Exodus of Zendikar
------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------ Set Name: Exodus of Zendikar Release Date: Unknown Mechanics: Pray, Escort, Eradicate, Eldrazi Spawn & Landfall. Flavor: Refugees, Desperation and a Glimmer of Hope Size: 249 (101 Common, 80 Uncommon, 53 Rare, 15 Mythic) Expansion Code: EOZ Block Structure: Standalone set designed for draft. Possible future expansions
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Welcome to my latest project. A mostly top down designed set about that continues directly on from Rise of the Eldrazi to take a closer look at the inhabitants of Zendikar as the Eldrazi consume their home. I want my take on the Eldrazi to be true to the source material. There won't be any hidden superweapon or unrealistic heroic victories. Instead I want to set to ooze with the flavor of a doomed world and the struggle for survival.
Plot + Story
Further details soon
Mechanics
Pray to <Color> (Reveal the top card of your library. If it’s <Color>, your prayer is answered.)
As mana drains from the land and cities are reduced to dust. Many inhabitants of Zendikar pray for anything that may let them live another day. When the gods known as Cosi, Ula and Emeria were revealed as simply twisted memories of the Eldrazi horrors that now run free, many lost their faith and despaired. But a rumor has risen. A rumor of hope. A rumor of salvation that is probably too good to be true.
However this hope has reignited faith in peoples hearts and they call upon their prayers to aid them against the brood lineages.
It may even be that this hope has a foundation after all.
Ugin's Gate5
Legendary Artifact (M)
At the beginning of your upkeep choose a color, then you may pray to the chosen color. If your prayer is answered, you can’t lose the game and your opponents can’t win the game until the beginning of your next draw step. (To pray to a color, reveal the top card of your library. If it’s that color, your prayer is answered.)
Escort-- Whenever CARDNAME and exactly one other creature attack, [EFFECT].
Keeper of the GateW
Creature - Kor Soldier (U)
Escort — Whenever Keeper of the Gate and exactly one other creature attack, those creatures gain protection from colourless creatures until end of turn.
2/1
Eldrazi Spawn Put a 0/1 colorless Eldrazi Spawn creature tokens onto the battlefield. It has “Sacrifice this creature: Add 1 to your mana pool.”
As an integral part of the Eldrazi's Identity, the eldrazi spawn continue to ravage the land, feeding the Eldrazi titans. As their master's grow stronger the brood swarms are changing and growing deadly in unexpected ways.
Kozilek's Herald2B
Creature - Human Cleric {U} T, Reveal an Eldrazi creature card with converted mana cost 7 or greater from your hand: Put a 0/1 colorless Eldrazi Spawn creature tokens onto the battlefield. It has “Sacrifice this creature: Add 1 to your mana pool.” He knows his doom and helps it willingly.
2/2
Eradicate X (Whenever this creature becomes blocked, defending player sacrifices X non blocking permanents.)
The Annihilator mechanic was a really good flavor fit for the original Eldrazi. It really reinforced their world eating behaviour. However it was unfun and created nearly impossible situations for the defending player. This mechanic hopes to provide more choices and better gameplay while keeping the feel.
Howl of the Voiceless9
Creature - Eldrazi {R}
Eradicate 1 (Whenever this creature becomes blocked, defending player sacrifices a non blocking permanent.)
Whenever Howl of the Voiceless deals combat damage to a player, that player reveals cards from the top of his or her library until he or she reveals eight land cards, then puts those cards into his or her graveyard.
8/10
Landfall -- Whenever a land enters the battlefield under your control, [EFFECT].
Currently playing around with how landfall plays. Considering that pray is mostly a spell mechanic I will be focusing on landfall as a creature mechanic for the creatures inhabiting Zendikar. Will most likely appear in mainly BRG to compliment how pray and escort are distributed.
SCRAPPED as of 11/5/2014 Waste Counters (It gets -1/-1 for each waste counter and produces colorless mana instead of any other type.)
This mechanic works really nicely with some things but has the potential to be super unfun if you mana screw someone too much.
Needs more testing.
Twobrid/Hybrid to support both the pray mechanic and give colored eldrazi drones a better another mechanical identity.
FAQ
Other questions welcome
Will this set be released with art?:
Yes I am planning on finding art for all cards.
Also it should be: You can't lose the game and your opponents can't win the game until the beginning of your next upkeep.
Actually it has to be the draw step or else you would lose the game before the pray trigger resolves. See this thread
I'm currently not happy with waste counters, I'm exploring other options on this thread: [EOZ] More Eldrazi Brainstorming
Your set is really cool. I love everything from the flavor to the actual design of the cards. It feels like you're doing it right! I see a lot of cards that I would make among your spoilers, and it makes me feel like I am following a good path! Congratulations!
I kind of agree with void nothing and Guesswork from Four Emrakuls, although I like Karrow Rossings suggestion. Maybe "enters the battlefield or dies"? In any case, append that to any specific comments I make about cards with Eradicate.
The Drone cycle is currently unbalanced with 4/5 activations being 1C. The black one shouldn't come down, so we'd like to change one of the others, and luckily it just so happens that the green one is currently very weak (cf Baloth), so its activation could just become G.
Peek into Oblivion becomes pretty good with just three spawn out, and it doesn't feel like the intended use/flavor.
Jwari Phantom: Do the attacking creatures have to copy the same creature, or do you choose targets to copy independently? Wording feels unclear.
Hedron Explorer is pretty underpowered at uncommon.
Mana Rupture can currently only be cast if your opponent controls a tapped land, pretty awkward vs. suspend. Functionally very similar but slightly cleaner targeting any land Ajani Vengeant style.
Broodslave Null: "another" ????
Tidal Snatch felt a little pushed but nothing too serious, but comparing Night Soil to Extortion I think it should be 2BB or uncommon at the very least.
And I see the "pushed common landfall spell" cycle continues with Red, as Magma Splash is one of the more unbalanced cards I've seen in a while. Printing R:"Deal 4 to a player" at sorcery is quite pushed, and even with the landfall drawback it's much too good hitting creatures as well. Maybe at RR. Maybe even a RR instant.
WotC seems to regard use of the word "planeswalker" as being rare now, which I disagree with, but I do think common is a little far. (re:Enflame Suspicion)
Zektar Pinnacle has an unnecessary "if you do."
Exploration on a land feels very dangerous, even if it is symmetric. Playing a 3 drop on T2 and a 5 drop on T3 with no card disadvantage is serious business.
The other 78 cards vary from bland printable limited fillers which show a good grasp of set design to clever, fun, and flavorful, so this is a pretty stunning first draft.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
I primarily play limited, so most of my spoiler season comments view cards through that lens.
I kind of agree with void nothing and Guesswork from Four Emrakuls, although I like Karrow Rossings suggestion. Maybe "enters the battlefield or dies"? In any case, append that to any specific comments I make about cards with Eradicate.
Yeh I'm still working out what I want to do with the eldrazi titans as I'm certainly not happy with them at the moment. Eradicate has been playing really well in playtests so I'll probably be keeping it but I may not use it for the legendary eldrazi.
The Drone cycle is currently unbalanced with 4/5 activations being 1C. The black one shouldn't come down, so we'd like to change one of the others, and luckily it just so happens that the green one is currently very weak (cf Baloth), so its activation could just become G.
Good call, I've changed the Primal Drone's activation cost to G
Peek into Oblivion becomes pretty good with just three spawn out, and it doesn't feel like the intended use/flavor.
Eldrazi spawn are actually less common than in ROE so it isn't as easy as it seems. However I am considering reflavoring or making the original cost 7
Jwari Phantom: Do the attacking creatures have to copy the same creature, or do you choose targets to copy independently? Wording feels unclear.
Hmmm I hadn't considered that. I'll look for clearer wording
Hedron Explorer is pretty underpowered at uncommon.
already changed
Mana Rupture can currently only be cast if your opponent controls a tapped land, pretty awkward vs. suspend. Functionally very similar but slightly cleaner targeting any land Ajani Vengeant style.
But to cast a spell the oponent has to tap lands for mana so this will be castable 99% of the time. The small amount of time that cast off only eldrazi spawn makes up for this being stronger than Cancel
Broodslave Null: "another" ????
changed
Tidal Snatch felt a little pushed but nothing too serious, but comparing Night Soil to Extortion I think it should be 2BB or uncommon at the very least. Gruesome Discovery says this should be fine. Extortion is a super old card.
And I see the "pushed common landfall spell" cycle continues with Red, as Magma Splash is one of the more unbalanced cards I've seen in a while. Printing R:"Deal 4 to a player" at sorcery is quite pushed, and even with the landfall drawback it's much too good hitting creatures as well. Maybe at RR. Maybe even a RR instant.
Changed to 1 damage and then 3 damage with landfall. This means it ranges from sorcery speed Spark Jolt to sorcery speed Lightning Bolt.
WotC seems to regard use of the word "planeswalker" as being rare now, which I disagree with, but I do think common is a little far. (re:Enflame Suspicion)
But it fits the flavor so well! Your right though. Changed to uncommon.
Zektar Pinnacle has an unnecessary "if you do."
Woops thats left over from when the lands did something different. Changed
Exploration on a land feels very dangerous, even if it is symmetric. Playing a 3 drop on T2 and a 5 drop on T3 with no card disadvantage is serious business.
As we have seen with cards like Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx a legenday land that can produce more than one mana won't break a format. This one is quite slow and requires a lot of lands from your hand which could of been more threats. Not to mention the effect is symmetrical. Remember that the additional lands enter tapped.
I'm glad your so impressed with the first draft. I'm working slowly but surely and will hopefully have a bunch of new cards to show in the next few weeks.
I'll update the visual spoiler sometime soon when I get some time as I'm near the end of University semester so I'm super busy.
Ah, I missed Mana Rupture's interaction with cards cast only via spawn. Now it seems like a cool feature.
Extortion is a little weak, and I'm aware of Gruesome Discovery, but Landfall is an overall more powerful mechanic than morbid. I think that none of Brimstone Volley,Caravan Vigil,Festerhide Boar,Hunger of the Howlpack, or Tragic Slip would be acceptable as commons with landfall. Night Soil wouldn't be too powerful, buts it's a very powerful effect to fire off almost unconditionally on turn 4, and it doesn't seem like a very fun effect to have running around for limited.
The World Beyond might turn out to be fine; it's certainly the sort of card that's hard to get completely right without testing. It just seems to me like being able to cast 3 drops on turn 2 without spending a card (which Nykthos can't), and not requiring you to do any extra work the way Nykthos does make it more volatile. It might also make for some swingy games in conjunction with the bouncelands, but I tend not to worry too much about modern.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
I primarily play limited, so most of my spoiler season comments view cards through that lens.
I'm still slowly working on this but I'm bogged down in real life stuff.
The story on Nissa Worldwaker and M15 in general has however really given me a push to update this before wizards gets back to Zendikar.
Currently exploring the idea of tweaking the Pray mechanic and possibly changing landfall to something else.
I'm now officially putting this project on hold until further notice as I haven't worked on this for some time and wasn't finding the mechanics working well.
I definitely want to come back to this after I work on my current project (Dreamscape of Noctus) but I think that more that one or two of the mechanics need to be totally ripped out and replaced with something better.
Having both landfall, pray and eldrazi spawn really clogged up the spell mechanics while escort doesn't have enough design space to fill in the gaps.
I should be posting the main thread for Dreamscape of Noctus sometime soon and would love if everyone took a look at it.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Set Name: Exodus of Zendikar
Release Date: Unknown
Mechanics: Pray, Escort, Eradicate, Eldrazi Spawn & Landfall.
Flavor: Refugees, Desperation and a Glimmer of Hope
Size: 249 (101 Common, 80 Uncommon, 53 Rare, 15 Mythic)
Expansion Code: EOZ
Block Structure: Standalone set designed for draft. Possible future expansions
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Welcome to my latest project. A mostly top down designed set about that continues directly on from Rise of the Eldrazi to take a closer look at the inhabitants of Zendikar as the Eldrazi consume their home. I want my take on the Eldrazi to be true to the source material. There won't be any hidden superweapon or unrealistic heroic victories. Instead I want to set to ooze with the flavor of a doomed world and the struggle for survival.
Plot + Story
Mechanics
Pray to <Color> (Reveal the top card of your library. If it’s <Color>, your prayer is answered.)
As mana drains from the land and cities are reduced to dust. Many inhabitants of Zendikar pray for anything that may let them live another day. When the gods known as Cosi, Ula and Emeria were revealed as simply twisted memories of the Eldrazi horrors that now run free, many lost their faith and despaired. But a rumor has risen. A rumor of hope. A rumor of salvation that is probably too good to be true.
However this hope has reignited faith in peoples hearts and they call upon their prayers to aid them against the brood lineages.
It may even be that this hope has a foundation after all.
Ugin's Gate 5
Legendary Artifact (M)
At the beginning of your upkeep choose a color, then you may pray to the chosen color. If your prayer is answered, you can’t lose the game and your opponents can’t win the game until the beginning of your next draw step. (To pray to a color, reveal the top card of your library. If it’s that color, your prayer is answered.)
Escort -- Whenever CARDNAME and exactly one other creature attack, [EFFECT].
Keeper of the Gate W
Creature - Kor Soldier (U)
Escort — Whenever Keeper of the Gate and exactly one other creature attack, those creatures gain protection from colourless creatures until end of turn.
2/1
Eldrazi Spawn Put a 0/1 colorless Eldrazi Spawn creature tokens onto the battlefield. It has “Sacrifice this creature: Add 1 to your mana pool.”
As an integral part of the Eldrazi's Identity, the eldrazi spawn continue to ravage the land, feeding the Eldrazi titans. As their master's grow stronger the brood swarms are changing and growing deadly in unexpected ways.
Creature - Human Cleric {U}
T, Reveal an Eldrazi creature card with converted mana cost 7 or greater from your hand: Put a 0/1 colorless Eldrazi Spawn creature tokens onto the battlefield. It has “Sacrifice this creature: Add 1 to your mana pool.”
He knows his doom and helps it willingly.
2/2
Eradicate X (Whenever this creature becomes blocked, defending player sacrifices X non blocking permanents.)
The Annihilator mechanic was a really good flavor fit for the original Eldrazi. It really reinforced their world eating behaviour. However it was unfun and created nearly impossible situations for the defending player. This mechanic hopes to provide more choices and better gameplay while keeping the feel.
Creature - Eldrazi {R}
Eradicate 1 (Whenever this creature becomes blocked, defending player sacrifices a non blocking permanent.)
Whenever Howl of the Voiceless deals combat damage to a player, that player reveals cards from the top of his or her library until he or she reveals eight land cards, then puts those cards into his or her graveyard.
8/10
Landfall -- Whenever a land enters the battlefield under your control, [EFFECT].
Currently playing around with how landfall plays. Considering that pray is mostly a spell mechanic I will be focusing on landfall as a creature mechanic for the creatures inhabiting Zendikar. Will most likely appear in mainly BRG to compliment how pray and escort are distributed.
SCRAPPED as of 11/5/2014
Waste Counters (It gets -1/-1 for each waste counter and produces colorless mana instead of any other type.)
This mechanic works really nicely with some things but has the potential to be super unfun if you mana screw someone too much.
Needs more testing.
Twobrid/Hybrid to support both the pray mechanic and give colored eldrazi drones a better another mechanical identity.
FAQ
Other questions welcome
Will this set be released with art?:
Yes I am planning on finding art for all cards.
Card List
No card list yet!
See 2rd Post for full card list
Notable Cycles
Visual Spoilers
90/249 - Updated 15/05/2014
Associated Threads
Common Hybrids
Channel the X cycle
4 Emrakuls
The War Diaries
More Eldrazi Brainstorming
Worldbuilding and Destroying
Changelog
Are you designing commons? Check out my primer on NWO.
Interested in making a custom set? Check out my Set skeleton and archetype primer.
I also write articles about getting started with custom card creation.
Go and PLAYTEST your designs, you will learn more in a single playtests than a dozen discussions.
My custom sets:
Dreamscape
Coins of Mercalis [COMPLETE]
Exodus of Zendikar - ON HOLD
Are you designing commons? Check out my primer on NWO.
Interested in making a custom set? Check out my Set skeleton and archetype primer.
I also write articles about getting started with custom card creation.
Go and PLAYTEST your designs, you will learn more in a single playtests than a dozen discussions.
My custom sets:
Dreamscape
Coins of Mercalis [COMPLETE]
Exodus of Zendikar - ON HOLD
Actually it has to be the draw step or else you would lose the game before the pray trigger resolves. See this thread
I'm currently not happy with waste counters, I'm exploring other options on this thread: [EOZ] More Eldrazi Brainstorming
Are you designing commons? Check out my primer on NWO.
Interested in making a custom set? Check out my Set skeleton and archetype primer.
I also write articles about getting started with custom card creation.
Go and PLAYTEST your designs, you will learn more in a single playtests than a dozen discussions.
My custom sets:
Dreamscape
Coins of Mercalis [COMPLETE]
Exodus of Zendikar - ON HOLD
Worldbuilding & Destroying
More Eldrazi Brainstorming
Four Emrakuls
Are you designing commons? Check out my primer on NWO.
Interested in making a custom set? Check out my Set skeleton and archetype primer.
I also write articles about getting started with custom card creation.
Go and PLAYTEST your designs, you will learn more in a single playtests than a dozen discussions.
My custom sets:
Dreamscape
Coins of Mercalis [COMPLETE]
Exodus of Zendikar - ON HOLD
Pray is now nearly spell only.
Added some more threads I've been working on.
Would love some comments on this cycle.
EDIT: updated visual spoiler with 90 card.
Are you designing commons? Check out my primer on NWO.
Interested in making a custom set? Check out my Set skeleton and archetype primer.
I also write articles about getting started with custom card creation.
Go and PLAYTEST your designs, you will learn more in a single playtests than a dozen discussions.
My custom sets:
Dreamscape
Coins of Mercalis [COMPLETE]
Exodus of Zendikar - ON HOLD
Dunes of Zairo
SHANDALAR
Innistrad - The Darkest Night
~THE RAVNICAN CONSORTIUM~
A Community Set
Commander: Allies & Adversaries
I kind of agree with void nothing and Guesswork from Four Emrakuls, although I like Karrow Rossings suggestion. Maybe "enters the battlefield or dies"? In any case, append that to any specific comments I make about cards with Eradicate.
The Drone cycle is currently unbalanced with 4/5 activations being 1C. The black one shouldn't come down, so we'd like to change one of the others, and luckily it just so happens that the green one is currently very weak (cf Baloth), so its activation could just become G.
Peek into Oblivion becomes pretty good with just three spawn out, and it doesn't feel like the intended use/flavor.
Jwari Phantom: Do the attacking creatures have to copy the same creature, or do you choose targets to copy independently? Wording feels unclear.
Hedron Explorer is pretty underpowered at uncommon.
Mana Rupture can currently only be cast if your opponent controls a tapped land, pretty awkward vs. suspend. Functionally very similar but slightly cleaner targeting any land Ajani Vengeant style.
Broodslave Null: "another" ????
Tidal Snatch felt a little pushed but nothing too serious, but comparing Night Soil to Extortion I think it should be 2BB or uncommon at the very least.
And I see the "pushed common landfall spell" cycle continues with Red, as Magma Splash is one of the more unbalanced cards I've seen in a while. Printing R:"Deal 4 to a player" at sorcery is quite pushed, and even with the landfall drawback it's much too good hitting creatures as well. Maybe at RR. Maybe even a RR instant.
WotC seems to regard use of the word "planeswalker" as being rare now, which I disagree with, but I do think common is a little far. (re:Enflame Suspicion)
Zektar Pinnacle has an unnecessary "if you do."
Exploration on a land feels very dangerous, even if it is symmetric. Playing a 3 drop on T2 and a 5 drop on T3 with no card disadvantage is serious business.
The other 78 cards vary from bland printable limited fillers which show a good grasp of set design to clever, fun, and flavorful, so this is a pretty stunning first draft.
Interested in Custom Card Creation.
My Cube:Cardinal Custom Cube
A custom version of a third modern masters: MM2019
(filter->rarity to see in set rarity).
I'm glad your so impressed with the first draft. I'm working slowly but surely and will hopefully have a bunch of new cards to show in the next few weeks.
I'll update the visual spoiler sometime soon when I get some time as I'm near the end of University semester so I'm super busy.
Are you designing commons? Check out my primer on NWO.
Interested in making a custom set? Check out my Set skeleton and archetype primer.
I also write articles about getting started with custom card creation.
Go and PLAYTEST your designs, you will learn more in a single playtests than a dozen discussions.
My custom sets:
Dreamscape
Coins of Mercalis [COMPLETE]
Exodus of Zendikar - ON HOLD
Extortion is a little weak, and I'm aware of Gruesome Discovery, but Landfall is an overall more powerful mechanic than morbid. I think that none of Brimstone Volley,Caravan Vigil,Festerhide Boar,Hunger of the Howlpack, or Tragic Slip would be acceptable as commons with landfall. Night Soil wouldn't be too powerful, buts it's a very powerful effect to fire off almost unconditionally on turn 4, and it doesn't seem like a very fun effect to have running around for limited.
The World Beyond might turn out to be fine; it's certainly the sort of card that's hard to get completely right without testing. It just seems to me like being able to cast 3 drops on turn 2 without spending a card (which Nykthos can't), and not requiring you to do any extra work the way Nykthos does make it more volatile. It might also make for some swingy games in conjunction with the bouncelands, but I tend not to worry too much about modern.
Interested in Custom Card Creation.
My Cube:Cardinal Custom Cube
A custom version of a third modern masters: MM2019
(filter->rarity to see in set rarity).
4 More Commons
Always looking for more feedback
Are you designing commons? Check out my primer on NWO.
Interested in making a custom set? Check out my Set skeleton and archetype primer.
I also write articles about getting started with custom card creation.
Go and PLAYTEST your designs, you will learn more in a single playtests than a dozen discussions.
My custom sets:
Dreamscape
Coins of Mercalis [COMPLETE]
Exodus of Zendikar - ON HOLD
The story on Nissa Worldwaker and M15 in general has however really given me a push to update this before wizards gets back to Zendikar.
Currently exploring the idea of tweaking the Pray mechanic and possibly changing landfall to something else.
Stay Tuned.
Are you designing commons? Check out my primer on NWO.
Interested in making a custom set? Check out my Set skeleton and archetype primer.
I also write articles about getting started with custom card creation.
Go and PLAYTEST your designs, you will learn more in a single playtests than a dozen discussions.
My custom sets:
Dreamscape
Coins of Mercalis [COMPLETE]
Exodus of Zendikar - ON HOLD
I definitely want to come back to this after I work on my current project (Dreamscape of Noctus) but I think that more that one or two of the mechanics need to be totally ripped out and replaced with something better.
Having both landfall, pray and eldrazi spawn really clogged up the spell mechanics while escort doesn't have enough design space to fill in the gaps.
I should be posting the main thread for Dreamscape of Noctus sometime soon and would love if everyone took a look at it.
Are you designing commons? Check out my primer on NWO.
Interested in making a custom set? Check out my Set skeleton and archetype primer.
I also write articles about getting started with custom card creation.
Go and PLAYTEST your designs, you will learn more in a single playtests than a dozen discussions.
My custom sets:
Dreamscape
Coins of Mercalis [COMPLETE]
Exodus of Zendikar - ON HOLD