MTG Salvation

Great analysis like always, thanks! I had tinkered a lot with Scarabmush, trying to streamline the ideas. With Beetlejuice as the inspiration, it's all about the "Call my name 3 times." That forces the Naming ability, and I wanted it to have a real effect, not just for him, so that needs the EtB trigger. About the balance, it's all about Commander. Sure, it's +1 mana when calling 3 times, but then it's -5 mana every time. Maybe...

Scarabmush, Live-Exorcist 3BB
Legendary Creature - Spirit Assassin
1B, Reveal Scarabmush from your hand: Choose a card name and note it.
When Scarabmush enters the battlefield, you may destroy target creature if its name was noted.
If Scarabmush's name has been noted 3 or more times, its costs 3BB less to cast and has Haste.
5/5

Now the naming can be instant (much more appealing) and some other abilities were removed. Haste replaced Can't be countered in the third ability, a bonus I feel it needs.
--

About Ratlefinskin, (Rumpelstiltskin) the first version was a 5/5 for 2BB, but I prioritized the flavor (a tiny guy who spins gold.) I thought about making it a 3/3 flier, but that seemed too similar to rankle (who reminds me of Rumple already), but anyways, here is a new version:

Ratlefinskin, Villanous Weaver 2BB
Legendary Creature - Fairy Imp Advisor
Flying
You can't cast Ratlefinskin if its name has been chosen for an effect.
B, Return Ratlefinskin to its owner's hand: Draw two cards, then put a card from your hand on the bottom of your library. Then an opponent chooses one: they investigate, or they name a card.
4/2

More streamlined. Now it has evasion, and is more fragile (an incentive for removal), and the ability is actually card advantage. Still, you wouldn't want to repeatedly spend 5 mana just to draw 1 card (plus they'd just name Ratlefinskin after a while.) Also removed the flavour word, I still like them a lot in AFR, but they probably produce a lot of confusion at other times.

Scarabmush, Live-Exorcist 3BB
Legendary Creature - Spirit Assassin
Haste, Deathtouch
1B, Reveal Scarabmush from your hand: Choose a card name and note it. Activate only as a sorcery.
When Scarabmush enters the battlefield, you may destroy target creature or planeswaker if its name was noted.
If Scarabmush's name has been noted 3 or more times, its costs 3BB less to cast, and can't be countered.
4/5

Ratlefinskin, Villanous Weaver 2BB
Legendary Creature - Fairy Imp Advisor
Foiled - You can't cast Ratlefinskin if its name has been chosen for an effect.
Pay 2 life, T: Create two Treasure tokens.
B, Return Ratlefinskin to its owner's hand: Draw a card, then put a card from your hand on the bottom of your library. Then an opponent chooses one: they investigate, or they name a card.
3/2

Rocospherus Rumblehoof 4GW
Legendary Creature - Elder Dragon
Flying, Lifelink
During your turn, each creature you control with power 2 or less has Indestructible, and each creature with toughness 5 or more has Trample.
At the beginning of your combat step, you may put a +1/+1 counter on target creature you control.
2/4

While some dragons prefer their breath, tails, claws, fangs, or wings to engage in combat, Rocospherus has one of the most devastating attacks in history, using only his humongous mass to drop and roll into enemies. During the Blood Age, many armies failed to take Ironwall Fort, but a single roll from Rocospherus was enough to open an entrance (and an exit!) in its reinforced walls.

Kaustix Formulei 3BR
Legendary Creature - Elder Dragon
Menace
Whenever Kaustix enters the battlefield or attacks, exile the top 2 cards from your library face down. For each card exiled this way, you may look at it anytime, and cast it from exile if it targets a creature with its same mana value.
3/5

Kaustix's wings are just two charred stumps, due to a failed chemical experiment in his youth. His skin is marred by countless accidents through the ages, but those scars allow powerful light to shine from inside his body. Kaustix has developed complete control over his 13 stomachs (and many other associated organs), allowing him to store and mix complex chemical concoctions on the fly. This means his Dragon Breath (or Puke, in many instances) is the most flexible: acid, smoke, molten materials, or any number of poisons can be manifested from his mouth, after a good shake, of course.

Cantaphina Wanderstroll 4RG
Legendary Creature - Elder Dragon
Flying
Whenever Cantaphina attacks, scry 2.
You may look at the top card of your library any time.
You may play the top card of your library if it has a subtype not among permanents you control.
4/6

No being has seen more of the world than Cantaphina. She has circumnavigated the world multiple times, experiencing a huge amount of cultures and beings (and tasting them too.) Her speed is legendary, as is her singing voice. She hasn't been seen in many years, but that's par for the course, she's known to disappear for decades at a time. What is weird, though, is the woman who arrived at Viperdale claiming to be her, and trying to set up an expedition to "get her body back."

Diamatrixa Vectiline 3WU
Legendary Creature - Elder Dragon
Flying, Vigilance
Whenever Diamatrixa enters the battlefield or becomes the target of a spell, learn.
Whenever you discard a Lesson card, draw a card and gain 4 life.
4/4

As the dragon of Innovation, Diamatrixa's motto is "Forget what you have learned" (in other words, discard your lessons... learning has a discard option after all.)
Diamaphina was the runt of the litter, being born without the scales that protect a dragon's body. She kept away from danger during the Blood Age, studying crafting deep in the dwarven mines. During this time, she forged her own set of armors, with designs that rival Rocospherus' defense, or Cantaphina's speed. Using her battlegear, and many siege weapons of her invention, she took upon herself to finish the last remnants of the Blood Age, ensuring the continuing peace of the new era.

Uvenezis Glintscale 4UB
Legendary Creature - Elder Dragon
Flying, Ward 3
Whenever Uvenezis enters the battlefield or attacks, each player creates a Treasure token. Then put a Credit counter on up to one Treasure. When that treasure leaves the battlefield, its controller loses 2 life and you draw a card.
4/4

While many dragons prefer a solid hoard to sleep on, Uvenezis has a more enlightened view of treasure. After all, gold's price may go up or down, but an investor's power to shift assets allows him to always come up on top. He heads the Goldspire Bank, the biggest consortium in the world, and secretly owns its closest competitor, Platinum Seal Credits. Although he ate many a king during the Blood Age, the fear of his antagonism among the wealthy has never been greater. (As immortalized in the ominous ballad, "The Called Out Credits of House Tavaquesk.")

--Students

Ansible Gorduroi GW
Legendary Creature - Human Soldier
Ansible has power equal to the greatest number of creatures a player controls.
Recruit Teammates - 6GW: Any number of target players create a 1/1 white and green Human creature token. This ability costs 2 less to activate for each targeted player.
*/3

(the jock)

Luhas Antoum 2UW
Legendary Creature - Vedalken Artificer
When Luhas enters the battlefield, learn.
Redesign Shape - 1: Choose target artifact creature you control. Switch its power and toughness until end of turn.
2/4

(the inventor)

Selvaya Oniroi 1RG
Legendary Creature - Orc Scout
Reach
Study the Wilds - When Selvaya enters the battlefield, you may draw a card, then discard a card. If you discard a creature card with Trample, Menace or Reach this way, learn.
3/3

(the explorer)

Bamroot Loud BR
Legendary Creature - Goblin Wizard
Haste
Smoke Bomb - When Bamroot enters the battlefield or attacks, target creature can't block this turn.
Smokier Bomb - 6: Return Bamroot to its owner's hand.
1/2

(the troublemaker)

Stexi Regalova 1UB
Legendary Creature - Human Wizard Noble
Menace, Deathtouch
Throw Shade - At the beginning of your end step, if you control more Treasures than any other player, you may sacrifice a Treasure and draw a card. Otherwise, create a Treasure token.
1/3

(the rich popular kid)

Thank you so much!! of course if someone likes the new school so much, I'll revisit and flesh out the idea as long as there is interest I'm finishing up the Dragons and uncommon Students right now, I'll post them on a new thread since they can stand on their own.

Thanks for your notes! here is a revision:

(B/R)(B/R) 1/1 Haste and Menace
1(W/U)(W/U) 1/4 artifact creature
2(R/G)(R/G) 3/3 Trample
2(U/B)(U/B) 5/4 artifact creature with "This can't attack or block unless you sacrifice another artifact." plus a Treasure token.
3(G/W)(G/W) */4 treefolk. * equals the number of creatures you control.

BR is the weakest in a vacuum, but the environment could make it better by having Deathtouch grants, elemental synergies, cheap sorcery interactions, etc.
UB The Economy college would benefit from a Treasure creator in its signature spell, but its mascot is expensive to maintain (makes sense that it's hired help, too.) In other (non-lesson) cards the Golem could be created without the treasure, or with extra treasures, in the way of quandrix variable effects.
GW would be the equivalent of prismari and quandrix top end tokens. It also fits the idea of the team making a champion stronger.

Thanks! The associated Lessons seem a good place to start, when designing mascots.

Toxic Summoning (B/R)(B/R)
Sorcery - Lesson
Create a 1/1 red and black Ooze creature token with Deathtouch and "This creature can't block."

Adaptable Summoning 1(W/U)(W/U)
Sorcery - Lesson
Create a 1/4 white and blue Construct artifact creature token. It has base power and toughness 3/1 while attacking.

League Summoning 2(G/W)(G/W)
Sorcery - Lesson
Create two 1/1 green and white Teammate creature tokens. They gain Exalted ("Whenever a creature you control attacks alone, that creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn.")

Wilderness Summoning 3(R/G)(R/G)
Sorcery - Lesson
Create a 3/2 red and green Beast creature token with Trample and "Whenever this creature attacks, put a +1/+1 counter on it."

Securities Summoning 4(U/B)(U/B)
Sorcery - Lesson
Create a 4/5 blue and black Golem artifact creature token with "When this creature enters the battlefield or dies, create a Treasure token."

Ideas from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8c6AvZE9T8

Destructive Jealousy 3UU
Enchantment
When Destructive Jealousy enters the battlefield, write down a card name in secret. Until end of turn, permanents your opponents control gain "Sacrifice this: Gain 1 life."
At the beginning of your end step, reveal the chosen card name. Gain control of a permanent with that name.

Mother of Hums W
Creature - Human Cleric
T: Another target creature you control phases out until end of turn.
1/1

Bezil the Diaphanous 3UW
Legendary creature - Illusion Wizard
When Bezil enters the battlefield, create two 0/3 blue Illusion creature tokens.
Whenever an Illusion you control dies, gain life equal to its power.
1: Flip the power and toughness of target creature you control.
2/5

Ride the Avalanche 2R
Enchantment - Aura
Enchant Mountain
Enchanted Mountain is an Artifact Land - Vehicle with Crew 3. It's 4/2 as long as it's a creature.
Whenever enchanted land attacks, land creatures you control get +2/+2 and gain Trample until end of turn.

Skeleton Beholder 4B
Creature - Beholder Skeleton
Whenever Skeleton Beholder becomes blocked, for each creature in combat, choose one at random. The creature gains that ability until end of turn.
- Deathtouch
- Lifelink
- Trample
- Protection from non-Beholders.
- As this creature deals combat damage, return it to its owner's hand.
4/1

Markov Manor Ruins
Land
T: Add 1
When Markov Manor Ruins enters the battlefield, you may pay 3. If you do, exile target artifact, creature, or planeswalker. Its controller gains control of Markov Manor Ruins.
4: Markov Manor Ruins becomes a copy of the exiled card until end of turn. If it's a planeswalker, activate one of its abilities immediately.

This is a UN-mechanic that is similar to Augment/Host. But instead of using half cards, these effects create half-tokens. What is a half-token you ask? Well, it's a non-permanent game object you control (like an emblem), that turns into a permanent when complete. You complete half tokens automatically as soon as you get two different types, and the result sums all properties from each token.

Mauler Gene 2G
Sorcery
Create half a 3/3 green Beast creature token with Trample. (It's not a permanent. Anytime you control two half tokens with different names, join them into a permanent.)
Draw a card.

Aven Feather Captain 2WW
Creature - Bird Soldier
Flying
When Aven Feather Captain enters the battlefield, create two half 1/1 white Bird creature tokens with Flying. (They are not permanents. Anytime you control two half tokens with different names, join them into a permanent.)
2/2

And how would you join them? Using special insert "half tokens" with dotted lines to cut them. Cut the blue line in one, the red line in the other, and insert each cut into the other. The result would look like this:

I thought about making them trigger on attacks (and some variations like tapping), but decks can have so much trouble keeping a single creature alive. I want creatures to explore dungeons, but not keep dungeons worthless just because you are playing against control. So creatures explore during "training", ie Casting. But, if a creature wants to keep exploring, that's cool as well...

(also, changed Structure to Plunder and made dungeons into mana sinks.)

Maraunder's Cave WR
Dungeon
Plunder 5 (this enters the battlefield with 5 floor counters on it. Remove a floor counter by casting a creature spell or paying 2 as a sorcery.)
4) Create a 2/2 white Human Noble creature token.
2) Create two Treasure tokens.
0) Draw a card. Maraunder's Cave gains: "Sacrifice this: Creatures you control get +2/+0 until end of turn."


Delving Knight 2W
Creature - Human Knight
Whenever Delving Knight attacks, you may remove a floor counter from a dungeon you control.
3/2

Torch Shaman 3R
Creature - Dwarf Shaman
The first time you pay mana to remove a floor counter on your turn, it costs 1 less.
3/4

Crystalglow Maze 1UR
Dungeon
Structure 7 (this enters with 7 floor counters on it. As you cast a creature spell, and after your draw step, remove a counter.)
5) Create a 2/3 blue Elemental creature token.
3) Draw a card, then discard a card.
0) Transform Crystalglow Maze.
--
Crystalforge Sword
Artifact Equipment
When Crystalforge Sword transforms, attach it to target creature you control.
Equipped creature has +2/+3 and Ward 3.
Whenever equipped creature attacks, you may draw a card, then discard a card.
Equip 3

Trying out a design for the "Dungeon cards" that are confirmed for Adventures in the Forgotten Realms.
Super inspired by Sagas, of course, down to the wording.
These would be heavier on the final payoff, like Suspend Cards, as the coolest reward is at the end of the maze.

For the trigger, I wanted something explorer-related, so that meant creatures, but I didn't want to tie it down to creatures surviving, attacking, or tapping, because control nullifies all that. It's not like I hate control, but I think counters, removal, and specially mass removal, should be quite strong against creatures, but shouldn't have the byproduct of nullifying strategies that are creature-synergistic.
So my goal here is making a card type that is aggressively weaker than another creature to attack with, but synergizes with creature spells while providing resilience against control.

I made On The Field following my instincts, I guess. I'd say about 50% or more of Lessons one casts are the Token producers. And for the rest, they don't usually affect the board (well, Introduction to Annihilation and the Disenchant certainly do.) So when I chose a color to make those effects instant, green felt the most in-pie, in spirit at least. Maybe UG would be more appropriate, but I like where it's at, I think it would be a Lesson-archetype enabler for limited at uncommon, no need to restrict it too much.

Bad Influence 2BB
Creature - Human Wizard
When Bad Influence enters the battlefield, Learn.
If you would put a card in your hand from outside the game, instead you may exile it. When you do, look at target opponent's hand, and exile a card from it. As long as a card exiled this way remains in exile, it may be cast by a player that doesn't own it, and mana may be spent as if it were any color to cast it.
2/3

Adaptability Test X(G/U)
Target opponent chooses one: artifact creature, non-artifact creature, or non-creature artifact.
Search your library for a card with the chosen qualities and mana value X and put it onto the battlefield, then shuffle.
Learn.
"So, what kind of prank are you planning? Froglings? Mechano-froglings? Oh, the old Bag of Froglings, of course."

On The Field 1G
Enchantment
When On the Field enters the battlefield, Learn.
You may cast Lesson spells as if they had Flash.
"Be on your toes!"

Dissuasion Factor 3UW
Sorcery - Lesson
Create two colorless 0/4 Engine artifact creature tokens, with "As long as this is the only attacking artifact, it has power equal to the number of artifacts you control."
As Blorgus the Flat learned firsthand, "Potential Energy equals Potential Mass." -Vectormancer's Chant

Guesswork 1B
Sorcery
Name a card. Target opponent reveals their hand and discards each card with that name.
If that player discards no card this way, Learn.
I would ask her to stop throwing answers until one sticks, but the spectacle is mesmerizing.

Heya! I'm still designing for Viperdale, a rival school for Strixhaven. I want to keep the instant / sorcery theme, so here is a mechanic to bolster the triggers: Scrolls.

Scrolls work much like Adventures, except they are closer to Split cards with Fuse. You get either the Creature or the Sorcery, or both at the same time (in this case, the sorcery becomes a copy and must follow the creature.)
In equation form:
Adventure: Creature, --or-- Sorcery then Creature.
Scroll: Creature --or-- Sorcery --or-- Creature plus copy of Sorcery.



This allows us to create cards like:

Rummage 1U
Instant - Scroll
(Cast this alone, or as a copy alongside)
Draw a card.
--
Rummaging Thief 2U
Creature - Human Rogue
Whenever Rummaging Thief deals combat damage to an opponent, cast a copy of its scroll without paying its mana cost.
1/2

So this is a Ophidian with Cycle, but it also cantrips for 3UU, and helps trigger those Magecraft abilities. Also adds a flavor of "a creature, plus its signature spell."


Grobbler's Curse 2B
Sorcery - Scroll
(Cast this alone, or as a copy alongside)
Target player sacrifices a creature.
--
Grobbler, Rot Warlock 4B
Legendary Creature - Human Warlock
Deathtouch
When Grobbler dies, exile it. You may cast Grobbler's Curse alone from exile.
4/4

A fun design that works like a backwards adventure. Cast Grobbler first, then its spell. (Or both, and then just its spell.)

Edit: Like one hout later, I just read Maro's article today! They actually had Scrolls as inside a card during desing! That's so awesome

Yeah, mutate usually devolved into card-advantage fests due to all the triggers that were trying to avoid the inherent card-disadvantage of fusing two creatures together. Maybe a trigger like:

Alpha Candidate 2G
Creature - Wolf
Trample
When this creature mutates for the first time, put a +1/+1 counter on it and draw a card.
Mutate 2GG
3/3

I could see a cycle of these creatures to showcase Mutation, but being fine by themselves, and wouldn't devolve into the X triggers per mutation battlecruisers.

Note-Taking Charm U
Enchantment
At the beginning of your end step, put a charge counter on Note-Taking Charm. Then, if there are 3 or more charge counters it, remove all of them, and Learn.
"I had the most wonderful dream during Vectormancy today."

Late for Class R
Sorcery
Untap target creature. It gets +1/+1 and gains Haste until end of turn.

Saved by the Bell 2UU
Instant (R)
Cast Saved by the Bell only if a creature or planeswalker you control is being targeted by a spell.
End the turn.

Put in Detention 2WW
Enchantment
Flash
When Put in Detention enters the battlefield, exile all attacking creatures until Put in Detention leaves the battlefield.
At the beginning of your end step, choose a card exiled by Put in Detention and return that card to the battlefield under its owner's control. If it's the last one, draw a card.

Bag Inspection UB
Sorcery
Target opponent may discard any number of artifact cards. Then that player reveals their hand. You choose a noncreature, nonland card from it, and exile that card. If it's an artifact, you may cast that card as long as it remains in exile.

Fire Alarm 4UU
Sorcery
Return all creatures and planeswalkers to their owner's hand.
You may cast Fire Alarm as if it had Flash if a player casted a red instant or sorcery spell this turn.

Break Curfew 1RR
Sorcery
There's an additional combat phase after the second main phase this turn. Only creatures with power 2 or less may attack on that phase, and only creatures with Vigilance may block on that phase.

Ruined Homework 1GU
Instant
Counter target artifact or enchantment spell. Create a 2/2 green Hound creature token.
"They are never going to believe this, are they?"

Prismary Project UR
Enchantment
When Prismary Project enters the battlefield, scry 2, then draw a card.
At the beginning of your end step, if you cast a Red or Blue creature spell this turn, put a Work counter on Prismari Project. Then if it has 3 or more counters on it, sacrifice it, and create a 4/4 red and blue Elemental creature token.