Cool Card Design of the Day4/26/2013 - If you played Magic when the original Mirrodin was out, or if you bought Archenemy, you should recognize Sun Droplet. This is an adorable card that casual players really like because it effectively gives you, the player, regeneration. I certainly have fond memories or knowing that if I can just stall long enough, I will heal any amount of damage you send my way.
Blood Vial plays in a very similar space, but in a darker way…
The only damage you're undoing is the damage that you've done to yourself, in the process of filling up your Blood Vial.
Would you play this in Limited? I was tempted to make the pay-off more conditional, but I'm not sure its necessary. What do you think?
Technically, you'd be dead before the trigger could resolve, so you'd have to make it a replacement effect to instead sacrifice it and gain 2 life for each counter on it.
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty sure it's undercosted for the effect you're getting here too - getting a Phyrexian Arena that heals you for only 1 mana is a little over the top. I'd definitely play it at 1 mana and I'd still probably play it at 4 or 5.
When you say "getting a Phyrexian Arena that heals you", what do you mean? Because it's not like this card replaces all life loss with soul counters, only the life loss incurred by the card itself.
DeleteAnd uh, it definitely doesn't draw you any cards. So I'm really not sure what Phyrexian Arena has to do with anything.
You're right about the trigger, though, Robert.
Delete"If you're life total would drop below 1, instead…"
This is the cutest Ajani's Mantra of all time.
ReplyDeleteI like it. I immediately built a deck in my head around proliferate, necropotence, and paradox hazes that includes four of this card. May want to exile it as part of the trigger to keep it from being actually decadent.
ReplyDeleteUnrelated idea, inspired by this:
ReplyDelete"At the beginning of your upkeep, you gain 2 life and get a poison counter."
Interesting!
ReplyDeleteInspired by:
Blood Transmuter 1
Artifact
When blood Transmuter enters the battlefield pay any amount of life and put that many blood counters it.
At the beginning of your upkeep, remove a blood counter and gain 3 life.
As for the card:
Blood Vial 1
Artifact
At the beginning of your upkeep, you lose 1 life and put a blood counter on this.
T, Sacrifice Blood Vial: Gain X life where X is the twice the number of counters on this. Activate this ability only as a sorcery.
Gogo this and Vizkopa Guildmage. Once you fix the trigger.
ReplyDelete