Weekend Art ChallengeClick through to see this weekend's art and the design requirements for your single card submission, due Monday morning. Every submission warrants feedback, which I will try to provide, and which everyone is welcome to provide as well.
If you choose, you may use that feedback to revise your submission any number of times. I will post and review the most recent submission from each designer some time on Monday, life permitting. To help ensure I recreate your design accurately, please use CARDNAME instead of ~ in your submissions.
Design a common artifact or land for a Steampunk version of Tesla. Your card needs to illustrate a mechanical or thematic element that's important to the set. Bonus points for doing both and for ideas that haven't already been suggested.
Be sure to give each other as much feedback as possible, because I am away this weekend, and will only be doing the final review this week.
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| A |
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| B |
Option B
ReplyDeleteSteamcorvette 4
Creature- Vessel (Common)
Flying
Board 3 (3: Exile target non-vessel creature you control as long as CARDNAME remains on the battlefield.)
CARDNAME gets +1/+1 for each creature aboard her.
2/2
I designed this mechanic for a water world set. It came to mind probably because of the mecha conversation that's been going on lately. Playtesting has shown LSP's generally love it but spikes need a bit more incentive. I chose to seed the set with tons of enters the battlefield triggers and sacrifice outlets to help out.
It might help if board didn't have a parameter. What if boarding didn't cost any mana? (You'd probably want to limit it to sorcery speed in that case.) Then it would be strictly better than Devour 1, which I believe is pretty attractive to Spikes already, but I don't think it would become broken in the process.
DeleteAs I recall, Devour didn't go over well with most of the playerbase. It's fine to have cards just for Spike, but it's definitely something we should be aware of so we don't make cards with this mechanic without an audience (e.g. one with a coin flip).
DeleteI definitely like Ipaulsen's tweak here, getting rid of instant speed boarding avoids a lot of the issues hexproof faces and builds in the shields down moments that a cost does, but in a way that's easier to track.
Common land is not the correct place to be showing off a mechanical identity for the set. Common land in modern design has been almost exclusively simple color fixers, and very rarely anything else (Zendikar had a bit of variety, but that was a lands-matter set.)
ReplyDeleteUnless you name Option A "Mountain"
DeleteI think there are a lot of examples of Common lands that illustrate set themes.
DeleteThe Zendikar//Worldwake ETB land, as you pointed out, did a good job showing the block cared about lands specifically. And Quicksand helped sell the "Adventure World" angle for Zendikar. Darksteel Citadel and the Mirrodin artifact lands (development aside) showed Mirrodin block cared about artifacts. Snow-Lands in Coldsnap did similar work to showcase Snow as a theme. Finally, Seraph Sanctuary was a great way to show Avacyn Restored had a strong Angel theme.
That's looking at Modern-legal sets. So maybe it doesn't happen all the time, but I think it's perfectly fine for a design challenge.
I'm with Nich on this. To quote Maro: "If your set's theme isn't at common, it isn't your theme." And as a matter of design history, rare lands have actually been *less* likely to follow a set's themes. (Also, you can add Guildgates to the list of set-themed common lands.)
DeleteI agree that it's not a usual place to show off a theme, but that's mostly because of board complexity issues with lands doing anything besides making mana. I have no problem with something like Seraph Sanctuary from time to time.
DeleteCliffhub Bazaar
ReplyDeleteLand
T: Add 1 to your mana pool.
3, T, Sacrifice Cliffhub Bazaar: Return an artifact card at random from your graveyard to your hand.
Everyone can use a little piece.
This is an iteration of Haunted Fengraf for a set that cares about artifacts. The last land to do something like this was Buried Ruin which was uncommon in M12, but Maro has said before that some effects can get downshifted rarity when there's a strong focus in the set, like artifact, multicolor, or tribal. I could have straight up reprinted Buried Ruin, but I saw two problems. First, its flavor fits a world of archaeology, not a world of tinkerers. Second, the targeted removal feels too tutory. A random return makes it feel more like you found something surprising at a bazaar. Anyway, targeted return would wreck Limited.
I like how this is strictly worse than Buried Ruin, yet good for Limited at common. Also, I appreciate the flavor text pun.
DeleteInteresting how the randomness constrains the flavor. I can see this as a bustling marketplace or a scrapheap, but not as a factory, for instance. I like it.
DeleteHow well were depletion counters received?
ReplyDeleteThe River Delta kind, or the Peat Bog kind? Personally I'd prefer to do things with charge counters-- see the Vivid lands for a good example.
DeleteYeah, that would be a better way of achieving the same idea of mining lands for resources.
DeleteThe multicolor depletion lands have really bad Gatherer ratings so that one's not a good path.
Picture B
ReplyDeleteImperial Hoverscout (2)(2/U)
Artifact Creature — Construct (C)
Mecha-Charged (This enters the battlefield with a +1/+1 counter on it for every two colorless mana spent to cast it.)
Flying
1/1
I think twobrid tends to be overused around here, but it makes a lot of sense as a novel way to do artifacts. I'm less in love with the idea of a mechanic that can only go on twobrid cards. Actually, though, the templating here is ambiguous. Did you mean "for each 2 in a twobrid cost that you chose to pay", or "for every 2 actual colorless mana that you spent on the cost"? The second alternative is much more attractive to me as a set theme, though I think it would be better just to count the number of colorless mana you paid.
DeleteI like this approach, but I wonder how many players will think paying WWU to cast it will trigger the bonus, since you paid the colorless cost. If we do use the mechanic, a binary version of did/didn't pay colorless mana to cast it could be simpler.
DeleteHoverscout (2/U)(2/U)
Artifact Creature - Construct
Flying
Steam-Power -- When CARDNAME enters the battlefield, if you spent any colorless mana to cast it, target creature gains flying until end of turn.
2/2
I like the binary approach a lot. We still need a good way to distinguish between colorless mana and colorless costs in the template, though.
DeleteThis is early Magic's fault! Colorless mana and generic mana have nothing to do with each other, but they use the same symbol.
Delete"for every 2 actual colorless mana that you spent on the cost"
DeleteThis means it can come in with 2 +1/+1 counters if you spent (4) to cast.
This is supposed to help foster an enviroment where a colorless land may be as useful as a basic land. A Thran Dynamo type card would be crazy good in that enviroment obviously.
It is annoying that there is no easy way to distinguish colorless mana.
The mana symbol overlap might not prove insurmountable, but even if it's not I'm not sure what role a colorless mana matters mechanic is really playing.
DeletePreviously I had proposed a mechanic ("Battery") that was like Eldrazi Spawn, but with artifacts rather than 0/1 creatures. Something like that (or the fabled colorless basic land) would probably be needed to make this relevant and interesting, as Jules says.
DeleteCrop B:
ReplyDeleteSmuggler's Airship
3
Artifact Creature - Construct (C)
2/1
Flying
1, Discard a card: Until end of turn, CARDNAME gains hexproof and can't be blocked except by creatures with reach.
Flavor: Steampunk needs smugglers, right? Ability represents flying low, presumably in the shown industrial urban area, out of sight of flying patrols.
Mechanical Utility: Discard ability can help iterations of the Rekindle/Posterity ability, though only to an extent that you may be choked on specific colors of mana such that you can't simply cast your cheaper/equivalent spells to feed those abilities.
That's a doozy of an evasion ability! I love the flavor and like how it fits with Green's hatred for artifacts, but it makes me wonder if it shouldn't just be "can't be blocked" for simplicity's sake. Also, be aware that some players might have trouble parsing it (as I did).
DeleteHow often would you be willing to activate this just for the evasion? How often would the evasion be relevant if you activated it for the hexproof?
It's definitely flavor for flavor's sake.
DeleteAlternate Concept (Crop B):
DeleteSmuggler's Airship
4
Artifact Creature - Construct (C)
2/2
Flying
Whenever CARDNAME attacks, target creature you control with power 2 or less gains flying until end of turn.
This design is intended for an environment with Morphs.
Trained Condor and Goblin Tunneler can vouch for this being a common. Solid.
DeleteI really like the second version.
DeleteLet's make the Shimmering Grotto of an artifact-centric block:
ReplyDeleteBusy Hoverport
Land (Common)
T: Add 1 to your mana pool.
T, Operate: Add 1 mana of any color to your mana pool. (Operate by tapping an untapped artifact you control.)
With or without the keyword is fine-- I'm just putting it in for consideration as a more general mechanic.
This is pretty cool. I'm not sure how I feel about Operate as a keyword action, but I'd be fine with this as a one-of even if we don't use it.
DeleteClockwork Airship 4
ReplyDeleteArtifact Creature - Construct (C)
Flying
Clockwork 3 (This enters the battlefield with three +1/+1 counters on it. At the beginning of your upkeep, remove a counter. When you remove the last, return ~ to its owner's hand.)
0/0
Clockwork can enable things like Artifact-fall, handsize mechanics, or counter manipulation.
Return-to-hand is a nice way to do this. I'd be inclined to set up the trigger differently; the historical default is "Whenever this attacks or blocks, remove a +1/+1 counter from it at the end of combat," which prevents the feel-bad of losing the first counter before you can do anything. There's also some potential rules weirdness here-- I think state-based effects kill this before you can return it to your hand. What about:
DeleteClockwork 2 (This ETB with two +1/+1 counters on it. Whenever it attacks or blocks, remove a counter from it at the end of combat. If you can't, return it to its owner's hand.)
1/1
A little more mathy, but probably safer.
I always liked the clockwork idea, but always disliked how my creature would slowly shrink. Most clockwork things run just fine until right near the end, before you have to wind them again. I think if there were a ton of clockwork creatures at common, there would be a ton of extra math that would need to be done each turn as you re-evaluate the board. maybe we could try this simpler to follow method to keep boardstates less mathy:
DeleteClockwork Airguard 4
Artifact Creature - Construct (C)
Flying
Clockwork 3 (This enters the battlefield with three charge counters on it. At the beginning of your upkeep, remove a charge counter. When CARDNAME has no charge counters on it, return ~ to its owner's hand.)
1/3
this way the P/T is constant, and the creature functions similar to fading or vanishing. I like that this mechanic as James stated will work with artifact-fall, handsize mechanics, or counter manipulation, but what I dislike is that this will be seen as a "downside mechanic" which a lot of new players do not enjoy.
Note the rules don't work as written. It would have to be "as you remove the last counter..."
DeleteThe changing board state is certainly a valid point that I hadn't considered, but the +1/+1 counter version has more feel to it. Of course, it also leads to situations where you want to replay your clockwork creature larger, but can't attack without getting it killed, which adds good tension, but could prove frustrating. Either way, returning to hand is awesome!
DeleteI like the charge counter version and how it eliminates the constant changes to creature sizes. The mechanic does look boring and wouldn't be a set-seller, but I still think it could interface well with other set themes.
DeleteHere's another riff that lets you control the wind-up:
Clockwork Airship 1
Artifact Creature - Construct
Flying
Wind-Up (You may pay an additional X to cast this and put X charge counters on it. At the beginning of your upkeep, remove a charge counter. If you can't, return this to its owner's hand.)
2/2
I like this a lot! One of the best designs I've seen on the site.
DeleteOption B:
ReplyDeleteThis could easily be an Ornithopter reprint, and easily fit into the Tesla world. But I will try a design as well instead of just offering a reprint.
Ornithopter Drone 1
Creature - Thopter (Common)
Flying
CARDNAME enters the battlefield with a charge counter on it.
Remove a charge counter from cardname: look at the top card of your library. you may put that card on the bottom of your library.
0/2
could be a fun spin on the thropter and would play nice with Mechas if you needed a way to smooth your draws for another artifact to combine with what you had on the board.
Charge counters on creatures at common tends to be a no-no. Is there a compelling reason for this not to be an enters-the-battlefield trigger?
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteYes. Each set recently has used either +1 or -1 counters. they have been using them a little too much in my opinion, and I thought it would be an interesting change of pace if Tesla used Charge counters instead.
DeleteImagine a Lightning golem that got a charge counter every time you played a mountain. then you could release the built up energy when it attacked.
Lightning Mecha 3RR
Artifact Creature - Golem
Whenever you play a mountain, put a charge counter on cardname.
Whenever cardname attacks, you may remove any number of charge counters from it. If you do, deal that much damage to a target.
3/3
or a flamethrower golem who came into play with 2 charges. you had the option of removing a charge to deal direct damage to something.
Flamethrower Cadet 2R
Creature - Human Engineer
CARDNAME ETB with 2 charge counter on it.
T, remove a charge counter: deal 1 damage to target creature or player.
2/2
There could also be creatures or objects that re-charge your creatures to gain additional use out of there effects.
Tesla Coils 4
Artifact (R)
At the beginning of your upkeep, put a charge counter on target permanent.
I think it would fit the world nicely and would offer some relief from all the +1 and -1 counters we have been getting lately.
I'm in favor of setting +1/+1 and -1/-1 counters aside for a block. Actually, I'd like to see less counters and tokens in general if only because they clog the board state and are sometimes difficult to track. R&D relies on them too much these days.
DeleteI could certainly see forgoing the normal counters for this block with a good reason, but I think we should leave that decision for a little bit later since we might come up with an awesome mechanic which pushes us one way or the other.
DeleteAs for Ornithopter Drone, I agree that this should just be an etb trigger. I'm also not keen on printing 0/1s or 0/2s unless we're doing a lot of equipment since they don't actually participate in combat except to chump.
Option A
ReplyDeleteMecha Mecca
Land (C)
Mecha Mecca enters the battlefield with a +1/+1 counter on it.
T: Add 1 to your mana pool.
4, T: Move a counter from Mecha Mecca onto target artifact creature.
Additionally, I had this too, but I don't know if it's common:
Option A
Mecha Mecca
Land (C?)
Whenever an artifact enters the battlefield under your control, put a charge counter on Mecha Mecca.
T: Add 1 to your mana pool.
T, Remove a charge counter from Mecha Mecca: Add one mana of any color to your mana pool.
Feedback appreciated as always.
Llanowar Reborn is uncommon, so Option A might want to be as well.
DeleteOption B *could* be common in the right environment if it were important enough, but it's probably uncommon or even rare. (I like it a lot as a design, though!)
I don't think either of these is common, but the second version is way closer than the first. Even Llanowar Reborn is way simpler than Mecha Mecca #1 since you don't need to think about it mid combat. This is more akin to Gavony Township. Personally, I think Magic could use a bit less board complexity from its lands even at higher rarities. #2, on the other hand, I like a lot as an uncommon.
DeleteYeah, I'm not sure there's a way to salvage either of these in a common way. Probably the best is to make Springleaf Drum a land, but even that might not be common. Plus Ipaulsen did that above. So... yeah.
DeleteThe best I can think of is something without counters like,
DeleteCharge-Up -- T: Add 1 to your mana pool. If an Artifact entered the battlefield under your control this turn, add one mana of any color to your mana pool instead.
Charge-Up isn't so appealing on a land unless you're casting multiple spells per turn, but I could see it on other permanents.
Concept A
ReplyDeleteTrading Port
Land (C)
T: Add 1 to your mana pool.
Whenever an artifact enters the battlefield under your control, you may untap CARDNAME.
-----------------------------------
This was inspired by the discussion of cogs. I think this will play very thematically because it will feel like you have a machine of of interconnected gears. (Oh, yeah, by the way, there is a greater than 10% chance this is the most broken design I've ever submitted.)
Affinity and Eggs would both be likely to run this as an four-of and get a bunch of turn-2 and turn-3 kills-- and that's just in Modern. This is probably not a printable design, and it's certainly not a common. That being said, I like the space that you're playing around in. I feel like there's a "best of both worlds" out there somewhere that combines this with Ben's Option B, but I'm not sure how to make that work.
DeleteI agree it is probably unprintable, but I liked the space it was in enough that I submitted it anyway.
DeleteI don't think I agree that it isn't a common.
Idea for modified version:
Trading Port
Land (C)
T: Add 1 to your mana pool.
Whenever a cog enters the battlefield under your control, you may untap CARDNAME.
(Here Cog is an artifact subtype)
Limiting the trigger might make it printable, but this is dangerous space to play around in. What if we put the Cog-fueled mana generation on an artifact instead?
DeleteFuel Cell 3
Artifact (C)
Cog (Whenever CARDNAME becomes tapped, untap an artifact you control with a lower converted mana cost.)
T: Add 1 to your mana pool.
Er, "noncreature artifact" that is.
DeleteIf it wasn't for the art, I might have made something like that. I certainly put something like taht in my comments on the larger Tesla discussion.
DeleteSadly lands can't have the subtype Cog unless it is an artifact land. I'm tempted to just submit:
Tinkerer's Port
Artifact land - Cog
T: Add 1 to your mana pool.
but I suspect an extra artifact land is pretty dangerous.
Yeah, lands circumventing the mana system is pretty dangerous. We could do something like make the mana ability:
Delete{3}, {T}: Add {5} to your mana pool.
But at that point I'd just as soon leave off the untapping text, and
{3}, {T}: Add {4} to your mana pool.
is just plain weird.
It would of course depend on what the cogs themselves looked like. I imagine most cogs would cost one mana to activate, so that having one of these would let you activate them for free (but then you couldn't activate the others).
DeleteIf all cogs cost 1 or more to activate (my preference), this ability never actually nets you mana.
Final submisison (unless there is more discussion):
Tinkerer's Port
Artifact Land - Cog
T: Add 1 to your mana pool.
-------------------------------------
Which is meaningless except that there are other cogs floating around like:
Blasting Cog 2
Artifact - Cog (C)
Whenever ~ becomes tapped, you may untap a Cog with lower converted mana cost.
1, T: Deal 1 damage to target player.
Battered Ship-Shack
ReplyDeleteArtifact Creature - Ship (C)
Salvage U (U: Exile an artifact card from your graveyard salvaged by this. When this leaves the battlefield, return all its salvaged cards to their owner’s graveyards.)
As long as an artifact has been salvaged by Battered Ship-Shack, it has flying.
2/2
Skystreet Bazaar
Land (C)
T: Add 1 to your mana pool.
3, T, Sacrifice Skystreet Bazaar: Reveal the top four cards of your library. You may choose an artifact card from among them and put it into your hand. Put the rest into your graveyard.
Skystreet Bazaar is cool and hits the right balance of doing something when you're flooded without adding much to board complexity.
DeleteI think Salvage has potential, but right now it's a lot to track. What about:
Salvage (Whenever ~ attacks, you may exile an artifact card from your graveyard salvaged by this creature until it leaves the battlefield.)
Now your opponent doesn't gets blown out by not tracking your graveyard and you avoid a lot of board complexity. Admittedly, this version does preclude the use of vigilance or haste as a salvage bonus.
Certainly possible, yes. I was thinking that higher rarity cards with the mechanic would have things like "gets +1/+1 for each card it has salvaged" etc with bigger effects, but a non-mana trigger works just as well in those cases. Does mean it can't go on non-creature artifacts though.
DeleteThat's certainly something worth looking into. I suppose the trigger could be "Whenever ~ becomes tapped" which would be more or less the same for creatures, and work for most noncreatures.
DeleteBattered Ship-Shack costs 3.
ReplyDeleteCan't have airships without sky pirates!
ReplyDeleteCrop B
Coinsharp Cruiser
2R
Artifact Creature - Pirate Construct
Flying
Whenever CARDNAME deals damage to an opponent, gain 1 gold. (Put a colorless artifact token named Gold onto the battlefield. It has "Sacrifice this artifact: Add one mana of any color to your mana pool.")
1/2
I like this, but this doesn't feel red to me. I think I might be convinced that gold tokens are red, though I'm a little skeptical since they represent long term planning. This, in particular, is an incremental value card. Basically a better Manalith. That said, I'm not sure I can name the color I feel like this belongs in, so I'm definitely willing to be convinced. You have some good back-up evidence, though, in that Eldrazi spawn were red-green.
DeleteI think the biggest thing that screams "not red" to me is the flying, which red is supposed to be fourth at. Granted they occasionally get tiny worthless fliers like Impetous Sunchaser at common, but this card has potential to be one of the best red commons. (Particulraly if there is a bunch of some sort of equipmentlike thing flying around.)
Sorry, this is pretty rambly largely because I very much want to justify printing this kind of card in Red (which I have felt has been a bit too one dimensional lately) but I'm worried I'm doing too many backflips to justify it.
Hard to say what color this should be. Blue gets sky things, thematically, and thieves. Blue's mana ramp shouldn't be good though. Pirates are probably black/red philosophically. Red gets mana acceleration from combat more than black, though. (Eldrazi Spawn were also in black, fwiw.)
DeleteYeah, blue gets ramp only in the form of colorless mana (like Deranged Assistant). I could imagine bleeding Gold into every color but Green, and if we did that, I think this card would feel at home in Blue, but I'm not sure how rough a bleed that is.
DeleteI think if we want to minimize bleed, this card fits best in Black. (which also fits well with the 1/2).
Tommy, I think you're being terribly optimistic to imagine an environment in which a 1/2 flier for 2R is "one of the best red commons", regardless of any additional abilities.
DeleteI think the only aspect that affects whether this design is appropriate for red is whether we can define a context in which Gold tokens should exist and whether they should produce any color of mana.
I'm fine with Gold in red. In fact, I think it's the best fit mechanically. Flying? Not so much. This particular art aside, I'd rather red's pirates showed the pirates and didn't fly and the flying ships can be represented by something else.
DeleteRed gets flying at common, though infrequently. Artifacts get flying at common practically every set. And I would expect that a world of airships would have more flying than is usual.
Deletehttp://magiccards.info/10e/en/210.html
I understand that it can be done. I'm far from convinced that it should be done. Throwing flying onto every pirate is a huge constraint that we simply don't need to work under: Scroll Thief is fine at common; Thieving Magpie would be insane. What's more, making the ships the focus of Pirate art makes it harder to make the different cards distinctive.
DeleteIf there's a big positive I'm missing, I'd love to hear it. But right now I don't see one.
Smuggler's Haven (U)
ReplyDeleteLand
T: Add 1 to your mana pool.
2, T, Sacrifice an artifact: Add X to your mana pool, where X is the mana cost of that artifact.
You're probably right that this is uncommon. Unfortunately, the challenge calls for a common card...
DeleteOops. I should probably read the rules first.... Here's my real submission:
DeleteSmuggler's Ship (C)
Artifact
1
U, Sacrifice CARDNAME: Target creature is unblockable until end of turn.
B, Sacrifice CARDNAME: Target player discards a card. Activate this ability only as a sorcery.
It's basically a two colored Spellbomb.
I like this idea a lot-- an artifact world with deep support for two-color play is not something we've seen before. Not convinced that it should be flavored as a ship, or that the sorcery-only clause is necessary, but otherwise I can't think of anything to change.
DeleteTwo colored Spellbombs are definitely interesting space, though I'll second the opinion that they don't feel like ships. These abilities are kind of on the edge where knowing they're available lets you play around them, but not doing so doesn't feel as miserable as forgetting your opponent's Seal of Strength.
DeleteOption A
ReplyDeleteOverworld Conductions 1BW
Artifact R
T, Each opponent draws a card and reveals it. If it is an artifact put X charge counters on CARDNAME where X is the revealed card converted mana cost.
T,Remove all charge counters from CARDNAME: put an X/X flying artifact creature on to the battlefield.
"Inspiration can be bought sometimes"
Option A
DeleteOverworld Conductions 1BW
Artifact R
T, Each opponent draws a card and reveals it. If it is an artifact put X charge counters on CARDNAME where X is the revealed card converted mana cost.
T,Remove all charge counters from CARDNAME: put an X/X flying artifact creature token on to the battlefield.
"Inspiration can be bought sometimes"
only thing im not sure of here is color identity, its kinda black white but could also be blue red, i wanted to add black for the obvious homage, but im not sure if white fits here.
Mikko, just as FYI, the "challenge" is specifically to design a [b]common[/b] land or artifact that relates to Jules recent post regarding Tesla. I'm sure folks will be happy to help you revise that to something more appropriate for common if you'd like, but you may want to just start from a different initial design.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
Deleteoh shit bois, gotta rethink design. oh dam forgot artifact theme
DeleteOption A
Extravagant Marketplace
Land C
T: add 1 to your mana pool
T, 1: Reveal the top card of your library, if you control two or more artifacts with the same name, put it into your hand
"Never go there looking for things you 'need'"
This is a pretty cool card, but I have a hard time envisioning the set it's common in given how hard it is to get multiple copies together in draft. Even in constructed this will rarely hit. Are we making tokens of actual cards like Llanowar Mentor to support this?
DeleteJust to be clear: For Extravagant Marketplace to be active, you have to get two copies of the same artifact in play, then draw into a third? Seems like way too much work. Reducing the in-play requirement from 2 to 1 ("If you control an artifact with the same name") makes this at least plausible to bring online.
DeleteI feel like reducing 2 to 1 wouldn't quite mesh with the flavor of "extravagance" maybe i'd change the name to "Replacement Depot" or something like that. This isn't meant to be a good card at all, I see it more as a sort of encroaching wastes kinda land, a couple of things have to be going a certain way for it to be anything else besides just a T: add 1 land, but once in a while it works. I realize its incredibly inplausible but I kinda see it like that cycle of Rare lands from Innistrad (with the expensive two-color activated abilities) for an artifact deck, if you do it every turn eventually you may get value, other than that its a T: add 1
DeleteI realize that comparison is a bit skewed because those innistrad lands do "something" everytime and always give a touch of value, but those are rares.
DeleteBohrian Skyship 2
ReplyDeleteArtifact - Equipment (C)
Equipped creature has flying.
Equip 2
Vehicle 3 (You may attach Bohrian Skyship to up to three creatures at once. All equipped creatures must attack and block together.)
Dunno if this is a good way to implement vehicles, but I figure it's worth a shot.
I'm not sure if the reminder text for Vehicle works, incidentally. The idea is that all equipped creatures must attack the same player/planeswalker when they attack and block the same creature when they block. I'd appreciate it if someone rules-savvy could give that wording a look.
I like the 'attack and block together' idea, and I don't know of any reason why it shouldn't work. Attaching to multiple creatures is more iffy rules-wise (and kind of defeats the purpose of attaching); maybe you should consider using a new game term to describe how the creatures are associated.
DeleteGood call, Ipaulsen. It shouldn't be too hard to track multiple creatures getting bonuses from a single ship, but tracking multiple ships is going to be a nightmare, so preferably any solution will only let each creature be on one.
DeleteDepreciating Airship - (4)
ReplyDeleteArtifact Creature - Construct - (C)
2/2
Flying
At the beginning your end step, if Depreciating Airship didn't attack this turn, put a Rust counter on it.
As long as Depreciating Airship is rusted, it gets +2/+2 and has defender. (An artifact becomes rusted when it has 3 or more Rust counters on it)
This mechanic looks like it will play out really interestingly, but I'm somewhat concerned that it's going to read as too much downside to some players I wonder if there's a more general way to convey time elapsing that would allow for a few rusting designs and also charging designs that improve as you wait.
DeleteTrying to come up with a way to work around the memory issues and feel-bad of always getting a rust counter the turn you cast this. Not coming up with anything. I do like the concept, though.
DeleteCould possibly change it to a variation of Vanishing, but instead of sacrificing the permanent, a portion of the card changes.
DeleteRusting/Rust 3 (This artifact enters the battlefield with three rust counters on it. At the beginning of your upkeep, remove a rust counter from it if it did not attack or activate abilities since your last turn.)
Depreciating Airship - (4)
Artifact Creature - Construct
2/2
Flying, Rusting/Rust 3
As long as Depreciating Airship is rusted, it gets +2/+2 and has defender.
Alternatively, word it in a more similar fashion to Vanishing (with similar properties to that of Monstrosity.)
Rusting/Rust 3 (This artifact enters the battlefield with three rust counters on it. At the beginning of your upkeep, remove a rust counter from it. When the last is removed, it becomes rusted.)
I feel like this version plays out a bit more streamline. It would be worth noting that the mechanic wouldn't necessarily come off as all downside. It also opens opportunities for creatures/spells to interact with removing/adding rust counters.
That said, if other abilities can add/remove rust counters, there's a chance the keyword should be be changed to:
(This artifact enters the battlefield with three rust counters on it. At the beginning of your upkeep, remove a rust counter from it. Whenever the last rust counter is removed, it becomes rusted.
This rusting idea is neat, here's a riff on it using some God technology:
DeleteBattery Bot 2
Artifact Creature - Construct
Rust 3 (at the beginning of your upkeep, put a Rust counter on this. As long as it has three or more Rust counters, it isn't a creature.)
T: Add 1 to your mana pool.
1/1
Alternatively, cards could go from Artifact -> Artifact Creature with a different flavor:
Buried Bot 2
Artifact Creature - Construct
Uncover 3 (This enters the battlefield with three Buried counters on it. At the beginning of your upkeep, remove a counter. This isn't a creature as long as it has a Buried counter on it.)
4/4
Crop A
ReplyDeletePort to the Unknown
Land (C)
T: Add 1 to your mana pool.
T, Sacrifice CARDNAME: Uncover (Look at the top two cards of your library. Put one of them back on top of your library and the other on the bottom.)
In terms of balance and gameplay terms this seems totally solid. But it makes me very curious as to (a) why uncover isn't scry 2, (b) what the flavor is meant to be, and (c) what role it plays in the set. I have a feeling the answers are going to be connected.
DeleteThe flavor's not quite set in stone, but most of our proposals seem to leave room for some sort of earth-shattering discovery. Steampunk is full of new inventions that can revolutionize life, but it can also frequently involve outside factors that change the world. It could be the lost city of atlantis, discovered with strange magi-tech. It could be a natural phenomenon that humans are just now able to identify as a threat. It could be Lovecraftian horror-terrors awakened at last.
DeleteAs for why it's not scry 2 and its role in the set, scry is very powerful in that it lets you sculpt your draws however you'd like. That's all well and good, but it means that scry has to be developed somewhat conservatively. Theros is full of Scry 1, but Scry 2 often overshadows the other effect of cheap spells its on and only putting it on expensive spells limits its use as a smoothing mechanic.
Uncover is a bit easier to put on cheap spells, and while it gives you less control of your draws overall, still does a lot to help dig for specific cards, say, the missing half of a Mecha.
Uncover is feel-bad when you want both of the cards you uncover.
Delete