The new Commander Legends set is fully spoiled! This week's challenge is to design a pair of legendary creatures with the Partner (or Partner With) mechanic that could serve as a deck's commanders. (Since there are two of them, I recommend not getting too complicated with the text box or color identity of either.) For bonus points, base your designs on characters from a fictional universe other than Magic's.
Good luck and have fun!
A-Train, pinacle of speed 2RR
ReplyDeleteLegendary creature Human mutant
~ comes in place with 5 +1/+1 counters.
Remove a +1/+1 counter from ~: it gains your choise among double strike, haste or trample until end of turn.
Partner.
0/0
Starlight, heroic aspirant WW
Legendary creature human mutant
Whenever a counter is put or removed from a permanent you control you may have ~ gain your choice among +1/+1, indestructible or vigilance until eot
Partner.
2/2
A-Train is a strong partner design on its own and a smart use of +1/+1 counters in red (which doesn't often use them to grow creatures). Starlight makes less sense to me in a vacuum (I don't know the characters). +1/+1, indestructible, and vigilance are somewhat different in terms of how they play with this trigger. I guess this could function as a big attacker in decks that can add or remove lots of counters, with the +1/+1 playing the main role, but it isn't really clicking for some reason.
DeleteOverall very good work-- these designs fit the challenge well.
Jim Kirk 1R
ReplyDeleteLegendary Creature - Human Soldier
First strike
RGU: Jim Kirk, target blue creature you control, and target green creature you control each get +1/+1 UEOT.
Partner
2/2
Captain Picard 2W
Legendary Creature - Human Soldier
{T}: Prevent all damage two target creatures would deal to each other this turn.
Partner
1/3
What's the biggest media property that I haven't made fan cards for before? Probably Star Trek :) I couldn't find a good way for the abilities to overlap, but you can imagine a whole crew with these just two examples.
Nice Kirk! I love the implementation of getting an away party :p
DeleteI would give Picard: {T}:remove any number of creatures from combat.
And given that, it might be tempting to change Jim to have something to do with attacking with a full party? or having a redshirt save legendary creatures? Or to convey the kobayashi maru make him prevent you from loosing the game somehow? Just spitballing here.
I considered "remove from combat" but I felt I pushed my luck too much with that last week :)
DeleteYeah, I was trying to avoid making Jim TOO attack-focused, but that probably would have been simpler. And then maybe the reward could be +1/+1 counters which will hopefully be useful later.
I do like the idea of assembling a specific landing party, which would work with Kirk's ability. Maybe there'd even be some keyword with Kirk as a special case.
DeleteYou could have non named cards like "security officer" who might have a "block me before anyone else" ability.
Kobayashi Maru would probably be some mythic rare spell with an ability like "if you would lose the game this turn, instead you win the game" :)
Obviously there are some ST: designs out there but the internet didn't seem to have settled into seeing any one as "the" one :)
Reconnaissance is a white card from tempest that gives precedent, and the ability would fit Picard like a glove I think.
DeleteJim is very red, very action driven. I love the idea to put into play security officers token when he attacks or when he comes into play, that have "cardname must be blocked if able", and then he gains indestructible as long as he is attacking and there is a security officer attacking?
I agree that kobayashi maru would be a mythic rare, and that it should prevent you from losing the game, but it should probably provide an alternate win condition. Something like, your life becomes one, mill all but one cards from your library, at the begining of your next upkeep, if you control a creature, win the game.
Picard is great in any of the variations mentioned, with a lot of fun applications.
DeleteI think adding the RUG ability and requirement to Kirk's color identity is a mistake (and the +1/+1 payoff is not that strong in any case). I like some of the alternatives that were proposed and I could also see Kirk being a partner design that cares about commander creatures (like the uncommon cycle with Keleth in Commander Legends). Or maybe he could provide extra partners! "If this is your commander you may have up to 2 other creatures with partner as your commanders. Those creatures can't be cast as long as this is in the command zone."
At any rate, very cool ideas and great discussion all around!
Eroan, Guardian of the Tribe 2G
ReplyDeleteLegendary Creature - Elf Shaman
Partner with Rhundri, Pain Harvester.
Whenever a creature enters the battlefield, put a +1/+1 counters on target elf you control.
{2}{G}, {T}: Proliferate.
2/2
Rhundri, Pain Harvester 3B
Legendary Creature - Elf Rogue
Partner with Eroan, Guardian of the Tribe
Whenever an Elf you control dies, if it had a counter on it, each opponent loses one life and discards a card.
{1}{B}, {T}: Put a deathtouch counter on target creature you control.
3/2
Eroan: https://mtg.design/i/qmdk47.jpg
Rhundri: https://mtg.design/i/iria73.jpg
Hi! These are my first Commander designs. I do not play EDH so I had no clue what I was doing while designing.
DeleteHope you like 'em :)
Welcome! Good choice to use "Partner with" here since "elves with counters" is a very specific deck theme. And the designs themselves are very appealing. I like that I got a clear sense of flavor and mechanical identity from them.
DeleteI would suggest using either +1/+1 counters or ability counters but not both (otherwise the tracking becomes difficult). Also, Eroan's first ability seems a little too powerful-- did you mean to say "under your control"?
Hi! thanks for the feedback!
DeleteAnd yes! I meant "under your control"
I'm thinking on changing +1/+1 counters for another ability counter like trample. If that's the case Eroan's second ability must change too.
Let me think what can I come up with :)