Wednesday, March 19, 2014

CCDD 031914—Mnemonic Sorceress

Cool Card Design of the Day
3/19/2014 - I wanted to use devotion to blue to determine the quality of spell this card nets you.


It originally let you cast the spell, but it was hard to make a card that was playable, but didn't compete with Snapcaster Mage. Instead, I made it compete with Archaeomancer. In retrospect, maybe {2}{U}{U} or {3}{U}{U} with the same body would be enough to let her cast the spell for free?

17 comments:

  1. Surreal Sorceress 1RR
    Creature - Wizard
    When CARDNAME enters the battlefield, you may cast target instant or sorcery card with converted mana cost no higher than your devotion to red from your graveyard this turn. If you do, exile that card.
    3/2

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    Replies
    1. Was hoping someone would propose the red version.
      Would tweak slightly: Exile the spell regardless.

      Delete
    2. Surreal Sorceress 1RR
      Creature - Wizard (r)
      When CARDNAME enters the battlefield, exile target instant or sorcery card from a graveyard. If your devotion to red is greater than that card's converted mana cost, you may cast it this turn.
      3/2

      Exiles from any graveyard because I'm feeling risky, and I like incidental, specific graveyard hate.

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    3. Should this cast for free? It feels so much worse than Snapcaster Mage, even without the devotion hoop.

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    4. It is a fair sight worse than Snapcaster, though arguably that just places it in "reasonable design" territory. Being without flash and a mana higher, with the devotion hoop, casting the spell for free might be fun.

      I'd have to play this to really know - if it's playable as-is, I'd probably keep it this way, but if you too often feel-bad for having to run it out as a 3/2 dork on turn three for no gain, amping it up with a free casting might be the way.

      Delete
    5. Very different from the original card, but printable, splashy, red, I think:

      Memory Burner 1RR
      Creature - Wizard (r)
      When CARDNAME enters the battlefield, exile target instant or sorcery card from a graveyard. CARDNAME deals damage to target player equal to that card's converted mana cost. You may cast it this turn.
      3/2

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    6. The only reason I made a creature was to ensure devotion was't 0. I like the twist here, but let's unbind the original idea.

      Burn Memory RR
      Sorcery
      You may cast target instant or sorcery card from any graveyard. If you do, it deals damage to target player* equal to its converted mana cost. Exile it as it resolves.

      *alternately: its owner, but that's a very different card.

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  2. I'm interested in seeing how often this ability functions. The extra hoop seems like she fits on a very specific battle plan, but works womderfully in it.

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  3. Nice design. It's consistently worse than Eternal Witness, but that's most likely a good sign.

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  4. I like this card a lot because {1}{U}{U} feels like an upgrade over {2}{U}.

    Would this be too good with Flash?

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    Replies
    1. Looking at Snapcaster Mage, yeah. Especially since you don't exile the spell.

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  5. What about just:

    Simple Mage 1UU
    When you put ~ into play, you may cast a spell with CMC 2 or less from your graveyard.
    2/2

    Build your own Aether Adept!

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    Replies
    1. I probably should have specifically said "for free".

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    2. And said "instant or sorcery," apparently I'm out of it this morning!

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    3. Would have to be uncommon, but otherwise core-set-able.

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    4. Yeah, almost certainly uncommon. Certainly in a core set.

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