I read your series today and I really liked them. Your opinions are well supported, and your analysis covers each keyword from many different aspects in a broad view.
I have one correction to make though. Suspend wasn't the first ability to use the exile zone in a way that no other card could, imprint in Mirrodin block did it first (albeit in an unexciting and not very memorable way). This mechanic still has quite a lot of untapped design space.
I don't have an idea what the first keyword would be. Trample is one of the most beloved mechanics of all time, that plays well and has history. However, it's not very innovative - many attacking/blocking mechanic have been made alongside it from the very beginning, and it's not as resonant as flying.
OTOH I definitely know what will make the worst ten keywords of all time: Shroud!
Two necessary fixes.
Regrowth
Enchantment — Charm Aura (R)
Enchant player
At the end of your turn, if enchanted player was dealt 10 or more damage this turn, you win the game.
Elvish Exorcist :1mana::symg::symg:
Creature — Elf (U)
Tap an untapped green creature you control: Target player shuffles a card from his or her graveyard into his or her library.
2/2
Random Insight :1mana::symu::symr:
Enchantment (R)
Whenever you flip a coin, you may draw a card.
Elvish S****eper :1mana::symg:
Creature — Elf warrior (C)
Reach
Protection from creatures with flying.
1/1
Blood Well
Legendary Land (R)
:symtap:: Add to your mana pool.
:symb:, pay 1 life: Add one mana of any color to your mana pool.
Gruul Battle Crier :1mana::symr::symg:
Creature — Human Warrior (U)
Bloodthirst X
:symtap:: Target creature gets +1/+1 for each +1/+1 counter on ~ until the end of turn.
1/2
Apprentice Sentinel
Creature — Human Wizard (C)
Sacrifice ~: Return target permanent you control to its owner's hand.
1/1
Weakhaunting Horror
Creature — Horror (R)
Whenever you put a -1/-1 counter on a creature, put a +1/+1 counter on ~.
0/1
Marshal Vicward, the Sovereign :2mana::symu::symb:
Legendary Creature — Human Lord (R)
At the end of turn, ~'s owner gains control of it.
Whenever a creature comes into play, you may pay life equal to its converted mana cost plus one. If you do, it comes into play under your control.
Marshal Vicward, the amazing sovereign prince of Kishi- Abel, the triumphant subjugator of Kira-Nuri.
4/2
Edited Brethyra to white.
I think the name should be changed, but it's good overall.
I assume he is a rare.
(Copied from the card making FAQ thread)- It will be easier to read the card this way.
I think the card is broken, and as such it will see tournament play. You can weaken him severly, or to weaken him slightly and add another drawback that pushes him more towards the casual crowd.
That was the effect I wanted. But every aggro deck can finish the game with removal at the point she comes into play.
Misspelling, should be from play.
There is no way I see to fix him, his effect will be replaced.
I knew that most of ythe readers will think this way. It's subtle wording, but it says "each other player" and not "each opponent". It rewards your team for life gain.
Freed from the real will give you card disadvantage. And she is only a 1/1 creature. I will playtest that combo.
It is easy to make almost any card broken at this form. You need to play him, than fill your hand, than activate, and that doesn't win you the game. The opponent has a lot of time to manage his permanents.
I thought about completly other thing, but is does fit perfectly to healing — the creature needs time to recover. It also makes sense mechanically at white, so it's flavour should change.
I really didn't saw that. It will affect only your creatures.
But you can still lose the game for having 0 or less life. You are both losing life and sacrificing a permanent, and I don't see how it is a single card win condition.
I didn't wanted to make a funny flavor, I made fancy titles to them. That way you cannot go wrong and not to think they are legends. And they are telling a lot of details about the settings all by themselves, by one line of text. But there surely are card with better flavor with others. Do you think the flavor matches their mechanic?
I think you took my last comment to the wrong place. It was not personal, and I always welcome comments. I also wanted to make the thread higher in the list to get more comments. I am sorry if you got hurt.
Creature — Vedalken flagbearer
~ comes into play tapped.
~ doesn't untap during its controller untap step.
Whenever a spell or ability an opponent controls is put onto the stack, if that spell or ability could target a Flagbearer in play but doesn't, that opponent changes one of its targets to a Flagbearer.
Whenever ~ becomes the target of a spell or ability, untap it.
4/4
Next:
You are returning the attached permanents. The aura cards will go to the bin, the equipment cards will stay.
I think if I'll up his cost by he won't be playable. But I think it should be a sorcery, isn't it?
Cruian is weaker than mindslaver because he is a creature (Big drawback. See the magus cycle.), he is multicolored and his activation cost is bigger.
Ardiana might be broken if there is a way to tap and untap her multiple times per turn without attacking. Is there some nasty combo with her?
And it about their flavor? I had hard time writing it.
Chancellor Fhaatris, the Superior :3mana::symu::symu:
Legendary Creature — Human Wizard Lord (R)
At the beginning of each other player's upkeep, untap all creatures that player controls and gain control of them until end of turn. They gain haste until end of turn.
Chancellor Fhaatris, the superior highness archduchess of Chemaine, the mysterious dominator of the inferior mages.
2/3
Admiral Morendithas, the Heroic :2mana::symw::symr:
Legendary Creature — Human Soldier (R)
Whenever a creature you control attacks, you may deal 1 damage to target creature or player and gain 1 life
Admiral Morendithas, the heroic honor count of Myrtlerolt, the exalted champion of the northern nation.
2/2
Overlord Otiros, the Renowned :3mana::symb::symb:
Legendary Creature — Human Wizard (R)
Whenever an creature, artifact, enchantment or land card is put into a graveyard from play, each of that player's opponents put a token into play that's a copy of it.
Overlord Otiros, the renowned patron of Meredith, the colossal butcher of the central kingdoms.
4/4
Commander Pegason, the astonishing :3mana::symr::symr:
Legendary Creature — Minotaur Barbarian (R)
First strike
At the beginning of each player's upkeep, ~ deals damage to him equal to the non-barbarian permanents he or she controls.
Commander Pegason, the astonishing almighty emperor of the stoutmuscle barbarians, the matchless slaughterer of Lennox's king.
3/2
Master Jamros, the Primeval :2mana::symg::symg:
Legendary Creature — Human Druid (R)
At the beginning of your upkeep, put a green elemental creature token into play with power and toughness equal to the number of spells played since the beginning of your last upkeep.
Master Jamros, the incomparable primeval lord of Okalani, the determined protector of the low races.
3/3
Marshal Vicward, the Sovereign :3mana::symu::symb:Legendary Creature — Human Lord (R)
:3mana::symb::symu:,:symtap:, discard a card: Gain control of target player's next turn.
Marshal Vicward, the amazing sovereign prince of Kishi- Abel, the triumphant subjugator of Kira-Nuri.
5/2
Governor Fruster, the Elite :2mana::symw::symw:
Legendary Creature — Human lord (R)
Whenever another player gains life, you may put that many 1/1 white soldier creature tokens into play under your control.
Governor Fruster, the elite sublime Caesar of Pravokia, the proud sword of the Nitesh mountains.
2/4
Viceroy Brethyra, the Magnificent :1mana::symw::symw:
Legendary Creature — Elf Advisor (R)
Whenever a creature you control becomes the target of a spell or ability, counter that spell or ability. Tap that creature. It doesn't untap during its controller's next untap step.
Viceroy Brethyra, the clever magnificent Marquis of Soldur, the wise keeper of the Sedana monks.
2/3
Captain Ardiana, the Potent
Legendary Creature — Merfolk Rogue (R)
Whenever ~ becomes untapped, you may draw a card.
Captain Adriana, the devout potent Baron of Nivera, the marvelous enslaver of Cruian.
1/1
King Ricroar, the Majestic :3mana::symw::symu:
Legendary Creature — Human Lord (R)
You may choose not to untap ~.
:3mana::symw::symu:,:symtap:, discard two cards: Gain control of all non- land permanents with converted mana cost equal or less than the number of cards in your hand as long as ~ remains tapped.
King Ricroar, the eternal majestic ruler of Irylenci, the illustrious lion of the silver chalice knighthood.
3/4
Guildmaster Cruian, the Graceful :3mana::symb::symu:
Legendary Creature — Human Assassin (R)
Shroud
Whenever you lose life, you may sacrifice up to that many permanents. If you do, each opponent sacrifices permanenrts equal to the number of permanents you sacrificed.
Guildmaster Cruian, the grand graceful earl of Lycoris, the salient scourge of the Irylenci kingdom.
4/2
Sorcery - Arcane
Reveal your hand. Each of your teammates may choose a card from it...
Peat Field
Land (U)
~ comes into play tapped.
When ~ comes into play, you may play an additional land this turn.
:symtap:: Add to your mana pool.
Purifying Ceremony :3mana::symw::symg:
Sorcery — Abjuration (R)
Put two target attached permanents on the top of their owner's library.
Scrying Eye
Enchantment — Scrying aura (C)
Enchant player.
Enchanted player plays with his or her hand and top card of his or her library revealed.
Brain's Rush :1mana::symu:
Instant (C)
Target player puts the top X cards of his or her library into his or her graveyard, where X is the number of cards in your hand.
Necrofeed :1mana::symb::symb:
Instant — Necromancy (C)
Necromancy helix (If you played another necromancy spell this turn, you may play this spell without paying its mana cost.)
~ deals 2 damage to target creature. You gain 2 life.