Weekend Art ChallengeGreetings, artisans! Click through to see this weekend's art and the design requirements for your single card submission, due Monday morning. Every submission warrants feedback, and everyone is encouraged to give feedback. You may use that feedback to revise your submission any number of times, though only the version rendered will be included in the review, if someone volunteers to render the cards.
Design an ally creature card for this art.
Ally of Blossoms - 2GG
ReplyDeleteCreature - Shaman Ally (R)
Whenever an enchantment enters the battlefield under your control, put a 2/2 green ally token onto the battlefield.
2/2
Niice. Reminds me of Skyshroud Poacher, Moggcatcher and Seahunter: a way to tie one kind of "tribal" into another.
DeleteThis is sweet.
DeleteTajuru Naturalist (rare)
ReplyDeleteCreature - Elf Scout Ally
3GG
Rally - Whenever CARDNAME or another Ally enters the battlefield under your control, reveal the top card of your library. If it's a creature card, put it in your hand. Otherwise, put it on the bottom of your library.
2/2
Any way the reveal on the this could be optional? In case I really want a card I looked at on top of my deck and it's not a creature? Or is that out of bounds for green?
DeleteI don't think it's a color pie problem, but it does add some verbiage. Having it optional prevents some feel bad moments, but having it mandatory gives clearer deckbuilding guidance. I could go either way.
DeleteMwonvuli Beast Tracker, Creature - Human Scout Ally?
ReplyDeleteI see what you did there...
DeleteWell, my copy of Mwonvuli Beast Tracker has this art, so I immediately recognised it.
DeleteTargeted Treetop
ReplyDeleteLand
~ enters the battlefield tapped. When it does, you may put a 1/1 green Elf Ally creature token onto the battlefield. If you do, ~ gains “Whenever you control no Allies, sacrifice this.”
T, Add {G} to your mana pool.
There must be a simpler iteration of this. It could be a combination of Khalni Garden and Dwynen's Elite, using the new Plant token.
DeleteTreetop Outpost (Uncommon)
Land
NAME enters the battlefield tapped.
When NAME enters the battlefield, if you control an Ally, put a 1/1 green Plant creature token onto the battlefield.
T: Add G to your mana pool.
I was trying to balance the story of "If there are no allies to defend it, the eldrazi destroy the land", but your way is simpler enough that I'll probably just go with that.
DeleteI'll do the renders this week.
Why is the token optional?
DeleteDruidic Seer [G]
ReplyDeleteCreature — Human Druid Ally
Converge — [2U], [T]: Draw a card for each colour of mana used to activate this ability.
1/1
Thought this would be a nice bit of flavour and help for the 5-colour ally deck.
That ability is crazy broken. Two cards for 1GU every turn, and that's the worst case. You'd need the body to be something like a 1/1 for 5, maybe a 2/2 for 6.
DeleteMaybe as a sac ability it could work? Still on the Very Strong side, and kind of weird to cross the ally/converge/sacrifice lines all on one card, but fairer as a one-shot, I think.
DeleteI like this once the casting cost, p/t and basic effect are adjusted for power level. Tajuru Stalwart and Skyrider Elf already show the GU converge/ally crossover. Could it just scry X, or something similar?
DeleteScry is actually perfect. It fits the art so much better.
DeleteI often get power level wrong on things like card drawing because, even when I play Blue, it's not the kind of play I typically lean towards, so I just never read power level right. Thanks.
Druidic Seer [G]
Creature — Human Druid Ally
Converge — [2U], [T]: Scry X, where X is the number of colours of mana used to activate this ability.
1/1
Is that fairer?
A note to Czynski: I think Bass is intending the ability to cost {2/U}, not {2}{U}. So two cards is best case, not worst case. But I do agree drawing two a turn for two mana is still crazy. Scry is much better. Reminds me of Information Dealer.
DeleteI note that (assuming I'm right that the cost is meant to be twobrid), paying {U} (or any one colour) makes this quite a bit worse than Sigiled Starfish. Is that made up for by the option to scry 2 if you paid more mana, turning this into a Crystal Ball?
I was thinking it would be 2U, not twobrid. I would think people able to scry up to 3 is powerful?
DeleteUrgh. So [2U] means {2}{U}? That's... confusing, when people write {2U} to mean {2/U}.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteMurasa Pathfinder {1}{G}{G}
ReplyDeleteCreature — Human Scout Ally [U]
Rally — Whenever Murasa Pathfinder or another Ally enters the battlefield under your control, look at the top four cards of your library. You may reveal a land card from among them and put it into your hand. Put the rest on the bottom of your library in any order.
2/1
Elder Pine of Jukai for a different creature type? I can buy it.
DeleteVastwood Cartographer {2}{G}
ReplyDeleteCreature - Human Scout Ally (uncommon)
Whenever Vastwood Cartographer or another Ally enters the battlefield under your control, you may return a land you control to its owner’s hand and draw a card.
One line written for every tree passed.
1/3
Kazandu Treesage 2GG
ReplyDeleteCreature - Elf Druid
Rally- Whenever Kazandu Treesage or another Ally enters the battlefield under your control, you draw a card.
2/2
The art clearly sent our minds in the same direction!
DeleteYeah. I thought instantly of a Rally version of Eidolon of Blossoms.
DeleteAlso, add Ally to the creature type line, derp.
DeleteLuca, Wildseeker 5G
ReplyDeleteLegendary Creature- Elf Scout Ally (Rare)
3/6
Vigilance
Whenever CARDNAME or another Ally enters the battlefield under your control, look at the top four cards of your library. You may reveal a creature or land card from among them and put it into your hand. Put the rest on the bottom of your library in any order.
The art for this was such a perfect match for the text and flavor-text of Seek the Wilds... I couldn't resist. Mechanically this is meant as a different kind of top end for Ally decks: once Luca is on the table they don't have to be as aggressive, since they can chain small Allies to generate a ton of card advantage. Feedback appreciated.
Looking at four cards is really good. Getting to keep a creature or land is also really good. Luca is going to churn through your deck if you have even a slight Ally theme. Luckily it's got an appropriate casting cost for all that value. 3/6 vigilance fits the part of the curve it sits on, but not the flavor of the card. I don't see even a legendary Elf Scout being a 3/6 with vigilance. Giant or Elemental yes, Elf Scout, no.
DeleteFair enough. To 2/4 for now, and I'm considering swapping out the vigilance for hexproof. Would that make the card too non-interactive?
Deletehexproof is often not very fun to play against. Reach?
DeleteGood idea. New version:
DeleteLuca, Wildseeker 5G
Legendary Creature- Human Scout Ally (Rare)
2/5
Vigilance, reach
Whenever CARDNAME or another Ally enters the battlefield under your control, look at the top four cards of your library. You may reveal a creature or land card from among them and put it into your hand. Put the rest on the bottom of your library in any order.
If Tasigur can have 5 toughness, so can Luca. I wanted to make sure she wasn't *too* easy to kill.
Oh, and-- Rally, of course. Silly me.
DeleteTop down design!
ReplyDeleteCrypto Zoologist (RARE)
2GU
Creature — Human Scout Ally
2/3
Whenever one of more creatures enter the battlefield, if their total power is 3 or greater, you may draw a card.
NAME can’t be blocked by one or more creatures if their total power is 3 or greater.
I was looking for an explorer trope from old allies that might have a new role in the conflict against the Eldrazi. I thought of how a Crypto Zoologist might have made a few coins in the old days cataloging exotic animals, but now would have an essential skill when faced with Ulamog’s brood.
I took a page from Gilt-Leaf Winnower and decided "exotic animals" mechanically could mean big creatures, but then, to take Eyeless Watcher, Incubator Drone, Catacomb Sifter etc. into account, I tweaked it to count all the creatures entering at once’s power. Originally, it was a 2/4 that keyed off power 4 or greater. But that skipped a lot of the Eldrazi Drone creators, and felt too similar to Ferocious. Power 3 or greater is a much stronger card, but luckily there are enough Allies with power 2 or less that this won’t just constantly trigger off your creatures. Yes, I am saying I want this to trigger more off opponent’s threats. That may be a design mistake. But it fits the flavor of the card that the exotic animals wouldn’t be creatures you’re casting yourself. Garruk’s Packleader and Elemental Bond only look at creatures entering on your side, because R&D no longer wants players to feel bad when they cast spells that help their opponent, So this is hopefully a reasonable exception to that rule. Being rare should help make it okay.
The evasion ability may not be necessary, but since this doesn’t have Rally, I wanted it to be able to do something when other rally triggers go off. And the evasion is tied to its knowledge of exotic beasts, so I like it.
I'm afraid this wording won't actually trigger off Eyeless Watcher, Incubator Drone or Catacomb Sifter. Those don't enter the battlefield at the exact same time as their Scions - the Scion-making is a separate ability that triggers once the original creature has arrived.
DeletePerhaps:
At the end of each turn, if an opponent had creatures with total power 3 or greater ETB under his or her control, ...
Aww, that's right! Dangit. I don't know if I should tweak it, Because of how it mirrors the evasion ability. I'll need to think about it.
DeleteFixed to do what I want, even if it does cap out at one draw each turn. I'm using Huntmaster of the Fells/Ravager of the Fells upkeep check rather than an end step Dust Stalker check.
DeleteCrypto Zoologist (Rare)
1GU
Creature - Human Scout Ally
2/3
At the beginning of each upkeep, if one or more creatures with total power 3 or greater entered the battlefield last turn, draw a card.
Crypto Zoologist can’t be blocked by one or more creatures with total power 3 or greater.
Tililil, Who Sees Clarity {1}{G}{G}
ReplyDeleteLegendary Creature - Human Scout Ally
~ can't be blocked except by creatures with flying.
Whenever ~ attacks or a land enters the battlefield under your control, you may look at the top card of your library. If it's a nonland card, you may reveal it and put it into your hand.
3/3
Sylvan Mapreader
ReplyDelete2G
Creature - Human Scout Ally
Whenever a land enters the battlefield under you control, allies you control get +1/+1 until end of turn. If it was a forest, all creatures you control get +1/+1 until end of turn instead.
2/2
I don't think this is a great design, but I was trying to capture as much of a flavour of forest and allies as possible...
Why not just keyword landfall?
DeleteScriving Scout 3GU
ReplyDeleteCreature - Human Scout Ally Uncommon
Rally- When CARDNAME or another ally you control enters the battlefield creatures you control gain: "whenever this creature deals combat damage to a player, draw a card" until end of turn.
2/3
Kazandu Harbinger 2G
ReplyDeleteCreature - Human Scout Ally (U)
When CARDNAME enters the battlefield, you may search your library for an Ally card, reveal it, then shuffle your library and put that card on top of it.
2/3
As a semi Goblin Matron this is an interesting card. Goblin Matron replaces itself so it's basically trading +1/+2 for drawing the card instead of putting it on top which seems pretty close to fair. Definitely a strong card and combos incredibly in limited if you have a powerful ally card.
DeleteTajuru Strategist 1UG
ReplyDeleteCreature - Human Advisor Ally (R)
3/2
Rally - When CARDNAME or another ally you control enters the battlefield reveal the top card of your library, if it is an ally put it into your hand.
Ryza, Oran-Rief Scout-3UG
ReplyDeleteLegendary Creature-Elf Scout Ally-Rare
Your maximum hand size is increased by the number of lands you control.
Landfall-Whenever a land enters the battlefield under your control, creatures you control gain "T-Draw a card." until end of turn.
"We must protect the land, for it has much left to teach."
2/3
The idea of giving all your creatures "T: Draw a card." is a really cool idea, but giving it with landfall is incredibly powerful. I think this card could drop the maximum hand size and just be a one shot ETB all creatures gain "T:Draw a card" and it might still be too powerful.
DeleteShamanic Revelation. This card was just in the last block, and its drawing is more powerful. You have to tap all you creatures to get the same effect, leaving you open to attacks.
DeleteIf your behind this won't help you, cause you wont have a lot of creatures, and the ones you do have your trying to use to defend. In a stalemate, you might draw one or two cards a turn, but you don't want tap all of your creatures, because again it will leave you open. It really only helps if your ahead and winning. Even then, you'll attack with some of your creatures, so you wont be using all of your creatures to draw. That was just a quick mental playtest, and probably didn't take into account everything.
Also, added hand size doesn't really make a card more powerful. Spellbook and Reliquary Tower prove that unlimited hand size just cost a card slot, and Ryza doesn't even give you unlimited.
I would change this to a mythic. Another idea to balance her is to make your hand size limited by the number of lands you control. That would be a solution I would be happy with, but I don't want to go that far yet.
Nissa's Scout G
ReplyDeleteCreature - Ally Elf Scout (U)
Rally - Whenever Nissa's Scout or another Ally enters the battlefield under your control, scry 1.
As long as Nissa's Scout is in your library, it counts as a card named Nissa's Chosen.
1/2
While I love the scry ability on this card, I feel the ability to fetch this card with Nissa Revane isn't worth the incredibly awkward trinket text.
DeleteI feel like an iteration of this should have been put into original Zendikar or Worldwake. It probably would have given her original card more use, and led to more play ability.
DeleteThis is a cool call back though, and that's something return sets need. As something that calls back to Nissa's Chosen, I was wondering if we could mirror that card, or make it bigger playing off the idea that Nissa's Chosen has "grown up", just like the eldrazi.
Ecology Scribe UG
ReplyDeleteCreature - Elf Druid Ally (U)
You may spend mana on multicolored creature spells as though it were mana of any color.
"I fear that soon my archives will be all that remain of Zendikar's vibrant life."
1/1
This wants to play with converge so bad! But it doesn't. :(
DeleteThere's only one multicolor creature in BFZ that has converge, so this isn't helping converge, which is what players are expecting when they read this. It's just teasing me with "What if." I feel like I see these cards every so often from Magic, it makes me want to Scream and Shout.
Sorry, I just had to let it all out.
true... Lets try another take.
DeleteEcology Scribe UG
Creature - Elf Druid Ally (U)
You may spend mana on the first creature spell you cast each turn as though it were mana of any color.
"I fear that soon my archives will be all that remain of Zendikar's vibrant life."
1/1
Inspired by Zeno's comment:
DeleteDiversity Evangelist G
Creature - Elf Ally (U)
Whenever you spend more colors of mana to cast a creature spell than that card's colors, it ETB with a +1/+1 counter.
1/1
The funniest part about this ability, is you automatically get a counter for all your devoid creatures.
Passage Scout 1W
ReplyDeleteCreature - Human Scout Ally (U)
2W, T: Exile Passage Scout, then return it to the battlefield under your control.
2/2
"The brood is on the move once more. Their destination, however, remains unknown." - Kila, passage scout