Chrono, Master of Time3UU
Planeswalker - Chrono (m)
{+1}: Until the beginning of your next upkeep, the next spell you cast can be cast as though it has flash.
{-2}: Until the beginning of your next upkeep, whenever target player casts a spell, exile that card with 1 time counter on it. If it doesn't have suspend, it gains suspend.
{-5}: You gain an emblem with "Each spell you cast has Split Second".
[3]
Edit: Changed the -2 ability from "an opponent" to "target player" to make it more combo-licious as well as be less unfair in multiplayer.
Edit: Fixed the wording on the -2 ability to close match that of Delay
Edit: Fixed the wording on the +1 ability.
I feel like a tribe without white mana would make heavy use of undead. black can combine with green, red and blue mana to make different types of zombies from the green flavored undead of golgari to the blue flavored "Frankenstein" type zombies of inistrad. Since the setting is a desert plain, this tribe probably uses zombies to explore and work in the unforgiving wilderness outside their settlements. Obviously there would be themes using the other combinations of colors like r/g r/u g/u but that would take a lot of space.
Here's a lose cycle of the zombie "workers" that deal with land in some way.
Putrid DowserGB
Creature - Zombie Scout (u)
Sacrifice a creature: Return target basic land from your graveyard to your hand.
2/2
Unliving ArsonistRB
Creature - Zombie Scout (u) T, Sacrifice a land: Unliving Arsonist deals 2 damage to target creature or player.
2/2
Reconnaissance DroneUB
Creature - Zombie Scout (u)
Whenever Reconnaissance Drone deals combat damage to a player, tap target land and untap another target land.
2/2
Each creature with a root counter on it can't attack.
At the beginning of each player's pre-combat main phase, remove all root counters from each creature that player controls. That player adds one mana of any color to his or her mana pool for each root counter removed this way.
Plowshare 1
Artifact - Equipment Fortification (c)
Equipped creature gains "t: Add one mana of any color to your mana pool."
Fortified land gains "t: Target creature gains +1/+1 until end of turn."
Equip 1
Fortify 1 As swords are beaten to plowshares in times of peace, so plowshares are beaten to swords in times of war.
IIW: Niv Mizzet is too smart for a creature, he decided he wants to be a planeswalker.
At the beginning of your upkeep, choose one - Search your library for a Curse card, put it into your hand, then shuffle your library; or Season of the Witch becomes a copy of target curse and attach it to target player until the beginning of that player's next end step.
IIW: Fix what's broken, choose an existing card you feel is way too good and remake it to be fair.
Counting Cards 1UU
Instant (c)
Draw a card or discard a card from your hand. Then counter target spell if it's converted mana cost is equal to the number of cards in your hand. When you know all the odds, the outcome of any hand is never a surprise.
Urza's Genju1
Enchantment - Aura (u)
Enchant Land 1: Enchanted land becomes a 1/1 colorless artifact assembly worker creature with "Whenever this creature deals combat damage to a palyer, put a +1/+1 counter on it" until end of turn. It's still a land.
Whenever enchanted land is tapped for mana, add 1 to your mana pool for each +1/+1 counter on it.
When enchanted land is put into a graveyard, you may return Urza's Genju from your graveyard to your hand.
IIW: Salt
Edit: Made the card fit the challenge a little better.
Endless Storm deals 3 damage to target creature or player.
Suspend X - Discard your hand. Endless Storm gains a time counter for each card discarded this way.
Whenever a time counter is removed from Endless Storm, you may copy it. If you do, you may cast the copy without paying it's mana cost.
Note: I understand that this card is a potential 1 card win by suspending it with 6 or 7 counters but it takes 7 turns to be leather while you are left completely defenseless, I don't think that's too OP.
Socrates: Shapeshifter's Elixir. Cool idea. I'm not really thrilled with the colored mana in the activation cost. I think it should either have been a colored artifact or a colorless mana cost. I like the effect however.
Polendino: Dwarven Brewmaster. I like this one. He reminds me of that dwarf from Odesy, Bomb Squad. The effect seems very red and I think it's appropriately costed.
EronTheRelentless: Dry Bones. Neat card but it doesn't really fit the challenge. In fact, it's pretty much the exact opposite of what I asked for.
Clockwork Gamer: Hydromeal Barrel. I'm not really sure what's blue about this. I get that blue is water but this effect seems like it would be just fine in mono green.
Summon Legend: Monsoon Season. I'm not really sure how to feel about this one. So, as long as the stack is empty, non-blue players are screwed. I think this might be a little nuts all you have to do is play a threat on an empty or superior board positon and drop this enchantment and then don't do anything but swing. I would like it better it maybe there was something that could be done about it. I'm just having flashbacks to how unfun Blood Moon has made games... and that only hits non-basic lands.
MDenham: Ginger Tonic. I like the idea of this card but I don't think it works. By the time a spell has an effect, like reducing p/t, that means the spell has already resolved so it's a bit late for you to counter it.
CrustaceanCrusader: Lemonade Stand. I like this card. I'm not really sure who would play this but I do really like the flavor (no pun intendid) of this card.
AsianInvasion: Marshdrinker Primus. I feel almost like I do about this card as I did with EronTheRelentless' card. Both are more about being thirsty than fixing that problem. It's a neat card though. I always liked the Giant version.
Prophylaxis: Elixir of Rejuvenation. This card is a little too good. I think this should either have an additional cost other than just tapping, or come into play tapped but the ability to just reset your side of the game as far as life and cards without even touching your board position seems just a little too good.
Egak: Syphon Water. I really like this card. It's balanced, very flavorful and at a relatively simple common, even more impressive. Nice card.
MOON-E: Quenchable Thirst. I liked quenchable fire, it was a cool sideboard card. However, I don't really see why being thirsty makes you stronger, shouldn't it make you weaker?
Lanxal: Desert Juice. This is another fun little trick, I think this may be ok at common or possibly give +2/-2.
Brofaux: Spontaneous Flood. Call me crazy but I think this could have been red and just tap mountains, and scale off mountains. Since Kamigawa red can do cold and ice effects, I don't see why they can't have flash floods as well, especially since this is a damage flood and not a tappy flood which is the kind blue usually does.
MagicBrains: Quenching Camel. This is another neat little common. Also very flavorful but he's not really quenching my thirst, just being unthirsty himself... Selfish jerk!
Oculus: Elixir of Wonders. Reminds me a bit of Staff of Domination but without the ability ot go infinite. Neat little bag of tricks.
Ninja Caterpie: Cactus Juice. I do get the Avatar referrence. I'm just not sure about this card. The wording is very confusing and could probably be improved a lot. That being said, this is probably the closest thing to a red pacifism that you could do.
Moonleaf: Fountain of Health. This card seems like it would be hard to keep track of on paper magic. Online, I don't see a problem. Cool card and the effect hasn't really been done before.
Profani: Bloody Mary. I think this card probably should be black. I don't really get anything red from it (other than the color of tomato juice). Other than that, I like it.
Emocakes: Orcish Ale. I really like this card and you probably would have won if it worked the way you intended. Since state based effects aren't checked during the resolution of an ability, the creature would suffer 2 points of damage, then get 2 +1/+1 counters and be in no risk of getting killed. This is the same reason that you can momentary blink creature tokens and get them back.
arbitraryarmor: Alluring Drink. I don't really get this card at all. First of all, it's not really that good at uncommon. Secondly, I don't really get the flavor of why something that makes you sick and tired is in anyway alluring.
Winner: Egak! Good job. Next challenge: Fate, or Destiny?
Vacuum Elemental 3BB
Creature - Elemental (r)
At the beginning of your upkeep, sacrifice a permanent for each +1/+1 counter on Vacuum Elemental.
Whenever Vacuum Elemental attacks, put a +1/+1 counter on it, then defending player sacrifices a permanent for each +1/+1 counter on Vacuum Elemental.
3/3
It's Not You, It's Me.2BB
Sorcery (r)
As an additional cost to play It's Not You, It's Me, sacrifice a creature.
Target player reveals his or her hand and discards all non-land cards with the same converted mana cost as the sacrificed creature, then that player discards all non-land cards with the same subtype as the sacrificed creature.
Hydrogen Dirigible3
Artifact Creature - Construct (u)
Flying.
When Hydrogen Dirigible becomes the target of a spell or ability, sacrifice it. If you do, Hydrogen Dirigible does 2 damage to each creature and player. "Sure it's dangerous but this cutting edge technology will revolutionize travel, you mark my words."
2/3
Legendary Creature - Mongoose
Flash. First strike.
Each creatures loses Deathtouch.
3/2
IIW: Deus Ex Machina
Chrono, Master of Time 3UU
Planeswalker - Chrono (m)
{+1}: Until the beginning of your next upkeep, the next spell you cast can be cast as though it has flash.
{-2}: Until the beginning of your next upkeep, whenever target player casts a spell, exile that card with 1 time counter on it. If it doesn't have suspend, it gains suspend.
{-5}: You gain an emblem with "Each spell you cast has Split Second".
[3]
Edit: Changed the -2 ability from "an opponent" to "target player" to make it more combo-licious as well as be less unfair in multiplayer.
Edit: Fixed the wording on the -2 ability to close match that of Delay
Edit: Fixed the wording on the +1 ability.
IIW: Deus Ex Machina
Here's a lose cycle of the zombie "workers" that deal with land in some way.
Putrid Dowser GB
Creature - Zombie Scout (u)
Sacrifice a creature: Return target basic land from your graveyard to your hand.
2/2
Unliving Arsonist RB
Creature - Zombie Scout (u)
T, Sacrifice a land: Unliving Arsonist deals 2 damage to target creature or player.
2/2
Reconnaissance Drone UB
Creature - Zombie Scout (u)
Whenever Reconnaissance Drone deals combat damage to a player, tap target land and untap another target land.
2/2
IIW: Deus ex machina
Creature - Treefolk Druid (u)
Each creature with a root counter on it can't attack.
At the beginning of each player's pre-combat main phase, remove all root counters from each creature that player controls. That player adds one mana of any color to his or her mana pool for each root counter removed this way.
G,T: Put a root counter on target creature.
2/5
IIW: Deus Ex Machina
Artifact - Equipment Fortification (c)
Equipped creature gains "t: Add one mana of any color to your mana pool."
Fortified land gains "t: Target creature gains +1/+1 until end of turn."
Equip 1
Fortify 1
As swords are beaten to plowshares in times of peace, so plowshares are beaten to swords in times of war.
IIW: Niv Mizzet is too smart for a creature, he decided he wants to be a planeswalker.
Instant (r)
Destroy target creature. Then, search your library for a card and put it into your hand, then shuffle your library.
IIW: 4 color legends.
Enchantment (r)
At the beginning of your upkeep, choose one - Search your library for a Curse card, put it into your hand, then shuffle your library; or Season of the Witch becomes a copy of target curse and attach it to target player until the beginning of that player's next end step.
IIW: Fix what's broken, choose an existing card you feel is way too good and remake it to be fair.
Instant (c)
Draw a card or discard a card from your hand. Then counter target spell if it's converted mana cost is equal to the number of cards in your hand.
When you know all the odds, the outcome of any hand is never a surprise.
IIW: Alliterative card titles.
Enchantment - Aura (u)
Enchant Land
1: Enchanted land becomes a 1/1 colorless artifact assembly worker creature with "Whenever this creature deals combat damage to a palyer, put a +1/+1 counter on it" until end of turn. It's still a land.
Whenever enchanted land is tapped for mana, add 1 to your mana pool for each +1/+1 counter on it.
When enchanted land is put into a graveyard, you may return Urza's Genju from your graveyard to your hand.
IIW: Salt
Edit: Made the card fit the challenge a little better.
Sorcery (R)
Endless Storm deals 3 damage to target creature or player.
Suspend X - Discard your hand. Endless Storm gains a time counter for each card discarded this way.
Whenever a time counter is removed from Endless Storm, you may copy it. If you do, you may cast the copy without paying it's mana cost.
Note: I understand that this card is a potential 1 card win by suspending it with 6 or 7 counters but it takes 7 turns to be leather while you are left completely defenseless, I don't think that's too OP.
IIW: Salt
Socrates: Shapeshifter's Elixir. Cool idea. I'm not really thrilled with the colored mana in the activation cost. I think it should either have been a colored artifact or a colorless mana cost. I like the effect however.
Polendino: Dwarven Brewmaster. I like this one. He reminds me of that dwarf from Odesy, Bomb Squad. The effect seems very red and I think it's appropriately costed.
EronTheRelentless: Dry Bones. Neat card but it doesn't really fit the challenge. In fact, it's pretty much the exact opposite of what I asked for.
Clockwork Gamer: Hydromeal Barrel. I'm not really sure what's blue about this. I get that blue is water but this effect seems like it would be just fine in mono green.
Summon Legend: Monsoon Season. I'm not really sure how to feel about this one. So, as long as the stack is empty, non-blue players are screwed. I think this might be a little nuts all you have to do is play a threat on an empty or superior board positon and drop this enchantment and then don't do anything but swing. I would like it better it maybe there was something that could be done about it. I'm just having flashbacks to how unfun Blood Moon has made games... and that only hits non-basic lands.
MDenham: Ginger Tonic. I like the idea of this card but I don't think it works. By the time a spell has an effect, like reducing p/t, that means the spell has already resolved so it's a bit late for you to counter it.
CrustaceanCrusader: Lemonade Stand. I like this card. I'm not really sure who would play this but I do really like the flavor (no pun intendid) of this card.
AsianInvasion: Marshdrinker Primus. I feel almost like I do about this card as I did with EronTheRelentless' card. Both are more about being thirsty than fixing that problem. It's a neat card though. I always liked the Giant version.
Prophylaxis: Elixir of Rejuvenation. This card is a little too good. I think this should either have an additional cost other than just tapping, or come into play tapped but the ability to just reset your side of the game as far as life and cards without even touching your board position seems just a little too good.
Egak: Syphon Water. I really like this card. It's balanced, very flavorful and at a relatively simple common, even more impressive. Nice card.
MOON-E: Quenchable Thirst. I liked quenchable fire, it was a cool sideboard card. However, I don't really see why being thirsty makes you stronger, shouldn't it make you weaker?
Lanxal: Desert Juice. This is another fun little trick, I think this may be ok at common or possibly give +2/-2.
Brofaux: Spontaneous Flood. Call me crazy but I think this could have been red and just tap mountains, and scale off mountains. Since Kamigawa red can do cold and ice effects, I don't see why they can't have flash floods as well, especially since this is a damage flood and not a tappy flood which is the kind blue usually does.
MagicBrains: Quenching Camel. This is another neat little common. Also very flavorful but he's not really quenching my thirst, just being unthirsty himself... Selfish jerk!
Oculus: Elixir of Wonders. Reminds me a bit of Staff of Domination but without the ability ot go infinite. Neat little bag of tricks.
Ninja Caterpie: Cactus Juice. I do get the Avatar referrence. I'm just not sure about this card. The wording is very confusing and could probably be improved a lot. That being said, this is probably the closest thing to a red pacifism that you could do.
Moonleaf: Fountain of Health. This card seems like it would be hard to keep track of on paper magic. Online, I don't see a problem. Cool card and the effect hasn't really been done before.
Profani: Bloody Mary. I think this card probably should be black. I don't really get anything red from it (other than the color of tomato juice). Other than that, I like it.
Emocakes: Orcish Ale. I really like this card and you probably would have won if it worked the way you intended. Since state based effects aren't checked during the resolution of an ability, the creature would suffer 2 points of damage, then get 2 +1/+1 counters and be in no risk of getting killed. This is the same reason that you can momentary blink creature tokens and get them back.
arbitraryarmor: Alluring Drink. I don't really get this card at all. First of all, it's not really that good at uncommon. Secondly, I don't really get the flavor of why something that makes you sick and tired is in anyway alluring.
Winner: Egak! Good job. Next challenge: Fate, or Destiny?
Creature - Elemental (r)
At the beginning of your upkeep, sacrifice a permanent for each +1/+1 counter on Vacuum Elemental.
Whenever Vacuum Elemental attacks, put a +1/+1 counter on it, then defending player sacrifices a permanent for each +1/+1 counter on Vacuum Elemental.
3/3
IIW: I'm thirsty, I could use a drink.
Derp! my bad, I'll edit when I get home (on my mobile atm) if judging happens before then, so be it, just ignore my entry thanks.
Sorcery (r)
As an additional cost to play It's Not You, It's Me, sacrifice a creature.
Target player reveals his or her hand and discards all non-land cards with the same converted mana cost as the sacrificed creature, then that player discards all non-land cards with the same subtype as the sacrificed creature.
IIW:Poetry
Artifact Creature - Construct (u)
Flying.
When Hydrogen Dirigible becomes the target of a spell or ability, sacrifice it. If you do, Hydrogen Dirigible does 2 damage to each creature and player.
"Sure it's dangerous but this cutting edge technology will revolutionize travel, you mark my words."
2/3