I didn't "ignore" those 2 cards; both require high mana costs and the creature can still be killed after you blow a turn on it.
Re: Unreliability of Clash - I'm not ignoring this, although clash is not necessarily unreliable. Assuming 50%; then 50% his Hill Giant 2-for-1s. The other half of the time, it 2-for-0s. That's ridiculous at (U), and the "unpredictability" of it makes it worse; threatening to turn the game into a matter of luck.
Re: Interactivity - If you have a flyer, and I don't have a flyer or reach creature, I cannot interact with the creature. If you have a 3/3 Bushido 1 that 50% of the time wipes the 2 creatures I need to double block it, and 50% of the time just trades 2 for 1... I can't interact with it. I can't profitably attack. I can't profitably block. I can chump it... but if I'm chumping it, then ALL of the text on the card is meaningless/useless.
You mention 6 cards. None of them are fun to play with or against. When my friend places equips a first striker with a basilisk collar... that's fun/scary. When my opponent plays Glissa... well, that's far less fun and I hope I don't have to explain the difference between (once in a while and 2 ways to disrupt + everytime you draw that card + only 1 way to disrupt).
Curiosity/Ophidian effects are a rather clear staple of the UG color pie. Right now, typically these only appear on 1 or 2 cards in a set, but the same could be said for Reach, which I'm glad is keyworded (if only to help make more cards french vanilla and speed up draft).
Pros:
* It's easy to understand.
* Regularly constructed viable.
* Encourages attacking
* works with extra-combat damage effects like viridian longbow.
* works well with other keywords - Flying, Trample, Menace, Haste, Vigilance - all play nicely with a curious creature.
A quick note: I know some people are upset with UG's other evergreen color keyword - Hexproof - and wish it was gone from the game. Not I. I'm also aware WOTC is bleeding Flash, what I think should primarily be a UWG ability, to other colors. I think this is a mistake - I realize why red or black might want to ambush creatures... or to get their nekrataal effects at instant speed... but I like white getting surprise blockers, and I like the interplay of green and blue's flash creatures as a way to get around counterspells and to offer some moderate surprises. So this discussion/idea is not asking you to think of curiosity as a replacement for these evergreen keywords, but rather something added to the pool.
Here's one card that I think "justifies" the keywording of Curiosity:
Galroon, Centaur Avenger1GG
Legendary Creature - Centaur Warrior (R)
Trample (This creature can deal excess combat damage to player or planeswalker it's attacking.)
Curiosity (Whenever this creature deals damage to an opponent, you may draw a card.)
3/3
I love me some french vanilla creatures, and this is a fun Ophidian variant. (If testing shows he's too strong, just bump him to GGG and no one will care.)
Now consider this pair of creatures: Yavimaya Scout1G
Creature - Elf Scout (U)
Curiosity (Whenever this creature deals damage to an opponent, you may draw a card.)
2/1
Pirate Scout1U
Creature - Human Pirate Scout (U)
Curiosity (Whenever this creature deals damage to an opponent, you may draw a card.)
1/2
These two creatures play somewhat differently in limited, I think, with the former being a big payoff on a body that won't survive, and the latter having some strategic scenarios where you can send him in against a 1/1 to let your opponent make a choice.
Mechanical Titan
This does lots of things that have nothing to do with each other.
Prince of Darkness
Did you forget to give this flying?
Why does this trigger off of all your vampires?
Regeneration is dead. Let it die.
Does his +1 power make him Prince" compared to Sengir Vampire
Chiron, Wiest of the Centaurs... but somehow not deserving of a 2nd creature type?
Historically centaurs have been 3/3. A 4/4 centaur might represent higher skill. 5/4 seems... like you have a thing for Fire Elemental.
I like Trample + Curiosity. I think the cost, p/t, and typing can use some tweaking. Consider:
Galroon, Avenger of [place he's from]1GG
Legendary Creature - Centaur Warrior (R)
Trample, Curiosity(Whenever this creature deals damage to an opponent, you may draw a card.)
3/3
Now that's a centaur, but also a fair ophidian variant. Oh, and if you keyword Curiosity, he's also 100% french vanilla gold!
I agree "no tokens because of shuffle mistakes" is silly.
But there's another big problem with basic land tokens - most people will just USE basic lands to represent them. In my Elf Commander deck, I have the spellshapper that makes elves. I've sleeved about a dozen llanowar elves in transparent sleeves backed by other elf tokens for that deck (just for fun); but even I know this is "wrong" as the tokens don't have mana costs. It's silly causal goofiness.
But land tokens? Either you produce a token for these, or not. If not, then people will certainly use lands as tokens. But if you produce a token... then some people won't realize they're tokens and run them anyways! "Is this a misprint? My forest has an ad on the back? Whatever! I'm using sleeves."
Historically tokens have usually been used to represent creatures. Of late, that's been extended to include emblems, artifacts and a few key enchantments. These all occupy a "different level of play space" - IE, they're not tucked away with your lands.
PS - We already have Treasures and Gold, more or less tokens of Lotus Petal. If we REALLY need tokens that tap for mana, couldn't we just produce Diamond-style artifact tokens? The drawback, of course, is that many people would put these in their mana bases. But no one's going to mistake them for a land.
Question: What's the difference between "This creature gains first strike and deathtouch" and "destroy all blocking creatures"? I understand the mechanical differences, but in practically every game, they're going to be identical.
Look at the cards you list. Many are mythic, and those that aren't are costly. Nirkana Cutthroat is a neat example because it brings two keywords that are black together... and all it costs is 8BBBB.
However, consider Elvish Clashcaller - this is a card you'd regularly see yourself running and while the clash is swingy, it's not unbeatable. My opponent can throw 2 Hill Giants in front of it and risk the clash. Meanwhile, for Samurai of the Mighty... I need to put my 4/4 First Striker in front of it to have a 50% chance of trading? 4/4 First Strikers don't exist practically in limited... this in many cases, this just won't be blocked... Oh, but it gets worse... because it triggers on blocking; so now not only can you not block it, but you can't profitably attack with anything other than a 4/4 first striker. This 4 drop warps limited and makes Vine Mare look well designed.
Long story short? You can interact with Elvish Clashcaller normally, but can't interact with Samurai of the Mighty. Also, every time they print First Strike + Deathtouch, I imagine a Doomsday clock getting closer to Watchman Apocalypse.
Burn out is clearly busted; this + Lightning Bolt is super efficient on it's own. I like that it's a sorcery... but I think its going to need to cost something like 3RR. Cut the drawback, though. It'll rarely kill you, and balancing it at 2 mana is going to be too difficult/swingly.
Re: Scry Strike - I really like how Lifelink's been playing on (C) in the past few sets; attacking with your 2/2 or 1/3 lifelinker just to gain life feels really awesome, and you go out of your way to make these things fight and/or survive combat. Scry Strike is meant to do that. Consider this guy:
Roving Soothsayer1U
Creature - Human Wizard (C)
Scry Strike 1 (When this creature deals damage, Scry 1.)
2/2
Grave Wumpus3B
Creature - Beast Zombie (U)
When Grave Wumpus enters the battlefield, each other player may put a creature card from their graveyard onto the battlefield under their control. Even the dead have to eat.
6/6
Samurai of the Mighty
There are 4 keywords on a Hill Giant in green. This is practically unplayable in constructed because of this.
I don't particularly like 3/3 elves... riding horses or not.
Elves don't seem very Samurai, nor do Samurai feel green.
Finally, let's talk about the clashing elephant in the room - (1) Green doesn't get first strike, and (2) First Strike + Deathtouch is a really fun keyword interaction for players to voltron, but a terrible idea on a single card (let alone an (U) single card!).
Avenger of Blood
I really don't like 4+ colored mana symbols in a cost unless there is some substantive reason for this.
The cost makes me think Griselbrand, and this doesn't seem like a red Griselbrand... or, really, much fun. 12 damage + hard to block is pretty silly.... even for 8 mana. Look at what 7 mana is giving you in Core2019... now look at this.
Finally, is there any reason this is 6/5 rather than 5/5 or 6/6? If this is supposed to represent aggression, why isn't it a 6/1? 8/2? You see what I'm saying.
Guerilla Warriors
Unblockable doesn't really feel red.
Red doesn't get blink.
Also, why is this 3/5?
Now, consider this: Elvish Clashcaller1G
Creature - Elf Warrior (U)
When Elvish Clashcaller becomes blocked by one or more creatures, clash with the defending player. If you win the clash, Elvish Clashcaller gets +3/+3 until end of turn.
2/2
For all intents and purposes, if you win the clash this is still going to kill the blockers, right?
Guerrilla Gorillas1RR
Creature - Ape (C)
When a spell or ability an opponent controls causes you to discard, Guerrilla Gorillas, it deals 4 damage to target creature or player.
4/2
Is your position that new players don't know how to shuffle, or often can't shuffle efficiently? The former is silly... since players need to shuffle their decks. The latter is... less silly. However, I've never really seen an inexperienced player get frustrated by evolving wilds. Now, I suppose that a new player might not shuffle sufficiently thoroughly for a competitive event (4 riffle shuffles?), but unless your opponent is stacking their deck, I am not going to complain if they search for an island, notice an island on the bottom of their library, and then don't shuffle much (or, arguably, at all)...
Re: Sleeves - Again, players need to shuffle their decks. At this point, I use sleeves. But I've known many players that won't use sleeves unless there's, say, a $5 card or more in their limited deck. The time of Soldier of Fortune being used to de-value moxen is over.
Effectively the scenario you're talking about is a kid who opens a Teferi in his Dominaria draft and doesn't sleeve it, then shuffles his library between games (at least 2x a match, 4 matches, so 8 times at least) and says to himself "Okay, so I have a $40 card in my deck, I drafted 3 evolving wilds to help me splash it in my WB deck... but do I REALLY want to shuffle it and risk de-valuing the card that I'm not bothering to shuffle?" Generally local gamestores won't have a problem with you proxying your $100 foil chase planeswalker in limited - especially if somehow you're not playing sleeved.
I guess my point is this: I like Evolving Wilds and I've never seen anyone have a problem with it, or with shuffling in general, outside of time concerns - IE, you've got 10 minutes left in the round and your opponent is pile shuffling after the 2nd mulligan. I'm willing to err on the side of caution and print less shuffle effects in my set to help avoid going to time, and I don't want people to use a shuffle effect like Soldier of fortune to either damage cards or waste time... but if I'm not willing to give up fetchland reprints as part of the deal. That cost would be too high for too little gain.
Okay, so... let's talk about Enveloping.
1) The mechanic is interesting. Yeah, it's clunky and worded in a confusing way. I don't know if there's a way to get around that, but I'd start a thread and run it by experts.
2) The name is too narrow. Yes, I get the idea that the ooze is supposed to envelop the creatures blocking it/blocked by it. That just doesn't describe what the ability is.
3) Finally, I wonder if this should be worded like Absorb N.
Long story short - cool idea, but not if you're going to do this, it's going to be a keyword, it's going to be on a dozen cards in a block, and then MAYBE if people like it, it'll have a chance at becoming evergreen (BR?). But if all that, then "Ooze" doesn't seem like the representative card here. I'd prefer a 1/1 Goblin for R with "Spread Damage (Damage dealt by this creature is dealt to all creatures blocking or blocked by it.)"
Call the Brothers Ugg1RR
Sorcery - Summons (R)
Create a 1/1 red legendary goblin scout token with haste named Bugg, a 1/1 white legendary goblin soldier token with first strike named Lugg, and a 1/1 black legendary goblin rogue token with menace named Mugg. (Bugg can attack and t as soon as he comes under your control, Lugg deals combat damage before creatures without first strike, and Mugg can't be blocked except by two or more creatures.)
WOTC does some foolish things sometimes. Cutting down on shuffling at (C) doesn't make sense from a complexity perspective. The only justification they've given in the past (that I'm aware of) for cutting down on shuffling is game play length; this is why repeated shuffle effects are usually (R) or (M), and come along sparsely. Evolving Wilds is a simple, elegant card. It's one of the few non-basic lands that players can just "get" by looking at it. Vivid lands? Gemstone Mine? Stripmine? All relatively complex lands. Even bouncelands - great at (C) in Ravnica, and (U) in masters sets - are pretty difficult for players to grasp (but WORTH the complexity I think).
Generally, I think printing NEW, good fetchlands (IE, "option to have mana the turn you play it) is probably a mistake, if only for threshold concerns - (for example - 1 fog in a format is fair; 4 fogs in a format is 2-3 fogs too many.). That said, I think the current (R) fetchlands that dominate modern are good enough to print every once in a while (but you're going to have to cut significant other time-waster effects for the rest of the sets in a 3 year period surrounding that block).
Generally speaking, I'm of the position that shuffling should not happen often in magic games, and should feel "special"... but mechanically I think land search needs to bite the bullet here. A satisfactory core set should include at leastevolving wilds and cultivate, and I'm going to fight for a wood elves-style creature as well. On top of that, B needs 1-2 tutors (Diabolic Intent seems like a great (R) that while no Demonic tutor is not strictly worse should you have a RB or WB Aristocrats theme that rewards you for sacrificing creatures, and Rune-Scarred Demon is a fair, flavorful demon to consider including in a core set). That's 5 shuffle effects I'd want in a core set, with only 1-2 being rare (I'd actually lobby for Diabolic Intent to be (U) if said sacrifice-theme was prevalent in the set AND Rune-Scarred Demon was in the set.)
I do not like the idea of land tokens. Admittedly, I'm not sure how I feel about about clues and treasure (and think the distinction between "gold" and "treasure" is a big, big mistake that matters so rarely that it hurts the game to make this distinction) let alone enchantment tokens... but land tokens, I think, are going to be subject to all the problems of creature tokens but worse.
Thus, I guess, the question is this: What is the best design method to smooth out a mana base (other than landfall encouraging you to run more lands)? This is really 2 questions - (1) What is the best way to smooth out a limited mana base? and (2) What is the best way to smooth out a constructed mana base? The answer to (2) has been given to us: (i) fetchlands + searchable dual lands, followed by (ii) fetches or (iii) searchable duals alone, and then (iv) non-searchable duals is probably going to lie someplace around (v) 2-drop signets. You could argue for (vi) Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth -style effects on lands, creatures, or artifacts... but this mana fixing is very swingly; IE either all your forests also tap for B, or very very few of them do, in a deck with Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth .
Regarding how to fix a limited mana base... Evolving Wilds is a good option, as is a single cycle of (C) lands that tap for 2 mana. Bouncelands if you're generous, and probably CIPT duals with some added bonus. Quite frankly, I'd lobby for Scry Lands (IE, Temple of Enlightenment) to be (C) or (U) or the orignal (R) Filter lands, but failing that the CIPT + gain 1 life lands seem fair at (C). Core 2019's "alternate to basic" rarity... was interesting, but I don't think worked. I splash in M19 far less than I did in Dominaria, and not for lack of picking bombs and removals in other colors. I remember 1st picking Banefire for my BG deck pack 3, and deciding the splash just wasn't worth risking the stability of my manabase.
As for my designs... I'd say most are (U)-level complexity. But, as with Bouncelands, (U) level complexity can be justified at (C) if it serves a purpose. However, as I said, I'm of the opinion that evolving wilds is much better at serving the purpose in most sets - a high priority colorless mana fixer in a set designed to focus on 2 color pairs.
I genuinely hate recent attempts for WOTC to avoid shuffling. Wood Elves is a simple card that sees constructed play because it does exactly what you want to do. elvish rejuvenator... doesn't.
WOTC needs to balance design to cut down on shuffle effects for standard. Evolving Wilds won't usually make it in standard, but if it does - it's a relatively minor shuffle effect.
In any case, it strikes me that making common mana fixing lands should be relatively simple. Consider: Name 1
Land (C) T: Add C.
Discard a card, T: Add one mana of any color.
Name 2
Land (C) T: Add C.
Sacrifice a creature, T: Add one mana of any color.
Name 3
Land (C) T: Add C.
Exile the top 7 cards of your library, T: Add one mana of any color.
Name 4
Land (C) T: Add C.
Pay 3 life, T: Add one mana of any color.
Alternative designs might look like this: Name 5
Land (C) T: Add C. T, Sacrifice Name 5: Put a basic land card from your graveyard onto the battlefield tapped.
Name 6
Land (C) T, Sacrifice Name 6: Put a basic land card you own from outside the game onto the battlefield tapped. (IE, this is just Evolving Wilds that uses wish-mechanics to avoid shuffling at the cost of 2-5 sideboard slots in constructed.)
Is it possible to do s magic set w/o any shuffle effects? Sure. Is it desirable? I doubt it. If you have a cycle of constructed viable fetchlands, maybe limit the tutors to 1-2 other cards in the set. If you don't, feel free to print up to 10 constructed playable shuffle effects (as they'll scarcely be used in the same deck, or as regularly as fetchland effects).
Re: Breach - I don't like this for a number of reasons. I think it's triggering off of each blocking creature, which is a lot of bookkeeping and doesn't come across clearly. More importantly, this is practically meaningless. In constructed, players (practically) never block. Is it okay to have a limited-focused mechanic like this? I guess? Do I want it keyworded? Not really. Compare Breach to Menace; Menace gives a creature evasion in some cases and leads to some interesting choices. Breach... feels like Afflict... which didn't really "lead to choices" so much as "punish doing the right thing". I don't know anyone that likes afflict. (Also, Afflict had a number attached; I'd think Breach would want the same - so Beach 1 would give +1/+1 if any creature was blocked this combat?) (Oh, and this rewards you for blocking? It's side-neutral for blockers? That's weird... not very black.)
As for the card itself, I'm going to read it as a 3/2 Hexproof for UB. Is that okay? Well... I don't know. The goal of hexproof is to protect your creature, and having too much hexproof in a set really does hinder gameplay. So do I think this is an (U) Hexproof creature I want in my set, say, over a Hexproof Merfolk Looter for UU or a Hexproof, Menace Zombie Merfolk Knight for UB?
Token PersecutionB
Enchantment (U)
Whenever a player would create a non-imp token, instead that player looses 1 life and creates a 1/1 black imp creature token with flying.
Cycling B
Pointed InterrogationB
Sorcery (U)
Choose a nonland card name. Target player reveals their hand and discards all cards with that name.
If no cards are discarded in this way, draw a card.
"It never hurts to ask... well it never hurts me to ask."
- Nardal, Cabal Interrogator
Re: Unreliability of Clash - I'm not ignoring this, although clash is not necessarily unreliable. Assuming 50%; then 50% his Hill Giant 2-for-1s. The other half of the time, it 2-for-0s. That's ridiculous at (U), and the "unpredictability" of it makes it worse; threatening to turn the game into a matter of luck.
Re: Interactivity - If you have a flyer, and I don't have a flyer or reach creature, I cannot interact with the creature. If you have a 3/3 Bushido 1 that 50% of the time wipes the 2 creatures I need to double block it, and 50% of the time just trades 2 for 1... I can't interact with it. I can't profitably attack. I can't profitably block. I can chump it... but if I'm chumping it, then ALL of the text on the card is meaningless/useless.
You mention 6 cards. None of them are fun to play with or against. When my friend places equips a first striker with a basilisk collar... that's fun/scary. When my opponent plays Glissa... well, that's far less fun and I hope I don't have to explain the difference between (once in a while and 2 ways to disrupt + everytime you draw that card + only 1 way to disrupt).
Pros:
* It's easy to understand.
* Regularly constructed viable.
* Encourages attacking
* works with extra-combat damage effects like viridian longbow.
* works well with other keywords - Flying, Trample, Menace, Haste, Vigilance - all play nicely with a curious creature.
A quick note: I know some people are upset with UG's other evergreen color keyword - Hexproof - and wish it was gone from the game. Not I. I'm also aware WOTC is bleeding Flash, what I think should primarily be a UWG ability, to other colors. I think this is a mistake - I realize why red or black might want to ambush creatures... or to get their nekrataal effects at instant speed... but I like white getting surprise blockers, and I like the interplay of green and blue's flash creatures as a way to get around counterspells and to offer some moderate surprises. So this discussion/idea is not asking you to think of curiosity as a replacement for these evergreen keywords, but rather something added to the pool.
Here's one card that I think "justifies" the keywording of Curiosity:
Galroon, Centaur Avenger 1GG
Legendary Creature - Centaur Warrior (R)
Trample (This creature can deal excess combat damage to player or planeswalker it's attacking.)
Curiosity (Whenever this creature deals damage to an opponent, you may draw a card.)
3/3
I love me some french vanilla creatures, and this is a fun Ophidian variant. (If testing shows he's too strong, just bump him to GGG and no one will care.)
Now consider this pair of creatures:
Yavimaya Scout 1G
Creature - Elf Scout (U)
Curiosity (Whenever this creature deals damage to an opponent, you may draw a card.)
2/1
Pirate Scout 1U
Creature - Human Pirate Scout (U)
Curiosity (Whenever this creature deals damage to an opponent, you may draw a card.)
1/2
These two creatures play somewhat differently in limited, I think, with the former being a big payoff on a body that won't survive, and the latter having some strategic scenarios where you can send him in against a 1/1 to let your opponent make a choice.
Thoughts? Am I being greedy?
This does lots of things that have nothing to do with each other.
Prince of Darkness
Did you forget to give this flying?
Why does this trigger off of all your vampires?
Regeneration is dead. Let it die.
Does his +1 power make him Prince" compared to Sengir Vampire
Chiron, Wiest of the Centaurs... but somehow not deserving of a 2nd creature type?
Historically centaurs have been 3/3. A 4/4 centaur might represent higher skill. 5/4 seems... like you have a thing for Fire Elemental.
I like Trample + Curiosity. I think the cost, p/t, and typing can use some tweaking. Consider:
Galroon, Avenger of [place he's from]1GG
Legendary Creature - Centaur Warrior (R)
Trample, Curiosity (Whenever this creature deals damage to an opponent, you may draw a card.)
3/3
Now that's a centaur, but also a fair ophidian variant. Oh, and if you keyword Curiosity, he's also 100% french vanilla gold!
But there's another big problem with basic land tokens - most people will just USE basic lands to represent them. In my Elf Commander deck, I have the spellshapper that makes elves. I've sleeved about a dozen llanowar elves in transparent sleeves backed by other elf tokens for that deck (just for fun); but even I know this is "wrong" as the tokens don't have mana costs. It's silly causal goofiness.
But land tokens? Either you produce a token for these, or not. If not, then people will certainly use lands as tokens. But if you produce a token... then some people won't realize they're tokens and run them anyways! "Is this a misprint? My forest has an ad on the back? Whatever! I'm using sleeves."
Historically tokens have usually been used to represent creatures. Of late, that's been extended to include emblems, artifacts and a few key enchantments. These all occupy a "different level of play space" - IE, they're not tucked away with your lands.
PS - We already have Treasures and Gold, more or less tokens of Lotus Petal. If we REALLY need tokens that tap for mana, couldn't we just produce Diamond-style artifact tokens? The drawback, of course, is that many people would put these in their mana bases. But no one's going to mistake them for a land.
Look at the cards you list. Many are mythic, and those that aren't are costly. Nirkana Cutthroat is a neat example because it brings two keywords that are black together... and all it costs is 8BBBB.
However, consider Elvish Clashcaller - this is a card you'd regularly see yourself running and while the clash is swingy, it's not unbeatable. My opponent can throw 2 Hill Giants in front of it and risk the clash. Meanwhile, for Samurai of the Mighty... I need to put my 4/4 First Striker in front of it to have a 50% chance of trading? 4/4 First Strikers don't exist practically in limited... this in many cases, this just won't be blocked... Oh, but it gets worse... because it triggers on blocking; so now not only can you not block it, but you can't profitably attack with anything other than a 4/4 first striker. This 4 drop warps limited and makes Vine Mare look well designed.
Long story short? You can interact with Elvish Clashcaller normally, but can't interact with Samurai of the Mighty. Also, every time they print First Strike + Deathtouch, I imagine a Doomsday clock getting closer to Watchman Apocalypse.
Re: Scry Strike - I really like how Lifelink's been playing on (C) in the past few sets; attacking with your 2/2 or 1/3 lifelinker just to gain life feels really awesome, and you go out of your way to make these things fight and/or survive combat. Scry Strike is meant to do that. Consider this guy:
Roving Soothsayer 1U
Creature - Human Wizard (C)
Scry Strike 1 (When this creature deals damage, Scry 1.)
2/2
Grave Wumpus 3B
Creature - Beast Zombie (U)
When Grave Wumpus enters the battlefield, each other player may put a creature card from their graveyard onto the battlefield under their control.
Even the dead have to eat.
6/6
There are 4 keywords on a Hill Giant in green. This is practically unplayable in constructed because of this.
I don't particularly like 3/3 elves... riding horses or not.
Elves don't seem very Samurai, nor do Samurai feel green.
Finally, let's talk about the clashing elephant in the room - (1) Green doesn't get first strike, and (2) First Strike + Deathtouch is a really fun keyword interaction for players to voltron, but a terrible idea on a single card (let alone an (U) single card!).
Avenger of Blood
I really don't like 4+ colored mana symbols in a cost unless there is some substantive reason for this.
The cost makes me think Griselbrand, and this doesn't seem like a red Griselbrand... or, really, much fun. 12 damage + hard to block is pretty silly.... even for 8 mana. Look at what 7 mana is giving you in Core2019... now look at this.
Finally, is there any reason this is 6/5 rather than 5/5 or 6/6? If this is supposed to represent aggression, why isn't it a 6/1? 8/2? You see what I'm saying.
Guerilla Warriors
Unblockable doesn't really feel red.
Red doesn't get blink.
Also, why is this 3/5?
Now, consider this:
Elvish Clashcaller 1G
Creature - Elf Warrior (U)
When Elvish Clashcaller becomes blocked by one or more creatures, clash with the defending player. If you win the clash, Elvish Clashcaller gets +3/+3 until end of turn.
2/2
For all intents and purposes, if you win the clash this is still going to kill the blockers, right?
Pyrobrand 4RRRR
Legendary Creature - Demon (M)
Haste, First Strike
Sacrifice Pyrobrand: Add RRRRRRR.
7/7
Red Griselbrand.
Guerrilla Gorillas 1RR
Creature - Ape (C)
When a spell or ability an opponent controls causes you to discard, Guerrilla Gorillas, it deals 4 damage to target creature or player.
4/2
Guerrilla Tactics homage.
Re: Sleeves - Again, players need to shuffle their decks. At this point, I use sleeves. But I've known many players that won't use sleeves unless there's, say, a $5 card or more in their limited deck. The time of Soldier of Fortune being used to de-value moxen is over.
Effectively the scenario you're talking about is a kid who opens a Teferi in his Dominaria draft and doesn't sleeve it, then shuffles his library between games (at least 2x a match, 4 matches, so 8 times at least) and says to himself "Okay, so I have a $40 card in my deck, I drafted 3 evolving wilds to help me splash it in my WB deck... but do I REALLY want to shuffle it and risk de-valuing the card that I'm not bothering to shuffle?" Generally local gamestores won't have a problem with you proxying your $100 foil chase planeswalker in limited - especially if somehow you're not playing sleeved.
I guess my point is this: I like Evolving Wilds and I've never seen anyone have a problem with it, or with shuffling in general, outside of time concerns - IE, you've got 10 minutes left in the round and your opponent is pile shuffling after the 2nd mulligan. I'm willing to err on the side of caution and print less shuffle effects in my set to help avoid going to time, and I don't want people to use a shuffle effect like Soldier of fortune to either damage cards or waste time... but if I'm not willing to give up fetchland reprints as part of the deal. That cost would be too high for too little gain.
1) The mechanic is interesting. Yeah, it's clunky and worded in a confusing way. I don't know if there's a way to get around that, but I'd start a thread and run it by experts.
2) The name is too narrow. Yes, I get the idea that the ooze is supposed to envelop the creatures blocking it/blocked by it. That just doesn't describe what the ability is.
3) Finally, I wonder if this should be worded like Absorb N.
Long story short - cool idea, but not if you're going to do this, it's going to be a keyword, it's going to be on a dozen cards in a block, and then MAYBE if people like it, it'll have a chance at becoming evergreen (BR?). But if all that, then "Ooze" doesn't seem like the representative card here. I'd prefer a 1/1 Goblin for R with "Spread Damage (Damage dealt by this creature is dealt to all creatures blocking or blocked by it.)"
Scrying Stick 1
Artifact - Equipment (U)
Equip 1
Equipped creature gets +1/+1 and Scry Strike 1 (When this creature deals damage, Scry 1.)
Call the Brothers Ugg 1RR
Sorcery - Summons (R)
Create a 1/1 red legendary goblin scout token with haste named Bugg, a 1/1 white legendary goblin soldier token with first strike named Lugg, and a 1/1 black legendary goblin rogue token with menace named Mugg. (Bugg can attack and t as soon as he comes under your control, Lugg deals combat damage before creatures without first strike, and Mugg can't be blocked except by two or more creatures.)
Generally, I think printing NEW, good fetchlands (IE, "option to have mana the turn you play it) is probably a mistake, if only for threshold concerns - (for example - 1 fog in a format is fair; 4 fogs in a format is 2-3 fogs too many.). That said, I think the current (R) fetchlands that dominate modern are good enough to print every once in a while (but you're going to have to cut significant other time-waster effects for the rest of the sets in a 3 year period surrounding that block).
Generally speaking, I'm of the position that shuffling should not happen often in magic games, and should feel "special"... but mechanically I think land search needs to bite the bullet here. A satisfactory core set should include at least evolving wilds and cultivate, and I'm going to fight for a wood elves-style creature as well. On top of that, B needs 1-2 tutors (Diabolic Intent seems like a great (R) that while no Demonic tutor is not strictly worse should you have a RB or WB Aristocrats theme that rewards you for sacrificing creatures, and Rune-Scarred Demon is a fair, flavorful demon to consider including in a core set). That's 5 shuffle effects I'd want in a core set, with only 1-2 being rare (I'd actually lobby for Diabolic Intent to be (U) if said sacrifice-theme was prevalent in the set AND Rune-Scarred Demon was in the set.)
I do not like the idea of land tokens. Admittedly, I'm not sure how I feel about about clues and treasure (and think the distinction between "gold" and "treasure" is a big, big mistake that matters so rarely that it hurts the game to make this distinction) let alone enchantment tokens... but land tokens, I think, are going to be subject to all the problems of creature tokens but worse.
Thus, I guess, the question is this: What is the best design method to smooth out a mana base (other than landfall encouraging you to run more lands)? This is really 2 questions - (1) What is the best way to smooth out a limited mana base? and (2) What is the best way to smooth out a constructed mana base? The answer to (2) has been given to us: (i) fetchlands + searchable dual lands, followed by (ii) fetches or (iii) searchable duals alone, and then (iv) non-searchable duals is probably going to lie someplace around (v) 2-drop signets. You could argue for (vi) Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth -style effects on lands, creatures, or artifacts... but this mana fixing is very swingly; IE either all your forests also tap for B, or very very few of them do, in a deck with Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth .
Regarding how to fix a limited mana base... Evolving Wilds is a good option, as is a single cycle of (C) lands that tap for 2 mana. Bouncelands if you're generous, and probably CIPT duals with some added bonus. Quite frankly, I'd lobby for Scry Lands (IE, Temple of Enlightenment) to be (C) or (U) or the orignal (R) Filter lands, but failing that the CIPT + gain 1 life lands seem fair at (C). Core 2019's "alternate to basic" rarity... was interesting, but I don't think worked. I splash in M19 far less than I did in Dominaria, and not for lack of picking bombs and removals in other colors. I remember 1st picking Banefire for my BG deck pack 3, and deciding the splash just wasn't worth risking the stability of my manabase.
As for my designs... I'd say most are (U)-level complexity. But, as with Bouncelands, (U) level complexity can be justified at (C) if it serves a purpose. However, as I said, I'm of the opinion that evolving wilds is much better at serving the purpose in most sets - a high priority colorless mana fixer in a set designed to focus on 2 color pairs.
WOTC needs to balance design to cut down on shuffle effects for standard. Evolving Wilds won't usually make it in standard, but if it does - it's a relatively minor shuffle effect.
In any case, it strikes me that making common mana fixing lands should be relatively simple. Consider:
Name 1
Land (C)
T: Add C.
Discard a card, T: Add one mana of any color.
Name 2
Land (C)
T: Add C.
Sacrifice a creature, T: Add one mana of any color.
Name 3
Land (C)
T: Add C.
Exile the top 7 cards of your library, T: Add one mana of any color.
Name 4
Land (C)
T: Add C.
Pay 3 life, T: Add one mana of any color.
Alternative designs might look like this:
Name 5
Land (C)
T: Add C.
T, Sacrifice Name 5: Put a basic land card from your graveyard onto the battlefield tapped.
Name 6
Land (C)
T, Sacrifice Name 6: Put a basic land card you own from outside the game onto the battlefield tapped. (IE, this is just Evolving Wilds that uses wish-mechanics to avoid shuffling at the cost of 2-5 sideboard slots in constructed.)
Is it possible to do s magic set w/o any shuffle effects? Sure. Is it desirable? I doubt it. If you have a cycle of constructed viable fetchlands, maybe limit the tutors to 1-2 other cards in the set. If you don't, feel free to print up to 10 constructed playable shuffle effects (as they'll scarcely be used in the same deck, or as regularly as fetchland effects).
As for the card itself, I'm going to read it as a 3/2 Hexproof for UB. Is that okay? Well... I don't know. The goal of hexproof is to protect your creature, and having too much hexproof in a set really does hinder gameplay. So do I think this is an (U) Hexproof creature I want in my set, say, over a Hexproof Merfolk Looter for UU or a Hexproof, Menace Zombie Merfolk Knight for UB?
Token Persecution B
Enchantment (U)
Whenever a player would create a non-imp token, instead that player looses 1 life and creates a 1/1 black imp creature token with flying.
Cycling B
Pointed Interrogation B
Sorcery (U)
Choose a nonland card name. Target player reveals their hand and discards all cards with that name.
If no cards are discarded in this way, draw a card.
"It never hurts to ask... well it never hurts me to ask."
- Nardal, Cabal Interrogator