General Custom Cards: The Lab

[sigh]

The idea o of mindlock orb on the play against an opponent who kept a hand of Double fetch kinda sickens me

Right? The closest comparison to this effect is:

for half the price. If Wizard's printed this card, I'd snap make a WB tokens deck + four Agents, and auto win against tons of people in modern tournaments because they can't even get 1 mana to path it for the first few turns. The principle of the card is very cool! I'm not trying to argue that... just development problems from here to the moon. I'd probably make it something like:

Shadow of Doodt
, sacrifice ~: Shadow of Doubt
2/1

But I could see the exiling from graveyard replacing sacrifice pretty easily.

 

[Onderzeeboot]

I wasn't adding the mana costs, I was just trying to relate the abilities to other cards. It's the card texts of cards 2-4 attached to the cost and body of card 1.

All that aside, mindlock orb has to be costed the way it is. It's a complete lock on certain strategies. And yes, costed as is (W), Agent is definitely overpowered. 4-of in every legacy D&T deck, and modern hate bears gets a huge boost too.

You weren't, but Suicufnoc was. I still think is fair for the effect. Hating on fetchlands is not a bad thing people

 

[sigh]

You weren't, but Suicufnoc was. I still think is fair for the effect. Hating on fetchlands is not a bad thing people

I'd like to think I could agree with you on some levels, but I think even you'd get tired of it after a couple of times getting stuck on 1 mana with fetches dead on board. The thing about mindlock orb is it conveniently gives the opponent enough time to have mana for some answer or another. Also you can't use the orb to proceed to win with the one-card-effect that's preventing the opponent from playing any spells.

As , I could make a techy UB modern deck that terrorizes early plays with hand disruption, drops T2 this, and then.... wins with this. Four Ghost Quarters can destroy some pesky non-fetches that come out. Secondary plan of plain ol' UB control in case the dood doesn't come out in time. It's busted.

 

[Suicufnoc]

Misread the card, missed the static ability. I think that the shadow of a doubt flashback part needs to cost 3-5 if its on a 1 drop is all. And I think the static ability on a 2/1 has to cost 2.

 

[Onderzeeboot]

I'd like to think I could agree with you on some levels, but I think even you'd get tired of it after a couple of times getting stuck on 1 mana with fetches dead on board. The thing about mindlock orb is it conveniently gives the opponent enough time to have mana for some answer or another. Also you can't use the orb to proceed to win with the one-card-effect that's preventing the opponent from playing any spells.

As , I could make a techy UB modern deck that terrorizes early plays with hand disruption, drops T2 this, and then.... wins with this. Four Ghost Quarters can destroy some pesky non-fetches that come out. Secondary plan of plain ol' UB control in case the dood doesn't come out in time. It's busted.

Oh, Ghost Quarter is gross, that's true! At four mana it does nothing though. Maybe a 2/2 skulk for then?

 

[psly4mne]

I missed the "Draw a card" part on Agent. That pushes it over the top. Really, I'd remove the draw and remove the static Mindlock Orb effect. Also, you generally see big artifact creatures as golems and small ones as constructs. So:

W
Artifact Creature - Construct
Skulk
U/B, Exile ~ from your graveyard: Players can't search libraries this turn.
2/1

Edit: I also missed a page of posts. Still, the above is how I would handle the card.

 

[sigh]

Oh, Ghost Quarter is gross, that's true! At four mana it does nothing though. Maybe a 2/2 skulk for then?

for higher powered places like cube, that's probably pretty solid. A good majority of cube removal is <= 2 mana, so it's a solvable problem. Much more solvable then when stuck at 1 mana. Keeping it an artifact creature would surely help with keeping it fragile also.

Important thing to note: Mindlock Orb was standard legal with Zendikar block. There were super important development reasons they couldn't push it more then they did......

 

[anotak]

so how bad is the colorpie screwed if we make smallpox white. maybe cut the life loss

 

[Onderzeeboot]

so how bad is the colorpie screwed if we make smallpox white. maybe cut the life loss

It doesn't really have the Balance vibe if it's just one of everything. Discarding another player's cards happens exclusively as a balance effect. Maybe you can do, for that cost, something like...

Each player chooses four lands he or she controls, then sacrifices the rest. Players discard cards and sacrifice nonland permanents the same way.

 

[sigh]

It doesn't really have the Balance vibe if it's just one of everything. Discarding another player's cards happens exclusively as a balance effect. Maybe you can do, for that cost, something like...

Each player chooses four lands he or she controls, then sacrifices the rest. Players discard cards and sacrifice nonlands permanents the same way.

That's pretty spot on to what white can do already, so that seems like a good way to go. More of a reverse smallpox/fixed balance. Here's some precedent for that:

 

[Onderzeeboot]

Following the discussion in the Fight thread, I'm planning to try out 2 cmc mana rocks + 5 mana wraths. I'm not in love with the existing mana rocks though. I want them to produce strictly colorless to discourage out of guild/shard splashing and prevent easy mana fixing (there's enough lands that fix your mana). I'm aware Mind Stone is a good card! but that effect is not currently what I'm looking for. So, custom rocks then? Common wisdom holds that you can turn any land into a 2 cmc mana rock. While not entirely accurate (Strip Mine anyone?), there's a lot of truth to this statement, and WotC themselves have used this rule of thumb many times in the past. Some examples.

>
>
>

So, what options do you like? I'm a fan of Cathedral of War .

 

[sigh]

I'm a fan of mind stone lol. Guardian Idol and ever flowing chalice are also really cool, as is prismatic lens

 

[Aoret]

Seconding everflowing chalice. I harp on this a lot, but cards that have choices are almost always better in my opinion. Bonus points if you run Volt Charge, a card I'm higher on every time I play with it in my cube.

 

[safra]

If you're willing to run customs I've really been impressed with Nullstone Monolith. Pentad Prism is worse than the competition but still interesting, and I like the new SOI yard-check rock.

 

[Onderzeeboot]

If you're willing to run customs I've really been impressed with Nullstone Monolith. Pentad Prism is worse than the competition but still interesting, and I like the new SOI yard-check rock.

Given that I posted this in a Custom Cards thread, I'ld say I am I forgot about Nullstone Monolith though, that card is indeed sweet! There's also the card I designed for the custom card contest. With the suggested tweaks, that is also a good option!

Pentad Prism fixes, so it's out, and I don't like the yard-check rock either, as it does nothing on an empty yard.

Seconding everflowing chalice. I harp on this a lot, but cards that have choices are almost always better in my opinion. Bonus points if you run Volt Charge, a card I'm higher on every time I play with it in my cube.

Everflowing Chalice is a good card, yes, I have no problems running that one again!

 

[anotak]

here you go Onderzeeboot, these are fun to make:

Spoiler

Benalish Memento
Artifact
When Benalish Memento enters the battlefield, scry 1.
: Add to your mana pool.

Buried Treasure
Artifact
: Add to your mana pool.
, , Sacrifice Buried Treasure: Return target artifact card from your graveyard to your hand.

Factory Component
Artifact
: Add to your mana pool.
: Factory Component becomes a 2/2 Assembly-Worker artifact creature until end of turn.

Glacial Erratic
Artifact
Glacial Erratic enters the battlefield tapped.
: Add to your mana pool.
, : Search your library for a basic land card, put that card onto the battlefield tapped, then shuffle your library. Return Glacial Erratic to its owner’s hand.

Liar’s Lotus
Artifact
If Liar’s Lotus would enter the battlefield, sacrifice two lands instead. If you do, put Liar’s Lotus onto the battlefield tapped. If you don’t, put it into its owner’s graveyard.
: Add three mana of any one color to your mana pool.

Lucky Coin
Artifact
When Lucky Coin enters the battlefield, you gain 2 life.
: Add to your mana pool.

Mimic Map
Artifact
: Add to your mana pool.
, : Mimic Map becomes a copy of target land and gains this ability.

Monument to Alexandria
Artifact
: Add to your mana pool.
: Draw a card. Activate this ability only if you have exactly seven cards in hand.

Riptide Scarecrow
Artifact
: Add to your mana pool.
, : Put a 0/1 white Goat creature token onto the battlefield.
, Sacrifice X Goats: Add X mana of any one color to your mana pool. You gain X life.

Rishadan Trinket
Artifact
: Add to your mana pool.
, : Tap target land.

Stone of Baghdad
Artifact
: Add to your mana pool.
: Draw two cards, then discard three cards.

Terminus Stone
Artifact
: Add to your mana pool.
, , Sacrifice Terminus Stone: Search your library for a basic land card and put that card onto the battlefield tapped. Then shuffle your library.

 

[Onderzeeboot]

So, I kinda dislike Ajani Vengeant for the nongames it produces when it reaches ultimate, or well before that if you keep your opponent off a color with the plus, so I was thinking of replacing it with a custom card. I think I came up with a cool concept, but I can't tell if it's broken in half?



* Also, I assume until means "to but not including", correct me if I'm wrong, because in that case I need to reword the card.

Edit: Maybe I should take a cue from detain and word it "until your next turn"?

 

[Suicufnoc]

Spiral Dog - 1RR
Creature - Wolf
Menace, Flanking
3/3

 

[Suicufnoc]

kinda brainstorming. ignore the art


edit: first half of card needs to change, I am dumb. How about:
Counter target spell unless its controller discards a card.

Is that too good? Would that be too good without the unearth ability?

Is this way too good?


Also, for your printing pleasure:

 

[Onderzeeboot]

Is this way too good?
View attachment 895

I think I'ld always play that as an cantripping Regrowth and just count it as a spell. I've been playing the design below for a while, and been really happy with it. I think it kinda captures what you were going for (though much more limited in scope) but more fair.



The card is part of a custom mini-cycle to support Life from the Loam. White and black are the natural allies of green in my cube

 

[ColonelSanders]

So historically, I've really liked black removal spells that give -X/-X because they allow you to control the critical amount of toughness required for big creatures (read: green creatures) to be hard to kill. However, I also want a little variety in my removal.



There's a lot of fetching in my cube, so expose weakness is still playable in control. I should probably run the numbers on flesh inversion, but I think there are enough G/W dudes with big butts that it blanks occasionally.

 

[cstick]

Flesh Inversion should be until eot (unless you want it that way). Also, in a similar space,

 

[anotak]

people talking about loam again and a bit of geology gave me some ideas

Release from Stone
Instant
Put two 1/1 white Spirit creature tokens with flying onto the battlefield.
Subduct (When you cast this spell, you may discard a land card. If you do, copy this spell.)

Royal Geologist
Creature — Human Artificer
Vigilance
Exile a land card from your graveyard: Royal Geologist gets +1/+1 until end of turn. Activate this ability only once each turn.
2/2

Erode
Instant
Return target permanent or spell to its owner’s hand.

Stratigraphic Correlation
Instant
Scry 1, then draw a card.
Subduct (When you cast this spell, you may discard a land card. If you do, copy this spell.)

Forgotten Predator
Creature — Elemental
Forgotten Predator can’t block.
Exile a land card from your graveyard: Return Forgotten Predator from your graveyard to the battlefield.
2/1

Mass Extinction
Sorcery
All creatures get -2/-2 until end of turn.
Subduct (When you cast this spell, you may discard a land card. If you do, copy this spell.)

Tectonic Burial
Instant
Each player sacrifices a creature.
Subduct (When you cast this spell, you may discard a land card. If you do, copy this spell.)

Manazoic Eruption
Sorcery
Shuffle your library. Then exile the top card of your library. Until end of turn, you may play that card without paying its mana cost. (If it has X in its mana cost, X is 0.)
Subduct (When you cast this spell, you may discard a land card. If you do, copy this spell.)

Melt Reality
Instant
Melt Reality deals X damage to target creature, where X is the number of land cards in your graveyard.
Subduct (When you cast this spell, you may discard a land card. If you do, copy this spell. You may choose new targets for the copy.)

Pyroclastic Force
Creature — Elemental
Haste
, Discard a land card: Pyroclastic Force deals 2 damage to target creature or player.
3/2

Cycle of Stone
Enchantment
, Discard a land card: Search your library for a land card, reveal that card, and put it into your hand. Then shuffle your library.

Macroscopic Archaea
Creature — Ooze
Flash
Reach
When Macroscopic Archaea enters the battlefield, Return up to three target land cards from your graveyard to your hand.
2/2

Ancient Caldera
Land
: Add to your mana pool.
: Put an eon counter on Ancient Caldera.
, , Sacrifice Ancient Caldera: Ancient Caldera deals 10 damage to each creature and each player. Activate this ability only if Ancient Caldera has ten or more eon counters on it.

Banded Iron Formation
Land
: Add to your mana pool.
, Sacrifice Banded Iron Formation: Put a 1/1 colorless Ooze token onto the battlefield.
: Return Banded Iron Formation from your graveyard to the battlefield tapped. You may only activate this ability if you control no creatures.

Rift Valley
Land
: Add to your mana pool. Rift Valley deals 1 damage to you. Put an eon counter on Rift Valley.
, Sacrifice Rift Valley: Return two target land cards from your graveyard to the battlefield tapped. Activate this ability only if Rift Valley has four or more eon counters on it.

Volcanic Arc
Land
: Add to your mana pool. Volcanic Arc deals 1 damage to you. Put an eon counter on Volcanic Arc.
When there are four or more eon counters on Volcanic Arc, sacrifice it and search your library for up to two Mountain cards and put them onto the battlefield. Then shuffle your library.

 

[psly4mne]

I need help with this. I'm pretty sure this is way too good, just because you can do stuff like guaranteeing turn 2 Bob every game as I did in my last draft, or guaranteeing a turn 2 4/4 Epochrasite as I did in the draft before (though Take Command was a little different then). Is there some way to keep the concept (play commander!) while being kind of balanced? Maybe a CMC restriction, though that feels a little clunky.

 

[Onderzeeboot]

You could toy around with promoting a creature you play to the rank of commander, instead of starting out with one.

"Whenever you cast a creature card, if you don't have a commander, you may have that creature become your commander." or something like that. Is there a reason your recasting rule differs from the usual commander rules? It's often a good idea to avoid changing rules/mechanics people have prior knowledg of/associations with. I would just stick with the recast for a cumulative mana (and start out with a + price tag, since you already cast your commander once if you use my suggestion).