After a bunch more testing I can say that the Guild-Mage does have a place in the deck, mostly in the mirror match. Simic V. Simic can get really hairy but using the gm to siphon off counters back onto a hydropon can spell victory really fast. This dude dropped a manipulator and a root-kin and in two turns I had killed both by stripping the counters onto a useless hydropon. It also gives all you creatures the root-kins shuffle ability which can be really nice with one of the evasive creatures.
This is the deck I've been working on. I started it as a straight up aggro deck but have been making changes as I play it more.
One thing that people have right is that Cytoshape and Trygon Pred need to be in there right along with the Root-Kin. I'm using Ledgewalker for evasive beats but normally a Trygon or Root-Kin can get the job done anyway. Doubling Season is a casual inclusion, it can be crazy when it gets into play but it really just helps a winning board win harder.
I thought that the GM and Manipulator would rock the house but the guildmage, while nice, isn't hot with my build due to the lack of auras and the Manipulator is fragile(I need to test it more, mostly I've run into creature light decks anyway).
The Frogling is nice. I don't really ever have anything in play w/o a counter or two on it so the restriction is no big deal. I'm still waiting to see if Kraj is worth it, not only does he break the curve but I'd rather just steal the creature straight up with Manipulator.
Mishandle: Good for knocking out uber-equipped guys that burn wouldn't hit, but other than that it is pretty limited.
Torturous Guidance: Probably good as is, but might be a little strong.
Paragon of Power: Strong... A giant-growth distributing one drop with a drawback that wouldn't hurt an accel-based green deck. Dunno what to suggest that wouldn't make it wimpy.
@LSK: A paragon is a model of/epitome of some virtue or characteristic. Mayhaps you are think of a pentagram?
That might work better, but I thinkthe timing issue still remains. They can always dump mana into instants in response or do something else sneaky like that.
That being said, I like the addition and I think the UB makes my drawback less necessary.
First a mechanic idea that has been floating around my head for a few days. Need some help templating it however....
Learn: X (You may pay X and attach ~ to?/imprint ~ on?/ ~ becomes an enchant creature enchanting? target creature you control. That creature gains this spells text.)
Used on small spell effects you could see something like this:
Name! U
Instant (U)
Tap or untap target creature
Learn: 1U (blah blah blah)
With the end result of creature X gaining the ability to tap or untap target creature. How could I say this in an elegant way that includes saying what the creature must do to use that ability (ie, tap:X RR:X)?
And now a few cards that I thought of in school earlier.
Akki Sprinter R
Creature - Goblin Warrior (R)
When this comes into play,
lands you control don't untap
during your next untap step.
2/2
Enough of a drawback? Is it to powerful or what?
Spellthrust 1R
Instant - Arcane (U)
Until end of turn, spells cannot
be countered and damage cannot
be prevented.
Splice Onto Arcane: 1R
Dark Conversion 2BB
Instant (R)
As an additional cost to play ~ lose 4 life.
Remove all mana from target player's mana pool.
Target creature gets -X/-X UEOT where X is the
amount of mana removed in this way.
Part of a possible cycle. Flavor is that you drain the enemies power and twists it to your own purpose, a hard task, hence the additional cost which would change for each card of the cycle.
Llama: Back before the Revision and attendant hammering out of storyline-to-cardgame equivalencies a few such systems were in place. The characters from Dual Loyalties represent creatures ('cept for the 'walker) and the stones I believe are spells. But none of that really carries over to any specific cards that I know of. (See also the spell-bags from Arena, those are another system.)
@CateranLlama: Write one! The stage is set for a solid sequel and I think it would be a pretty cool avenue to explore. I for one would be happy to read of her continuing adventures.
@Squirle: alright, I guess I'll just have to stick to the two tales I have that include him.
EvilDuck, I'm seeing the possible resemblance...but although I hate to say it, Eberron is probably a much better setting than Ravnica will be. (Playing through a campaign right now and loving it.)
I would be absolutly overjoyed if they took this in a direction similar to Arena. That was my first Magic book so maybe I'm biased a bit, but to me Arena captures alot of the dueling spirit of MtG while still maintaining a larger plotline. I could see a scenario along the line of JeffV's: the champion of the people attracts the attention of the big guilds and they try to paint him as a threat and nix him. he then proceeds to take them to task and brings down the corrupt institutions. Kinda cliche, but that could be spiced up with some plot twists/tricks.
Boy, that is a story I havn't thought of in a long time... I'm a big fan of the old stuff and I'm proud to boast of my Pre-Rev collection (including Distant Planes, Tapestries, and Arena as well as the Cursed Land and Song of Time trilogies.) As Squirle said, the woman in that story doesn't appear in further works but I wish they had continued her story farther. I'd much rather have her story than the Odyssey cycle.
Squirle, a question for you; you said that Loot appears in Tapestries as well but is there anywhere else he appears? I'm a big fan of his stories and would love to know more.
The ony other connection that I can think of between the Pre-Rev anthologies and actual cards is Teeka's Dragon from another story in Distant Planes.
The way you have it worded it sounds very much like the way I interpreted it. You mean something along the lines of "For each creature you control, choose one of the removed abilities. That creature gains that ability (this effect does not end at end of turn)".
Even then, chances are that you will be taking every ability, creating a huge power shift in the game. Something like that either has to be worded very specifically (as in Phyrexian Splicer) or have some drawback aside from mana cost.
I also think that Viper2's inplementation might be a more doable method.
Another question, does your idea allow for more than one of your creatures to gain the same ablity? As in: You have 4 random dudes, WW mage across the table has a bunch of Samurai, this card hits the table...can all your guys gain Bushido or just one?
9 Island
9 Forest
2 Novijen, Heart of Progress
// Creatures
2 Silhana Ledgewalker 1G
4 Vigean Hydropon 1GU
2 Cytoplast Manipulator 2UU
4 Cytoplast Root-Kin 2GG
4 Simic Guildmage (U/G)(U/G)
4 Simic Initiate G
2 Experiment Kraj 2GGUU
4 Placaster Frogling 1GU
4 Trygon Predator 1GU
4 Thrive XG
2 Doubling Season 4G
4 Cytoshape 1GU
This is the deck I've been working on. I started it as a straight up aggro deck but have been making changes as I play it more.
One thing that people have right is that Cytoshape and Trygon Pred need to be in there right along with the Root-Kin. I'm using Ledgewalker for evasive beats but normally a Trygon or Root-Kin can get the job done anyway. Doubling Season is a casual inclusion, it can be crazy when it gets into play but it really just helps a winning board win harder.
I thought that the GM and Manipulator would rock the house but the guildmage, while nice, isn't hot with my build due to the lack of auras and the Manipulator is fragile(I need to test it more, mostly I've run into creature light decks anyway).
The Frogling is nice. I don't really ever have anything in play w/o a counter or two on it so the restriction is no big deal. I'm still waiting to see if Kraj is worth it, not only does he break the curve but I'd rather just steal the creature straight up with Manipulator.
Even at 1WW I'd still play him, mono decks are commom around here.
Torturous Guidance: Probably good as is, but might be a little strong.
Paragon of Power: Strong... A giant-growth distributing one drop with a drawback that wouldn't hurt an accel-based green deck. Dunno what to suggest that wouldn't make it wimpy.
@LSK: A paragon is a model of/epitome of some virtue or characteristic. Mayhaps you are think of a pentagram?
That being said, I like the addition and I think the UB makes my drawback less necessary.
Silly me not to think Dark Conversion through all the way. The timing thing does kinda make this pointless. Hmm....
I think I'll change Akki Sprinter to "When this comes into play, lands you control don't untap during your next untap step." and leave it 2/2.
Learn: X (You may pay X and attach ~ to?/imprint ~ on?/ ~ becomes an enchant creature enchanting? target creature you control. That creature gains this spells text.)
Used on small spell effects you could see something like this:
Name! U
Instant (U)
Tap or untap target creature
Learn: 1U (blah blah blah)
With the end result of creature X gaining the ability to tap or untap target creature. How could I say this in an elegant way that includes saying what the creature must do to use that ability (ie, tap:X RR:X)?
And now a few cards that I thought of in school earlier.
Akki Sprinter R
Creature - Goblin Warrior (R)
When this comes into play,
lands you control don't untap
during your next untap step.
2/2
Enough of a drawback? Is it to powerful or what?
Spellthrust 1R
Instant - Arcane (U)
Until end of turn, spells cannot
be countered and damage cannot
be prevented.
Splice Onto Arcane: 1R
Dark Conversion 2BB
Instant (R)
As an additional cost to play ~ lose 4 life.
Remove all mana from target player's mana pool.
Target creature gets -X/-X UEOT where X is the
amount of mana removed in this way.
Part of a possible cycle. Flavor is that you drain the enemies power and twists it to your own purpose, a hard task, hence the additional cost which would change for each card of the cycle.
Necrogen Beam: Nice as an early zotter and then as a wide spread targeted discard later on.
Migraine Ritual: Helps when your trying to maximize the discard per turn or discard while not losing creature strength on board.
Gravitation: Really fun when you've knocked out a bunch of good cards and want to make sure they don't get more or just to smash apart their hand.
Burning Memories: Cool idea, I might play this casual with a modifed sligh build as it basically negates your half the drawback.
Yay for discard!
@Squirle: alright, I guess I'll just have to stick to the two tales I have that include him.
Squirle, a question for you; you said that Loot appears in Tapestries as well but is there anywhere else he appears? I'm a big fan of his stories and would love to know more.
The ony other connection that I can think of between the Pre-Rev anthologies and actual cards is Teeka's Dragon from another story in Distant Planes.
Drink For Two is chock-full of flavor goodness. However LSK has a point, most times this will lead to you winning flat out.
Rabbi Vole: I don't quite get it, but ok!
Don't Make Me Come In And Get Me: Funny! Cool! The idea is probably one of the most original ones I've seen in a looooon time.
Making Chitchat: Huh? Why?
The way you have it worded it sounds very much like the way I interpreted it. You mean something along the lines of "For each creature you control, choose one of the removed abilities. That creature gains that ability (this effect does not end at end of turn)".
Even then, chances are that you will be taking every ability, creating a huge power shift in the game. Something like that either has to be worded very specifically (as in Phyrexian Splicer) or have some drawback aside from mana cost.
I also think that Viper2's inplementation might be a more doable method.
Another question, does your idea allow for more than one of your creatures to gain the same ablity? As in: You have 4 random dudes, WW mage across the table has a bunch of Samurai, this card hits the table...can all your guys gain Bushido or just one?