Cool Card Design of the Day11/22/2013 - It's generally wise to avoid giving creatures abilities that don't do much: First strike on a 1/4 is pretty silly and regeneration is redundant on an indestructible creature.
Only one of Toxic Hunter's two abilities will ever be relevant at a time, but that's okay, because which one that is will vary from match to match. Every ability can be ignored in the right circumstances, but by having two abilities that work on different axes, Toxic Hunter will usually be more than just Scathe Zombies.
this could definitely be a common
ReplyDeleteI originally had it at common and convinced myself to make it uncommon. Appreciate the reality check.
DeleteCreatures with two keyword abilities are typically uncommon under NWO, especially with something like swampwalk. But this card is basic enough that I could see it going either way.
DeleteI think whether it is common or uncommon depends on where the power level ends up, and what the format looks like. If this card is super good in the Black vs. Black matchup, I really don't want people having access to a pile of them, and I'd rather it be uncommon.
DeleteOn the other hand, if Black is very controlling in this set, then this card would be a great common, doing double duty: as a maindeck card that gums up the board and as insurance that the Black/Black matchup will end.
In general, landwalk is the ability I like the least, but it is at its best when it is used by development to tune a very specific matchup.
Any card with P/T >1 and deathtouch is better than scythe zombies in my book. Nice card.
ReplyDeleteIf you really want two opposing/complementary abilities, give it swampwalk and intimidate (not serious)
ReplyDeleteThe blackest of all unblockable variants. Heh.
DeleteSolid. No problem with this at common.
ReplyDeleteUncommon, not close.
ReplyDeleteMaybe bumping the toughness down to 1 makes it slightly more realistic at common? That way it guarantees a trade in combat instead of being able to eat 1/Xs.
ReplyDeleteI like it. It's the same idea as Rix Maadi Guildmage: you'll normally only get to use one or other of her abilities, but having both makes the card more flexible. Although in that case the determination of which is relevant is kinda made by the opponent, whereas here it's the matchup that decides whether the swampwalk counts (and thus invalidates the deathtouch) or not.
ReplyDeleteIn fact, this reminds me of a design challenge we had over at Multiverse: "Design a good card with at least two abilities which have no synergy with each other.", at http://magicmultiverse.net/cards/23740 . I spent a while trying to assemble an Obelisk of Alara-alike with five abilities all related to attacking but with minimal synergy, and ended up with http://magicmultiverse.net/cards/23917 :
{1}{W}: ~ deals 1 damage to target blocking creature.
{1}{U}: Target attacking creature gains flying UEOT.
{1}{B}: Regenerate target attacking creature.
{1}{R}: Target creature can't block this turn.
{1}{G}: Target creature gains trample UEOT.