General Custom Cards: The Lab

[ravnic]

A challenge for all my fellow designers here: Come up with ideas for a five card cycle of fixing lands. Those lands should:
• Always tap for a mana of their respective color
• Tap for any color under the right conditions

I'd prefer them to come without the memory issues of Thriving lands and I'd prefer them to not use counters like the vivid lands do, but cool and elegant design comes first.

 

[blacksmithy]

Budding Plains
Land - Plains
T: Add W.
If you've cast a spell this turn, Budding Plains has "T: Add one mana of any color."

Plains of Redemption
Land - Plains
T: Add W.
T: Add one mana of any color. Activate only if you're not the first player.

 

[MilesOfficial]

I was thinking of locking the second ability behind 3-power but it makes it strictly better than a Mountain that way in a way I don't quite like.

I like cards that care about creatures, seems like an obvious and thoughtful way to lock lands.

 

[Onderzeeboot]

Expansive Field
Land - Expanse
: Add .
: Add one mana of any type that no non-Expanse land you control could produce.

Lotus Plains
Land
: Add .
: Add one mana of any color. Activate this ability only on the first three turns of the game.

Undiscovered Plains
Land
: Add .
, Return ~ to its owner's hand: Add one mana of any color.

Humble Fields
Land
: Add .
: Add one mana of any color. Activate this ability only if you control two or more basic Plains.

 

[Taamas]

Splasher Plains
Land
: Add .
: Add one mana of any color. Activate this ability only if you control a white permanent.

Splashed Plains
Land
: Add .
: Add one mana of any color. Activate this ability only if you control a non-white permanent.

 

[Chris Taylor]

Plains of Redemption
Land - Plains
T: Add W.
T: Add one mana of any color. Activate only if you're not the first player.

Remembering who went first on T10 is not great

I'd prefer them to come without the memory issues of Thriving lands and I'd prefer them to not use counters like the vivid lands do, but cool and elegant design comes first.

Are you okay with them shuffling

If so:
: Add .
, sac: Add one mana of any color, search for a plains, put it into play tapped.

 

[LadyMapi]

Golden Fields
Land — Plains
: Add one mana of any color. Spend this mana only to pay for white spells or abilities from white sources.

Mocking Tidepools
Land — Island
Mocking Tidepools enters the battlefield tapped unless you discard a card.
Hellbent — , Add one mana of any color.

Endless Fens
Land — Swamp
, : Add one mana of any color.

Fleeting Fumerole
Land — Mountain
Channel — , discard Fleeting Fumerole: Add one mana of any color.

...

I couldn't think of a fifth cycle for Forests. Oh well.

 

[Brad]

T: Add W.
T: Add one mana of any color a basic land you control could produce.

Flexible in 2-3c, doesn't enable too much 5c nonsense. That said, it isn't "on" until you have your other colors.

 

[Velrun]

Lotus Plains
Land
: Add .
: Add one mana of any color. Activate this ability only on the first three turns of the game.

The rules still count opponent's turns as turns also, right?
That makes this one tap for any color on your turn, on opponent's turn and on your turn. If you play first. If you draw first, then you only get one of your own turns to tap for any color.
Not trying to stomp on your design. Just wanted to talk about this.

 

[ravnic]

I knew I would get you with this, but I didn't expect that many sweet designs. Wow, I can't even parse all this and will surely have a hard time deciding which two cycles I'll actually do ...

There is one I came up with and I can't even say how strong that is in draft:

Promising Plains
Land
: Add .
, : Add one mana of any color.

Reads simple at least

Splasher Plains
Land
: Add .
: Add one mana of any color. Activate this ability only if you control a white permanent.

This is among my favorites currently.

Lotus Plains
Land
: Add .
: Add one mana of any color. Activate this ability only on the first three turns of the game.

I love the idea, but as others noted, I'd have to change the wording a little. Hmm, would "Activate this only on your first two turns of the game" work? This way it would always do the same. And not work with instants, but it'll be ten times more important to get a couple creatures/pokemon in play in this environment.

 

[Velrun]

If you go with that one I think you also need to change the name because I don’t think Lotus applies to it any longer if you errata it to 2 turns.

 

[Onderzeeboot]

The rules still count opponent's turns as turns also, right?
That makes this one tap for any color on your turn, on opponent's turn and on your turn. If you play first. If you draw first, then you only get one of your own turns to tap for any color.
Not trying to stomp on your design. Just wanted to talk about this.

You are definitely correct! If we follow Serra Avenger, it should read "Activate this ability only during your first, second, or third turns of the game." or "You can't activate this ability after your third turn of the game." (if you want it to produce off-color mana on your opponent's first few turns). I would probably go with the first, but that's personal preference.

That said, my current favorite is also Splasher Plains. Very elegant design!

 

[Velrun]

My favorite is Expansive Field.

I think many players will find it interesting. They will also go “Uuuuuuuuh, I wonder what else is an Expanse”

 

[Mown]

I feel like toying around with battles so I can pretend to take credit when they inevitably print something comparable.

Frenzied Assault
Battle — Siege
Whenever you attack, target attacking creature gets +2/+0 until end of turn.
[5]
----transform----
Unstoppable Momentum
Enchantment
Whenever you attack, attacking creatures you control get +2/+0 until end of turn.

Basically just an enchantment you can upgrade by attacking

Invade the Inner Sanctum
Battle — Siege
Creatures attacking ~ must be blocked before other attacking creatures if able.
[6]
-----transform----
Heart of Selemnon
Creature — Elemental
Ward
~ must be blocked before other attacking creatures you control if able.
6/6

I don't think blocker priority is actually supported by rules, but it's not that complicated conceptually, might be funky with overlapping blocking restrictions.

Breach the Biblioplex
Battle — Siege
Whenever you attack ~, draw a card.
[4]
----transform----
Wondering Archaic
Creature — Avatar
~'s power and toughness are each equal to the number of cards in your hand.

I like the idea of balancing "do I want to complete this quickly or have it stick around", this one is a bit easier to parse than the green one.

General Kudro's Moat
Battle — Stratagem
(This battle enters the battlefield under your protection.)
Creatures without flying can't attack you or planeswalkers you control.
[4]

I'm assuming we're getting battles you protect yourself at some point, not really sure how they would work thematically. I think they work better if they center around combat, instead of just being enchantments that your opponent can kill if you're behind.

I wonder how long it will take before I have some understanding of how much defense value these cards should have.

 

[Onderzeeboot]

Putting this idea for a tricolor in my cube here before I forget:

Ash Plains
Land - Plains
(: Add .)
, : Add .

Fetchable triland that (in my cube) can only be fetched with on color fetches (that is. fetches that are in this color wedge).

 

[Chris Taylor]

Invade the Inner Sanctum
Battle — Siege
Creatures attacking ~ must be blocked before other attacking creatures if able.
[6]
-----transform----
Heart of Selemnon
Creature — Elemental
Ward
~ must be blocked before other attacking creatures you control if able.
6/6

Creatures you control attacking ~ must be blocked if able
Creatures you control not attacking ~ can't be blocked unless all creatures attacking ~ are blocked?
Maybe?
IDK I think you're fine with your wording, and if a judge told me the above didn't work I'd believe them, but the card is certainly grockable.

Breach the Biblioplex
Battle — Siege
Whenever you attack ~, draw a card.
[4]
----transform----
Wondering Archaic
Creature — Avatar
~'s power and toughness are each equal to the number of cards in your hand.

this is EXCELLENT, love it

General Kudro's Moat
Battle — Stratagem
(This battle enters the battlefield under your protection.)
Creatures without flying can't attack you or planeswalkers you control.
[4]

I'm assuming we're getting battles you protect yourself at some point, not really sure how they would work thematically. I think they work better if they center around combat, instead of just being enchantments that your opponent can kill if you're behind.

This however, Moat is not really fun. Halving the mana cost because it can be burned doesn't really fix that.
I do think we'll see battles you have to defend at some point though.
Like even if it just draws you a card every turn, you've got a little mini planeswalker

 

[Onderzeeboot]

This however, Moat is not really fun. Halving the mana cost because it can be burned doesn't really fix that.

I don’t know about the cost, but unlike you I do like the Battle Moat! It’s basically a temporary shield/fog effect, and unlike Moat it doesn’t prevent your creatures from attacking (which is the part that feels rough), it just dictates that they temporarily can’t go face!

That said, personally I would definitely drop the “or planeswalkers you control” part. It’s kind of brutal when you can’t prevent an opponent’s planeswalker from ultimating because it’s sitting behind a cheap moat that you can’t clear fast enough.

 

[Onderzeeboot]

How broken are these...

Fentwig, Loyal Escort
Legendary Creature - Human Soldier
Convoke (Your creatures can help cast this spell. Each creature you tap while casting this spell pays for or one mana of that creature’s color.)
Vigilance
2/1

Blossoming Courage
Instant
Convoke (Your creatures can help cast this spell. Each creature you tap while casting this spell pays for or one mana of that creature’s color.)
Target creature you control gets +2/+2 and gains hexproof until end of turn.

 

[Velrun]

How broken are these...

Fentwig, Loyal Escort
Legendary Creature - Human Soldier
Convoke (Your creatures can help cast this spell. Each creature you tap while casting this spell pays for or one mana of that creature’s color.)
Vigilance
2/1

Blossoming Courage
Instant
Convoke (Your creatures can help cast this spell. Each creature you tap while casting this spell pays for or one mana of that creature’s color.)
Target creature you control gets +2/+2 and gains hexproof until end of turn.

Not broken. Fentwig is rather weak actually. Courage could be a problem but I don’t see the format it could hurt.

 

[Chris Taylor]

I don’t know about the cost, but unlike you I do like the Battle Moat! It’s basically a temporary shield/fog effect, and unlike Moat it doesn’t prevent your creatures from attacking (which is the part that feels rough), it just dictates that they temporarily can’t go face!

That said, personally I would definitely drop the “or planeswalkers you control” part. It’s kind of brutal when you can’t prevent an opponent’s planeswalker from ultimating because it’s sitting behind a cheap moat that you can’t clear fast enough.

My issue is that moat is very on or off, so "Temporary" might not be so.

How broken are these...

Fentwig, Loyal Escort
Legendary Creature - Human Soldier
Convoke (Your creatures can help cast this spell. Each creature you tap while casting this spell pays for or one mana of that creature’s color.)
Vigilance
2/1

Blossoming Courage
Instant
Convoke (Your creatures can help cast this spell. Each creature you tap while casting this spell pays for or one mana of that creature’s color.)
Target creature you control gets +2/+2 and gains hexproof until end of turn.

Fentwig is probably good, reminds me of Burning Tree Emmisary, weather that's good or bad for you.

I'm not sure of the full knockon effects of courage here, but does your format need green defense only force of will?
If so, I feel like there are bigger problems.

 

[Zoss]

I imagine that you can go infinite with Fentwig in some way. That's a good thing; I like my aggro 2/1s for 1 to have uses outside of aggro decks.

Blossoming courage is an interesting one in that it really changes how an opponent has to time their spells. If you have other free/free-ish spells, it's a great way to let Green in on the fun, but if it would be the only way to interact with the stack while tapped out then I think you'd be better off making it cost at least 1G.

 

[blacksmithy]

free spells good
the 2/1 is indeed a lot like a reverse BTE

 

[Onderzeeboot]

Yeah, this kinda works, I think!

 

[blacksmithy]

i personally don't like filter / signet style mana sources because i have a small brain, but these are good and cool lands

 

[Taamas]

Fentwig, Loyal Escort
Legendary Creature - Human Soldier
Convoke (Your creatures can help cast this spell. Each creature you tap while casting this spell pays for or one mana of that creature’s color.)
Vigilance
2/1

Considering it can be cast with another white one drop on turn one or just any resolved white creature without losing anything (considering you are playing aggro and don't plan to block), it looks quite powerful.