General Custom Cards: The Lab

[Onderzeeboot]

The only point of confusion is that mtg templating qualifies both caregories, eg "creature from a graveyard" and "creature on the battlefield". Your spell is grammatically incomplete in that one half is qualified and one isn't. You'd have to write "spell on the stack" to accurately match templating, but "on the stack" is outside of normal mtg templates (but has been used).

Not that big a deal in my opinion.

Nice! I based the wording more or less on a cross between Rise // Fall and Unsubstantiate. Rise does indeed use "on the battlefield", whereas Unsubstantiate doesn't. Does this look better?

 

[Onderzeeboot]

Also, how does this look? I was a bit unsatisfied with Raven Man. The wording is a bit of a mash-up of Balance and Cataclysmic Gearhulk, but I think it's correct?

 

[sigh]

It's a messy run-on sentence, correct templating or not :/. Also less balanced than gearhulk, because you don't also have to choose (usually says each player). If you want to keep the unbalance like that, I'd suggest something like

First off I'd reduce the number of permanents we care about. Maybe remove lands? That can be really feel-bad, especially when it's one-sided, as worded.

Otherwise, I'd just word it exactly like balance, modified to fit opponent's vs you.

 

[Onderzeeboot]

It's a messy run-on sentence, correct templating or not :/. Also less balanced than gearhulk, because you don't also have to choose (usually says each player). If you want to keep the unbalance like that, I'd suggest something like

First off I'd reduce the number of permanents we care about. Maybe remove lands? That can be really feel-bad, especially when it's one-sided, as worded.

Otherwise, I'd just word it exactly like balance, modified to fit opponent's vs you.

Well, if you're ahead on every permanent type, your opponent won't sac anything, but yeah. Also, Cataclysmic Gearhulk is already in my cube, maybe I should just think of something else... Designing three color cards is hard

 

[Onderzeeboot]

More run-on sentences!

 

[sigh]

Well, if you're ahead on every permanent type, your opponent won't sac anything, but yeah. Also, Cataclysmic Gearhulk is already in my cube, maybe I should just think of something else... Designing three color cards is hard

I think finding another card design might be prudent. Especially if you already have Gearhulk.

Some things I can see this doing that #suck:

• basically saying "destroy each planeswalker your opponents control"
• you maximizing the number of mana rocks you have, and playing this out with as few lands as possible.
• Alternatively, not using mana rocks, and the card also reads "destroy each artifact and enchantment your opponents control".
• Basically every trick available to Balance, but your opponent can't hope to also gain some value in return (because one sided).

Gearhulk is nice in that it has a ceiling. There's never going to be a totally unfair swing from the Gearhulk, even though it's still strong. Dipolar Insurgents punishes your opponent for you having done nothing all game (permanents-wise), which just seems meh.

I like the "total mind control" side of esper, much like the Sen Triplets you already have. I could see a variant on the newly spoiled Dark Imitations, but esper and based around the library and hand, not the board and hand.

 

[Onderzeeboot]

I think finding another card design might be prudent. Especially if you already have Gearhulk.


I like the "total mind control" side of esper, much like the Sen Triplets you already have. I could see a variant on the newly spoiled Dark Imitations, but esper and based around the library and hand, not the board and hand.

How about... this?



Took me a while to figure out an effect I liked that didn't take up 12 lines of text or disfigured the card with a ridiculous run-on sentence. I think this works though? It's relatively clean, feels on color, and feels powerful enough to draw people into playing a three-color card.

 

[Onderzeeboot]

Oh, oh wait! I got something better! Can't decide whether I like the last line or not. Kind of want this to be mainly an ambush tool, not a way to make your team unblockable for a turn, though I'm okay with stealing a creature for a turn to set up devastating blocks or, you know, just gain some value off it by attacking with it. It's also less text if I leave off the last line, but the card is obviously better with the last line. Maybe it should just always enter the battlefield under your control to clean up the card? Any opinions?



Edit: This card should be called Turncoat Tactics, amirite

 

[Laz]

Oh, oh wait! I got something better! Can't decide whether I like the last line or not. Kind of want this to be mainly an ambush tool, not a way to make your team unblockable for a turn, though I'm okay with stealing a creature for a turn to set up devastating blocks or, you know, just gain some value off it by attacking with it. It's also less text if I leave off the last line, but the card is obviously better with the last line. Maybe it should just always enter the battlefield under your control to clean up the card? Any opinions?

View attachment 1228 View attachment 1229

Edit: This card should be called Turncoat Tactics, amirite

Like the new one, but agree that it should be 'under your control'. I am not convinced that you want to be able to steal the creature and use it aggressively, choosing for your opponent not to block. That feels incredibly Red for an Esper card, so I would probably go with the first variant as a kind of 'super-defensive combat trick'. I am not sure of the timing, perhaps one of the commander cards that messes with combat has cleaner timing/wording. The first one I though of was Illusionist's Gambit, but that is not quite right.

I like the fact that the card plays kind of like a super Spinal Embrace, which is a cool little Dimir card to pay homage to.

If you can get your art to pay homage to Elephant Ambush, then you have probably designed my favourite card for the next week (until I cast something from my Cube that I forgot about and christen if my favourite, ala my current favourite, Caller of the Claw)

 

[Onderzeeboot]

Like the new one, but agree that it should be 'under your control'. I am not convinced that you want to be able to steal the creature and use it aggressively, choosing for your opponent not to block. That feels incredibly Red for an Esper card, so I would probably go with the first variant as a kind of 'super-defensive combat trick'. I am not sure of the timing, perhaps one of the commander cards that messes with combat has cleaner timing/wording. The first one I though of was Illusionist's Gambit, but that is not quite right.

I like the fact that the card plays kind of like a super Spinal Embrace, which is a cool little Dimir card to pay homage to.

That's what I used for inspiration, the oracle wording at least. The combination of those two effects really has that total mind control feel Sigh was going for. If you really want to go for the defensive aspect, you could leave off haste, but I think it's okay to be able to hit with it for a turn. The card just does more for you when you use it defensively, but if you can set up a good bounce spell and steal villain's creature for a lethal attack, that feels pretty good as well I imagine.

Also, Treacherous Urge, one of my favorite arts ever!

Edit: Can we zoom in on that art? Yes we can!

 

[Onderzeeboot]

O-kay! Ill-Advised Maneuver is plenty strong! Stealing an opposing Dragonlord Atarka, killing two creatures, then slamming your opponent's flipped Huntmaster of the Fells into it feels very dirty! Also, even if you whiff, you can still break board stalls in half by making suboptimal attacks for your opponent.

 

[Onderzeeboot]

An update on the cards I designed over the past few weeks.


The two new cyclers, to fill out the cycle (heh) of basic landcyclers (Ancient Excavation, Sylvan Reclamation, and Treacherous Terrain). All five play very nicely, and the two customs don't disappoint. Bleed Dry is excellent on turn four if you play any of the mana artifacts on turn three, and I have targeted myself at least once to gain 9 life in the late game. Syphon Aether is awesome and right at home in the decks in my cube. Often you're the controlling deck, and being able to stave off a serious threat for a turn while returning a relevant spell from your graveyard is sweet.


I thought of a better name (was Dreampod Spawning Bed before, ick), and this card plays very well. It's noticeably less oppressive than Glare of Subdual, but still very good. I did lose a game yesterday with this in play that I would have won effortlessly had this been Glare, so I'm pretty happy!


Curse of Nightmares has been great. Without the fateseal it felt a bit lackluster, though still appropriately evil, but that one card you get to look it has made the card a lot better. It's deceptively strong now.

The same can be said for Spellstirred Sabertooth. It looks pretty unassuming, but a regenerating 4/5 smashes a lot of boards. The fact that the regenerate ability doesn't cost mana is especially big here, and in a dedicated energy deck this can cause a lot of havoc off all the noncreature spells. Harnessed Lightning, for example, shoots up in value when you have this card in play.

Soil Stomper is a golden oldie, as I already played that in the Khans of Alara cube. It holds its own in this cube as well though, and it might even be a bit better because +1/+1 counters is more of a theme. Filthy with Hardened Scales (a lot of cards are though ).

Renegade Operative has been a bit of a let-down. The gameplay it facilitates just isn't very interesting, you just sit back with large blockers and ping them at the end of their turn. I tried a version where the ability could only be activated at sorcery speed, but that made it to weak. I think I'm keeping the sorcery speed and try it out as a base 2/2 for the same mana cost. It's possible that this design isn't salvageable and needs to become something else. I do like the fabricate, that has been excellent, so if someone has a good idea for a mechanic that interacts nicely with both fabricate options I'm open for suggestions!

 

[Aston]

Trojan Rhino

Trample

Fabricate 3

When ~ comes into play. target opponent loses X life and you gain X life, where X is the number of artifacts you control

1/2

 

[Onderzeeboot]

Trojan Rhino

Trample

Fabricate 3

When ~ comes into play. target opponent loses X life and you gain X life, where X is the number of artifacts you control

1/2

That... is actually a really nice Siege Rhino variant, and probably a lot less obnoxious than the original! It's a bit weird that it cares about artifacts, because that theme resides more in the in my cube (with bleeding to both and , but not ). The choice between life drain and going wide (good with the various anthem effects in those colors) or a 4/5 trample (BEEF!) is a real one though.

 

[Chris Taylor]

Was siege rhino not good enough? This seems way better

 

[Aston]

That... is actually a really nice Siege Rhino variant, and probably a lot less obnoxious than the original! It's a bit weird that it cares about artifacts, because that theme resides more in the in my cube (with bleeding to both and , but not ). The choice between life drain and going wide (good with the various anthem effects in those colors) or a 4/5 trample (BEEF!) is a real one though.

You could change it that X is creature tokens if that makes more sense. The design is a bit tongue in cheek but I think it could work with some tweaking.

 

[vennythekid]

Trojan Rhino

Trample

Fabricate 3

When ~ comes into play. target opponent loses X life and you gain X life, where X is the number of artifacts you control

1/2

Hmm

Seige-Gang Rhino
Trample
Fabricate 3
Sacrifice an artifact: Target opponent loses 1 life and you gain 1 life.
1/2

 

[Onderzeeboot]

How about Suture Priests abilities on that fabricate Siege Rhino body? That's a little bit less ridiculous I think?

 

[anotak]

not sure which

Disintegrating Bramble
Creature - Plant Elemental
Haste
Put a -1/-1 counter on ~: Add to your mana pool. Activate this ability only once each turn.
3/3

Disintegrating Bramble
Creature - Plant Elemental
Haste
At the beginning of your precombat main phase, put a -1/-1 counter on ~ and add to your mana pool.
3/3

 

[Onderzeeboot]

First seems incredibly pushed, since you can just ignore the ability and enjoy a super efficient haste beater. I like the second design better, just not sure if 3/3 is big enough when it shrinks so fast.

 

[Laz]

Is there a specific reason you are using -1/-1 counters? Some sort of theme?

Seems that something like:
Disintegrating Bramble
Creature - Plant Elemental
Haste
Disintegrating Bramble enters the battlefield with three +1/+1 counters on it.
At the beginning of your precombat main phase, remove a +1/+1 counter from ~, if a counter was removed this way, add to your mana pool.
0/0

Might be a bit neater.

Or you could go with the 'plant-stuff falling off' image instead of the 'dissolving back into raw magic' image, with something like:

At the beginning of your precombat main phase, remove a +1/+1 counter from ~, if a counter was removed this way, create a 0/1 Plant token. It has 'Sacrifice this creature: add to your mana pool.'

 

[anotak]

i was thinking about doing a -1/-1 counter theme if i make another cube but i am not exactly working on an actual cube at the moment but yes there was that reason
also it's just way less text but i do agree it's bad to mix the two diff kinds of counters in one environ if it can be avoided

and yeah after thinking about it like the forced trigger is a lot more interesting

 

[Laz]

i was thinking about doing a -1/-1 counter theme if i make another cube but i am not exactly working on an actual cube at the moment but yes there was that reason
also it's just way less text but i do agree it's bad to mix the two diff kinds of counters in one environ if it can be avoided

I like -1/-1 as a theme too, but you either have to go pretty low power level (since you are heavily reliant upon Shadowmoor) or heavy on customs. If you want to do counters as a heavy theme, and go both ways on them, I found this was a good solution:

 

[anotak]

you know i'm always heavy on customs

 

[Chris Taylor]

Those look sweet