MTG Salvation

Quote from Circeus »

There's a couple cards with "NEED FIXING?!" as their text (Crusade of the Daumas, Ceaseless Recomposition, Communal Tromper, Rage of the Mori, Starshadow Sneak, Slumbertread Mori). Not sure if intended?

Thats intended for cards that are currently empty slots.

I know we don't normally care for nonlimited issues, but Reap the Dreamer looks seriously too powerful for other formats

Reap the Dreamer is color intensive and has the same limitations in this environment as Victim of Night, though your right that constructed is a secondary concern for me.

Things are swinging back in action after a slow period recently!

I've had multiple online playtests for the set in both constructed and limited. Thanks to the folks on the Custommagic Discord channel.

You can find a new version of the set on webdrafter at:
http://webdrafter.geogen.cz/set/563

I'll update the visual spoiler and frontpage etc tonight.

Discord Invite link:
https://discord.gg/Twc6FX2

Recently some members of the custommagic subreddit have started a Discord channel.
This is a great place to critique some custom cards, chat with other designers and receive quick feedback on your own cards.

Also the channel has been the site of a number of playtesting sessions for sets like Aeynr and Tesla.
For example here is a video of a game from an 8 player draft just a few days ago.

Discord for those who don't know is a great online chat room service, with powerful features like voice chat, making playtesting easy

Quote from Legend »

[quote from="TurboJustice »" url="http://www.mtgsalvation.com/forums/creativity/custom-card-creation/730366-tesla-sample-booster-2?comment=3"]
Okay cool. Can you provide a link to the world description? And out of curiosity, is this "canon" or your own spin on Kaladesh?

Check out the rough outline of some of the story elements and potential story elements of the world:
http://goblinartisans.blogspot.com.au/2016/07/tesla-design-challenge-072216-hello.html

Ooooh I'll keep an eye on this, returning to old projects with hindsight can lead to some really polished projects.

Sign me up! I'll PM you contact details.

Sample booster for Tesla, a community custom set by the Goblin Artisan's group set in Kaladesh.

This booster is designed to showcase some of the flavor while still showcasing a number of the themes and mechanics. So I'd love to hear what you guys think.
Visual Spoiler

Sample Booster #1

Siv's Pathmage 1U
Creature - Human Wizard (C)
T: Target creature with power 2 or less can't be blocked this turn.
"I don't know who you are but you might need to hide after burning down half a district."
-Siv to Chandra
2/1

Border Sentry 1W
Creature - Human Artificer (C)
Defender
When Border Sentry enters the battlefield, put a 1/1 colorless Thopter artifact creature tokens with flying onto the battlefield.
Access between districts is heavily regulated, requiring either a dozen permits or a hefty bribe.
0/3

Census Enforcer 3W
Creature - Human Wizard (C)
It is against the law for an opponent to control three or more creatures
Justice - At the beginning of your upkeep, if an opponent broke the law since the beginning of your last upkeep, you may tap target creature.
"If your not on the book, you're illegal."
3/3

Underclass U
Enchantment - Aura (C)
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature gets -2/-0 and can't be blocked.
"Those beneath our feet are also beneath our notice."
-Harvel, Consul Inquisitor

Controversial Experiment 2B
Instant (C)
Target player sacrifices a creature.
Recharge (Put a colorless Canister artifact token onto the battlefield with "T, Sacrifice this artifact: Untap target permanent. Activate this ability only during your turn.")

Slum Keeper 5B
Creature - Human Cleric (C)
It is against the law for an opponent to control three or more creatures
Justice - At the beginning of your upkeep, if an opponent broke the law since the beginning of your last upkeep, that player loses 2 life.
Its no accident that plagues never seem to harm the rich.
4/5

Ghirapur Gearcrafter 2R
Creature - Human Artificer (C)
When Ghirapur Gearcrafter enters the battlefield, put a 1/1 colorless Thopter artifact creature token with flying onto the battlefield.
Production must be swift. Deadlines must be met. Progress waits for no one.
2/1

Æther-Warped Predator 3G
Creature - Beast Mutant (C)
Trample
T: Put a +1/+1 counter on Æther-Warped Predator. Activate this ability only any time you could cast a sorcery.
When a canister is created it damages the leylines, polluting the forests as the cities thrived.
2/2

City Sentinel 8
Artifact Creature - Golem (C)
The consul's watchful gaze towers over the districts.
8/8

Road to Progress 1W
Instant (C)
Put a +1/+1 counter on each creature you control with a +1/+1 counter on it.
Draw a card.
The Consul believe they are ushering in a new golden age.

Channeler of the Untamed G
Creature - Cat Druid (U)
Vigilance
Raid - T: Add G to your mana pool. Activate this ability only if you attacked with a creature this turn.
The dance of battle lets them access the lost magics of their forebears.
1/1

Malfunctioning Ravager 1
Artifact Creature - Construct (U)
Sacrifice an artifact: Put a +1/+1 counter on Malfunctioning Ravager.
As the factories became more automated, few questioned who or what was now behind all the filigree.
1/1

Meddling Instigator R
Creature — Human Rogue (U)
Revolution (T, Tap two other untapped creatures you control: Transform all creatures with revolution you control. Revolt only as a sorcery.)
Haste
Discontent is like kindling.
1/1
---Flip---
Riotous Mob
Creatures you control with revolution enter the battlefield transformed.
Haste
Whenever Riotous Mob attacks, put a 1/1 red Citizen creature token onto the battlefield tapped and attacking.
The tiniest spark can set off something uncontrollable.
2/2

Siv's Legacy 3RR
Instant (R)
Transform all creatures with revolution you control.
You choose which creatures attack this turn.
You choose which creatures block this turn and how those creatures block.
Siv's death was the torch that lit the revolution.

Quote from DarthVedik »

I think the ability is fine as is. I just think it should be on a land that produces U and not C.

Why? Scry has appearing in all colors multiple times and also that either makes it a strictly work temple or a strictly better island.

For both Limited and constructed how strong would this card be in everyone's opinion?

Utopian District
Land {C}
When Utopian District enters the battlefield, scry 1.
T: Add C to your mana pool.
The Consul’s prosperity comes only at the cost of your privacy.

Overall I like the themes of the set and I think they are the strongest point of the commons.

Overall comments:

• You seem to have a large number of 1/2's and overall the creature sizes are fairly small. I'd be interested in what your average P/T is.
• Some of the gold/hybrid cards seem a little conflicted in how much that want to support an archetype or even be very useful in draft.
• I really dislike the clunky tri-lands, for common something similar to gainlands is probably fine.
• White prowess is fine, especially in the context of this set
• You have way way too much lifegain at common
• overall the enviroment looks sluggishly slow and without the Eldrazi or mechanics like outlast to punch through in the lategame.

Card Comments:

• Araknis is totally fine as long as you have ways to overpower or bypass it at common. Rotting Mastadon was not an important card and I suspect is reasonably better.
• Book Pest - Fateseal still isn't fun
• Deepening Dementia - Having it always just mill you seems like a better imaginarium enabler right?
• Ensorcelled Instrument - This isn't ever being played. Is that the intention?
• Fearless Feline seems pretty damn pushed
• I really like Flamedancer
• Wouldn't High Road Bandit be way more interesting as a 2/1 without haste and that ability? Again you have so many 1/2's how do the games ever end?
• Moltenheart Elemental could be a 8/2 to punch through the spider? its a sad Cobblebrute currently
• I agree swiftstrike is probably a little too efficient for a cantrip.

Quote from Legend »

"It is" would surely be abbreviated to "It's".

Is it intentional for my Justice effects to trigger off of my opponents' Laws (in multiplayer)? It could read "..if an opponent broke one of your laws..."

Good point about the grammer, I'll make a note to change that to be consistent across all the justice cards.

Justice triggering off opponents laws is something that I agree is awkward and unintended, I'll look into minor alterations to the wording but it isn't a high priority as the set is basically design for limited and casual constructed play only.

Law & Justice - It goes without saying that this is a sweet mechanic. Everyone knows that. It is such a strongly flavored mechanic, that it can easily steal the thematic show, which I think it does here. I think the overall set theme is steampunk, which Law & Order doesn't jive with. It could fit thematically if the other factions were as well defined, which they don't seem to be.

As I mentioned this booster in currently nearly entirely lacking in flavor, instead showcasing simple mechanical designs. Being a steampunk world is only ones aspect of Kaladesh's flavor, its well established that the Consul is an oppressive goverment, having laws such as the banning of all pyromancy, punishable by death. This oppressive lawmaking fits well both mechanically and flavorfully for the set in my opinion.
Finally due to the exponential complexity multiple laws create and the narrow design space of laws that are actually fun at common its unlikely that Justice is going to "steal the thematic show", due to its low As-fan.

Revolution - Am I missing something here? It seems to lack that special "something" that the the earliest incarnations of Revolution had.

Other than this particular example being a bit more flavor neutral that I'd like due to my lackluster flavor text. The core mechanics of Revolution hasn't changed, what is it that makes you feel this is missing that "special something"?
Also note this is literally the most vanilla of all the Revolt cards, its like saying werewolves isn't cool because of Convicted Killer.

but I don't understand why y'all aren't using the blatantly obvious "Tinker" for this rather than "Recharge".

Recharge is potentially not the final name but due to AEther Canisters being flavored as more of a Consul invention Tinker doesn't really work. It sounds odd for Governments to be doing a bunch of Tinkering.

Artifact matters is a minor archetype theme and not something that needs an ability word or mechanic.

I'll be interested to see your response on a more flavor based booster pack, maybe next week.

Sample booster for Tesla, a community custom set by the Goblin Artisan's group set in Kaladesh.

This booster is designed to showcase the mechanics more so than the flavor. So I'd love to hear what you guys think.

THE BOOSTER:

Consul Faithful 2W
Creature - Human Soldier (C)
It is against the law for an opponent to cast no spells during his or her turn.
Justice - At the beginning of your upkeep, if an opponent broke the law since your last turn began, put a +1/+1 counter on Consul Faithful.
2/2

Fugitive Freelancer 3U
Creature - Human Artificer (C)
Flash
When Fugitive Freelancer enters the battlefield, put a 1/1 colorless Thopter artifact creature token with flying onto the battlefield.
1/4

Naga Drowner 1B
Creature - Naga Wizard (C)
5U: Tap target creature. It doesn't untap during its owner's next untap step.
Fearing persecution for their magical abilities, many Naga have retreated to their river homelands. And quite a few plot to bring home back with them.
2/1

Stamp Out 3BB
Sorcery (C)
Destroy target creature. If that creature was tapped, its controller discards a card.
"The crime: Practice of magic without the use of artifice.
The punishment: Death."
-Transcript from the Theater of Justice

Chain-Bound Ogre 3R
Creature — Ogre Warrior (C)
Revolution (T, Tap two untapped creatures you control: Transform all permanents with Revolution you control. Revolt only as a sorcery.)
3/3
---Flip---
Chain-Whip Ogre
Creatures you control with revolution enter the battlefield transformed.
They don’t know who or what their fighting for but any fight is better than imprisonment.
5/5

Take Down 2RR
Sorcery (C)
Take Down deals 5 damage to target creature.
Raid - If you attacked with a creature this turn, you may discard a card. If you do, draw a card.
"Remove the guard and those supplies are ours."
-Jartel, Rebel Acquisitioner

Pioneer Researcher 2G
Creature - Human Artificer (C)
When Pioneer Researcher enters the battlefield, recharge (Put a colorless Canister artifact token onto the battlefield with "T, Sacrifice this artifact: Untap target permanent. Activate this ability only during your turn.")
2/3

Rhox Savage 2G
Creature - Rhino Warrior (C)
Raid - Rhox Savage enters the battlefield with a +1/+1 counter on it if you attacked with a creature this turn.
The Rhox know only the language of hoof and horn and axe.
3/2

Battery Golem 4
Artifact Creature - Construct (C)
Battery Golem doesn't untap during your untap step.
Powerful after a power refill.
4/4

Soylent Feed 1G
Instant (C)
As an additional cost to cast Soylent Feed, sacrifice a creature or exile a creature card from your graveyard.
You gain 7 life.
It isn't right. But it is necessary.

Limit Overflow 1UU
Enchantment - Aura (U)
Enchant nonland permanent
Enchanted permanent is an artifact creature with base power and toughness 5/5 in addition to its other types.

Galvanic Agent 2UR
Creature - Human Artificer (U)
Haste
When Galvanic Agent enters the battlefield, it gets +X/+0 until end of turn, where X is the number of artifacts you control.
2/3

Isolated Citizen W
Creature — Human Citizen :uncommon:
Revolution (T, Tap two other untapped creatures you control: Transform all creatures with revolution you control. Revolt only as a sorcery.)
1/1
---Flip---
Voice of the Populace
Creatures you control with revolution enter the battlefield transformed.
Voice of the Populace power and toughness are each equal to the number of creatures you control.
*/*

Selefar War-Golem 7
Artifact Creature - Golem (R)
Whenever Selefar War-Golem attacks, you may exile target nonland permanent. If you do Selefar War-Golem doesn't untap during your next untap step.
Æther canisters powered both Kaladesh's industry and its military might.
6/6

Join Reuben Covington and Dan Felder for the sixtieth episode of Re-Making Magic, the podcast about game design and custom magic cards.

DIRECT DOWNLOAD
Podcast archive link
RSS feed
iTunes Channel
MTGcast page
Check out the Remaking Magic blog and ask us questions

In this episode:

• We return after our extended break due to Faeria and other commitments
• Episode 59 becomes lost to the void
• We talk in detail about the returning mechanics of Shadows over Innistrad
• Dan takes guesses at how these mechanics would be re-implemented while Reuben says how they ended up playing.

Card Renders:

Contact details:
remakingmagic.tumblr.com

Reuben Covington
Twitter: @reubencovington
Email: reubencovington@gmail.com
MTGsalvation Account: Doombringer

Dan Felder
Twitter: @DesignerDanF
Email: minimallyexceptional@gmail.com
MTGsalvation Account: Stairc

Quote from Thought Criminal »

]- Divert isn't narrow at all. It promotes certain deck strategies, is relevant in many games, and works more effectively in multiples.

The uses for the effect isn't narrow unlike some of the other mechanics but the number of designs you can create in a set certainly is. It has power level concerns and everything turning into Golbin Heelcutters won't make for a good enviroment.

- Tactician isn't broad at all. In fact, it modifies the rules for combat in a way that having to explain it without using the keyword as reference becomes a pain. It's not as broad as you make it out to be.

Your right that was a typo on my end, was meant to be in the "too narrow" category.

- Infiltrate, on the other hand, is definitely too broad.

Totally agree.

[ability name] - [this creature] has [ability] as long as you control a creature token. - This would primarily be in white/green.

I don't see any problems with this.

Neither do I as I mentioned other than requiring a sightly niche environment. Which is fine but worth noting.

Of the mechanics I'll probably end up adding the "token matters" ability and the modified flanking.

Divert, Stun, Pack, Enlist and [ability name](the power greater one) are all far too narrow. Fine for an individual design or two but not a mechanic.

Tactician and Infiltrate are too broad, it would be like keywording "Enter the battlefield." , not very useful.

The "Token Matters" is a niche possibility ifor a mechanic in the right type of set.

The "fixed" Flanking is also interesting enough if I can make the wording clearer.

I suggest giving a listen to our "What makes a good mechanic" podcast [pt1] [pt2]

Thanks for the suggestions