Weekend Click through to see this weekend's art and the design requirements for your 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.
Note that once someone has chained off of your design, you can't change it in such a way that their design no longer interacts with it.
Here's our starting point (chosen entirely at random):
Balance of Fate WB
ReplyDeleteEnchantment (Rare)
Whenever a creature attacks, each player loses 1 life.
Whenever a creature blocks, each player gains 1 life.
I like the parity of the abilities, but including both means a lot of busywork that won't net much change. This actually interacts with Unlife in two ways, and only attacking and getting blocked was used by Jules, so you do have some room to focus this design, if you like.
DeleteThanks for starting us off!
Bloodlust 2RR
ReplyDeleteEnchantment (R)
Whenever one or more creatures you control becomes blocked, untap all blocked creatures you control. After this combat phase, there is an additional combat phase.
Now that's some interesting evasion. "Let my guys through or they'll attack again!" Of course, it comes with the big caveat that many of those blocked creatures won't survive to attack again, which is what I think makes this threat really fun.
DeleteI'm not sure I like the possibility of literally infinite attack steps when you attack your 2/1 into their 0/6.
Well, eventually the 0/6 would die from lethal damage...unless it had indestructible or protection.
DeleteThe infinite problem is there, but I don't have an elegant solution and I think it will come up rarely enough to make this printable. Probably not on Mirrodin 3, though.
Delete"The first time one or more creatures you control become blocked each turn..."
DeleteDefinitely worth testing. Between the memory issues and the fact that the proposed text takes away a lot of the card's resonance I'd rather try to other text and move to this one if the infinite attacks issue actually comes up.
DeleteRageblind Goblin 1RR
ReplyDeleteCreature - Goblin (Rare)
Whenever CARDNAME attacks, it gets +2/+0 until end of turn. Then, if it's power is 4 or greater, regenerate it.
1/1
Mana Cost to GR so the regen shield makes more sense
DeleteCurrent Text
DeleteRageblind Goblin RG
Creature - Goblin Berserker (Rare)
Whenever CARDNAME attacks, it gets +2/+0 until end of turn. Then, if it's power is 5 or greater, regenerate it.
2/1
4/1s for two are exciting and I love how this loves extra attack steps. I've got to say, even with {G} in the cost, the power 5 = regenerate seems pretty odd. Could just grant +2/+2 or +2/+1 instead. Trample might be more relevant.
DeleteYeah - the regen shield is almost never going to matter at the second attack from Bloodlust this wants to play nicely with. Adding trample, losing green. Still works (as well as it ever did) with Put Your Back Into It.
DeleteFinal Card
Rageblind Goblin R
Creature - Goblin Berserker (Rare)
Whenever CARDNAME attacks, it gets +2/+0 until end of turn. Then, if it's power is 4 or greater, it gains trample until end of turn.
1/1
Put your back into it G
ReplyDeleteInstant
Target creature gets +X/+X until the end of turn, where X is its toughness.
I like how Put Your Back Into It rewards green for having a big butt, but I can't help but notice Rageblind Goblin is the worst possible green creature to cast it on...
DeleteCombo!
Delete3G
ReplyDeleteInstant
Predator's Pounce
Target creature you control gets +1/+1 UEOT
Target creature you control fights target creature.
I guess this interacts with Put Your Back Into It if you need to double up to kill a much bigger creature. Frustrating that even then the +X can't count the +1.
DeleteCloaked in Miasma BB
ReplyDeleteSorcery
Creatures you control gain deathtouch until end of turn.
Neat card. As a sorcery, it's usually conditional team evasion, but it makes all your fight effects lethal too.
DeleteKilling Ghast 3B
ReplyDeleteCreature- Spirit (Uncommon)
2/2
Flying
Whenever another creature dies, add BB to your mana pool.
Would it make more sense if it triggered from ALL creatures, or from just your own creatures, or just your opponent's?
DeleteI like that Miasma could help it trigger a lot, though most mana this produces would need to be used at instant speed, and after combat damage is dealt, which is tricky. (And the only reason I'm not suggesting just adding B would be better.)
I probably should've specified people can only submit once each. Since we've got a couple of dual submissions, let's cut if off at two each, please.
DeleteKiller Queen BG
ReplyDeleteCreature - Insect
Flying
Sacrifice another Insect you control: Destroy target creature.
1/1
Neat fusion of black and green creature/removal.
DeleteObviously very good with Killing Ghast. Probably a little too good? I think this wants a small activation cost.
B: made it feel like a monoblack card, and G: didn't seem like it fit. B/G: might work; I was trying to avoid hybrid, but any set that can have gold cards can probably have hybrid costs as well. Not having a T: is intentional, but a mana cost is reasonable.
DeleteBlood Echo 2BR
ReplyDeleteEnchantment (Rare)
Whenever you cast a spell, you may pay that spell's mana cost and an amount of life equal to that spell's converted mana cost. If you do, copy that spell. You may choose new targets for the copy.
Terrifying and awesome. Limit it to Sorceries and Instants or you'll have to deal with enchantment and planeswalker tokens.
DeleteNot seeing the interaction with Killer Queen, unless you really were planning to copy permanents too.
Ah, it was for Killing Ghast. Looks like he got the drop on me.
DeleteAlso you're correct; I meant to only have sorceries and instants.
Suffer With Me
ReplyDelete3BB
Sorcery (R)
Choose an opponent. If that player's life total is greater than your life total, each player loses life equal to the difference.
Heh. I imagine you making this for Phyrexian Unlife, then seeing all the comments, then seeing it works just as well with Blood Echo.
DeleteThis is noticeably stronger than Repay in Kind at {5}{B}{B}.
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ReplyDeleteBlood Exchange 5RRR
DeleteEnchantment (M)
If a player would lose life, instead choose an opponent at random. That player loses that much life.
If I cast Blood Exchange in a duel, and you don't have burn to point at yourself, how do you win?
DeleteIt's multiplayer friendly, but I considered duel implications. That said, I don't know if the wording is correct, but my intention is that all damage dealt to Blood Exchange's controller is dealt to one of its opponents (or the only one in a duel). It's basically a Platinum Emperion plus plus.
DeleteSo maybe the correct thing to do is to add at least 1 mana to the cost, or maybe changing the type to one more fragile (an artifact or a creature)
Surely you do not want it to exclude yourself, right? Because with this enchantment you, the RED player are guaranteed not to loose life.
DeleteIn fact, it's right as you say. And so it should probably be Black, or BR.
DeleteBlood Exchange means no one should ever attack. That's a bad thing. Make it target a random /player/ instead of an opponent, and then it's chaos instead of abeyance.
DeleteThat is far more Red to me.
DeleteMmm, it's different than my original idea, but probably is better:
DeleteBlood Exchange 4RR
Enchantment (M)
If a player would lose life, instead choose another player at random. That player loses that much life.
Oh and in the original BE, I forgot "another". So you attack or burn someone, but you don't know who really will lose that life. That said, it's more appropriate with complete chaos, and not as asymmetric as Gisela.
DeleteThis card is still "no one should ever attack" in a duel. There needs to be a random chance for the life loss to be able to go where it was originally supposed to go.
DeleteOk, remove "another".
DeleteBlood Exchange 4RR
Enchantment (Rare)
If a player would lose life, instead choose a player at random. That player loses that much life.
Nice.
DeleteIt only now occurs to me that the "life loss" makes this feel black (in addition to red's chaos).
Alternately, "If damage would be dealt to a player, choose a player at random. That damage is dealt to the chosen player instead."
Goblin Gambler R
ReplyDeleteCreature Goblin
If a choice would be made at random, you make that choice instead.
1/1
I'm guessing this effect needs to cost more, but maybe sitting on a 1/1 makes it fine. Actually, most random effects aren't choices, so it's likely fine (until "target player chosen at random loses/wins").
DeleteEven though it combos best with red, I really don't this effect is red.
I had the same thought: I don't think it's red. It's control over randomness, so I point to blue; maybe it's best at UR
DeleteMesmeric Plague 3BB
ReplyDeleteSorcery [R]
Each player sacrifices two creatures at random and discards two cards at random.
Hmm, this actually exposes some problems with turning random choices deliberate. How do I choose which cards you discard without looking at them?
DeleteIn a vacuum, Mesmeric Plague is Very Strong. Probably just a little too strong to print.
Regarding the rules about the card: You add specifics to The COmprehensive Rules about Goblin Gambler! Like they did with Karn. (TabakRules)
Deletethe goblin could be worded as "whenever you make a choice at random"
Deletealso in regards to this card I believe this is actually the right cost. if you compare to a card like barter in blood that costs 4. based on the fact that the chance a making land drops falls off after 4, bumping the cost from 4 to 5 is actually a big increase in cost (such that it moves it from a mid game to late game.) bumping to six would make it, as a card that gives no inherit card advantage much too much to play even for die-hard spike players.
"No inherent advantage?"
DeleteI'd say a potential four-for-one is pretty advantageous!
Just looking the Barter in Blood half, doing it randomly is significantly better than letting players choose for themselves. That part alone is {3}{B}{B}.
yes, no inherent advantage. most of the time you will not be playing this hellbent with no creatures. this will hurt you, and the fact that it is random make the fact that it will hurt you all the more painful. compare to pox... or smallpox if you will. while random is an interesting addition the fact that this isn't hitting lands as well in huge. the number of cards this hits is more or less equivalent to that a smallpox (two mana) this card is super powerful but I feel it would be out of its target audience at 6 mana. do you know any self respecting timmies that would play stax?
DeleteIt would be difficult to do better than 4:3 in Limited, but in Constructed it will be 3:1 or 4:2 often enough. Might be too expensive for Legacy, but not for Standard.
DeleteFortunately, we don't have to agree on the power level, because that's a Development issue.
Grief of Loss 3BB
ReplyDeleteInstant R
Each player looses life equal to the number of cards that were put into his graveyard this turn.
Salt in the wound. Awesome. (Maaaybe BR)
DeleteOh, it's an instant. Probably a lot cheaper if not an enchantment.
Jenesis' entry begs the question "from anywhere?"
DeleteYes, it was intended to set up mill too.
DeleteCould probably stand for a reduction in mana cost... and needs to have the clarification from anywhere, yes.
DeleteLet us cost it agressively then:
DeleteGrief of Loss BB
Instant R
Target player looses life equal to the number of cards that were put into his graveyard from anywhere this turn.
That's a lot more aggressive. No idea which of the two costs was unreasonable.
DeleteBrain Bleed UB
ReplyDeleteSorcery (U)
Target player puts the top four cards of his or her library into his or her graveyard.
Whenever an opponent loses life, you may return Brain Bleed from your graveyard to your hand.
On second thought, it's a good thing Grief of Loss isn't a permanent.
DeletePaired with Grief, Brain Bleed looks pretty amazing. On its own, it looks pretty strange to tie more milling into dealing damage or similar, but then Crosstown Courier does it, and it might be an interesting challenge for a mill deck to optimize on.
Grave Wailing 2B
ReplyDeleteInstant (unc)
For each player, return target creature card from that player's graveyard to his or her hand. He or she loses life equal to that card's CMC.
My only concern is that in big multiplayer games it takes a lot longer for one person to look through everyone's yard than for each to look through their own, but Sepulchral Primordial is even worse for this, so clearly that doesn't make it unprintable. Excellent Spike-y card!
DeleteGood point regardless.
DeleteMastery of Restoration 2WB
ReplyDeleteenchantment
Whenever a creature would be returned to a player's hand from a graveyard, you may put it on the battlefield under yur control instead.
This needs to cost way more in order not to be broken (Dredge for instance).
Deletecorrect. Probably 2WWBB would be better.
DeleteThis is so perfect with the previous card, but looks so strange on its own. I suppose there are a few more cards that resurrect other players cards. Not sure what makes it white.
DeleteFree Flowing Aether 3UU
ReplyDeleteEnchantment
Whenever a creature is returned to it's owner's hand from the battlefield, that player may put another creature card from his or hand into play.
Posted with wrong Google account..
DeleteNot sure if "another" is strictly necessary, but it is very clear. The card probably allows for combos too easily already, but I'll change the text to
"Whenever a permanent is returned to it's owner's hand from the battlefield, that player may put another permanent card of the same type from his or hand onto the battlefield."
That way your enchantment can combo with other enchantments.
Nice Johnny card!
DeleteDoesn't seem to combo with either of the cards that came before it...
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ReplyDeleteAEther Weaver 2UU
ReplyDeleteCreature - Human Wizard
Whenever a creature inters the battlefield, that player returns a creature card from the battlefield to his or her hand.
2/2
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DeleteDid you mean:
DeleteWhenever a creature enters the battlefield, its controller returns another creature he or she controls to its owner's hand.
Without the word "another" you can pretty easily lock an opponent out of getting more creatures to stick.
It seems like this sets an upper bound on the number of creatures that can be in play, but removal still works, so unless this particular card is killed (which doesn't look hard, but countermagic and flash creatures could prevent), the game will grind downward toward fewer creatures.
DeleteDoesn't this create an in infinite combo with Free Flowing Aether?
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ReplyDeleteKoira Atua
ReplyDelete2UG
Planeswalker- Koira
+1: Distribute two +1/+1 counters among up to two target creatures.
-2: Return target creature to its owner's hand. Its controller draws a card for each +1/+1 counter on it.
-6: For each card in your hand, put a 2/2 blue Drake creature token with flying onto the battlefield.
3
I assumed the previous card made you hit your own guys. The +1 helps you to mitigate having to bounce your own guys by making what you have bigger. The minus gives you an out if the bounce card becomes a problem for you. The ultimate takes advantage of all of the cards you've been hoarding/bouncing.
Deleteproblem being that koira atua is not the planeswalker of +1/+1 counters (IE simic) she is the planeswalker of the great things of the deep. so this is sort of a flavor miss
DeleteUm. Ok.
DeleteMomir Voss, Evolution Magus
(Loki_thp is Mike George's other account so this is an official change.)
DeleteAlso, Type- Voss
The new Momir identity allows me to find a flavor explanation for the second ability, which I was unable to do originally.
DeleteI'm not buying that putting +1/+1 counters on your creatures mitigates bouncing them, but the second ability capitalizes on Aether Weaver by locking the opponent out faster. You can also use the middle ability to get your own Weaver out of play, so that you're ultimate will actually do something. Eventually.
I suppose I should have said: The plus one plays around the Aether Weaver. You can refrain from casting more creatures and still apply pressure by growing your side.
DeleteOvercharge 1R
ReplyDeleteInstant
For each counter on target permanent, put another counter on that permanent of that type. Sacrifice that permanent at the beginning of the net end step.
Sweet concept!
DeleteUnfortunately, this wording needs a little tweak or it can make any permanent be sacrificed. :"Choose a permanent with at least one counter on it. Other stuff"
Should it be restricted to a permanent you control? Many will use it as "Target planeswalker is sacrificed @eot".
Also, mono red feels weird if you consider enchantments can have counters.
Love it tho!
Should be target permanent you control with one or more counters on it, or target non-planeswalker permanent with one or more counters on it. Otherwise love it, feels very very red to me.
DeleteFour designs, Ant? You're drunk. I'm cutting you off.
DeleteI'd double the counters, personally.
Hahaha I got carried away it was too much fun :P
DeleteAnd the way I wrote it, It does double them I think? it looks at each individual counter, and adds an additional one of that type. so if a card somehow had two +1/+1 counters and a charge counter, it would get two more +1/+1 counters and another charge counter. but agreeably its probably more simple to just double the counters on target permanent.
DeleteI did misread it, and you're right it does double them. Probably the language could be clearer.
DeleteSecond entry:
ReplyDeletePotent Serum 5
Artifact (Uncommon)
CARDNAME enters the battlefield with three charge counters on it.
Remove a charge counter from CARDNAME: Put a +1/+1 counter on target creature you control.
Incidentally, Jay, this is a great/exciting/awesome exercise - maybe this can be a semi-regular feature?
DeleteΙ would like also something more complex, like synergises with the past two cards, or synergises with the previous card and counters the one before that.
DeleteWe're definitely doing it again, and it will definitely be more complex/restrictive next time.
DeleteI like Potent Serum and how it works with Overcharge. I would add an activation cost of {1} or else a sorcery-speed clause.
Capping this exercise here. Don't worry, there will be more like it. I wanted to try something different, and I couldn't be happier with the results. This was really fun, and quite inspiring.
ReplyDeleteI learned three things about this exercise (apart from it being popular and not needing a separate review article):
1—I need to set limits to the number of entries. Probably one each.
2—Sometimes two people submit responses to the same entry. That doesn't really ruin anything, but clarifying what your responding too will be an improvement.
3—We need more restrictions to challenge us more.
Sad not to see the review :(
Delete