Now that I think about it, I think making a creatureless set would be too much hassle. I think thought that I would still like to continue on with an Instants vs. Sorceries subtheme within the two-color structure.
In addition to cycling I'd like to use some kind of alternate-cost mechanic to make many of these red and blue cards playable in green, white, and black decks and some kind of mechanic to reward players for playing a lot of red and blue spells.
As for flavor, what would you guys think of an alchemy theme?
Gnomes, Salamanders, "Sylphs", and "Nymphs" could be featured creatures along with Elementals and Homunculi.
Themes would include the duality of water and fire, the moon and the sun, and "Solve et Coagula".
In the meantime, I think I will start coming up with and posting the off-color cycling cards then.
1RR
Sorcery
Destroy all artifacts.
Cycling 2W
When you cycle this card, destroy target enchantment.
3RR
Sorcery
This deals 3 damage to each creature without flying and to each player.
Cycling 2G
When you cycle this card, it deals 1 damage to each creature with flying.
1R
Sorcery
Add RRRR to your mana pool.
Cycling G
When you cycle this card, add one mana of any color to your mana pool.
4RR
Instant
This deals 5 damage to target player.
Cycling B
When you cycle this card, it deals 1 damage to target player.
2RR
Sorcery
Draw five cards then discard five cards at random.
Cycling 1U
When you cycle this card, draw a card and discard two cards.
2UU
Sorcery
Put the top eight cards of target players library into his or her graveyard.
Cycling B
When you cycle this card, remove target card in a graveyard from the game.
2UU
Instant
Put target spell on the bottom of it's owner's library.
Cycling WW
When you cycle this card, counter target spell then return that card to its owners hand.
3U
Instant
Remove target creature from the game. Its controller puts a 1/1 green Insect creature token into play.
Cycling 2G
When you cycle this card, put a 1/1 green creature token into play.
Okay, so I'm going to take another crack at this idea.
The setting will be completely different though and I still need to figure out what I'm going to do for that. For now, any names or creature types you see here will be placeholders.
Themes:
Instants and Sorceries
Blue and Red
Gimmicks:
There are no creature cards in this set but there are creatures to play with.
All the cards in the set are either red or blue but you can play any color of decks with this set.
Mechanics (so far):
In addition to the following two mechanics featured in both colors, I would also like to have two more mechanics each featured in a different color.
Furthermore, since there are no land cards in this set, I would like to have lots of pitch cards and Simian Spirit Guide types of cards here.
I would also like to figure out some way of incorporating colored artifacts into this.
Planeswalkers will be present.
Form [COST] (COST, Remove this card in your hand from the game: Put a creature token into play formed to this card.)
Cycling with off-color costs and abilities
Examples:
Rhox Spark- 1R
Instant
Destroy target artifact.
Form 2GG(2GG, Remove this card in your hand from the game: Put a creature token into play formed to this card.) Formed creature is a 3/3 green Rhino Warrior. Whenever it attacks, copy this card and play it without paying its mana cost.
Amphibiamancy- 2UU
Instant
Remove target creature from the game. It's controller puts a 1/1 green frog creature token into play.
Cycling 2G
Whenever you cycle this card, put a 1/1 green frog creature token into play.
The original recipe is a bit of a stock morph variant. This on the other hand is much more interesting. I wouldn't want too many of these form cards in a set, though, as they might make it seem unnecessarily creature-heavy. (Unless that was the designer's intent.)
I'm thinking of using it in a "creatureless" set. It's creatureless in the sense that none of the cards actually count as creatures as-is but many of them can produce or become creatures.
It's also Instant and Sorcery themed so I want to have a LOT of spells in the set.
Form [COST] (You may remove this card in your hand from the game for its form cost. If you do, put a creature token into play fomed to this card.)
Rhox Stomp- 1R
Instant
Destroy target artifact
Form 3GG
The formed creature is a 3/3 green Rhino Warrior. Whenever it attacks, you may copy this card and play the copy.
Form [COST] (2, Remove this card in your hand from the game face down: Put a 2/1 creature token into play. Sacrifice it at any time to play this spell for its Form cost.)
Silvery Strings- U
Instant
Tap or untap target creature.
Form W
Pipe Dream- 1U
Instant
Remove the top three cards of target library from the game.
Form B
Dust Bunnies- 1R
Instant
Destroy target artifact.
Form G
Devil in Me- R
Instant
Target creature gets +2/-1 until end of turn.
Form B
OK, lets expand the Nantuko out to Kamahlite Druids in general.
For the Kamahlite Druids, which would include Nantuko and Centaurs, I'd say WGR, wouldn't you agree?
Hmmm...
The Reformed Order. It's a different sect of The Order geared toward expansion outside of Otaria. It's mostly the original Order we have all come to know and love but with a little extra flavor added on to make them more GWU.
What do you think?
*edit*
To elaborate:
The Order seems to be made up of a lot of nomads and mystics.
Nomads seem to work in RGW I'd think and I'd think Mystics could work in UW. Avens are also UW. I think UWG Order could work.
I'm going to list of ten color combinations and ten tribes or factions.
What I would like for you to do is to match up each tribe or faction with the color combo you think it fits best in.
Ally Color Triads: WGR UWG BUW RBU GRB
Enemy Color Triads: GUB WRB URG GWB RWU
Otarian Factions:
Nantuko
The Order
Cephalids
The Cabal
Dwarves
Sarpadian Factions:
Thallids
The Farrelites
Homarids
Thrulls
Orcs
Another idea I had was to use two mechanics for all of the ally friendly cards and two mechanics for the enemy friendly cards.
Allies: COLORshift(When this permanent is sent to a graveyard from play, return target COLOR card from your graveyard to your hand.) Cycling
Cycling cards here feature abilities that trigger when you play them, but this time the cycling costs and abilities are "off-color". That is, you get a blue card that cycles for white mana and triggers a white ability when you do.
Enemies: Disfigure N- COST (You may play this spell for it's disfigure cost. If you do, this creature comes into play with N -1/-1 counter(s).) Flashback
Off-color Flashback is featured here with an extra twist. Some cards can only be played for their flashback costs if a certain condition is met (for example, a creature you controlled dealt damage to an opponent this turn.)
Undine then.
In addition to cycling I'd like to use some kind of alternate-cost mechanic to make many of these red and blue cards playable in green, white, and black decks and some kind of mechanic to reward players for playing a lot of red and blue spells.
As for flavor, what would you guys think of an alchemy theme?
Gnomes, Salamanders, "Sylphs", and "Nymphs" could be featured creatures along with Elementals and Homunculi.
Themes would include the duality of water and fire, the moon and the sun, and "Solve et Coagula".
Form might need some work then.
In the meantime, I think I will start coming up with and posting the off-color cycling cards then.
1RR
Sorcery
Destroy all artifacts.
Cycling 2W
When you cycle this card, destroy target enchantment.
3RR
Sorcery
This deals 3 damage to each creature without flying and to each player.
Cycling 2G
When you cycle this card, it deals 1 damage to each creature with flying.
1R
Sorcery
Add RRRR to your mana pool.
Cycling G
When you cycle this card, add one mana of any color to your mana pool.
4RR
Instant
This deals 5 damage to target player.
Cycling B
When you cycle this card, it deals 1 damage to target player.
2RR
Sorcery
Draw five cards then discard five cards at random.
Cycling 1U
When you cycle this card, draw a card and discard two cards.
2UU
Sorcery
Put the top eight cards of target players library into his or her graveyard.
Cycling B
When you cycle this card, remove target card in a graveyard from the game.
2UU
Instant
Put target spell on the bottom of it's owner's library.
Cycling WW
When you cycle this card, counter target spell then return that card to its owners hand.
3U
Instant
Remove target creature from the game. Its controller puts a 1/1 green Insect creature token into play.
Cycling 2G
When you cycle this card, put a 1/1 green creature token into play.
The setting will be completely different though and I still need to figure out what I'm going to do for that. For now, any names or creature types you see here will be placeholders.
Themes:
Instants and Sorceries
Blue and Red
Gimmicks:
There are no creature cards in this set but there are creatures to play with.
All the cards in the set are either red or blue but you can play any color of decks with this set.
Mechanics (so far):
In addition to the following two mechanics featured in both colors, I would also like to have two more mechanics each featured in a different color.
Furthermore, since there are no land cards in this set, I would like to have lots of pitch cards and Simian Spirit Guide types of cards here.
I would also like to figure out some way of incorporating colored artifacts into this.
Planeswalkers will be present.
Form [COST] (COST, Remove this card in your hand from the game: Put a creature token into play formed to this card.)
Cycling with off-color costs and abilities
Examples:
Rhox Spark- 1R
Instant
Destroy target artifact.
Form 2GG (2GG, Remove this card in your hand from the game: Put a creature token into play formed to this card.)
Formed creature is a 3/3 green Rhino Warrior. Whenever it attacks, copy this card and play it without paying its mana cost.
Amphibiamancy- 2UU
Instant
Remove target creature from the game. It's controller puts a 1/1 green frog creature token into play.
Cycling 2G
Whenever you cycle this card, put a 1/1 green frog creature token into play.
The Breakdown:
Rarity
40 commons
40 uncommons
40 rares
??? mythic rares
Colors
60 red
60 blue
??? multicolor/hybrid
Card Types
40 Instants
40 Sorceries
20 Enchantments
20 Artifacts
??? Planeswalkers?
Anybody is welcome to help out and throw in suggestions or critiques if they want.
I'm thinking of using it in a "creatureless" set. It's creatureless in the sense that none of the cards actually count as creatures as-is but many of them can produce or become creatures.
It's also Instant and Sorcery themed so I want to have a LOT of spells in the set.
Form [COST] (You may remove this card in your hand from the game for its form cost. If you do, put a creature token into play fomed to this card.)
Rhox Stomp- 1R
Instant
Destroy target artifact
Form 3GG
The formed creature is a 3/3 green Rhino Warrior. Whenever it attacks, you may copy this card and play the copy.
Silvery Strings- U
Instant
Tap or untap target creature.
Form W
Pipe Dream- 1U
Instant
Remove the top three cards of target library from the game.
Form B
Dust Bunnies- 1R
Instant
Destroy target artifact.
Form G
Devil in Me- R
Instant
Target creature gets +2/-1 until end of turn.
Form B
OK, lets expand the Nantuko out to Kamahlite Druids in general.
For the Kamahlite Druids, which would include Nantuko and Centaurs, I'd say WGR, wouldn't you agree?
Hmmm...
The Reformed Order. It's a different sect of The Order geared toward expansion outside of Otaria. It's mostly the original Order we have all come to know and love but with a little extra flavor added on to make them more GWU.
What do you think?
*edit*
To elaborate:
The Order seems to be made up of a lot of nomads and mystics.
Nomads seem to work in RGW I'd think and I'd think Mystics could work in UW. Avens are also UW. I think UWG Order could work.
What I would like for you to do is to match up each tribe or faction with the color combo you think it fits best in.
Ally Color Triads:
WGR
UWG
BUW
RBU
GRB
Enemy Color Triads:
GUB
WRB
URG
GWB
RWU
Otarian Factions:
Nantuko
The Order
Cephalids
The Cabal
Dwarves
Sarpadian Factions:
Thallids
The Farrelites
Homarids
Thrulls
Orcs
Then again though, look at the things mana cost. It's 2BBB for a 2/2!
Looks like symmetry is going to have to be broken up a little bit.
Left to right:
Dwarf, Halfling, Tiefling, Dragonborn, Human, Half-Elf, Eladrin, Elf
Another idea I had was to use two mechanics for all of the ally friendly cards and two mechanics for the enemy friendly cards.
Allies:
COLORshift (When this permanent is sent to a graveyard from play, return target COLOR card from your graveyard to your hand.)
Cycling
Cycling cards here feature abilities that trigger when you play them, but this time the cycling costs and abilities are "off-color". That is, you get a blue card that cycles for white mana and triggers a white ability when you do.
Enemies:
Disfigure N- COST (You may play this spell for it's disfigure cost. If you do, this creature comes into play with N -1/-1 counter(s).)
Flashback
Off-color Flashback is featured here with an extra twist. Some cards can only be played for their flashback costs if a certain condition is met (for example, a creature you controlled dealt damage to an opponent this turn.)
80 uncommons
120 commons
20 basic lands
How card types break down with depend greatly on the sets theme.