Mind's Desire freed once more? Never thought I'd see the day. I feel like the storm decks are already consistent without it, which could be a red flag. But, as Flutterpriest says, maybe it makes some old Tier 3 thing like High Tide viable once more. I find myself agreeing with WotC - obviously a strong card, but probably no longer format-breaking. I'm excited to see!
Let's look at sorceries that do nothing but scry at 2>= mana value: Mystic Speculation and Reason (split card) . These are not setting formats alight, and yours is a bit like Reason, except with making your opponent take a turn off a spell if they really care, but also you have to discard a card. I guess maybe the cast trigger is sort of a factor, but I wouldn't exactly be countering Mental Edge or stifling its trigger.
Preordain, Serum Visions, Scour all Possibilities and and Sand Augury (from Young Blue Dragon) let you draw a card too. The first two are pretty strong, with Preordain meriting a ban in Modern, and being a reluctant third choice cantrip in Legacy. But I just don't see Mental Edge that way.
Again, what deck wants it? What deck is worried if you cast it? It's not exactly playable in Limited.
Honestly, even if my opponent has managed to Galvanic Relay for 4 on their last turn and I *know* they want to go off, I'll feel happier with Spell Pierce in my hand, because at least I get to choose what I counter. 99% of other situations it does literally nothing. And I can scry if I give myself card disadvantage? At least give me a card draw or something, Reap.
What deck wants this? A sideboard card in blue tempo decks to stop you getting Wrathed? That one High Tide variant with Reset? One-off combo with Rule of Law? What deck is afraid of it?
This doesn't work the way you're hoping. You can think of it this way: either Elesh Norn isn't in play (in which case it can't be targeted by Chatterfang's ability). Or it is, in which case the -2/-2 applies. This means the squirrels will be -1/-1 and will go to the graveyard as a state based action before either player gets priority.
I am an eternal skeptic when it comes to matters of money and human nature and at this point nothing short of a video of the finder buying and opening it will change my mind.
Cool. I think probably this forklift guy opened it. I also think your position is a weird one for someone to take - do you video every pack you open? Wait, you're an eternal skeptic. Of course you do.
You asked about p/t and I think you're probably good for the first two. Silumgar and Atarka feels okay, but I'd maybe take the power down a bit. 8 evasive damage on turn 5 is painful. (I know Rafiq and Sharuum is 7, but exalted does mean it has to attack alone, at least, and you're unlikely to be getting much off the Reconstruction effect).
However, a 24-point life swing on turn 5 is, um... too much. I know it's four colours, but with signets and mana fixing, Doran and Brion needs scaling back IMO.
I dunno, I think maybe there's something here. Not really sure why drawing more cards would cause a scandal (unless your name is Alex Bertoncini).
What format is this one for, Reap? Probably a bit strong for Standard, and likely too cheap for how much it screws up games of Commander. But Legacy? Sort of a really dodgy card for Sneak and Show?
Oh, and rather than screwing around with the rules for Suspend, it's probably better to either say nothing happens with lands (and maybe shave a mana), or use a replacement effect: If a player would draw a card except the first one they draw each turn, instead reveal cards from the top of their library until they reveal a nonland card etc.
A weird sort of Prismatic Ending in Legacy. Definitely better against Marit Lage tokens because instant, but similarly dreadful against Murktide Regent (albeit an actual answer to a lethal attack for a turn at least). About the same against Stoneforge Mystic. Obviously not as good against anything that's not a creature of planeswalker.
But I agree with rowan. If you want this to be competitive in Legacy, either you make it cost W or open it up to other kinds of permanents. I will say anyone putting together 8 mana to use it on Scornful Egotist deserves their 8/8.
I think putting the pressure on your opponent has amazing suspense.
But, like... you can't flip a coin well. It's got to be a 50/50 thing. So, if you're an expert with sleight of hand or something and can actually affect the result, it goes against the spirit of the request. I can't see how there's any more suspense for them doing it or me doing it.
I'll concede maybe I feel more responsible if I win or lose if I'm doing the physical coin flipping, but that actually just reinforces the point I made before about psychologically it feeling better if you win if you win, rather than nothing happens if you win.
And on Arena or MTGO, it'd be handled by an algorithm - no opportunity to show off how high I can flip and still catch the coin or whatever (and equally, no chance the coin falls on the floor and we argue if it counts or not). Is that what you mean by suspense? Because I swear for 90% of coin flip cards, I and my playgroup roll dice because we already have dice on the table, and getting an actual coin from someone's actual wallet/purse is slow and who even has cash on them in 2023.
And even if it's an actual, physical coin being flipped for meaningful stakes within the context of a game you're playing, I actually think less is more, weirdly. A high stakes win/lose off a single coin would be (for me) more suspenseful than 5 flips that lead to the same win/loss. A bit like getting the topdeck you need to get lethal damage vs. getting the three topdecks in a row that allow you to win a game that, 99 times out of 100, you'd have lost. I feel like that leads to both players feeling cheated.
Because it makes the design more interactive and fun.
So with your card, if I flip a coin and win, nothing happens. But if I lose, something bad happens. Compare that psychologically with me flipping a coin and winning and something good happens; and if I lose, nothing happens.
Or see the various D20 designs - you get something good for playing the card, then something better if you roll well. Here there's a risk (albeit a very small one) that I spend 3 mana and get nothing.
I sort of agree that flipping coins is more fun than doing nothing. But this way around, you're emphasising the downside of losing rather than the upside of winning.
Note that it's only interactive in the same way that shuffling your deck is interactive - you're doing something with your hands, sure, but you don't have any choice about it. It's just a game action. I personally find that more like a chore than especially fun.
I agree with rowan that really cards like this are for Chance Encounter. Otherwise I feel like I'd rather just have Gaea's Anthem - it's just more reliable.
Pop quiz, Reap: how many times do I have to hit you with 3 power before you die? That's right, it's 7.
And how many times does this creature's ability have to trigger before I run out of cards? Oh no, it's 9 (8 if I play it on turn 2).
And that would probably be okay if Flashback or Unearth or Escape or half a dozen other mechanics didn't exist and care about cards being in your graveyard, but, of course, they do.
Also, I feel that between this name and Abyssal Eclipse, Forged in Hate, Crushed in Earth and especially Testament of Suffering, you have about half of a Cradle of Filth album's worth of track names. Not a criticism as far as I'm concerned (I love Dani and the gang as much as the next guy) but maybe a bit much for non-black cards, no?
I say this is good news. I was worried they would change the actual Undercity dungeons (either move them around or nerf Trap!) instead of banning anything. WPA may be slightly weaker than Seasoned Dungeoneer in a vacuum, but with a lower density of enablers at a higher cost, White Initiative will likely shift to more RW to stay competitive, although I still don't feel like people have nailed down Archon of Emeria vs. Elite Spellbinder vs. Anointed Peacekeeper. Sad that RW loses out on the hard-to-pull-off but hilarious interaction of Reflection of Kiki-Jiki with WPA. But a sensible ban that cuts down those 'get the initiative on turn one and mash you for 11 unblockable on turn 2' games.
Also a little sad to see EI gone - RIP Hot Bant, we hardly knew ye. But if you're not banning Daze (and they're never banning Daze), you've got to keep cheap card advantage away from Delver or you pay the consequences. It'll still be a Tier 1 deck, of course. But hopefully a little less oppressive. And definitely not RIP to those turn sequences that went from an empty hand, board and graveyard to 'EI into EI next turn into Mystic Sanctuary, get EI, into EI, Daze my own EI, pick up Sanctuary, pay for Daze, into 6/6 Murktide, ready to play spells and Sanctuary again the next turn, just in case you didn't have enough cards yet. And that's without playing a DRC or anything. Good riddance.
Preordain, Serum Visions, Scour all Possibilities and and Sand Augury (from Young Blue Dragon) let you draw a card too. The first two are pretty strong, with Preordain meriting a ban in Modern, and being a reluctant third choice cantrip in Legacy. But I just don't see Mental Edge that way.
Again, what deck wants it? What deck is worried if you cast it? It's not exactly playable in Limited.
What deck wants this? A sideboard card in blue tempo decks to stop you getting Wrathed? That one High Tide variant with Reset? One-off combo with Rule of Law? What deck is afraid of it?
Cool. I think probably this forklift guy opened it. I also think your position is a weird one for someone to take - do you video every pack you open? Wait, you're an eternal skeptic. Of course you do.
However, a 24-point life swing on turn 5 is, um... too much. I know it's four colours, but with signets and mana fixing, Doran and Brion needs scaling back IMO.
Vigilance lets them attack and also tap to sac, though...
What format is this one for, Reap? Probably a bit strong for Standard, and likely too cheap for how much it screws up games of Commander. But Legacy? Sort of a really dodgy card for Sneak and Show?
Oh, and rather than screwing around with the rules for Suspend, it's probably better to either say nothing happens with lands (and maybe shave a mana), or use a replacement effect: If a player would draw a card except the first one they draw each turn, instead reveal cards from the top of their library until they reveal a nonland card etc.
But I agree with rowan. If you want this to be competitive in Legacy, either you make it cost W or open it up to other kinds of permanents. I will say anyone putting together 8 mana to use it on Scornful Egotist deserves their 8/8.
But, like... you can't flip a coin well. It's got to be a 50/50 thing. So, if you're an expert with sleight of hand or something and can actually affect the result, it goes against the spirit of the request. I can't see how there's any more suspense for them doing it or me doing it.
I'll concede maybe I feel more responsible if I win or lose if I'm doing the physical coin flipping, but that actually just reinforces the point I made before about psychologically it feeling better if you win if you win, rather than nothing happens if you win.
And on Arena or MTGO, it'd be handled by an algorithm - no opportunity to show off how high I can flip and still catch the coin or whatever (and equally, no chance the coin falls on the floor and we argue if it counts or not). Is that what you mean by suspense? Because I swear for 90% of coin flip cards, I and my playgroup roll dice because we already have dice on the table, and getting an actual coin from someone's actual wallet/purse is slow and who even has cash on them in 2023.
And even if it's an actual, physical coin being flipped for meaningful stakes within the context of a game you're playing, I actually think less is more, weirdly. A high stakes win/lose off a single coin would be (for me) more suspenseful than 5 flips that lead to the same win/loss. A bit like getting the topdeck you need to get lethal damage vs. getting the three topdecks in a row that allow you to win a game that, 99 times out of 100, you'd have lost. I feel like that leads to both players feeling cheated.
So with your card, if I flip a coin and win, nothing happens. But if I lose, something bad happens. Compare that psychologically with me flipping a coin and winning and something good happens; and if I lose, nothing happens.
Or see the various D20 designs - you get something good for playing the card, then something better if you roll well. Here there's a risk (albeit a very small one) that I spend 3 mana and get nothing.
I sort of agree that flipping coins is more fun than doing nothing. But this way around, you're emphasising the downside of losing rather than the upside of winning.
Note that it's only interactive in the same way that shuffling your deck is interactive - you're doing something with your hands, sure, but you don't have any choice about it. It's just a game action. I personally find that more like a chore than especially fun.
I agree with rowan that really cards like this are for Chance Encounter. Otherwise I feel like I'd rather just have Gaea's Anthem - it's just more reliable.
And how many times does this creature's ability have to trigger before I run out of cards? Oh no, it's 9 (8 if I play it on turn 2).
And that would probably be okay if Flashback or Unearth or Escape or half a dozen other mechanics didn't exist and care about cards being in your graveyard, but, of course, they do.
Also, I feel that between this name and Abyssal Eclipse, Forged in Hate, Crushed in Earth and especially Testament of Suffering, you have about half of a Cradle of Filth album's worth of track names. Not a criticism as far as I'm concerned (I love Dani and the gang as much as the next guy) but maybe a bit much for non-black cards, no?
Also a little sad to see EI gone - RIP Hot Bant, we hardly knew ye. But if you're not banning Daze (and they're never banning Daze), you've got to keep cheap card advantage away from Delver or you pay the consequences. It'll still be a Tier 1 deck, of course. But hopefully a little less oppressive. And definitely not RIP to those turn sequences that went from an empty hand, board and graveyard to 'EI into EI next turn into Mystic Sanctuary, get EI, into EI, Daze my own EI, pick up Sanctuary, pay for Daze, into 6/6 Murktide, ready to play spells and Sanctuary again the next turn, just in case you didn't have enough cards yet. And that's without playing a DRC or anything. Good riddance.