Black can do life drain without White ( Drain Life )
White can't do life drain without Black. It can prevent, redirect or reverse life loss and damage...
Therefore, Life Drain is/was Black.
There have been BW life drain cards at most times, but Extort can be played by Non-B decks.
For example, now we have Syndic of Tithes, whom you could play in a mono W deck and whose ability you could pay with only White, which is a break with past abilites of White.
White having life drain effects on its own is likely something we won't be seeing much of, as I'm guessing this effect existing was more due to balance than simply handing abilities over. Each guild needed to have mono-colored cards with the respective guild's ability, and - if anything - Extort plays into White's taxing nature. Sure, it's with life this time around, but I believe from a flavor standpoint it hits well.
Imagine if your opponent goes turn 1 Illness and Turn 2 ratchet bomb, how do you even fight through that
You don't. You sit back in your chair, pick up your cards, and admit that the Esper-mage is the better player and far superior. You then take your janky and less intelligent GW playin' butt home to sit and think about your life.
But in all seriousness, GW has answers to artifacts and enchantments all the time. I would imagine that there would just be more need to sideboard/maindeck a couple answers to this sort of thing.
Well, since we're in a core set, its a pretty safe bet that we'll only be seeing evergreen mechanics on our new slivers this go-round (which I'm totally ok with). So far, we have these guys completely confirmed:
At first, I thought we'd get a vertical cycle in each color with one sliver per rarity (save for mythics) but having both Blur and Striking knocked that around a bit. So here we are with a safe assumption that there's two per color at common, one at uncommon, and one at rare. Another thing to note is that each sliver at common grants a keyword mechanic, and the two revealed uncommons boost your slivers' stats. This just might be my mind attempting to complete perceived cycles, but if this trend continues I can see the common slivers having basic keywords, the uncommons affecting stats in at least RGW, and the rare cycle having a more powerful keyword or ability tacked on more slivery goodness. Taking that to heart, here's what some friends and I put together:
I had to read it twice before I caught the spot that prevented free Eldrazi spells.
Also, here's an alternate way to get the same "no colorless needed" effect, that I think will produce the same result:
When casting colored spells, you may reduce the amount of colorless mana required to 0 rather than pay its full mana cost. (you still pay any colored mana required in the spell's casting cost.)
This way, its an active choice, so when casting spells with X in it, you get to choose NOT to reduce the cost down. And again, there may be a flaw in my take on it, but I'm not seeing it.
Mason's Favor2R
Enchantment - Aura
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature has first strike and 1R: this creature gets +2/+0 until end of turn. Activate this ability only once per turn.
Whistlewhelp Boggart3
Artifact Creature - Goblin Construct
When Whistlewhelp Boggart enters the battlefield, goblins you control gain first strike until end of turn. "Never lick a boggart's hairy ear".
3/1
Whenever a player draws a card, that player adds one mana of any color to his or her mana pool.
That seems just about right for the color combination, and it's a solid, balance effect.
Fine Print2B
Enchantment [C]
Extort
Whenever an opponent gains control of a permanent you control, he or she loses 2 life and you gain 2 life. "There's no such thing as 'free' when it comes to the Orzhov."
--Talon Valins
False Visions4U
Enchantment
Nonland permanents on the battlefield have "If this permanent becomes the target of a spell or ability, sacrifice it." At that moment, Skritt realized that all life was a lie.
Next:
Moral Abandonment
Beckoning Ooze
Uneasy Truce
Reanimator's Oil5
Artifact
Whenever an artifact enters the battlefield under your control, you may pay 2. If you do, sacrifice it, then return target creature card in a graveyard with converted mana cost equal or less than the sacrificed card to the battlefield. It's an artifact in addition to its other types. "To win back his throne, Miget needed the best soldiers his people had ever seen, and he knew just where to look."
Captivating Gaze2UU
Enchantment - Aura
Enchant Creature
Flash
If a creature would block or be blocked by enchanted creature, instead tap that creature. "Once you have the look down, everyone will be bowing at your feet."
--Glacia McNell
Next Up: Slab Hauler
Glorious Rebirth
Moral Abandonment
Fine Print2B
Enchantment
Extort
Whenever an opponent gains control of a permanent you control, he or she loses 2 life and you gain 2 life. "There's no such thing as 'free' when it comes to the Orzhov."
--Talon Valins
Corpse Blizzard XU/U/
Sorcery [R]
Creatures your opponents control get -X/-X until end of turn.
if UUU was paid in the casting cost, tap each creature opponents control. If BBB was paid, creatures your opponents control get -X/-X until end of turn, where X is the number or creatures that died this turn. The frozen shards of D’Sanz’ army were nothing compared to the chill of Glacia’s resolve.
Slippery Slope1UU
Enchantment
Whenever a creature without flying attacks you, its controller flips a coin. If he or she loses the flip, he or she taps that creature and removes it from combat. "After three failed attempts to take our tower, you'd think they'd have grafted claws on by now."
-- Glacia McNell
Next Up: Whisper of Perfection
Drop the Hammer
Risky Business
White having life drain effects on its own is likely something we won't be seeing much of, as I'm guessing this effect existing was more due to balance than simply handing abilities over. Each guild needed to have mono-colored cards with the respective guild's ability, and - if anything - Extort plays into White's taxing nature. Sure, it's with life this time around, but I believe from a flavor standpoint it hits well.
You don't. You sit back in your chair, pick up your cards, and admit that the Esper-mage is the better player and far superior. You then take your janky and less intelligent GW playin' butt home to sit and think about your life.
But in all seriousness, GW has answers to artifacts and enchantments all the time. I would imagine that there would just be more need to sideboard/maindeck a couple answers to this sort of thing.
White:
Sentinel - C, grants Vigilance
Steelform - U, grants +0/+1
Blue:
Nada
Black:
Nuthin'
Red:
Battle - U, grants +2/+0
Blur - C, grants Haste
Striking - C, grants First Strike
Green:
Groundshaker - C, grants Trample
At first, I thought we'd get a vertical cycle in each color with one sliver per rarity (save for mythics) but having both Blur and Striking knocked that around a bit. So here we are with a safe assumption that there's two per color at common, one at uncommon, and one at rare. Another thing to note is that each sliver at common grants a keyword mechanic, and the two revealed uncommons boost your slivers' stats. This just might be my mind attempting to complete perceived cycles, but if this trend continues I can see the common slivers having basic keywords, the uncommons affecting stats in at least RGW, and the rare cycle having a more powerful keyword or ability tacked on more slivery goodness. Taking that to heart, here's what some friends and I put together:
White:
C1: Vigilance - Confirmed
C2: Token generator?
U1: +0/+1 - Confirmed
R1: Lifelink
Blue:
C1: Flying
C2: Curiosity effect
U1: (This is the only one I can't explain)
R1: Hexproof
Black:
C1: Regenerate
C2: Sacrifice for an effect, ala Mindlash Sliver
U1: +1/+1 for each swamp? Perhaps
R1: Deathtouch
Red:
C1: First Strike - Confirmed
C2: Haste - Confirmed
U1: +2/+0 - Confirmed
R1: Double Strike? I could see it.
Green:
C1: Trample - Confirmed
C2: Possible ETB Fight
U1: +1/+1. Yes, I know this seems silly at Uncommon.
R1: Gemhide/Birds ability
Having typed all that, I'll be the first to admit that those abilities could easily be shuffled around rarities (Green comes to mind, here).
But that's just my thoughts.
Also, here's an alternate way to get the same "no colorless needed" effect, that I think will produce the same result:
When casting colored spells, you may reduce the amount of colorless mana required to 0 rather than pay its full mana cost. (you still pay any colored mana required in the spell's casting cost.)
This way, its an active choice, so when casting spells with X in it, you get to choose NOT to reduce the cost down. And again, there may be a flaw in my take on it, but I'm not seeing it.
Hope this helps
Enchantment - Aura
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature has first strike and 1R: this creature gets +2/+0 until end of turn. Activate this ability only once per turn.
Artifact Creature - Goblin Construct
When Whistlewhelp Boggart enters the battlefield, goblins you control gain first strike until end of turn.
"Never lick a boggart's hairy ear".
3/1
That seems just about right for the color combination, and it's a solid, balance effect.
Fine Print 2B
Enchantment [C]
Extort
Whenever an opponent gains control of a permanent you control, he or she loses 2 life and you gain 2 life.
"There's no such thing as 'free' when it comes to the Orzhov."
--Talon Valins
Enchantment
Nonland permanents on the battlefield have "If this permanent becomes the target of a spell or ability, sacrifice it."
At that moment, Skritt realized that all life was a lie.
Next:
Moral Abandonment
Beckoning Ooze
Uneasy Truce
Artifact
Whenever an artifact enters the battlefield under your control, you may pay 2. If you do, sacrifice it, then return target creature card in a graveyard with converted mana cost equal or less than the sacrificed card to the battlefield. It's an artifact in addition to its other types.
"To win back his throne, Miget needed the best soldiers his people had ever seen, and he knew just where to look."
Enchantment - Aura
Enchant Creature
Flash
If a creature would block or be blocked by enchanted creature, instead tap that creature.
"Once you have the look down, everyone will be bowing at your feet."
--Glacia McNell
Next Up:
Slab Hauler
Glorious Rebirth
Moral Abandonment
Enchantment
Extort
Whenever an opponent gains control of a permanent you control, he or she loses 2 life and you gain 2 life.
"There's no such thing as 'free' when it comes to the Orzhov."
--Talon Valins
Last one from me for the night.
Corpse Blizzard XU/U/
Sorcery [R]
Creatures your opponents control get -X/-X until end of turn.
if UUU was paid in the casting cost, tap each creature opponents control. If BBB was paid, creatures your opponents control get -X/-X until end of turn, where X is the number or creatures that died this turn.
The frozen shards of D’Sanz’ army were nothing compared to the chill of Glacia’s resolve.
And of course, the image:
Enchantment
Whenever a creature without flying attacks you, its controller flips a coin. If he or she loses the flip, he or she taps that creature and removes it from combat.
"After three failed attempts to take our tower, you'd think they'd have grafted claws on by now."
-- Glacia McNell
Next Up:
Whisper of Perfection
Drop the Hammer
Risky Business