If you did remove the second X from the cost, I think you'd have to add an activation cost of at least 2.
It might be easier to balance without any Xs, because X for X in a colorless deck would be too powerful.
From what I've seen, even the best blue card draws are X for XU.
Your signature card would be banned in every format for making games boring and pointless.
Why not just make a badly balanced Planeswalker? Use another nickname of yours for the name, and match the abilities to what you like to play.
For example, this is my signature card:
Izuki, The Adjective Missing Thief 2UR
Planeswalker-Izuki (MR)
+2: The first time a source you control deals damage to an opponent this turn, you may draw a card.
-X: Each player shuffles X cards from their hands into their libraries, then draws three cards.
-7: Gain control of all nonland permanents you don’t control.
[3]
Here, have a framework, free of charge. You can fill the abilities yourself.
Ishul, Trickster Lord 4UBR
Planeswalker-Ishul
+1: Painful shenanigans
0: Manipulative shenanigans
-2: Rarely used shenanigans
-7: Game ending shenanigans
[3]
This cycle terrifies me and I'm not entirely sure why. I'll attempt to point out reasons for my fear, and so help you with your designs.
Feel free to ignore most of what I say unless it's backed up by the rules or someone with more skill at card design.
Nullify Power: Feels too cheap for such a game changing effect.
Nullify Growth: In the color that gave us Convertible Turtle and various -X/-0 spells?
Nullify Strategy: Not even by being sacrificed or having 0 toughness? Odd.
Nullify Madness allows infinite hand size as it's written now. Would have to be something like "Spells or abilities can't cause players to discard cards". Also, Hellbent is now very sad.
Nullify Transmutation. Sorry, Gideon Jura, you've just lost your gimmick.
I like Red's luck mechanic, but I didn't feel like using coin flipping when I made these.
All names are working titles, and some of the flavor is missing because this topic is mechanics, wording and power.
Distracting Evocation 3RR
Sorcery (U)
Up to three target creatures can't block this turn.
Reveal the top card of your library. ~ deals damage equal to that card's converted mana cost to target creature or player.
You may put the revealed card into your hand or on to the bottom of your library.
Flavor/art: A shaman casting lightning to get enemies to panic, with the added bonus that the bolt might actually hit something.
My considerations: the revealed card doesn't get to stay where it is because that would be too easy. Mana cost has been increased past Unearthly Blizzard levels in an attempt to balance the card. I was considering making this an instant for the sake of multiplayer shenanigans, but decided to post this version first.
Homesick Pyromancer 2R
Creature-Goblin Wizard Mercenary (U)
T, Reveal the top card of your library: If you reveal a land card ~ deals 2 damage to target creature or player. If you reveal a nonland card, ~ deals 0 damage to target creature or player.
1/1
Flavor/Art: A goblin who misses the warrens of his home, and can only be roused to fight while sufficiently inspired.
My considerations: I basically made this card over a short walk, and I've posted it as it showed up, so it's maybe not complete. My main worry is that four of these could be eight damage in one turn, and I wasn't sure if I should add the card removal of Distracting Evocation, or maybe make the pyromancer Legendary.
I just remembered another card I wanted reviewed. Again, power is the main consideration.
Kapec’s Defiance 22/R
Instant (U)
~ costs 1 less to cast for each spell another player cast this turn.
~ deals 4 damage to target creature or player.
Flavor/Art: A major character of one of my sets is being surrounded, and decides to make a desperate attempt to fight back.
My considerations: While I would like to hear about the power level of the card in a vacuum, I'd also be interested to hear what people think about the storm/affinity mechanic on it. I chose the mana cost for reasons that I'm sure were important at the time, and now I've realized probably make things complicated or silly.
I can't get the mana cost to look right. It's supposed to be two colorless, one colorless/red hybrid, one red.
Xarix still has all of the problems from when it last showed up. Chronozoa wants to talk to you about Illomeba.
I'll probably get to reviewing the others later, and will mainly work downwards in ratity. Some interesting ideas though.
Kraj's Hatchling: I like the trade off between this and Kraj. Feels more like a precursor to Kraj than a baby though.
Wall of Seaweed would be amazing in any Simic deck. Untap & power boost for G? Yes please. One of these and Kraj could make +1/+1 counters until the mana ran out. Two of these, and some kind of green mana producing creature like Fyndhorn Elder could fill the board with +1/+1s. Assuming I'm not half asleep and crazy.
Also, the wording seems odd.
Unnamed enchantment: It's a mass Unstable Mutation. Not much to say really.
Aether Lurker: Weaker Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir, with a graft ability that doesn't really make sense. Feels kind of green TBH, but you were going for that so whatever.
Moonfall XX
~ deals X damage to target creature. Creatures dealt damage by ~ are colorless. (This effect lasts indefinately.) The fall of the sixth moon was an omen to many, and the end to an unfortunate few.
Art: Multiple chunks of odd translucent grey rock fall from the sky. The nearest and most obvious is about to hit an average looking humanoid creature, and if a tiny silhouette can look terrified then this one does.
Also the sky is tinged an unnatural looking purple.
___ RR Creature -
Haste
Kicker—Tap a creature you control. If ~ was kicked, it has +1/+1 and flying until end of turn.
3/1
I don't usually play one on one games. With that in mind, here's my review.
Xarix seems more than a little crazy, and I'm not entirely sure how it works.
As it is, it seems to just be a gameloss on a stick. If I've read it correctly, once it's out, your opponents control all of your turns.
Assuming you mean to give it a self-mindslaver ability after each attack, it could be quite funny. Very much a political card. Maybe only activate it for the first opponent? Maybe only the one who was attacked?
I've got less to say about Borash, aside from it being crazy powerful. I really like it, but maybe you should use the Annihilator X template? (Whenever this creature attacks, defending player sacrifices X permanent(s).)
As it is, it's trolltacular with 3+ players, but will get you ganged up on so fast it might not even be able to attack.
Wee Dragonauts has been one of my favorite cards since I started playing with a pile of my friend's random Ravnica block cards. It's far from the most powerful creature, but the way it can be used as defensive tech with counterspells or as a giant swingy attack with a handful of Lightning Bolts makes it my favorite Izzet-colour creature for casual modern, and therefore my favorite card.
On topic: Snake Bite is probably my favorite version, and even that seems a bit crazy.
It might be easier to balance without any Xs, because X for X in a colorless deck would be too powerful.
From what I've seen, even the best blue card draws are X for XU.
Why not just make a badly balanced Planeswalker? Use another nickname of yours for the name, and match the abilities to what you like to play.
For example, this is my signature card:
Izuki, The Adjective Missing Thief 2UR
Planeswalker-Izuki (MR)
+2: The first time a source you control deals damage to an opponent this turn, you may draw a card.
-X: Each player shuffles X cards from their hands into their libraries, then draws three cards.
-7: Gain control of all nonland permanents you don’t control.
[3]
Here, have a framework, free of charge. You can fill the abilities yourself.
Ishul, Trickster Lord 4UBR
Planeswalker-Ishul
+1: Painful shenanigans
0: Manipulative shenanigans
-2: Rarely used shenanigans
-7: Game ending shenanigans
[3]
Feel free to ignore most of what I say unless it's backed up by the rules or someone with more skill at card design.
Nullify Power: Feels too cheap for such a game changing effect.
Nullify Growth: In the color that gave us Convertible Turtle and various -X/-0 spells?
Nullify Strategy: Not even by being sacrificed or having 0 toughness? Odd.
Nullify Madness allows infinite hand size as it's written now. Would have to be something like "Spells or abilities can't cause players to discard cards". Also, Hellbent is now very sad.
Nullify Transmutation. Sorry, Gideon Jura, you've just lost your gimmick.
All names are working titles, and some of the flavor is missing because this topic is mechanics, wording and power.
Distracting Evocation 3RR
Sorcery (U)
Up to three target creatures can't block this turn.
Reveal the top card of your library. ~ deals damage equal to that card's converted mana cost to target creature or player.
You may put the revealed card into your hand or on to the bottom of your library.
Flavor/art: A shaman casting lightning to get enemies to panic, with the added bonus that the bolt might actually hit something.
My considerations: the revealed card doesn't get to stay where it is because that would be too easy. Mana cost has been increased past Unearthly Blizzard levels in an attempt to balance the card. I was considering making this an instant for the sake of multiplayer shenanigans, but decided to post this version first.
Homesick Pyromancer 2R
Creature-Goblin Wizard Mercenary (U)
T, Reveal the top card of your library: If you reveal a land card ~ deals 2 damage to target creature or player. If you reveal a nonland card, ~ deals 0 damage to target creature or player.
1/1
Flavor/Art: A goblin who misses the warrens of his home, and can only be roused to fight while sufficiently inspired.
My considerations: I basically made this card over a short walk, and I've posted it as it showed up, so it's maybe not complete. My main worry is that four of these could be eight damage in one turn, and I wasn't sure if I should add the card removal of Distracting Evocation, or maybe make the pyromancer Legendary.
I just remembered another card I wanted reviewed. Again, power is the main consideration.
Kapec’s Defiance 22/R
Instant (U)
~ costs 1 less to cast for each spell another player cast this turn.
~ deals 4 damage to target creature or player.
Flavor/Art: A major character of one of my sets is being surrounded, and decides to make a desperate attempt to fight back.
My considerations: While I would like to hear about the power level of the card in a vacuum, I'd also be interested to hear what people think about the storm/affinity mechanic on it. I chose the mana cost for reasons that I'm sure were important at the time, and now I've realized probably make things complicated or silly.
I can't get the mana cost to look right. It's supposed to be two colorless, one colorless/red hybrid, one red.
4RRR might work? Maybe for 19 damage?
Giving an unplayable cost like Wheel of Fate would actually make it more powerful now that Cascade exists.
Chronozoa wants to talk to you about Illomeba.
I'll probably get to reviewing the others later, and will mainly work downwards in ratity. Some interesting ideas though.
Kraj's Hatchling: I like the trade off between this and Kraj. Feels more like a precursor to Kraj than a baby though.
Wall of Seaweed would be amazing in any Simic deck. Untap & power boost for G? Yes please. One of these and Kraj could make +1/+1 counters until the mana ran out. Two of these, and some kind of green mana producing creature like Fyndhorn Elder could fill the board with +1/+1s. Assuming I'm not half asleep and crazy.
Also, the wording seems odd.
Unnamed enchantment: It's a mass Unstable Mutation. Not much to say really.
Aether Lurker: Weaker Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir, with a graft ability that doesn't really make sense. Feels kind of green TBH, but you were going for that so whatever.
~ deals X damage to target creature. Creatures dealt damage by ~ are colorless. (This effect lasts indefinately.)
The fall of the sixth moon was an omen to many, and the end to an unfortunate few.
Art: Multiple chunks of odd translucent grey rock fall from the sky. The nearest and most obvious is about to hit an average looking humanoid creature, and if a tiny silhouette can look terrified then this one does.
Also the sky is tinged an unnatural looking purple.
___ RR
Creature -
Haste
Kicker—Tap a creature you control. If ~ was kicked, it has +1/+1 and flying until end of turn.
3/1
Xarix seems more than a little crazy, and I'm not entirely sure how it works.
As it is, it seems to just be a gameloss on a stick. If I've read it correctly, once it's out, your opponents control all of your turns.
Assuming you mean to give it a self-mindslaver ability after each attack, it could be quite funny. Very much a political card. Maybe only activate it for the first opponent? Maybe only the one who was attacked?
I've got less to say about Borash, aside from it being crazy powerful. I really like it, but maybe you should use the Annihilator X template? (Whenever this creature attacks, defending player sacrifices X permanent(s).)
As it is, it's trolltacular with 3+ players, but will get you ganged up on so fast it might not even be able to attack.
Vengeful Knight 1BB
Creature - Zombie Knight
First Strike, Flanking, Wither
1/3
When his tomb was desecrated, he awoke to take revenge.
Would replacing "shares at least two types" with "shares one supertype and at least one type" work?