• Scattered Groves replaces Temple Garden
• Ash Barrens replaces Safewright Quest
• Jade Mage replaces Selesnya Guildmage
The +1/+1 mode just isn't as good when the core creatures are growing to be more spread out. Repeatable 1/1 chump blockers is the most appealing part of this and doubling at 6 and 9 being achievable makes this a good swap.
• Gnarlwood Dryad replaces Death-Hood Cobra
With multiplayer, this is attacking less, so having to hold up mana for deathtouch makes the snake pretty bad, even if it can block fliers. This one turns into a threat when drawn late to help end games.
• Deathcap Cultivator replaces Avacyn's Pilgrim
This solves the problem of bad mana dorks. In smaller settings, 1/1 bodies can be made relevant fairly easily. This setting needs more longevity when flooding out late. Deathtouch is natural even if this change prevents the deck from moonlighting as a commander deck.
• Clear Shot replaces Dromoka's Command
This is a questionable change, but it makes it harder for this to 2-for-1 combat tricks, allows it to BE a combat trick, and allows deathtouch creatures to damage big creatures without dying. The blow out scenario is also lessened with awkward interactions with removing aura-based removal in combat.
• Choking Restraints replaces Contagion Glasp
This interacts with a slightly different set of threats. Instead of being expensive and targeting utility creatures, it's cheap, and stops big creatures before being a mana sink to deal with creatures with abilities late.
• Provoke replaces Detainment Spell
Doesn't answer threats as easily, but allows social play and deals with utility creatures with no card cost.
• Blessed Alliance replaces Martial Law
This interacts with a slightly different set of threats but does untap creatures tapped down by tappers. Detain is awkward and was ultimately just a 1 for 1.
• Faith Unbroken replaces Vow of Duty
This has better gameplay as the vow typically clogged the board and didn't answer utility creatures. This cleans up utility creatures decently, especially those that accrue value over time.
• Elder of Laurels replaces Seedcradle Witch
This is less-dependent on the ability to ward off early plays and is less of an oppressive ability.
• Unstable Obelisk replaces Selesnya Keyrune
This is more tension and ramp-desiring / pay off. This may be less useful midgame though. This is one of the few remaining ways of getting an aura off your big threat.
• Become Immense replaces Beast Within
This targets combat rather than being efficient, flexible removal. This slot no longer destroys auras and doesn't leave behind a 3/3 token to be dealt with.
• Prepare // Fight replaces Test of Faith
Untap combat trick has more play to it than a flash aura that eats deathtouchers.
• Ainok Bond-Kin replaces Phyrexian Revoker
Early game 2/1s are just bad now and utility creatures are less important than in 1v1
• Heliod's Emissary replaces Wiltleaf Cavaliers
Aggro needs a bit more assist than beefy vigilance. This is now a mana sink and adds to delirium
• Benevolent Offering replaces Briarhorn
Testing out flying tokens and life gain. Might be too much of a liability, but Briarhorn was always too much of a blow out.
• Dragonscale General replaces Auriok Bladewarden
Trying something new.
• Sentinel of the Eternal Watch replaces Coalition Honor Guard
Flagbearers are significantly more awkward in multiplayer where they prevent opponents from killing each other's creatures.
• Conifer Strider replaces Acidic Slime
• Domesticated Hydra replaces Kavu Primarch
Golgari Decoy is now on the watch list because there are very few things it can actually interact against in a satisfying way compared to before. I think there are fewer permanent buffs it can acquire but it still may have enough buffs for it to be usable.
*is not a green card*
I'm not at all concerned that the abilities being of equal utility as long as they're interesting deck-building decisions and not clear color pie violations. (original version used deathtouch on black) And yes, double strike being a more easily tapped into source of threat was intended as compensation for limiting oneself to monowhite since white doesn't have card draw, ramp, or as many non-combat paths to victory as other colors. Boros getting provoke is similarly in this vein, at minimum providing that deck with the means for combos or card advantage despite not being card draw though it still needs to stick bodies that are big enough to get through combat before this can happen. Mana dorks can just tap for mana and are therefore safe.
There simply aren't enough candidate abilities to even try to have them be equivalently strong and had they been, the context of the second color would have unbalanced them.
Legendary Creature — Avatar (M)
As Spirit of Cooperation begins the game in the command zone, choose a color. That color is part of its color identity.
Creatures you control have the ability corresponding to the chosen color:
White — Double strike
Blue — Prowess
Black — Exalted
Red — Provoke
Green — Changeling
2/5
In the 99, this is a do-nothing card. As a commander, it has a unique effect for each 2-color pair with white and will likely be built in different ways as a result.
The interesting bit is when you build a monowhite deck, you can choose any of the options at the start of the game and your deck remains legal. This would likely be a super interesting deck to build.
I'm guessing these designs will be the norm going forward.
If there's something like Smite the Monstrous in the set, it will probably feel noticed.
With Mutate, I kind of want to see big spell effects on auras when possible because the counter play is infinitely more accessible. Granted, I suppose mutate commanders are the ideal case since they are broadcast ahead of time so you know to save removal to counter the spell from the start.
COST: Activate this ability only if there are exactly two colors among permanents you control and cards in your graveyard. Creatures you control gain flying until end of turn if a creature you control or a creature card in your graveyard has flying. The same is true for first strike, double strike, deathtouch, haste, hexproof, indestructible, lifelink, menace, reach, trample, and vigilance.
But at that point, it'd just be more natural to do something without the 2-color restriction.
Maybe instead,
WUBRG: Create an emblem with, "As long as there are exactly two colors among permanents you control and cards in your graveyard, creatures you control have double strike."
I wonder if there's a token theme in limited that this is trying to stabilize you against.
Instant (R)
Target opponent becomes the monarch.
Exile target creature until the monarch changes.
I'm looking for low mana ways to introduce the monarch mechanic into games and I keep getting hung up on various effects that make an opponent the monarch for you to later steal.
Legendary Creature — Human Knight (M)
Defender
U or B or R or G: Creatures you control lose defender and gain vigilance and double strike until end of turn. Activate this ability only if there are exactly two colors among permanents you control and cards in your graveyard.
4/2
I love the concept of taking a multicolor commander and building it without using one of the colors. This is more of a brute force go at it, but just thinking about the different ways you could end up building it tweaks my brain in a good way.
Legendary Creature — Human Advisor (R)
Whenever one or more creatures you control with flying deal combat damage to an opponent, draw a card.
Tap an untapped bird you control: Target creature gains flying and double strike until end of turn.
1/4
Pls.
Artifact — Equipment(R)
Equipped creature gets +1/+0 for each creature that died this turn.
Equipped creature has, "T, Sacrifice this creature: Each opponent sacrifices a creature."
Equip 1
Rakdos Riteknife really needs a rework. This is probably unbalanced, but it's so much cleaner to read.
What I'd like to see is a rework of Rakdos Riteknife as an equipment homage to Grave Pact.