Hello Artisans! Anastase here with yet another challenge:
Design a card that generates mana in an unusual way!
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| aquasixio |
I will try to give feedback on your submissions over the week-end. Each Artisan is allowed one submission, but can update it as many times as needed. Please state the rarity of the card you submit. If you have a creative-commons art that better fits your card, please include a link to it and I will render the card with that art.
Good crafting, Artisans!
Mana Tide
ReplyDeleteSorcery
1UR
Tap all creatures target player controls. Add <> to your mana pool for each of those creatures.
I'm not sure about this, I may change to a different idea later. My thought is, fast mana which is too unreliable for a combo deck, but may find a use in a different deck. I also considered a more expensive version with "return all creatures target player control to their owner's hand" but that's quite stand-out all by itself without the mana rider.
This could be frighteningly strong in constructed. I wonder what development would say about it.
DeleteRarity?
Oops. Errata. "Target opponent". It's supposed to be situationally strong, not comboriffic :)
DeleteAnd rarity, um, I think uncommon, though it may need to be toned down a bit.
Tide-Bender Shaman
ReplyDelete(G/U)
Creature - Elf Merfolk Shaman
{q}: Add G or U to your mana pool. ({q} is the untap symbol)
1/1
Q: add a mana is bonkers! Put any aura with a tap ability and you have a two card infinite mana/ability engine. If I remember right, the cheapest Q ability cost an additional 2.
DeleteIt's definitely sweet and elegant, but it's also definitely broken. :)
Some Q abilities cost an additional single colored mana. Pili-Pala, on the other hand, definitely did cost 2 to add one mana to your mana pool.
DeleteYep... it is broken jaja. i search for untapp symbol and didnt saw the pili-pala didnt pop out... :/. May be if it could be activated only once per turn it could work. I wanted to create a less powerfull elvish mystic and turned out to be more powerfull jaja.
DeleteWhat rarity would this be?
DeleteAlso will you submit it as is, or should I add "activate this ability only once per turn"?
Tide-Bender Shaman
Delete{G/U}
Creature - Elf Merfolk Shaman
{q}: Add G or U to your mana pool. Activate this ability only once per turn. ({q} is the untap symbol)
1/1
I think that would do it?
Uncommon!
DeletePerilous Trance {1}{R}{R}
ReplyDeleteEnchantment - Rare
At the beginning of your upkeep step, put the top ten cards of your library into your graveyard. For each card put into your graveyard this way, add one mana among that card's colors to your mana pool. Until end of turn, this mana doesn't empty from your mana pool as steps and phases end. (Lands are colorless.)
10?!
DeleteWhoa. 10 is a lot. I like the "danger" here (you have five turns, win or die) but this could easily add 5 or more mana each turn! Not to mention that it seeds the graveyard better than any card ever printed in red, and it would be one the best self-mill enablers ever printed.
DeleteThis could easily cost a little less and exile one or two cards without breaking the color pie.
If you're paying homage to arc slogger, you could still exile 10, but choose one card and get mana equal to its devotion, maybe?
It's even worse than you think, Mike -- my intent was for lands to add <>, so you'd get 10 mana each turn in a mix of colors and colorless :)
DeleteClearly this is crazy. Before I fix by making it less powerful, what would you think if it was more expensive, so it gives you 2-3 turns to finish the game? Maybe 6 mana or something?
Also, adding the wording of "a mana of its colors does not work with colorless", but yes, I guess that if you put this at 6 mana it would be ok, since you would normally have 3-4 turns to finish the game.
DeleteHowever add an eldrazi titan in and you might have another broken modern deck...
I could see turbo-fog +1 elrdazi titan run this.
For a guaranteed 10 mana per turn, I'd expect this to cost 7 or 8 (but that's dev not design) and be green-red or something.
DeleteThanks all for the comments! Final edit, attempting to keep the danger of decking yourself without making a totally unprintable card:
DeletePerilous Trance 5{r}{r}
Enchantment - Rare
At the beginning of your upkeep, put the top seven cards of your library into your graveyard. For each card put into your graveyard this way, add <> or one mana among that card's colors to your mana pool. Until end of turn, this mana doesn't empty from your mana pool as steps and phases end.
I'm not super-comfy with green for this, since while it is sort of like ramp, it feels like a red way of accomplishing this.
The review was posted before this comment.
DeleteWhat I don't get is why red is getting guaranteed mana every turn for the rest of the (immediately much shorter) game?
Perilous Trance {2}{R}
Instant (rare)
Put the top seven cards of your library into your graveyard. For each red card among them, add {R} to your mana pool.
Mana Wake {U}
ReplyDeleteInstant (rare)
Add {U} to your mana pool for each {U} in the mana costs among spells you have cast this turn.
Probably bad in Limited and busted in older formats.
Hey, I made High Tide! No way that could end badly.
DeleteThis game me a slight aneurysm imagining it in a friend's deck...
DeleteMaking it cost 1U so it at least isn't free.
DeleteRhino-Wave Surfer
ReplyDeleteCreature - Human Surfer
1GU
Prowess
Whenever ~ attacks, add X mana of any combination of green and/or blue to your mana pool, where X is the number of untapped creatures defending player controls. Until end of turn, this mana doesn't empty from your mana pool as steps and phases end.
2/2
This is a top-down design based on the concept of someone who surfs on waves that are full of magical rhinos, but I made it count any untapped creatures so it can go in sets without strong Elemental Rhino tribal themes.
This gets +10/+10 until Eot for each Elemental Rhino you control.
DeleteWhy doesn't the mana drain? I don't think that line is necessary.
DeleteGreat internal synergy regardless
I agree that the trigger is cool, it could be modified to add the mana to your next main phase and loose the does not empty. This somehow feels more UR than GU to me. I cannot identify why however. Prowess to trample might change that.
DeleteRarity?
The mana remains here so you can summon creatures after combat.
DeleteMy comment was unclear. I understand why the mana does not empty, but the same effect more or less could be achieved with:
Delete"add X mana of any combination of green and/or blue to your mana pool, at the begining of your next manin phase, where X is the number of untapped creatures defending player controls."
if you want to cast creatures and not combat tricks.
However the whole of the card feels UR to me due to it having prowess. I was wondering if changing prowess to trample would solve it.
A blue take on Druid's Repository that probably looks more powerful than it actually is.
ReplyDeleteMana Surge U
Enchantment R
Whenever a creature attacks you, add U to your mana pool. Until end of turn, this mana doesn't empty from your mana pool as steps and phases end.
Nice! A riff that doesn't fit the art:
DeleteChannel Rage {R}{R}
Enchantment
Whenever you are dealt damage, add that much red mana to your mana pool. Until end of turn, this mana doesn't empty from your mana pool as steps and phases end.
If its not your turn, why does it matter if the mana carries into the main phase? Counterspells, sure, but that's trivial to play around. End-step shenanigans not necessary given free mana.
DeleteOtherwise, awesome.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteThis looks awesome to me. Why muddy the waters with the last line, though? Blue is the king of instants, this card could play to that strength.
DeleteI was thinking of counterspells when I added the last line, but it doesn't really add much to the card given that they can just play spells pre-combat to get around it. I'll take it off and leave the card like this:
DeleteMana Surge U
Enchantment R
Whenever a creature attacks you, add U to your mana pool.
^ pretty ^
DeleteNice. Makes Hydrolash and the like more playable. Or Blue Sun's Zenith if you want to be greedy, I guess.
DeleteWhat a cool card.
DeleteThis should be a thing.
DeleteBestial Tide (G)
ReplyDeleteSorcery (U)
Until end of turn, whenever you tap a land for mana, add two mana to your mana pool of any type that land produced instead. Spend this mana only to cast creature spells.
I like this Tammy card! Development would probably have to make sure it is balanced (perhaps make it cost GG to make sure it mostly stays in green?)
DeleteHigh Tide for green? I like! A dedicated Johnny will still find ways to combo off with this, but mostly it'll be a 'fair' and flavorful ritual effect in green. It nets 1 mana with 3 lands, 2 mana with 4 lands, etc. which seems about right for a ritual.
DeleteBiomorphose 2UG
ReplyDeleteInstant (R)
Exile a creature you control. Search your library for a creature card with lower converted mana cost and put it onto the battlefield. Add X mana in any combination of colors to your mana pool, where X is the difference. Then shuffle your library.
This is indeed quite novel. It will generally be a tutor/put into play for a creature card you need. the extra mana generated will be low but could be relevant because of the "any combination" clause.
DeleteCould this cost less or would it be busted?
How does everyone feel about UG, Sorcery?
DeleteMuch more proactive, than reactive… I like it.
DeleteWave of Ki @UU
ReplyDeleteSorcery (Common)
(@ is reverse mana. Paying @ adds {C} to your mana pool. If that mana empties from your pool without being spent, you lose the game.)
Return target nonland permanent to its owner's hand.
Wow, I love this. Great work!
DeleteThis is a really neat idea, although "lose the game" is a bit harsh for a mechanic that's going to have the as-fan of a common keyword. Reminds me of repeatedly activating Mishra's Factory in the old Shandalar days.
DeleteThanks! Yeah, I'm not completely happy with "you lose the game" since it lets you get blown out by instant-speed Twiddle effects. But I don't see any good way around that without adding a ton of rules baggage (e.g. having a player 'cast' two spells at once).
DeleteI suppose instead of 'you lose the game' it could be 'you lose 5 life' or something.
Is this card just:
DeleteWave of Ki 1UU
Sorcery (Common)
Return target nonland permanent to its owner's hand. Add <> to your mana pool.
I really don't see why it needs a "lose the game" clause.
@Wobbles: First of all, the 'cost' is just UU. Second, you have to have something else that you can pay {C} for that turn.
DeleteThe main question I have is: does this have to be in the mana cost?
Deletecould it not be:
{U}{U}
effect, add {C} to your mana pool. For every mana that empties from your mana pool this turn, loose N life.
Above but "when this mana empties from your mana pool, lose 2 life."
DeleteAs fascinating as negative mana is, it's just too weird.
DeletePoints taken. I can see how putting the reverse-mana in the cost might be confusing (what's the CMC? 3? 2? 1?). Improved design:
DeleteWave of Ki 1U
Sorcery (Common)
Sync (When you cast this spell, add {C} to your mana pool. If this mana empties from your pool without being spent, discard a card.)
Return target nonland permanent to its owner's hand.
I decided to use 'discard a card' rather than 'you lose N life'-- feels less arbitrary and more appropriate somehow. It also helps avoid the feel-bad of having these cards stranded in your hand.
Isn't it punishment enough that you're paying more for the card up front? I mean, a two mana Void Snare is already already overcosted. If you aren't able to use the mana it gives you back, it's even worse..
DeleteYes, but mana costs are often about having options as well. There are plenty of situations where players would be happy to cast a Void Snare for 1U if they drew it, despite the fact that they'd never put it in their deck if that was all it did.
DeleteInstant?
DeleteWolfir Elvenheart GG
ReplyDeleteCreature - Wolf Elf
Whenever ~ becomes the target of a spell or ability an opponent controls, add R to your mana pool.
T: Add G to your mana pool
Or
DeleteDeceiving Chameleon GGG
Creature - Lizard
T: Add G to your mana pool.
W, U: Add UB to your mana pool.
0/1
The Wolfir is (presumably) not big enough to warrant removing.
DeleteThe Chameleon requires one U to turn any number of W into B? What?
Also, rarities. They help evaluate cards.
DeleteThe restriction of only triggering from opponent spells and abilities on the wolfir could potentially be lifted and make it a more interesting card?
Spout Shaman 1U
ReplyDeleteCreature- Metathran Shaman (u)
At the end of your draw step, turn the top card of your library face-up.
You may play mana abilities of land cards on the top of your library. If you do, turn them face-down.
1/3
This may need an additional phrase replacing the tap symbol with turning it face down...
Delete0-1 mana is cool. What if this removed the land you use and reveal the new top to create exciting potential?
DeleteSomething like:
DeleteWater Dancer 2U
Cre- human monk (r)
Prowess
Play with the top card of your library revealed.
0: if the top card of your library is a face-up land card you may exile it. If you do, add <> to your mana pool.
1/3
Does anything break if we move exiling into the cost?
DeleteKinda :/
DeleteEureka?
DeleteExile a land card from the top of your library: add <> to your mana pool.
Thanks for making me think harder. Haha
*exile a face-up land card
DeleteAnd credit to Ben Heaton for pairing prowes with a mana ability. I find it really exciting
DeleteA new take on courser and co! What is your final submission Mike?
DeleteFinal version:
DeleteWaterdancer 1UU
Creature- Human Monk (R)
Prowess
Play with the top card of your library face-up.
Exile a face-up land card from the top of your library: Add <> to your mana pool.
2/4
Do we need blue to have a creature about as strong as Courser of Kruphix? (not-as-accelerating, but bigger)
DeleteTransfigured Wave 2U
ReplyDeleteInstant (R)
Until end of turn, all nonland permanents you control are Island lands in addition to their other types.
The mana cost I've submitted is nearly random, I have no idea how much this should really cost.
That I had never seen. I like it. The horror of casting something that targets all non-land permanents with the mana you just generated!
DeleteCitanul Hierophants is the closest analogy I could find. Being for 1 turn only makes this noticeably weaker. My guess would be it's safe at 1U.
DeleteThis illustration lends itself to blue pretty hard. Blue really doesn't experiment in mana generation very much. After rereading the thread, most of these cards (mine included) really dont feel blue.
ReplyDeleteWellspring of Nature RG
ReplyDeleteInstant (r)
Tap target creature. Choose one —
• Add <> to your mana pool equal to its power.
• Add one mana of any color to your mana pool for each creature on the battlefield that shares a creature type with it.
Entwine 2 (Choose both if you pay the entwine cost.)
Two ideas? Entwine 'em!
Wort the denmother would approve.
DeleteQuick reminder: You are NOT obliged to design for that image. If you have a design and a creative commons card whose author we can credit, just design for that art, include the link to it and I will render that card with that art.
ReplyDeleteThat said, I was hoping to see interactions between mana generation and things we have not yet seen like:
*cards drawn since the beginning of the turn.
*cards in hand
*an element of creature size/type that we have not seen yet
I urge you to browse through this search for inspiration if you are stuck!
Adding mana? I'm going to do the polar opposite with mana deprivation!
ReplyDeleteHold Back the Tides- 1UU
Instant- Uncommon
Tap up too two target lands target opponent controls. Remove all mana from that players mana pool that was produced by those lands. (Mana removed this way can't be used to pay for spells or abilities.)
The art should be focused on the man and the wave on the right, cutting out wave/water elementals on the left. Thanks!
The only time you'll be able to remove mana from someone's mana pool before they can spend is when an effect lets them keep it between phases.
DeletePossible rules hack to make the card work as intended:
DeleteTap up to two target lands. Players can't spend mana produced by those lands this turn.
This still lets the opponent pay for instants in response, but you probably don't want to go down the rabbit hole of trying to prevent that (read: split second).
Go ahead and use Ipaulsen's wording. It's simple and to the point.
DeleteI still want to push development and ask them if my wording could work at all, or if they would have to rewrite the whole book.
Split Second?
Delete