Varilax, the Omniform 3:symub::symub:
Legendary Creature - Shapeshifter (4/3)
Transmute 1UU; transfigure 1BB
Blue cards in your hand have transmute 2UU.
Other black creatures you control have transfigure 2BB. Varilax does make up its mind. But not until it's made up the rest of its body.
I recall Mark Rosewater talking about how there was a card in Ravnica design that gave all cards transmute, and that it was "really, really killed for power reasons." This got me wondering if there's any way to salvage that design after all.
I don't think being limited to transmuting blue cards is much of a problem, but the extra 1 might be, and certainly having to get down a 5-cost creature (and only being able to transmute at sorcery speed, only as long as you keep it on the battlefield) is a speed bump to reckless combo decks.
But is it a speed bump they can just launch off of and go flying?
Hack UUU
Enchantment - Aura
Enchant creature
If U was spent to cast Hack and enchanted creature is an artifact creature, you control enchanted creature.
//
Slash RRR
Enchantment - Aura
Enchant creature
If R was spent to cast Slash, enchanted creature gets +1/+0 and has double strike.
This card wording should be clear enough that what it does should be intuitively apparent most of the time, and it requires no changes to the rules as they stand; nonetheless, when I first made this card for a contest, I crafted a rules-primer-like entry to go with it:
Hack // Slash is cast just like any other split card: its controller chooses one half to cast, and chooses targets and pays costs as though only the chosen half's characteristics were printed on the card. As long as it's on the stack, the characteristics of the other half are ignored.
Once Hack or Slash resolves, the Aura enters the battlefield attached to the creature it targeted. However, once a split card leaves the stack, it reverts to having both sets of characteristics. Usually only one color of mana will have been spent to cast Hack // Slash, and having two instances of "enchant creature" isn't any different from having only one instance, so in most cases only one half's rules text will have any significant effect. Notably, a Hack // Slash on the battlefield is both blue and red, regardless of which half was cast.
If the chosen creature could legally be targeted and enchanted by one half of Hack // Slash, but not by the combined card (e.g. Hack targeting a Sphinx of the Steel Wind, which has protection from red), Hack // Slash can't enter the battlefield attached to that creature. It will be put into its owner's graveyard during resolution instead of onto the battlefield.
If you somehow manage to spend both U and R to cast one half of Hack // Slash (e.g. having Thorn of Amethyst on the battlefield and spending the other color of mana to pay the additional 1, or using the alternative cost granted by Fist of Suns), the second ability from each half is applicable. You'll gain control of enchanted creature if it's an artifact creature, and it will get +1/+0 and have double strike.
If Hack // Slash enters the battlefield without being cast (e.g. with Open the Vaults), the player putting it onto the battlefield chooses a creature it can be attached to (provided such a choice is possible; if it isn't, the card remains in its original zone). The player doesn't choose either half--the card simply enters the battlefield with both sets of characteristics. However, as no mana was spent to cast Hack // Slash in this case, it probably won't have any significant effect.
I think the card does a pretty good job of selling its good points own its own, so I'll focus on the negatives here.
The most apparent negative is just how strange the card seems. Like I said, it's worded so that it should be played correctly most of the time by players who may not venture into dark rules corners, but the fact that I even felt it worthwhile to compose a primer entry says enough about the card's potential for confusion. You could argue the same was true for split cards in general back when they were first released, and we've mostly gotten used to them, so who knows how long it'd take players to get used to split Auras? I would expect the "Hacking a Sphinx of the Steel Wind" example mentioned to easily be the most common misplay of this card, maybe followed by giving a Slash to your own Goblin Piledriver.
Second, there are memory issues with this, mainly because it'd be the first card to have a static ability that cares about "if C was spent". For the most part, these issues are minor--is it attached to an artifact creature or not? A creature that the player owns or not? Heck, a lot of times you'll be able to tell just from seeing if there are islands or mountains in front of the player (see the next point for more), and if you really really need to, I guess you can put a counter on one side of the card. Overall I believe the potential for memory issues would be a bit lower with this than they would be by constructing the card as a split sorcery (have they made any Dominate-style control effects since Blatant Thievery? I'd imagine the red side would put a +1/+1 counter on the creature which is a useful denotation but one that could get lost amid all the other +1/+1 counters in Magic these days) or as a hybrid, non-split Aura (which reintroduces the "if C was spent" static ability, while making it a lot easier to get both halves of the effect so that if it's enchanting an artifact creature someone else owns, they still need to distinguish whether or not R was spent).
The final major point about this card is should there really be splits like it? If you go back and look at every split card in the game up to now, you'll see that they never have more than one of a given colored mana symbol in the cost. Clearly it isn't an accident; the point is to make them splashable, to make it easy for a deck that really likes one side to splash for another color and at least allow them to use the other side. The question is how vital did split card design think that fact was to the essence of being a split card? The construct I'm relying on to make these cards work in the rules and as most players expect, depends on the mana costs having nothing but colored symbols. Furthermore, if I do start sticking generic symbols in the cost, there's no reason not not to just ditch the split and go with hybrid. How anti-synergistic is a split card that costs UUU and RRR? How often would this be run in U/R decks with two viable halves, as opposed to only being run for a single half and possibly not even running the other half's color at all? Even if it does stay a split, is there design space for enough other cards like it to make the concept of split Auras (heck, even split permanents--through creatures would require quite a bit more finagling with) worthwhile?
All that said, I do believe this is about as good a demonstration card for the concept of split Auras as can be formed. What do you think?
That saboteur ability runs into card space problems. It takes 3 full lines on its own, and you only get 4 in a split text box. "Flying, shroud, protection from red and from green" can fill the fourth line, but nothing longer than that, so unless you want to interpret the two different and unrelated actions of the sabotage as two separate abilities, there's no way to get to 6.
Self-bounce is clearly right out. Flicker effects are out for the same reason, but I could envision "M: CARDNAME phases out" with the streamlined phasing rules. I'm not really ready to call phasing back in bounds for Magic cards yet, but if the rule change leads them to reintroduce the ability, fine by me. Of course activated phase-out and shroud have little reason to coexist.
Changeling, I guess, sounds like Akroma in the same way that transfigure does, and lets off a huge "why?" Unlike transfigure, it doesn't even have any spectacular functional effect as a card.
So...still three disappointingly empty ability slots, and one more candidate option for filling them. At least it's something.
This is a card I've had in mind for a while, or at least the outline for such a card. My own Taunting Vision, so to speak. The general idea I'm designing to is one that hits close to me: "Create Akroma from Ixidor's point of view". I've gone through some tweaks to the design, but never hit upon one that's compelling enough to call a finished product. It hasn't picked up that final counter, so to speak.
Oh wait, you might not get that last reference yet. Here's what currently stands in the file:
Taunting Vision 2U
Creature - Illusion (0/4)
Reveal each card you draw. Whenever you reveal a creature card this way, put an art counter on Taunting Vision. When Taunting Vision has three or more art counters on it, flip it.
----------FLIP:---------- Akroma, Exquisite Ideal
Legendary Creature - Angel (6/6)
Flying, vigilance, absorb 1, protection from red, protection from green You have shroud.
* This stuff is subject to change
The first draft had the flip trigger at 5 counters. This made it extremely hard to get a flip without the vision being cut short, so it was cut to 3 soon after--this does yield the potential for Akroma quite early, but how many creatures is Blue Mage willing to stick in the deck to help achieve that, and alongside how much card draw? The final number could conceivably be 3, 4, or 5...future testing will decide this number for the finished ideal.
Then on to the flip side. The aim is to find six abilities, treating the unflipped text as ability #7 for symmetry with the other incarnations. Three are obvious and are locks. The other three...aren't.
Right now I have vigilance down which is at least plausible, but as far as I know it hasn't left Planar Chaos stretch status in blue. Something tells me that ability won't be staying for long. Speaking of fitting better, there's plenty of motivational reason why this card would have protection from black, but no mechanical fit whatsoever. Instead I chose "You have shroud" to fill that flavor niche. The only three cards ever to have that ability are all white, but again it's not much of a stretch to blue, probably less so than vigilance and certainly less so than protection from black.
Absorb is another mechanic that's only ever appeared in white (though of course we have Urza's Armor which is close). It clearly hasn't been fully divvied out to the colors yet, but I can imagine a definite concept for the ability that would be grantable to blue. Akroma doesn't fit that concept, but between Lymph Sliver's flavor text and Onslaught (The Book), they give rise to another feasible concept that would fit in this case. The thing about absorb is at this caliber, how often is it any different than just changing the card to 6/7?
As far as abilities that aren't on the current version, shroud for the creature is a lot more obviously blue than shroud for the player. Indeed, it was there in the first draft, but right now it seems to clash with protection (particularly from red) and the places it would supplement protection, such as guarding against Doom Blade or Path to Exile, bring up the question of "Does it make the card too much to answer?" and especially if shroud exists alongside vigilance, it's a huge bomb of both threat and answer at once...on a 3 drop, at least nominally. Speaking of being a 3-drop, there are a lot more 3s to hit with transfigure than there are 8s, and transfigure is another ability that could potentially be blue once it's divvied out, but doesn't transfigure fly in the face of everything this card is? Sure there are mechanical reasons to use an ability like that, but in essence you've just sculpted the Exquisite Ideal. Why on Dominaria would you ever want to scrap it and start over with something else?
Abilities like forecast and morph are completely untenable since it's a flip side, and while graft and persist at least have theoretical use, again they'd be a lot more disappointing than they would be on a non-flip card.
I'd like to think the definitive ability (or possibly abilities) to finish this card out has yet to be designed. Until then I'll just keep revealing drawn cards...
UPDATE--I now have a version of the card that I find satisfactory.
Taunting Vision 2U
Creature - Illusion (0/4)
Reveal each card you draw. Whenever you reveal a creature card this way, put an art counter on Taunting Vision. Then if Taunting Vision has three or more art counters on it, flip it.
----------FLIP:---------- Akroma, Exquisite Ideal
Legendary Creature - Angel (6/6)
Flying, protection from red and from green UU: Akroma, Exquisite Ideal phases out. 1: Akroma gets +1/-1 or -1/+1 until end of turn.
As far as I know, that patch already exists; the problem is that the closest it can come is "Cuboid": treat the cube as an expansion set and start printing packs of it. The packs aren't depleted from the cube and different boosters can contain the same card multiple times. Not so with this.
The wonders of the Net. We can look at and discuss cards from an upcoming product before it's ever released! We can talk about what a dream drafter's pool of cards would be like! So why not actually draft with that pool?
That's what I thought, and what Seeker after Chaos thought as well (which is why the current implementation uses his pool, which is as follows:)
Savannah Lions
Calciderm
Celestial Crusader
Isamaru, Hound of Konda
Mother of Runes
Kami of Ancient Law
Eight-and-a-Half-Tails
Flickerwisp
Silver Knight
Serra Avenger
Spectral Procession
Whipcorder
Exalted Angel
Mirror Entity
Aven Mindcensor
Karmic Guide
Reveillark
Archon of Justice
Yosei, the Morning Star
Akroma, Angel of Wrath
Leonin Skyhunter
Soltari Priest
Battlegrace Angel
Seht's Tiger
Knight of Meadowgrain
Soltari Champion
Mystic Crusader
Genju of the Fields
Condemn
Parallax Wave
Rout
Elspeth, Knight-Errant
Land Tax
Swords to Plowshares
Griffin Guide
Sunlance
Disenchant
Pulse of the Fields
Mana Tithe
Cataclysm
Path to Exile
Balance
Empyrial Armor
Oblivion Ring
Sacred Mesa
Seal of Cleansing
Blinding Beam
Austere Command
Armageddon
Faith's Fetters
Ajani Goldmane
Wrath of God
Martial Coup
Decree of Justice
Shining Shoal
Gilded Drake
Ninja of the Deep Hours
Riftwing Cloudskate
Fathom Seer
Errant Ephemeron
Jushi Apprentice [Tomoya the Revealer]
Brine Elemental
Vendilion Clique
Vesuvan Shapeshifter
Man-o'-War
Serendib Efreet
Willbender
Ophidian
Sower of Temptation
Venser, Shaper Savant
Clone
Morphling*
Mulldrifter
Aeon Chronicler
Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir
Meloku the Clouded Mirror
Keiga, the Tide Star
Merfolk Looter
Kira, Great Glass-Spinner
Glen Elendra Archmage
Trinket Mage
Frantic Search
Control Magic
Opposition
Dominate
Take Possession
Circular Logic
Snap
Force of Will
Ancestral Vision
Brainstorm
Repulse
Force Spike
Counterspell
Mana Drain
Exclude
Legacy's Allure
Remand
Thirst for Knowledge
Vedalken Shackles
Psionic Blast
Cryptic Command
Collective Restraint
Fact or Fiction
Gifts Ungiven
Upheaval
Desertion
Treachery
Memory Lapse
Repeal
Sarcomancy
Carnophage
Dark Confidant
Mesmeric Fiend
Laquatus's Champion
Bone Dancer
Nantuko Shade
Nezumi Graverobber [Nighteyes the Desecrator]
Dauthi Slayer
Throat Slitter
Bone Shredder
Hypnotic Specter
Mirri the Cursed
Shriekmaw
Visara the Dreadful
Nyxathid
Kokusho, the Evening Star
Ink-Eyes, Servant of Oni
Faceless Butcher
Nezumi Cutthroat
Black Knight
Nekrataal
Order of the Ebon Hand
Skeletal Vampire
Booster Tutor
Diabolic Edict
Ambition's Cost
Contagion
Innocent Blood
Phyrexian Arena
Vampiric Tutor
Smother
Thoughtseize
Yawgmoth's Bargain
Mind Twist
Duress
Dark Ritual
Reanimate
Hymn to Tourach
Bitterblossom
Terror
Slaughter Pact
Exhume
Demonic Tutor
Sudden Death
Corpse Dance
Yawgmoth's Will
Recurring Nightmare
Necropotence
Necromancy
Damnation
Persecute
Makeshift Mannequin
Living Death
Profane Command
Grim Lavamancer
Mogg Fanatic
Kird Ape
Blood Knight
Fireslinger
Taurean Mauler
Goblin Sharpshooter
Magus of the Moon
Sulfur Elemental
Fire Imp
Flametongue Kavu
Hellspark Elemental
Siege-Gang Commander
Keldon Vandals
Lightning Dragon
Rakdos Pit Dragon
Arc-Slogger
Ryusei, the Falling Star
Rorix Bladewing
Greater Gargadon
Avalanche Riders
Hearth Kami
Blistering Firecat
Genju of the Spires
Jiwari, the Earth Aflame
Zo-Zu the Punisher
Threaten
Chain Lightning
Molten Rain
Violent Eruption
Chandra Nalaar
Molten Disaster
Dead/Gone
Fire/Ice
Magma Jet
Fireblast
Lightning Bolt
Incinerate
Tribal Flames
Incendiary Command
Sneak Attack
Pillage
Blast from the Past
Arc Lightning
Urza's Rage
Pulse of the Forge
Heat Shimmer
Flame Javelin
Smash to Smithereens
Word of Seizing
Price of Progress
Banefire
Rolling Thunder
Demonfire
Starstorm
Skyshroud Elite
Birds of Paradise
Nimble Mongoose
Wild Mongrel
Sakura-Tribe Elder
Tarmogoyf
Wall of Roots
River Boa
Ohran Viper
Troll Ascetic
Thornscape Battlemage
Call of the Herd
Noble Hierarch
Sprout Swarm
Phantom Centaur
Eternal Witness
Viridian Shaman
Deranged Hermit
Chameleon Colossus
Blastoderm
Ravenous Baloth
Genesis
Indrik Stomphowler
Kodama of the North Tree
Silvos, Rogue Elemental
Jungle Lion
Yavimaya Elder
Caller of the Claw
Wall of Blossoms
Wild Nacatl
Timbermare
Scryb Ranger
Symbol Status
Briarhorn
Nantuko Vigilante
Elephant Guide
Farseek
Harrow
Utopia Vow
Bounty of the Hunt
Sylvan Library
Saproling Burst
Rancor
Berserk
Kodama's Reach
Krosan Grip
Garruk Wildspeaker
Harmonize
Stonewood Invocation
Plow Under
Primal Command
Survival of the Fittest
Rude Awakening
Tooth and Nail
Hurricane
Absorb
Teferi's Moat
Mirrorweave
Azorius Guildmage
Swans of Bryn Argoll
Plumeveil
Oona, Queen of the Fae
Shadowmage Infiltrator
Undermine
Agony Warp
Wydwen, the Biting Gale
Psychatog
Murderous Redcap
Bituminous Blast
Rakdos Guildmage
Void
Terminate
Rare-B-Gone
Rumbling Slum
Firespout
Fires of Yavimaya
Sarkhan Vol
Boggart Ram-Gang
Bloodbraid Elf
Loxodon Hierarch
Kitchen Finks
Oversoul of Dusk
Selesnya Guildmage
Qasali Ambusher
Armadillo Cloak
Vindicate
Tidehollow Sculler
Mortify
Death Grasp
Stillmoon Cavalier
Angel of Despair
Lightning Helix
Captain's Maneuver
Brion Stoutarm
Intimidation Bolt
Figure of Destiny
Ajani Vengeant
Gelectrode
Frenetic Efreet
Suffocating Blast
Jilt
Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind
Prophetic Bolt
Trygon Predator
Plaxcaster Frogling
Simic Sky Swallower
Cytoshape
Snakeform
Mystic Snake
Putrefy
Spiritmonger
Pernicious Deed
Maelstrom Pulse
Life/Death
Nath of the Gilt-Leaf
Rafiq of the Many
Magister Sphinx
Lightning Angel
Slave of Bolas
Intet, the Dreamer
Who/What/When/Where/Why
Broodmate Dragon
Oros, the Avenger
Doran, the Siege Tower
Naya Charm
Juggernaut
Su-Chi
Epochrasite
Mindless Automaton
Solemn Simulacrum
Masticore
Phyrexian Processor
Razormane Masticore
Duplicant
Triskelion
Sundering Titan
Loxodon Warhammer
Armillary Sphere
Isochron Scepter
Mask of Memory
Icy Manipulator
Sigil of Distinction
Sensei's Divining Top
Skullclamp
Cursed Scroll
Umezawa's Jitte
Golgari Signet
Selesnya Signet
Dimir Signet
Boros Signet
Orzhov Signet
Izzet Signet
Gruul Signet
Azorius Signet
Simic Signet
Rakdos Signet
Coalition Relic
Sol Ring
Sword of Fire and Ice
Sword of Light and Shadow
Scroll Rack
Nevinyrral's Disk
Crystal Shard
AEther Vial
Engineered Explosives
Breeding Pool
Hallowed Fountain
Blood Crypt
Stomping Ground
Steam Vents
Godless Shrine
Overgrown Tomb
Temple Garden
Watery Grave
Sacred Foundry
Rugged Prairie
Fetid Heath
Twilight Mire
Cascade Bluffs
Flooded Grove
Mystic Gate
Sunken Ruins
Graven Cairns
Fire-Lit Thicket
Wooded Bastion
Brushland
Adarkar Wastes
Caves of Koilos
Battlefield Forge
Underground River
Shivan Reef
Yavimaya Coast
Llanowar Wastes
Sulfurous Springs
Karplusan Forest
Golgari Rot Farm
Selesnya Sanctuary
Dimir Aqueduct
Boros Garrison
Orzhov Basilica
Izzet Boilerworks
Gruul Turf
Azorius Chancery
Simic Growth Chamber
Rakdos Carnarium
Crumbling Necropolis
Seaside Citadel
Arcane Sanctum
Savage Lands
Jungle Shrine
Windswept Heath
Polluted Delta
Flooded Strand
Wooded Foothills
Bloodstained Mire
Windbrisk Heights
Kor Haven
Academy Ruins
Shelldock Isle
Cabal Pit
Volrath's Stronghold
Keldon Megaliths
Barbarian Ring
Treetop Village
Llanowar Reborn
Wasteland
Mishra's Factory
Reflecting Pool
Maze of Ith
Strip Mine
NOTE: As of July 11th, the Morphling in this cube will receive errata giving it another ability: "Morphling assigns combat damage equal to the highest power it's had this turn."
Anyway, you can join the fun too! Just click on that Chat button in the top bar, and keep the following in mind:
-If there's currently nothing going on, but you want to start a draft, you do that with !newdraft. This will bring out the draft table and and give you seat #1. Attempting to start a new draft when there's already one going will do nothing; the system isn't currently configured to run parallel instances.
-If there's a draft currently awaiting signups, you can join it with !draft. If you join the channel at a time when it is taking signups, you'll receive a message notifying you of that fact.
-If you joined a draft that's still in the signup phase, but aren't interested anymore, you can type !stand--or simply leave the chat and you'll be dropped automatically. Note that once the draft has started, there's no way to deregister from it--if you leave then, you'll just keep getting randomly chosen cards from your packs until you get back. If a player leaves, all players in higher-numbered seats move down one, so if player 2 gets up from a table that currently has 4 players, 3 becomes the new 2 and 4 becomes the new 3.
-If a player ever sits down in seat 8, signups are concluded and the draft starts immediately. Otherwise, the player in seat 1 has sole discretion over when to start the draft--by using, appropriately enough, !startdraft. The draft can't start without at least 4 players sitting down, and if it still hasn't started 15 minutes after the draft table was requested, that table will be packed up and all the players who were sitting down at the time will be out on their luck. (Of course, if they want to call for the table again immediately, fine, but...)
-So you've got enough players and started the draft. Now each of you will be "handed" some cards from the cube. Because this creates lines that are very long and color-intensive, it takes several seconds to finish handing out the packs. So as not to give players in earlier seats an advantage by virtue of having more time to consider their picks, the players are put in a random order each time for being told the cards in their packs. As implemented, each new pack exhausts the card pool of the cube; that is to say, there will be no repeated cards in different packs of the same draft, unlike other online drafting solutions I've seen. The timer for making a pick doesn't start until everyone receives their pack (so some of the players will have some extra time to look over their cards) and is 75 seconds for 1st pick, 70 seconds for 2nd pick, down to 10 seconds for 14th. 15th picks are of course just handed out, after which the players have 30 seconds to look over their cards before the next packs are dealt.
-After you receive your pack, you can respond by saying pick NUM, where NUM is the number listed before the card you want. If you change your mind, just re-enter your pick with a new number and the most recent number will prevail. If NUM is 0, this will take back a commitment to all cards, and if it's still 0 when pick time runs out, you'll receive a random card in the pack. Once every player has decided on a nonzero card number to pick, any remaining time on the pick timer will be ignored and the packs will be passed immediately to get things moving.
-When you're dealt a pack, the message contains only the card names, colored in the card's color to make it more immediately apparent which cards are in your colors (after all, that's how you get to look at real booster packs). There obviously isn't room to put all the card text, but fortunately you can get it in a separate message. If you don't know or want to be sure what a card does, send a message saying card NUM, again with NUM being the card number in question. If there are multiple cards you're unsure of, each one will have to be handled in a separate card request. (This potential for having to look up unfamiliar cards, and the fact that doing so takes a lot longer in this format than it does when you just have to look at the cards in a booster pack, is the main reason I had the pick timer start at a rather long 75 seconds. Usually it moves along much faster than that anyway.)
-After you've been dealt your 15th pick, and there's downtime between packs, you can say mypicks and you'll receive a list of the cards you've drafted so far. This list will NOT be colored, and can potentially span multiple lines. However, it's still a numbered list, and you can use mypick NUM as you'd expect, to get a detailed summary of the card in question. (Drafting cards without having read what they do? What's next, Congress doing the same for legislation? To be fair, though, there are cards like Rare-B-Gone and Symbol Status in this cube, so you might use this to look up details you might have completely ignored otherwise.) After pack 3, pick 15, each player will automatically receive their mypicks list without having to say anything.
-If you're going to play actual games with the cards you've drafted, take that list you get at the end and bring the cards into your Magic-playing client of choice. Being able to run the games themselves in IRC is, to say the least, a long way off.
-One more thing: you can use !pack in the channel, after a draft is over, but only if you were in the most recent draft and only if you happened to pick out Booster Tutor therein. This feature is somewhat incomplete right now--you can't look up details for the cards you get in the pack this way, and there's no provision to specify which one of the cards you want to "take" and shuffle the rest back in. This last point is somewhat minor--right now, with repeated uses of !pack it's as though all the cards you get are shuffled back every time, but if for some reason you're able to play Booster Tutor multiple times in a game and end up being able pick the same card out twice, go ahead and go crazy.
Is anyone interested in drafting this way, or does it need some extra polish in particular?
[EDIT] The 3-2-6 figures are what the Sudoku says when solved. I've been told that it's actually 3-2-9, with the wrong number circled for whatever reason.
I had an old card in my file that read (cleaned up to modern templating):
Energy Siphon
{2}
Artifact
Whenever you tap a land for mana, put a charge counter on Energy Siphon.
When there are 100 or more charge counters on Energy Siphon, you win the game.
Shroud certainly helps out a card like that; realistically even when the mana is still usable for something else you still get stuck with the problem of having to spend 100 mana on something. As such, I can't imagine it playing much different than that card did; i.e. comedy combos.
Nice call on browbeat. The most brutal combo I can think of in Standard would be a Primal Command (gain 7 life and get other 3 assorted effects) but 4GG:symur::symur: may be a bit too much even for all those goodies.
You can choose new targets, but not new modes. So you'd most likely end up with "gain 14 life" on top of a Plow Under, for 3 more mana (or gain 14 and double creature tutor, but you're stuck getting exactly 2 of one mode and 2 of another). Quite the efficient lifegain, especially with U/R, but probably not even worth the effort at that point. (Or you could use the Feldon's Cane mode as the self-target, which is comedic but usually even worse off than the 14 life gain.)
moonhold could've been a nice target for scepter if they brought down the cost and it still wouldn't have been unfair
sob
If by "nice target" you mean "blank", I guess. Even if it did cost :1mana::symrw: to fit on the stick, regardless of what mana you pump into stick activations you still play the copy "without paying its mana cost". Meaning you'll never get either effect that way.
I'm not sure about how these rules would play in 5CB, but from 3CB experience they seem worth a shot:
-Players have to race a poison counter clock (though cards like Virulent Sliver can get rather out of hand here...again, maybe 5 cards allows for a solution to that, maybe not)
-Basic lands get CIP abilities (though said abilities would have to be rather powerful in order to induce them to actually be used over more standard decks--note that my Plains and Mountain ended up vastly underpowered compared to the rest)
-And I guess you could always try 2HG 5CB, though that would likely just be too ridiculous
If you use Followed Footsteps, you'll get one or two extra Chronozoa from upkeep triggers before the creature dies from vanishing. Then you get two more to replace it, but the original takes Followed Footsteps with it to the grave, and you don't have to deal with as much madness tracking ever-increasing numbers of creatures in various stages of vanishing and replicating.
Without haste, AoF is uninteresting in extended and legacy, and without first strike she's vulnerable to an entire cycle of 6/6 flyers in the very set she's in... overall, she gives Timmies their jollies, and not much more.
Let's look at the colors of the dragon cycle. WBR URG BGW RWU GUB
Now remember that the Angel of Fury has protection from white and from blue. How many of those dragons are white and/or blue?
All of them.
Funny how that works. "Traditional" three-color cycles would have one (BRG) that gets through, but not so with a wedge cycle.
3:symub::symub:
Legendary Creature - Shapeshifter (4/3)
Transmute 1UU; transfigure 1BB
Blue cards in your hand have transmute 2UU.
Other black creatures you control have transfigure 2BB.
Varilax does make up its mind. But not until it's made up the rest of its body.
I recall Mark Rosewater talking about how there was a card in Ravnica design that gave all cards transmute, and that it was "really, really killed for power reasons." This got me wondering if there's any way to salvage that design after all.
I don't think being limited to transmuting blue cards is much of a problem, but the extra 1 might be, and certainly having to get down a 5-cost creature (and only being able to transmute at sorcery speed, only as long as you keep it on the battlefield) is a speed bump to reckless combo decks.
But is it a speed bump they can just launch off of and go flying?
UUU
Enchantment - Aura
Enchant creature
If U was spent to cast Hack and enchanted creature is an artifact creature, you control enchanted creature.
//
Slash
RRR
Enchantment - Aura
Enchant creature
If R was spent to cast Slash, enchanted creature gets +1/+0 and has double strike.
This card wording should be clear enough that what it does should be intuitively apparent most of the time, and it requires no changes to the rules as they stand; nonetheless, when I first made this card for a contest, I crafted a rules-primer-like entry to go with it:
- Hack // Slash is cast just like any other split card: its controller chooses one half to cast, and chooses targets and pays costs as though only the chosen half's characteristics were printed on the card. As long as it's on the stack, the characteristics of the other half are ignored.
- Once Hack or Slash resolves, the Aura enters the battlefield attached to the creature it targeted. However, once a split card leaves the stack, it reverts to having both sets of characteristics. Usually only one color of mana will have been spent to cast Hack // Slash, and having two instances of "enchant creature" isn't any different from having only one instance, so in most cases only one half's rules text will have any significant effect. Notably, a Hack // Slash on the battlefield is both blue and red, regardless of which half was cast.
- If the chosen creature could legally be targeted and enchanted by one half of Hack // Slash, but not by the combined card (e.g. Hack targeting a Sphinx of the Steel Wind, which has protection from red), Hack // Slash can't enter the battlefield attached to that creature. It will be put into its owner's graveyard during resolution instead of onto the battlefield.
- If you somehow manage to spend both U and R to cast one half of Hack // Slash (e.g. having Thorn of Amethyst on the battlefield and spending the other color of mana to pay the additional 1, or using the alternative cost granted by Fist of Suns), the second ability from each half is applicable. You'll gain control of enchanted creature if it's an artifact creature, and it will get +1/+0 and have double strike.
- If Hack // Slash enters the battlefield without being cast (e.g. with Open the Vaults), the player putting it onto the battlefield chooses a creature it can be attached to (provided such a choice is possible; if it isn't, the card remains in its original zone). The player doesn't choose either half--the card simply enters the battlefield with both sets of characteristics. However, as no mana was spent to cast Hack // Slash in this case, it probably won't have any significant effect.
I think the card does a pretty good job of selling its good points own its own, so I'll focus on the negatives here.The most apparent negative is just how strange the card seems. Like I said, it's worded so that it should be played correctly most of the time by players who may not venture into dark rules corners, but the fact that I even felt it worthwhile to compose a primer entry says enough about the card's potential for confusion. You could argue the same was true for split cards in general back when they were first released, and we've mostly gotten used to them, so who knows how long it'd take players to get used to split Auras? I would expect the "Hacking a Sphinx of the Steel Wind" example mentioned to easily be the most common misplay of this card, maybe followed by giving a Slash to your own Goblin Piledriver.
Second, there are memory issues with this, mainly because it'd be the first card to have a static ability that cares about "if C was spent". For the most part, these issues are minor--is it attached to an artifact creature or not? A creature that the player owns or not? Heck, a lot of times you'll be able to tell just from seeing if there are islands or mountains in front of the player (see the next point for more), and if you really really need to, I guess you can put a counter on one side of the card. Overall I believe the potential for memory issues would be a bit lower with this than they would be by constructing the card as a split sorcery (have they made any Dominate-style control effects since Blatant Thievery? I'd imagine the red side would put a +1/+1 counter on the creature which is a useful denotation but one that could get lost amid all the other +1/+1 counters in Magic these days) or as a hybrid, non-split Aura (which reintroduces the "if C was spent" static ability, while making it a lot easier to get both halves of the effect so that if it's enchanting an artifact creature someone else owns, they still need to distinguish whether or not R was spent).
The final major point about this card is should there really be splits like it? If you go back and look at every split card in the game up to now, you'll see that they never have more than one of a given colored mana symbol in the cost. Clearly it isn't an accident; the point is to make them splashable, to make it easy for a deck that really likes one side to splash for another color and at least allow them to use the other side. The question is how vital did split card design think that fact was to the essence of being a split card? The construct I'm relying on to make these cards work in the rules and as most players expect, depends on the mana costs having nothing but colored symbols. Furthermore, if I do start sticking generic symbols in the cost, there's no reason not not to just ditch the split and go with hybrid. How anti-synergistic is a split card that costs UUU and RRR? How often would this be run in U/R decks with two viable halves, as opposed to only being run for a single half and possibly not even running the other half's color at all? Even if it does stay a split, is there design space for enough other cards like it to make the concept of split Auras (heck, even split permanents--through creatures would require quite a bit more finagling with) worthwhile?
All that said, I do believe this is about as good a demonstration card for the concept of split Auras as can be formed. What do you think?
Self-bounce is clearly right out. Flicker effects are out for the same reason, but I could envision "M: CARDNAME phases out" with the streamlined phasing rules. I'm not really ready to call phasing back in bounds for Magic cards yet, but if the rule change leads them to reintroduce the ability, fine by me. Of course activated phase-out and shroud have little reason to coexist.
Changeling, I guess, sounds like Akroma in the same way that transfigure does, and lets off a huge "why?" Unlike transfigure, it doesn't even have any spectacular functional effect as a card.
So...still three disappointingly empty ability slots, and one more candidate option for filling them. At least it's something.
Oh wait, you might not get that last reference yet. Here's what currently stands in the file:
Taunting Vision
2U
Creature - Illusion (0/4)
Reveal each card you draw. Whenever you reveal a creature card this way, put an art counter on Taunting Vision. When Taunting Vision has three or more art counters on it, flip it.
----------FLIP:----------
Akroma, Exquisite Ideal
Legendary Creature - Angel (6/6)
Flying, vigilance, absorb 1, protection from red, protection from green
You have shroud.
* This stuff is subject to change
The first draft had the flip trigger at 5 counters. This made it extremely hard to get a flip without the vision being cut short, so it was cut to 3 soon after--this does yield the potential for Akroma quite early, but how many creatures is Blue Mage willing to stick in the deck to help achieve that, and alongside how much card draw? The final number could conceivably be 3, 4, or 5...future testing will decide this number for the finished ideal.
Then on to the flip side. The aim is to find six abilities, treating the unflipped text as ability #7 for symmetry with the other incarnations. Three are obvious and are locks. The other three...aren't.
Right now I have vigilance down which is at least plausible, but as far as I know it hasn't left Planar Chaos stretch status in blue. Something tells me that ability won't be staying for long. Speaking of fitting better, there's plenty of motivational reason why this card would have protection from black, but no mechanical fit whatsoever. Instead I chose "You have shroud" to fill that flavor niche. The only three cards ever to have that ability are all white, but again it's not much of a stretch to blue, probably less so than vigilance and certainly less so than protection from black.
Absorb is another mechanic that's only ever appeared in white (though of course we have Urza's Armor which is close). It clearly hasn't been fully divvied out to the colors yet, but I can imagine a definite concept for the ability that would be grantable to blue. Akroma doesn't fit that concept, but between Lymph Sliver's flavor text and Onslaught (The Book), they give rise to another feasible concept that would fit in this case. The thing about absorb is at this caliber, how often is it any different than just changing the card to 6/7?
As far as abilities that aren't on the current version, shroud for the creature is a lot more obviously blue than shroud for the player. Indeed, it was there in the first draft, but right now it seems to clash with protection (particularly from red) and the places it would supplement protection, such as guarding against Doom Blade or Path to Exile, bring up the question of "Does it make the card too much to answer?" and especially if shroud exists alongside vigilance, it's a huge bomb of both threat and answer at once...on a 3 drop, at least nominally. Speaking of being a 3-drop, there are a lot more 3s to hit with transfigure than there are 8s, and transfigure is another ability that could potentially be blue once it's divvied out, but doesn't transfigure fly in the face of everything this card is? Sure there are mechanical reasons to use an ability like that, but in essence you've just sculpted the Exquisite Ideal. Why on Dominaria would you ever want to scrap it and start over with something else?
Abilities like forecast and morph are completely untenable since it's a flip side, and while graft and persist at least have theoretical use, again they'd be a lot more disappointing than they would be on a non-flip card.
I'd like to think the definitive ability (or possibly abilities) to finish this card out has yet to be designed. Until then I'll just keep revealing drawn cards...
UPDATE--I now have a version of the card that I find satisfactory.
Taunting Vision
2U
Creature - Illusion (0/4)
Reveal each card you draw. Whenever you reveal a creature card this way, put an art counter on Taunting Vision. Then if Taunting Vision has three or more art counters on it, flip it.
----------FLIP:----------
Akroma, Exquisite Ideal
Legendary Creature - Angel (6/6)
Flying, protection from red and from green
UU: Akroma, Exquisite Ideal phases out.
1: Akroma gets +1/-1 or -1/+1 until end of turn.
That's what I thought, and what Seeker after Chaos thought as well (which is why the current implementation uses his pool, which is as follows:)
Calciderm
Celestial Crusader
Isamaru, Hound of Konda
Mother of Runes
Kami of Ancient Law
Eight-and-a-Half-Tails
Flickerwisp
Silver Knight
Serra Avenger
Spectral Procession
Whipcorder
Exalted Angel
Mirror Entity
Aven Mindcensor
Karmic Guide
Reveillark
Archon of Justice
Yosei, the Morning Star
Akroma, Angel of Wrath
Leonin Skyhunter
Soltari Priest
Battlegrace Angel
Seht's Tiger
Knight of Meadowgrain
Soltari Champion
Mystic Crusader
Genju of the Fields
Condemn
Parallax Wave
Rout
Elspeth, Knight-Errant
Land Tax
Swords to Plowshares
Griffin Guide
Sunlance
Disenchant
Pulse of the Fields
Mana Tithe
Cataclysm
Path to Exile
Balance
Empyrial Armor
Oblivion Ring
Sacred Mesa
Seal of Cleansing
Blinding Beam
Austere Command
Armageddon
Faith's Fetters
Ajani Goldmane
Wrath of God
Martial Coup
Decree of Justice
Shining Shoal
Gilded Drake
Ninja of the Deep Hours
Riftwing Cloudskate
Fathom Seer
Errant Ephemeron
Jushi Apprentice [Tomoya the Revealer]
Brine Elemental
Vendilion Clique
Vesuvan Shapeshifter
Man-o'-War
Serendib Efreet
Willbender
Ophidian
Sower of Temptation
Venser, Shaper Savant
Clone
Morphling*
Mulldrifter
Aeon Chronicler
Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir
Meloku the Clouded Mirror
Keiga, the Tide Star
Merfolk Looter
Kira, Great Glass-Spinner
Glen Elendra Archmage
Trinket Mage
Frantic Search
Control Magic
Opposition
Dominate
Take Possession
Circular Logic
Snap
Force of Will
Ancestral Vision
Brainstorm
Repulse
Force Spike
Counterspell
Mana Drain
Exclude
Legacy's Allure
Remand
Thirst for Knowledge
Vedalken Shackles
Psionic Blast
Cryptic Command
Collective Restraint
Fact or Fiction
Gifts Ungiven
Upheaval
Desertion
Treachery
Memory Lapse
Repeal
Sarcomancy
Carnophage
Dark Confidant
Mesmeric Fiend
Laquatus's Champion
Bone Dancer
Nantuko Shade
Nezumi Graverobber [Nighteyes the Desecrator]
Dauthi Slayer
Throat Slitter
Bone Shredder
Hypnotic Specter
Mirri the Cursed
Shriekmaw
Visara the Dreadful
Nyxathid
Kokusho, the Evening Star
Ink-Eyes, Servant of Oni
Faceless Butcher
Nezumi Cutthroat
Black Knight
Nekrataal
Order of the Ebon Hand
Skeletal Vampire
Booster Tutor
Diabolic Edict
Ambition's Cost
Contagion
Innocent Blood
Phyrexian Arena
Vampiric Tutor
Smother
Thoughtseize
Yawgmoth's Bargain
Mind Twist
Duress
Dark Ritual
Reanimate
Hymn to Tourach
Bitterblossom
Terror
Slaughter Pact
Exhume
Demonic Tutor
Sudden Death
Corpse Dance
Yawgmoth's Will
Recurring Nightmare
Necropotence
Necromancy
Damnation
Persecute
Makeshift Mannequin
Living Death
Profane Command
Grim Lavamancer
Mogg Fanatic
Kird Ape
Blood Knight
Fireslinger
Taurean Mauler
Goblin Sharpshooter
Magus of the Moon
Sulfur Elemental
Fire Imp
Flametongue Kavu
Hellspark Elemental
Siege-Gang Commander
Keldon Vandals
Lightning Dragon
Rakdos Pit Dragon
Arc-Slogger
Ryusei, the Falling Star
Rorix Bladewing
Greater Gargadon
Avalanche Riders
Hearth Kami
Blistering Firecat
Genju of the Spires
Jiwari, the Earth Aflame
Zo-Zu the Punisher
Threaten
Chain Lightning
Molten Rain
Violent Eruption
Chandra Nalaar
Molten Disaster
Dead/Gone
Fire/Ice
Magma Jet
Fireblast
Lightning Bolt
Incinerate
Tribal Flames
Incendiary Command
Sneak Attack
Pillage
Blast from the Past
Arc Lightning
Urza's Rage
Pulse of the Forge
Heat Shimmer
Flame Javelin
Smash to Smithereens
Word of Seizing
Price of Progress
Banefire
Rolling Thunder
Demonfire
Starstorm
Skyshroud Elite
Birds of Paradise
Nimble Mongoose
Wild Mongrel
Sakura-Tribe Elder
Tarmogoyf
Wall of Roots
River Boa
Ohran Viper
Troll Ascetic
Thornscape Battlemage
Call of the Herd
Noble Hierarch
Sprout Swarm
Phantom Centaur
Eternal Witness
Viridian Shaman
Deranged Hermit
Chameleon Colossus
Blastoderm
Ravenous Baloth
Genesis
Indrik Stomphowler
Kodama of the North Tree
Silvos, Rogue Elemental
Jungle Lion
Yavimaya Elder
Caller of the Claw
Wall of Blossoms
Wild Nacatl
Timbermare
Scryb Ranger
Symbol Status
Briarhorn
Nantuko Vigilante
Elephant Guide
Farseek
Harrow
Utopia Vow
Bounty of the Hunt
Sylvan Library
Saproling Burst
Rancor
Berserk
Kodama's Reach
Krosan Grip
Garruk Wildspeaker
Harmonize
Stonewood Invocation
Plow Under
Primal Command
Survival of the Fittest
Rude Awakening
Tooth and Nail
Hurricane
Absorb
Teferi's Moat
Mirrorweave
Azorius Guildmage
Swans of Bryn Argoll
Plumeveil
Oona, Queen of the Fae
Shadowmage Infiltrator
Undermine
Agony Warp
Wydwen, the Biting Gale
Psychatog
Murderous Redcap
Bituminous Blast
Rakdos Guildmage
Void
Terminate
Rare-B-Gone
Rumbling Slum
Firespout
Fires of Yavimaya
Sarkhan Vol
Boggart Ram-Gang
Bloodbraid Elf
Loxodon Hierarch
Kitchen Finks
Oversoul of Dusk
Selesnya Guildmage
Qasali Ambusher
Armadillo Cloak
Vindicate
Tidehollow Sculler
Mortify
Death Grasp
Stillmoon Cavalier
Angel of Despair
Lightning Helix
Captain's Maneuver
Brion Stoutarm
Intimidation Bolt
Figure of Destiny
Ajani Vengeant
Gelectrode
Frenetic Efreet
Suffocating Blast
Jilt
Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind
Prophetic Bolt
Trygon Predator
Plaxcaster Frogling
Simic Sky Swallower
Cytoshape
Snakeform
Mystic Snake
Putrefy
Spiritmonger
Pernicious Deed
Maelstrom Pulse
Life/Death
Nath of the Gilt-Leaf
Rafiq of the Many
Magister Sphinx
Lightning Angel
Slave of Bolas
Intet, the Dreamer
Who/What/When/Where/Why
Broodmate Dragon
Oros, the Avenger
Doran, the Siege Tower
Naya Charm
Juggernaut
Su-Chi
Epochrasite
Mindless Automaton
Solemn Simulacrum
Masticore
Phyrexian Processor
Razormane Masticore
Duplicant
Triskelion
Sundering Titan
Loxodon Warhammer
Armillary Sphere
Isochron Scepter
Mask of Memory
Icy Manipulator
Sigil of Distinction
Sensei's Divining Top
Skullclamp
Cursed Scroll
Umezawa's Jitte
Golgari Signet
Selesnya Signet
Dimir Signet
Boros Signet
Orzhov Signet
Izzet Signet
Gruul Signet
Azorius Signet
Simic Signet
Rakdos Signet
Coalition Relic
Sol Ring
Sword of Fire and Ice
Sword of Light and Shadow
Scroll Rack
Nevinyrral's Disk
Crystal Shard
AEther Vial
Engineered Explosives
Breeding Pool
Hallowed Fountain
Blood Crypt
Stomping Ground
Steam Vents
Godless Shrine
Overgrown Tomb
Temple Garden
Watery Grave
Sacred Foundry
Rugged Prairie
Fetid Heath
Twilight Mire
Cascade Bluffs
Flooded Grove
Mystic Gate
Sunken Ruins
Graven Cairns
Fire-Lit Thicket
Wooded Bastion
Brushland
Adarkar Wastes
Caves of Koilos
Battlefield Forge
Underground River
Shivan Reef
Yavimaya Coast
Llanowar Wastes
Sulfurous Springs
Karplusan Forest
Golgari Rot Farm
Selesnya Sanctuary
Dimir Aqueduct
Boros Garrison
Orzhov Basilica
Izzet Boilerworks
Gruul Turf
Azorius Chancery
Simic Growth Chamber
Rakdos Carnarium
Crumbling Necropolis
Seaside Citadel
Arcane Sanctum
Savage Lands
Jungle Shrine
Windswept Heath
Polluted Delta
Flooded Strand
Wooded Foothills
Bloodstained Mire
Windbrisk Heights
Kor Haven
Academy Ruins
Shelldock Isle
Cabal Pit
Volrath's Stronghold
Keldon Megaliths
Barbarian Ring
Treetop Village
Llanowar Reborn
Wasteland
Mishra's Factory
Reflecting Pool
Maze of Ith
Strip Mine
NOTE: As of July 11th, the Morphling in this cube will receive errata giving it another ability: "Morphling assigns combat damage equal to the highest power it's had this turn."
Anyway, you can join the fun too! Just click on that Chat button in the top bar, and keep the following in mind:
-If there's currently nothing going on, but you want to start a draft, you do that with !newdraft. This will bring out the draft table and and give you seat #1. Attempting to start a new draft when there's already one going will do nothing; the system isn't currently configured to run parallel instances.
-If there's a draft currently awaiting signups, you can join it with !draft. If you join the channel at a time when it is taking signups, you'll receive a message notifying you of that fact.
-If you joined a draft that's still in the signup phase, but aren't interested anymore, you can type !stand--or simply leave the chat and you'll be dropped automatically. Note that once the draft has started, there's no way to deregister from it--if you leave then, you'll just keep getting randomly chosen cards from your packs until you get back. If a player leaves, all players in higher-numbered seats move down one, so if player 2 gets up from a table that currently has 4 players, 3 becomes the new 2 and 4 becomes the new 3.
-If a player ever sits down in seat 8, signups are concluded and the draft starts immediately. Otherwise, the player in seat 1 has sole discretion over when to start the draft--by using, appropriately enough, !startdraft. The draft can't start without at least 4 players sitting down, and if it still hasn't started 15 minutes after the draft table was requested, that table will be packed up and all the players who were sitting down at the time will be out on their luck. (Of course, if they want to call for the table again immediately, fine, but...)
-So you've got enough players and started the draft. Now each of you will be "handed" some cards from the cube. Because this creates lines that are very long and color-intensive, it takes several seconds to finish handing out the packs. So as not to give players in earlier seats an advantage by virtue of having more time to consider their picks, the players are put in a random order each time for being told the cards in their packs. As implemented, each new pack exhausts the card pool of the cube; that is to say, there will be no repeated cards in different packs of the same draft, unlike other online drafting solutions I've seen. The timer for making a pick doesn't start until everyone receives their pack (so some of the players will have some extra time to look over their cards) and is 75 seconds for 1st pick, 70 seconds for 2nd pick, down to 10 seconds for 14th. 15th picks are of course just handed out, after which the players have 30 seconds to look over their cards before the next packs are dealt.
-After you receive your pack, you can respond by saying pick NUM, where NUM is the number listed before the card you want. If you change your mind, just re-enter your pick with a new number and the most recent number will prevail. If NUM is 0, this will take back a commitment to all cards, and if it's still 0 when pick time runs out, you'll receive a random card in the pack. Once every player has decided on a nonzero card number to pick, any remaining time on the pick timer will be ignored and the packs will be passed immediately to get things moving.
-When you're dealt a pack, the message contains only the card names, colored in the card's color to make it more immediately apparent which cards are in your colors (after all, that's how you get to look at real booster packs). There obviously isn't room to put all the card text, but fortunately you can get it in a separate message. If you don't know or want to be sure what a card does, send a message saying card NUM, again with NUM being the card number in question. If there are multiple cards you're unsure of, each one will have to be handled in a separate card request. (This potential for having to look up unfamiliar cards, and the fact that doing so takes a lot longer in this format than it does when you just have to look at the cards in a booster pack, is the main reason I had the pick timer start at a rather long 75 seconds. Usually it moves along much faster than that anyway.)
-After you've been dealt your 15th pick, and there's downtime between packs, you can say mypicks and you'll receive a list of the cards you've drafted so far. This list will NOT be colored, and can potentially span multiple lines. However, it's still a numbered list, and you can use mypick NUM as you'd expect, to get a detailed summary of the card in question. (Drafting cards without having read what they do? What's next, Congress doing the same for legislation? To be fair, though, there are cards like Rare-B-Gone and Symbol Status in this cube, so you might use this to look up details you might have completely ignored otherwise.) After pack 3, pick 15, each player will automatically receive their mypicks list without having to say anything.
-If you're going to play actual games with the cards you've drafted, take that list you get at the end and bring the cards into your Magic-playing client of choice. Being able to run the games themselves in IRC is, to say the least, a long way off.
-One more thing: you can use !pack in the channel, after a draft is over, but only if you were in the most recent draft and only if you happened to pick out Booster Tutor therein. This feature is somewhat incomplete right now--you can't look up details for the cards you get in the pack this way, and there's no provision to specify which one of the cards you want to "take" and shuffle the rest back in. This last point is somewhat minor--right now, with repeated uses of !pack it's as though all the cards you get are shuffled back every time, but if for some reason you're able to play Booster Tutor multiple times in a game and end up being able pick the same card out twice, go ahead and go crazy.
Is anyone interested in drafting this way, or does it need some extra polish in particular?
[EDIT] The 3-2-6 figures are what the Sudoku says when solved. I've been told that it's actually 3-2-9, with the wrong number circled for whatever reason.
Energy Siphon
{2}
Artifact
Whenever you tap a land for mana, put a charge counter on Energy Siphon.
When there are 100 or more charge counters on Energy Siphon, you win the game.
Shroud certainly helps out a card like that; realistically even when the mana is still usable for something else you still get stuck with the problem of having to spend 100 mana on something. As such, I can't imagine it playing much different than that card did; i.e. comedy combos.
You can choose new targets, but not new modes. So you'd most likely end up with "gain 14 life" on top of a Plow Under, for 3 more mana (or gain 14 and double creature tutor, but you're stuck getting exactly 2 of one mode and 2 of another). Quite the efficient lifegain, especially with U/R, but probably not even worth the effort at that point. (Or you could use the Feldon's Cane mode as the self-target, which is comedic but usually even worse off than the 14 life gain.)
If by "nice target" you mean "blank", I guess. Even if it did cost :1mana::symrw: to fit on the stick, regardless of what mana you pump into stick activations you still play the copy "without paying its mana cost". Meaning you'll never get either effect that way.
-Players have to race a poison counter clock (though cards like Virulent Sliver can get rather out of hand here...again, maybe 5 cards allows for a solution to that, maybe not)
-Basic lands get CIP abilities (though said abilities would have to be rather powerful in order to induce them to actually be used over more standard decks--note that my Plains and Mountain ended up vastly underpowered compared to the rest)
-And I guess you could always try 2HG 5CB, though that would likely just be too ridiculous
What are they going to do with it? Control their own next turn?
Let's look at the colors of the dragon cycle.
WBR
URG
BGW
RWU
GUB
Now remember that the Angel of Fury has protection from white and from blue. How many of those dragons are white and/or blue?
All of them.
Funny how that works. "Traditional" three-color cycles would have one (BRG) that gets through, but not so with a wedge cycle.