Cool Card Design of the Day12/18/2012 - What happens when you ask a Dragon for advice? If you're lucky or clever, it might give you a powerful secret. If you're not, it'll likely kill you on the spot. You'll learn something important either way, though that may be cold comfort to a dragon's meal.
Consult the Dragon will always draw you a card, and might help you hit hard or remove an opposing creature. Which one is entirely up to fate. Or, if you're a blue mage, you.
Cool idea! Unfortunately, it doesn't quite work very well as worded, since you have to choose the spell's target when you announce it. It would need to be something like:
ReplyDelete"Reveal the top card of your library, then choose a target creature."
I'm not sure that way is rules-kosher, though.
I get the feeling, based on Jay's introduction, that he actually intends you to choose a creature *before* revealing the card! Which is a really cool idea to which the templating would need to be better suited. It should probably just say "choose target creature" first.
DeleteThat was my intention. There is risk in consulting with dragons. But the blue mage can use scry effects to stack the cards.
DeleteSo you have to be playing a bunch of scry effects for this card to be worth casting? That seems pretty unappealing. Notice that Riddle of Lightning and Judge Unworthy had the scry built in.
DeleteIs this more red ("I'm going to push this button and see what happens") than blue? Both changing power and toughness and drawing a card are blue effects, but the card's overall feel is pretty random.
ReplyDeleteHeh. I had wondered about green (because P/T boosting and minor card drawing is green) but nixed that because it can kill (and green is not a draconic color).
DeleteRed can totally have the P/T boost and the kill effect. The randomness and dragon-ness are perfect. The only sticking point is the draw, but Explosive Revelation does it, so it's not exactly verboten.
RU?
This feels very red.
ReplyDeleteBut right now, you can use this to kill your opponent's creatures by topdecking land.
But it's a nice idea. Needs a little fix. Either "creature you control" or +X/+X could make it work how you intend.
I think that's part of the intention of the design.
DeleteDirect creature kill in Blue? Polymorph is barely allowable, and this isn't Polymorph.
DeleteI agree with making this a UR multicolor card. The effects of the card (random pump/shrink/removal + card draw) fit both colors, as does the flavor.
ReplyDeleteErratic Mutation is quite similar at common.
ReplyDeleteI like the idea a lot, but I don't know if I think the effect quite matches, though I had a hard time finding a desirable effect in Blue. I ended up here..:
ReplyDeleteConsult the Dragon 1U
Sorcery (U)
Look at the top five cards of your library. You may reveal an artifact, instant or sorcery among them and put it into your hand. Put the rest on the bottom of your library in any order.
... I decided to see how each other color would go about asking a dragon for advice (since all colors have dragons)...
Paralyzing Presence 3WW
Sorcery (R)
Target opponent skips their next turn.
"The Dragons have lived for ages. Those who will not admit that they have wisdom are making themselves look like fools - and targets."
White calling on a dragon doesn't actually HURT the opponent, but punishes the opponent through intimidation.
Draconic Tutor 1B
Sorcery (R)
As an additional cost to cast ~, sacrifice a creature.
Search your library for a card and put it into your hand, then shuffle your library.
"Dragons are more amiable when they are paid a proper tribute."
Give up one of your minions as a snack to a dragon in exchange for power/knowledge? Sign me up.
Call Upon the Dragon 2RR
Sorcery (R)
Flip a coin. If you win the flip, put a red 5/5 Dragon creature token with flying and haste onto the battlefield. If you lose the flip, ~ deals 5 damage to you.
"Okay, we've got its attention. Now what do we do, Snik? ...Snik?" -Fik the Goblin, last words.
My personal favorite but probably also the least likely to see print since the difference between the two results is so unreasonable.
Bountiful Offering 4GG
Sorcery (U)
Draw 3 cards and gain 5 life.
"Why should we let the Dragons enslave us and take our flocks for feeding? I say let us grow strong and they can come and try to claim it!" Trystan, Lord of Needlepeak
... Breaking from the norm! Green can be self-sufficient (within a community) and is averse to outside influence/corruption.
Draconic Tutor is sweet.
DeleteLove Bountiful Offering's flavor.
I like that Call Upon the Dragon has a downside, but honestly, casting a 2RR spell and not getting a creature out of it is bad enough. Maybe:
Call Upon the Dragon 2RR
Sorcery (R)
Put a red 4/4 Dragon creature token with flying OTB. Flip a coin. If you win the flip, the token deals 4 damage to target c/p. If you lose the flip, it deals 4 damage to you.
"Okay, we've got its attention. Now what do we do, Snik? ...Snik?" -Fik the Goblin, last words.