MTG Salvation

Crystal Shard was the biggest "Ah Ha!" moment for me as I was learning to play magic when, at the Darksteel Prerelease, I realized "Wait-a-minute, I can bounce... my OWN creature with this." and then repeatedly bounced artifact creatures to get a giant Arcbound Crusher and Flinged it at my opponent.

This is tricky to evaluate, but my gut says that counting token creatures will make this too easy to turn on and therefore harder to balance. This is especially true with repeated token produces like the ones you've listed here.

I feel like this is trying to do too much with one mechanic. I think the first version was fine, though didn't really feel "larva flavored", and the "get tokens when this dies" by itself seems fine too, but the combination of the two makes it much less elegant.

I like the former version better, just because it give opportunity for the card to have abilities that care about having the larva counter for buffing, and then it recurs as a "baby" version of what just died.

Oozing Host 1B
Creature - Human (U)
Taint 3BB (If you cast this for 2BB, it enters the battlefield with a Larva counter on it. When it dies, return it to the battlefield.)
Deathtouch
CARDNAME has +2/+2 and menace as long as it has a Larva counter on it.
1/1

So you get a 3/3 menace deathtouch that dies and spawns a 1/1 deathtouch (probably shouldn't be human)

I like the templating changes; trimming redundant words mean that either more relevant words can be added to complex cards and simple abilities can read more simply.

Quote from TwinfrodoPhoenix »

I love how the lorehold student is using the scroll as a machine gun lol

That is super silly.

They announced three new cards from Secret Lair: Black is Magic today



I'd have liked the rav version of Kaya better than Conspiracy version, but Teferi is a nice addition.

Since the last thread went off the rails, please keep discussion to the cards themselves.

Quote from TheOnlyOne652089 »

Not showing all cards is always suspicious, chances are the product will not carry its value.
But Secret Lair really just need 1 big card that carries the value, the rest is then just added in.

The rest of the cards are going to be revealed more than a week before the set goes on sale. Do you get mad when a movie trailer doesn't spoil the whole plot too?

These will play better if they aren't in a random order. Especially with the red one, not being able to plan how much damage you're going to deal means you will either overspend to wipe your opponent's board or under damage and not deal with the threats you need to. Similarly, with the white one, if the counters happens before the tokens, you're not going to be able to spread them wide (and white should be adding one per creature, not stacking multiple on one).

I like the idea of the three modes and escalating X values, but the order of resolution should be static, with the strongest first.

Hi there.

You'll see the "Custom Set Creation and Discussion" subforum at the top of the card creation section is where you will want to share it. There are a few different ways to format, but it will take some work on your part translating from your current format.

If you can download a program like Magic Set Editor, you can plug all your cards into there, which you can then export through the program into either a PDF with card images or a text file that will be pasteable into the forums.

Do you intend Rival to pair with any other legendary creature, or just Rivals?

Also, leave off "forcibly". Its not needed from a rules standpoint, and reads like I'm supposed to punch you deck and call it mean names while I put the commander on the bottom.

"Forcibly" isn't necessary. A start of the game ability isn't going to be interfered unless you intentionally design a separate start of the game ability to do so.

Is your intent with the ability that it must pair with another Rival? Or with any other legendary creature? If the latter, this is going to be a hugely difficult ability to balance cards around, though the former still would be a challenge.

Quote from ReapThaWhirlwind »

I think it's time to just pitch a new designs.

For the record, even if my parameters were ignored.

The Necromancer is just a good mythic, and still not entirely broken.

Wait a moment... wait a moment... wait a moment

Why are you referencing Lightning Greaves? Do you think that your card effect is somehow stopped by shroud/hexproof in spite of not containing the word "target"?

Is that what we're dealing with now?

Uro isn't broken because of the escape mechanic. Uro is broken because of its enters the battlefield abilities. Just look at the cheaper brother and see how much weaker it is. Even costs less and still not nearly as good.
Uro has 2 abilities that are very very good. Drawing a card represents 1/4 of a turn. (According to The Dojo) putting a land into play is also 1/4 a turn. (Again, according to The Dojo). So each time you play Uro you are getting a half turn of upside. Plus the 3 life. Kroxa only costs them 1/4 turn. The 3 life on either card isn't really that strong. 3 life only matters when it's the last 3 life. And you can get into the 50s and still lose.
All that said to say if your titan was

Vrex, Titan of Life and Death 1BG
Legendary Creature - Elder Giant
When Vrex enters the battlefield, sacrifice it unless it escaped.
Whenever Vrex, Titan of Life and Death enters the battlefield or attacks, you may return another card from your graveyard to your hand.
Escape BBGG, Exile 5 other cards from your graveyard.
6/6

It would still be fine. You are getting a situational and limited 1/4 of a turn.
Lastly I added another card rather than a card so that way it can't continually return itself.

Quote from ReapThaWhirlwind »

The term 'mutated' refers to the keyword mechanic.

I don't think the typical person is going to question what that means, so long as they are familiar with the mechanic.

It's uhh...very coherent to read the term, 'mutated with'.

Whereas, using the descriptive term from the comprehensive rulings has no open relativity to the keyword mechanic, and thus isn't very coherent.

"Mutated with" would have been a decent term of phrase that WotC could have used... but they didn't... so you are wrong.

End of story.

Quote from ReapThaWhirlwind »

I think you guys are misinterpreting the context "one-up".

I mean, a design that does the exact opposite, or counter-balances the effect of another.

I think you do not understand the meaning of one-up. Kinda wish I could downvote you.

@Reap: If you are going to post in someone else’s thread, please don’t try to simply take it over with your “reprises”.


If you have any criticisms to give to the original card, I am willing to hear them. Getting two cards that are only tangentially linked to the original with no direct notes on the original card is not useful or desirable feedback.

Quote from ReapThaWhirlwind »

No—it can't enchant other permanents if copies an Aura because those targets are chosen while it's on the stack.

It would require an "As ~ enters the battlefield" function, as was suggested and explained earlier (so that it becomes the enchantment before it enters the battlefield—and you can effectively make those choices). The functionality it currently has sees it become the enchantment after it enters the battlefield, which is too late to make the 'enchant parameter' selections.

I don't think it's healthy to have that functionality at this level, and this place on the mana curve.

Actually, your statement is somewhat incorrect in this case. Your current language uses the exact same "You may have X enter the battlefield as a copy of..." language that is also used on Mirrormade from Throne of Eldraine.

Here is an official ruling on how Mirrormade works from Gatherer: Link here

And here's the relevant quote:
"If Mirrormade copies an Aura this way, you choose what the Aura will enchant just before it enters the battlefield. You can’t choose any permanent cards entering the battlefield at the same time as that Aura. This doesn’t target the player or permanent it will enchant, so an opponent’s permanent with hexproof may be chosen this way. The chosen recipient must be able to legally be enchanted by the Aura, so a player or permanent with protection from one of the Aura’s qualities can’t be chosen this way. If there’s nothing legal for Mirrormade to enchant, it stays in its current zone (unless it’s a spell, in which case it’s put into its owner’s graveyard)."

In short, a copied aura attaches itself to something as it enters the battlefield and it needs not target in order to do so, dodging hexproof, heroic triggers, and so forth. It's a bit of an oddity but this is simply how the rules are right now.

What does that mechanic have to do with the rest of the card? Why is it even keyworded at all? (Unless as part of an unusual "future sight, throw 15 hypothetical new mechanics out" situation.) I don't understand why we'd ever want a bunch of cards with this mechanic sitting in the same set together. Or what it has to do with the rest of the card.

Ignoring the wording issues, the mechanic's existence just seems unnecessary to me.

Quote from ReapThaWhirlwind »

Quote from ashrog »

Also, Destiny Bond is not a great name, since the majority of people are going to link it to Pokemon.

People like links like that.

Throwbacks and tributes.

If the reference is intentional, why does it have nothing to do with the original effect?

Destiny Bond would be like, "When this creature dies, destroy all creatures that dealt damage to it this turn."

Quote from ReapThaWhirlwind »

The object here was to suggest that the ruling for this function should change the name and effects that reference names, without requiring additional text to explain that. As for game-breaking effects like Extirpate, that is what the restricted and banned list is for. One shouldn't be wary of using those, so long as they're not getting carried away and abusing them either. With good balance, they're a technician's friend.

You never want rulings to do the work of card text. If the intent was to mess with cards that look at card names then the effect needs to be written out. Otherwise, you run the problem of making people think that Conspiracy and its ilk make all lords affect the creature type you choose. There is little benefit to trying to roll that effect into that text and there is obvious and immediate downside to do such.

If you want to add an effect that isn't present. Add the effect don't just say "well, that effect is also there".

You want your language as precise and concise as possible so as to keep opportunities open rather than creating roadblocks in design because you were too lazy earlier to spell out an effect. This is the problem you are having with your "Or" in your desu ex abilities. The use of Or has already been made clear to you but you want to muddy the language and cut off freedoms because you like the words better.

I like the Ikoria names more for Panaoramas. Ikoria feels more like the counterpart to Alara than Tarkir.