MTG Salvation

Some commentary:

Arcel: Your set needs to be mechanically more fleshed out. A single new mechanic a new set doesn't make. Shift is also poorly worded (what you mean with a creature spell being "successfully cast"? If it was successful then you should use "when another creature enters the battlefield") besides since it's mandatory you could just make it a static effect -to clean up nightmarish stacks- like this: "Creatures with shift are the colour and have the creature types of the latest creature to have entered the battlefield." Anyway, I don't like the mechanic much as it is; it doesn't make sense flavour-wise since those creatures are not shapeshifters and it seems simply an excuse to put an on/off switch on abilities. I liked the Dragon but you also needed to create some cards that supported tribal in other ways to show how convenient is to, for example, have an hydra with shift in your elves deck as it will become an elf (barring opponent's intervention) and recieving benefits from it.

Big_Cal: You start well. I'm positively intrigued by infuse and your first card as it basically shows an enchantment placing mini-auras on other permanents and giving sense to the rather shaky concept of creatures that are also enchantments. However, your next few cards are simply that! Spells that in some way or other make a permanent an enchantment in addition to some traditional effects, which makes them seem gratuitous and gimmicky, in addition of making Disenchant super cheap Vindicate. Also, morph seems kind of disconnected as a secondary mechanic (though I love that aura with morph.) The shapeshifter is really cool too. You needed more cards like that or like the hymn -the ones to show cool interactions with things becoming enchantments- to sell your set. Leave to us to imagine the completely obvious enablers (most of your cards) after we've fallen in love with it.

Gerrard's Mom: Interestingly enough, I considered something akin to missions when I was planning my set but I didn't find quickly a way to execute them satisfactorily so I moved on. I didn't like your execution at first glance, but it quickly grew on me. That said, some of those cards are grossly undercosted and it worries me that the ones that trigger on a creature attacking and not becoming blocked will be ridiculously unfair with things like Invisible Stalker and the ones triggering on creatures dying will be ridiculous with sacrifice effects. Definitely needs some tweaking. On the minor mechanics, I greatly dislike betting cards (but that's just a personal taste) and I think that you should switch your Licid subtheme with Big_Cal's Morph subtheme as they suit better your sets' themes.

KoolKoal: Your cards are good and they seem to make a tightly knit and interactive set... that fails to be compelling at all! Unfortunately, both Weave and Charge (which is simply a keywording of a somewhat common effect) feel like secondary mechanics. There's not a mechanical heart to it or a selling point. Just... lots of enchantments and things that make cool things with enchantments.

Koopa: I like your set's mechanical theme and execution. Two problems, though: First, the set doesn't give you a reason NOT to play monocolored; in fact it punishes you for not doing so, as the cards are overcosted if Purity doesn't trigger. You need to show us some reasons that would tempt players not to play monocolored decks or at least risk having off-colour mana sources in their decks that could mess their chance of triggering purity (powerful multicolor cards, lands that tap for colorless mana and have an useful ability, etc.), which leads me to the second problem: Your set needs other mechanics and themes.

Link: You've fallen in an error many set designers fall at the beginning: you made an insular set that makes sense and it's balanced on its own but which cards will break any other environment where they can be played or be totally irrelevant. Some of those cards will become modern and even legacy staples while the more thematic ones will not be able to mesh well with the other set in standard.

Moss_Elemental: First things first: I seriously love the idea of giving additional benefits to Landfall depending on the land type. I really hope Wizards do that whenever Landfall returns. However, your two other mechanics are not as inspired: Profusion will force most people playing block (and perhaps standard) to splash green to be able to ramp, or be at the mercy of all other decks that will have access to more powerful effects much earlier. It also makes manascrew an even more infuriating and crippling disadvantage. Depleted, on the other hand, is too easy to achieve without punishment and the only times when it won't be correct to tap your extra lands to get the bonus effect is when said bonus is kind of mediocre, like your creature's.

Ninja Caterpie: Man, you don't know how long I've spent thinking on a set based on this setting and the use of colourless as the sixth colour. I didn't submit it because you got it first. Unfortunately you don't seem to have spent nearly as much thinking about it: There are some neat coloured cards but where's my colourless pride at, bizatch? The only card that hints at the possibilities of playing only a colourless deck is that colourless-hybrid card. What's with that weak-ass, boring shapeshifter? You surely saw my 2/2 for 1 as long as you only spent colourless mana that I posted in almost every contest in this site. That's the kind of stuff I'd want to see and that would show that there's a real struggle of power between coloured and colourless!

Prophylaxis: I really liked the Gold mechanic back in GDS2 but seeing how it's your main mechanic I'm not sure whether to give you a vote since it's not really your design. You get kudos points for making good cards that exploit it and noticing the benefit with Proliferate and pair that with wither... but where are my Proliferate cards? :/ Also, you really needed to show a few giant TEEMMEEH!! spells that make hoarding gold seem a worthwhile strategy.

Rudyard: I can tell that your set is very well planned and designed but I cannot properly judge it since I don't play multiplayer and I'm not sure I'd enjoy it. As fair and fun some people will surely find Communal and Wander, I wouldn't touch those cards with a 2 meter jitte. If there was ever a set like this in magic, I'd just stop playing magic for as long as it is in standard. Sorry :/

Savia: I like it. There's nothing super great or noteworthy but it all works out and meshes together nicely which is more important, and it's dripping with flavour. I'd have liked to see more cards, but I really like all your mechanics, especially Nova.

small Child: Flurry is interesting but it does a poor job of being the sole mechanical heart of your set. It doesn't make enough for a big picture or to make games varied. I'd have loved it if you paired it thematically against expensive stuff somehow bleeding ramp into all colours so you could have games of people playing lots of small things against people playing slow, but powerful things.

Socrates: Interesting choice for a mechanical core. However, I don't really see the pull to play ability-less creatures (whose apparent only benefit, going by the ONE example you submitted, is being slightly larger than the norm) when the cards with abilities are so good and when Primal makes removal super easy and cheap. I can see how they are some cards that benefit from you controlling an ability-less creature but when you build your deck around some mediocre, super-easy to remove creatures, you are just asking for a whooping.

Spezza19: I love it. Very original concept that's very well fleshed out. I'm kind of worried that it adds a bit too many things to keep a bookkeeping account of, but I'm willing to overlook that. There's only one major problem: White's balance need to be reworked. All other colours manage resources already available in the game and can use a few balance cards to take advantage of them. White HAS TO play a majority of balance cards just to dream to achieve balance at some point and then maybe take advantage of it. My suggestion? Move green's current balance to white (white cares more about number of creatures than green, who cares more about quality) and make green's balance care about lands, maybe having exactly 5 in the battlefield.

Svennihilator: Ugh no, the new affinity. It may not give you stuff for free but it gives you an ever self-feeding, easily controllable, restrictionless and eternal Yawgmoth's Will.

swishh: See most of my critique to Koopa. I like that your submission also makes cards care about land types and that you show that you can rely on artifacts to "cheat" the system a bit.

TacticalCelbrant: I think you are onto something but you could have shown us more cards, particularly more of those triggering stuff depending on your mana pool. As it is, seems rather undeveloped.

UncleIstvan: I rather like the concept but I seriously believe this can get out of hand quite quickly especially with cards from other sets. Hell, that Lucena's Justice is already a monster to be reckoned allowing you to basically wipe out your opponents by sacrificing some tokens. I think there's a reason why sacrifice outlets are only seem seldomly and the ones that are free become tournament staples.

Comment Hidden

Everyone knows Prophylaxis only steals other people's designs

Quote from AsianInvasion

It would have been, had mythic rares existed back then.

Assuming no other creatures are on the battlefield, when the card ETB and one of the Wurms subsequently dies, the following happens:

1. Destroy four 18/18s, put four 6/6s onto the battlefield, and gain 4 life.
2. Destroy four 6/6s, put four 6/6s onto the battlefield, and gain 4 life.
3. Repeat 2. three more times.

End result: Four 6/6s and gain 20 life. Things get even sillier when additional creatures are added.

Quote from Ninja Caterpie

(M)

i got that part.

Quote from Small Child

Well thank god they can at least still activate kana abilities.

I have a friend who, when he controlled no untapped creatures and was being attacked, would declare that he was blocking...with his face. It's a good thing he's really skinny, otherwise him attacking could potentially be rather damaging.

Quote from CrustaceanCrusader

Splendid Isolation 2WWW
Enchantment — Aura (M)
Enchant player
When Splendid Isolation enters the battlefield, choose a color.
Enchanted player has protection from the chosen color. This effect doesn't remove Splendid Isolation.

"//gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?action=advanced&text=+[%22enters%20the%20battlefield,%20choose%20a%20color%22">"]ETB, choose a color" abilities use "as," not "when."

oh hey hi



EDIT:

Quote from Maokun

Ok, I said that next time something like this happened, I'd do the judgings... I just want to make sure Volrath_the_Risen is not already doing it, so I'll wait half an hour to see if he's around.

Commandeer.

Quote from Iso

Bump.

Let's get some more people in this game.

I agree!

Fun setup!

ZDS is playing!

You get to stare at me every Day!

What's not to love?

Quote from Prophylaxis

A little off topic here, but WBG are the three best colors for life gain. If that is true, then how would

Megalife Gain WBG
Sorcery (U)
Gain * life.

How much would * be? If Heroes's Reunion is pretty much unplayable and gains you 7 life, how much Megalife Gain would have to offer?

I would say 13-15, if not being unplayable is the goal. This would almost have to be a rare though because of the absurd amount it would slow down its limited format.

Quote from Ninja Caterpie

"that player sacrifices target creature he or she controls".

The reason this wording isn't used is because it implies that "that player" chooses the target.

I don't feel like changing my entry to fit the amended IIW criteria, so I will instead make a face at Prophy.
EDZ: Actually, I thought of a reasonable idea so I will change my entry. Face still applies.