This is not a new concept, but I'm trying to strike a good balance between including some of the genuinely worst cards, while also making sure included cards are relevant in a limited environment (i.e. no Laces, Sorrow's Path,Psychic Vortex. Card count is fluid, probably have too many lands, and I'm aware that spells are generally stronger than creatures in this cube, but that's somewhat unavoidable.
I'll have more card selection thoughts here later, this is just a bit of a placeholder/list dump for now. Still needs extensive playtesting.
@Gmail
Seems a bit too good for a mere mana. Try to up the CMC of the card slightly. A proper CMC is probably 3B, this increase in mana also allows you to mess around with the P/T a little bit. Though even then it just seems a tad too good.
A new Recall. A skilltester variant.
Unquestionable WisdomU
Instant R
<CARDNAME> costs 1 more to cast for each permanent you control.
Draw three cards.
At first sight it may seem impossible to cast, but it really isn't.
- Hiss.
I think this wouldn't be printed in this form, it's pretty good in Eternal formats for Storm and Faerie Stompy without being playable by anyone else. It's not so much skilltesting as build-around
Abiogenesis 2UG
Enchantment (R)
At the beginning of your upkeep, if you control no creatures, you may look at the top card of your library. If it is a creature card, you may put that creature onto the battlefield.
I was trying to design a card to combo with Forbidden Ritual, but I gave up. Too hard.
Reinforced Bunker4
Artifact (R)
Permanents caused by ~ to enter the battlefield or leave the battlefield don’t cause abilities to trigger.
When you lose control of ~, return all cards exiled with it to the battlefield under your control. Permanents entering the battlefield this way don’t cause abilities to trigger. 2: Exile target untapped nontoken creature you control. 1: Return target creature card you own exiled with ~ to the battlefield under your control tapped.
This is effectively phasing with a "that creature does not phase in during your untap step". This may help you reduce rulestext a bit. Even so, it's still very wordy, even if the idea is reasonably grokkable.
Seedstorm2G
Sorcery (U)
Search your library for a basic land card and put it onto the battlefield tapped, then put a 1/1 green Saproling token into play for each land card that came onto the battlefield this turn. Shuffle your library.
Value town! I really like it. I'm perfectly OK with this quasi-obsoleting Wood Elves. Good 3 drop in limited, still a dead draw late, does fun things with Azusa, Lost But Seeking and Warp World, etc.
Noxious Fertilization1BG
Sorcery (U)
Search your library for a Forest card and put it onto the battlefield tapped. Creatures get -1/-1 until end of turn.
Riffing off gmail's idea (or maybe just got lost on the way to the "I don't like you" card creation game thread.
Blood NeedlesBR
Instant (U)
Untap target creature and put a -1/-1 counter on it. That creature gains first strike and deathtouch until end of turn. Blood outside the body is never a good sign.
The untap/unleash thing is sort of cute, and it's very much a mindless Rakdos card. Yes, I will run this. Yes with it, I will always turn my guys sideways, if you block, you lose a dude. If you skip blocks and then counterattack, you lose a dude. I don't love it, but it's a reasonable limited combat trick/removal.
Gird the Guards5WW
Sorcery (r)
For each creature you control, you may search your library for an Equipment card that creature could equip and put into onto the battlefield attached to that creature.
Somewhat dodgy wording, but I think Sovereigns of Lost Alara is adequate precedent. I like it somewhat more in this version than an X spell. Yes I like topdown designs with silly names. Too scared to allow to CMC 6, but it feels a little underwhelming at 7.
Paradise DomeG
Enchantment (R) 0: Add one mana of any color to your mana pool. Activate this ability only once during your turn and only if you've controlled ~ continuously since the beginning of your most recent turn.
I'm not sure why, but this feels much less spicy than Birds of Paradise. Maybe
Paradise Dome v2.0G
Enchantment (r)
At the beginning of your upkeep, if ~ has no charge counters on it, put a charge counter on it.
Remove a charge counter: Add one mana of any color to your mana pool.
instead, so Johnny gets something more interesting to play with?
Posted this card before but it got skipped. Blood Moon/Ghost Quarter hybrid. Originally turned target land into a basic Mountain, but memory issues, etc. This uses an exchange effect to make sure you can't sacrifice this in response or other shenanigans.
Talus Slopes
Land [R]
~ enters the battlefield tapped with a rock counter. t: Add R to your mana pool. R,t, remove a rock counter from Talus Slopes: Exchange control of Talus Slopes and target nonbasic land an opponent controls. If you do, sacrifice that land.
I'm wondering if either first or double strike should be on the red one and lifelink should be on the white one, just so it doesn't look like one mode is "strictly worse" than the other one on the same card.
I agree. I'd move first strike as it's more common than landwalk in red, anyway, I think? More than a couple landwalkers in a set will make a really wonky Limited format. Also, if those Discipline cards are printed (with enough keyworded creatures) I would play the crap out of them in Limited.
I agree Eons could probably cost less. Open the Vaults is far from broken. Is there some techy reason why tokens need to be exiled explicitly, since either way they cease to exist as soon as they enter another zone?
Tangleworld Hydra has great flavor. What a fun card. "Whenever another creature enters the battlefield, ~ fights that creature" makes me laugh.
Occulomancy seems maybe overcosted? Eight mana seems like a lot to pay for an unreliable benefit. Funny blue shell effect in multiplayer, though.
Scatterspell is crazy good in Commander, where Spelljack is already frequently played. Maybe add a "you don't control" clause? On second thought, Jhoira of the Ghitu doesn't break this like I thought it would, so it might be fine if there's no better way to abuse this than Dream Halls or mana ramp.
War Martyr1W
Creature - Soldier (R) 1W: Attach any number of Auras and/or Equipments attached to War Martyr to another target creature you control. Activate this ability only if War Martyr is blocked. "You'll need this more than I will!"
- Fennor, Third Mate, last words
Comments?
Whoops. Sarnathed.
What's the power/toughness?
He seems fine. I'd like to see him at least 2/1. I don't know that he needs to be rare, because his ability is slow, conditional, and massively telegraphed to your opponent.
NEXT: Talus Slopes
Land t: Add 1 to your mana pool. R,t, sacrifice Talus Slopes: Destroy target nonbasic land. That land's controller may search your library for a Mountain card and put it into play tapped.
Talus Slopes
Land
~ enters the battlefield tapped with a rock counter. t: Add R to your mana pool. R,t, remove a rock counter from Talus Slopes: Exchange control of Talus Slopes and target nonbasic land an opponent controls, then sacrifice that land.
[QUOTE=fooligan;10200065 2G
Sorcery (?)
Put target land on top of its owners library.
Scry 2
Thinking something weather related or seasonal?[/QUOTE]
Spring Frost? Ley-grass would be a good name for a land card that did something similar. Spate and river erosion words are too blue-sounding.
Anyway, I don't know if I'm totally comfortable with Fallow Earth being obsoleted, mostly from bad memories of being Plow Under locked by Rock decks, but it's probably fine.
Basically what you wanted (albeit with some additional interaction with Time Spiral block cards).
RiftwarWUR
Enchantment
Whenever a creature without suspend attacks, exile it with two time counters and it gains suspend.
Creatures with suspend must attack each turn if able.
At the end of each player's turn, all creatures lose suspend.
Grim HeraldBUG
Creature - Zombie Shaman (R)
Whenever a creature you control dies, name a creature card. Reveal the top four cards of your library and put all of them with that name into your hand.
Sacrifice a creature: Draw a card.
3/3
T: Target creature attacks or blocks this turn if able. If that creature is a Cleric, destroy it at end of combat.
Whenever a creature dies, gain control of all equipment attached to it.
1/4
He's fine, powerwise, maybe a bit too weak even. I'd love to see him sexed up a bit for EDH. Maybe "Target creature attacks target player this turn if able"?
I have trouble imagining the class-matters, equipment-matters set he could be in, as we've seen a lot of those themes already. Finally, 4 toughness seems like too much for a sneaky skulky guy who loots corpses.
Tide of Lunacy1RR
Instant [U]
Untap target creature. Until end of turn, that creature is a Werewolf in addition to its other types and gains haste. You control that creature as long as it is a Werewolf.
A trifle wordy and minor memory issues, but I still like it as a top-down design (the name spawned the concept).
That is a good point. I only play commander and hadn't really considered how the card would effect other formats. I guess I figured that people would shy away from the WUBRG cost.
I'm interested in hearing other opinions on this; Does the ability to play 4 Bogardan Hellkites make or break the card?
I think probably does. The five color casting cost makes it even more attractive to Dream Halls this.
1x Alabaster Leech
1x Camel
1x Amrou Kithkin
1x Arctic Foxes
1x Daru Spiritualist
1x Kjeldoran Guard
1x Oracle en-Vec
1x Ruin Ghost
1x Tonic Peddler
1x Argivian Archaeologist
1x Dogged Hunter
1x Elvish Healer
1x Snow Hound
1x Temple Elder
1x Troubled Healer
1x Aven Trooper
1x Ephara's Warden
1x General Jarkeld
1x Harsh Deceiver
1x Jasmine Seer
1x Springjack Shepherd
1x Takeno's Cavalry
1x Trap Digger
1x Ghost Tactician
1x Horizon Seed
1x Horizon Seed
1x Resplendent Mentor
1x Tireless Missionaries
1x Wellgabber Apothecary
1x Grassland Crusader
1x Loxodon Mender
1x Shieldmage Elder
1x Wayfaring Giant
White Instant
1x Great Defender
1x Sacred Rites
1x Shieldmate's Blessing
1x Blessed Wine
1x Chain of Silence
1x Defiant Stand
1x Armed Response
1x Warrior's Honor
1x Altar's Light
1x Rapid Fire
1x Soul Nova
White Sorcery
1x Steadfastness
1x Ancestral Tribute
White Enchantment
1x Fasting
1x Holy Strength
1x Vigilance
1x Security Detail
Blue Creature
1x Merchant Ship
1x Amoeboid Changeling
1x Cephalid Snitch
1x Cephalid Vandal
1x Coral Fighters
1x Diplomatic Escort
1x Magus of the Unseen
1x Phantasmal Sphere
1x Vodalian Soldiers
1x Walking Sponge
1x Aphetto Grifter
1x Balshan Beguiler
1x Callous Deceiver
1x Devouring Deep
1x Rishadan Cutpurse
1x Saprazzan Raider
1x Sea Troll
1x Spiny Starfish
1x Time Elemental
1x Vedalken Plotter
1x Vodalian Mage
1x Brine Hag
1x Coastal Wizard
1x Enigma Eidolon
1x Homarid Shaman
1x Narwhal
1x Reveka, Wizard Savant
1x Soratami Mirror-Mage
1x Wilderness Hypnotist
1x Armored Cancrix
1x Cephalid Aristocrat
1x Coastal Hornclaw
1x Crystal Seer
1x Psionic Entity
1x Saprazzan Bailiff
1x Talas Researcher
1x Ethereal Usher
1x Zephyr Spirit
Blue Instant
1x Aura Finesse
1x Jump
1x Ray of Erasure
1x Bewilder
1x Spell Snip
1x Disorient
1x Frazzle
1x Traumatic Visions
1x Assert Authority
Blue Sorcery
1x Glimpse the Future
1x Dematerialize
Blue Enchantment
1x Coma Veil
Black Creature
1x Acolyte of Xathrid
1x Agent of Shauku
1x Blighted Shaman
1x Bog Initiate
1x Giant Slug
1x Krovikan Elementalist
1x Agadeem Occultist
1x El-Hajjaj
1x Ghosts of the Damned
1x Grave Robbers
1x Overeager Apprentice
1x Phyrexian Gremlins
1x Quagmire Lamprey
1x Xenic Poltergeist
1x Abyssal Hunter
1x Drudge Reavers
1x Entropic Eidolon
1x Irini Sengir
1x Murk Dwellers
1x Norritt
1x Numai Outcast
1x Numai Outcast
1x Rag Man
1x Zombie Mob
1x Catacomb Slug
1x Chimney Imp
1x Farbog Boneflinger
1x Scuttling Death
1x Shinen of Fear's Chill
1x Bog Hoodlums
1x Crawling Filth
1x Deathcurse Ogre
1x Dripping Dead
1x Face of Fear
1x Mold Demon
1x Hell Swarm
1x Shriek of Dread
1x Irradiate
1x Waste Away
1x Howl from Beyond
1x Murderous Spoils
1x Pull Under
Black Sorcery
1x Mind Ravel
1x Pain's Reward
1x Forbidden Ritual
1x Sink into Takenuma
1x Unnerve
1x Vampiric Feast
Black Enchantment
1x Unholy Strength
1x Patriarch's Desire
Red Creature
1x Crazed Goblin
1x Goblin Spy
1x Akki Blizzard-Herder
1x Anaba Ancestor
1x Bazaar Trader
1x Goblin Sappers
1x Pardic Miner
1x Blood Hound
1x Dwarven Sea Clan
1x Keldon Arsonist
1x Orcish Mechanics
1x Stoneshaker Shaman
1x War Elemental
1x Akki Underminer
1x Diaochan, Artful Beauty
1x Frostwielder
1x Goblin Bangchuckers
1x Goblin Pyromancer
1x Goblin Snowman
1x Goblin Wizard
1x Heart Wolf
1x Petravark
1x Quarum Trench Gnomes
1x Sandstorm Eidolon
1x Viashino Skeleton
1x Goblin Assassin
1x Goblin Commando
1x Orcish Squatters
1x Cyclops Tyrant
1x Murasa Pyromancer
Red Instant
1x About Face
1x Bull Rush
1x Bull Rush
1x Singe
1x Falter
1x First Volley
1x Flowstone Strike
1x Release the Ants
1x Shatter
1x Strange Inversion
1x Torrent of Stone
1x Thermal Blast
1x Soulblast
1x Ember Shot
Red Sorcery
1x Scorching Spear
1x Craterize
1x Retribution
1x Wrack with Madness
1x Yawning Fissure
Red Enchantment
1x Firebreathing
Green Creature
1x Mossdog
1x Promised Kannushi
1x Sacred Prey
1x Savaen Elves
1x Starved Rusalka
1x Tarpan
1x Whippoorwill
1x Willow Elf
1x Citanul Druid
1x Harabaz Druid
1x Scarwood Hag
1x Shelkin Brownie
1x Spore Flower
1x Fyndhorn Brownie
1x Gaea's Avenger
1x Hornet Cobra
1x Ichneumon Druid
1x Niall Silvain
1x Pradesh Gypsies
1x Terravore
1x Algae Gharial
1x Elvish Pathcutter
1x Pixie Queen
1x Rabid Wombat
1x Sophic Centaur
1x Viridian Scout
1x Wood Elemental
1x Bog Gnarr
1x Fiddlehead Kami
1x Infested Roothold
1x Tel-Jilad Lifebreather
1x Treefolk Healer
1x Venerable Kumo
1x Zendikar Farguide
1x Groffskithur
1x Nut Collector
1x Hundroog
Green Instant
1x Regenerate
1x Treetop Defense
1x Verdigris
1x Fanatical Fever
1x Sylvan Bounty
Green Sorcery
1x Monstrous Growth
1x Rites of Spring
1x Bountiful Harvest
Green Enchantment
1x Primal Frenzy
1x Grounded
1x Favor of the Woods
1x Savage Hunger
1x Mammoth Harness
Azorius
1x Kasimir the Lone Wolf
1x Jedit Ojanen
Dimir
1x Princess Lucrezia
1x Riven Turnbull
Rakdos
1x Pavel Maliki
1x Lady Orca
1x Marhault Elsdragon
1x The Lady of the Mountain
Selesnya
1x Sir Shandlar of Eberyn
1x Torsten Von Ursus
Orzhov
1x Purge the Profane
1x Martyrs' Tomb
Golgari
1x Woodwraith Strangler
1x Rites of Reaping
Simic
1x Warping Wurm
1x Vigean Intuition
Izzet
1x Goblin Test Pilot
1x Emberwilde Caliph
Boros
1x Ordruun Veteran
1x Fortress Cyclops
Colourless Artifact Creature
1x Metallic Sliver
1x Battering Ram
1x Ersatz Gnomes
1x Rustspore Ram
1x Necropolis
1x Spinal Parasite
1x Sawtooth Thresher
1x Workhorse
Colourless Artifact
1x Amulet of Vigor
1x Barbed Sextant
1x Delif's Cube
1x Glasses of Urza
1x Tanglebloom
1x Balm of Restoration
1x Charcoal Diamond
1x Elven Lyre
1x Fire Diamond
1x Implements of Sacrifice
1x Jandor's Saddlebags
1x Marble Diamond
1x Moss Diamond
1x Sky Diamond
1x Arcum's Whistle
1x Astrolabe
1x Bone Flute
1x Coral Helm
1x Draconian Cylix
1x Phyrexian Lens
1x Sandstone Deadfall
1x Acidic Dagger
1x Amber Prison
1x Cold Storage
1x Emmessi Tome
1x Flying Carpet
1x Staff of Zegon
1x Crumbling Sanctuary
1x Mishra's Helix
1x Ring of Renewal
1x The Hive
1x Joven's Tools
Colourless Land
1x Abandoned Outpost
1x An-Havva Township
1x Ancient Spring
1x Aysen Abbey
1x Bad River
1x Bog Wreckage
1x Castle Sengir
1x Cinder Marsh
1x Cloudcrest Lake
1x Coral Atoll
1x Dormant Volcano
1x Dwarven Ruins
1x Ebon Stronghold
1x Everglades
1x Flood Plain
1x Geothermal Crevice
1x Grasslands
1x Havenwood Battleground
1x Henge of Ramos
1x Irrigation Ditch
1x Jungle Basin
1x Karoo
1x Koskun Keep
1x Land Cap
1x Lantern-Lit Graveyard
1x Lava Tubes
1x Mogg Hollows
1x Mountain Valley
1x Pinecrest Ridge
1x Rainbow Vale
1x Ravaged Highlands
1x Rhystic Cave
1x River Delta
1x Rocky Tar Pit
1x Rootwater Depths
1x Ruins of Trokair
1x School of the Unseen
1x Seafloor Debris
1x Sulfur Vent
1x Svyelunite Temple
1x Tarnished Citadel
1x Thalakos Lowlands
1x Timberland Ruins
1x Timberline Ridge
1x Tinder Farm
1x Tranquil Garden
1x Vec Townships
1x Veldt
1x Waterveil Cavern
1x Wizards' School
CubeTutor link
This is not a new concept, but I'm trying to strike a good balance between including some of the genuinely worst cards, while also making sure included cards are relevant in a limited environment (i.e. no Laces, Sorrow's Path,Psychic Vortex. Card count is fluid, probably have too many lands, and I'm aware that spells are generally stronger than creatures in this cube, but that's somewhat unavoidable.
I'll have more card selection thoughts here later, this is just a bit of a placeholder/list dump for now. Still needs extensive playtesting.
Time Tunnel 1U
Instant
Split second
Exile target spell. If you do, that spell's controller casts it without paying its mana cost. It has split second.
Cribbed from the wording of suspend. "If you do" clause added for copied spell corner cases, but may be unnecessary.
I think this wouldn't be printed in this form, it's pretty good in Eternal formats for Storm and Faerie Stompy without being playable by anyone else. It's not so much skilltesting as build-around
Abiogenesis 2UG
Enchantment (R)
At the beginning of your upkeep, if you control no creatures, you may look at the top card of your library. If it is a creature card, you may put that creature onto the battlefield.
I was trying to design a card to combo with Forbidden Ritual, but I gave up. Too hard.
This is effectively phasing with a "that creature does not phase in during your untap step". This may help you reduce rulestext a bit. Even so, it's still very wordy, even if the idea is reasonably grokkable.
Value town! I really like it. I'm perfectly OK with this quasi-obsoleting Wood Elves. Good 3 drop in limited, still a dead draw late, does fun things with Azusa, Lost But Seeking and Warp World, etc.
Noxious Fertilization 1BG
Sorcery (U)
Search your library for a Forest card and put it onto the battlefield tapped. Creatures get -1/-1 until end of turn.
Riffing off gmail's idea (or maybe just got lost on the way to the "I don't like you" card creation game thread.
The untap/unleash thing is sort of cute, and it's very much a mindless Rakdos card. Yes, I will run this. Yes with it, I will always turn my guys sideways, if you block, you lose a dude. If you skip blocks and then counterattack, you lose a dude. I don't love it, but it's a reasonable limited combat trick/removal.
Gird the Guards 5WW
Sorcery (r)
For each creature you control, you may search your library for an Equipment card that creature could equip and put into onto the battlefield attached to that creature.
Somewhat dodgy wording, but I think Sovereigns of Lost Alara is adequate precedent. I like it somewhat more in this version than an X spell. Yes I like topdown designs with silly names. Too scared to allow to CMC 6, but it feels a little underwhelming at 7.
I'm not sure why, but this feels much less spicy than Birds of Paradise. Maybe
Paradise Dome v2.0 G
Enchantment (r)
At the beginning of your upkeep, if ~ has no charge counters on it, put a charge counter on it.
Remove a charge counter: Add one mana of any color to your mana pool.
Posted this card before but it got skipped. Blood Moon/Ghost Quarter hybrid. Originally turned target land into a basic Mountain, but memory issues, etc. This uses an exchange effect to make sure you can't sacrifice this in response or other shenanigans.
Talus Slopes
Land [R]
~ enters the battlefield tapped with a rock counter.
t: Add R to your mana pool.
R,t, remove a rock counter from Talus Slopes: Exchange control of Talus Slopes and target nonbasic land an opponent controls. If you do, sacrifice that land.
Yes, please. This card has needed to exist for a long time.
I agree. I'd move first strike as it's more common than landwalk in red, anyway, I think? More than a couple landwalkers in a set will make a really wonky Limited format. Also, if those Discipline cards are printed (with enough keyworded creatures) I would play the crap out of them in Limited.
Tangleworld Hydra has great flavor. What a fun card. "Whenever another creature enters the battlefield, ~ fights that creature" makes me laugh.
Occulomancy seems maybe overcosted? Eight mana seems like a lot to pay for an unreliable benefit. Funny blue shell effect in multiplayer, though.
Scatterspell is crazy good in Commander, where Spelljack is already frequently played. Maybe add a "you don't control" clause? On second thought, Jhoira of the Ghitu doesn't break this like I thought it would, so it might be fine if there's no better way to abuse this than Dream Halls or mana ramp.
Whoops. Sarnathed.
What's the power/toughness?
He seems fine. I'd like to see him at least 2/1. I don't know that he needs to be rare, because his ability is slow, conditional, and massively telegraphed to your opponent.
NEXT:
Talus Slopes
Land
t: Add 1 to your mana pool.
R,t, sacrifice Talus Slopes: Destroy target nonbasic land. That land's controller may search your library for a Mountain card and put it into play tapped.
Talus Slopes
Land
~ enters the battlefield tapped with a rock counter.
t: Add R to your mana pool.
R,t, remove a rock counter from Talus Slopes: Exchange control of Talus Slopes and target nonbasic land an opponent controls, then sacrifice that land.
A Ghost Quarter/Blood Moon variant. Not certain which variant is better/more balanced.
2G
Sorcery (?)
Put target land on top of its owners library.
Scry 2
Thinking something weather related or seasonal?[/QUOTE]
Spring Frost? Ley-grass would be a good name for a land card that did something similar. Spate and river erosion words are too blue-sounding.
Anyway, I don't know if I'm totally comfortable with Fallow Earth being obsoleted, mostly from bad memories of being Plow Under locked by Rock decks, but it's probably fine.
Riftwar WUR
Enchantment
Whenever a creature without suspend attacks, exile it with two time counters and it gains suspend.
Creatures with suspend must attack each turn if able.
At the end of each player's turn, all creatures lose suspend.
Still pretty heinous.
Grim Herald BUG
Creature - Zombie Shaman (R)
Whenever a creature you control dies, name a creature card. Reveal the top four cards of your library and put all of them with that name into your hand.
Sacrifice a creature: Draw a card.
3/3
He's fine, powerwise, maybe a bit too weak even. I'd love to see him sexed up a bit for EDH. Maybe "Target creature attacks target player this turn if able"?
I have trouble imagining the class-matters, equipment-matters set he could be in, as we've seen a lot of those themes already. Finally, 4 toughness seems like too much for a sneaky skulky guy who loots corpses.
Tide of Lunacy 1RR
Instant [U]
Untap target creature. Until end of turn, that creature is a Werewolf in addition to its other types and gains haste. You control that creature as long as it is a Werewolf.
A trifle wordy and minor memory issues, but I still like it as a top-down design (the name spawned the concept).
I think probably does. The five color casting cost makes it even more attractive to Dream Halls this.