- Gerrard's Mom
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Member for 18 years and 3 months
Last active Sat, Dec, 23 2023 00:22:36
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May 21, 2018Gerrard's Mom posted a message on Ravnica: The Broken GuildpactYeah Orzhov is missing from the guild+parun list.Posted in: Articles
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May 7, 2018Gerrard's Mom posted a message on Dominaria Retrospective by Mark WintersInteresting stuff to hear about, thanks Mark!Posted in: Articles
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May 2, 2018Gerrard's Mom posted a message on All Sets Are Good: Legendshyalapterouslemur broke the mechanics down well, but interestingly, the flaws we might find with Legends are almost all due to the incredible shifts in game literacy and game design theory that we have seen in the decades since this set came out. There are many cards here that are not fun because they slow down play, hose really specific strategies, or seem cool but are not efficient enough to play in most formats. Many cards break the current color pie and there are not really any cohesive themes that make the cards play together in fun ways as a set. Sure it's a bit of a fallacy, but it's totally valid to look back and say this set was all over the place if we accept a modern design standpoint.Posted in: Articles
Nobody is denying that there are powerful cards, flavorful cards, or design innovations that had a big impact on sets to come - this article is talking about what is good about the set, after all. In the spirit of this article series, please feel free to share what you love about Legends, but recognize that the article's point is not to say that Legends is "bad".
Anyway, I'd say Born of the Gods is probably your next best bet for sets people like to dump on. Maybe Dragon's Maze. -
Apr 1, 2018Gerrard's Mom posted a message on The True History of DominariaI wish someone would put the Belzenlok on this and throw away the BelzenkeyPosted in: Articles
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It's slightly clunky but I do still think that this sort of design is more in the spirit of the format than Tazri et al - if Allies decks were forced to stick with white for their non-Ally cards that would be a lot different than seeing them all jam Rite of Replication and the like. Like I want to expand the..."deck identity"? into other colors without actually giving the other colors to just throw all sorts of goodstuff in.
It's fairly common for tribes not to have a commander that has both a Tribal effect AND covers all the color identities you might want to get all the good members of that tribe.
Color fixing is kind of out of pie in various ways for everybody but green but I'm pretty sure it's a reasonable bend to allow it for a strongly color-associated race.
Incidentally, there aren't any green Sphinxes at all barring changeling from what I saw, so that's a cool four-color idea too but might as well future-proof.
I thought it might be fun to have some commanders that bend the color identity rules for certain tribes. Rather than break down the restriction of color identity that is so important to Commander, this encourages niche decks without allowing them to get broad access to the mechanics in their off colors.
Here's a concept:
Angel loving person WW
Legendary Creature - Human Cleric (R)
If Angel loving person is your commander, your deck can have Angel cards of any color identity.
You may spend white mana as though it were mana of any color to cast Angel spells and activate the abilities of Angel permanents.
Whenever an Angel enters the battlefield under your control, bolster 1.
2/2
I'm not sure if there is a way to actually just wash the mana symbols of all your Angel cards to W elegantly. I guess it needs to be an eminence-type ability and work from command zone as well.
For extra abilities, sphinxes probably scry or something, demons maybe draw for life, dragons probably throw some damage around and hydras maybe the base guy just makes a bunch of mana for hydras.
I suppose you could do this for the characteristic races or whatever but that somehow seems more dangerous since there are a lot more of them.
I don't get why the everyone defender drawback is on Neerlin, but a Bant Merfolk legend is nice.
Rhulor's Rest is an interesting extra look ability but I'm not sure that a land is the right place for it, the execution is a little weird. It would need some rules support but it's probably doable.
I like the counterspell, that's probably your best card.
Fleeting Coalescence is a cool mythic. I'm not sure if Fastbond is green or red these days. It seems dangerous, I guess you need something like Oracle of Mul Daya to get all your lands and break it.
Small Brainstorm for one mana with enchantment upside doesn't seem common to me, at least. But it's fun for circulating cards and a nice take on these colors.
I like the first two a lot.
I'm not sure why ambush isn't just "choose after blockers are declared" because how do you police that? Provide secret choosing token cards or something?
Legendary Creature - Orc Pirate (R)
Whenever a Vehicle crewed by Kray, the Mad Helmsman deals combat damage to a player, you and that player each discard your hands, then draw cards equal to the amount of damage dealt this way.
The few living members of the Grim Captain's crew have to be crazy, unscrupulous, or both to keep from joining their unliving crewmates.
3/3
Scarra's Haul 2UB
Legendary Enchantment (R)
Whenever a creature an opponent controls dies, that player puts the top X cards of their library into their graveyard, where X is that creature's toughness.
Whenever one or more cards are put into an opponent's graveyard from their library, exile one of those cards. Then if there are six or more cards exiled this way, transform Scarra's Trawl.
//
Neverrest, the Wailing Isle
Land (R)
T: Add one mana of any color.
T: Until end of turn, you may cast target card exiled with this permanent and you may spend mana as though it were mana of any type to cast that spell.
2UB, T: Target opponent exiles a card from their hand. Activate this ability only as a sorcery.
Succumb to Despair 2UB
Instant (U)
Choose one —
• Target player sacrifices a creature.
• Target player counters a spell they control.
"The Legion tries to justify their undeath with piety, but I know life's simple truth. Steal it, or have it stolen from you."
-The Grim Captain
Speak the Forgotten Tongue XBBRR
Sorcery (R)
For each number from 1 to X, choose a random card in a graveyard with that converted mana cost. Until end of turn, you may cast those cards without paying their mana costs.
Neverrest wailed its dead secrets to a shipwrecked mage, and a Grim Captain was born.
Skulltide, Grim Flagship 4
Legendary Artifact - Vehicle (M)
Haste
Menace
Crew 3
Tap any number of creatures you control with total power 3 or more: Return Skulltide, Grim Flagship from your graveyard to the battlefield under your control.
5/2
I like the triggered modal ability. Nice weaving of three two-color effects. Hexproof is kind of random but ok. You forgot Legendary.
Finally a General's Regalia riff...? The blocking effect is sort of weird and I don't even know how it works since you are supposed to assign blockers all at once. I'm not sure that advantageous multi-blocks are the thing most people want to start doing with their commanders and the synergy with both of your cards is kind of weak.
bravelion:
Don't they write that 2+* or did they stop doing that? I don't like this version as much as last round - having variable large stats is a bit weird for a single human. Investigating is a cool idea but I think there must have been a better implementation, like adding scry to the Clues or something.
The aura is just too obvious, and it's not very good - for one more mana up front we can get Oracle's Insight.
On a philosophical note, I feel like your cards sometimes tend to strive too hard to be realistic and safe. I can see boring draft cards by opening up a pack - for the CCL, I want to see something new and fun. I think your technical design skills are fine for designing full sets, but at least in my case I'm more likely to favor cards that showed me a cool new idea but had some problems over cards that are perfectly printable as is but are very close to things we have seen already. I would also err in the "oops Tarmogoyf" direction for power adjustment rather than aim for like 11th pick draft cards. Again, all just my take.
soramaro:
I like this concept of planting ideas and having them sprout later. Feels like a realistic tie into your walker, could even work as having given up the spark and taken root somewhere.
The aura has synergy I suppose but the plant generation doesn't feel quite right to me since it isn't tied to the creature. Something like if you have fewer cards in hand than creature's toughness, draw cards would have been a neat possibility.
Hemlock:
And a fourth Dromoka. Probably should be "Whenever another creature..." although it technically works, just doesn't do anything to herself (ironically the only creature that has "Whenever a creature you control dies" on it is Reyhan, Last of the Abzan). It's a cool new direction for her, although I'm not crazy about the tension between the cost reduction and getting counters.
If the text all fits, I really like the Aura. Nice progression of abilities and they all work well in tandem. Only thing I'm not sure on is the flavor - does her hide get more adamantine over time or something?
2. soramaro
3. Cardz5000
Legendary Creature - Human Pirate Wizard (M)
At the beginning of your end step, choose target creature card in a graveyard. If that card's power is less than or equal to the amount of damage dealt to its owner this turn by Pirates you control, return it to the battlefield under your control.
1B: Until end of turn, target creature you control gains menace and becomes a Pirate in addition to its other types.
3/3
Scarra, the Grim Captain 3BB
Legendary Creature - Human Pirate Wizard (R)
Whenever a creature you control deals combat damage to a player, exile target creature card from that player’s graveyard. If you do, create a 2/2 black Zombie Pirate creature token.
1UR, Put a card exiled with Scarra into its owner’s graveyard: Until end of turn, target Zombie you control becomes a copy of that card.
3/2
The Grim Captain's Flag 2
Artifact - Equipment (R)
Whenever equipped creature attacks, defending player puts the top X cards of their library into their graveyard, where X is the number of attacking creatures. Creatures that player controls get -1/-0 until end of turn for each creature card put into the graveyard this way.
Equip 4
Flintlock:
Be prepared to have everyone tell you that you can't use -1/-1 and +1/+1 counters on the same card. I don't really see much reason to break that rule here, especially when tying them to a third type of counter. You forgot to shuffle after tutoring. The emblem is kind of neat but shuffling every turn is a pain.
Cardz:
This is a cool and fresh feeling Jeskai card, feels very much blue but with Boros added. Not sure I buy it at mythic but it seems fun.
bravelion:
Sure, on point for Library related abilities. The damage trigger is a bit odd for the flavor, I guess he is an aggressive librarian.
soramaro:
Tough ultimate to get to but I really like that ability, if it works. Is it supposed to give everything flash basically? And "play" as in lands too? The two plus abilities are fine and work well enough together. Seems a bit expensive depending on how powerful the ultimate actually is.
RaikouRider:
The concept is fine but 4-mana auto-Emrakul is clearly broken. I'm not sure what fixes it - at the very least, cut the search down to flipping one or two cards from the top.
Hemlock:
Sunscorch Regent up to 11. Fits the colors and the previous iterations quite well.
2. Cardz5000
3. soramaro
Legendary Creature - Human Pirate Wizard (M)
At the beginning of your end step, choose target creature card in a graveyard. If that card's power is less than or equal to the amount of damage dealt to its owner this turn by Pirates you control, return it to the battlefield under your control.
1B: Until end of turn, target creature you control gains menace and becomes a Pirate in addition to its other types.
3/3
I guess at uncommon capping the counters is ok and encourages you to play one creature every turn instead of just spamming tokens. Nice flavor.
bravelion:
Sure, painfully blowing up artifacts is red and works well with your story.
Flintlock:
Not sure exactly what is going on but the flavor is the most interesting for this one. I guess seeing the faceless one brings up memories of ones with faces, which equal spells or something, but if it goes away that is forgotten. The ability is a nice twist on a tutor.
Subject16:
This is a fine card and all but nothing too exciting. Dies triggers are odd in a faction with enrage.
Cardz:
I'm not sure what exactly this would be useful for - it's pretty risky for a free cycle, which is fine. I kind of wish it was optional so I could build it up to attack. This is the most innovative card this round but it's a bit too strange to make a good common and too weak as is for higher rarities.
lookashiny:
The card is pretty much fine except for the rarity - look at Predator Ooze. Way overpowered for common.
2. bravelion83
3. soramaro