I have a hobby of working on my custom Final Fantasy IX themed set as time allows and I have always wanted to way to make Synthesis work within Magic the Gathering. Early attempts at this mechanic looked like Meld, only for equipment. I pulled some inspiration from both Zendikar Rising (auto-equip) and Strixhaven (learn boards) for this iteration.
Mage Masher3
Artifact - Equipment (U)
Equipped Creature gets +1/+1
Non-creature spells cost 1 more to cast.
Equip 1
Synthesize - If you control two permanents named Mage Masher, you may exile them and put an artifact card named “The Ogre” from outside the game onto the battlefield. Activate this ability only any time you could cast a sorcery.
Had originally costed Mage Masher at 2 and didn't have a toughness boost and then realized I just created a near strictly better Thorn of Amethyst. I think this Thorn of Amethyst + Short Sword at 3cc would make for a strong and printable uncommon.
The Ogre5
Artifact - Synthesis Equipment (U)
When The Ogre enters the battlefield, attach it to target creature you control.
Equipped creature gets +3/+3 and trample.
Non-creature spells cost 2 more to cast.
Equip 4
The Ogre is reasonable option for its regular cost, but a much better deal when cast via synthesize.
Could make a really strong argument for this as the #1 Gruul planeswalker / #1 Gruul card in general. Wrenn and Six is different enough to contest it as a walker, IMO, but W6 can be pretty niche where this isn't.
Also, I just realized that Karakas really throws a wrench in this card until you can find something else to pump.
Agree. My comment was based on how I perceive others evaluate W6. I'm personally not very high on it - especially in unpowered lists. This card is insane in both unpowered and powered.
New 2nd best Gruul walker. It clamps and repeats, it swings hard and hasty, and it burns and draws gas. I'm really happy to see a Gruul walker that outclasses the existing glut of mediocre options at 4cc.
Great set to bolster the available equipment options. I particularly appreciate that as someone who has struggled to justify Stoneforge Mystic in my cube because I don't run any of the swords cycle. Boseiju, who Endures is pretty insane. It's effectively a 2CC or less Creeping Mold with the cons of not being able to hit any land and allowing them to replace the target with a basic land, but with the pro that it can be an untapped forest. It has gorgeous art to boot.
Still find this card to be criminally underrated. Getting to Mill 10 and double reanimate for 5 mana when you are playing the reanimator deck decides games.
I'm well aware this isn't a popular take, but recruiters are somewhat low in the pecking order for me compared to other cube three drops. I know they enable you to dig into your toolbox for needed answers, but I often find that the anemic 1/1 body is a problem. I still run the white recruiter since it works well enough with multiple white strategies. Not a fan of the red recruiter since it seems too slow for red decks that largely rely on burst damage.
I think you'll rarely be happy if you have to hard cast this and in the more common scenarios where you Ninjitsu this, you do get to exile any nonland card which is nice, but you suffer a small tempo hit and you're left with a black Centaur Courser. Wish this had a reasonable way to regain its menace counter.
Agree with the comment about cube slot opportunity cost here and with the comment about this probably being at least 3rd, arguably 4th amongst the red utility lands. The effect is very subpar for the cost and the land back up option doesn't save it.
While I've found that just having the land fallback option doesn't make an otherwise average card good enough to cube, when adding that option to a strong effect, you have a staple. This definitely is the Green equivalent of Shatterskull Smashing. So far, I think it is the only one from the cycle I would cube though. Love that we're now spoiled with utility land options between Eldraine, Zendikar, Fogotten Realms, and now this.
I agree and think this is a critical flaw, so I'll probably start fresh. Thinking maybe doing legendary painlands without the ability to tap for colorless, but with two activated abilities - one for each color.
Hello All - I have a long running passion project to design a FF9 themed magic set. Wanted to share a few designs from the set for feedback. These lands are a cycle -- only half of them are designed so far. They all follow this structure:
Legendary Land (R)
ETB tapped.
T: Color or other color.
Ability that costs X, 1 of each color, and sacrificing the land.
I have three different restrictions place on each of these lands (legendary, ETBT, and Sac for the effect) to help balance out the powerful effects. A nice feature is that the abilities do not require tapping so you can use the mana from the land towards the final ability.
Kuja's Desert Palace
Legendary Land (R)
Kuja’s Desert Palace enters the battlefield tapped. : Add B or R XBR, Sacrifice Kuja’s Desert Palace: Exile the top X cards of your library and you lose X life. You may play any of those cards from exile until the end of your next turn.
Cleyra, the Spinning Sands
Legendary Land (R)
Cleyra, the Spinning Sands enters the battlefield tapped. : Add G or W XGW, Sacrifice Cleyra, the Spinning Sands: Destroy up to X target creatures with flying and you gain X life.
Notes: A Whirlwind + Life Gain effect. Some good hate for flying creatures. Pretty strong fit for the favor of Cleyra.
Qu's Marsh
Legendary Land (R)
Qu’s Marsh enters the battlefield tapped. : Add U or G XGU, Sacrifice Qu’s Marsh: Create half X food tokens rounded up.
Notes: Wanted a play on the frog catching mini-game and Quina's gourmand journey. Food tokens were a natural fit.
Ipsen's Castle
Legendary Land (R)
Ipsen’s Castle enters the battlefield tapped. : Add W or B XWB, Sacrifice Ipsen’s Castle: Up to two target creatures you control with power X or less get +X/+X until end of turn. Up to two target creatures an opponent controls with power X or more get -X/-X until end of turn.
Note: Wierd ability that falls in line with the oddities of this FF9 dungeon where weakness is actually strength and vice-versa. Ability has x or less and X or more restrictions to add more layers then simply pump your guys, kill their guys. For instance at X = 3. This will give up to two creatures you control that are 3 power or less +3/+3 until end of turn, and give up to two creatures an opponent controls that have 3 power or more -x/-x making this a pump spell for your smaller creatures and either a kill spell or a shrinking spell for your enemies creatures.
Evil Forest
Legendary Land (R)
The Evil Forest enters the battlefield tapped. : Add B or G XBG, Sacrifice Evil Forest: Create X 1/1 black and green insect tokens with menace.
Notes: Creates an insect army reminiscent of the one that chases you down early in FF9.
Mage Masher 3
Artifact - Equipment (U)
Equipped Creature gets +1/+1
Non-creature spells cost 1 more to cast.
Equip 1
Synthesize - If you control two permanents named Mage Masher, you may exile them and put an artifact card named “The Ogre” from outside the game onto the battlefield. Activate this ability only any time you could cast a sorcery.
Had originally costed Mage Masher at 2 and didn't have a toughness boost and then realized I just created a near strictly better Thorn of Amethyst. I think this Thorn of Amethyst + Short Sword at 3cc would make for a strong and printable uncommon.
The Ogre 5
Artifact - Synthesis Equipment (U)
When The Ogre enters the battlefield, attach it to target creature you control.
Equipped creature gets +3/+3 and trample.
Non-creature spells cost 2 more to cast.
Equip 4
The Ogre is reasonable option for its regular cost, but a much better deal when cast via synthesize.
Agree. My comment was based on how I perceive others evaluate W6. I'm personally not very high on it - especially in unpowered lists. This card is insane in both unpowered and powered.
Blade of the Oni
Lion Sash
Eater of Virtue
Boseiju, Who Endures
Testing
The Wandering Emperor
Watching
Junji, the Midnight Sky
Rabbit Battery
Touch the Spirit Realm
Great set to bolster the available equipment options. I particularly appreciate that as someone who has struggled to justify Stoneforge Mystic in my cube because I don't run any of the swords cycle. Boseiju, who Endures is pretty insane. It's effectively a 2CC or less Creeping Mold with the cons of not being able to hit any land and allowing them to replace the target with a basic land, but with the pro that it can be an untapped forest. It has gorgeous art to boot.
You have to measure up to Oko, Uro, and Krasis now....I'm not going to see a Simic update for sometime I predict.
Legendary Land (R)
ETB tapped.
T: Color or other color.
Ability that costs X, 1 of each color, and sacrificing the land.
I have three different restrictions place on each of these lands (legendary, ETBT, and Sac for the effect) to help balance out the powerful effects. A nice feature is that the abilities do not require tapping so you can use the mana from the land towards the final ability.
Kuja's Desert Palace
Legendary Land (R)
Kuja’s Desert Palace enters the battlefield tapped.
XBR, Sacrifice Kuja’s Desert Palace: Exile the top X cards of your library and you lose X life. You may play any of those cards from exile until the end of your next turn.
Notes: Commune with Lava on a land at the cost of life.
Cleyra, the Spinning Sands
Legendary Land (R)
Cleyra, the Spinning Sands enters the battlefield tapped.
XGW, Sacrifice Cleyra, the Spinning Sands: Destroy up to X target creatures with flying and you gain X life.
Notes: A Whirlwind + Life Gain effect. Some good hate for flying creatures. Pretty strong fit for the favor of Cleyra.
Qu's Marsh
Legendary Land (R)
Qu’s Marsh enters the battlefield tapped.
XGU, Sacrifice Qu’s Marsh: Create half X food tokens rounded up.
Notes: Wanted a play on the frog catching mini-game and Quina's gourmand journey. Food tokens were a natural fit.
Ipsen's Castle
Legendary Land (R)
Ipsen’s Castle enters the battlefield tapped.
XWB, Sacrifice Ipsen’s Castle: Up to two target creatures you control with power X or less get +X/+X until end of turn. Up to two target creatures an opponent controls with power X or more get -X/-X until end of turn.
Note: Wierd ability that falls in line with the oddities of this FF9 dungeon where weakness is actually strength and vice-versa. Ability has x or less and X or more restrictions to add more layers then simply pump your guys, kill their guys. For instance at X = 3. This will give up to two creatures you control that are 3 power or less +3/+3 until end of turn, and give up to two creatures an opponent controls that have 3 power or more -x/-x making this a pump spell for your smaller creatures and either a kill spell or a shrinking spell for your enemies creatures.
Evil Forest
Legendary Land (R)
The Evil Forest enters the battlefield tapped.
XBG, Sacrifice Evil Forest: Create X 1/1 black and green insect tokens with menace.
Notes: Creates an insect army reminiscent of the one that chases you down early in FF9.