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  • posted a message on From cantrip to creature.
    Just a quick view for Limited.

    Contrarian Entity
    :2mana::symwu:
    Creature — Illusion (U)
    0/4
    Defender
    :symw::symu:: Counter target spell that targets you or a permanent you control.
    "Fascinating. It simply hangs there, seemingly oblivious to its surroundings, yet nothing malicious will touch me in its presence."
    — Jace Beleren

    3 mana 0/4 but can't do anything beside countering? Well, its not really a creature as it is, but its something that will protect you and your permanents from any removal / burn in a format.

    Is that worth a card? Not easy to judge, might depend a lot if your format has big big spells ala Pithisis that can end a game in a swing, and if white/blue has enough solid flyers.

    But i can't really see why it shouldnt simply have defender, as a 0/4 wall with this ability is pretty cool, it plays good against point removal and might even get a hit in some constructed formats if the ability is usefull in it.

    So make it Defender and its a pretty usefull card.

    Izzet Cambimentarian :symu::symr:
    Creature — Gnome Wizard (U)
    2/2
    :symu::symr:: Switch target creature's power and toughness until end of turn.
    "Time for a little attitude adjustment."

    Right now with M10 rulez, it doesnt work to have damage stack and reverse the p/t , so it is meaningless if you can target it again.

    Its just good to kill 0 power cards, or randomly use some of blues -X/-0 effects, or you use it to push your defensive cards.

    Overall a nice common, but it needs enough interactions to be relevant.
    Treefolk / Walls and such might be good ideas, even if i would put it in "uncommon" and lower the cost, so it might be a pretty powerfull effect against the right enemie or in the correct deck in Limited to draft and make your 1/5 creatures into attackers (or your 5/1 into blockers).

    Pepperpot Sprite :1mana::symb:
    Creature — Faerie Rogue (U)
    1/1
    Flying
    :1mana::symb:: Target creature gets -1/-1 until end of turn. Activate this ability only during your turn.
    "Gesundheit."

    Well, the ability is "insane" powerfull in Limited, as it plays like a pinger to shoot down all 1 thoughness for a singel black, it makes no difference that its only in your upkeep, you will just use all black mana to kill everything your opponent plays.

    Even you wanted "once a turn" or the card is totally overpowered for a Common.

    I would greatly upgrade the cost and go for "uncommon" , even with 2 mana per activation i can kill all 1 thoughness on the board, and still kill 2+ thoughness later on, which will simply win me games.

    And as i can't see a real idea with the "upkeep" thing, i would take it away and make it "your turn", which is way simpler for "newbie" players.

    Dimir Mesmerist :1mana::symu::symb:
    Creature — Human Wizard Rogue (C)
    2/2
    :symu::symb:, :symtap:: Target opponent reveals X cards from his or her hand, where X is the number of cards in your hand. Choose one of the revealed cards. That player discards that card. Play this ability only any time you could play a sorcery.
    "I can't impress upon you how important it is to forget that little detail."

    Its for sure repeatable discard, on a cheap creature, overall pretty solid, as you can use it to strip tricks and expensive bombs away, especially with some bounce its highly usefull.
    If the set has some Neck Snap like cards, or is slow, this card shines, if your set is fast like Shards of Alara / Reborn it becomes less usefull as you wont hit enough in time.

    Languid Researcher :2mana::symu:
    Creature — Human Wizard (U)
    1/3
    :1mana::symu:, :symtap:: Draw a card. Clash with an opponent. If you win, untap CARDNAME.

    Sounds like an fair version of Merfolk Looter, even if the 1/3 body makes it more resistent and a possible blockers.
    The ability generates card advantage, which alone is pretty good for a common, together with clash and the possible "more" card advantage, it becomes a little nuts.
    Here again, its a card that will make sure you win any "late game" and if you get in a stall with some defenders on your side, this will be your game winner.

    As the card advantage is quite high, i would place it in Uncommon.

    *Can easy be a cycle, as the ability is usefull for every color to support a clash idea with more expensive cards:

    Red Researchers 1R
    Creature - Human, Wizard (U)
    R, T: ~ deals 1 damage to target creature or player. Clash with an Opponent. If you win, untap ~.
    1/1

    Green Researcher 3G
    Creature - Human, Wizard (U)
    1G, T: Target creature gets +3/+3 until end of turn. Clash with an Opponent. If you win, untap ~.
    3/3

    Black Researcher 4B
    Creature - Human, Wizard (U)
    B, T: Target player discards a card. Clash with an opponent. If you win, untap ~.
    3/2

    White Researcher W
    Creature - Human, Wizard (U)
    W, T: You gain 2 life. Clash with an Opponent. If you win, untap ~.
    1/2

    And just because we of the cycle :

    Kaleidos Researcher WUBRG
    Creature - Human, Wizard (R)
    T: Clash with an Opponent. If you win, untap all permanents you control.
    WUBRG: Search your library for a wizard permanent card and put it onto the battlefield. Shuffle your library.
    5/5

    Its just ment to be a possible clash machine if you keep winning you will untap all your cards, generate mana and get more "tap" effects, with the ability to tutor for wizards, you can either search for more copies of it, or search some other wizards.

    Cantelope :1mana::symw::symw:
    Enchantment Creature — Antelope (R)
    Impervious (Prevent all damage that would be dealt to CARDNAME.)
    ~ gets +1/+1 for each enchantment card in each graveyard.
    Discard an enchantment card: ~ becomes a copy of the discarded enchantment card until end of turn.
    3/3

    Well "Impervious" might be possible, even if it might be simpler to choose a word like "Mistform" or some existing card that does the effect, simply because that might be easier to refer to (i know Mistform isnt the exact ability).
    However, beside this, its strange that you make the card an enchantment goyf and give it a drawback against enchantments.

    Might be better to give it p/t and +1/+1 for each enchantment, as it allways sucks if you can't play this card as your grave is empty (or they have something like Tormods Crypt to ruin your day).

    As i like the card and feel that enchantments have no love today i would go for a change to have the Discard ability be an essential part of it.

    Being able to discard something big might be cool, and it protects the creature against creature removal.

    Even in a "heavy" enchantment deck, you wont have that many enchantments in your graveyard (see something like Enchantres in Legacy format), so keep in mind that enchantments are not "graveyard" friendly.
    Posted in: Custom Card Creation
  • posted a message on Cascade into...
    Well, the problem is kinda obvisious, as the main problem of cascade is that it shouldnt feel like an easy "tutor me card XY" , it should be semi-random what you get.

    Using the "Normal" Cascade you can ofcourse build a deck that uses the mechanic as a tutor (like the Seismic/Swans shows), but in that case you sacrifice a lot of slots for 1-2-3 drops you might otherwise need.


    If you use Cascade into "Wizard" it totally kills this part, and you just end with a mechanic that will allways tutor what you want, in which case they are just boosted.


    Summon the Cunsol 4UU
    Tribal Instant - Wizard (Uncommon)
    Cascade into Wizard (When you play this spell, remove cards from the top of your library from the game until you remove a nonland card that costs less and its Wizard. You may play it without paying its mana cost. Put the removed cards on the bottom of your liberary in a random order.)
    Put three 1/1 Blue Mefolk Wizard creatures tokens into play with "T: Draw a card"

    Well, 6 mana 3 tokens at "instant" is something special for blue allready, and you give them a card draw part thats really overpowered.

    I mean, its like Opportunity with Buyback and more combo potential.
    A Cascade card should have a "lower" effect, as Cascade gives you a free extra spell anyway.

    So instead of "Cascade into Type" it might make sence to use some more simpel stuff, so the card gets actual play in its tribal and not as a card to tutor for a singel copy:

    Summon the Counsel 5UUU
    Sorcery (R)
    Scry 6
    When you play ~ reveal the top card of your library, if its a Wizard card, you may play it without paying its manacost.
    Put three blue 1/1 Merfolk, Wizard token into play with "T: Draw a card, than discard a card.".

    This way you keep a Cascade like ability, but you limit it to a fixed number, so the count of actual Wizard cards must be high.

    As i did it, you are allowed to Storm into other copies, as the card allready costs you 8 mana , if you want to stay near Cascade you can just give it the extra "Wizard card with 7 or less converted manacost", you get the deal.

    Instead putting direct draw on the wizards, a Merfolk Looter might be better, simply because its more fair / and some old card reference is good.
    Posted in: Custom Card Creation
  • posted a message on Shadowbolt
    Scaling burn higher is for sure not really the correct move.

    WotC stated that Lightning Bolt is "still" overpowered, its just back as M10 is not based for "balance" its full of cards designed from a flavour point to a card.


    Normally WotC made cards from ideas how they play, than build a flavour that meets the card, in M10 its the opposite, they took a flavour and build a card around it (or just took a old one).


    And for red, the most iconic D&D spells are Lightning Bolts, FireBall, Earthquake and such.


    So don't missguide yourself and make any card a power equal to Lightning Bolt or even higher (not that ShadowBolt is that) but thats a way into Abyss.
    Posted in: Custom Card Creation
  • posted a message on Murkfiend Doppelganger, Selkie Colossus, & Chromophobia <-- new!!!
    Quote from Solmancer
    I just realized that the Shapeshifter needs a default power and toughness. I'd personally recommend 3/2 or 3/3 for that (3+ power for sure), just because it'd be a Reveillark tutor under most circumstances, as I've mentioned. That seems a little TOO good. It certainly can't be X/0 because it won't make it to the copycat stage otherwise.

    By extension, I'd also suggest "you may" on the tutor->copy ability; you might have a reason not to, after all.



    Hows it a Reveillark tutor? Its limited to green/blue creatures you know?

    As its is, you have to search for something thats worth the cost reduction, maybe some of the 5-color Avatars in Lorwyn, Ingrid Stompelhower and the like, but for sure not Reveillark as you "exile" it and not in your grave ala Body Double interactions.
    Posted in: Custom Card Creation
  • posted a message on Painting my creatures...well, you can decide that.
    Well, yours have the problem that they are really the sucky ones that nobody really wants to play in Limited (and absolute not in Constructed).

    Examples of "strong" effects could be something like Rancor, and the like.


    The color shift is something thats allready pretty usefull, especially if your set has the big color matters (like Shadowmoor with the Scarecrow and such).


    So the idea is good, i would just make the cards more intresting, as Auras are "bad" for the 2:1 problem.

    White Paint white mana
    Enchantment - Aura
    Enchanted creature gets +1/+2, has vigilance and becomes white.
    :symw::symw:: Attach ~ to target creature.

    Blue Paint blue mana
    Enchantment - Aura
    Enchanted creature has flying, shroud and becomes blue.
    :symu::symu:: Attach ~ to target creature.

    Black Paint black mana
    Enchantment - Aura
    Enchanted creature gets -2/-1 and becomes black.
    :symb::symb:: Attach ~ to target creature.

    Red Paint red mana
    Enchantment - Aura
    Enchanted creature has first strike, can't block and becomes red.
    :symr::symr:: Attach ~ to target creature.

    Green Paint green mana
    Enchantment - Aura
    Enchanted creature gets +2/+2, has trample and becomes green.
    :symg::symg:: Attach ~ to target creature.


    The idea of the re-Attach comes from the instant equipment in Mirrodin block, as it helps to avoid a potential 2:1 trade and allows some more interaction with the effects of the aura.
    The blue one for example allows via shroud to counter combat tricks and protect your creatures, the green one gives a huge boost for its manacost, in the style of rankor (as the come back ability is an important advantage of rancor).


    So overall, its more like an Aura that will change your color, and it can get over to something else making them more usefull Auras with less frustrating 2:1 trades.


    Overall it could be a design point with many more themes, like cards that care if they are enchanted, get attached and such, so you can cover multiple mechanics in a singel cycle.
    Posted in: Custom Card Creation
  • posted a message on Red Cards
    If it makes flavourwise sence to give a color an effect, its good to do so.

    Just take M10, its full of out of color pie, it just takes flavour and makes cards in the color that fits best.


    As long as the card isnt better than the cards in your "normal" color pie color its not a real problem (just look for Dash Hopes and all this black counterspells, they are just like creature removal in a abstract view).

    Red is about dealing damage in most ways and what ever it does, it will somehow force damage (as even Stone Rains get an upgrade to be on creatures, or Molten Rain like, they just feel better if they deal damage).



    The hand size of red looks a lot more for the "opponents" hand size than your own, looking for the cards i can think of, so it damages players for being "slow" (not playing anything) and it allows some bridges between blue/red bounce/landdestruction, as it was done in the RU decks with the Lhurgoyf (back in time).



    And Outmatch's power lies in the fact it can change the target of any kind of ability - including triggered abilities. Depending on the meta-set, this could be devastating.


    Which "trigger" actual targets in combat? Im just curious as i can't think of one right now (Exalted and all that dont) and for Provoke and such its meaningsless.
    Posted in: Custom Card Creation
  • posted a message on Gnomish Utility Knife
    Look for the cards that do the job allready.

    Staff of Domination ; Obelisk of Alara

    You get effects that are "bad" on their own, but in exchange you can use one (or in case of the Staff) as many as you have mana for.


    You card idea isnt bad, but i think it works better if you simply use it like the Tri-Color Charms, as they have a "Choose one" allready and reflect your idea.

    Take abilities with less text to keep the cards clean and simpel, otherwise it just looks like you did multiple cards and glue them together, thats bad.



    Along the Spellbomb idea, fused with Charms:


    Toolbox 1
    Artifact
    ~ enters the battlefield with three charge counters on it.
    R, Remove a charge counter: ~ deals 1 damage to each non-flying creature.
    G, Remove a charge counter: ~ deals 1 damage to each flying creature.
    W, Remove a charge counter: Creatures you control get +1/+1 until end of turn.

    Play for 1 mana, and you get a small toolbox of usefull effects, can easy be done in a cycle and other modificated versions.
    Posted in: Custom Card Creation
  • posted a message on Murkfiend Doppelganger, Selkie Colossus, & Chromophobia <-- new!!!
    Selkie Colossus X mana
    Creature - Merfolk Shaman (U)
    When Selkie Colossus enters the battlefield with X +1/+1 counters on it. Draw a card for each counter on Selkie Colossus.
    0/0

    This is "insane" overpowered.

    Its just Mindspring as Uncommon with a hybrid manacost, being Merfolk is an extra too (as its a tribal pushed creature type).

    Being a "Colossus" it makes more sence to have it at a big fixed size, ala:

    Selkie Colossus 4
    Creature - Merfolk, Mutant (U)
    When ~ enters the battlefield, draw cards equal to the number of counters on all cards you control.
    ~ has power and thoughness equal to the number of counters on all cards you control.
    */*

    So 7 mana, and its a creature that works perfect with any +1/+1 counters, and any other counter you have, as its best in a set that uses Graft in Blue/Green like Simic did.
    To further improve the interaction i thought "cards" is better than permanents, as it helps to get more flexibility with Suspend and other mechanics that might have counters on other cards in other zones, and it might make the card a constructed piece with Greater Gargadon and other cheap cards with a lot of counters.



    Murkfiend Doppelganger
    Creature - Shapeshifter (R)
    As Murkfiend Doppelganger enters the battlefield search your library for a blue or green creature card with converted manacost of 5 or less and exile it.
    Murkfiend Doppelganger is a copy of the creature card exiled with it.
    0/0

    So in the end, its just a 4 mana creature that will be allways a 5 mana creature and a toolbox itself (with some cards ala Eternal Witness and such).
    Not bad at all, but the fixed number of "5" is pretty lame.

    Ofcourse its important to keep the card balanced and not just get a Progenitus or something, but i would still choose some value that is not fixed, even if its an "X" manacost.

    Murkfiend Doppelganger X
    Creature - Shapeshifter (R)
    As Murkfiend Doppelganger enters the battlefield search your library for a blue or green creature card with converted manacost of X and exile it.
    Murkfiend Doppelganger is a copy of the creature card exiled with it.
    0/0

    This way it tutor for a creature, so you can get a cheap creature for 2 mana (like a Birds of Paradise or something) or bigger ones for a cost of +1, in exchange for your toolbox ability.


    However some non hybrid versions might allow some more freaky things, ala Bribery:

    Murkfiend Doppelganger XU
    Creature - Shapeshifter (R)
    As Murkfiend Doppelganger enters the battlefield search a library for a creature card with converted manacost of X and exile it.
    Murkfiend Doppelganger is a copy of the creature card exiled with it.
    0/0

    The blue one allows a Bribery, you search an opponents library for a creature with a manacost of X, so you have to know that you find something, or you still search your own.


    Another is for the green one, like "Build your own monster":

    Murkfiend Mutant XG
    Creature - Shapeshifter (R)
    As ~ enters the battlefield search your library for any number of creature cards with a combined converted manacost of X or less and exile them.
    ~ has all abilities of creature cards exiled with it, power equal to the combined power and thoughness equal to the combined thoughness of them.
    0/0

    This allows to make a big guy that fuses creatures into 1 big creature. If you have enough mana you can build a pretty big creature, in worst case you play it with the 0 mana creatures to get a big creature for just a singel green (but the 0 mana dont have power as far as i see).

    A funny part might come with the rulez if you remove other copies of itself (which might copy the ability to get the abilities, even if i think it makes no difference, hopefully not double the effects and such).

    But as far as it is done, its a Casual card, and it offers some ideas with cards that might allows combos with it. Some ideas might be to use a creature with an Untap ability, together with a Tap ability, or just a high power with Phyrexian Dreadnought and haste in later formats (even if it quickly sucks, as you still have the triggers).
    The possibilities are high for sure and its something special as it is.
    Posted in: Custom Card Creation
  • posted a message on Red Cards
    Outmatch red mana
    Instant
    Play Outmatch only during combat.
    Change the target of target spell or ability.
    Cycling :SymR:

    Problem with this kind of spell is that its "very" situnational to actual hit a spell during combat. The only real thing is a combat trick, than you can actual target your own stuff and get a nice effect, but that happens not often, and against removal etc. you have to have an pretty stupid opponent to play a non combat trick during combat that can actual have a use redirected.

    So overall, i would go down to a singel red to keep it as low as possible so you can allways keep the mana open to have it ready and give it cycling as situantional cars need a way to get replaced if they simply do nothing.

    With the changes its a card i would put in red Limited decks, as it can be quite good "if" it hits something, and the cycling will help to replace it in the late game if its not needed.

    Firewater Runner red mana
    Creature - Goblin Rogue
    Firewater Runner comes into play with a charge counter on it.
    Remove a charge counter from Firewater Runner: Target creature gains haste until end of turn.
    1/1

    Well, its superior to Raging Goblin, but thats ofcourse no problem.
    Being a "rogue" is an advantage with Prowl and such abilities, and i would say its a fair card as it is that has some uses for Limited to speed your beatdown.
    In constructed it might simply be not usefull as its a 1/1 creature and goblins have Warchief for haste.

    But the design idea is something that is not bad. Using the charge counter is similiar to a sacrifice, but it keeps the card.

    Instead of the charge counter i would use +1/+1 counters, as they give more flexibility with other mechanics, ala Reinforce, Graft and such.

    This change would make it to:

    Firewave Inducer 1R
    Creature - Elemental, Rogue
    Bloodthirst 1
    Remove a +1/+1 counter from ~: Target creature gets haste until end of turn.
    2/2

    This way its a simpel 2/2 for 2 mana Grizzly Bear size in Limited. With some +1/+1 counters you can pull some tricks out of it later on, and the Bloodthirst helps to push its size and get the +1/+1 counter.

    The design is open for any idea with +1/+1 counters, so it should be no problem to make a big theme with it.

    Imperiousness :2mana::symr:
    Creature - Berserker Incarnation
    Haste.
    Creature spells with haste cost 2 mana less to play.
    2/2

    The reduction by 2 is quite something if you imagine that this guy would be played in decks that have "only" hasters.

    So far it has the self synergy with copies, as you can play one turn 3 and 3 more in the following, not that it will happen often, nor is it really brocken strong, but its something to be aware of (especially with Piledriver like things, as that was/is the annoying Goblin opening that kills crazy fast {Warchief in 3 Piledrivers = a lot dmg} ).

    Assert Superiority :2mana::symr:
    Instant
    Counter target spell as long as you have more cards in your hand than that spell's controller.
    You didn't just point that thing at me, did you?

    Red "hard" counter is no good idea, especially as blue is a lot better color for this. The only way red can get counterspells, is in the idea of Brow Beat and its friends, which have a choice of "Burn or Effect", and in most cases the opponent chooses the burn, unless the effect isnt important.

    Breath of Cinder :symr::symr:
    SorceryWhen you cast ~, copy it for each dragon creature you control.
    Breath of Cinder deals 2 damage to each creature without flying and each player that doesn't controll a dragon.

    Its not that hard to actual have a dragon, as WotC gets away from printing 6+ mana dragons.
    We have Changelings and some 4 mana dragons , and its a card thats still pretty powerfull, as a 4 damage earthquake kills pretty much everything on the ground, and being instant is a huge advantage.

    Overall i dont like it that strong as a 4 mana sweeper, as it takes the dragon interaction away. I play the card without any dragon, so why should i need the upgrade at all?

    To make it more enjoyable, it might work as a small Earthquake in a Pyroclasmn manacost, and you get a copy for each Dragon, which flavourwise will give you its Dragonbreath, so 4 dragons, you get 4 firebreath. The extra push for dragon tribal comes that it becomes a one sided Earthquake if you are the player with dragons (why should dragons burn themself?), and that pushes the card so its effect really matters and drives players to build decks that abuse it as much as possible with a lot dragons (that fly, as the non-flyer will still die in the Hellfire).
    Posted in: Custom Card Creation
  • posted a message on Hunger
    well kinda strange that you focus on "deathtouch" and "lifelink", normally you dont want a lot of them in a set as the abilities are pretty powerfull in limited.

    Deathtouch makes any creature a deadly blocker and attackers more or less unblockable.

    Lifelink is something that gains its power together with evasion, but its real power comes with large bodies so the life swings are impossible to damage race for your opponent.


    So i imagine a set with say 100 creature cards (all colors) and 50 of them have some kind of deathtouch / lifelink, that is pretty scary, and i wouldnt like to write the life totals with every lifelinker around.


    However for the card:

    Hunger :5mana::symb::symb:
    Creature - Incarnation (U)
    Deathtouch, lifelink
    Whenever a creature you control with deathtouch or lifelink deals damage, put a +1/+1 counter on it.
    Manifest :4mana::symb: (You may cast this card from your hand or graveyard for its manifest cost by sacrificing a creature with deathtouch or lifelink.)
    3/3

    Hardcast its pretty expensive, way too expensive for "fast" Limited formats , but the deathtouch + lifelink is something that can race an opponent into the ground, especially as it grows and your opponent "must" kill it right away.
    Manifest is something that plays pretty deadly with any form of cheap creatures that that have deathtouch / lifelink, but to be true, nobody really wants to have "many" of them in a format, so its not really an ability that comes up often (and if it does, you have a recurring spoiler, which is even more deadly than normal spoilers that can die to removal).


    To keep it better in black it might be better to focus just on deathtouch, which lets it combo a little with green (which gets it in "poisen" form for spiders and such).
    Posted in: Custom Card Creation
  • posted a message on Planeswalkers balance
    Planeswalkers are a type of cards that tend to be better than the obvisious random common in the set, and every planeswalker is capable of winning a game on its own (especially as its like 3 cards in one).


    A basic fact is that a planeswalker should for sure have not more loyality than its manacost, and it makes even less sence to have one with a very big amount of loyality, as 7+ is so much, that it makes no sence for your opponent to attack the planeswalker, as they can simply kill the player behind it faster.


    A lot more important for planeswalkers is that they follow a idea, they should feel like a real magic player with a deck that follows a concept.

    Every magic player is a planeswalker, a lot stronger than the planeswalker cards ofcourse.

    A basic concept so far is the idea of an +X / -Y / -Z concept, where you have the simpel choice to use the -Y abilities to get an usefull ability right away, or build loyality up with the weaker +X to get the ultimate ability to win the game with a powerfull effect.

    Elspeth for example goes another way, as the two +1 abilities give you still a choice, but its not really important to use the Ultimate at all, as the +1 abilities can win you the game anyway, and i have never seen a game with Elspeth were i got to 8 loyality and needed to use the Ultimate, the +3/+3 and flying wins the game right away, or you create tokens to protect Elspeth or win the game with them.


    However, keep in mind the simpel fact that a planeswalker should be considered a "real" magic player, and they actual cast spells and play creatures (in form of tokens), which suits the color they reflect.


    The "Basic" planeswalkers show this pretty well:

    Garruck plays the simpel mono green Overrun deck, it has mana Acceleration, plays 3/3 creatures and has Overrun to finish the deal, its the green beatdown deck in 1 card.

    Jace on the other side plays the blue Mill deck, it will keep the players hands full, and win with the big mill, thats a big part of blues idea (as counterspells dont work with planeswalkers sorcery speed, and repeating bounce would be annoying).

    Ajani plays the white weenie with its upgraded Anthemn, and Serra Avatar as the finisher (as it was a posterchild for white in Urza Set, as a Casual players love).


    So whatever you do, take a basic deck idea, and the planeswalker actual plays this deck on its own.
    Posted in: Custom Card Creation
  • posted a message on Seed of Tomorrow
    Theirs a land allmost like it, but it only searches for plains/forests with sacrifice ability.

    Could be made into a bigger cycle with different effects, as this one looks like a Green "ramp land", especially if it uses Vanishing or something, as you might manipulate it with some cards to remove counters to speed it up.
    Posted in: Custom Card Creation
  • posted a message on Thresh - Green removal
    Thresh :1mana::symg:
    Sorcery
    Destroy target noncreature, nonbasic permanent with converted mana cost 2 or less.

    I think it can stay at 1G mana, but theirs no real need to make it instant, especially to get around the Legacy-Grow problem (which prefer instant ofcourse).


    Naturalize is pretty much "unplayable" in 99,99% of the formats, as you allways have better options, either the Quasali Pridemage, Krosan Grip, Vindicate, Maelstrom pulse, what ever you choose, all of them are better (and the multicolor is no problem in constructed anyway).

    As a downgrade i would go with "2 or less", simply to make it on the line of its manacost (it costs 2 mana you know).


    Its a kind of card that can make sence, simply because you can hit non-basics with it, but with the sorcery speed and the limit to 2 and less its limited enough to be an "special" answer to special problems.
    Posted in: Custom Card Creation
  • posted a message on Obviously been done before, but...
    Ok start with the concept of Legends:

    A Legendary creature is something that has a character, something that makes it "unique" in the planes (which still doesnt mean that in the eternal universe theirs not a paralell dimension that still has the same legend, or another time line).

    Legendary creatures made themself a "name" in magic, either for something special with the story, or because they are some "leaders" of an important part of the world you play.

    Overall you can say that a Legend has an advantage against "non" legends, simply because its a "Veteran" creature, that is not just an random creature that crawls out of a hole.


    In the game of magic, the legend rule gives a pretty "small" drawback, as its not a very important drawback at all for the "expensive" legends.
    The drawback gets a feel for the cheap legends like Isamaru, but in the end you can easy say that Isamaru isnt really the kind of card you would make an "legend" at all (common its a random Dog).

    On the other side you can easy say that legends have advantages too, Kamigawa shows how it works (with the Lands, Karakas like lands, as you use it to "save" your guys, special cards that only effect legends etc.).



    For "legendary" spells, we allready have a concept like this, in the form of "Epic". You play this "epic" spell, and it will from that on determine your game (and your fate) which is actual as "epic" as you can get.


    Legendary spells have a problem that it makes no sence flavourwise.
    A spell can't be a "Veteran" Hero, or important for your story (as once resolved its gone, like "Conflux" is obvisious important for the set "Conflux" but its still just an event, and Nicol Bolas the actual "Legend" behind it).

    Another important part is that you can easy go and say :
    Its a "Legendary" spell so it can get an extra "power up".

    But if you do that, you simply create cards that are 1-Off and still horrible unbalanced.


    If you make an "legendary" spell, dont aim for the concept of Isamaru like Legendary creatures, they are the least "legendary" cards we have, better aim for cards that have an "epic" feeling, they need to do something that really changes the world, and generations after it talking about it as a Good-Night-Story.


    Spells like Obliterate, Conflux, Decree of Justice (Decree's in general), Upheavel, even Wrath of God could easy be "legendary" events, but that doesnt mean the card needs to get an upgrade in the effect, and it will rarely happen that you have copies of it on the stack at all (which makes it just a random drawback, and thats the most boring thing that can happen).




    So what i end with:

    We allready have "Legendary" spells, they just should not have the "Legendary" type, as thats a very special meaning of a real "Object" that made itself a name in the multiverse.



    *Extra:
    WotC trys to avoid any mechanics that are purely connected to drawbacks, and your legendary thing is actual a big "drawback" as it is.

    An idea to translate your idea into an "advantage" mechanic could be the use of Grandeur like things, something like Accumulated Knowledge, which makes the spells stronger for more of its kind, simply that you get a player to play a legendary spell not as a 1-off to ignore the drawback.
    Posted in: Custom Card Creation
  • posted a message on Shadowbolt
    Quote from LSK
    Life loss is not a sufficiently balancing factor to justify 4 damage at 2.


    Why not?

    The big question is simpel:

    Lightning Bolt = 1 mana => 3 damage
    Incinerate = 2 mana => 3 damage
    Volcanic Hammer = 2 mana => 3 damage

    All the red burn you know is simply efficient burn, and burn that is worser than this examples doesnt get the cut in a format (unless its highly needed extra, ala Elektostatic Bolt as a "creature removal" and not the burn to the face).


    In black you get the "drain life" as i stated, and you get more than enough creature removal.

    Burn is actual considered creature removal, like Scar uses a -1/-1 counter as a potential mono red card, the same as "wither" transfers reds damage into permanent -1/-1 counters.


    So its the same to jump with black to damage, as it allready deals damage in removal anyway, just gets more love for drain and -X/-X effects.


    The real big point and only real part to discuss is the target to the players head, as anything else isnt "crazy" at all.


    Red 4 to the head, is like Flame Rift. Like i said, if you play Mono Red "burn" you will aim the player anyway as thats what wins you the game, you dont care to trade a spell (and 4 life of yourself) for a singel target, if you want to trade against creatures with a Burn deck, you better use Earthquake, Flamebreak, Volcanic Fallout and this kind of cards, that kill the creatures together with dealing damage, so you can keep your damage flowing (as thats what you actual want to do).

    For mono black, its a traditional concept for Suicide, you get an more efficient effect, in exchange for life.
    All the black Suicide creatures from the past (as WotC doesnt like Drawback creatures at all, today everything has some kind of Advantage, Drawbacks are just to "skill intensive" and players can fizzle with them).
    Blacks biggest flavour in the past was to be able to gain "everything" if the cost is high enough.
    Trading 4 life for 4 damage, isnt a big deal at all, as i stated with Fire Covenant and cards like this (which directly transfer life to damage).

    Dealing the 4 to the head, is what the new black cards do, just look for Sign in Blood (the BB nightswhisper), it allows you to aim the opponent for the 2 life lose (which you ofcourse only do if they die from it).

    The BB deal 4 to the head, isnt that crazy great, as you deal 4 to your self, that plays worser than a Putrid Leech (which could easy be mono black too if they actual wanted).

    Suicide black is about "efficient" cards that draw power from life payment.

    So the points are taken:

    For red its a worser burn spell than they allready have, you will only play it if the difference in 4 to the "normal" 3 damage is very important in your format (and being a black hybrid, its actual a "drawback" allready, as you can't kill the prot black cards, and we have quite a number of them in Chameleon Collosus, the Stable, White Knight).

    As a black card its still worser as a removal than pretty much anything you want to play (as worst Terminate with red/black, Doomblade, or you simply aim for Shriekmaw etc.). Hitting the face for 4 damage is the part that actual gives the card a "chance" to be usefull, and only for Suicide black that can rush in for fast damage and finish the game with it.



    So theirs nothing "wrong" with the card at all, and its absolute nothing that somehow effects a format in any way (as theirs no competitive Suicide Black in "any" format, Mono Black "controll" has way more love).
    Posted in: Custom Card Creation
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