General Custom Cards: The Lab

Chris Taylor

Contributor
I don't know about triggers that strong on something like being delt damage. How much of a wall is the 2/3 that makes them sac a creature? Let alone any ping synergies
 
Could I get away with making this a 3/4? Every time I make fighty creatures, I obviously want them to have like 8 toughness, but that's silly.
7mUhzg6.jpg
 
Hi everyone, first time poster here. I had a few ideas I'd like a little feedback on/number tweaking, etc.

~ Dragon 3RR
Creature - Dragon
Flying, Haste
Whenever ~ attacks, it deals 1 damage to each player and each planeswalker.
4/4

~ Goblin R
Creature - Goblin
Haste?
Whenever ~ attacks, you may have it deal 2(3?) damage to you. If you do, put a +1/+1 counter on it.
1/1
 
Hi everyone, first time poster here. I had a few ideas I'd like a little feedback on/number tweaking, etc.

~ Dragon 3RR
Creature - Dragon
Flying, Haste
Whenever ~ attacks, it deals 1 damage to each player and each planeswalker.
4/4

~ Goblin R
Creature - Goblin
Haste?
Whenever ~ attacks, you may have it deal 2(3?) damage to you. If you do, put a +1/+1 counter on it.
1/1
the 1st you gotta be real careful here as this can be really matchup-screwing, i dunno if this okay
the 2nd one doesn't need haste at all imo, compare stromkirk noble which is great in many cubes
 

Laz

Developer
Could I get away with making this a 3/4? Every time I make fighty creatures, I obviously want them to have like 8 toughness, but that's silly.
7mUhzg6.jpg


So... this is like double strike, but only against creatures and not in the first strike step (unless the blocker/attacker has first strike, in which case it is precisely double-strike)? Also 'Protection from pingers'? I am not sure what you are going for here, but I do like the image a lot.

This sidesteps your original idea a little but how about the Ashenmoor Liege trigger? 'Whenever ~ become the target of a spell or ability an opponent controls, it deals damage equal to its power to target creature (or player?).'
 
Yeah, I'm not trying to step on first strike's toes. First / double strike say "nya nya, I win you lose unless certain conditions are met" this just says "we're gonna hit each other no matter what" or "I deal double damage in combat / Fight actions". Anti-double strike, if you will. This is in keeping with "tricks" and cheatery in R/W's corner and big burly monsters in green's corner. Sorta along the "guaranteed damage" flavor line, like Trample, but guaranteeing damage against creatures instead of players.

Punishing pingers with punches is also fun, but not the point of this exercise.

It should maybe be (a real bear) 2/2 for 2 mana so that it's easier to aura/equip it up. Cuz toughness and Trample go well on this fella.

But yeah, it's anti-shenanigans, but in what I feel is a proper green, beast creature sorta way (a counter to damage-related shenanigans, but not a counter to wizardry and magic like the Liege you mentioned). That's what I'm going for. That, and a jokey reference to the Savage Punch card.

unless the blocker/attacker has first strike, in which case it is precisely double-strike

Actually I misspoke above, this isn't quite anti-double strike. Death is a state-based action, so if First Strike damage kills the bear, the triggered response-punch will fizzle on the stack. So again, this guy loves toughness boosts and other aura/equip stuff.
 

Laz

Developer
Actually I misspoke above, this isn't quite anti-double strike. Death is a state-based action, so if First Strike damage kills the bear, the triggered response-punch will fizzle on the stack. So again, this guy loves toughness boosts and other aura/equip stuff.

My understanding of state based actions is that it goes like this
1. Damage is applied to the creature
2. Trigger on damage taken -> Check state-based actions
3. Creature has damage >= its toughness marked upon it -> Goes to graveyard.
4. Trigger goes on stack.
(Players gain priority)
5. Trigger resolves using last known information. Bear deals damage to the first striking creature.

Judge?
 
its a delayed trigger right? So it will just use the last known information. IIRC this is how boros reckoner works. Which is like, a better version of that card but in other colors?

ina51h.jpg

A more fun gather the townsfolk. Raise the alarm is better in non-champion decks, but champion decks love gather the townsfolk. Instant speed humans don't feel too dangerous? Also feels like the fateful hour mode actually does something now.
 
~ Dragon 3RR
Creature - Dragon
Flying, Haste
Whenever ~ attacks, it deals 1 damage to each player and each planeswalker.
4/4

Since it already has flying and haste, the 1 damage to players and planeswalkers is sort of redundant I think. The dragon will likely be able to just kill a planeswalker outright anyway. As Jason said, Thundermaw serves the same function in a slightly more effective manner.
 

Onderzeeboot

Ecstatic Orb
So, I'm looking for a card to help Grixis, it not other colors, help cast its fatties. Grixis is the go big or go home color in my cube, using removal to survive the early game, then end the game with haymakers (notably Thraximundar, Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker and Cruel Ultimatum are all in my cube). The best real Magic card that does the job is Gem of Becoming, but I am doubtful of its viability. (That's the reason I posted it in the Single Card Spotlight threat by the way, and Lucre confirmed my feelings.) So, objectives.
  • Getting Grixis to eight mana.
  • Unattractive for other shards (though URX or UBX splashing the third Grixis color is ok).
  • Should not hamper the early game too much, as it's important for Grixis to be able to play it's one for one removal in the early game.
  • And, of course, elegant and balanced, as all custom cards should be. Cubeing is hard enough without having to parse miles of custom text.
So far the best I've come up with is merging these two cards:



Which might not even be the worst of ideas actually.
 
Honestly that feels like a pretty elegant solution. You immediately get what it does, especially since the 3 mana rocks have been printed in different iterations so many times now? The best would be if someone could make the art be the obelisk with the bolas gem in the distance :p
 

Onderzeeboot

Ecstatic Orb
I think I'm going to simply mirror the art on Gem of Becoming.

Now the question is, do I want one of these in my 450 cube or two?
 
1zi5tz.jpg


Honestly it feels like it reads pretty well. (Also look ma I tried my hands on the m15 template). If Grixis really is the big cards shard maybe 2 could be motivated as powerful enablers? Still, feels like a pretty unexciting card to double up on. It's super functional but, you know, its "just" a fixing mana rock.
 

James Stevenson

Steamflogger Boss
Staff member
I think the issue with Gem and Obelisk is people don't want to spend 3 mana on them. Why not drop the cost to 2 and make it tap for colorless? Do you not want 2-costing mana rocks? Why not just make Gem of Becoming cost 1? Then you can trinket mage for it!
 

Onderzeeboot

Ecstatic Orb
The art on the last one is nice! Different enough that people won't assume it's a card they know. I assume you found some hi-res art somewhere? Or, wait! The Talon Gates are a Nicol Bolas-related place that would be pretty perfect for this. And the art is used on a Plane, so there's no real Magic card using that art currently (well, not a tournament legal card anyway, I guess Plane cards are both real and Magic, so...).

I think the issue with Gem and Obelisk is people don't want to spend 3 mana on them. Why not drop the cost to 2 and make it tap for colorless? Do you not want 2-costing mana rocks? Why not just make Gem of Becoming cost 1? Then you can trinket mage for it!
Spending three mana on a rock isn't necessarily a problem (I already run Darksteel Ingot, Pristine Talisman and Unstable Obelisk at the moment), but making this two mana is. Problem with two-mana rocks is every non-aggro deck scoops them up. I run several two mana rocks already, but I want something that non-Grixis decks aren't really interested in.
 
What if instead of a really good but incredibly narrow mana rock, you found ways in grixis colours to cheat those big spells into play? Engines that cost five or six still call in the need to ramp, and lategame you can hardcast your eight-drops. Having both options is pretty cool for deckbuilding redundancy. Jumping-off points: (some of these cards are Too Bad and others are too narrow / poisonous or untuned for this effect)



Another option might be focusing on how hard Cruel Ultimatum is to cast and making sure the Cruel Control schmuck can cast it the turn they hit eight mana. In that vein:

Bolas' Signet (3)
U, T: add BR
B, T: add UR
R, T: add UB

e: VVV how do you feel about {1}, {T} to activate? tapping that more than once a turn seems filthy.
 
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