symg:
Creature — Hydra (R)
Mistborn Hydra costs less to cast for each creature card in your graveyard
Trample
Mistborn Hydra enters the battlefield with X +1/+1 counters on it. As it came into existence, it immediately devoured the very cause of it, creating a paradoxon.
0/0
Skeletal Bloomer :1mana::symg: (Revamped)
Creature — Plant Skeleton (C)
Defender
At the beginning of your upkeep, you may put the top card of your library into your graveyard. Some oases are littered with creatures who drain upon them until they are as lifeless as the desert.
0/4
Soilsoaker :3mana::symg: (New name, creature types etc.)
Creature — Fungus Beast (C)
When Soilsoaker enters the battlefield, you gain 2 life for each creature card in your graveyard. For such a creature, desolate wastes are the lands of milk and honey.
2/3
Astronomicum
Artifact (C)
:1mana:, :symtap:, Sacrifice Astronomicum: Choose land or nonland. Reveal cards from the top of your library until you reveal a card of the chosen kind. Put that card into your hand and the rest on the bottom of your library in any order. “You read the future in the stars. I tell the stars what I’d like the future to be.”
Pocket Portal
Artifact (U)
:symtap:: Target player exiles a card from his or her graveyard.
:1mana:, :symtap:, Sacrifice Pocket Portal: Return any number of cards exiled with Pocket Portal to their owner’s graveyards. Draw a card. Because a backpack isn’t fit for storing souls.
Timewalker’s Suit
Artifact — Equipment (U)
Equipped creature gets +0/+2.
When equipped creature deals combat damage to a player, you may sacrifice Timewalker’s Suit. If you do, take an extra turn after this one.
Equip
Outland Fort
Land — Oasis (C)
Outland Fort enters the battlefield tapped.
When Outland Fort enters the battlefield, creatures you control get +1/+0 until end of turn.
:symtap:: Add to your mana pool. In a land that hostile to life, all sources of water are guarded heavily.
//Is this too good?
Prophetic Pools
Land — Oasis (C)
:symtap:: Add to your mana pool.
:2mana:, :symtap:, Sacrifice Prophetic Pools: Draw a card.
During the final stages, I decided that this set needed a draw-smoothing mechanic, such as Scry, so I added a mechanic called Guide Fate:
Guide Fate(Choose land or nonland, then reveal cards from the top of your library until your reveal a card of the chosen kind. Put the rest on the bottom in any order.)
To make room for it, all timeshifted cards have been removed except for those at rare. Rare cards are now completely chaotic and disordered by intention, while the rest of the set is ordered as usual to avoid too much confusion during drafting.
The design of the set is finished now, while development isn't. Many cards will still be subject to change, though it will be minor changes mostly. The focus of the changes will be curve considerations for the specific colors, how are the colors balanced, and are each archetypes supported well enough.
I just wanted to say that your set is amazing and I love all of te flavor and themes and cards! Really nice work, one of my favorites I've seen on these threads so far. It's simple ad perfected. Congrats on making a good set!
Aeon's Torn might be one of the best flavor cards ever, not to mention the ability. It's a very, very cool card.
I had made a few cards similar to some of yours, like the Phoenix, the Vampire that resuming after 3 deaths, and the ooze that has the converted p/t. It's cool so see what other's designs were like.
Here I am again, shamelessly bargaining for crits of my set in the link below by critting the sets of others.
Overall this set looks really really nice. Very refined. Excellent flavor. I can tell you've put a tremendous amount of experience and time into it.
Foreshadow is very, very cool. Seems slightly out of place in the last expansion of a block. Awesome no matter what.
Epitaph is awesome, but perhaps strangely, I think it should be as follows for ease of reference.
Oathsworn Defender (Uncommon) 3W
Creature - Human Soldier
1/4
Epitaph W - At the beginning of your upkeep, you may gain 1 life. (If this would be put into your graveyard from anywhere, you may pay W. If you do, exile it instead and it gains this ability for as long as it's exiled.)
The Memory Remains should be a sorcery.
Monument of Auria costs enough to allow you to return cards from any graveyard.
Plea to the Divine should say "...instead all creatures you control..." for clarity.
Portal of Souls, while not terrible, might should be uncommon. It's the kind of junk rare even they stopped printing a decade ago.
Storyteller name doesn't fit the naming convention you seem to have for your set. It needs something more.
Strength of Heavens seems too good for common. I could be wrong. I haven't researched white instants since February. But if I'm right, it needs some nerfing.
Tower of the Elocutors is awesome but should be colorless and cost more.
Overall, a great group of cards. I can't wait to crit the other colors and even your other sets!
You'll see me again on my mission to reel in crits for my set linked below by critting other sets.
Aeon's Torn might be one of the best flavor cards ever, not to mention the ability. It's a very, very cool card.
It was the first card of the "misplaced rares"-cycle. I didn't actually design it for the set at first, but I had to put it in there :Psyduck:.
Epitaph: Part of what balances this ability is the fact that there is a lot of single-targeted graveyard hate in the set. It is therefore crucial that it works from the graveyard, not only for the flavor, but also for gameplay reasons. While some of the epitaph abilities still have to be changed because they turned out to be unfun, the ability did not appear inherently flawed during testing.
The Memory Remains: Most (playable) graveyard hate is able to be activated at instant speed, and this card is already on the weak side because it doesn't exile that one thing.
Monument of Auria: In that case, I'll reduce the cost from 9 to 8. It has to be identical to the ultimate of Auria, the Eternal, which will be printed in the next set. The ultimate is "-9: You get an emblem with "At the beginning of your end step, return target permanent card from your graveyard to the battlefield."'
Plea to the Divine: Creatures you control is the wording convention (Rootborn Defenses), but it might be worthwhile to deviate from it in this case.
Portal of Souls: I'm inclined to cut this card, not because I think it's weak, but because it's uninspired. If you say you don't like it, it's out.
Storyteller: Can you elaborate what you mean? Here, I'm also likely to consider changes, because it was a hastily made filler card.
Strength of the Heavens: I don't think the card is very good. I would hope not to play it in my limited deck (3 mana pump? Common Bond, Dauntless Onslaught over this all day).
Tower of the Elocutors: I might change this card, but I do want a colored artifact in the set.
Next weekend, I'll try to evaluate each card in the set. Until then, I just have a critique and a question. I don't think that there are enough colorshifted cards in this set. If it is only a minor theme, it doesn't seem worth it. The whole point of colorshifting in Planar Chaos was so everything would feel different. If it is on only a few cards, then that doesn't convey the feeling clearly, especially in cases where that color would probably make more sense (like your red and white Sorin's Vengeance). If you do keep colorshifted cards, why do only some of them have colorshifted borders? Angelic Resolve, your white Favorable Winds, doesn't.
Links
Other sets of the block:
You can read about the design of the set on our blog:
You can download a .pdf-document with card images:
Other files:
.MSE File
For text versions see post #2.
Overview
Esparand is an arabian- and egyptian-themed set. The plane is mostly a desert, and it's haunted by the storm of time, a chaotic event which incalculably influences the flow of time, and even intertwines different epochs and timelines to become one. It rises the dead to walk the earth again, it causes your loved ones to have never existed, and it foreshadows future events, such as your own death.
A godlike being, known as The Beholder watches over Esparand. His dark minions roam the plane, trying to preserve the flow of time, and punishing those who dare to toy with it.
Esparand introduces four new keyword abilities:
Foreshadow {cost} (Pay {cost} and play with this card revealed from your hand. You can’t cast it this turn. Foreshadow only as a sorcery.)
On Esparand, the future is often already known because it happened before. Foreshadow shows your opponent the cause of his or her inevitable demise. Each spell with foreshadow has a more powerful effect if it was foreshadowed. Once foreshadowed, the card remains revealed and foreshadowed for as long as it is in the player’s hand.
Epitaph {cost} (When this is put into your graveyard from anywhere, you may pay {cost} and remember it. Otherwise, exile it.)
What do you do when you’ve seen the future and know the very second of your own death? Epitaph allows your creatures to still have an effect on the game even after they’ve died. Epitaph represents two abilities. The first is a triggered ability: “When this card is put into your graveyard from anywhere, exile it unless you pay its epitaph cost.” The second ability states: “As this card’s epitaph cost is paid, it becomes remembered for as long as it's in your graveyard.’” Each card with epitaph has an additional ability that is only active as long as the card is remembered.
Consign {cost} (Pay {cost} and exile this card from your hand consigned to target creature you control. That creature gains “T: You may cast a copy the exiled card without paying its mana cost.” Consign only as a sorcery.)
The inhabitants of Esparand set great value upon preserving their knowledge, so it might survive the chaos of time. Consign allows your creatures to cast your instants or sorceries each turn again and again. You may consign a card at any time you could cast it. You exile the card as part of the cost, but it doesn’t become consigned to the creature until the ability resolves. If the consigned card is removed from exile, it’s no longer consigned to the creature.
Scry X (To scry X, look at the top X cards of your library. Put any number of them on the bottom of your library in any order and the rest on top in any order.)
To some extent, the timeline on Esparand can be manipulated. Scry, a returning mechanic, allows you to smooth out your draws and reduces the variance of a game. From this set forward, scry is an evergreen mechanic.
Other themes & mechanics:
Chaotic
Different timelines merge with each other on Esparand. Cards are chaotic and disordered with many references to past expansions. Only rare cards are chaotic.
Rewind
Rewind is an ability word with no exact rules meaning. It merely signals an activated ability, that when activated more or less reverses the effects of the ability preceding it on the card.
Oases
Oasis is a new land subtype. Some cards care about you controlling an Oasis.
“My name is Telar. I come from a chaotic world, a world where time flows unpredictably and darkness looms over every aeon. A phenomenon known as the Storm of Time holds scourge over this world. It intertwines the past, the present and the future, it shows your own death to you and it even raises the dead from their grave. Amongst this chaos, I became somewhat a legend to my people, due to my millennia-long struggle with the guardian of time, the “Beholder.” This being is the most powerful from among those that call themselves gods; and the most malicious. We do not know the true nature of these beings or their origin. They are tied to the Storm of Time, but they are certainly not gods.
Years ago, the Beholder took away my beloved wife, Jaleh. Still young and brash back then, I recklessly experimented on the Storm of Time. I tried to use it to rewind the events of the past and bring my wife back to me. But I failed. I wandered to every aeon imaginable, always hiding from the omnipresent gaze of the Beholder. And although the people of Esparand have accepted the Storm of Time as mundane, that the flow of time has always been chaotic and unpredictable, now that my days are coming to an end, I realize that I was the one who created it. I know now that my lifelong struggle was futile; it is I that I must stop. But I am old and weak now and I need more time to solve the last pieces of the puzzle.
However, all is not lost yet. Long ago, the Beholder told me that I was destined to fail, that the past and the future are already written and nothing I do can change it. Maybe he is right and I cannot. But I know someone who can: Niusha. The planeswalker. It was written that she will die, but she cheated death by igniting her spark. This event was not predestined; it was not supposed to happen. The girl may very well be the key to change the future of my plane, and its past. I have to meet her!”
Telar narrates his own timeline. Events that happened in his past may very well have taken place in the future.
Completed sets:
Iamur — The Underwater Set
Overworld — Pirates vs. Octopuses
Esparand — The Sands of Time
Unfinished Sets:
Siege of Ravnica — Eldrazi in Ravnica
Shandalar — The Mana Set
Iamur Reimagined — Iamur v2
You can find more creative projects on my page Antaresdesigns!
Aeons Torn 7
Instant (R)
Take an extra turn after this one.
“Somewhere in the distant future, our gods will be overthrown by those from another world. But will their arrival be our salvation, or our damnation?”
Angel of the Sands 2WW
Creature — Angel (R)
Flying
When Angel of the Sands is put into your graveyard from anywhere, you may gain 3 life.
The light of hope exists outside the restraints of time.
3/5
Angelic Resolve 1W
Enchantment (U)
Creatures with flying you control get +1/+1.
Tajul dreamt of mounting a pegasus one day, so he may charge into battle side by side with the angels.
Ankhal Embalmer 1W
Creature — Human Cleric (U)
When Ankhal Embalmer enters the battlefield, you may exile target creature card from a graveyard. If you do, its owner puts a 1/1 white Spirit creature token with flying onto the battlefield.
The funerary goods serve as a beacon for the spirits lost in the vortex of time.
2/1
Ankhal Lightcaster W
Creature — Human Cleric (R)
Epitaph 1WW (When this is put into your graveyard from anywhere, you may pay 1WW and remember it. Otherwise, exile it.)
Creatures you control get +1/+1 as long as Ankhal Lightcaster is remembered.
“There will be the day when the true gods will reckon with you, but this day is not today.”
2/1
Archangel of Ascendance 3WWW
Creature — Angel (M)
Flying
Whenever Archangel of Ascendance deals combat damage to a player, return target creature card from your graveyard to the battlefield. That creature is a white Angel in addition to its other colors and types and it gains flying.
5/5
Arrest 2W
Enchantment — Aura (U)
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature can’t attack or block and its activated abilities can’t be activated.
“Maybe you didn’t know you were going to assassinate the prince, but we did”
—Lasoul of the royal guard
Borrowed Time 3WW
Sorcery (R)
Return target creature card from your graveyard to the battlefield.
Rewind — 2B, Sacrifice a creature: Return Borrowed Time from your graveyard to your hand. Activate this ability only any time you could cast
a sorcery.
Call the Ancestors 5W
Instant (U)
Put three 1/1 white Spirit creature tokens with flying onto the battlefield. Scry 1. (To scry 1, look at the top card of your library, then you may put that card on the bottom of your library.)
You can’t call your ancestors if they haven’t been born yet.
Celestial Judge 4W
Creature — Angel (U)
Foreshadow 2B (Pay 2B and play with this card revealed from your hand. You can’t cast it this turn. Foreshadow only as a sorcery.)
Flying
When Celestial Judge enters the battlefield, if it was foreshadowed, destroy target tapped creature.
3/4
Confess! 2W
Sorcery (C)
Destroy target creature that attacked you or a planeswalker you control during its controller’s last turn. Scry 1. (To scry 1, look at the top card of your library, then you may put that card on the bottom of your library.)
It sees through lies, it never forgives, and it most certainly never forgets.
Crescent Paladin WW
Creature — Human Knight (C)
Vigilance
2W, T: Tap target creature.
The paladins of Ankhal invoke the starlight to blind their enemies, and to bless their sabers.
2/2
Daughter of the Living Wind 1W
Creature — Spirit (C)
Flying
When Daughter of the Living Wind dies, put a 1/1 white Spirit creature token with flying onto the battlefield, then scry 1. (To scry 1, look at the top card of your library, then you may put that card on the bottom of your library.)
1/1
Epoch Wanderer 5WW
Creature — Elemental (R)
Vigilance
Foreshadow 2WW (Pay 2WW and play with this card revealed from your hand. You can’t cast it this turn. Foreshadow only as a sorcery.)
When Epoch Wanderer enters the battlefield, if it was foreshadowed, your life total becomes your starting life total and you shuffle your graveyard into your library.
6/7
Expulsion 2W
Instant (C)
Choose one — Exile target artifact; or exile target enchantment; or exile target card from a graveyard.
“In the name of the living, I expel you from this realm.”
—Sheral, ankhal lightcaster
Gul-Shad Outrider 3W
Creature — Human Knight (C)
Vigilance
Epitaph 1W (When this is put into your graveyard from anywhere, you may pay 1W and remember it. Otherwise, exile it.)
White creatures you control have vigilance as long as Gul-Shad Outrider is remembered.
3/3
Kharj Albatross 4W
Creature — Bird (C)
Flying, lifelink
May you find a patron to guide your ways when the stars cannot.
—Elvish saying
3/2
Leonin Sentinel 2W
Creature — Cat Warrior (U)
As long as you control an Oasis, Leonin Sentinel has first strike and vigilance.
Over the ages, many different tribes held control over the great oases. If you’re denied access, simply travel to another time.
3/2
The Memory Remains W
Instant (U)
Each player chooses a card from cards in his or her graveyard. Exile the rest.
“I will conquer time itself to bring you back, Jaleh.”
—Telar’s oath
Mercenary Legion 3WW
Creature — Human Soldier (C)
First strike
Are they truly loyal to the city of Qareh, or only to whoever is the highest bidder? We’re unlikely to ever find out.
3/4
Monument of Auria 6WW
Enchantment (R)
At the beginning of your end step, return target permanent card from your graveyard to the battlefield.
“We know that Auria will be absent until the end of time. Still I remain hopeful, for she exists beyond time.”
—Princess Mina
Mounted Ramorock 3W
Creature — Beast (C)
Mounted Ramorock gets +1/+1 as long as you control an Oasis.
Ramorocks can survive months without water, but their riders cannot.
2/4
Nullifier Giant 5W
Creature — Giant Warrior (U)
As Nullifier Giant enters the battlefield, name an instant or sorcery card.
Spells with the chosen name can’t be cast.
Telar’s constructs are tasked with protecting his sanctuaries from thieves and pillagers, but also his fellow magi.
4/6
Oathsworn Defender 1W
Creature — Human Knight (C)
Epitaph W (When this is put into your graveyard from anywhere, you may pay W and remember it. Otherwise, exile it.)
At the beginning of your upkeep, if Oathsworn Defender is remembered, you may gain 1 life.
“If I can’t fulfill my oath in this life, I will do so in death.”
2/2
Phantom of the Past 1WW
Creature — Spirit (C)
Flying
“Don’t believe everything you see. Our eyes are not designed to perceive the complex fabric of time.”
—Kaluhl, high priest of Ankhal
2/3
Plea to the Divine 1W
Instant (C)
Foreshadow W (Pay W and play with this card revealed from your hand. You can’t cast it this turn. Foreshadow only as a sorcery.)
Target creature you control gains indestructible until end of turn. If Plea to the Divine was foreshadowed, instead creatures you control gain indestructible until end of turn.
Pulse of Purging 5W
Instant (C)
Choose one or both — Exile target creature; and/or exile target creature card from a graveyard.
The magi of the spires never bothered attuning their spells to be without effect to the living.
Sage Errant W
Creature — Human Advisor (C)
When Sage Errant dies, put a +1/+1 counter on target creature you control.
“I learned from the philosophers of both the first and the second millennium.”
1/1
Sculptured Seraph 2W
Creature — Angel Wall (C)
Defender
When Sculptured Seraph enters the battlefield, scry 2. (To scry 2, look at the top two cards of your library. Put any number of them on the bottom of your library in any order and the rest on top in any order.)
1/5
Spectral Guide 3W
Creature — Spirit (U)
Flying
Epitaph 2W (When this is put into your graveyard from anywhere, you may pay 2W and remember it. Otherwise, exile it.)
At the beginning of your upkeep, if Spectral Guide is remembered, put a 1/1 white Spirit creature token with flying onto the battlefield.
2/2
Sphere of Denial 2W
Enchantment (U)
Flash
When Sphere of Denial enters the battlefield, exile target noncreature spell.
When Sphere of Denial leaves the battlefield, the owner of the exiled card may cast it without paying its mana cost.
Storyteller X1W
Creature — Human Advisor (R)
When Storyteller enters the battlefield, choose X or less — Shuffle up to three target cards from your graveyard into your library; or you gain 3 life; and/or scry 3.
“Lay down and let me tell you of fabulous tales, some that happened, and some that will happen.”
2/2
Strength of the Heavens 2W
Instant (C)
Target creature gets +3/+5 until end of turn. You gain 3 life.
“I did not forsake my people. He is keeping me severed from this realm.”
—Archangel Auria
Telar, the Wearied 1W
Legendary Creature — Human Wizard (M)
W, T: Exile target spell. At the beginning of its controller’s next upkeep, he or she may cast that card from exile without paying its mana cost.
“Forgive me, Jaleh. I tried to stop him.”
1/3
Touched by the Stars 4W
Enchantment — Aura (C)
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature gets +2/+2 and has “Whenever this creature attacks, you may tap target creature.”
Becoming a glowing sphere of light may offer enlightenment, but it also tends to repel the people around you.
Tower of the Elocutors W
Artifact (R)
W, T, Name a nonland card: Spells with the chosen name can’t be cast this turn. (They can still be cast until this resolves.)
The false gods aren’t the only ones who want to seize control over the timeline.
Tribal Assault 1W
Instant (C)
Until end of turn, target creature gets +1/+0 for each creature you control and gains first strike.
“We only take what is rightfully ours.” —Naroyu general
“The sethkal thought that way, too.”
—Mayeli prisoner
Apprentice Chronomancer 2U
Creature — Human Wizard (U)
When Apprentice Chronomancer enters the battlefield, you may return target exiled card you own with consign to your hand.
“To understand the past, we must learn from the future.”
2/3
Arakk Stormbringer 4U
Creature — Bird Wizard (C)
Flying
Epitaph 2U (When this is put into your graveyard from anywhere, you may pay 2U and remember it. Otherwise, exile it.)
Blue creatures you control have flying as long as Arakk Stormbringer is remembered.
3/3
Architect of Constellations 5UU
Creature — Human Wizard (U)
When Architect of Constellations enters the battlefield, scry 3, then draw three cards. (To scry 3, look at the top three cards of your library. Put any number of them on the bottom of your library in any order and the rest on top in any order.)
3/2
Astronomy 2U
Instant (C)
Draw two cards, then discard a card. If you’ve cast Astronomy before your fourth turn of the game, instead draw three cards, then discard a card.
“The stars align this way only once every millennium. This is the chance we were waiting for.”
Crystal Drake 2U
Creature — Drake (C)
Flying
3U: Untap Crystal Drake.
The Mountains of Glass are home to a rare breed of drakes, able to not only withstand the temporal storms, but to feed upon them instead.
1/3
Dissolve 1UU
Instant (C)
Counter target spell. Scry 1. (To scry 1, look at the top card of your library, then you may put that card on the bottom of your library.)
The magi of the spires are often seen as killjoys for their excessive use of countermagic.
Enter Madness U
Instant (C)
Target player puts the top three cards of his or her library into his or her graveyard.
Consign 3U (Pay 3U and exile this card from your hand consigned to target creature you control. That creature gains “T: You may cast a copy of the exiled card without paying its mana cost.” Consign only as a sorcery.)
Fiddle with Fate 2U
Instant (U)
Return target creature to its owner’s hand. Scry 2. (To scry 2, look at the top two cards of your library. Put any number of them on the bottom of your library in any order and the rest on top in any order.)
“Stop existing!”
—Nousha, obsidian cleric
Gateway to the Aeons 4UUU
Enchantment (M)
At the beginning of your upkeep, if it’s not an extra turn, take an extra turn after this one.
“Meet me at the end of time, Niusha. There we’ll be undisturbed.”
—Telar, magus of the aeons
Grim Vision U
Sorcery (C)
Look at the top two cards of your library. Put one of them into your hand and the other into your graveyard.
Predicting the future is merely a matter of looking it up in a book.
Hydrokinesis U
Instant (C)
Target creature gets -4/-0 until end of turn.
Consign 3UU (Pay 3UU and exile this card from your hand consigned to target creature you control. That creature gains “T: You may cast a copy of the exiled card without paying its mana cost.” Consign only as a sorcery.)
“Don’t restrain! You’ve got to be very thirsty.”
Incorporealize U
Instant (R)
When target creature becomes the target of a spell not named Incorporealize this turn, its controller sacrifices it.
Consign 1UU (Pay 1UU and exile this card from your hand consigned to target creature you control. That creature gains “T: You may cast a copy of the exiled card without paying its mana cost.” Consign only as a sorcery.)
Legacy Mage 3UU
Creature — Human Wizard Avatar (R)
Flying
When Legacy Mage enters the battlefield, draw a card.
Epitaph 2UU (When this is put into your graveyard from anywhere, you may pay 2UU and remember it. Otherwise, exile it.)
At the beginning of your upkeep, if Legacy Mage is remembered, draw a card.
3/3
Merfolk Oracle 2U
Creature — Merfolk Wizard (C)
When Merfolk Oracle enters the battlefield, scry 1, then draw a card. (To scry 1, look at the top card of your library, then you may put that card on the bottom of your library.)
“We were gifted with vision beyond our five senses. We should not forgo its use.”
1/3
Moonlit Inscriber 1U
Creature — Human Wizard (U)
Whenever you cast an instant or sorcery spell, you may pay 1. If you do, draw a card, then discard a card.
“All magic is more potent under the gaze of the moon.”
2/1
Moonlit Revenant 3UU
Creature — Spirit (C)
Moonlit Revenant can’t be blocked.
When Moonlit Revenant enters the battlefield, return target creature to its owner’s hand.
As if men dreaded a full moon’s night not enough already.
2/2
Niusha of the Spires XU
Planeswalker — Niusha (M)
0: Tap target creature with power equal to or less than Niusha of the Spires’ loyalty. It doesn’t untap during its controller’s next untap step.
-1: Scry 1, then draw a card. (To scry 1, look at the top card of your library, then you may put that card on the bottom of your library.)
-6: Take an extra turn after this one.
{X}
Preserve Lore 5U
Sorcery (U)
Return up to two target instant and/or sorcery cards from your graveyard to your hand. Exile Preserve Lore.
“I trust books more than I trust the sands.”
—Kulan, eternal librarian
Psychic Blades 1U
Instant (C)
Target creature gets +2/+0 until end of
turn and can’t be blocked this turn.
Consign 2U (Pay 2U and exile this card from your hand consigned to target creature you control. That creature gains “T: You may cast a copy of the exiled card without paying its mana cost.” Consign only as a sorcery.)
Reconstellate 2U
Instant (C)
Foreshadow 1U (Pay 1U and play with this card revealed from your hand. You can’t cast it this turn. Foreshadow only as a sorcery.)
Reconstellate costs 2 less to cast as long as it’s foreshadowed.
Counter target noncreature spell.
Relic Thief 2U
Creature — Human Rogue (U)
Foreshadow R (Pay R and play with this card revealed from your hand. You can’t cast it this turn. Foreshadow only as a sorcery.)
When Relic Thief enters the battlefield, if it was foreshadowed, it gains haste.
Whenever Relic Thief deals combat damage to a player, draw a card.
1/3
Ripplemage 1U
Creature — Human Wizard (R)
1U, T, Exile an instant or sorcery spell you control: Search your library for an instant or sorcery card with converted mana cost 1 plus the exiled spell’s converted mana cost or less and cast that card without paying its mana cost. Then shuffle your library.
2/1
Sage of the Sands 1U
Creature — Human Wizard (C)
Epitaph U (When this is put into your graveyard from anywhere, you may pay U and remember it. Otherwise, exile it.)
At the beginning of your upkeep, if Sage of the Sands is remembered, target player puts the top card of his or her library into his or her graveyard.
2/1
Seal of Oblivion 1U
Enchantment (C)
Sacrifice Seal of Oblivion: Each player puts the top five cards of his or her library into his or her graveyard.
Liliana’s research in the old library was fruitless. The existence of the demon she was looking for had been purged completely from the current timeline.
Sewer Stalker 1UU
Creature — Merfolk Rogue (C)
Flash (You may cast this spell any time you could cast an instant.)
When Sewer Stalker enters the battlefield, tap target creature. That creature doesn’t untap during its controller’s next untap step.
2/2
Slipstream 4U
Instant (U)
Target player puts the top four cards of his or her library into his or her graveyard, then put target creature that player owns on top of that library.
Just as something can emerge without a cause from the storm of time, you can be sucked into it and simply cease to exist.
Sphinx of Azshadi 4UU
Creature — Sphinx (R)
Flying
When Sphinx of Azshadi enters the battlefield, reveal the top card of your library. An opponent puts that card either into your hand or graveyard. Repeat this process four more times with the same opponent. That opponent may put no more than two cards into your graveyard this way.
4/4
Spire Wardens 1U
Creature — Human Wizard (U)
Defender, hexproof
“There’s no citadel here or ever was. Your mind is just playing tricks on you, old man.”
0/4
Stitched Sacrilege 6U
Creature — Zombie Giant (C)
Stitched Sacrilege costs 1 less to cast for each creature card in your graveyard.
Flying
“It’s an undead angel! Well, to appreciate it, you need a healthy sense of irony...”
—Kalen Thal, necromancer
3/5
Stream of Knowledge U
Instant (U)
Draw a card.
Consign 2UU (Pay 2UU and exile this card from your hand consigned to target creature you control. That creature gains “T: You may cast a copy of the exiled card without paying its mana cost.” Consign only as a sorcery.)
Sudden Stagnation 3U
Enchantment — Aura (C)
Flash (You may cast this spell any time you could cast an instant.)
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature doesn’t untap during its controller’s untap step.
Sometimes, time freezes in just the right moment.
Tempest of Souls 3UU
Creature — Elemental (U)
Flying
At the beginning of your upkeep, each player puts the top two cards of his or her library into his or her graveyard.
It devours existence as an appetizer.
4/4
Time Dilation Field 4UU
Enchantment (R)
Whenever a creature attacks you, tap that creature and remove it from combat. It doesn’t untap during its controller’s next untap step. At the beginning of that creature’s controller’s next declare attacker’s step, it becomes attacking you if able.
Unlearn 1U
Instant (C)
Counter target spell unless its controller pays 1 and discards a card.
“Your memories are the one thing I can destroy permanently. You won’t remember how to turn back time and undo it.”
—Doman Gul, spire mage
Beholder’s Judgment 2B
Sorcery (R)
Foreshadow 1WW (Pay 1WW and play with this card revealed from your hand. You can’t cast it this turn. Foreshadow only as a sorcery.)
Destroy target creature. Destroy all creatures instead if Beholder’s Judgment was foreshadowed.
Blast of Voodoo B
Instant (C)
Exile target card from a graveyard.
Consign 1B (Pay 1B and exile this card from your hand consigned to target creature you control. That creature gains “T: You may cast a copy of the exiled card without paying its mana cost.” Consign only as a sorcery.)
Bloodlord of Qareh 2BB
Creature — Vampire Rogue (U)
Flying
Epitaph 1B (When this is put into your graveyard from anywhere, you may pay 1B and remember it. Otherwise, exile it.)
Whenever a creature dies, if Bloodlord of Qareh is remembered, target player loses 1 life and you gain 1 life.
3/2
Boneyard Reaver 5BB
Creature — Skeleton Horror (R)
When Boneyard Reaver enters the battlefield, return target creature card from your graveyard to the battlefield.
Sacrifice another creature: Regenerate Boneyard Reaver.
The boneyards are where animals go to die, and where necromancers go to raise an army.
4/3
Cavern Minotaur B
Creature — Zombie Minotaur (C)
When Cavern Minotaur enters the battlefield, discard a card.
“Minotaurs are already ruthless when they still have a soul.”
—Javed Nima, Qareh outrider
2/3
Cemetery Keeper 3B
Creature — Spirit (C)
Epitaph 1B (When this is put into your graveyard from anywhere, you may pay 1B and remember it. Otherwise, exile it.)
At the beginning of your upkeep, if Cemetery Keeper is remembered, target player loses 1 life.
“You will all learn. Only death is eternal.”
2/4
Crypt Betrayal 3BB
Sorcery (U)
Put target creature card from a graveyard onto the battlefield under your control. Scry 1. (To scry 1, look at the top card of your library, then you may put that card on the bottom of your library.)
If you need an army, go to the crypts of Ankhal.
Dark Whispers 2B
Sorcery (U)
Foreshadow—Sacrifice a creature. (Sacrifice a creature and play with this card revealed from your hand. You can’t cast it this turn. Foreshadow only as a sorcery.)
Target player sacrifices a creature. That player sacrifices two creatures instead if Dark Whispers was foreshadowed.
Darkmoon Cultist 2B
Creature — Vampire Shaman (C)
Lifelink
Epitaph 2B (When this is put into your graveyard from anywhere, you may pay 2B and remember it. Otherwise, exile it.)
Black creatures you control have lifelink as long as Darkmoon Cultist is remembered.
2/2
Dire Famine 1B
Sorcery (U)
Foreshadow 1B (Pay 1B and play with this card revealed from your hand. You can’t cast it this turn. Foreshadow only as a sorcery.)
All creatures get -1/-1 until end of turn. Those creatures get -2/-2 until end of turn instead if Dire Famine was foreshadowed.
Disciple of the False Gods 1B
Creature — Human Shaman (C)
Sacrifice another creature: Disciple of the False Gods gets +1/+1 until end of turn.
One great lie told and a thousand lives taken.
2/1
Eclipse the Sun 2B
Instant (U)
Put two 1/1 black Bat creature tokens with flying onto the battlefield.
“Giant black butterflies
Have blotted out the sunshine.
A closed book of magic spells,
The horizon sleeps—silent.”
—Pierrot Lunaire, Night
Embrace the Void 2BB
Sorcery (R)
Target opponent reveals any number of cards from his or her hand. You may have that player discard those cards. If you don’t, that player discards all but those cards.
“Let go of all that you hold dear. Then it will be easier when I take everything else away.”
—The Beholder
Form of the Scorpion 3BB
Enchantment (R)
Cards you own that aren’t on the battlefield, spells you control, and permanents you control have deathtouch.
It took him a while learning to walk on six legs, much longer than to use his deadly tail.
Giant Scarlopede 5B
Creature — Insect (C)
Flying
When Giant Scarlopede dies, you may have target creature get -2/-2 until end of turn.
Many consider locusts a blessing. Increase their size a hundredfold and those people will reconsider.
3/2
He Who Defies Logic 3BBB
Legendary Creature — God (M)
Flying
Pay 6 life: Put a token that’s a copy of He Who Defies Logic onto the battlefield tapped.
As long as He Who Defies Logic is in your graveyard, creatures you control named He Who Defies Logic have lifelink.
“Destroy me? But Telar, you created me, don’t you remember?”
6/6
Immorticide 2BB
Instant (C)
Target creature’s controller sacrifices it.
“Today, my fellow acolytes, we will achieve what was deemed impossible. Today, we kill a god.”
—Khalar, herald of the unnamed
Inveterate Taint B
Instant (U)
Foreshadow 3G (Pay 3G and play with this card revealed from your hand. You can’t cast it this turn. Foreshadow only as a sorcery.)
Target creature gains deathtouch until end of turn. All creatures able to block it this turn do so if Inveterate Taint was foreshadowed.
Lich’s Secrets B
Instant (C)
Target player loses 3 life.
Consign 3BB (Pay 3BB and exile this card from your hand consigned to target creature you control. That creature gains “T: You may cast a copy of the exiled card without paying its mana cost.” Consign only as a sorcery.)
Liliana, the Tomb Raider 2BB
Planeswalker — Liliana (M)
+1: Each opponent loses 1 life. You gain life equal to the life lost this way.
-X: Return target creature card with converted mana cost X or less from your graveyard to the battlefield.
-8: Put thirteen 2/2 black Zombie creature tokens onto the battlefield tapped.
{5}
Mindless Rotsnout 4B
Creature — Zombie Elephant (C)
When Mindless Rotsnout enters the battlefield from your graveyard or dies, put a 2/2 black Zombie creature token onto the battlefield.
“Horrific, mighty, obeying. A perfect design.”
—Kalen Thal, necromancer
3/4
Paradoxic Birth 2B
Sorcery (U)
Choose one — Put two 2/2 black Zombie creature tokens onto the battlefield, then sacrifice a creature; or sacrifice a creature, then put two 2/2 black Zombie creature tokens onto the battlefield.
“Conquer your enemies before their birth or you’ll never truly defeat them.”
—Nousha, obsidian cleric
Parch B
Sorcery (C)
Target creature gets -2/-2 until end of turn. Put the top two cards of your library into your graveyard.
Nothing can survive in the southern wastes, but that doesn’t keep many from trying.
Preserver’s Touch 4B
Sorcery (C)
Preserver’s Touch deals 3 damage to target creature and you gain 3 life. Scry 1. (To scry 1, look at the top card of your library, then you may put that card on the bottom of your library.)
“You will die. It is written.” —The Beholder
“Nothing is written.” —Telar
Purge the Forbidden 1BB
Sorcery (C)
Name a nonland card. Target player reveals his or her hand and discards a card with that name.
Draw a card.
“Let the gods see into your mind. A faithful subject should have nothing to hide.”
—Nousha, obsidian cleric
Queen of the Night’s Feast 3BB
Creature — Vampire Shaman (R)
Flying
At the beginning of each end step, if four or more creatures died this turn, you may return Queen of the Night’s Feast from your graveyard to the battlefield.
When there’s so much fresh blood available, vampires are more than happy to share.
5/4
Rush of the Night 2B
Instant (C)
Target creature gets +2/+0 and gains flying and lifelink until end of turn.
At daytime, you want to rest in the shadow of the great cities. At nighttime, you want to be anywhere else.
Sethkal Husk 1B
Creature — Zombie (C)
Deathtouch
At the beginning of your upkeep, you may put the top card of your library into your graveyard.
The sethkal created it with only one purpose: To feed on elves.
1/2
Shadowland Harpy 2B
Creature — Harpy Rogue (C)
Flying
When Shadowland Harpy enters the battlefield, it deals 2 damage to you.
“Abandon hope, all ye who enter here.”
—Signpost at the Shadowlands
3/1
Shadowland Witches 1BB
Creature — Harpy Shaman (U)
Flying
B, T, Sacrifice a creature: Target player loses 2 life and you gain 2 life.
“Shrieks, incoherent mumble and cackling laughter... I hear that every night from beyond the gate. What dark deeds are committed here?”
—Noryan, warden of the shadowlands
1/2
Spawn of the Unnamed 8B
Creature — Demon (U)
Flying
When Spawn of the Unnamed enters the battlefield, target player loses 5 life and you gain 5 life.
Rather spontaneously, demons spawn from the chaos that is Esparand’s timeline.
5/5
Veiled Ascension 4B
Enchantment — Aura (U)
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature gets +1/+1 for each Swamp you control and has intimidate.
The vampires operate from the shadows of Qareh, still waiting for the perfect moment to rise.
Vizier of Qareh 1BB
Creature — Human Wizard (R)
Deathtouch
At the beginning of your upkeep, you may have each player draw a card and lose 2 life.
Rewind — At the beginning of your end step, you may have each player discard a card and gain 2 life.
2/3
Void Prophet 2B
Creature — Zombie Cleric (C)
Foreshadow B (Pay B and play with this card revealed from your hand. You can’t cast it this turn. Foreshadow only as a sorcery.)
When Void Prophet enters the battlefield, if it was foreshadowed, target player discards a card.
2/2
Zombify 3B
Sorcery (C)
Return target creature card from your graveyard to the battlefield.
“Imprudent fools. They should have known pharaohs never rest.”
—Liliana Vess
Ancient Ritual R
Instant (U)
Add RR to your mana pool.
Consign 2R (Pay 2R and exile this card from your hand consigned to target creature you control. That creature gains “T: You may cast a copy of the exiled card without paying its mana cost.” Consign only as a sorcery.)
Ancient magic is always the easiest to abuse.
Ashborn Phoenix 1RR
Creature — Phoenix (M)
Flying, haste
Cast Ashborn Phoenix only if you’ve cast two or more instant and/or sorcery spells this turn.
You may cast Ashborn Phoenix from your graveyard.
4/3
Bloodfeather Harpy 3R
Creature — Harpy Rogue (C)
Flying
When Bloodfeather Harpy enters the battlefield, target creature can’t block this turn.
“The harpy: Vicious by nature, with long talons for feet and graceful wings for arms.”
—Charius Nair, Journey to the Outland
2/2
Bloodhorn Stomper 5R
Creature — Minotaur Warrior (C)
Haste
Epitaph 1R (When this is put into your graveyard from anywhere, you may pay 1R and remember it. Otherwise, exile it.)
Red creatures you control have haste as long as Bloodhorn Stomper is remembered.
4/4
Bloodhorn Warcaller 2R
Creature — Minotaur Warrior (U)
Foreshadow 5W (Pay 5W and play with this card revealed from your hand. You can’t cast it this turn. Foreshadow only as a sorcery.)
Haste
When Bloodhorn Warcaller enters the battlefield, if it was foreshadowed, creatures you control get +2/+2 until end of turn.
2/2
Channel the Storm 1R
Instant (C)
Channel the Storm deals 2 damage to target creature or player. Scry 1. (To scry 1, look at the top card of your library, then you may put that card on the bottom of your library.)
Only few mortals can exert control over the storm of time.
Demon’s Mark 2R
Sorcery (U)
Foreshadow 6R (Pay 6R and play with this card revealed from your hand. You can’t cast it this turn. Foreshadow only as a sorcery.)
Gain control of target creature until end of turn. Untap that creature. It gains haste until end of turn. If Demon’s Mark was foreshadowed, repeat this process for up to one other target creature.
Embermane Fiend 2RR
Creature — Elemental Beast (R)
Trample, haste
When Embermane Fiend dies, each player sacrifices a land.
“One day the entire desert will be aflame, and this will herald the end of time.”
—Deh Moosa, Gul-Shad sage
4/3
Flame of the Sands 2RR
Instant (C)
Flame of the Sands deals 5 damage to target creature. If that creature would die this turn, exile it instead.
“No one lives forever. Also, no one stays dead forever, unless we make sure of it.”
—Doman Gul of the Spires
Infernal Inquisition 2RR
Sorcery (U)
Name a nonland card. Target opponent reveals his or her hand. If a card with that name is in his or her hand, Infernal Inquisition deals 6 damage to that player.
“Do not let doubt disclose your intentions. He cannot know you’re lying.”
—Telar, magus of the aeons
Lavaborn Revenant 2R
Creature — Spirit (U)
Lavaborn Revenant attacks each turn if able.
Epitaph 2R (When this is put into your graveyard from anywhere, you may pay 2R and remember it. Otherwise, exile it.)
Whenever a creature you control attacks, if Lavaborn Revenant is remembered, Lavaborn Revenant deals 1 damage to defending player.
4/1
Mad Machinations 1R
Instant (C)
Choose one — Draw two cards, then discard two cards; or discard two cards, then draw two cards.
“Causality is a useless concept in my realm.”
—Mirza, the shaper
Molten Claws R
Instant (C)
Foreshadow 2R (Pay 2R and play with this card revealed from your hand. You can’t cast it this turn. Foreshadow only as a sorcery.)
Target creature gets +1/+0 and gains first strike until end of turn. That creature gets +1/+0 and gains double strike until end of turn instead if Molten Claws was foreshadowed.
Multiply RR
Instant (R)
Copy target instant or sorcery spell you control. You may choose new targets for the copy.
Consign 2RR (Pay 2RR and exile this card from your hand consigned to target creature you control. That creature gains “T: You may cast a copy of the exiled card without paying its mana cost.” Consign only as a sorcery.)
Outland Hellion 3R
Creature — Hellion (C)
Foreshadow R (Pay R and play with this card revealed from your hand. You can’t cast it this turn. Foreshadow only as a sorcery.)
When Outland Hellion enters the battlefield, if it was foreshadowed, it gains haste.
The quaking earth forebodes its coming, but still it’s too late to run.
4/2
Philter Imps 1R
Creature — Homunculus (C)
Whenever you cast an instant or sorcery spell, Philter Imps gets +2/+0 until end of turn.
“Careful, student. Your new potion is just running away.”
—Shahin, the mentor
0/4
Prince of Fire 3RR
Creature — Elemental (U)
Whenever you cast an instant or sorcery spell, Prince of Fire deals 1 damage to target creature an opponent controls. That creature can’t block this turn.
“Fire conquered the dunes long before mortal kings began to conquer, and it never renounced its claim.”
—The Millennial Story
5/4
Quaking Dunewurm 4RR
Creature — Wurm (U)
Whenever Quaking Dunewurm becomes blocked, defending player sacrifices a land.
A butterfly flaps its wings. The vibrations attract a wurm. The wurm devours the butterfly and the surrounding landscape.
—Popular explanation of the ‘butterfly effect’
6/4
Reckless Wurmrider RR
Creature — Human Warrior (R)
Reckless Wurmrider can’t be blocked by Wurms.
At the beginning of combat on your turn, each opponent chooses up to one target creature he or she controls. Reckless Wurmrider fights those creatures.
“Temporal storms are the only perils of the desert which concern me even a bit.”
3/4
Redsand Raider 1R
Creature — Human Berserker (C)
In his time, his clan killed everyone that wasn’t them. Now times have changed, but he still remains loyal to the ancient ways.
2/2
Sandborn Strider 4R
Creature — Insect (C)
When Sandborn Strider enters the battlefield, scry 1. (To scry 1, look at the top card of your library, then you may put that card on the bottom of your library.)
The sands don’t need to prophesy that its appearance entails destruction.
5/3
Sandscale Hellkite 4RR
Creature — Dragon (R)
Flying
R: Sandscale Hellkite gets +1/+0 until end of turn.
Rewind — Sandscale Hellkite gets -1/-0 until end of turn: Add R to your mana pool. Activate this ability only if Sandscale Hellkite’s power is 5 or greater.
4/6
Scattershard 2R
Creature — Elemental (C)
When Scattershard dies, it deals 3 damage to target creature or player.
“The earth knows other forms than sand. And it will always take on the one that kills you the quickest.”
—Kal Turah, geomancer
1/1
Seismic Wave R
Instant (C)
Target creature can’t block this turn.
Consign R (Pay R and exile this card from your hand consigned to target creature you control. That creature gains “T: You may cast a copy of the exiled card without paying its mana cost.” Consign only as a sorcery.)
Smash 2R
Instant (C)
Destroy target artifact.
Draw a card.
“When this fight is done, I will need a new arena.”
—Lord Saraj, arena master
Spark of Ignition R
Instant (C)
Spark of Ignition deals 1 damage to target creature or player.
Consign 2R (Pay 2R and exile this card from your hand consigned to target creature you control. That creature gains “T: You may cast a copy of the exiled card without paying its mana cost.” Consign only as a sorcery.)
Spire Raiders 4R
Creature — Human Warrior (U)
Flying
Spire Raiders can’t attack unless you discard a card.
Whenever Spire Raiders deals combat damage to a player, draw a card.
They put all eggs in one giant drake’s basket.
3/3
Straying Mau R
Creature — Cat (U)
Straying Mau enters the battlefield with a +1/+1 counter on it.
Straying Mau attacks each turn if able as long as it has a +1/+1 counter on it.
Tap another untapped creature you control: Remove a +1/+1 counter from Straying Mau.
1/1
Telar, the Reckless 1RR
Legendary Creature — Human Wizard (M)
Whenever you discard a card, add R to your mana pool.
RR, T: Draw two cards, then discard two cards.
“You waste your breath, old man. Why should I stop now, when I’m this close?”
2/2
Temporal Disaster XRR
Sorcery (R)
Temporal Disaster deals X damage to each creature unless an opponent has you take an extra turn after this one. Repeat this process one more time.
“I’ve foreseen all this happening. In five seconds I will die. One, two, three, four, six...”
—Niusha of the Spires
Temporal Lightning 1RR
Instant (U)
Temporal Lightning deals 3 damage to target creature or player. Add RRR to your mana pool.
You can’t spell temporal without tempest.
Tomb Robber 1R
Creature — Human Rogue (C)
Epitaph 1R (When this is put into your graveyard from anywhere, you may pay 1R and remember it. Otherwise, exile it.)
Attacking creatures you control get +1/+0 as long as Tomb Robber is remembered.
“The next defiled tomb will be yours.”
—Zhubin, tomb guardian
2/1
Tribal Gathering 2R
Sorcery (C)
Put two 1/1 red Goblin creature tokens onto the battlefield. If you control an Oasis, put three of those tokens onto the battlefield instead.
A chieftain’s call is much more likely to be heard if refreshment is provided for.
Twin Flames 5R
Sorcery (C)
Twin Flames deals 2 damage to target creature or player.
Twin Flames deals 2 damage to target creature or player.
“My audience always catches fire too quickly.”
Wrath of Aeons 1RR
Creature — Elemental (R)
Foreshadow 2RRR (Pay 2RRR and play with this card revealed from your hand. You can’t cast it this turn. Foreshadow only as a sorcery.)
Trample, haste
At the beginning of your end step, sacrifice Wrath of Aeons.
When Wrath of Aeons enters the battlefield, if it was foreshadowed, it gains double strike until end of turn.
5/1
Aquatic Eidolon 2G
Creature — Spirit (U)
Foreshadow 1U (Pay 1U and play with this card revealed from your hand. You can’t cast it this turn. Foreshadow only as a sorcery.)
Flash (You may cast this spell any time you could cast an instant.)
When Aquatic Eidolon enters the battlefield, if it was foreshadowed, creatures your opponents control get -2/-0 until end of turn.
3/2
Call of Destiny 5G
Enchantment (R)
At the beginning of your upkeep, scry 2, then reveal the top card of your library. If it’s a land card, put it onto the battlefield. (To scry 2, look at the top two cards of your library. Put any number of them on the bottom of your library in any order and the rest on top in any order.)
“My destiny is to change yours.”
—Niusha of the Spires
Corroding Growth 2G
Instant (C)
Destroy target artifact or enchantment. Put a 1/1 green Saproling creature token onto the battlefield.
Telar found the relic corroded and useless. He had to travel to another aeon to pick it up again.
Descendant of Sethek 1G
Creature — Human Druid (U)
Deathtouch
T: Add G to your mana pool.
Ever since sethek’s disappearance, his children wait for him to return. Time travelers know: At the end of time, they will still be waiting.
1/1
Druid of Paradise GG
Creature — Elf Druid (M)
G, T: Put a 0/1 green Bird creature token named Birds of Paradise onto the battlefield. It has flying and “T: Add one mana of any color to your mana pool.”
The sun never sets over Lanuznari, mystical oasis of the southern plains.
1/1
Dryad’s Blessing G
Instant (C)
Foreshadow 1G (Pay 1G and play with this card revealed from your hand. You can’t cast it this turn. Foreshadow only as a sorcery.)
Target creature gets +2/+2 until end of turn. Put two +1/+1 counters on that creature instead if Dryad’s Blessing was foreshadowed.
Dune Gorger 5GGG
Creature — Wurm (U)
Trample
“I’ve seen worms longer than the highest spire. These magi have no idea what forces really rule the outland.”
—Javed Nima, Qareh outrider
9/9
Dwell on the Past G
Sorcery (C)
Target player shuffles up to four target cards from his or her graveyard into his or her library.
Princess Mina lived many lives, but her loved ones lived only one.
Elephant Caravan 4G
Creature — Elephant (C)
Vigilance
“No guards, no weapons. They’ve put a lot of trust into their elephants.”
—Omid, Gul-Shad thief
4/5
Envoys of Lanuznari 2GG
Creature — Elf Druid (C)
Epitaph 2G (When this is put into your graveyard from anywhere, you may pay 2G and remember it. Otherwise, exile it.)
At the beginning of your end step, if Envoys of Lanuznari is remembered, you may put a +1/+1 counter on target creature.
4/3
Fist of Mayeli 2G
Creature — Human Warrior (C)
Trample
Whenever Fist of Mayeli attacks, it gets +1/+1 until end of turn for each Oasis you control.
“This utopia doesn’t come without a price. We must remain vigilant eternally.”
3/1
Lakeside Ambush 1G
Instant (C)
Target creature gets +3/+3 until end of turn. Untap that creature if you control an Oasis.
“Try to dodge their sentries. Elves don’t like to share.”
—Sil-thar, sethkal recruiter
Mayeli Beastcaller 2GG
Creature — Elf Shaman (R)
Vigilance
Whenever Mayeli Beastcaller attacks,
put a 3/3 Beast creature token onto the battlefield.
1G, T: Another target creature you control fights target creature blocking Mayeli Beastcaller.
2/2
Mayeli Grovekeeper 1G
Creature — Elf Archer (C)
Reach
Epitaph 1G (When this is put into your graveyard from anywhere, you may pay 1G and remember it. Otherwise, exile it.)
Green creatures you control have reach as long as Mayeli Grovekeeper is remembered.
2/2
Memorial Druid 1GG
Creature — Human Druid (U)
T: Add G to your mana pool for each creature card in your graveyard.
“In memory of all that could have been.”
2/2
Mirage Spirit 1G
Creature — Spirit (C)
When Mirage Spirit enters the battlefield, scry 1. (To scry 1, look at the top card of your library, then you may put that card on the bottom of your library.)
A benevolent spirit or just an illusion, an imagination of the dying mind?
2/2
Mistborn Hydra XGG
Creature — Hydra (R)
Mistborn Hydra costs 1 less to cast for each creature card in your graveyard
Trample
Mistborn Hydra enters the battlefield with X +1/+1 counters on it.
As it came into existence, it immediately devoured the very cause of it, creating a paradox.
0/0
Naroyu-Tribe Shaman 1G
Creature — Cat Shaman (U)
Epitaph G (When this is put into your graveyard from anywhere, you may pay G and remember it. Otherwise, exile it.)
At the beginning of your precombat main phase, if Naroyu-Tribe Shaman is remembered, add one mana of any color to your mana pool.
2/2
Outland Wurm 6G
Creature — Wurm (C)
“The gods created the wurms to dwell the desert, for they were mournful that it is lifeless and empty.”
—The Millennial Story
7/6
Primal Roar 2G
Sorcery (U)
Foreshadow 1G (Pay 1G and play with this card revealed from your hand. You can’t cast it this turn. Foreshadow only as a sorcery.)
You may cast Primal Roar as though it had flash as long as it’s foreshadowed.
Target creature gets +5/+5 and gains trample until end of turn.
Resurgence 3G
Sorcery (U)
Return target card from your graveyard to your hand. Scry 2. (To scry 2, look at the top two cards of your library. Put any number of them on the bottom of your library in any order and the rest on top in any order.)
Ruin Viper 4GG
Creature — Snake (U)
Deathtouch
Whenever another creature dies, scry 1. (To scry 1, look at the top card of your library, then you may put that card on the bottom of your library.)
“Such a giant doesn’t need its poison for us, but for the creatures that don’t view it as ‘giant’”
5/4
Scavenging Ant 5G
Creature — Insect (C)
Scavenging Ant cost 1 less to cast for each creature card in your graveyard.
Reach
Hoping to shelter yourself from the sun, you won’t realize that the thicket you treaded into is actually a giant anthill.
3/5
Seal with Branches G
Instant (C)
Creatures you control and creature cards in your graveyard can’t be the target of spells or abilities your opponents control this turn.
“So, that’s why you never see an undead elf.”
—Kalen Thal, necromancer
Seed Life 1G
Sorcery (C)
Reveal the top four cards of your library. Put a land card from among them onto the battlefield tapped. Put the rest into your graveyard.
“You see a desert, lifeless and without solace. I see soil for a meadow, immeasurable and lush.”
Sepulchral Genesis 3G
Sorcery (U)
Put an X/X green Ooze creature token onto the battlefield, where X is the greatest power among creature cards in your graveyard.
“So, this is what my end will be? Well, at least my death is not all in vain.”
—Tordir, elder of Mayeli
Sethkal Serpent Guard 1GG
Creature — Snake Warrior (C)
Deathtouch
“The humans stole Mayeli from us, our sacred oasis. Now they have our water, but we can still drink their blood.”
2/3
Skeletal Bloomer 1G
Creature — Plant Skeleton (C)
Defender
At the beginning of your upkeep, you may put the top card of your library into your graveyard.
Some oases are littered with creatures who drain upon them until they are as lifeless as the desert.
0/4
Soilsoaker 4G
Creature — Fungus Beast (C)
When Soilsoaker enters the battlefield, you gain 2 life for each creature card in your graveyard.
For such a creature, desolate wastes are the lands of milk and honey.
2/4
Sovereign Wartusk 4GG
Creature — Elephant (R)
When Sovereign Wartusk enters the battlefield, put a 3/3 green Elephant creature token onto the battlefield.
Other Elephant creatures you control get +3/+3.
When the Mayeli tribe leaves its oasis, it does so fully prepared for battle.
3/3
Sylvan Spirit 2G
Creature — Spirit (U)
Whenever a creature card is put into your graveyard from anywhere, put a +1/+1 counter on Sylvan Spirit.
The pools have dried out and the trees have withered. Now the spirits of the once great oasis cry out in sorrow.
1/3
Temple Stomper 2GG
Creature — Elephant (R)
Flash
Epitaph 1G (When this is put into your graveyard from anywhere, you may pay 1G and remember it. Otherwise, exile it.)
You may cast creature cards as though they had flash as long as Temple Stomper is remembered.
4/4
Toy with Life 3G
Instant (R)
Distribute three +1/+1 counters among any number of target creatures.
Rewind — G, Remove three +1/+1 counters from among creatures you control: Return Toy with Life from your graveyard to your hand. Activate this ability only any time you could cast a sorcery.
Track Down 2G
Sorcery (C)
Target creature you control gets +1/+1 until end of turn. Then it fights target creature you don’t control. (Each deals damage equal to its power to the other.)
“Finally, we tracked it down. Kind of...”
—Qezal, primordial hunter
Tyrant of the Dunes 3GGG
Creature — Wurm (M)
Trample
At the beginning of your upkeep, exile target creature an opponent controls until Tyrant of the Dunes leaves the battlefield, then each creature card exiled with Tyrant of the Dunes deals damage equal to its power to Tyrant of the Dunes.
6/9
Hand of the Beholder 3WB
Creature — Spirit Warrior (M)
Flying, deathtouch, indestructible
At the beginning of your upkeep, any player may pay 4 life. If a player does, tap Hand of the Beholder.
“Hopeless! It will never stop hunting us.”
—Niusha of the Spires
4/4
Infinite Archive 5UR
Enchantment (R)
Each instant and sorcery card you own has consign. The consign cost is equal to its mana cost. (Pay its consign cost and exile it from your hand consigned to target creature you control. That creature gains “T: You may cast a copy the exiled card without paying its mana cost.” Consign only as a sorcery.)
Mirza, the Shaper 1UR
Legendary Creature — Human Wizard (R)
At the beginning of your draw step, draw two additional cards.
Whenever you cast a spell, skip the draw step during your next turn.
“All inventions require time. Good inventions require an eternity.”
3/2
Planar Decay 3BBG
Sorcery (R)
Destroy all nonland permanents.
“I will not be stopped. I will rule this plane or see it rotten to wastes around me.”
—The Unnamed
Voyaging Prince 1RW
Creature — Human Warrior (R)
Double strike
Epitaph 3RW (When this is put into your graveyard from anywhere, you may pay 3RW and remember it. Otherwise, exile it.)
Creatures you control have double strike as long as Voyaging Prince is remembered.
2/2
Divine Retribution 4RRW
Sorcery (R)
Divine Retribution deals 10 damage to target player and you gain 10 life.
“It was foolish of us to strive to become equal to the gods. We should have known that he would interfere.”
—Andala, high cleric
Ophidian Mystic 1GU
Creature — Human Shaman (R)
Deathtouch
When Ophidian Mystic enters the battlefield, target creature an opponent controls loses all abilities and becomes a 1/1 green Snake for as long as your control Ophidian Mystic.
2/2
Think into Existence 6GU
Sorcery (R)
Choose one — Draw a card for each creature you control, then put a 1/1 green Saproling creature token onto the battlefield for each card in your hand; or put a 1/1 green Saproling creature token onto the battlefield for each card in your hand, then draw a card for each creature you control.
Boneyard Ooze 1:symbg::symbg:
Creature — Ooze (R)
Boneyard Ooze’s power is equal to the greatest power among creature cards in all graveyards and its toughness is equal to the greatest toughness among those cards.
Where is death, there is ooze.
*/*
Astronomicum 1
Artifact (C)
1, T, Sacrifice Astronomicum: Choose land or nonland. Reveal cards from the top of your library until you reveal a card of the chosen kind. Put that card into your hand and the rest on the bottom of your library in any order.
“You read the future in the stars. I tell the stars what I’d like the future to be.”
Empyreal Sword 2
Artifact — Equipment (C)
Equipped creature gets +2/+1.
When Empyreal Sword enters the battlefield, scry 1. (Look at the top card of your library. You may put that card on the bottom of your library.)
Equip 3
Gem Fountain 4
Artifact (U)
T: Add one mana of any color to your mana pool. You gain 1 life.
“So many delicate playthings litter the prince’s garden. Too bad my army isn’t light on foot.”
—The Unnamed
Mox Obsidian
Artifact (M)
As an additional cost to cast Mox Obsidian, sacrifice a creature.
T: Add one mana of any color to your mana pool.
By its corruption, kingdoms fall. By its power, new ones are built.
Obelisk of the Ages 3
Artifact (C)
T: Add 1 to your mana pool.
At the beginning of your upkeep, target player puts the top card of his or her library into his or her graveyard.
The only constant in a chaotic world.
Orb of Prophecies 2
Artifact (U)
When Orb of Prophecies enters the battlefield, draw a card.
You may look at the top card of your library. (You may do this at any time.)
It’s color is always purple. It signals doom.
Pocket Portal 1
Artifact (U)
T: Target player exiles a card from his or her graveyard.
1, T, Sacrifice Pocket Portal: Return any number of cards exiled with Pocket Portal to their owner’s graveyards. Draw a card.
Because a backpack isn’t fit for storing souls.
Prophetic Prism 2
Artifact (C)
When Prophetic Prism enters the battlefield, draw a card.
1, T: Add one mana of any color to your mana pool.
Every facet is a mirror into one of many possible futures.
Pyramid Scrabbler 2
Artifact Creature — Construct (C)
When Pyramid Scrabbler dies, each player may scry 1. (To scry 1, look at the top card of your library, then you may put that card on the bottom of your library.)
The glyphs on its hull tell of the demise of its creators.
2/1
Runebound Blade 2
Artifact — Equipment (U)
Equipped creature has first strike.
Whenever you cast an instant or sorcery spell, equipped creature gets +2/+0 until end of turn.
Equip 2
A wizard has to have a good reason to wield such a clunky sword. Limitless power is one of them.
Slayer of Kings 2
Artifact — Equipment (R)
Equipped creature gets +2/+0 and has first strike.
All legendary creatures able to block equipped creature do so.
Equip 2
“No king rules forever.”
—Sword inscription
Timewalker’s Suit 2
Artifact — Equipment (R)
Equipped creature gets +0/+2.
When equipped creature deals combat damage to a player, you may sacrifice Timewalker’s Suit. If you do, take an extra turn after this one.
Equip 4
Tomb Guardian 5
Artifact Creature — Construct (U)
Epitaph 2 (When this is put into your graveyard from anywhere, you may pay 2 and remember it. Otherwise, exile it.)
Creatures you control get +0/+1 as long as Tomb Guardian is remembered.
Its past self guards its own tomb.
3/4
Barren Pools
Land — Oasis (C)
Barren Pools enters the battlefield tapped.
When Barren Pools enters the battlefield, creatures you control get +0/+2 until end of turn.
T: Add W to your mana pool.
When you’re wandering the desert for weeks, every puddle appears as a vast ocean to you.
Cursed Ruin
Land — Oasis (C)
Cursed Ruin enters the battlefield tapped.
When Cursed Ruin enters the battlefield, target creature gains intimidate until end of turn.
T: Add B to your mana pool.
Emerald Oasis
Land — Oasis (C)
Emerald Oasis enters the battlefield tapped.
When Emerald Oasis enters the battlefield, you gain 2 life.
T: Add G to your mana pool.
“Do you see that emerald glow on the horizon? Let’s hope it’s not from actual emeralds.”
Forgotten Vale
Land — Oasis (C)
Forgotten Vale enters the battlefield tapped.
When Forgotten Vale enters the battlefield, target player puts the top two cards of his or her library into his or her graveyard.
T: Add U to your mana pool.
Horizon Flats
Land (R)
Horizon Flats enters the battlefield tapped.
T: Add W or B to your mana pool.
1WB: Until end of turn, Horizon Flats becomes a 2/2 white and black Elemental creature with flying and lifelink. It’s still a land.
Mystic Rock
Land (R)
Mystic Rock enters the battlefield tapped.
T: Add G or U to your mana pool.
2GU: Until end of turn, Mystic Rock becomes a 2/4 green and blue Elemental creature. It’s still a land.
Whenever Mystic Rock deals combat damage to a player, draw a card.
Outland Fort
Land — Oasis (C)
Outland Fort enters the battlefield tapped.
When Outland Fort enters the battlefield, creatures you control get +1/+0 until end of turn.
T: Add R to your mana pool.
In a land that hostile to life, all sources of water are guarded heavily.
Steamrift Bluffs
Land (R)
Steamrift Bluffs enters the battlefield tapped.
T: Add U or R to your mana pool.
UR: Until end of turn, Steamrift Bluffs becomes a 1/4 blue and red Elemental creature with “1: This creature gets +1/-1 until end of turn.” It’s still a land.
Stonefist Spire
Land (R)
Stonefist Spire enters the battlefield tapped.
T: Add R or W to your mana pool.
2RW: Until end of turn, Stonefist Spire becomes a 2/3 red and white Elemental creature with double strike. It’s still a land.
Walking Boneyard
Land (R)
Walking Boneyard enters the battlefield tapped.
T: Add B or G to your mana pool.
6BG: Until end of turn, Walking Boneyard becomes a 5/5 black and green Elemental creature. It’s still a land. This ability costs 1 less to activate for each creature card in your graveyard.
Ankhal, the Chthonic Crypt
Land (R)
Ankhal, the Chthonic Crypt enters the battlefield tapped.
At the beginning of your upkeep, if you control seven or more Swamps, you may return target creature card from your graveyard to the battlefield.
T: Add B to your mana pool.
Turtle Island
Land Creature — Island Turtle (R)
(Turtle Island isn’t a spell, it’s affected by summoning sickness, and it has “T: Add U to your mana pool.”)
Turtle Island is blue.
During the ages it slept, it appeared on maps as a rocky island.
1/1
Plains
Basic Land — Plains (C)
Plains
Basic Land — Plains (C)
Plains
Basic Land — Plains (C)
Island
Basic Land — Island (C)
Island
Basic Land — Island (C)
Island
Basic Land — Island (C)
Swamp
Basic Land — Swamp (C)
Swamp
Land (C)
Swamp
Basic Land — Swamp (C)
Mountain
Basic Land — Mountain (C)
Mountain
Basic Land — Mountain (C)
Mountain
Basic Land — Mountain (C)
Forest
Basic Land — Forest (C)
Forest
Basic Land — Forest (C)
Forest
Basic Land — Forest (C)
Completed sets:
Iamur — The Underwater Set
Overworld — Pirates vs. Octopuses
Esparand — The Sands of Time
Unfinished Sets:
Siege of Ravnica — Eldrazi in Ravnica
Shandalar — The Mana Set
Iamur Reimagined — Iamur v2
You can find more creative projects on my page Antaresdesigns!
I see what you did there.
Anyway, I found epitaph to be really confusing. It took me several readings to realize what was going on. Obviously this would be hard to do, but maybe you could convey the meaning more clearly using a modified frame like levelers, with the epitaph ability highlighted. Or something to that effect.
I like time reversal but the name itself is as inspiring as a potato. I would like to see something more evocative like "reverse the sands" or a single elegant word like just "reversal" or "rewind". Or something to that effect.
But otherwise, the set looks promising. Or something to that effect.
I have an alternate templating I considered. It would be:
Oathsworn Defender :1mana::symw:
Creature — Human Knight (C)
Epitaph 1W (When this is put into your graveyard from anywhere, exile it unless you pay 1W. If you do, it gains its epitaph ability.)
Epitaph — At the beginning of your upkeep, you may gain 1 life.
“If I can’t fulfill my oath in this life, I will do so in death.”
2/2
How is this?
I think you're too harsh on the name, but "Rewind" would also work. I'll get some more opinions on it.
Thanks, or something to that effect :tongue:.
The epitaph effect is intended to be removed once the creature leaves the graveyard. An emblem would be permanent.
Completed sets:
Iamur — The Underwater Set
Overworld — Pirates vs. Octopuses
Esparand — The Sands of Time
Unfinished Sets:
Siege of Ravnica — Eldrazi in Ravnica
Shandalar — The Mana Set
Iamur Reimagined — Iamur v2
You can find more creative projects on my page Antaresdesigns!
But you might want to add "If ~ is in your graveyard" to the ability. It's not necessary depending on how you write the rules for Epitaph, but it would make the cards a lot clearer.
Here's another option:
Note that you don't need to put "and you paid its epitaph cost" unless you have to. And yes, this is a slight functional change with Stifle (or a Missed Trigger), but it's probably fine.
I̟̥͍̠ͅn̩͉̣͍̬͚ͅ ̬̬͖t̯̹̞̺͖͓̯̤h̘͍̬e͙̯͈̖̼̮ ̭̬f̺̲̲̪i͙͉̟̩̰r̪̝͚͈̝̥͍̝̲s̼̻͇̘̳͔ͅt̲̺̳̗̜̪̙ ̳̺̥̻͚̗ͅm̜̜̟̰͈͓͎͇o̝̖̮̝͇m̯̻̞̼̫̗͓̤e̩̯̬̮̩n͎̱̪̲̹͖t͇̖s̰̮ͅ,̤̲͙̻̭̻̯̹̰ ̖t̫̙̺̯͖͚̯ͅh͙̯̦̳̗̰̟e͖̪͉̼̯ ̪͕g̞̣͔a̗̦t̬̬͓͙̫̖̭̻e̩̻̯ ̜̖̦̖̤̭͙̬t̞̹̥̪͎͉ͅo͕͚͍͇̲͇͓̺ ̭̬͙͈̣̻t͈͍͙͓̫̖͙̩h̪̬̖̙e̗͈ ̗̬̟̞̺̤͉̯ͅa̦̯͚̙̜̮f͉͙̲̣̞̼t̪̤̞̣͚e̲͉̳̥r͇̪̙͚͓l̥̞̞͎̹̯̹ͅi͓̬f̮̥̬̞͈ͅe͎ ̟̩̤̳̠̯̩̯o̮̘̲p̟͚̣̞͉͓e͍̩̣n͔̼͕͚̜e̬̱d̼̘͎̖̹͍̮̠,͖̺̭̱̮ ̣̲͖̬̪̭̥a̪͚n̟̲̝̤̤̞̗d̘̱̗͇̮͕̳͕͔ ͖̞͉͎t̹̙͎h̰̱͉̗e̪̞̱̝̹̩ͅ ̠̱̩̭̦p̯̙e͓o̳͚̰̯̺̱̰͔̘p̬͎̱̣̼̩͇l̗̟̖͚̠e̱͉͔̱̦̬̟̙ ̖͚̪͔̼̦w̺̖̤̱e͖̗̻̦͓̖̘̜r̭̥e͔̹̫̱͕̦̰͕ ̗͔̠p̠̗͍͍̱̳̠r̰͔͎̰o͉̥͓̰͚̥s̟͚̹̱͔̣t͉̙̳̖͖̪̮r̥̘̥͙̹a͉̟̫̟̳̠̟̭t͈̜̰͈͎e̞̣̭̲̬ ͚̗̯̟͙i͍͖̰̘̦͖͉ṇ̮̻̯̦̲̩͍ ̦̮͚̫̤t͉͖̫͕ͅͅh͙̮̻̘̣̮̼e͕̺ ͙l͕̠͎̰̥i̲͓͉̲g̫̳̟͈͇̖h̠̦̖t͓̯͎̗ ̳̪̘̟̙̩̦o̫̲f̙͔̰̙̠ ̹̪̗͇̯t͖̼̼͉͖̬h̹͇̩e͚̖̺̤͉̹͕̪ ͚͓̭̝̺G͎̗̯̩o̫̯̮̟̮̳̘d̜̲͙̠-̩̳̯̲̗̜P̹̘̥͉̝h͍͈̗̖̝ͅa͍̗̮̼̗r̜̖͇̙̺a̭̺͔̞̳͈o̪̣͓̯̬͙̯̰̗h̖̦͈̥̯͔.͇̣̙̝
This is the best version of epitaph, IMO. It's clean and direct.
Oathsworn Defender :1mana::symw:
Creature — Human Knight (C)
Epitaph 1W — At the beginning of your upkeep, you may gain 1 life. (When this is put into your graveyard from anywhere, exile it unless you pay 1W. If you do, it gains this ability for as long as it's in your graveyard.)
“If I can’t fulfill my oath in this life, I will do so in death.”
I appreciate the feedback on Epitaph, but should we still be unable to find a good wording, maybe it's better to discuss it in a thread in the CCC forum instead. That being said, do you guys have more thoughts on the individual cards of the set?
I don't want to change it functionally. In addition to the problems you pointed out, you get the problem of having cards in the same zone exiled because of epitaph and because of other reasons, while exiling it unless you pay the cost means that an epitaph card in a graveyard always has its effect (unless in super fringe cases).
Completed sets:
Iamur — The Underwater Set
Overworld — Pirates vs. Octopuses
Esparand — The Sands of Time
Unfinished Sets:
Siege of Ravnica — Eldrazi in Ravnica
Shandalar — The Mana Set
Iamur Reimagined — Iamur v2
You can find more creative projects on my page Antaresdesigns!
Epitaph {cost} — {ability} (When this is put into your graveyard from anywhere, exile it unless you pay {cost}. If you do, it gains this ability for as long as it's in your graveyard.)
I've also renamed Time Reversal to Rewind.
I've changed some of the card names. Here are new cards. They're updated in the .pdf, I'll update the text versions when I'm in the mood:
Mercenary Legion :3mana::symw::symw:
Creature — Human Soldier (C)
First strike
Are they truly loyal to the city of Qareh, or only to whoever is the highest bidder? We’re unlikely to ever find out.
3/4
Pulse of Purging :5mana::symw: (New version)
Instant (C)
Choose one or both — Exile target creature; and/or exile target creature card from a graveyard.
The magi of the spires never bothered attuning their spells to be without effect to the living.
//Cost up from 5 to 6.
Arrest :2mana::symw:
Enchantment — Aura (U)
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature can’t attack or block and its activated abilities can’t be activated.
“Maybe you didn’t know you were going to assassinate the prince, but we did”
—Lasoul of the royal guard
Aquatic Loop
Instant (C)
Target creature gets -3/-0 until end of turn.
Consign :5mana::symu: (Pay :5mana::symu: and exile this card from your hand consigned to target creature you control. That creature gains “:symtap:: You may cast a copy the exiled card without paying its mana cost.” Consign only as a sorcery.)
“Don’t restrain! You’ve got to be very thirsty.”
Moonlit Inscriber :1mana::symu:
Creature — Human Wizard (U)
Whenever you cast an instant or sorcery spell, you may pay :1mana:. If you do, draw a card, then discard a card.
“All magic is more potent under the gaze of the moon.”
2/1
Niusha of the Spires XU (New version)
Planeswalker — Niusha (M)
0: Tap target creature with power equal to or less than Niusha of the Spires’ loyalty. It doesn’t untap during its controller’s next untap step.
-1: Look at the top card of your library. You may put that card on the bottom of your library. Draw a card.
-5: Take an extra turn after this one.
{X}
//Some buffs to her. Opt instead of "Draw a card" on her -1.
Spire Wardens :1mana::symu:
Creature — Human Wizard (U)
Defender, hexproof
“There’s no citadel here or ever was. Your mind is just playing tricks on you, old man.”
0/4
Unlearn :1mana::symu:
Instant (C)
Counter target spell unless its controller pays and discards a card.
“Maybe you should start with something smaller, like summoning a little pink bunny. How would I ever beat that?”
Dark Seneschal :symb::symb:
Creature — Zombie Advisor (R)
Dark Seneschal can’t block.
Epitaph — At the beginning of your upkeep, you may return Dark Seneschal from your graveyard to the battlefield. (When this is put into your graveyard from anywhere, exile it unless you pay :symb:. If you do, it gains this ability for as long as its in your graveyard.)
2/2
Hand of the Beholder :4mana::symw::symb:
Creature — Spirit Warrior (R)
Flying, deathtouch
Hand of the Beholder can’t die.
At the beginning of your upkeep, any player may pay 4 life. If a player does, tap Hand of the Beholder.
“It is hopeless. It will never stop hunting us.”
—Niusha of the Spires
4/4
Completed sets:
Iamur — The Underwater Set
Overworld — Pirates vs. Octopuses
Esparand — The Sands of Time
Unfinished Sets:
Siege of Ravnica — Eldrazi in Ravnica
Shandalar — The Mana Set
Iamur Reimagined — Iamur v2
You can find more creative projects on my page Antaresdesigns!
Storm Crow is strictly worse than Seacoast Drake.
What I have in mind:
U: Mind Rot (blue gets occasional discard)
R: Runeclaw Bear (it's about time...)
B: Leatherback Baloth (black gets efficient creatures for heavy black investment)
G: Moment of Heroism or Ajani Sunstriker and/or Battle Hymn
The next update will also have this counterspell:
Sphere of Denial :1mana::symw::symw:
Instant (U)
Foreshadow (Pay and play with this card revealed from your hand. You can’t cast it this turn. Foreshadow only as a sorcery.)
Counter target spell if Sphere of Denial was foreshadowed.
Based on the fact that white seems to get on-board counterspells, such as Frontline Medic.
There will be some color-bleed for the time based themes (extra turns in other colors than blue), but I won't go as far as Planar Chaos.
Completed sets:
Iamur — The Underwater Set
Overworld — Pirates vs. Octopuses
Esparand — The Sands of Time
Unfinished Sets:
Siege of Ravnica — Eldrazi in Ravnica
Shandalar — The Mana Set
Iamur Reimagined — Iamur v2
You can find more creative projects on my page Antaresdesigns!
As I've mentioned elsewhere, I love the concept here. Time, as a mechanic, is fascinating and I think there's still plenty of design space around that theme. The Desert setting works will too, as has been proven elsewhere (see: Prince of Persia).
On colorshifting - I don't think there's anything wrong with this being a very minor theme, it's interesting even if it's not as pervasive as it was in the Time Spiral block.
Blue Mind Rot works great, and I'd love to see a green battle hymn, but some of these seem a bit meh. Red Grizzly Bears works, sure, but it's certainly not exciting. Black Baloth is a bit more exciting, and would make a great card but nothing to drive a theme home on. Green Moment of Heroism works, but I like the idea of Battle Hymn more (even if Moment works better).
The White Counterspell is the one I'm not a big fan of. Foreshadow is a cool mechanic, but it just doesn't feel right on a counterspell. Yes, it's effective somewhat, almost a pseudo-silence, but at that point it's not a counterspell, regardless of what the text says. For a white counterspell, I would go more with a mana-leak variant or something safer, but that's just me.
My custom sets:
Caeia Block (Released - Beta)
Generals of Dareth (In Design)
I'll do blue Mind Rot and green Battle Hymn then, and decide on the others later.
On the white counterspell: As I've said, the design is based on the fact that white tends to get on-board counterspells, so counterspells your opponent knows about. Of course it could also be Mana Leak instead of Cancel, that would be even more in line with white counterspells, but on the other hand Mana Leak is a much more powerful card than Cancel, so "foreshadow-timeshifting" Cancel might be safer.
Here are the new cards for now. Left the white counterspell out for now:
Phantom of the Past :2mana::symw:
Creature — Spirit (C)
Flying
“Don’t believe everything you see. Our eyes are not designed to perceive the complex fabric of time.”
—Kaluhl, high priest of Ankhal
2/2
Plea to the Divine
Instant (C)
Foreshadow :1mana::symw: (Pay :1mana::symw: and play with this card revealed from your hand. You can’t cast it this turn. Foreshadow only as a sorcery.)
Prevent all damage that would be dealt to you this turn. Prevent all damage that would dealt to creatures you control this turn if Plea to the Divine was foreshadowed.
Stream of Knowledge
Instant (U)
Draw a card.
Consign :2mana::symu::symu: (Pay :2mana::symu::symu: and exile this card from your hand consigned to target creature you control. That creature gains “:symtap:: You may cast a copy the exiled card without paying its mana cost.” Consign only as a sorcery.)
Dementia :2mana::symu:
Sorcery (C)
Target player discards two cards.
“I could defeat you a thousand times, and you would just turn back time and undo everything. But your memories are something I can destroy, permanently.”
—Spire mage Avasheen
//This is the timeshifted version of Mind Rot.
Giant Scarlopede :4mana::symb:
Creature — Insect (C)
When Giant Scarlopede dies, you may put a -1/-1 counter on target creature.
Many consider locusts a blessing. Increase their size a hundredfold and those people will reconsider.
3/2
Multiply :symr::symr:
Instant (R)
Copy target instant or sorcery spell you control. You may choose new targets for the copy.
Consign :2mana::symr::symr: (Pay :2mana::symr::symr: and exile this card from your hand consigned to target creature you control. That creature gains “:symtap:: You may cast a copy the exiled card without paying its mana cost.” Consign only as a sorcery.)
Twin Flames :5mana::symr:
Sorcery (C)
Twin Flames deals 2 damage to target creature or player.
Twin Flames deals 2 damage to target creature or player.
“Death, please meet destruction. Oh, you already know each other?”
Redsand Raider :1mana::symr:
Creature — Human Berserker (C)
In his time, his clan killed everyone that wasn’t them. Now times have changed, but he still remains loyal to the ancient ways.
2/2
//This is the timeshifted version of Grizzly Bears, Runeclaw Bear, Balduvian Bears, Barbarian Apes, Bear Cub, Cylian Elf, Forest Bear, Fresh Volunteers, Silvercoat Lion, Glory Seeker, Knight Errant, Walking Corpse and Gutter Skulk. Phew...
Naoy-Tribe Shaman :1mana::symg:
Creature — Cat Shaman (U)
Epitaph 1G — At the beginning of your precombat main phase, add one mana of any color to your mana pool. (When this is put into your graveyard from anywhere, exile it unless you pay 1G. If you do, it gains this ability for as long as it’s in your graveyard.)
2/2
Behemoth Viper :4mana::symg:
Creature — Snake (U)
Deathtouch
Many people wonder why such a colossal creature would use poison to incapacitate its prey, but they are easy to forget the scale of dune wurms it may encounter in the desert.
4/5
Sepulchral Genesis :3mana::symg:
Sorcery (U)
Exile target creature card from your graveyard. Put an X/X green Ooze creature token onto the battlefield, where X the exiled card’s power.
“So, this is what my end will be? Well, at least my death is not all in vain.”
—Tordir, elder of Mayeli
Nature’s Chant :1mana::symg:
Instant (U)
Add to your mana pool for each creature you control.
“If you base healing spells on sylvan magic, it cures people. If you base summoning spells on sylvan magic, it summons beasts. It works!”
—Loenith, born of Lanuznari
//This is the timeshifted version of Battle Hymn.
Orb of Prophecies
Artifact (U)
When Orb of Prophecies enters the battlefield, draw a card.
You may look at the top card of your library. (You may do this at any time.)
It’s color is always purple. It signals doom.
Sword of Fate and Fortune
Artifact — Equipment (M)
Equipped creature gets +2/+2 and has protection from blue and black.
Whenever equipped creature deals combat damage to a player, look at the top card of that player’s library, you may put that card on the bottom of that player’s library, and you search your library for a card, then shuffle your library and put that card on top of it.
Equip 2
//Card designed by foo_intherain.
Paradox Caverns
Land (R)
:symtap:: Add 1 to your mana pool.
:7mana:, :symtap:, Sacrifice Paradox Caverns: Take an extra turn after this one.
Rewind — Skip your next turn: Return Paradox Caverns from your graveyard to the battlefield. Activate this ability only any time you could cast a sorcery.
Edit: Talked with someone about the card, and we decided on Negate:
Sphere of Denial :1mana::symw:
Instant (U)
Foreshadow (Pay and play with this card revealed from your hand. You can’t cast it this turn. Foreshadow only as a sorcery.)
Counter target noncreature spell if Sphere of Denial was foreshadowed.
Completed sets:
Iamur — The Underwater Set
Overworld — Pirates vs. Octopuses
Esparand — The Sands of Time
Unfinished Sets:
Siege of Ravnica — Eldrazi in Ravnica
Shandalar — The Mana Set
Iamur Reimagined — Iamur v2
You can find more creative projects on my page Antaresdesigns!
Actually the only precedent for that is Frontline Medic (not counting old cards) and even that is a bad precedent. The counter was added to the Medic by development just to deal with Bonfire of the Damned. If it had been designed in a vacuum, it wouldn't have had the counter.
There's also Judge's Familiar. Maybe we'll see more of this kind in the future.
Completed sets:
Iamur — The Underwater Set
Overworld — Pirates vs. Octopuses
Esparand — The Sands of Time
Unfinished Sets:
Siege of Ravnica — Eldrazi in Ravnica
Shandalar — The Mana Set
Iamur Reimagined — Iamur v2
You can find more creative projects on my page Antaresdesigns!
I agree, you have to be very careful with white counterspells. Imo, it's very hard to create good ones with the foreshadow mechanic. But I think the taxing is the right direction.
Maybe try something like this:
Name {Cost}
Instant [Rarity]
Foreshadow {Cost}
Counter target spell unless its controller pays 1. If ~ was foreshadowed, counter target spell unless its controller pays 5 instead.
Or go into this direction:
Name {Cost}
Instant [Rarity]
Foreshadow {Cost}
Creatures target opponent can't attack during his or her next turn. If ~ was foreshadowed, that player can't cast spells during his or her next turn.
Whatcha think? Needs proper costing, wording, etc but I just wanted to throw the idea into the pool.
PS: Great set and idea so far! Really love the flavor.
Signature done by DNC from the Heroes of the Plane Studios
--------------------
Official Ink Bearer of [The Crafters]
--------------------
Old Custom Set: Imminence over Marycion
Make your vote:
Cancel, Foreshadow 0
Power level:
Mana Leak, Foreshadow W
Power level:
Negate, Foreshadow W
Power level:
Spell Pierce, Foreshadow W
Power level:
Spell Pierce, Foreshadow 0
Power level:
-----
Your first version is very well designed. You can either aim for the "gotcha" effect, if you don't foreshadow it, or get a hard counter if you do. I'm trying to use a signature blue spell as the design base though. I don't see what exactly your intention with the second version is.
Completed sets:
Iamur — The Underwater Set
Overworld — Pirates vs. Octopuses
Esparand — The Sands of Time
Unfinished Sets:
Siege of Ravnica — Eldrazi in Ravnica
Shandalar — The Mana Set
Iamur Reimagined — Iamur v2
You can find more creative projects on my page Antaresdesigns!
Some more cards:
Astronomy :2mana::symu:
Instant (C)
Draw two cards, then discard a card. If you've cast Astronomy before your fourth turn of the game, instead draw three cards, then discard a card.
“The stars align this way only once every millennium. This is the chance we were waiting for.”
Time Tourist :1mana::symu:
Creature — Human Wizard (R)
Reveal Time Tourist from your hand: Choose target creature named Time Tourist you control, target card in your graveyard named Time Tourist and target exiled card named Time Tourist you own. You win the game.
2/1
Graveyard Stirrings :5mana::symb:
Enchantment — Aura (U)
Enchant creature card in your graveyard
At the beginning of your upkeep, target opponent loses life equal to enchanted creature card’s power.
Some people just won’t give it a rest.
Paradoxic Birth :2mana::symb: (New version)
Sorcery (U)
Choose one — Put two 2/2 black Zombie creature tokens onto the battlefield, then sacrifice a creature; or sacrifice a creature, then put two 2/2 black Zombie creature tokens onto the battlefield.
“Conquer your enemies before their birth or you’ll never truly defeat them.”
—Nousha, obsidian cleric
//New name and art.
Wakened Lagoon
Land (R)
Wakened Lagoon enters the battlefield tapped.
:symtap:: Add or to your mana pool.
:2mana::symg::symu:: Until end of turn, Wakened Lagoon becomes a 2/4 green and blue Elemental creature.
Whenever Wakened Lagoon deals combat damage to a player, draw a card.
//As with the Sword of Fate and Fortune, this is a new card added to a cycle from a different block. I intend to do more of these.
Completed sets:
Iamur — The Underwater Set
Overworld — Pirates vs. Octopuses
Esparand — The Sands of Time
Unfinished Sets:
Siege of Ravnica — Eldrazi in Ravnica
Shandalar — The Mana Set
Iamur Reimagined — Iamur v2
You can find more creative projects on my page Antaresdesigns!
Aeon Entanglement :5mana::symw::symw: (Removed)
Instant (M)
Return to the battlefield all permanent cards in your graveyard that were put there from the battlefield this turn. Take an extra turn after this one.
When the storms of time rage the strongest, inhabitants of Esparand give up on exact historiography.
Ankhal Lightcaster
Creature — Human Cleric (R)
Epitaph :1mana::symw: — Creatures you control get +1/+1. (When this is put into your graveyard from anywhere, exile it unless you pay 1W. If you do, it gains this ability for as long as it’s in your graveyard.)
“There will be the day when the true gods will reckon with you, but this day is not today.”
1/1
Knight of the Barrens :2mana::symw:
Creature — Human Knight (C)
Vigilance
Epitaph :1mana::symw: — White creatures you control have vigilance. (When this is put into your graveyard from anywhere, exile it unless you pay 1W. If you do, it gains this ability for as long as it’s in your graveyard.)
“Another settlement laid to waste.”
1/3
Plea to the Divine :1mana::symw: (Revamped)
Instant (C)
Foreshadow :1mana::symw: (Pay :1mana::symw: and play with this card revealed from your hand. You can’t cast it this turn. Foreshadow only as a sorcery.)
Target creature you control gains indestructible until end of turn. If Plea to the Divine was foreshadowed, instead creatures you control gain indestructible until end of turn.
Preserver’s Touch :1mana::symw: (Changed)
Instant (C)
Target attacking or blocking creature gets -3/-3 until end of turn.
“You will die. It is written.” —The beholder
“Nothing is written.” —Telar
//No longer uses -1/-1 counters.
Sphere of Denial (Changed)
Instant (U)
Foreshadow 0 (Pay 0 and play with this card revealed from your hand. You can’t cast it this turn. Foreshadow only as a sorcery.)
Counter target noncreature spell unless its controller pays if Sphere of Denial was foreshadowed.
//Now Spell Pierce instead of Negate.
Sanctity (Removed)
Instant (C)
Target creature gains indestructible until end of turn.
“What do we say to death? Not today!”
—Kaluhl, high priest of Ankhal
Arakk Stormbringer :4mana::symu:
Creature — Bird Wizard (C)
Flying
Epitaph :2mana::symu: — Blue creatures you control have flying. (When this is put into your graveyard from anywhere, exile it unless you pay 2U. If you do, it gains this ability for as long as it’s in your graveyard.)
3/3
Arakk Storm Prophet :3mana::symu: (Removed)
Creature — Bird Wizard (C)
Foreshadow :1mana::symu: (Pay 2U and play with this card revealed from your hand. You can't cast it this turn. Foreshadow only as a sorcery.)
Flying
When Arakk Storm Prophet enters the battlefield, if it was foreshadowed, return target creature to its owner's hand.
2/3
Mind Contraction
Instant (C)
Target player puts the top three cards of his or her library into his or her graveyard.
Consign :3mana::symu: (Pay :3mana::symu: and exile this card from your hand consigned to target creature you control. That creature gains “:symtap:: You may cast a copy the exiled card without paying its mana cost.” Consign only as a sorcery.)
Darkmoon Cultist :2mana::symb:
Creature — Vampire Shaman (C)
Lifelink
Epitaph :2mana::symb: — Black creatures you control have lifelink. (When this is put into your graveyard from anywhere, exile it unless you pay 2B. If you do, it gains this ability for as long as it’s in your graveyard.)
2/2
Giant Scarlopede :5mana::symb: (Changed)
Creature — Insect (C)
Flying
When Giant Scarlopede dies, you may have target creature get -2/-2 until end of turn.
Many consider locusts a blessing. Increase their size a hundredfold and those people will reconsider.
3/2
//No longer uses -1/-1 counters.
Liliana, the Tomb Raider :2mana::symb::symb: (Revamped)
Planeswalker — Liliana (M)
+1: Each opponent loses 1 life and you gain that much life.
-X: Return target creature card with converted mana cost X or less from your graveyard to the battlefield.
-9: Target player sacrifices a permanent for each card in your graveyard.
{5}
//Changed her first and third abilities. Previously the first ability put a -1/-1 counter on a creature, which wasn't very fun to play against. Starting loyalty 5 is probably on the pushed side, but let's try it out.
Outland Revenant :1mana::symb::symb:
Creature — Spirit (R)
Outland Revenant’s power is equal to the greatest power among creature cards in all graveyards and its toughness is equal to the greatest toughness among those cards.
“Your deaths were never pointless. They all made me stronger.”
—The Beholder
*/*
Bloodhorn Stomper :5mana::symr: (Revamped)
Creature — Minotaur Warrior (C)
Haste
Epitaph :1mana::symr: — Red creatures you control have haste. (When this is put into your graveyard from anywhere, exile it unless you pay 1R. If you do, it gains this ability for as long as it’s in your graveyard.)
“I die for my tribe, knowing that thunder and lightning will avenge my death.”
4/4
Quillboar Warchief :4mana::symr: (Removed)
Creature — Boar Warrior (U)
Haste
Epitaph :2mana::symr: — Creatures you control have haste. (When this is put into your graveyard from anywhere, exile it unless you pay 2R. If you do, it gains this ability for as long as it’s in your graveyard.)
3/3
Envoys of Lanuznari :4mana::symg:
Creature — Elf Druid (U)
Epitaph :2mana::symg: — At the beginning of your upkeep, put a 1/1 green Saproling creature token onto the battlefield. (When this is put into your graveyard from anywhere, exile it unless you pay 2G. If you do, it gains this ability for as long as it’s in your graveyard.)
3/5
Fist of Mayeli :2mana::symg:
Creature — Human Warrior (C)
Trample
Whenever Fist of Mayeli attacks, it gets +1/+1 until end of turn for each Oasis you control.
“This utopia doesn’t come without a price. We must remain vigilant eternally.”
3/1
Lakeside Ambush :1mana::symg:
Instant (C)
Target creature gets +3/+3 until end of turn. Untap that creature if you control an Oasis.
“Try to dodge their sentries. Elves don’t like to share.”
—Sil-thar, sethkal recruiter
Mayeli Grovekeeper :1mana::symg:
Creature — Elf Archer (C)
Reach
Epitaph :1mana::symg: — Green creatures you control have reach. (When this is put into your graveyard from anywhere, exile it unless you pay 1G. If you do, it gains this ability for as long as it’s in your graveyard.)
2/1
Naoy-Tribe Shaman :1mana::symg: (Changed)
Creature — Cat Shaman (U)
Epitaph — At the beginning of your precombat main phase, add one mana of any color to your mana pool. (When this is put into your graveyard from anywhere, exile it unless you pay G. If you do, it gains this ability for as long as it’s in your graveyard.)
2/2
//Reduced the epitaph cost further. This should be the epitaph card that makes it into constructed without ruining limited.
Tides of Life :4mana::symg:
Instant (U)
Put three +1/+1 counters on target creature.
Rewind — :symg:, Remove three +1/+1 counters from a creature you control: Return Tides of Life from your graveyard to your hand. Activate this ability only any time you could cast a sorcery.
Aeons Torn
Instant (R)
Take an extra turn after this one.
“Somewhere in the distant future, our gods will be overthrown by those from another world. But will their arrival be our salvation, or our damnation?”
Completed sets:
Iamur — The Underwater Set
Overworld — Pirates vs. Octopuses
Esparand — The Sands of Time
Unfinished Sets:
Siege of Ravnica — Eldrazi in Ravnica
Shandalar — The Mana Set
Iamur Reimagined — Iamur v2
You can find more creative projects on my page Antaresdesigns!
Archangel of Ascendance :3mana::symw::symw::symw:
Creature — Angel (M)
Flying
Whenever Archangel of Ascendance deals combat damage to a player, return target creature card from your graveyard to the battlefield. That creature is a white Angel in addition to its other colors and types and it gains flying and this ability.
5/5
Epoch Wanderer :5mana::symw::symw:
Creature — Elemental (R)
Foreshadow :3mana::symw: (Pay :3mana::symw: and play with this card revealed from your hand. You can’t cast it this turn. Foreshadow only as a sorcery.)
Vigilance
When Epoch Wanderer enters the battlefield, if it was foreshadowed, your life total becomes your starting life total.
4/7
Angelic Resolve :1mana::symw:
Enchantment (U)
Creatures with flying you control get +1/+1.
Tajul dreamt of mounting a pegasus one day, so he may charge into battle side by side with the angels.
//This is the timeshifted version of Favorable Winds.
Chronoplasm :1mana::symu:
Creature — Elemental (R)
Flash; flying
As an additional cost to cast Chronoplasm, exile a spell you control.
Whenever a temporal storm rages over Esparand, elementals appear to feast upon the old timeline.
4/3
Fiddle with Fate :4mana::symu:
Instant (U)
Choose one — Put target creature on top of its owner’s library, then target player puts the top five cards of his or her library into his or her graveyard; or target player puts the top five cards of his or her library into his or her graveyard, then put target creature on top of its owner’s library.
Glimpse of Infinity :5mana::symu::symu: (New version)
Sorcery (U)
Draw six cards. You have no maximum hand size until your next turn.
“All the answers could be revealed to me, but what questions are there left to ask?”
Incorporealize
Instant (R)
Choose target creature. When that creature becomes the target of a spell the next time this turn, its controller sacrifices it.
Consign :1mana::symu::symu: (Pay :1mana::symu::symu: and exile this card from your hand consigned to target creature you control. That creature gains “:symtap:: You may cast a copy the exiled card without paying its mana cost.” Consign only as a sorcery.)
Stitched Angel :6mana::symu:
Creature — Zombie Giant (C)
Stitched Angel costs less to cast for each creature card in your graveyard.
Flying
“To appreciate it, you need a healthy sense of irony.”
—Kalen Thal, necromancer
3/5
Tempest of Souls :3mana::symu::symu:
Creature — Elemental (U)
Flying
At the beginning of your upkeep, sacrifice Tempest of Souls unless you put the top two cards of your library into your graveyard.
Its entrée is your existence.
4/4
Disciple of the False Gods :1mana::symb:
Creature — Human Shaman (C)
Sacrifice a creature: Disciple of the False Gods get +1/+1 until end of turn.
“One great lie or a thousand lives?”
—Vezavetru, false god,
to Telar, magus of the aeons
2/1
Embrace the Void :2mana::symb::symb:
Sorcery (R)
Target opponent reveals any number of cards from his or her hand. You may have that player discard those cards. If you don’t, that player discards all but those cards.
Mindless Rotsnout :3mana::symb::symb:
Creature — Zombie Elephant (C)
When Mindless Rotsnout dies, target player loses 3 life and another target player discards a card.
“Horrific, mighty, obeying. I hate to admit it, but this is so much better than all those ghouls and skeletons I created.”
—Kalen Thal, necromancer
4/4
Queen of the Night’s Feast :3mana::symb::symb:
Creature — Vampire Shaman (R)
Flying
At the beginning of each end step, if three or more creatures died this turn, you may return Queen of the Night’s Feast from your graveyard to the battlefield.
When there’s so much fresh blood available, vampires are more than happy to share.
5/3
Shadowland Witches :1mana::symb::symb:
Creature — Harpy Shaman (U)
Flying
:symb:, :symtap:, Sacrifice a creature: Target player loses 2 life and you gain 2 life.
1/2
Bloodfeather Harpy :3mana::symr: (Revamped)
Creature — Harpy Rogue (C)
Flying
When Bloodfeather Harpy enters the battlefield, target creature can’t block this turn.
“The harpy: Vicious by nature, with long talons for feet and graceful wings for arms.”
—Charius Nair, Journey to the Outland
2/2
Canyon Maker :4mana::symr:
Creature — Insect (C)
As it crawls its way through the outland, canyons form and cities disappear.
5/3
Lavaborn Revenant :2mana::symr:
Creature — Spirit (U)
Lavaborn Revenant attacks each turn if able.
Epitaph :2mana::symr: — Whenever a creature you control attacks, Lavaborn Revenant deals 1 damage to defending player. (When this is put into your graveyard from anywhere, exile it unless you pay 2R. If you pay, it gains its epitaph ability.)
4/1
Quaking Dunewurm :4mana::symr::symr:
Creature — Wurm (U)
When Quaking Dunewurm becomes blocked, defending player sacrifices a land.
A butterfly flaps its wings. The vibrations attract a wurm. The wurm devours the butterfly and the surrounding landscape.
—Popular explanation of the ‘butterfly effect’
6/4
Temporal Disaster :xmana::symr::symr:
Sorcery (R)
Temporal Disaster deals X damage to each creature unless an opponent has you take an extra turn after this one. Repeat this process one more time.
“I’ve foreseen all this happening. In five seconds I will die. One, two, three, four, six...”
—Niusha of the Spires
Tribal Gathering :2mana::symr:
Sorcery (C)
Put two 1/1 red Goblin creature tokens onto the battlefield. If you control an Oasis, put three of those tokens onto the battlefield instead.
A chieftain’s call is much more likely to be heard if refreshment is provided for.
Giant Ant :4mana::symg:
Creature — Insect (C)
Reach
Hoping to shelter yourself from the sun, you won’t realize that the thicket you treaded into is actually a giant anthill.
3/5
Mayeli Beastcaller :2mana::symg::symg:
Creature — Elf Shaman (R)
Vigilance
Whenever Mayeli Beastcaller attacks, put a 3/3 Beast creature token onto the battlefield.
:1mana::symg:, :symtap:: Another target creature you control fights target creature blocking Mayeli Beastcaller.
2/2
Mistborn Hydra :xmana::symg::symg:
Creature — Hydra (R)
Mistborn Hydra costs less to cast for each creature card in your graveyard
Trample
Mistborn Hydra enters the battlefield with X +1/+1 counters on it.
As it came into existence, it immediately devoured the very cause of it, creating a paradoxon.
0/0
Skeletal Bloomer :1mana::symg: (Revamped)
Creature — Plant Skeleton (C)
Defender
At the beginning of your upkeep, you may put the top card of your library into your graveyard.
Some oases are littered with creatures who drain upon them until they are as lifeless as the desert.
0/4
Soilsoaker :3mana::symg: (New name, creature types etc.)
Creature — Fungus Beast (C)
When Soilsoaker enters the battlefield, you gain 2 life for each creature card in your graveyard.
For such a creature, desolate wastes are the lands of milk and honey.
2/3
Astronomicum
Artifact (C)
:1mana:, :symtap:, Sacrifice Astronomicum: Choose land or nonland. Reveal cards from the top of your library until you reveal a card of the chosen kind. Put that card into your hand and the rest on the bottom of your library in any order.
“You read the future in the stars. I tell the stars what I’d like the future to be.”
Pocket Portal
Artifact (U)
:symtap:: Target player exiles a card from his or her graveyard.
:1mana:, :symtap:, Sacrifice Pocket Portal: Return any number of cards exiled with Pocket Portal to their owner’s graveyards. Draw a card.
Because a backpack isn’t fit for storing souls.
Timewalker’s Suit
Artifact — Equipment (U)
Equipped creature gets +0/+2.
When equipped creature deals combat damage to a player, you may sacrifice Timewalker’s Suit. If you do, take an extra turn after this one.
Equip
Outland Fort
Land — Oasis (C)
Outland Fort enters the battlefield tapped.
When Outland Fort enters the battlefield, creatures you control get +1/+0 until end of turn.
:symtap:: Add to your mana pool.
In a land that hostile to life, all sources of water are guarded heavily.
//Is this too good?
Prophetic Pools
Land — Oasis (C)
:symtap:: Add to your mana pool.
:2mana:, :symtap:, Sacrifice Prophetic Pools: Draw a card.
Completed sets:
Iamur — The Underwater Set
Overworld — Pirates vs. Octopuses
Esparand — The Sands of Time
Unfinished Sets:
Siege of Ravnica — Eldrazi in Ravnica
Shandalar — The Mana Set
Iamur Reimagined — Iamur v2
You can find more creative projects on my page Antaresdesigns!
During the final stages, I decided that this set needed a draw-smoothing mechanic, such as Scry, so I added a mechanic called Guide Fate:
Guide Fate (Choose land or nonland, then reveal cards from the top of your library until your reveal a card of the chosen kind. Put the rest on the bottom in any order.)
To make room for it, all timeshifted cards have been removed except for those at rare. Rare cards are now completely chaotic and disordered by intention, while the rest of the set is ordered as usual to avoid too much confusion during drafting.
The design of the set is finished now, while development isn't. Many cards will still be subject to change, though it will be minor changes mostly. The focus of the changes will be curve considerations for the specific colors, how are the colors balanced, and are each archetypes supported well enough.
Completed sets:
Iamur — The Underwater Set
Overworld — Pirates vs. Octopuses
Esparand — The Sands of Time
Unfinished Sets:
Siege of Ravnica — Eldrazi in Ravnica
Shandalar — The Mana Set
Iamur Reimagined — Iamur v2
You can find more creative projects on my page Antaresdesigns!
Aeon's Torn might be one of the best flavor cards ever, not to mention the ability. It's a very, very cool card.
I had made a few cards similar to some of yours, like the Phoenix, the Vampire that resuming after 3 deaths, and the ooze that has the converted p/t. It's cool so see what other's designs were like.
Dunes of Zairo
SHANDALAR
Innistrad - The Darkest Night
~THE RAVNICAN CONSORTIUM~
A Community Set
Commander: Allies & Adversaries
Overall this set looks really really nice. Very refined. Excellent flavor. I can tell you've put a tremendous amount of experience and time into it.
Foreshadow is very, very cool. Seems slightly out of place in the last expansion of a block. Awesome no matter what.
Epitaph is awesome, but perhaps strangely, I think it should be as follows for ease of reference.
Oathsworn Defender (Uncommon)
3W
Creature - Human Soldier
1/4
Epitaph W - At the beginning of your upkeep, you may gain 1 life. (If this would be put into your graveyard from anywhere, you may pay W. If you do, exile it instead and it gains this ability for as long as it's exiled.)
The Memory Remains should be a sorcery.
Monument of Auria costs enough to allow you to return cards from any graveyard.
Plea to the Divine should say "...instead all creatures you control..." for clarity.
Portal of Souls, while not terrible, might should be uncommon. It's the kind of junk rare even they stopped printing a decade ago.
Storyteller name doesn't fit the naming convention you seem to have for your set. It needs something more.
Strength of Heavens seems too good for common. I could be wrong. I haven't researched white instants since February. But if I'm right, it needs some nerfing.
Tower of the Elocutors is awesome but should be colorless and cost more.
Overall, a great group of cards. I can't wait to crit the other colors and even your other sets!
You'll see me again on my mission to reel in crits for my set linked below by critting other sets.
It was the first card of the "misplaced rares"-cycle. I didn't actually design it for the set at first, but I had to put it in there :Psyduck:.
Epitaph: Part of what balances this ability is the fact that there is a lot of single-targeted graveyard hate in the set. It is therefore crucial that it works from the graveyard, not only for the flavor, but also for gameplay reasons. While some of the epitaph abilities still have to be changed because they turned out to be unfun, the ability did not appear inherently flawed during testing.
The Memory Remains: Most (playable) graveyard hate is able to be activated at instant speed, and this card is already on the weak side because it doesn't exile that one thing.
Monument of Auria: In that case, I'll reduce the cost from 9 to 8. It has to be identical to the ultimate of Auria, the Eternal, which will be printed in the next set. The ultimate is "-9: You get an emblem with "At the beginning of your end step, return target permanent card from your graveyard to the battlefield."'
Plea to the Divine: Creatures you control is the wording convention (Rootborn Defenses), but it might be worthwhile to deviate from it in this case.
Portal of Souls: I'm inclined to cut this card, not because I think it's weak, but because it's uninspired. If you say you don't like it, it's out.
Storyteller: Can you elaborate what you mean? Here, I'm also likely to consider changes, because it was a hastily made filler card.
Strength of the Heavens: I don't think the card is very good. I would hope not to play it in my limited deck (3 mana pump? Common Bond, Dauntless Onslaught over this all day).
Tower of the Elocutors: I might change this card, but I do want a colored artifact in the set.
Sounds like a fair deal! I'll see what I can do :).
Completed sets:
Iamur — The Underwater Set
Overworld — Pirates vs. Octopuses
Esparand — The Sands of Time
Unfinished Sets:
Siege of Ravnica — Eldrazi in Ravnica
Shandalar — The Mana Set
Iamur Reimagined — Iamur v2
You can find more creative projects on my page Antaresdesigns!
Storm Crow is strictly worse than Seacoast Drake.