General Custom Cards: The Lab

Chris Taylor

Contributor
Jesus Christ
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This is neat
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Eyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy :D
 
Design wise? Pretty sweet. Mostly better Amonket cycling lands, but I'm okay with it.
The train in the art is because it's your thing right?

That is exactly why the train is in the art :D.

It is really hard to make Train cards that actually feel like Trains. They're not really combative and most spells don't make sense as being train-themed. Vehicles don't really make sense either, since my Train can't leave it's tracks to go fight in some random part of the battlefield or block some random 3/3 Elk. Sagas could work, but there really aren't any moments in railroad history that can be satisfyingly boiled down into ~15 lines of rules text across 3 abilities.

So, my easiest answer is just make lands with Trains in the art ;).

I just kind of took my favorite parts of the Fast Lands and Cycle Lands and combined them for these. I think that this cycle might be more powerful than the Shocklands which kind of worries me a little bit, but I'm not sure they actually are. I wanted to make sure that these lands helped out Aggro strategies, which I feel have always had worse fixing in my cube than control decks. I added the Hybrid mana requirement specifically so that Loam and Discard strategies can't just throw these in for the cycling ability without actually playing one or both of the present colors.
 

Chris Taylor

Contributor
Jesus Christ
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Also it bugs me that the Jund one is Hazoret's Hierarch, who is mono red.


This is cool
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Dryad should probably be a 1/1, but I love the idea of a creature that can be reflecting pool, treetop village, flooded strand or tolarian academy


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This card is interesting, but I don't like how it just makes you take a picture of your deck and remember the creature type of everything in your deck, especially in a cube with custom cards. Just let this search for a creature, in general you're going to be able to snipe whatever you need unless you're naming like, human or elemental
 

Chris Taylor

Contributor
Jesus Christ
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(And the other 9)


This is cool
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This probably needs to ETB tapped or can't block

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This is super cute and in no way in pie :p

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How to keep an izzet mage busy :p
 
1. The Ixalan Transform Land template always looks cool.
2. I find it odd that these have mana costs. Perhaps you just wanted to let the players know that they are color restricted to two specific colors?
3. I find it odd you are using existing MtG card art for these.
4. I would find a way to not write everything on these cards. Make it a fundamental rule in your cube that these custom sticker-creators always give stickers to cards that meet the written criteria. In this way you can cut 1/3 of the card text.

Example:
All Together Now
Sticker
Convoke (reminder text)

In this variant you need to keep the mana cost in the upper right corner. If you wish to cut that you need to keep the text that explains that these only go on two specific colors.

——

Now can you tell me how players will gain access to these stickers? What’s your plan? :)
 

Onderzeeboot

Ecstatic Orb
1. The Ixalan Transform Land template always looks cool.
2. I find it odd that these have mana costs. Perhaps you just wanted to let the players know that they are color restricted to two specific colors?
3. I find it odd you are using existing MtG card art for these.
4. I would find a way to not write everything on these cards. Make it a fundamental rule in your cube that these custom sticker-creators always give stickers to cards that meet the written criteria. In this way you can cut 1/3 of the card text.

Example:
All Together Now
Sticker
Convoke (reminder text)

In this variant you need to keep the mana cost in the upper right corner. If you wish to cut that you need to keep the text that explains that these only go on two specific colors.

——

Now can you tell me how players will gain access to these stickers? What’s your plan? :)

Re 1: I agree :)
Re 2: Yup, it's just the most convenient way to quickly show the color requirement I put on these. Note that in the original cubes that started this idea, there is no color requirement, but I don't want to vandalize the color pie if I don't have to. It's there for a reason.
Re 3: It's meant to help people quickly interpret the cards. Maybe I should put different art on there that's a little more... marquee, but the idea is that by looking at the art you have an idea what the card does. I don't need to use new art for that. In fact, reusing art might make it easier, because everybody who recognizes Marionette Master's art can remember that it has fabricate.
Re 4: Not a bad idea. I'ld have to find a way to make clear what the additional requirements (beyond color) are though.
 
I kicked around some ideas for this and my system would have cards like this:-

As you draft ~, reveal it and a creature in your draft pool. Then choose one of the following that hasn't been crossed out:-

  • Add {W} to the mana cost and add Lifelink
  • Add {U} to the mana cost and add Flying
  • Add {B} to the mana cost and add Deathtouch
  • Add {R} to the mana cost and add Haste
  • Add {G} to the mana cost and add Trample
and cross out the option you chose. If all the options are crossed out, remove this card from the cube.
These would appear 1x per pack.
I was also thinking cards would have "slots" for upgrades, so you can't pile too much on one card. This would open up "multi-slot" upgrades, such as "When this enters the battlefield..." and "....draw a card".
If a card became too powerful, it could be promoted to the Hall of Cube Fame, and removed from the cube itself.
 

Onderzeeboot

Ecstatic Orb
Now can you tell me how players will gain access to these stickers? What’s your plan? :)
Oh, right. I am going to print a bunch of these cards, shuffle them together, and deal out 3 per player at the start of the draft. Everybody gets some time to look at the cards in the center, then we do the normal draft. After the draft, we do a snake draft (decide the pick order, nr 1 starts, followed by 2, etc. Nr 8 gets two picks, then we go back to 7 and all the way back up to 1, who gets two picks, and then you descend from 2 to 8 again). I am probably going to make some of these basic stickers (the evergreen keywords), and if you've got a sticker you can't add to a card in your deck, you can flip cards from the stock until flip a basic card that does go onto a card in your deck, so you always get to add 3 stickers. We want to guarantee change is going to come, after all :)
 

Onderzeeboot

Ecstatic Orb
Ok, version 2, taking in a lot of Velrun's feedback :) I've also included Once More with Feeling and Top Deck Mode, who can go on any card, regardless of color.

Haste.jpg Compleation.jpg Servo and Protect.jpg Anthem on a Stick.jpg Once More with Feeling.jpg Top Deck Mode.jpg
 
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Re 1: I agree :)
Re 2: Yup, it's just the most convenient way to quickly show the color requirement I put on these. Note that in the original cubes that started this idea, there is no color requirement, but I don't want to vandalize the color pie if I don't have to. It's there for a reason.
Re 3: It's meant to help people quickly interpret the cards. Maybe I should put different art on there that's a little more... marquee, but the idea is that by looking at the art you have an idea what the card does. I don't need to use new art for that. In fact, reusing art might make it easier, because everybody who recognizes Marionette Master's art can remember that it has fabricate.
Re 4: Not a bad idea. I'ld have to find a way to make clear what the additional requirements (beyond color) are though.

2) Well you can just change the colors of the cards. You don’t have to also add the mana cost in the upper right corner. Another solution is to simply ignore the color pie which I am normally against but these are like colorless artifacts: they break the color pie in odd ways because colorless gets everything. Want a creature with flying in mono-green? Try Smuggler's Copter. I would not add color requirements to the stickers.

3) In that case you should definetely find some new artwork because people will be more confused than feel guided by those artworks because they already exist on printed Magic cards. You have got the opposite logic there :p We have 0 precedent for this in Magic. Can you show me one card that has done this before? Used the same art for a card that is doing something entirely different and with new card type.

——

So I already have this system in my Rogue-like cube. I have just been using conspiracies instead of stickers. This new discovery (Thanks Onde https://riptidelab.com/forum/threads/cbs.286/page-153#post-85914) is waaaay smoother because the actual upgrade sits on the actual upgraded card. I like this a lot. I am going to try and steal this idea. I think I’ll be using the Conspiracy: Take the Crown template.

How are people making the actual stickers?
 

Onderzeeboot

Ecstatic Orb
2) Well you can just change the colors of the cards. You don’t have to also add the mana cost in the upper right corner. Another solution is to simply ignore the color pie which I am normally against but these are like colorless artifacts: they break the color pie in odd ways because colorless gets everything. Want a creature with flying in mono-green? Try Smuggler's Copter. I would not add color requirements to the stickers.

3) In that case you should definetely find some new artwork because people will be more confused than feel guided by those artworks because they already exist on printed Magic cards. You have got the opposite logic there :p We have 0 precedent for this in Magic. Can you show me one card that has done this before? Used the same art for a card that is doing something entirely different and with new card type.

——

So I already have this system in my Rogue-like cube. I have just been using conspiracies instead of stickers. This new discovery (Thanks Onde https://riptidelab.com/forum/threads/cbs.286/page-153#post-85914) is waaaay smoother because the actual upgrade sits on the actual upgraded card. I like this a lot. I am going to try and steal this idea. I think I’ll be using the Conspiracy: Take the Crown template.

How are people making the actual stickers?

2) Only using the border is not going to be clear enough. And I personally don't want to ignore the color pie, though I have nothing against people wanting to try this Legacy thing out and throwing the color pie out of the window.

3) These are not actual Magic cards that you are going to cast. They are not even in the same booster as normal cards. I don't see why people should get confused. Also, if you want an example, I can actually give you one.

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Card type is everything ;)

I was planning on making simple stickers or tuck-in paper slips for the draft, then print out proxies for the next draft with the full text.
 
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But how do you make a Chandra emblem without a Chandra? The answer is you can’t.

Therefore your logic doesn’t hold. If you choose to continue with the ‘I will use existing card artwork on my custom cards’ you will change your mind before you have hosted two tournaments with these. You might as well listen to me now and save yourself some time ;)

I just realized these upgrades transfer from one tournament to the next. My upgrades don’t . When one Rogue-like tournament is done, the next one starts from 0.
 

Onderzeeboot

Ecstatic Orb
But how do you make a Chandra emblem without a Chandra? The answer is you can’t.

Therefore your logic doesn’t hold. If you choose to continue with the ‘I will use existing card artwork on my custom cards’ you will change your mind before you have hosted two tournaments with these. You might as well listen to me now and save yourself some time ;)

Sorry, I don't buy it. What's the confusion you are afraid of?
 
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Sorry, I don't buy it. What's the confusion you are afraid of?

Love the use of existing art + ixalan transform borders. It's very clear that these stickers are separate from cards you can cast, and existing art (especially e.g. marionette master) provides a good anchor for what the card is intended to do. Comparison w/ the emblems is very apt to me i.e. here's a card you can't cast that's closely related to some iconic card.
 

Onderzeeboot

Ecstatic Orb
Thanks dbs, that matches my instincts. Of course, Velrun could still be right, but I'm willing to take a chance. By the way Velrun, your feedback so far has been super helpful. I don't want my disagreement on this point to come across as unthankful! :)

So, I want to include evergreen keywords that have some impact, and I want them nicely spread out across all colors so that there's an even distribution. This is harder than I thought it would be! Right now I'm sitting at...

{W/U} Flying
{U/B} Flash
{B/R} Menace
{R/G} Haste
{G/W} Vigilance
{W/B} Lifelink
{U/R} Prowess
{B/G} Deathtouch
{R/W} First strike
{G/U} Shroud

Leaving trample, double strike, reach, and hexproof off the table. This reintroduces shroud, because hexproof can gtfo, but mostly because I need something for {U/B}, and WotC has been steadily adding more flash to black in recent years. Problem is, of course, that flash still feels more {G/U}. The lack of a proper {U/B} evergreen keyword is a problem WotC has been trying to solve for quite some time, so I have no reason to suspect I can cook one up just like that. Then again, it doesn't have to be. I'm looking for a keyword that goes on a few blue and black creatures for this cube, I don't have to fill sets with it. So, with that in mind, I did think up a few options. What do you think?

Disguised (Whenever this creature becomes the only target of a spell or ability an opponent controls, you may change the target to another creature you control.)

Sneak (Whenever this creature attacks, target creature defending player controls can't block it this turn.)

Concealed (This creature can't be the target of spells or abilities if it hasn't been controlled by its controller continuously since their most recent turn began.)

Is any of these actually better than reintroducing shroud for {G/U} and moving flash to {U/B}?
 
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