Now, the one mana walkers have to make sense in two colors.
(Again, this is just a design concept - I do think flavorwise, walkers are supposed to be powerful.)
Allied.
Obelas, Son of Dawn - (W/G) Planeswalker - Obelas
[+1]: Target 1/1 creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn.
[-5]: Gain life equal to the number of creatures you control.
{1}
Yun The Magistrate - (W/U)
Planeswalker - Yun
[+1]: Untap target creature you control.
[-8]: Target players skips his or her next untap step.
{1}
Azimuth Shar - (U/B) Planeswalker - Azimuth
[-1]: Put the top six cards of your library into your graveyard.
[-2]: Sacrifice a creature. If the creature was blue, draw a card. If the creature was black, draw a card.
{2}
Ob Vengeant - (R/B) Planeswalker - Ob
[+1]: Each player discards a card at random.
[-XX]: Exile X creature cards in your graveyard, then put that many 3/1 red and black Graveborn creature tokens onto the battlefield.
{2}
Loreal Wildblood - (R/G) Planeswalker - Loreal
[+1]: Destroy target noncreature artifact with converted mana cost or less.
[0]: Add X mana to your mana pool in any combination of red and/or green mana where X is the number of loyalty counters on ~, then remove all loyalty counters from ~.
{2}
nicol bolas is 8 mana and takes 2 turns to make ultimate
gideon costs five and can use his ability right away(even if it doesnt do anything only with mass hysteria or something)
but by the time you get nicols ultimate you allready won with gideon
So? What does that have to do with an ability's "ultimateness"?
If anything, that makes Bolas's ability more ultimate, not less.
I mean, you can win with a lot of things in magic before you get Bolas's big ability off. That doesn't make those things "ultimate."
Unchecked, a Wild Nacatl wins the game turn 8, is that an "ultimate"?
Turning into a 6/6 that prevents all damage dealt to it until end of turn repeatedly isn't ultimate?
Correct. It isn't ultimate.
All the previous walkers' "ultimates" are huge, game-winning effects. A 6/6 wins the game only if your opponent is at 6 life and can't block. That's not an "ultimate," not in the sense of that Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker's ultimate is. But, it's a cool, powerful ability. Just a different kind of ability.
To me, planeswalkers should be mythic. Mythic in feel, flavor, and ability.
Summoning a planewalker shouldn't be like summoning a wizards with a few tricks. It should be like summoning goddamn George Bush with an ultimate that's shock and awe on a bunch of orcs. It should be like resurrecting Gary Gygax to DM, or Elvis to sing for your band. When a planewalker's ultimate resolves, other planewalkers (the player) are supposed to say "whoa!"
Draw a card? Mill for 4? +3/+3? Those aren't mythic at all. The flavor of being a planewalker is completely lost with those abilities, and should probably just be relegated to ordinary spells.
I mostly agree with your statements, and as noted this was mainly a thought exercise. Although, I do want to note that they are printing PWs that don't have ultimate abilities now. [ie. the new white one coming out in RoE]
Bonechewer - fits the bill not much to say here. 9/10
Glorious Victory - WWWWW Enchantment
~ costs less to cast for each nontoken creature you control.
1/1 creatures you control get +2/+2 and have vigilance and lifelink.
Ko'Rehe DroneXR
Artifact Creature - Construct
~ enters the battlefield with X charge counters.
, put a charge counter on ~: Target player gains 1 life and puts the top X cards of his or her library into his or her graveyard.
, Remove 10 charge counters from Korre's Hedron: Search your library for a card and reveal it. ~ deals damage equal to that card's converted mana cost to target opponent. Then, Shuffle your library.
1/1
Skysunder - not sure about the templating but it's a nice idea overall. My main concern is that the mana reduction ability is a lot easier to meet than khalni hydra's. Too often this can be a 3rd turn 7/7 flying for monoblue. 5/10
redkhalni
Warhungry Elemental - RRRRRRR Creature - Elemental
Trample, Flash
~ costs less to cast for each 1 damage dealt to an opponent this turn.
7/1
Planar Parasite - 1B Creature - Horror
Whenever you pay life, put an evolution counter on Planar Parasite. Evolve - As long as Planar Parasite has five or more evolution counters on it, it becomes 6/6 and has flying and "at the beginning of your upkeep, lose 2 life."
1/1
Ebb - Sliver Scythe
My main problem with this card is that I don't think Sliver decks would want this. It's a good bit of an investment in mana where many slivers already so similar things. Coat of Arms would probably be the better choice. However, the card is mechanically interesting. A-
Megiddo - Sol Blade
I love the way you templated this, and it's interesting to think about how different types of level up cards might be templated in the future. As a card, it's pretty interesting and even at Level 1 it can be fairly dangerous. It might be a little undercosted, but if so, that's marginal. No IIW, how sad.
Brofaux - Firebolt Staff
Very flavorful and cool card, even if its not too interesting. I think its balanced and its simplicity is elegant. Effective and desireable. A
Vermy - Talatsu
I think the Imprint is too much (and is templated incorrectly, btw). You're already reinventing the wheel as per the challenge - making an equipment with Level Up. Adding more complexity on top of that is just overboard. The text on the card would have to be so tiny, that in print it would look hideous. But I like where you were going with this, the idea is cool, it's just too busy. B-
The winner is Brofaux! The next challenge is:
Make a creature that has an ability called "Evolve", as in pokemon.
Just a note, now that we have tribal, a Squirrel permanent might not necessarily be a creature. Also, a creature card isn't a creature. (You can't target a creature card in your graveyard with a Lightning Bolt for example).
Just FYI
Rod of Rulership - 5
Artifact - Equipment
Equipped creature gets +1/+1 for each other creature you control.
Equipped creature has ":symtap:: Each other creature you control gets +X/+X until end of turn, where X is this creature's power."
Equip - Tap six untapped creatures you control.
Neverending Growth - 2GGG Sorcery
Put a +1/+1 counter on each green creature you control.
Exile Neverending Growth.
Splice onto a card named "Neverending Growth" - "We thought the little bugs were cute... then they grew... and grew..."
If you have all 4 in hand (unlikely, but for the sake of argument), you can:
Cast one, splice all other three (+4/+4)
Cast the second, splice the other two (+7/+7)
Cast the third, splice the last (+9/+9)
Cast the last (+10/+10)!
All for the meager price of 8GGGGGGGGGGGG and having exactly four copies of this card in your hand!
That's all well and good, but that's not really planeswalker material, now is it? There is absolutely no reason that effect can;t be done on a creature. An uncommon to boot.
I don't really follow this logic. It's the same as saying that there's no reason why Ajani Goldmane couldn't be a creature.
Ajani Goldmane - 2WW Legendary Creature - Planeswalker
At the beginning of your upkeep, gain 2 life and put a Loyalty counter on ~.
Remove a loyalty counter from ~: Put a +1/+1 counter on each creature you control. Those creatures gain vigilance until end of turn. Play this ability only once each turn and only when you could play a Sorcery.
Remove six loyalty counters from ~ and sacrifice it: Put a white Avatar creature token onto the battlefield. It has "This creature's power and toughness are each equal to your life total."
3/3
While we're at it, why is Tooth and Nail a Sorcery? It could be a creature with a sac ability. Why is Lightning Bolt an instant? It could be a creature with flash and a sac ability. Why is Black Vise an artifact? It could be an artifact creature. Why is Hidden Gibbons an Enchantment? It could be a 4/4 creature with "this can't attack or block" unless the opponent casts an instant. Etc, etc, and so on.
I mean, I could just turn it around and say why is this card a creature? It could be a planeswalker.
Well, it makes a Goblin for 1, then probably sits around until you have 1 card that you really don't want, then pitches it for some damage to a creature. Actually quite decent, although it plays strangely.
I figure this would be quite decent for Goblin decks. I mean, it's a one drop goblin that can turn any other card in your hand into a removal spell. (albeit at sorcery speed)
When a planewalker's ultimate resolves, other planewalkers (the player) are supposed to say "whoa"
I mostly agree with your statements, and as noted this was mainly a thought exercise. Although, I do want to note that they are printing PWs that don't have ultimate abilities now. [ie. the new white one coming out in RoE]
Now, the one mana walkers have to make sense in two colors.
(Again, this is just a design concept - I do think flavorwise, walkers are supposed to be powerful.)
Allied.
Obelas, Son of Dawn - (W/G)
Planeswalker - Obelas
[+1]: Target 1/1 creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn.
[-5]: Gain life equal to the number of creatures you control.
{1}
Yun The Magistrate - (W/U)
Planeswalker - Yun
[+1]: Untap target creature you control.
[-8]: Target players skips his or her next untap step.
{1}
Azimuth Shar - (U/B)
Planeswalker - Azimuth
[-1]: Put the top six cards of your library into your graveyard.
[-2]: Sacrifice a creature. If the creature was blue, draw a card. If the creature was black, draw a card.
{2}
Ob Vengeant - (R/B)
Planeswalker - Ob
[+1]: Each player discards a card at random.
[-XX]: Exile X creature cards in your graveyard, then put that many 3/1 red and black Graveborn creature tokens onto the battlefield.
{2}
Loreal Wildblood - (R/G)
Planeswalker - Loreal
[+1]: Destroy target noncreature artifact with converted mana cost or less.
[0]: Add X mana to your mana pool in any combination of red and/or green mana where X is the number of loyalty counters on ~, then remove all loyalty counters from ~.
{2}
Hmm. Loreal needs a bit of work.
So? What does that have to do with an ability's "ultimateness"?
If anything, that makes Bolas's ability more ultimate, not less.
I mean, you can win with a lot of things in magic before you get Bolas's big ability off. That doesn't make those things "ultimate."
Unchecked, a Wild Nacatl wins the game turn 8, is that an "ultimate"?
Correct. It isn't ultimate.
All the previous walkers' "ultimates" are huge, game-winning effects. A 6/6 wins the game only if your opponent is at 6 life and can't block. That's not an "ultimate," not in the sense of that Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker's ultimate is. But, it's a cool, powerful ability. Just a different kind of ability.
Reading Comprehension, KTHX.
Glorious Victory - WWWWW
Enchantment
~ costs less to cast for each nontoken creature you control.
1/1 creatures you control get +2/+2 and have vigilance and lifelink.
Next - A blue instant that deals damage
Artifact Creature - Construct
~ enters the battlefield with X charge counters.
, put a charge counter on ~: Target player gains 1 life and puts the top X cards of his or her library into his or her graveyard.
, Remove 10 charge counters from Korre's Hedron: Search your library for a card and reveal it. ~ deals damage equal to that card's converted mana cost to target opponent. Then, Shuffle your library.
1/1
redkhalni
Warhungry Elemental - RRRRRRR
Creature - Elemental
Trample, Flash
~ costs less to cast for each 1 damage dealt to an opponent this turn.
7/1
next - repeat in white or black
Creature - Horror
Whenever you pay life, put an evolution counter on Planar Parasite.
Evolve - As long as Planar Parasite has five or more evolution counters on it, it becomes 6/6 and has flying and "at the beginning of your upkeep, lose 2 life."
1/1
IIW
Make an existing nonjace PW with 4 abilities
My main problem with this card is that I don't think Sliver decks would want this. It's a good bit of an investment in mana where many slivers already so similar things. Coat of Arms would probably be the better choice. However, the card is mechanically interesting. A-
Megiddo - Sol Blade
I love the way you templated this, and it's interesting to think about how different types of level up cards might be templated in the future. As a card, it's pretty interesting and even at Level 1 it can be fairly dangerous. It might be a little undercosted, but if so, that's marginal. No IIW, how sad.
Brofaux - Firebolt Staff
Very flavorful and cool card, even if its not too interesting. I think its balanced and its simplicity is elegant. Effective and desireable. A
Vermy - Talatsu
I think the Imprint is too much (and is templated incorrectly, btw). You're already reinventing the wheel as per the challenge - making an equipment with Level Up. Adding more complexity on top of that is just overboard. The text on the card would have to be so tiny, that in print it would look hideous. But I like where you were going with this, the idea is cool, it's just too busy. B-
The winner is Brofaux!
The next challenge is:
Just FYI
Rod of Rulership - 5
Artifact - Equipment
Equipped creature gets +1/+1 for each other creature you control.
Equipped creature has ":symtap:: Each other creature you control gets +X/+X until end of turn, where X is this creature's power."
Equip - Tap six untapped creatures you control.
IIW
Design a two mana, multicolored PW
Sorcery
Put a +1/+1 counter on each green creature you control.
Exile Neverending Growth.
Splice onto a card named "Neverending Growth" -
"We thought the little bugs were cute... then they grew... and grew..."
If you have all 4 in hand (unlikely, but for the sake of argument), you can:
Cast one, splice all other three (+4/+4)
Cast the second, splice the other two (+7/+7)
Cast the third, splice the last (+9/+9)
Cast the last (+10/+10)!
All for the meager price of 8GGGGGGGGGGGG and having exactly four copies of this card in your hand!
I don't really follow this logic. It's the same as saying that there's no reason why Ajani Goldmane couldn't be a creature.
Ajani Goldmane - 2WW
Legendary Creature - Planeswalker
At the beginning of your upkeep, gain 2 life and put a Loyalty counter on ~.
Remove a loyalty counter from ~: Put a +1/+1 counter on each creature you control. Those creatures gain vigilance until end of turn. Play this ability only once each turn and only when you could play a Sorcery.
Remove six loyalty counters from ~ and sacrifice it: Put a white Avatar creature token onto the battlefield. It has "This creature's power and toughness are each equal to your life total."
3/3
While we're at it, why is Tooth and Nail a Sorcery? It could be a creature with a sac ability. Why is Lightning Bolt an instant? It could be a creature with flash and a sac ability. Why is Black Vise an artifact? It could be an artifact creature. Why is Hidden Gibbons an Enchantment? It could be a 4/4 creature with "this can't attack or block" unless the opponent casts an instant. Etc, etc, and so on.
I mean, I could just turn it around and say why is this card a creature? It could be a planeswalker.
I figure this would be quite decent for Goblin decks. I mean, it's a one drop goblin that can turn any other card in your hand into a removal spell. (albeit at sorcery speed)
I mostly agree with your statements, and as noted this was mainly a thought exercise. Although, I do want to note that they are printing PWs that don't have ultimate abilities now. [ie. the new white one coming out in RoE]