MTG Salvation

Comment Hidden

Just thinking about a few legendary creatures to serve as "lords" of sorts for creatures with evergreen keywords, with the general purpose of making for obvious linear EDH deck-building strategies (i.e. "put lots of creatures with this keyword in your deck"), while also leaving them open to build other interesting kinds of decks. With the general guidelines of:

1. Don't just give them all +1/+1 or something boring
2. Don't give them any other keywords either
3. Be better than Stonebrow, Krosan Hero

So here are a few of them!

Daenclast of the Twin Axes 1RRW
Legendary Creature - Dwarf Soldier (R)
Double strike
If a creature you control would deal first strike combat damage to a permanent or player, it deals twice that much damage to that permanent or player instead.
2/3

Sergev, Tithe Enforcer WB
Legendary Creature - Vampire Cleric (R)
Lifelink
Whenever you gain life, put a +1/+1 counter on a creature you control with lifelink.
2/3

Ibraxa, Maker of Marble 3BG
Legendary Creature - Gorgon (R)
Deathtouch
Whenever a creature you control with deathtouch deals damage to an opponent, destroy target noncreature, nonland permanent of that player’s choice that he or she controls.
2/5

Heaval, Harbinger of Havoc BR
Legendary Creature - Devil (R)
Menace
Whenever a creature you control becomes blocked, for each creature blocking it, that creature gets +1/+0 until end of turn and defending player loses 1 life.
2/3

Three-Fang, Baloth Alpha 3RG
Legendary Creature - Beast (R)
Trample
Whenever a blocked creature you control deals combat damage to a player or planeswalker, you may have it deal that much damage to target creature that player controls.
6/5

Felldr of the Vanguard 1GW
Legendary Creature - Elf Soldier (R)
Vigilance
At the beginning of each end step, put a +1/+1 counter on each untapped creature you control that attacked or blocked this turn.
3/3


Telev, Navigator of Mists 2UG
Legendary Creature - Merfolk Scout (R)
Hexproof
Whenever a creature you control with hexproof becomes the target of a spell or ability, you may pay 1. If you do, that creature can’t be blocked this turn.
Whenever a creature you control with hexproof attacks and isn’t blocked, you may draw a card.
3/4

I've got ideas for flying, haste, and flash too, but I'm not super certain on the designs for them yet.

Comment Hidden

So I was trying to think of another UBRG commander that wouldn't be quite so complex, and I was thinking, instead of the "big bad giant bigger than everybody" brand, what about another brand of biggest, baddest, strongest creature? A totally original one that's definitely not the final boss of an old SNES game?

Bolbox, Pinnacle of Evolution UBRG
Legendary Creature - Ooze Horror (B)
Whenever a creature dealt damage by Bolbox, Pinnacle of Evolution this turn dies, put a +1/+1 counter on Bolbox.
T: Bolbox deals damage equal to its power to target creature.
4, Sacrifice a creature: Double the number of +1/+1 counters on Bolbox and untap it.

Dunno about the mana cost on the second ability. I was thinking about the first ability being divisible like Living Inferno, but that would probably be way too good. I almost wonder if there isn't enough to this guy, but you can have fun with stuff like Simic Guildmage and Hardened Scales/Winding Constrictor, Sage of Fables, etc. I guess this isn't really super red, but... Extra Arms? Ion Storm, I guess?

Also, another idea for Vand.

Vand, Consortium Broker WUBR
Legendary Creature - Human Advisor (M)
Whenever a player casts a spell, any player may pay 1 and 2 life. If no one does, you gain 2 life and create an artifact token named Gold with “Sacrifice this artifact: Add one mana of any color to your mana pool.”
4WUBR: Gain control of target nonland permanent. Spend only mana produced by artifacts to activate this ability.
3/4

The mana and life payment is probably a bit weird, but I like the idea of it mirroring the benefits you get if they don't pay up. The big color cost and artifact-only clause are there to prevent you from just spamming it with any old ramp, though I guess that's not as big a deal in a color identity without green. Is triggering on every single spell too annoying? Maybe just non non-artifact spells?

I wasn't always big on Commander, but recently, a friend got me into it and it seems pretty fun. (And I'm not playing with real cards, so windmill slam that Imperial Seal into every black deck, baby! The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale? No problem!) Anyway, I was thinking about four-color commanders, because the ones in C16 are totally... adequate, I guess. But I want them to be more complicated, so I made some of my own! Hope they aren't too wordy. The stats are probably off on most of them, because frankly, they generally aren't meant for swinging face.

Avina, Citanul Hierophant GWUB
Legendary Creature - Human Druid (M)
Whenever you cast an Aura spell, draw a card.
Auras you control that are attached to creatures have “If you control enchanted creature, it gets +1/+1. Otherwise, it gets -1/-1.”
Whenever an Aura is put into your graveyard from the battlefield, you may pay 2. If you do, return it to your hand.
0/5

First, the ultimate enchantress! Well, for Auras, anyway. I love the idea of a deck that just casts a bunch of annoying stuff like Pacifism and Singing Bell Strike on enemy creatures, and this lets you use all of them as removal... and then return them to your hand, and draw a bunch more cards off of them. This might be a bit crazy, actually. Maybe I should add a cost on the last ability? Added a cost of 2.

Vand, Consortium Broker WUBR
Legendary Creature - Human Advisor (M)
Whenever you cast an artifact or creature spell, create a colorless artifact token named Gold with “Sacrifice this artifact: Add one mana of any color to your mana pool.”
Whenever an artifact or creature is put into a graveyard from the battlefield, each opponent loses 1 life and you gain 1 life.
3/4

Next, a recent thread got me thinking WUBR would be the Gold colors, so I made this dude to make a little money off all your artifacts, and Extort whenever you cash them in. Then I decided that was too boring, so I made it trigger for creatures too, for those delicious aristocrats shenanigans. I guess this could go infinite with... a Haakon, Conspiracy/Artificial Evolution, and a 0 mana artifact, but... who cares.

Vothar the Unequaled 2UBRG
Legendary Creature - Giant Warrior (M)
At the beginning of each opponent’s upkeep, that player sacrifices an artifact with converted mana cost X or less, where X is the greatest converted mana cost among artifacts you control. Repeat this process for creatures and enchantments.
At the beginning of each opponent’s end step, if three or more permanents were put into that player’s graveyard this turn, put up to one target permanent card from your graveyard on top of your library, then draw a card.
7/7

White is the color of Balance, so 2UBRG are the colors of imbalance! This started as a riff on Balance, making everyone with less than you sacrifice, but quantity is white's thing, so I changed it to look at quality instead. I also originally had a discard ability in there with the rest, but that doesn't really work when looking at CMC, and it would be too wordy. Anyway, I love the dream of being on top and making everybody sac three permanents and getting one back every opponent's turn. But there's only one place to go from the top.

Kalthas, Siegebreaker 1BRGW
Legendary Creature - Human Knight (M)
Creatures you control have lifelink.
At the beginning of combat on each opponent’s turn, you may choose a number greater than 0. If you do, that player attacks you with exactly that many creatures this combat if able.
0: Target attacking creature you control must be blocked this combat if able.
3/5

The only thing in the game that gives all your creatures lifelink unconditionally is Whip of Erebos. Come on, Wizards, step it up! Anyway, Saskia the Unyielding is boring, so here's a BRGW card that isn't strictly about beating face while you beat face. You can force durdly players to sacrifice their creatures in combat and reap all that sweet, sweet life gain, and then force them to block your weenies (or sacrifice to your huge dudes) when you swing at them. You can't choose 0 because this ain't no Moat, grow a spine and fight.

Rabisath the Splendid 2RGWU
Legendary Creature - Djinn (M)
Flying, hexproof
Whenever another nontoken creature enters the battlefield under a player’s control, each other player may create a token that’s a copy of it. Then, you may pay GW. If you do, create a token that’s a copy of it.
Whenever a player casts a spell, each other player may copy that spell and may choose new targets for the copy. Then, you may pay UR. If you do, copy that spell and you may choose new targets for the copy.

Finally, Riku of Two Reflections is cool, but why limit yourself to copying your own stuff? Rabisath lets everybody get in on the action, and lets you pay a little extra to get your own copy (or another copy if someone else is casting). I just wanted to make a group hug card even group-huggier than Kynaios and Tiro of Meletis, so slam down a New Frontiers and a Prosperity and a Mnemonic Wall... maybe a Dormant Sliver, too. This might actually make for the world's most passive-aggressive mill deck.

And the bonus!

Juzba, Mizzium Metallurgist 2UR
Legendary Creature - Faerie Artificer (R)
Flying
2, T, Sacrifice an artifact: Create two tokens that are copies of the sacrificed artifact.
4, T, Sacrifice four artifacts with the same name: Take an extra turn after this one.
2/2

A lot of people have been clamoring for a UR artificer legend, so here's one that's probably hilariously dangerous, based on one of my favorite goofy artifacts, Mizzium Transreliquat. Juzba is also in the flavor text for Wee Dragonauts, so screw it, she's a faerie now. The 1-card limit is tragic for certain cards, and there aren't many artifact-copying effects, so here's a creature that can Goblin Weld any artifact into two copies of itself! Which is mostly just copying, but imagine it with Ichor Wellspring. The last ability is mostly just for fun, but it might make for a fun non-Commander deck. Sac one Myr Servitor to copy it and you can go infinite! Maybe.

Comment Hidden

Quote from Legend »

Subtle Brilliance.

Shocking and Innovative.

This post is kind of an ugly baby. It flies in the face of every sensible critique I've ever seen. But now it's suddenly okay. I just don't understand. Fortunately, I don't really care either. BUT... if you want to troll other CCC posters for seemingly no reason THEN DO IT for goodness sakes. Stop pussyfooting around with half ass posts because they're nothing but ugly babies. Blow our f'n minds!

That said, OP, I'm borrowing all of these cards for my custom set Return to Return to Ravnica.

Akki Shardbearer 1R
Creature - Goblin Shaman Reflection (R)
When Akki Shardbearer enters the battlefield, put a token onto the battlefield that's a copy of target non-Reflection creature. That token has haste. Exile it at the beginning of the next end step.
There are many akki who seem to reflect some small fragment of the Mirror-Breaker's power, but only one knows their true origin.
2/1

The Reflection bit is to prevent people from going infinite with two copies of it. Maybe it should just target creatures you control. In which case, I'd give it haste to make up for it. Or I might just give it haste anyway. Screw it, if we're making a deliberately overpowered chase rare, go whole hog!

Comment Hidden

I will keep posting this mechanic in every blue creature-related thread until I am banned or I die.

Backstab (Whenever this creature attacks a player and isn't blocked, you may have it assign its combat damage to target creature that player controls.)

Blatantly out of pie? Maybe. I just want blue to have more weird indirect removal via messing with combat.

Hey, speaking of messing with combat, could blue maybe get some kind of reverse-provoke ability? It occasionally gets forced attacking with cards like Alluring Siren and Courtly Provocateur. Could it get more? It'd be a really good overlap.

Taunt (At the beginning of combat on each opponent's turn, you may untap this creature and target creature that player controls. The targeted creature attacks you if able and this creature blocks it if able.)

The untapping and forced blocking are to make it a proper reverse-provoke. It doesn't make much sense for a creature to taunt another into attacking if it's impossible for it to actually block. Of course, it doesn't have to block first, so it can tell another creature its father smelt of elderberries from the safety of the ramparts of a Steel Wall... or something bigger...

Quote from Wicked Souls

Smolder R
Sorcery (C)
Exile cards from the top of your library until you exile a nonland card. You may cast that card this turn.

I like the effect except for the "this turn". I'd make it now or never.

I also would choose another name as well.

Flaming Skin 1R
Instant (C)
Target creature gets +X/-X until end of turn, where X is its toughness minus 1.
"You weren't using that skin for anything else, were you?"

Nothing new, but a good implementation of the idea.

Mindless Rage 1R
Enchantment - Aura (C/U?)
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature can't block, and its activated abilities can't be activated.
Enchanted creature attacks each turn if able.
In his fury, the scribe forgot that the saying "the pen is mightier than the sword" was never meant to be taken literally.
(Should it be 2R? RR?)

While I see where you are coming from the "can't block"/"must attack" on the same card is always... unsatisfying.

Skittering Shocker 1RR
Creature - Insect (U)
Haste
Whenever Skittering Shocker deals damage to a player, that player discards a card at random, then draws a card.
2/2

I always thought forcing (other) players to loot could be an interesting extension to red's abilities. This is a nice card to that effect. Though it is a drawback against a hellbent opponent.

Cinderblossom 1R
Enchantment (U)
At the beginning of combat on your turn, put a 1/1 red Elemental creature token with haste onto the battlefield. Exile it at the beginning of the next end step.

Really nice.

Wanton Destruction 2RR
Sorcery (U)
Destroy target permanent you don't control chosen at random.
(Should this be nonland? Or would that actually make it better?)

Think about Capricious Efreet and the choosing of a subset of permanents before determining one at random to be destroyed. I think that's important. It's easier to make up a way to randomly choose one of two or three permanents than to randomly choose one of all permanents - which might be very odd and/or large numbers with tokens and multiplayer and all.

I think a nice trick for this would be to have both you and an opponent each choose a permanent you don't control and destroy one of them chosen at random or something similar.

Misfire 1RR
Instant (R)
Target opponent reveals his or her hand. You may cast an instant or sorcery card from it as that player without paying its mana cost. You can't pay any additional costs for it. (That player controls that spell, but you make all decisions for it. If it has X in its cost, X is 0.)

Compare Word of Command. Expanding red's set of mechanics at rare is less interesting than the same at common.

Emphasize R
Instant (R)
Copy target instant or sorcery spell. The copy has the same targets as the original.
Electromancers love nothing more than making lightning strike the same place twice.

Second clause could be reminder text.

Ad Hominem 1RR
Sorcery (R)
Discard a card at random, then draw a card. You may repeat this process any number of times.
(A stupid name, but it's a riff on Ad Nauseam, it needs gratuitous Latin.)

Needs something to limit how often you want to do it or cost way more. Ad Nauseam causes real pain as a balancing factor. This helps getting cards into your graveyard and is generally just controllable enough to be a problem, I feel.

Quote from Wicked Souls

It was mostly meant to trip you up if you tried to run multiples of it. But now that I think about it, there isn't really a drawback if you only have one, so every deck would end up playing one of these. Not sure what to do about that.

That's not inherently a problem. It's an ABUR dual land, but weaker in several ways:
1) No basic land types
2) Even if you only have one, having to tap it first (or even if you don't) means you can't keep the color flexibility around to benefit you later in the turn.
3) As you mentioned, if you have more than 1, you get screwed over.

Is that enough of a weakness to be printable? I dunno, but it seems probably pretty close. The drawback listed above as #2 can actually be fairly significant.

If you wanted to make it weaker, you could do something like "Activate this ability only if you haven't tapped a land for colored mana this turn" on each of the abilities instead.

I have to put my two cents in under the "should occur when unblocked, not before declaring blockers" method, ala cunning giant. Besides the flavor and grace of the mechanic being better, I just feel like having a bit more teeth is necessary given how many hurdles you have to jump through to get the attacker in unblocked in the first place. I mean, you talk about the lack of interactivity if you can't mess with the combat after the declaration, but combat already has plenty of interaction without that- getting a small creature to connect is no easy task. Thats as much a requirement as a goblin lackey, actually much harder, as its not going to swinging turn 2 ever.