One is using Hour of Promise with Gishath. We know Hour of Promise is very powerful and Gishath looks like the best payoff for 8 mana in standard. One issue with using Gishath is that you need as many dinosaurs in your deck as possible to make his ability powerful. At first I wanted to use the wrath dino with HoP, but after thinking about it, I think Gishath is more powerful and better in more scenarios. This is how I would build Gishath ramp:
Chapin and Flores were talking up Verdant Sun's Avatar on their podcast though it doesn't look that exciting on the surface. It buys a ton of time for you to attack with Gishath, and it makes his trigger gain obscene amounts of life. I chose Fiery Cannonade over Sweltering Suns because it's easier on the mana, instant speed to kill haste creatures, and triggers but doesn't kill Ranging Raptors. If pirates are prevalent, obviously it should be moved out of the main deck. If the format has more control decks, Carnage Tyrant could be moved into the main deck.
I think the primary way that Wizards designed dinos to be played in constructed is similar to the Red/Green Monsters deck from Theros standard. You can splash white but I don't think it's worth it at this point for just Kinjalli's Sunwing. Here's how I would build R/G DinoMonsters:
This is my weird crush deck that I just started testing. The interaction with vessel and the aftermath cards is amazing. The main things I'm worried about are Heart of Kiran and Scarab Feast.
I think the two best ways to go would be either a aggro-ish Dragons version or a super grindy version. I'll post the grindy jund deck I've been theorycrafting:
4 Sylvan Advocate
4 Fiery Impulse
4 Deathmist Raptor
4 Den Protector
3 Kolaghan's Command
3 Arlinn Kord
3 Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet
3 Goblin Dark Dwellers
1 Ob Nixilis Reignited
1 Chandra Flamecaller
2 Ultimate Price
3 Ruinous Path
4 Hissing Quagmire
4 Cinder Glade
17 more lands depending on the new ally lands they spoil
Here's a list based around Mindwrack Demon:
4 Oath of Nissa
4 Sylvan Advocate
4 Fiery Impulse
4 Gather the Pack
4 Den Protector
4 Deathmist Raptor
4 Mindwrack Demon
3 Arlinn Kord
3 Duress
2 Kolaghan's Command
There are several ways to build control after rotation, which is exciting. We won't be able to get close to a real decklist until the spoil the new allied lands, but we can guess at specific strategies. I'll list the types of decks that I think have potential
Grixis:
Jace, Vryn's Prodigy
Chandra Flamecaller
Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet
U/W or Esper Dragons
Silumgar's Scorn
Dragonlord Ojutai
Declaration in Stone
U/B
Mindwrack Demon
Grasp of Darkness
Volatile Concoction
Ob Nixilis Reignited
This card is absolutely insane. It's not as powerful as Sphinx's Rev or Dig Through Time, but it fills the same role. It will be a 4 of in control decks and will make graveyard shenanigans in control decks a little stronger.
The power of this card changes significantly based on your opponent's skill and your skill in making piles. The ability to use it early game and the enabling of the graveyard are the two parts that put it above being a mere bad Mind Spring.
I look forward to the fun decisions that this card will enable in standard in all my control brews.
I do think that a b/w midrange deck with Mindrekt Demon could be viable. I also think the turbo graveyard g/b deck you are working on could be really strong but it would take a lot of testing to get it just right. I'm personally a control player and since Epiphany at the Drownyard is functioning as our new Sphinx's Rev/Dig Through Time, that a control deck with 4 demon could be strong. Here's my untested list:
I'm not working on esper yet because we need to see the new ally dual lands first. It's critical to know what the mana is capable of when you're dealing with cards like Grasp of Darkness and Silumgar's Scorn. I've got two control types that I'm working on right now that are 2 color.
@Metallix
Cynax is under a curse. It's not a typical form of undeath. It would be similar to g/b Garruk except this curse makes his body decay and gives him necromantic powers.
@Table
I wanted a setting that uses both Ancient Egyptian themes and Indiana Jones style themes at once. I don't think one or the other is robust enough. I think it works as long as you don't go in expecting one or the other.
I haven't played with the stone tokens yet. I do plan on trying other forms of mana for monuments if the stone tokens don't play well.
@khachuchrian
Parched prevents lands from untapping next turn. If you choose untapped lands to become parched, that means you have plenty of extra mana and the parched drawback wouldn't hurt you anyway. It's during normal turns when you tap all your lands each turn where parched is meant to be a drawback.
Perhaps Parched needs to be reworded?
Mechanics look interesting, though I'd have to play with them to see if the feel is captured.
I'll warn you, sets go through so much testing and iteration that a 720 card set may be more difficult than you realize. It would make for an interesting draft format, but it's going to take a ton of time and labor. You may end up shrinking the set as you go, and don't feel bad for doing it.
@Minoke
My Magic Set Editor does that. I'm not really sure why.
@Piar
I'm not really going for a true reboot, just introducing some changes like M10 did.
I decided I didn't want to do Instant Sorcery and the elemental subtypes at the same time. After using the elemental subtypes in some sets, I'm starting to think that the extra fluff isn't worth it. I may remove the elemental subtypes and instead use the Instant Sorcery change because it's something I agree with Maro on.
@TrueFFIke
Demons can be big if they have drawbacks. I'll keep this guy on the watchlist but I think he's probably fine.
Cynax was once the pharoah of the greatest civilization in the Multiverse, until it met a mysterious end. Desert has covered the plane of Nerubia and the survivors fight the harsh deserts to survive. Cynax has now awoken as a lich, and seeks to use the Time Vault locked away in his tomb to reverse the demise of his empire and rule as he once did. The opening of the Time Vault's tomb has receded the sands and the people of Nerubia have begun to find clues about the ancient mega-civilization that proceeded them. The planeswalker Popus is leading the Expedition to find the secrets of Nerubia, while Khan's agent, the planeswalker Tibalt, scours the plane looking for the Time Vault. Anebos, the most prosperous civilization, ignores the clues from the past and instead builds monuments to the gods and their self-obsessed pharoah, Tahut.
Nerubia is a top-down Egyptian set. Inspired by the design of Theros, I looked for the basic "feel" of Egypt and Egyptian mythology, and I believe that to be "discovery." Theros was built around Gods, Monsters, and Heroes. I am building Nerubia around Monuments, Tomb Raiding, and Desert Survival.
Stone tokens are colorless artifact tokens that can be sacrificed for a colorless mana. They play similarly to Eldrazi spawn but are of course not creatures. The Stone is used to build Monuments, massive artifacts that serve as "battleships" in limited. Masons are creatures that create Stone or deal with Monuments in other ways.
Monument building is focused in White, Blue, and Green.
Popus leads an expedition into the desert ruins of Nerubia, searching for the ancient secrets. The tombs hold secrets and treasure, but they also hold traps and curses.
Excavate 1 (To excavate 1, exile the top card of your library without looking at it.
Effects allow you to put excavated cards into your hand. Most are triggers that have to be met, typically on creatures.
The Expedition is focused in Blue, Black, and White.
To survive the harsh desert, many peoples of Nerubia, especially the desert clans in red and green, use the ability Stalwart. Stalwart - Whenever this creature becomes untapped, =effect=.
Stalwart is a rewording and expansion of Inspired from Theros block.
The mana of Nerubia is hard to tap into. Planeswalkers using it can find themselves parched.
Parched 2 (When you cast this spell, choose two lands you control to become parched until your next untap step. Parched lands don’t untap during that step.)
The next phase of design is trying to add as many Egyptian tropes as possible, as long as the card for the trope is well-designed. I'd love to have some suggestions for those.
After that, I will fill out the set via facilitating draft archetypes. The primary archetypes are Expedition tempo/control (U/W/B), Monument ramp (W/G/U), Stalwart aggro (R/G). Minor archetypes I'm planning are U/B zombies, G/B deathtouch, Quazigem control with X spells, and U/W flyers. More ideas for minor draft archetypes to promote would be great.
Also let me know if I missed any creature types that fit perfectly into the set.
Full Set (117/249)
Anebos Prospector 3W
Creature — Human Advisor (C)
Whenever you put an excavated card into your hand, gain 2 life.
2/4
Crumbling Battlement 2W
Creature — Wall (C)
Defender
When Crumbling Battlement enters the battlefield, put three colorless artifact tokens named Stone onto the battlefield with “Sacrifice this artifact: Add 1 to your mana pool.”
0/6
Desert Ghosts 1W
Sorcery (C)
Parched 1 (When you cast this spell, choose a land you control to become parched until your next untap step. Parched lands don’t untap during that step.)
Put two 1/1 white Spirit creature tokens with flying onto the battlefield.
Expedition Healer W
Creature — Human Cleric (C)
When Expedition Healer enters the battlefield, Excavate 1. (To excavate 1, exile the top card of your library face down without looking at it.)
Whenever you gain life, you may put an excavated card you own into your hand.
1/1
Expedition Scout 2W
Creature — Aven Scout (C)
Flying
When Expedition Scout enters the battlefield, Excavate 1. (To excavate 1, exile the top card of your library face down without looking at it.)
Whenever Expedition Scout deals combat damage to a player, you may put an excavated card you own into your hand.
2/2
Glare of Heresy 1W
Sorcery (U)
Exile target white permanent.
Hand of Tahut 1W
Creature — Human Soldier (R)
When Hand of Tahut enters the battlefield, put a colorless artifact token named Stone onto the battlefield with “Sacrifice this artifact: Add 1 to your mana pool.”
Whenever a Monument enters the battlefield under your control, put two 1/1 white Soldier creature tokens onto the battlefield.
2/2
Khati Stonemason 1W
Creature — Human Mason (C)
Whenever Khati Stonemason deals combat damage to a player, put a colorless artifact token named Stone onto the battlefield with “Sacrifice this artifact: Add 1 to your mana pool.”
2/2
Kite Inventor 3W
Creature — Human Artificer (U)
Kite Inventor gets +2/+2 and has flying as long as you control three or more artifacts.
3/3
Scour 1W
Instant (C)
Destroy target enchantment. You gain 2 life.
Sekmet’s Blessing XW
Sorcery (C)
Gain X life.
Draw a card.
Silkwrap 1W
Enchantment (C)
When Silkwrap enters the battlefield, exile target creature with converted mana cost 3 or less an opponent controls until Silkwrap leaves the battlefield. (That creature returns under its owner’s control.)
Spirit of the Sands 1W
Creature — Spirit (C)
Flying
When Spirit of the Sands dies, put a +1/+1 counter on target creature you control.
1/1
Sun Incarnation 2W
Creature — Light Elemental (U)
Parched 2 (When you cast this spell, choose two lands you control to become parched until your next untap step. Parched lands don’t untap during that step.)
Vigilance
3/4
Tahut’s Favor 1W
Instant (C)
Target creature gains protection from the color of your choice until end of turn.
Put a colorless artifact token named Stone onto the battlefield with “Sacrifice this artifact: Add 1 to your mana pool.”
Tahut’s Judgment 4W
Sorcery (C)
Exile target creature.
Put three colorless artifact tokens named Stone onto the battlefield with “Sacrifice this artifact: Add 1 to your mana pool.”
Aethermine 1U
Enchantment (R)
At the beginning of your upkeep, put a colorless artifact token named Stone onto the battlefield with “Sacrifice this artifact: Add 1 to your mana pool.”
Archaeology 2U
Instant (C)
Excavate 1 (To excavate 1, exile the top card of your library face down without looking at it.)
You may put up to two excavated cards you own into your hand.
Aven Builder 3U
Creature — Bird Mason (C)
Flying
When Aven Builder enters the battlefield, put two colorless artifact tokens named Stone onto the battlefield with “Sacrifice this artifact: Add 1 to your mana pool.”
2/2
City Planner 1UU
Creature — Human Mason (U)
Whenever you draw a card, put a colorless artifact token named Stone onto the battlefield with “Sacrifice this artifact: Add 1 to your mana pool.”
2/2
Engineer’s Prerogative 3U
Sorcery (U)
Draw a card for each artifact you control.
Expedition Diver U
Creature — Human Scout (C)
Islandwalk
When Expedition Diver enters the battlefield, Excavate 1. (To excavate 1, exile the top card of your library face down without looking at it.)
Whenever Expedition Diver deals combat damage to a player, you may put an excavated card you own into your hand.
1/1
Expedition Employer 1U
Creature — Human Advisor (C)
When Expedition Employer enters the battlefield, Excavate 1. (To excavate 1, exile the top card of your library face down without looking at it.)
Whenever Expedition Employer blocks, you may put an excavated card you own into your hand.
0/3
Fleeting Precognition XU
Instant (C)
Look at the top X cards of your library and put them back in any order.
Draw a card.
Gainsay 1U
Instant (U)
Counter target blue spell.
Glimpse the Vault 2UU
Sorcery (M)
Parched 2 (When you cast this spell, choose two lands you control to become parched until your next untap step. Parched lands don’t untap during that step.)
Take an extra turn after this one.
Insipid Denial UU
Instant (C)
Parched 1 (When you cast this spell, choose a land you control to become parched until your next untap step. Parched lands don’t untap during that step.)
Counter target spell.
Instant Turnabout 2U
Instant (C)
Counter target spell unless its controller pays 3.
Untap all lands you control.
Keeper of the Blueprints 2U
Creature — Human Mason (U)
When Keeper of the Blueprints enters the battlefield, search your library for a Monument card, reveal it, and put it into your hand.
T: Add 1 to your mana pool. Use this mana only to cast artifact spells or to activate abilities of artifacts.
0/3
Masoncraft 2U
Sorcery (C)
Draw two cards.
Put two colorless artifact tokens named Stone onto the battlefield with “Sacrifice this artifact: Add 1 to your mana pool.”
Reduce in Stature 2U
Enchantment — Aura (C)
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature has base power and toughness 0/2.
Repeal XU
Instant (C)
Return target nonland permanent with converted mana cost X to its owner’s hand.
Draw a card.
River Serpent 7U
Creature — Serpent (C)
Defender
Sacrifice an Island: River Serpent loses defender until end of turn.
8/8
Sky Incarnation 2U
Creature — Wind Elemental (U)
Parched 2 (When you cast this spell, choose two lands you control to become parched until your next untap step. Parched lands don’t untap during that step.)
Flying
3/3
Cursed Relics 1B
Enchantment — Aura (C)
Enchant creature
When Cursed Relics enters the battlefield, Excavate 2 (To excavate 2, exile the top two cards of your library face down without looking at it.)
Whenever enchanted creature dies, you may put up to two excavated cards you own into your hand.
Dark Betrayal B
Sorcery (U)
Destroy target black creature.
Deadly Thirst BB
Instant (C)
Parched 1 (When you cast this spell, choose a land you control to become parched until your next untap step. Parched lands don’t untap during that step.)
Destroy target creature.
Delve Into the Catacombs 2B
Sorcery (C)
Excavate 3. (To excavate 3, exile the top three cards of your library face down without looking at it.)
Expedition Bodyguard 3BB
Creature — Human Barbarian (C)
When Expedition Bodyguard enters the battlefield, Excavate 1. (To excavate 1, exile the top card of your library face down without looking at it.)
Whenever Expedition Bodyguard deals combat damage to a player, you may put an excavated card you own into your hand.
5/3
Expedition Digger 2B
Creature — Human Shaman (C)
When Expedition Digger enters the battlefield, Excavate 1. (To excavate 1, exile the top card of your library face down without looking at it.)
Whenever another creature you control dies, you may put an excavated card you own into your hand.
2/2
Mind Scour 2B
Sorcery (C)
Parched 2 (When you cast this spell, choose two lands you control to become parched until your next untap step. Parched lands don’t untap during that step.)
Target player discards 3 cards.
Night Incarnation 2B
Creature — Shadow Elemental (U)
Parched 2 (When you cast this spell, choose two lands you control to become parched until your next untap step. Parched lands don’t untap during that step.)
Deathtouch
2/5
Reassembling Skeleton 1B
Creature — Skeleton (C)
1B: Return Reassembling Skeleton from your graveyard to the battlefield tapped.
1/1
Returned Vizier 3B
Creature — Zombie Advisor (C)
When Returned Vizier enters the battlefield, return target creature card with converted mana cost 3 or less from your graveyard to your hand.
2/4
Sand Shambler 1B
Creature — Zombie (C)
Stalwart - Whenever Sand Shambler becomes untapped, it gains unblockable until end of turn.
2/2
Sidewinder B
Creature — Snake (C)
Deathtouch
1/1
Touch of Cynax 2B
Instant (C)
Target creature gets -2/-2 until end of turn.
If you control a Zombie, draw a card.
Vampire Interloper 1B
Creature — Vampire Scout (C)
Flying
Vampire Interloper can’t block. The night skies of Anebos belong to me.
2/1
Clash of Whims R
Instant (U)
Counter target red instant or sorcery spell.
Desert Heat R
Instant (C)
Parched 1 (When you cast this spell, choose a land you control to become parched until your next untap step. Parched lands don’t untap during that step.)
Desert Heat deals 3 damage to target creature or player.
Desert Pyromancer 2R
Creature — Human Wizard (C)
Stalwart - Whenever Desert Pyromancer becomes untapped, it deals 2 damage to target player.
3/2
Dune Glider 1R
Creature — Human Wizard (C)
Flying
Dune Glider attacks each turn if able.
Stalwart - Whenever Dune Glider becomes untapped, it deals 1 damage to each player.
1/1
Expedition Enforcer 1R
Creature — Human Barbarian (C)
When Expedition Enforcer enters the battlefield, Excavate 1. (To excavate 1, exile the top card of your library face down without looking at it.)
Whenever Expedition Enforcer deals combat damage to a player, you may put an excavated card you own into your hand.
2/1
Gust Invoker 2R
Creature — Hound Shaman (C)
Stalwart - Whenever Gust Invoker becomes untapped, target creature gains flying until end of turn.
3/2
Heat Incarnation 2R
Creature — Fire Elemental (U)
Parched 2 (When you cast this spell, choose two lands you control to become parched until your next untap step. Parched lands don’t untap during that step.)
5/1
Heat Ray XR
Instant — Fire (C)
Heat Ray deals X damage to target creature.
Jackal Skullcrusher 2RR
Creature — Hound Barbarian (C)
Haste
Stalwart - Whenever Jackal Skullcrusher becomes untapped, put a +1/+1 counter on it.
2/2
Jackal Slasher R
Creature — Hound Barbarian (C)
Stalwart - Whenever Jackal Slasher becomes untapped, it gets +2/+0 until end of turn.
1/1
Passion for Survival 1R
Enchantment — Aura (C)
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature gets +2/+2 and haste.
Stalwart - Whenever enchanted creature becomes untapped, put a +1/+1 counter on it.
Sandstone Strength 1R
Instant — Earth (C)
Target creature gets +4/+2 until end of turn.
Stun 1R
Instant (C)
Target creature can’t block this turn.
Draw a card.
Tibalt the Torturer 1RR
Planeswalker — Tibalt (M)
Starting Loyalty: 3
+1: Each player draws a card and discards a card.
-2: Target creature deals damage equal to its power to itself.
-7: You get an emblem with “Whenever a creature attacks you, that creature deals 5 damage to its controller.”
Anebosan Progress 2G
Sorcery (C)
Gain 6 life.
Put two colorless artifact tokens named Stone onto the battlefield with “Sacrifice this artifact: Add 1 to your mana pool.”
Delta Incarnation 2G
Creature — Earth Elemental (U)
Parched 2 (When you cast this spell, choose two lands you control to become parched until your next untap step. Parched lands don’t untap during that step.)
Reach
2/6
Desert Wurm 7G
Creature — Wurm (C)
Trample
7/7
Druid of Anebos 1G
Creature — Human Druid Mason (C)
T: Add G to your mana pool.
When Druid of Anebos enters the battlefield, put a colorless artifact token named Stone onto the battlefield with “Sacrifice this artifact: Add 1 to your mana pool.”
1/1
Expedition Sage 2G
Creature — Human Shaman (C)
Excavate 1 (To excavate 1, exile the top card of your library face down without looking at it.)
Whenever a creature with power 4 or greater enters the battlefield under your control, you may put an excavated card you own into your hand.
2/3
Heqet’s Chosen G
Creature — Human Bard (C)
Stalwart - Whenever Heqet’s Chosen becomes untapped, gain 2 life.
1/1
Loxodon Foreman 3GG
Creature — Elephant Mason (C)
When Loxodon Foreman enters the battlefield, put three colorless artifact tokens named Stone onto the battlefield with “Sacrifice this artifact: Add 1 to your mana pool.”
4/4
Loxodon Riverkeeper 3G
Creature — Elephant Warrior (C)
Stalwart - Whenever Loxodon Riverkeeper becomes untapped, put a +1/+1 counter on it.
3/3
Loxodon Stoneshaper 4G
Creature — Elephant Mason (U)
When Loxodon Stoneshaper enters the battlefield, put three colorless artifact tokens named Stone onto the battlefield with “Sacrifice this artifact: Add 1 to your mana pool.”
7G: Put five +1/+1 counters on target creature.
2/5
Natural Consumption 1GG
Enchantment (U)
Sacrifice an artifact: Draw a card.
Repurpose 3G
Sorcery (C)
Destroy target artifact, enchantment or land.
Put two colorless artifact tokens named Stone onto the battlefield with “Sacrifice this artifact: Add 1 to your mana pool.”
Scarce Strength G
Instant (C)
Parched 1 (When you cast this spell, choose a land you control to become parched until your next untap step. Parched lands don’t untap during that step.)
Target creature gets +3/+3 and gains indestructible until end of turn.
Seb, Master Builder G
Legendary Creature — Human Mason (R)
T: Add 1 to your mana pool.
Whenever a Monument enters the battlefield under your control, put four +1/+1 counters on Seb, Master Builder.
1/1
Sedge Scorpion G
Creature — Scorpion (C)
Deathtouch
1/1
Stone-Eater Scarab 2G
Creature — Insect (C)
Deathtouch
When Stone-Eater Scarab enters the battlefield, you may destroy target artifact or enchantment.
1/1
Stoneheaver 2G
Creature — Loxodon Mason (C)
When Stoneheaver enters the battlefield, put a colorless artifact token named Stone onto the battlefield with “Sacrifice this artifact: Add 1 to your mana pool.”
3/3
Survivor’s Fortitude 3G
Enchantment — Aura (C)
Enchant creature
Flash
Enchanted creature gets +2/+2
Stalwart - Whenever enchanted creature becomes untapped, put a +1/+1 counter on it.
Adjourn WU
Instant (U)
Return target spell to its owner’s hand. (Its effects are countered.)
Draw a card.
Anebos Inventor UR
Creature — Human Wizard (R)
At the beginning of your upkeep, you may draw a card and then discard a card.
2/2
Anzelm the Hammer 4GW
Planeswalker — Anzelm (M)
Starting Loyalty: 3
+2: Up to one target creature gets +4/+4 and gains trample and lifelink until end of turn.
0: Put three 1/1 green Saproling creature tokens onto the battlefield.
-5: You get an emblem with “Creature tokens you control get +4/+4 and have indestructible.”
Archpriest of Thoth 4WU
Creature — Bird Cleric (R)
Flying
When Archpriest of Thoth enters the battlefield, put three 1/1 blue and white Bird creature tokens with flying onto the battlefield.
At the beginning of your upkeep, put a 1/1 blue and white Bird creature token with flying onto the battlefield.
2/2
Crypt Delver UB
Creature — Zombie Rogue (R)
Whenever Crypt Delver deals combat damage to a player, put a 2/2 black Zombie creature token onto the battlefield tapped.
1/1
Cynax, Ancient Pharaoh 2UBB
Planeswalker — Cynax (M)
Starting Loyalty: 4
+2: Target player puts the top six cards of their library into their graveyard.
0: Put two 2/2 black Zombie creature tokens onto the battlefield tapped.
-1: Look the top six cards of your library. Put one into your hand and exile the rest.
-7: Draw six cards and put six 2/2 black Zombie creature tokens onto the battlefield tapped.
Dark Verdict WB
Sorcery (U)
Target player discards two cards. You gain 3 life for each land card discarded this way.
Desert Rage BR
Sorcery (U)
All creatures without flying get +1/+0 and can’t block this turn.
Embodiment of the Desert 3RW
Creature — Elemental (R)
Opponents’ spells have Parched 2.
At the beginning of each player’s upkeep, that player sacrifices a land.
4/6
Far Search 1GU
Sorcery (R)
Reveal the top two cards of your library. You may put any number of lands from among them onto the battlefield and put the rest into your hand.
Heqet, God of Fertility 5GGU
Legendary Creature — Frog God (M)
Whenever you tap a land for mana, you may draw a card.
8/8
Osirus, God of the Afterlife 5WBB
Legendary Creature — Zombie God (M)
Lifelink
At the beginning of your upkeep, put all creature cards from your graveyard onto the battlefield.
6/6
Rageweaver 1BR
Creature — Hound Barbarian (R)
First strike
Stalwart - Whenever Rageweaver becomes untapped, untap target creature and gain control of it until end of turn. That creature gains haste until end of turn.
3/1
Sandstone Invoker RG
Creature — Hound Shaman (R)
R: Sandstone Invoker gains haste until end of turn.
2G: Sandstone Invoker gets +2/+2 until end of turn.
2/2
Sandstone Quake RG
Instant (U)
Choose one—
Sandstone Quake deals 3 damage to target creature without flying.
Sandstone Quake deals 4 damage to target player.
Sandstone Quake deals 5 damage to target creature with flying.
Scarab Queen 3BG
Creature — Insect (U)
Deathtouch
Other creatures you control with deathtouch get +2/+2.
2/5
Searing Helix 1RW
Instant (U)
Lifelink
Searing Helix deals 2 damage to target player and 2 damage to up to one creature that player controls.
Seht, God of Chaos 5BRR
Legendary Creature — Hound God (M)
When Seht, God of Chaos enters the battlefield, it deals damage equal to its power divided as you choose among any number of creatures and/or players.
10/7
Sekmet, God of Heroics 5RWW
Legendary Creature — Cat God (M)
Vigilance
Whenever a creature attacks you, Sekmet, God of Heroics deals 2 damage to that creature.
Whenever a creature you control attacks, it deals 2 damage to the defending player.
7/9
Shadow Mastery UB
Instant (U)
Target creature gets hexproof, lifelink, and unblockable until end of turn.
Draw a card.
Spelljolt UR
Instant (U)
Counter target spell unless its controller pays 2.
Spelljolt deals 2 damage to that spell’s controller
Temporal Bounce 1GU
Instant (U)
Put target nonland permanent on top of its owner’s library.
Utter Dominance 3WB
Instant (R)
Choose one attacking creature. Destroy all other creatures.
Valorous Bout GW
Instant (U)
Put a +1/+1 counter on target creature you control. It fights target creature you don’t control.
Voracious Scarabs BG
Creature — Insect (R)
Deathtouch
BG: Voracious Scarabs gets +2/+2 and gains trample until end of turn.
1/1
Wealth of Strength GW
Enchantment (R)
GW: Put a +1/+1 counter on target creature.
Colossus of the Wastes 7
Artifact Creature — Golem Monument (C)
Colossus of the Wastes is indestructible as long as it’s untapped.
7/7
Crypt of Guun 10
Artifact — Monument (U)
When Crypt of Guun enters the battlefield, return target creature card from your graveyard to the battlefield.
T: Target creature gets -3/-3 until end of turn.
Expedition Gear 2
Artifact — Equipment (C)
When Expedition Gear enters the battlefield, Excavate 1. (To excavate 1, exile the top card of your library face down without looking at it.)
Equipped creature gets +1/+1.
Whenever equipped creature deals combat damage to a player, you may put an excavated card you own into your hand.
Equip 2
Great Grove of Stone 7
Artifact — Monument (U)
When Great Grove of Stone enters the battlefield, gain 7 life.
5, T: Target creature gets +5/+5 until end of turn.
Obelisk of Cynax 7
Artifact — Monument (R)
T: Creatures your opponents control get -2/-1 until end of turn.
UB, Sacrifice Obelisk of Cynax: Search your hand or library for a Cynax planeswalker card and put it onto the battlefield.
Quazigem Nugget 4
Artifact — Quazigem (U)
Quazigem Nugget enters the battlefield tapped.
T: Add 2 to your mana pool for each Quazigem permanent you control.
Quazigem Pendant 2
Artifact — Quazigem (C)
Quazigem Pendant enters the battlefield tapped.
T: Add 1 to your mana pool for each Quazigem permanent you control.
Tahut’s Gate Guardian 8
Artifact Creature — Monument Golem (U)
Defender
Tahut’s Gate Guardian can block any number of creatures.
7/10
Temple of Heqet 11
Artifact — Monument (R)
Whenever you tap a land for mana, add one mana of any color to your mana pool.
Creatures can’t attack unless their controller pays 2 for each attacking creature.
5, Sacrifice Temple of Heqet: Search your hand or library for a card named Heqet, God of Fertility and put it onto the battlefield.
Temple of Market Alley 8
Artifact — Monument (C)
Creatures you control get +2/+2.
5, T: Draw a card.
Temple of Osirus 10
Artifact — Monument (R)
When Temple of Osirus enters the battlefield, gain 10 life.
At the beginning of your upkeep, return target permanent card from your graveyard to the battlefield.
5, Sacrifice Temple of Osirus: Search your hand or library for a card named Osirus, God of the Afterlife and put it onto the battlefield.
Temple of Seht 9
Artifact — Monument (R)
Whenever Temple of Seht enters the battlefield, destroy all creatures.
Whenever an opponent would lose life, that player loses twice that much life instead.
5, Sacrifice Temple of Seht: Search your hand or library for a card named Seht, God of Chaos and put it onto the battlefield.
Temple of Sekmet 8
Artifact — Monument (R)
Attacking creatures you control get +3/+0 and have first strike.
Blocking creatures you control get +0/+3 and have lifelink.
5, Sacrifice Temple of Sekmet: Search your hand or library for a card named Sekmet, God of Heroics and put it onto the battlefield.
Unstable Obelisk 3
Artifact (U)
T: Add 1 to your mana pool.
Vault of Secrets 11
Artifact — Monument (U)
When Vault of Secrets enters the battlefield, tap all creatures your opponents control. They don’t untap during their controller’s next untap step.
At the beginning of your upkeep, draw two cards.
White Cloud Tower 8
Artifact — Monument (U)
When White Cloud Tower enters the battlefield, put a +1/+1 counter on each creature you control.
Creatures you control have flying.
Wielder of the Scepter 9
Artifact Creature — Monument Golem (U)
When Wielder of the Scepter enters the battlefield, it deals 3 damage to each creature.
8/8
Ancient Trove
Land (C)
When Ancient Trove enters the battlefield, Excavate 1. (To excavate 1, exile the top card of your library face down without looking at it.)
T: Add 1 to your mana pool.
2, T, Sacrifice Ancient Trove: You may put an excavated card you own into your hand.
Marsh Quarry
Land (R)
Marsh Quarry enters the battlefield tapped.
When Marsh Quarry enters the battlefield, Excavate 1.
T: Add U or B to your mana pool.
1UB, T: You may put an excavated card you own into your hand.
Oasis Quarry
Land (R)
Oasis Quarry enters the battlefield tapped.
When Oasis Quarry enters the battlefield, Excavate 1.
T: Add W or U to your mana pool.
1WU, T: You may put an excavated card you own into your hand.
Quazigem Mine
Land — Quazigem (C)
Quazigem Mine enters the battlefield tapped.
T: Add 1 to your mana pool for each Quazigem permanent you control.
Riverside Quarry
Land (R)
Riverside Quarry enters the battlefield tapped.
When Riverside Quarry enters the battlefield, Excavate 1.
T: Add G or W to your mana pool.
1GW, T: You may put an excavated card you own into your hand.
Sunscorched Quarry
Land (R)
Sunscorched Quarry enters the battlefield tapped.
When Sunscorched Quarry enters the battlefield, Excavate 1.
T: Add B or R to your mana pool.
1BR, T: You may put an excavated card you own into your hand.
Tropical Quarry
Land (R)
Tropical Quarry enters the battlefield tapped.
When Tropical Quarry enters the battlefield, Excavate 1.
T: Add R or G to your mana pool.
1RG, T: You may put an excavated card you own into your hand.
Worker Factory
Land (U)
T: Add 1 to your mana pool.
7, T: Put a 2/2 colorless Golem artifact creature token onto the battlefield.
Magic Core Alpha is a custom core set, meant for limited play, adding cards to my custom standard format, and establishing some small changes to Magic that I would introduce if given ability.
I have started preparing to play custom standard (constructed combining multiple custom made blocks) multiple times and never really finished, though I have irl friends and posters on this forum that seemed interested. I'm currently stuck at my parents' house recovering from a strange vasculitis, so I thought it would be a good opportunity to finish that project.
Wizards is killing off core sets, and I agree with their reasoning but I think if sales and marketing factors are thrown out, the core set is good for balancing standard. It's also a good way for me to establish a baseline for some changes I want to make, so I decided to make a core set. After playing standard with it and two 2-set blocks, I will then decide to either make Magic Core Beta or abandon core sets like Wizards have.
The main theme is promoted monocolor play in limited and constructed. I'm hoping for about half the limited decks to be monocolor, like Khans had half enemy color decks and half tricolor.
The set has 1.5 returning mechanics. The normal returning mechanic is Landfall. It's simple, robust, and goes along with the Seismic Strikestyle basic land type checkers that are promoting monocolor.
The "half" returning mechanic is hybrid. It's simple, popular, and helps building monocolor decks in limited.
I want to further push the display of different planes in the core set. Most cycles use one card from a different plane, and I'm trying to represent as many factions as possible, though I have slightly pushed one faction for each two color combination.
W/U: Bant
U/B: Faeries (Lorwyn/Shadowmoor)
B/R: Minotaurs (Theros)
R/G: Allies (Zendikar)
G/W: Dromoka
W/B: Spirits (Innistrad)
B/G: Phyrexia
G/U: Alchemists (Innistrad)
U/R: Izzet
R/W: Duergar (Shadowmoor)
These factions are just for flavor. If there are any good factions from planes I haven't explored, let me know. I'd like to have as much of a spread as possible.
I'm going to try to implement an idea that Maro has mentioned: spell subtypes. I'm going to errata all previously printed cards I'm using to have these subtypes when necessary. A few cards may refer to these types in the core set, and I may make this a major subtheme in an expansion. The spell types are: Light(W), Shadow (B), Earth (R/G), Wind (U/G), Fire (R), and Frost(U). I'm giving Blue and Red an extra half of an element because those two colors have more instants and sorceries than the other colors. These subtypes will also appear on Elemental creatures, i.e. Creature - Fire Elemental. Most but not all Elementals will use one of these subtypes. Earth spells empower creatures, deal 1 damage to multiple creatures, prevent blocking, and give hexproof or indestructible. Wind spells grant flying, bounce permanents, draw cards, or prevent combat damage. Not all spells with these effects will have these subtypes, only when appropriate.
This change is highly experimental and subject to be scrapped, but I love the potential.
I'm making Unblockable an evergreen keyword and shifting it to B > R > U. Blue is already the master of flying, so why does it need unblockability as well? I like replacing Intimidate/Fear with Unblockable because it's much simpler. It also firmly places "can't block" on both your creatures and opponents' creatures into R/B, which I think helps the color pie.
Regenerate is gone. It's replaced by Indestructible in green and in black will be replaced by effects that return creatures from the graveyard to the battlefield or hand i.e. Reassembling Skeleton.
I want red to care more about instants and sorceries. The most obvious way I'm doing this is giving Negate to red.
The main areas that I need feedback on are: my choice of mechanics; limited synergies and archetypes; depth of colors in limited; and of course individual card evaluations.
I plan on following this set up with two 2-set blocks. They will be two of these three:
Top-down Egyptian
Creature Class tribal
Caribbean/Pirates theme
3 deadeye tracker
4 fathom fleet captain
4 daring saboteur
4 kitesail freebooter
4 ruin raider
4 hostage taker
2 fell flagship
2 jace, cunning castaway
4 fatal push
1 lookout's dispersal
1 key to the city
3 fetid pools
4 drowned catacomb
3 ifnir deadlands
1 scavenger grounds
7 island
5 swamp
One is using Hour of Promise with Gishath. We know Hour of Promise is very powerful and Gishath looks like the best payoff for 8 mana in standard. One issue with using Gishath is that you need as many dinosaurs in your deck as possible to make his ability powerful. At first I wanted to use the wrath dino with HoP, but after thinking about it, I think Gishath is more powerful and better in more scenarios. This is how I would build Gishath ramp:
4 Ranging Raptors
4 Ripjaw Raptor
4 Regisaur Alpha
4 Hour of Promise
4 Verdant Sun's Avatar
3 Gishath, Sun's Avatar
4 Magma Spray
3 Fiery Cannonade
1 Abrade
4 Sheltered Thicket
4 Rootbound Crag
4 Hashep Oasis
1 Shefet Dunes
1 Scattered Groves
1 Plains
1 Field of Ruin
1 Scavenger Grounds
2 Mountain
3 Forest
3 Ramunap Ruins
Chapin and Flores were talking up Verdant Sun's Avatar on their podcast though it doesn't look that exciting on the surface. It buys a ton of time for you to attack with Gishath, and it makes his trigger gain obscene amounts of life. I chose Fiery Cannonade over Sweltering Suns because it's easier on the mana, instant speed to kill haste creatures, and triggers but doesn't kill Ranging Raptors. If pirates are prevalent, obviously it should be moved out of the main deck. If the format has more control decks, Carnage Tyrant could be moved into the main deck.
I think the primary way that Wizards designed dinos to be played in constructed is similar to the Red/Green Monsters deck from Theros standard. You can splash white but I don't think it's worth it at this point for just Kinjalli's Sunwing. Here's how I would build R/G DinoMonsters:
4 Channeler Initiate
4 Deathgorge Scavenger
4 Ripjaw Raptor
4 Regisaur Alpha
2 Carnage Tyrant
2 Chandra, Torch of Defiance
2 Glorybringer
2 Rile
2 Savage Stomp
4 Abrade
4 Commune with Dinosaurs
4 Sheltered Thicket
4 Rootbound Crag
3 Hashep Oasis
3 Ramunap Ruins
1 Scavenger Grounds
4 Forest
3 Mountain
3 traverse the ulvenwald
3 magma spray
2 heaven\\earth
4 spring\\mind
2 gift of paradise
3 commit\\memory
3 oath of jace
2 oath of chandra
3 nissa, steward of elements
1 pull from tomorrow
4 crush of tentacles
2 walking ballista
1 greenwarden of murasa
1 ishkanah, grafwidow
4 botanical sanctum
2 spirebluff canal
2 lumbering falls
2 game trail
4 forest
2 island
3 mountain
1 magma spray
1 oath of chandra
2 sweltering suns
2 manglehorn
2 tireless tracker
2 chandra, torch of defiance
2 glorybringer
2 fall of the titans
1 glyph keeper
4 Sylvan Advocate
4 Fiery Impulse
4 Deathmist Raptor
4 Den Protector
3 Kolaghan's Command
3 Arlinn Kord
3 Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet
3 Goblin Dark Dwellers
1 Ob Nixilis Reignited
1 Chandra Flamecaller
2 Ultimate Price
3 Ruinous Path
4 Hissing Quagmire
4 Cinder Glade
17 more lands depending on the new ally lands they spoil
Here's a list based around Mindwrack Demon:
4 Oath of Nissa
4 Sylvan Advocate
4 Fiery Impulse
4 Gather the Pack
4 Den Protector
4 Deathmist Raptor
4 Mindwrack Demon
3 Arlinn Kord
3 Duress
2 Kolaghan's Command
Grixis:
Jace, Vryn's Prodigy
Chandra Flamecaller
Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet
U/W or Esper Dragons
Silumgar's Scorn
Dragonlord Ojutai
Declaration in Stone
U/B
Mindwrack Demon
Grasp of Darkness
Volatile Concoction
Ob Nixilis Reignited
Jeskai Walkers
Gideon
Jace
Nahiri
Chandra
Radiant Flames
The power of this card changes significantly based on your opponent's skill and your skill in making piles. The ability to use it early game and the enabling of the graveyard are the two parts that put it above being a mere bad Mind Spring.
I look forward to the fun decisions that this card will enable in standard in all my control brews.
3 ultimate price
3 languish
2 clash of wills
2 void shatter
2 anticipate
3 dead weight
4 mindwrack demon
2 ob nixilis reignited
2 jace, unraveler of secrets
4 epiphany at the drownyard
2 ruinous path
1 geralf's masterpiece
4 submerged boneyard
4 sunken hollow
4 evolving wilds
3 blighted fen
3 mage-ring network
5 swamp
3 island
Evolving Wilds is taking the place of the new ally dual land
4 Declaration in Stone
3 Thing in the Ice
2 Immolating Glare
2 Void Shatter
1 Negate
1 Dispel
3 Anticipate
3 Ojutai's Command
4 Dragonlord Ojutai
1 Icefall Regent
2 Planar Outburst
4 Epiphany at the Drownyard
4 Meandering River
4 ???
4 Prairie Stream
3 Haven of the Spirit Dragon
3 Mage-Ring Network
5 Island
3 Plains
2 duress
2 sinister concoction
3 languish
2 clash of wills
2 void shatter
2 anticipate
2 dead weight
4 mindwrack demon
2 ob nixilis reignited
2 jace, unraveler of secrets
4 epiphany at the drownyard
2 ruinous path
1 geralf's masterpiece
4 submerged boneyard
4 sunken hollow
4 ???
3 blighted fen
3 mage ring network
5 swamp
3 island
I'm also thinking about replacing the Dragon package in u/w with Gideon and Secure the Wastes to max out the potential of Mage-Rings.
@Metallix
Cynax is under a curse. It's not a typical form of undeath. It would be similar to g/b Garruk except this curse makes his body decay and gives him necromantic powers.
@Table
I wanted a setting that uses both Ancient Egyptian themes and Indiana Jones style themes at once. I don't think one or the other is robust enough. I think it works as long as you don't go in expecting one or the other.
I haven't played with the stone tokens yet. I do plan on trying other forms of mana for monuments if the stone tokens don't play well.
@khachuchrian
Parched prevents lands from untapping next turn. If you choose untapped lands to become parched, that means you have plenty of extra mana and the parched drawback wouldn't hurt you anyway. It's during normal turns when you tap all your lands each turn where parched is meant to be a drawback.
Perhaps Parched needs to be reworded?
I'll warn you, sets go through so much testing and iteration that a 720 card set may be more difficult than you realize. It would make for an interesting draft format, but it's going to take a ton of time and labor. You may end up shrinking the set as you go, and don't feel bad for doing it.
My Magic Set Editor does that. I'm not really sure why.
@Piar
I'm not really going for a true reboot, just introducing some changes like M10 did.
I decided I didn't want to do Instant Sorcery and the elemental subtypes at the same time. After using the elemental subtypes in some sets, I'm starting to think that the extra fluff isn't worth it. I may remove the elemental subtypes and instead use the Instant Sorcery change because it's something I agree with Maro on.
@TrueFFIke
Demons can be big if they have drawbacks. I'll keep this guy on the watchlist but I think he's probably fine.
Nerubia is a top-down Egyptian set. Inspired by the design of Theros, I looked for the basic "feel" of Egypt and Egyptian mythology, and I believe that to be "discovery." Theros was built around Gods, Monsters, and Heroes. I am building Nerubia around Monuments, Tomb Raiding, and Desert Survival.
Monument building is focused in White, Blue, and Green.
Excavate 1 (To excavate 1, exile the top card of your library without looking at it.
Effects allow you to put excavated cards into your hand. Most are triggers that have to be met, typically on creatures.
The Expedition is focused in Blue, Black, and White.
Stalwart - Whenever this creature becomes untapped, =effect=.
Stalwart is a rewording and expansion of Inspired from Theros block.
The mana of Nerubia is hard to tap into. Planeswalkers using it can find themselves parched.
Parched 2 (When you cast this spell, choose two lands you control to become parched until your next untap step. Parched lands don’t untap during that step.)
After that, I will fill out the set via facilitating draft archetypes. The primary archetypes are Expedition tempo/control (U/W/B), Monument ramp (W/G/U), Stalwart aggro (R/G). Minor archetypes I'm planning are U/B zombies, G/B deathtouch, Quazigem control with X spells, and U/W flyers. More ideas for minor draft archetypes to promote would be great.
Also let me know if I missed any creature types that fit perfectly into the set.
Full Set (117/249)
Creature — Human Advisor (C)
Whenever you put an excavated card into your hand, gain 2 life.
2/4
Crumbling Battlement 2W
Creature — Wall (C)
Defender
When Crumbling Battlement enters the battlefield, put three colorless artifact tokens named Stone onto the battlefield with “Sacrifice this artifact: Add 1 to your mana pool.”
0/6
Desert Ghosts 1W
Sorcery (C)
Parched 1 (When you cast this spell, choose a land you control to become parched until your next untap step. Parched lands don’t untap during that step.)
Put two 1/1 white Spirit creature tokens with flying onto the battlefield.
Dune Griffin 1WW
Creature — Griffin (C)
Flying, first strike
2/2
Expedition Healer W
Creature — Human Cleric (C)
When Expedition Healer enters the battlefield, Excavate 1. (To excavate 1, exile the top card of your library face down without looking at it.)
Whenever you gain life, you may put an excavated card you own into your hand.
1/1
Expedition Scout 2W
Creature — Aven Scout (C)
Flying
When Expedition Scout enters the battlefield, Excavate 1. (To excavate 1, exile the top card of your library face down without looking at it.)
Whenever Expedition Scout deals combat damage to a player, you may put an excavated card you own into your hand.
2/2
Glare of Heresy 1W
Sorcery (U)
Exile target white permanent.
Hand of Tahut 1W
Creature — Human Soldier (R)
When Hand of Tahut enters the battlefield, put a colorless artifact token named Stone onto the battlefield with “Sacrifice this artifact: Add 1 to your mana pool.”
Whenever a Monument enters the battlefield under your control, put two 1/1 white Soldier creature tokens onto the battlefield.
2/2
Khati Stonemason 1W
Creature — Human Mason (C)
Whenever Khati Stonemason deals combat damage to a player, put a colorless artifact token named Stone onto the battlefield with “Sacrifice this artifact: Add 1 to your mana pool.”
2/2
Kite Inventor 3W
Creature — Human Artificer (U)
Kite Inventor gets +2/+2 and has flying as long as you control three or more artifacts.
3/3
Sandbleached Mastodon 3WW
Creature — Elephant (C)
Vigilance
3/5
Scour 1W
Instant (C)
Destroy target enchantment. You gain 2 life.
Sekmet’s Blessing XW
Sorcery (C)
Gain X life.
Draw a card.
Silkwrap 1W
Enchantment (C)
When Silkwrap enters the battlefield, exile target creature with converted mana cost 3 or less an opponent controls until Silkwrap leaves the battlefield. (That creature returns under its owner’s control.)
Spirit of the Sands 1W
Creature — Spirit (C)
Flying
When Spirit of the Sands dies, put a +1/+1 counter on target creature you control.
1/1
Sun Incarnation 2W
Creature — Light Elemental (U)
Parched 2 (When you cast this spell, choose two lands you control to become parched until your next untap step. Parched lands don’t untap during that step.)
Vigilance
3/4
Tahut’s Favor 1W
Instant (C)
Target creature gains protection from the color of your choice until end of turn.
Put a colorless artifact token named Stone onto the battlefield with “Sacrifice this artifact: Add 1 to your mana pool.”
Tahut’s Judgment 4W
Sorcery (C)
Exile target creature.
Put three colorless artifact tokens named Stone onto the battlefield with “Sacrifice this artifact: Add 1 to your mana pool.”
Aethermine 1U
Enchantment (R)
At the beginning of your upkeep, put a colorless artifact token named Stone onto the battlefield with “Sacrifice this artifact: Add 1 to your mana pool.”
Archaeology 2U
Instant (C)
Excavate 1 (To excavate 1, exile the top card of your library face down without looking at it.)
You may put up to two excavated cards you own into your hand.
Aven Builder 3U
Creature — Bird Mason (C)
Flying
When Aven Builder enters the battlefield, put two colorless artifact tokens named Stone onto the battlefield with “Sacrifice this artifact: Add 1 to your mana pool.”
2/2
City Planner 1UU
Creature — Human Mason (U)
Whenever you draw a card, put a colorless artifact token named Stone onto the battlefield with “Sacrifice this artifact: Add 1 to your mana pool.”
2/2
Engineer’s Prerogative 3U
Sorcery (U)
Draw a card for each artifact you control.
Expedition Diver U
Creature — Human Scout (C)
Islandwalk
When Expedition Diver enters the battlefield, Excavate 1. (To excavate 1, exile the top card of your library face down without looking at it.)
Whenever Expedition Diver deals combat damage to a player, you may put an excavated card you own into your hand.
1/1
Expedition Employer 1U
Creature — Human Advisor (C)
When Expedition Employer enters the battlefield, Excavate 1. (To excavate 1, exile the top card of your library face down without looking at it.)
Whenever Expedition Employer blocks, you may put an excavated card you own into your hand.
0/3
Fleeting Precognition XU
Instant (C)
Look at the top X cards of your library and put them back in any order.
Draw a card.
Gainsay 1U
Instant (U)
Counter target blue spell.
Glimpse the Vault 2UU
Sorcery (M)
Parched 2 (When you cast this spell, choose two lands you control to become parched until your next untap step. Parched lands don’t untap during that step.)
Take an extra turn after this one.
Insipid Denial UU
Instant (C)
Parched 1 (When you cast this spell, choose a land you control to become parched until your next untap step. Parched lands don’t untap during that step.)
Counter target spell.
Instant Turnabout 2U
Instant (C)
Counter target spell unless its controller pays 3.
Untap all lands you control.
Keeper of the Blueprints 2U
Creature — Human Mason (U)
When Keeper of the Blueprints enters the battlefield, search your library for a Monument card, reveal it, and put it into your hand.
T: Add 1 to your mana pool. Use this mana only to cast artifact spells or to activate abilities of artifacts.
0/3
Masoncraft 2U
Sorcery (C)
Draw two cards.
Put two colorless artifact tokens named Stone onto the battlefield with “Sacrifice this artifact: Add 1 to your mana pool.”
Reduce in Stature 2U
Enchantment — Aura (C)
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature has base power and toughness 0/2.
Repeal XU
Instant (C)
Return target nonland permanent with converted mana cost X to its owner’s hand.
Draw a card.
River Serpent 7U
Creature — Serpent (C)
Defender
Sacrifice an Island: River Serpent loses defender until end of turn.
8/8
Sky Incarnation 2U
Creature — Wind Elemental (U)
Parched 2 (When you cast this spell, choose two lands you control to become parched until your next untap step. Parched lands don’t untap during that step.)
Flying
3/3
Crypt Spirit 2BB
Creature — Spirit (C)
Unblockable
3/2
Cursed Relics 1B
Enchantment — Aura (C)
Enchant creature
When Cursed Relics enters the battlefield, Excavate 2 (To excavate 2, exile the top two cards of your library face down without looking at it.)
Whenever enchanted creature dies, you may put up to two excavated cards you own into your hand.
Dark Betrayal B
Sorcery (U)
Destroy target black creature.
Deadly Thirst BB
Instant (C)
Parched 1 (When you cast this spell, choose a land you control to become parched until your next untap step. Parched lands don’t untap during that step.)
Destroy target creature.
Delve Into the Catacombs 2B
Sorcery (C)
Excavate 3. (To excavate 3, exile the top three cards of your library face down without looking at it.)
Expedition Bodyguard 3BB
Creature — Human Barbarian (C)
When Expedition Bodyguard enters the battlefield, Excavate 1. (To excavate 1, exile the top card of your library face down without looking at it.)
Whenever Expedition Bodyguard deals combat damage to a player, you may put an excavated card you own into your hand.
5/3
Expedition Digger 2B
Creature — Human Shaman (C)
When Expedition Digger enters the battlefield, Excavate 1. (To excavate 1, exile the top card of your library face down without looking at it.)
Whenever another creature you control dies, you may put an excavated card you own into your hand.
2/2
Giant Scorpion 2B
Creature — Scorpion (C)
Deathtouch
1/3
Mind Scour 2B
Sorcery (C)
Parched 2 (When you cast this spell, choose two lands you control to become parched until your next untap step. Parched lands don’t untap during that step.)
Target player discards 3 cards.
Night Incarnation 2B
Creature — Shadow Elemental (U)
Parched 2 (When you cast this spell, choose two lands you control to become parched until your next untap step. Parched lands don’t untap during that step.)
Deathtouch
2/5
Reassembling Skeleton 1B
Creature — Skeleton (C)
1B: Return Reassembling Skeleton from your graveyard to the battlefield tapped.
1/1
Returned Vizier 3B
Creature — Zombie Advisor (C)
When Returned Vizier enters the battlefield, return target creature card with converted mana cost 3 or less from your graveyard to your hand.
2/4
Sand Shambler 1B
Creature — Zombie (C)
Stalwart - Whenever Sand Shambler becomes untapped, it gains unblockable until end of turn.
2/2
Sidewinder B
Creature — Snake (C)
Deathtouch
1/1
Touch of Cynax 2B
Instant (C)
Target creature gets -2/-2 until end of turn.
If you control a Zombie, draw a card.
Vampire Interloper 1B
Creature — Vampire Scout (C)
Flying
Vampire Interloper can’t block.
The night skies of Anebos belong to me.
2/1
Clash of Whims R
Instant (U)
Counter target red instant or sorcery spell.
Desert Heat R
Instant (C)
Parched 1 (When you cast this spell, choose a land you control to become parched until your next untap step. Parched lands don’t untap during that step.)
Desert Heat deals 3 damage to target creature or player.
Desert Pyromancer 2R
Creature — Human Wizard (C)
Stalwart - Whenever Desert Pyromancer becomes untapped, it deals 2 damage to target player.
3/2
Dune Glider 1R
Creature — Human Wizard (C)
Flying
Dune Glider attacks each turn if able.
Stalwart - Whenever Dune Glider becomes untapped, it deals 1 damage to each player.
1/1
Expedition Enforcer 1R
Creature — Human Barbarian (C)
When Expedition Enforcer enters the battlefield, Excavate 1. (To excavate 1, exile the top card of your library face down without looking at it.)
Whenever Expedition Enforcer deals combat damage to a player, you may put an excavated card you own into your hand.
2/1
Gust Invoker 2R
Creature — Hound Shaman (C)
Stalwart - Whenever Gust Invoker becomes untapped, target creature gains flying until end of turn.
3/2
Heat Incarnation 2R
Creature — Fire Elemental (U)
Parched 2 (When you cast this spell, choose two lands you control to become parched until your next untap step. Parched lands don’t untap during that step.)
5/1
Heat Ray XR
Instant — Fire (C)
Heat Ray deals X damage to target creature.
Jackal Skullcrusher 2RR
Creature — Hound Barbarian (C)
Haste
Stalwart - Whenever Jackal Skullcrusher becomes untapped, put a +1/+1 counter on it.
2/2
Jackal Slasher R
Creature — Hound Barbarian (C)
Stalwart - Whenever Jackal Slasher becomes untapped, it gets +2/+0 until end of turn.
1/1
Passion for Survival 1R
Enchantment — Aura (C)
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature gets +2/+2 and haste.
Stalwart - Whenever enchanted creature becomes untapped, put a +1/+1 counter on it.
Sandstone Strength 1R
Instant — Earth (C)
Target creature gets +4/+2 until end of turn.
Sandstone Walker 2RR
Creature — Earth Elemental (C)
4/3
Seht’s Chosen 1R
Creature — Hound Barbarian (C)
Stalwart - Whenever Seht’s Chosen becomes untapped, target creature can’t block this turn.
2/1
Stun 1R
Instant (C)
Target creature can’t block this turn.
Draw a card.
Tibalt the Torturer 1RR
Planeswalker — Tibalt (M)
Starting Loyalty: 3
+1: Each player draws a card and discards a card.
-2: Target creature deals damage equal to its power to itself.
-7: You get an emblem with “Whenever a creature attacks you, that creature deals 5 damage to its controller.”
Anebosan Progress 2G
Sorcery (C)
Gain 6 life.
Put two colorless artifact tokens named Stone onto the battlefield with “Sacrifice this artifact: Add 1 to your mana pool.”
Delta Incarnation 2G
Creature — Earth Elemental (U)
Parched 2 (When you cast this spell, choose two lands you control to become parched until your next untap step. Parched lands don’t untap during that step.)
Reach
2/6
Desert Wurm 7G
Creature — Wurm (C)
Trample
7/7
Druid of Anebos 1G
Creature — Human Druid Mason (C)
T: Add G to your mana pool.
When Druid of Anebos enters the battlefield, put a colorless artifact token named Stone onto the battlefield with “Sacrifice this artifact: Add 1 to your mana pool.”
1/1
Expedition Sage 2G
Creature — Human Shaman (C)
Excavate 1 (To excavate 1, exile the top card of your library face down without looking at it.)
Whenever a creature with power 4 or greater enters the battlefield under your control, you may put an excavated card you own into your hand.
2/3
Heqet’s Chosen G
Creature — Human Bard (C)
Stalwart - Whenever Heqet’s Chosen becomes untapped, gain 2 life.
1/1
Loxodon Foreman 3GG
Creature — Elephant Mason (C)
When Loxodon Foreman enters the battlefield, put three colorless artifact tokens named Stone onto the battlefield with “Sacrifice this artifact: Add 1 to your mana pool.”
4/4
Loxodon Riverkeeper 3G
Creature — Elephant Warrior (C)
Stalwart - Whenever Loxodon Riverkeeper becomes untapped, put a +1/+1 counter on it.
3/3
Loxodon Stoneshaper 4G
Creature — Elephant Mason (U)
When Loxodon Stoneshaper enters the battlefield, put three colorless artifact tokens named Stone onto the battlefield with “Sacrifice this artifact: Add 1 to your mana pool.”
7G: Put five +1/+1 counters on target creature.
2/5
Natural Consumption 1GG
Enchantment (U)
Sacrifice an artifact: Draw a card.
Natural Struggle 1GG
Sorcery (U)
Choose one—
Destroy target green noncreature permanent.
Destroy target Forest.
Repurpose 3G
Sorcery (C)
Destroy target artifact, enchantment or land.
Put two colorless artifact tokens named Stone onto the battlefield with “Sacrifice this artifact: Add 1 to your mana pool.”
Scarce Strength G
Instant (C)
Parched 1 (When you cast this spell, choose a land you control to become parched until your next untap step. Parched lands don’t untap during that step.)
Target creature gets +3/+3 and gains indestructible until end of turn.
Seb, Master Builder G
Legendary Creature — Human Mason (R)
T: Add 1 to your mana pool.
Whenever a Monument enters the battlefield under your control, put four +1/+1 counters on Seb, Master Builder.
1/1
Sedge Scorpion G
Creature — Scorpion (C)
Deathtouch
1/1
Sporecap Spider 2G
Creature — Spider (C)
Reach
1/5
Stone-Eater Scarab 2G
Creature — Insect (C)
Deathtouch
When Stone-Eater Scarab enters the battlefield, you may destroy target artifact or enchantment.
1/1
Stoneheaver 2G
Creature — Loxodon Mason (C)
When Stoneheaver enters the battlefield, put a colorless artifact token named Stone onto the battlefield with “Sacrifice this artifact: Add 1 to your mana pool.”
3/3
Survivor’s Fortitude 3G
Enchantment — Aura (C)
Enchant creature
Flash
Enchanted creature gets +2/+2
Stalwart - Whenever enchanted creature becomes untapped, put a +1/+1 counter on it.
Adjourn WU
Instant (U)
Return target spell to its owner’s hand. (Its effects are countered.)
Draw a card.
Anebos Inventor UR
Creature — Human Wizard (R)
At the beginning of your upkeep, you may draw a card and then discard a card.
2/2
Anzelm the Hammer 4GW
Planeswalker — Anzelm (M)
Starting Loyalty: 3
+2: Up to one target creature gets +4/+4 and gains trample and lifelink until end of turn.
0: Put three 1/1 green Saproling creature tokens onto the battlefield.
-5: You get an emblem with “Creature tokens you control get +4/+4 and have indestructible.”
Archpriest of Thoth 4WU
Creature — Bird Cleric (R)
Flying
When Archpriest of Thoth enters the battlefield, put three 1/1 blue and white Bird creature tokens with flying onto the battlefield.
At the beginning of your upkeep, put a 1/1 blue and white Bird creature token with flying onto the battlefield.
2/2
Crypt Delver UB
Creature — Zombie Rogue (R)
Whenever Crypt Delver deals combat damage to a player, put a 2/2 black Zombie creature token onto the battlefield tapped.
1/1
Cynax, Ancient Pharaoh 2UBB
Planeswalker — Cynax (M)
Starting Loyalty: 4
+2: Target player puts the top six cards of their library into their graveyard.
0: Put two 2/2 black Zombie creature tokens onto the battlefield tapped.
-1: Look the top six cards of your library. Put one into your hand and exile the rest.
-7: Draw six cards and put six 2/2 black Zombie creature tokens onto the battlefield tapped.
Dark Verdict WB
Sorcery (U)
Target player discards two cards. You gain 3 life for each land card discarded this way.
Desert Rage BR
Sorcery (U)
All creatures without flying get +1/+0 and can’t block this turn.
Embodiment of the Desert 3RW
Creature — Elemental (R)
Opponents’ spells have Parched 2.
At the beginning of each player’s upkeep, that player sacrifices a land.
4/6
Far Search 1GU
Sorcery (R)
Reveal the top two cards of your library. You may put any number of lands from among them onto the battlefield and put the rest into your hand.
Heqet, God of Fertility 5GGU
Legendary Creature — Frog God (M)
Whenever you tap a land for mana, you may draw a card.
8/8
Osirus, God of the Afterlife 5WBB
Legendary Creature — Zombie God (M)
Lifelink
At the beginning of your upkeep, put all creature cards from your graveyard onto the battlefield.
6/6
Rageweaver 1BR
Creature — Hound Barbarian (R)
First strike
Stalwart - Whenever Rageweaver becomes untapped, untap target creature and gain control of it until end of turn. That creature gains haste until end of turn.
3/1
Sandstone Invoker RG
Creature — Hound Shaman (R)
R: Sandstone Invoker gains haste until end of turn.
2G: Sandstone Invoker gets +2/+2 until end of turn.
2/2
Sandstone Quake RG
Instant (U)
Choose one—
Sandstone Quake deals 3 damage to target creature without flying.
Sandstone Quake deals 4 damage to target player.
Sandstone Quake deals 5 damage to target creature with flying.
Scarab Queen 3BG
Creature — Insect (U)
Deathtouch
Other creatures you control with deathtouch get +2/+2.
2/5
Searing Helix 1RW
Instant (U)
Lifelink
Searing Helix deals 2 damage to target player and 2 damage to up to one creature that player controls.
Seht, God of Chaos 5BRR
Legendary Creature — Hound God (M)
When Seht, God of Chaos enters the battlefield, it deals damage equal to its power divided as you choose among any number of creatures and/or players.
10/7
Sekmet, God of Heroics 5RWW
Legendary Creature — Cat God (M)
Vigilance
Whenever a creature attacks you, Sekmet, God of Heroics deals 2 damage to that creature.
Whenever a creature you control attacks, it deals 2 damage to the defending player.
7/9
Shadow Mastery UB
Instant (U)
Target creature gets hexproof, lifelink, and unblockable until end of turn.
Draw a card.
Spelljolt UR
Instant (U)
Counter target spell unless its controller pays 2.
Spelljolt deals 2 damage to that spell’s controller
Temporal Bounce 1GU
Instant (U)
Put target nonland permanent on top of its owner’s library.
Utter Dominance 3WB
Instant (R)
Choose one attacking creature. Destroy all other creatures.
Valorous Bout GW
Instant (U)
Put a +1/+1 counter on target creature you control. It fights target creature you don’t control.
Voracious Scarabs BG
Creature — Insect (R)
Deathtouch
BG: Voracious Scarabs gets +2/+2 and gains trample until end of turn.
1/1
Wealth of Strength GW
Enchantment (R)
GW: Put a +1/+1 counter on target creature.
Colossus of the Wastes 7
Artifact Creature — Golem Monument (C)
Colossus of the Wastes is indestructible as long as it’s untapped.
7/7
Crypt of Guun 10
Artifact — Monument (U)
When Crypt of Guun enters the battlefield, return target creature card from your graveyard to the battlefield.
T: Target creature gets -3/-3 until end of turn.
Expedition Gear 2
Artifact — Equipment (C)
When Expedition Gear enters the battlefield, Excavate 1. (To excavate 1, exile the top card of your library face down without looking at it.)
Equipped creature gets +1/+1.
Whenever equipped creature deals combat damage to a player, you may put an excavated card you own into your hand.
Equip 2
Great Grove of Stone 7
Artifact — Monument (U)
When Great Grove of Stone enters the battlefield, gain 7 life.
5, T: Target creature gets +5/+5 until end of turn.
Obelisk of Cynax 7
Artifact — Monument (R)
T: Creatures your opponents control get -2/-1 until end of turn.
UB, Sacrifice Obelisk of Cynax: Search your hand or library for a Cynax planeswalker card and put it onto the battlefield.
Quazigem Nugget 4
Artifact — Quazigem (U)
Quazigem Nugget enters the battlefield tapped.
T: Add 2 to your mana pool for each Quazigem permanent you control.
Quazigem Pendant 2
Artifact — Quazigem (C)
Quazigem Pendant enters the battlefield tapped.
T: Add 1 to your mana pool for each Quazigem permanent you control.
Tahut’s Gate Guardian 8
Artifact Creature — Monument Golem (U)
Defender
Tahut’s Gate Guardian can block any number of creatures.
7/10
Temple of Heqet 11
Artifact — Monument (R)
Whenever you tap a land for mana, add one mana of any color to your mana pool.
Creatures can’t attack unless their controller pays 2 for each attacking creature.
5, Sacrifice Temple of Heqet: Search your hand or library for a card named Heqet, God of Fertility and put it onto the battlefield.
Temple of Market Alley 8
Artifact — Monument (C)
Creatures you control get +2/+2.
5, T: Draw a card.
Temple of Osirus 10
Artifact — Monument (R)
When Temple of Osirus enters the battlefield, gain 10 life.
At the beginning of your upkeep, return target permanent card from your graveyard to the battlefield.
5, Sacrifice Temple of Osirus: Search your hand or library for a card named Osirus, God of the Afterlife and put it onto the battlefield.
Temple of Seht 9
Artifact — Monument (R)
Whenever Temple of Seht enters the battlefield, destroy all creatures.
Whenever an opponent would lose life, that player loses twice that much life instead.
5, Sacrifice Temple of Seht: Search your hand or library for a card named Seht, God of Chaos and put it onto the battlefield.
Temple of Sekmet 8
Artifact — Monument (R)
Attacking creatures you control get +3/+0 and have first strike.
Blocking creatures you control get +0/+3 and have lifelink.
5, Sacrifice Temple of Sekmet: Search your hand or library for a card named Sekmet, God of Heroics and put it onto the battlefield.
Unstable Obelisk 3
Artifact (U)
T: Add 1 to your mana pool.
7, T, Sacrifice Unstable Obelisk: Destroy target permanent.
Vault of Secrets 11
Artifact — Monument (U)
When Vault of Secrets enters the battlefield, tap all creatures your opponents control. They don’t untap during their controller’s next untap step.
At the beginning of your upkeep, draw two cards.
White Cloud Tower 8
Artifact — Monument (U)
When White Cloud Tower enters the battlefield, put a +1/+1 counter on each creature you control.
Creatures you control have flying.
Wielder of the Scepter 9
Artifact Creature — Monument Golem (U)
When Wielder of the Scepter enters the battlefield, it deals 3 damage to each creature.
8/8
Ancient Trove
Land (C)
When Ancient Trove enters the battlefield, Excavate 1. (To excavate 1, exile the top card of your library face down without looking at it.)
T: Add 1 to your mana pool.
2, T, Sacrifice Ancient Trove: You may put an excavated card you own into your hand.
Marsh Quarry
Land (R)
Marsh Quarry enters the battlefield tapped.
When Marsh Quarry enters the battlefield, Excavate 1.
T: Add U or B to your mana pool.
1UB, T: You may put an excavated card you own into your hand.
Oasis Quarry
Land (R)
Oasis Quarry enters the battlefield tapped.
When Oasis Quarry enters the battlefield, Excavate 1.
T: Add W or U to your mana pool.
1WU, T: You may put an excavated card you own into your hand.
Quazigem Mine
Land — Quazigem (C)
Quazigem Mine enters the battlefield tapped.
T: Add 1 to your mana pool for each Quazigem permanent you control.
Riverside Quarry
Land (R)
Riverside Quarry enters the battlefield tapped.
When Riverside Quarry enters the battlefield, Excavate 1.
T: Add G or W to your mana pool.
1GW, T: You may put an excavated card you own into your hand.
Sunscorched Quarry
Land (R)
Sunscorched Quarry enters the battlefield tapped.
When Sunscorched Quarry enters the battlefield, Excavate 1.
T: Add B or R to your mana pool.
1BR, T: You may put an excavated card you own into your hand.
Tropical Quarry
Land (R)
Tropical Quarry enters the battlefield tapped.
When Tropical Quarry enters the battlefield, Excavate 1.
T: Add R or G to your mana pool.
1RG, T: You may put an excavated card you own into your hand.
Worker Factory
Land (U)
T: Add 1 to your mana pool.
7, T: Put a 2/2 colorless Golem artifact creature token onto the battlefield.
I have started preparing to play custom standard (constructed combining multiple custom made blocks) multiple times and never really finished, though I have irl friends and posters on this forum that seemed interested. I'm currently stuck at my parents' house recovering from a strange vasculitis, so I thought it would be a good opportunity to finish that project.
Wizards is killing off core sets, and I agree with their reasoning but I think if sales and marketing factors are thrown out, the core set is good for balancing standard. It's also a good way for me to establish a baseline for some changes I want to make, so I decided to make a core set. After playing standard with it and two 2-set blocks, I will then decide to either make Magic Core Beta or abandon core sets like Wizards have.
The set has 1.5 returning mechanics. The normal returning mechanic is Landfall. It's simple, robust, and goes along with the Seismic Strikestyle basic land type checkers that are promoting monocolor.
The "half" returning mechanic is hybrid. It's simple, popular, and helps building monocolor decks in limited.
W/U: Bant
U/B: Faeries (Lorwyn/Shadowmoor)
B/R: Minotaurs (Theros)
R/G: Allies (Zendikar)
G/W: Dromoka
W/B: Spirits (Innistrad)
B/G: Phyrexia
G/U: Alchemists (Innistrad)
U/R: Izzet
R/W: Duergar (Shadowmoor)
These factions are just for flavor. If there are any good factions from planes I haven't explored, let me know. I'd like to have as much of a spread as possible.
This change is highly experimental and subject to be scrapped, but I love the potential.
I'm making Unblockable an evergreen keyword and shifting it to B > R > U. Blue is already the master of flying, so why does it need unblockability as well? I like replacing Intimidate/Fear with Unblockable because it's much simpler. It also firmly places "can't block" on both your creatures and opponents' creatures into R/B, which I think helps the color pie.
Regenerate is gone. It's replaced by Indestructible in green and in black will be replaced by effects that return creatures from the graveyard to the battlefield or hand i.e. Reassembling Skeleton.
I want red to care more about instants and sorceries. The most obvious way I'm doing this is giving Negate to red.
Day of Judgment is black. White will have Planar Cleansing or Hallowed Burial variants. Black will still occasionally have expensive wraths like Life's Finale.
Top-down Egyptian
Creature Class tribal
Caribbean/Pirates theme
Full Set (209/249)
Part 2