Because of the time-lapse, that this can only effect things on the stack (even though it can also effect instants and sorceries), it can still cost 1 less than Beast Within and will be fine.
Against aggressive discard/aggro [BRG—URB] giving your opponent another sizable creature is one of the last things you can really afford to do.
Its utility can be laughable when you really think about it.
You could also go ahead and just make it a 3/3 Elemental, as doing the mana value isn't going to be as intuitive from any perspective.
Green can already do a surplus of vanilla creatures that are Power-for-Toughness above par for their costs. This as a combo for that will be 3 over par. Even on a one mana spell it will be 1 over par.
Considering that—this could even cost 1G—granted that it creates a 3/3 Elemental creature.
You: “I have a mechanic that makes the game better and more fun.”
Poster 1: “I don’t think that is fun”
Poster 2: “I don’t think that is fun”
Posters 3-7: “I don’t think that is fun!”
You: “All of you are incorrect. I can prove mathematically that this is superior so all of you are having fun. You are wrong about not having fun.”
Other Posters: “what about people who like the game how it is?”
You: “The people who play the game right now are wrong. The people who design the game are wrong. I am objectively right. If you are not having fun with my mechanics, you (the people currently playing MTG) are not the right people to be playing MTG”.
Yes, it's unfortunate that any narrow band of posters on a forum, who can group up in biased, does not (and could never) reflect a respectable opinion for millions of unsung players. The group of posters are themselves simply a minority, despite whatever delusions of grandeur you (or they) might want to suggest of their singular, or collective opinions.
Well that's where we will have to agree to disagree, because I believe all colors need to be able to do something things, as those things are too core-essential to the dynamics of the game for them not to. You will never have a truly balanced game. The domain influence of some is too off-balance with others.
Since black's thing is control, I would just considered this unexplored territory.
I can't really see this costing less. Although I mentioned it as one of my grips. It's kind of an unavoidable caveat.
Apart from Damnation, it is one-sided, it's taps them down, and although it's susceptible to removal, they will remain scarred. Most will use this to kill down a creature, and if it remains, you can stitch down new creatures on the fly.
It's all worth the build up, or is at least on par with an established 'aspect of challenge'.
The Living Stitch-Thing2BBB Legendary Enchantment
When The Living Stitch-Thing enters the battlefield, tap up to five target creatures and distribute five -1/-1 counters among them. You must place at least one -1/-1 counter on each creature tapped this way.
Creatures with -1/-1 counters on them don't untap during their controller's untap step. Even if you escape—you will never survive the experience.
.the.human.centipede.
I really wanted to include the effect below. It seems crowed and would really want flavor text I think. I know that Legendary almost adds nothing here except suggestive flavor. One grip I have is that it's not as good as Damnation, but is going to cost more than Damnation?
Any player may pay half of his or her life, rounded up, at any time. If they do, exile The Living Stitch-Thing.
It's well understood by me that the Wizards team isn't building a product with the company in mind, or the consumer in mind, but their own private interests and business concerns. I well long proved this back on the official Wizards forums.
Many would say that about scry. The reason temples are regarded is because it's a something where people are used to nothing.
I would argue that shroud was 'discontinued' because players don't like being locked out of their own design. But as I described, it is a great way to cut-off the 'external' elements so you can do 'internally'. Nothing about shroud or especially hexproof should ever be implemented so much that it's a concern as relayed. It's something whose placement should be so sparing and concise that there's never a question about it.
Because of the time-lapse, that this can only effect things on the stack (even though it can also effect instants and sorceries), it can still cost 1 less than Beast Within and will be fine.
Against aggressive discard/aggro [BRG—URB] giving your opponent another sizable creature is one of the last things you can really afford to do.
Its utility can be laughable when you really think about it.
Given that this is a give-and-take, it definitely wants to cost 1 less.
Beast Within as a prime example.
You could also go ahead and just make it a 3/3 Elemental, as doing the mana value isn't going to be as intuitive from any perspective.
Green can already do a surplus of vanilla creatures that are Power-for-Toughness above par for their costs. This as a combo for that will be 3 over par. Even on a one mana spell it will be 1 over par.
Considering that—this could even cost 1G—granted that it creates a 3/3 Elemental creature.
Take a look at the vaccine trials. A small group did not reflect the truth of the majority who have suffered illness, disease, death, and miscarriage.
You're the person who OK's the makeshift vaccine for everyone, based on your shallow, empty 'reflection of the majority'.
Yes, it's unfortunate that any narrow band of posters on a forum, who can group up in biased, does not (and could never) reflect a respectable opinion for millions of unsung players. The group of posters are themselves simply a minority, despite whatever delusions of grandeur you (or they) might want to suggest of their singular, or collective opinions.
Improving its place on the mana curve also helps to see that it's more viable for competitive play.
Fancy that. It does look great, but only because it's easy.
Possibly, True Strike (adaptation).
What if it's a Rapier?
Enjoy your half-sus product.
This is very oppressive by nature.
I can't really see this costing less. Although I mentioned it as one of my grips. It's kind of an unavoidable caveat.
Apart from Damnation, it is one-sided, it's taps them down, and although it's susceptible to removal, they will remain scarred. Most will use this to kill down a creature, and if it remains, you can stitch down new creatures on the fly.
It's all worth the build up, or is at least on par with an established 'aspect of challenge'.
Legendary Enchantment
When The Living Stitch-Thing enters the battlefield, tap up to five target creatures and distribute five -1/-1 counters among them. You must place at least one -1/-1 counter on each creature tapped this way.
Creatures with -1/-1 counters on them don't untap during their controller's untap step.
Even if you escape—you will never survive the experience.
.the.human.centipede.
I really wanted to include the effect below. It seems crowed and would really want flavor text I think. I know that Legendary almost adds nothing here except suggestive flavor. One grip I have is that it's not as good as Damnation, but is going to cost more than Damnation?
Any player may pay half of his or her life, rounded up, at any time. If they do, exile The Living Stitch-Thing.
It's well understood by me that the Wizards team isn't building a product with the company in mind, or the consumer in mind, but their own private interests and business concerns. I well long proved this back on the official Wizards forums.
Many would say that about scry. The reason temples are regarded is because it's a something where people are used to nothing.
I would argue that shroud was 'discontinued' because players don't like being locked out of their own design. But as I described, it is a great way to cut-off the 'external' elements so you can do 'internally'. Nothing about shroud or especially hexproof should ever be implemented so much that it's a concern as relayed. It's something whose placement should be so sparing and concise that there's never a question about it.
I would have added that bit of the full phyrexian mana spread being unfun by derailing all aspect of challenge.
I think someone wants to do it just for vanity. This is still the wrong application for that all-around.
It's not an alternative cost, it is a static ability that relays "for costs paid post-ex-facto of entering the battlefield".