General Custom Cards: The Lab

Alex Blanton

Alex Blanton

anotak said:
Card Draw Flashback {2}{U}
Instant
Draw two cards. If ~ was cast from a graveyard, instead draw two cards and discard two cards.
Flashback {2}{R} (You may cast this card from your graveyard for its flashback cost. Then exile it.)
Click to expand...

This should be "Draw two cards. Then if ~ was cast from a graveyard, discard two cards."It doesn't have a very different effect when it's cast from the graveyard, so this reduces the text needed on the card and keeps it simple.
 
Suicufnoc

Suicufnoc

Gonna have to agree with alex on this one. The reason the increasing cycle was worded how it was is because it was the same effect twice, and it would be a little odd to say "do this, then if this was cast from graveyard, do it again". Not that wizards hasn't done that before...
 
Diakonov

Diakonov

A less feel-bad replacement for Stone Rain:

2R, Sorcery

Destroy target land. Its controller reveals cards from the top of his/her library until a land is revealed. Put the land on top of that player's library and put the other revealed cards into his/her graveyard.

Or, alternatively, a replacement for Ice Storm:

Baby Plow Under

2G, Sorcery

Put target land on top of its owner's library.
 
Diakonov

Diakonov

Well, my thought is that the most feel bad Stone Rain can be is "lose a land when you're already screwed for mana." It also allows this card to be a tiny bit stronger later in the game than Stone Rain, which is an upside for the card IMO.
 
Diakonov

Diakonov

What do you guys think of effects like Stone Rain/Ice Storm? My play group was whining about basic land destruction spells so I removed them, but I kind of miss them, personally.
 
Lucre

Lucre

MTGS SPLITCARD IMPORTS OF YORE
I know it's not what I promised but somewhere between Suicufnoc's premise and Eric's love of stone rain I figured I might as well search up User: Fooligan Keyword: Fuse and post the results. Rattle + Rumble is probably one of the best red value plays ever. Winter should probz only scry 1. I we didn't know we were getting to scry again when I drew that up.

Rock {2}{R}
Sorcery (U)
Destroy target land
///FUSE///
Roll {2}{G}
Sorcery (U)
Destroy target land

Rock {2}{R}
Sorcery
Destroy target land.
//FUSE//
Roll {1}{G}
Sorcery
Destroy target artifact or enchantment.

Rattle {R}
Sorcery (U)
Until end of turn target creature cannot block.
Draw a card.
////
Rumble {2}{R}
Sorcery (U)
Destroy target non-basic land.


{1}{W}{R}
Instant (R)
Deal 3 damage to target creature or player, you gain 3 life.
//FUSE//
{1}{W}{B}
Instant (R)
Deal 3 damage to target creature or player, you gain 3 life.


Spring {1}{G}
Sorcery (U)
Search your library for a forest card and put it into play tapped then shuffle your library.
//Fuse//
Winter {2}{G}
Sorcery (U)
Put target land card on top of it's owner's library.
Scry 2
 
Lucre

Lucre

Also guys I'm supes into the idea of designing a limited format around splitcards, devotion and hybrid mana! Doesn't it sound great? Splitcards and hybrid spells can kinda occupy the same place, but we can use mono colour split and fuse to offset that.
 
Suicufnoc

Suicufnoc

Absolutely. Categories with rough numbers:
1 color "Filler" - 25 (5 for each color) (spells can be split cards as desired) (like boom/bust)
1 color + 1 color off-color flashback or ability or kicker - 40 (4 for each 2 color combination) (like lingering souls)
1 color + 2 color off-color flashback or ability or kicker - 30 (3 for each 3 color combination) (like viashino slaughtermaster)
1 color + 2 separate 1 color off-color abilities - 30 (3 for each 3 color combination) (like the old battlemages, etc)
2 color + 1 color off-color flashback or ability or kicker - 30 (3 for each 3 color combination)

1 color Devotion - 20 (5 for each color)
2 color Devotion - 20 (2 for each 2 color combination)

1 Color Hybrid or Phyrexian - 10 (2 for each color)
2 Color Hybrid - 20 (2 for each 2 color combination)
3 Color Hybrid - 30 (3 for each 3 color combination)

2 color Mono/Mono Splits - 20 (2 for each 2 color combination) (like fire/ice)
2 color Mono/Mono Splits w/ fuse - 10 (1 for each 2 color combination) (like far/away)
3 color Mono/Gold Splits - 30 (3 for each 3 color combination) (has this been done?
3 color Gold/Gold Splits - 30 (3 for each 3 color combination) (like beck/call

Colorless - 20
Fixing - 25

That's 360.
the 3 color stuff could be trimmed a bit by deciding on a primary color for each shard/wedge. Right now there's a lot of pretty strict cycles defined based on their primary and 2nd/3rd colors. Which might be a good thing, at least as a starting place?
I'd say start of filling slots with current cards, and then fill in and replace things as necessary.
 
Lucre

Lucre

Man this leg work you did really makes me want to start throwing designs into it or to model my own framework. I guess this is the sort of thing long weekends were made for!

I'm not sure how excited I am about 3 colour cards, but I don't think I hate the idea of 3 colour decks being viable in limited etc. I was really hoping for more of a mono colour + splashes feel like what you got out of Shadowmoor. Going to weird places with colour dynamics feels neat to me.

I also wonder about how to get devotion feeling properly thematic in decks full of creatures that only feel half flavorfully appropriate to a colour. Like is it strange that Nightveil Specter is thasa's biggest fan? Would it be best to tack devotion mainly onto build around me rarity cards and put them solidly in one colour or does it support the theme of flexibility and fickleness to make devotion effects a little more common and also present on hybrid cards that can count either of their colours?

Also what are some good story / creative ideas that would suit a set like this? Vying iconic legendary monsters trying to carve up a plane? More god nonsense? What other mechanics work well with hybrid and split card and devotion? Cycling maybe? Kicker seems too complex with what is going on already and too much like fused cards. Charm Cycles? Scrying seems too cutely close to what we have in theros despite how I usually treat it as evergreen. Channel type abilities? More "on-board" crap? Evoke? Persist or undying would be terrifying with devotion.

Pacifisms are really bad against devotion.
 
Suicufnoc

Suicufnoc

Thematically I think you could make devotion vs. domain work, but I think it would end up being a bit of a parasitic draft environment, where you pick one or the other and really stick to it.

Pushing 3 color is the way to go, imo.

Gods - No? I think treat each color as a guild or group of some sort, and have devotion to the group rather than a god.
Cycling -
Scry - Nah
Kicker - No
Evoke - No
Channel - Maayybe??
Persist and Undying - Oh God No. Probably Not.
On-board Crap - Yes. Executioner's Capsule, Seal of Fire, etc. But avoid the enchantment theme. Huh I just realized there's a connection there in theros.

I think Colorless Hybrid Mana and/or Phyrexian Mana should be emphasized to some extent.

Ooh! Lets reprint the tainted lands, and make it another Black vs Everything Else set. RGWU get Devotion, and Black gets... something. idk
 
Lucre

Lucre

Well when I say onboard crap I mean things that make spells easier to dump (Affinity, echo, alternate costs etc) or things that are really only relevant in play and are kinda non-technical like exalted or extort style abilities right?

You're right on the money with onboard crap though, that's a pillar of my initial sketches. I love cards that play with when you invest your mana and influence information. I worry about how much this set is feeling like it's going to have everything out of the open and value board over every other sort of area. I guess I'll have to think more about mana fixing and split cards to see if I can't add a little interest to another zone and make surprise a little more interesting. I love how the last 2 blocks have added so much interest to the top card of your library in very subtle ways elegantly combined with scry.

I will consider what you've said about colour direction in the limited environment. I like the idea of making playing extra colours available but very much rewarding you for having negotiated a main colour in your pile through clever hybrid drafting.

Do you guys love coloured artifacts? Are those going to mainly be spells? What do global enchantments outside of rare and mythic look like? I like the idea of having some strong colourless artifacts in the set in that they are available to everyone and easy to slide into your deck with a similar feel to the hybrid guys, but sorta having the downside of not turning on colour matters stuff like devotion, familiarity spells and whatever.

I'm gonna look at Salvation for the homebrew colour matters mechanics. They had a bunch that did a great job of encouraging devotion to a colour.
 
Suicufnoc

Suicufnoc

Lucre said:
I will consider what you've said about colour direction in the limited environment. I like the idea of making playing extra colours available but very much rewarding you for having negotiated a main colour in your pile through clever hybrid drafting.
Click to expand...
Sounds perfect.


Lucre said:
Well when I say onboard crap I mean things that make spells easier to dump (Affinity, echo, alternate costs etc) or things that are really only relevant in play and are kinda non-technical like exalted or extort style abilities right?
Click to expand...


Affinity to Red (This Spell costs 1 less for red mana symbol on permanents you control)
Probably t0o Broken. Could do it as alternate cost, like a suspend like version of the gods. Pay X to exile from hand, cast without paying mana cost when your devotion to red is X. Probably not much advantage over the Affinity to a color mechanic. Especially because It adds even more openness.

The Library is a possiblility, but like you said, scry has been done to death lately. Other Possibilities:
Hand - Things that have been done before: Forecast, Splice, Discard Spells, Force of Will, and other "you may reveal" cards.
Graveyard - Done to death, but a favorite of mine.
Exile - To0 many interactions can be confusing.
Stack - Not enough design space.
Sideboard (lol) - Done before with Wishes, etc.
 
anotak

anotak

cubes have a set list

typical limited is random booster packs w/ rares and stuff

edit:
this is a top down design of a fighting game character's mechanics (my avatar). probably broken. not really related to the storyline of it being a mutant-hunting machine
MvC2 Sentinel {5}
Artifact Creature — Golem
As long as MvC2 Sentinel is untapped, prevent all combat damage that would be dealt to it.
{1}: MvC2 Sentinel gains flying until end of turn.
{1}: If MvC2 Sentinel has flying, untap it, and it loses flying until end of turn.
{T}: MvC2 Sentinel deals 1 damage to target creature or player.
4/4
 
anotak

anotak

heres a thing
Wrath of Heliod {2}{W}{W}
Enchantment
When Wrath of Heliod enters the battlefield, exile all creatures until Wrath of Heliod leaves the battlefield.
 
Lucre

Lucre

Invocation of Tytos {3}{W}
Legendary Enchantment
When Invocation of Tytos enters the battlefield, exile target creature or planeswalker.
When Invocation of Tytos leaves the battlefield, return the exiled card to the battlefield under its owner's control.
While your devotion to white is 5 or more Invocation of Tytos is a 5/5 white avatar creature and is indestructible.
 
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