Apologies; it appears fine on my screen. I will be updating the original post with an image link in a moment.
Liliana of the Veil
{2}{B}{B}
Planeswalker - Liliana
3 Loyalty
+1: Search target player's library for a card and put it into his or her graveyard. Then that player shuffles his or her library.
-2: Put target creature card in a graveyard onto the battlefield under your control.
-6: Until end of turn, you may play cards in your graveyard. If a card would be put into your graveyard this turn from anywhere, exile that card instead.
We know that Liliana is being printed in a new form in Innistrad, we know that she is "very good" (according to MaRo), and we know that the set has a strong graveyard theme, with Flashback being all but confirmed.
With that in mind, I have put together a design of what I would like to see.
MSE mockup; I will (probably) be replacing with a higher quality photoshop version soon.
The first ability fuels both the second and third from your deck, additionally interacting with the graveyard theme of the set; combined with the Flashback mechanic, it can function as a direct, albeit limited tutor effect. The ability also has added functionality in pulling targets from an opponents deck or removing combo pieces. Potentially strong combination with Surgical Extraction, but more costly than the similar functionality of Memoricide or Sadistic Sacrament, leading me to believe this will not be problematic.
The second ability is a reanimation at sorcery speed. For the most part, such effects at CMC4 are largely unplayable. Due to it being (slowly) reusable, able to target opposing graveyards, and synergistic with the first ability, it is a strong effect. This is also the means by which Liliana protects herself, although at a loss of Loyalty.
The third ability is essentially a copy of Yawgmoth's Will. The key differences are that Liliana has a CMC of 1 higher, and a multi-turn delay in the activation of the ability, leading me to believe that while potentially game-ending (like most planeswalker ultimates), it is safe to print. Keep in mind that although the delay in activation is what makes the ability 'safe', it is in some ways actually an advantage as activating the ability itself has no mana cost, giving you more resources to work with once used. Also of note is that while Yawgmoth's Will exiles itself after resolving, Liliana will be placed in the graveyard if at 0 Loyalty before the ability resolves, allowing you to recast her.
While it is difficult to judge without playtesting, I feel the abilities are fine and the card, while very strong, is not format defining. Concerns over power level comes from the strong synergy of the card itself.
Changes I would consider, if playtest determined necessary, would be to limit the first ability to searching your own library, and/or increasing the Loyalty cost of the third ability to -7.
"606.3. A player may activate a loyalty ability of a permanent he or she controls any time he or she has priority and the stack is empty during a main phase of his or her turn, but only if no player has previously activated a loyalty ability of that permanent that turn."
Yes, you do. The restriction of no more than once per turn is part of the timing restriction. If you bypass the timing restriction ('can be played any time you could cast a sorcery'), you are also bypassing the 'once per turn' limit.
Changing it to 'You can activate this ability any time you could cast an instant once per turn' or similar would fix that, but is starting to become excessively wordy, and still allows you to activate that ability even if you have already activated another loyalty ability that turn, while disallowing you from activating another loyalty ability afterwards that turn - not intuitive.
Changing it to 'You can activate this ability any time you could cast an instant, as long as a loyalty ability of ~ has not been played this turn' is almost guaranteed to long and to complex.
As I said earlier, having a planeswalker loyalty ability that can be activated at instant speed, and really works, requires at least some rewriting of the rules. Under the current rules, by far the best way of handling this is as a triggered ability. The example of such I posted earlier even works perfectly for your design:
"Whenever an opponent casts a spell that targets you or a planeswalker you control, you may remove 1 loyalty counter from ~. If you do, counter that spell."
A little wordy, but is clear on how it works, and functions well without any rules revisions.
I have played with the idea of instant-speed abilities on planeswalkers in my designs before, and by far the best way to make it work (disregarding rules revisions) is as a trigger.
For example, "Whenever an opponent casts a spell, you may remove 2 loyalty counters from ~. If you do, counter that spell."
This would, of course, be in place of one of the typical three planeswalker abilities.
Edit:If they do alter the rules of planeswalker activation to 'once per turn, sorcery speed' instead of 'once during your turn, sorcery speed', they could then include an 'any time you could cast an instant' or similar clause on various abilities.
NICE ! I have a playset of the old ABU sol ring , but strangely I much prefer the new art even though original art makes more sense.
Really? Go look at the new art again. Specifically what is within the ring, spiraling outwards.
While I love that there is now a legitimate nonfoil copy available with this art, I think I'm going to stick with my high quality proxies; new art, old frame.
Prior to Future Sight, enchantments however, could not be tapped. Period.
Liliana of the Veil
{2}{B}{B}
Planeswalker - Liliana
3 Loyalty
+1: Search target player's library for a card and put it into his or her graveyard. Then that player shuffles his or her library.
-2: Put target creature card in a graveyard onto the battlefield under your control.
-6: Until end of turn, you may play cards in your graveyard. If a card would be put into your graveyard this turn from anywhere, exile that card instead.
With that in mind, I have put together a design of what I would like to see.
MSE mockup; I will (probably) be replacing with a higher quality photoshop version soon.
The first ability fuels both the second and third from your deck, additionally interacting with the graveyard theme of the set; combined with the Flashback mechanic, it can function as a direct, albeit limited tutor effect. The ability also has added functionality in pulling targets from an opponents deck or removing combo pieces. Potentially strong combination with Surgical Extraction, but more costly than the similar functionality of Memoricide or Sadistic Sacrament, leading me to believe this will not be problematic.
The second ability is a reanimation at sorcery speed. For the most part, such effects at CMC4 are largely unplayable. Due to it being (slowly) reusable, able to target opposing graveyards, and synergistic with the first ability, it is a strong effect. This is also the means by which Liliana protects herself, although at a loss of Loyalty.
The third ability is essentially a copy of Yawgmoth's Will. The key differences are that Liliana has a CMC of 1 higher, and a multi-turn delay in the activation of the ability, leading me to believe that while potentially game-ending (like most planeswalker ultimates), it is safe to print. Keep in mind that although the delay in activation is what makes the ability 'safe', it is in some ways actually an advantage as activating the ability itself has no mana cost, giving you more resources to work with once used. Also of note is that while Yawgmoth's Will exiles itself after resolving, Liliana will be placed in the graveyard if at 0 Loyalty before the ability resolves, allowing you to recast her.
While it is difficult to judge without playtesting, I feel the abilities are fine and the card, while very strong, is not format defining. Concerns over power level comes from the strong synergy of the card itself.
Changes I would consider, if playtest determined necessary, would be to limit the first ability to searching your own library, and/or increasing the Loyalty cost of the third ability to -7.
Yes, you do. The restriction of no more than once per turn is part of the timing restriction. If you bypass the timing restriction ('can be played any time you could cast a sorcery'), you are also bypassing the 'once per turn' limit.
Changing it to 'You can activate this ability any time you could cast an instant once per turn' or similar would fix that, but is starting to become excessively wordy, and still allows you to activate that ability even if you have already activated another loyalty ability that turn, while disallowing you from activating another loyalty ability afterwards that turn - not intuitive.
Changing it to 'You can activate this ability any time you could cast an instant, as long as a loyalty ability of ~ has not been played this turn' is almost guaranteed to long and to complex.
As I said earlier, having a planeswalker loyalty ability that can be activated at instant speed, and really works, requires at least some rewriting of the rules. Under the current rules, by far the best way of handling this is as a triggered ability. The example of such I posted earlier even works perfectly for your design:
"Whenever an opponent casts a spell that targets you or a planeswalker you control, you may remove 1 loyalty counter from ~. If you do, counter that spell."
A little wordy, but is clear on how it works, and functions well without any rules revisions.
For example, "Whenever an opponent casts a spell, you may remove 2 loyalty counters from ~. If you do, counter that spell."
This would, of course, be in place of one of the typical three planeswalker abilities.
Edit:If they do alter the rules of planeswalker activation to 'once per turn, sorcery speed' instead of 'once during your turn, sorcery speed', they could then include an 'any time you could cast an instant' or similar clause on various abilities.
Updated. Not the best design, but it was fast, and now I think I'm done on this topic.
David Bowie, Guild Sovereign
Half-finished draft. Suggestions welcome.
Really? Go look at the new art again. Specifically what is within the ring, spiraling outwards.
While I love that there is now a legitimate nonfoil copy available with this art, I think I'm going to stick with my high quality proxies; new art, old frame.