General Custom Cards: The Lab

[Onderzeeboot]

I'm kind of thinking 5 random effects, not mana fixing. Fetchable spell-lands are hard to balance, though

Why not turn that idea around and print something like:

White Spellfetch
Land
At the beginning of your upkeep, return target creature with converted casting cost 1 from your graveyard to the battlefield.
T, pay 1 life, sac White Spellfetch: Search your library for a plains card and put it onto the battlefield. Then shuffle your library.

Blue Spellfetch
Land
At the beginning of your upkeep, draw a card, then discard a card.
T, pay 1 life, sac Blue Spellfetch: Search your library for an island card and put it onto the battlefield. Then shuffle your library.

Black Spellfetch
Land
At the beginning of your upkeep, each opponent loses 1 life and you gain 1 life.
T, pay 1 life, sac Black Spellfetch: Search your library for a swamp card and put it onto the battlefield. Then shuffle your library.

Red Spellfetch
Land
At the beginning of your upkeep, each player sacrifices a land.
T, pay 1 life, sac Red Spellfetch: Search your library for a mountain card and put it onto the battlefield. Then shuffle your library.

Green Spellfetch
Land
At the beginning of your upkeep, put a +1/+1 counter on target creature.
T, pay 1 life, sac Green Spellfetch: Search your library for a forest card and put it onto the battlefield. Then shuffle your library.

Obviously a bit pushed, but by putting the effect on a fetch you have to chose between the spell effect and the mana.

You could also tweak them to search for basic lands only if you want to further limit the fixing capabilities of Therese.

 

[Lucre]

Green sixes depress me guys! I'm just gonna leave this big idiot here and maybe you guys can design some cards that are more interesting to play with

Succession
Creature - Elemental
Flash
When Succession dies put a 5/5 elemental creature token into play.
5/5

 

[Onderzeeboot]

Oracle of Summer
Creature - Spirit Beast
Play with the top card of your library revealed.
You may play the top card of your library if it's a creature card.
Creatures played from your library enter the battlefield with two +1/+1 counters on them.
6/6

 

[Suicufnoc]

Why not turn that idea around and print something like:

White Spellfetch
Land
At the beginning of your upkeep, return target creature with converted casting cost 1 from your graveyard to the battlefield.
T, pay 1 life, sac White Spellfetch: Search your library for a plains card and put it onto the battlefield. Then shuffle your library.

Blue Spellfetch
Land
At the beginning of your upkeep, draw a card, then discard a card.
T, pay 1 life, sac Blue Spellfetch: Search your library for an island card and put it onto the battlefield. Then shuffle your library.

Black Spellfetch
Land
At the beginning of your upkeep, each opponent loses 1 life and you gain 1 life.
T, pay 1 life, sac Black Spellfetch: Search your library for a swamp card and put it onto the battlefield. Then shuffle your library.

Red Spellfetch
Land
At the beginning of your upkeep, each player sacrifices a land.
T, pay 1 life, sac Red Spellfetch: Search your library for a mountain card and put it onto the battlefield. Then shuffle your library.

Green Spellfetch
Land
At the beginning of your upkeep, put a +1/+1 counter on target creature.
T, pay 1 life, sac Green Spellfetch: Search your library for a forest card and put it onto the battlefield. Then shuffle your library.

Obviously a bit pushed, but by putting the effect on a fetch you have to chose between the spell effect and the mana.

You could also tweak them to search for basic lands only if you want to further limit the fixing capabilities of Therese.

Already running a mono fetch cycle, actually. Sac for land or tokens

 

[Lucre]

Oracle of Summer
Creature - Spirit Beast
Play with the top card of your library revealed.
You may play the top card of your library if it's a creature card.
Creatures played from your library enter the battlefield with two +1/+1 counters on them.
6/6

Wow that thing seems nuts! But is it the sort of card you wana cube with or build decks around?

I really like prime titan in some cubes because it's ability is easy for green decks to get along with (often finds you great mana sinks) and it's a build around me card that is also just a solid guy that has replaced itself after entering play.

Your guy seems really cool if you are a ramp deck because it immediately makes any elf you see way better, sort of like how baloths makes every land you see much more interesting, though the clause of "from the library" makes it a little less exciting.

I'm curious about what makes greens 5s so full and recreating that in the six slot.

Fecundus
Legendary Creature - Treefolk
Trample, reach, vigilance
Whenever Fecundus or another creature you control dies, you may draw a card.
5/5

 

[Onderzeeboot]

Okay, what about these?

Birthmother
Creature - Spirit
Trample, vigilance
Whenever you would draw a card, if Birthmother is in your graveyard, you may return target creature card from your graveyard to your hand instead.
6/6

Acidic Ooze
Creature - Ooze
Deathtouch
Acidic Ooze enters the battlefield with X +1/+1 counters on it.
When Acidic Ooze enters the battlefield, destroy up to X target noncreature permanents.
0/0

 

[Jesse G]

I have a half baked idea for a new red mechanic: reflex (or instinct, or some such thing)

The basic idea is sort of like the trap cards from zendikar. The spell has some normal effect, but if you cast it in response to something specific, it gets more powerful, or cheaper or whatever.
I really like the flavor of the mechanic; it plays up red's spontaneity and unpredictability in a way that doesn't involve coin flips..... and acting on intuition or reflex is actually one aspect of red that doesn't always have to feel shortsighted.... The only problem is: i can't seem to think of any fun, resonant cards to put the mechanic on
Maybe something like this?

Tricky Treason 1RR
Sorcery
Gain control of Target creature until end of turn. Untap that creature. It gains haste until end of turn.
Reflex -- Whenever an opponent casts a sorcery spell, you may cast ~ without paying its mana cost (and as though it had flash)

Or something rather pushed:

Split Shock R
Instant
~ deals two damage to target creature or player
Reflex -- Whenever an opponent casts an instant spell, you may cast ~ and copy it. You may choose new targets for the copy.

Obviously these need better names... and I'm not sure on the wording of the ability, or if you need the flash clause on the treason one, but you get the idea.... I really like the mechanic in theory, but its surprisingly difficult coming up with actual cards for it... Also, are you allowed to word a mechanic that relies on hidden information as a triggered ability? Miracle sorta does...

 

[Onderzeeboot]

Would marrying half fetches to the Mirage tutors be a mistake? I kinda like the tension between "fixing" your mana (provided you drafted the right duals) and searching a trump card.

Enlightened Village
Land
T, pay 1 life, sac: Search your library for a plains and put it on the battlefield, and shuffle
T, pay 1 life, sac: Search your library for an artifact or enchantment card, shuffle library, reveal it, and put it on top of your library..

 

[Lucre]

That's kinda reinventing the wheel, isn't it?

Okay, what about these?

Birthmother
Creature - Spirit
Trample, vigilance
Whenever you would draw a card, if Birthmother is in your graveyard, you may return target creature card from your graveyard to your hand instead.
6/6

Acidic Ooze
Creature - Ooze
Deathtouch
Acidic Ooze enters the battlefield with X +1/+1 counters on it.
When Acidic Ooze enters the battlefield, destroy up to X target noncreature permanents.
0/0

I kinda like em! The new slime is kinda better than poor acidic slime and creeping mold but the scaling is pretty fun.

I have a half baked idea for a new red mechanic: reflex (or instinct, or some such thing)

The basic idea is sort of like the trap cards from zendikar. The spell has some normal effect, but if you cast it in response to something specific, it gets more powerful, or cheaper or whatever.
I really like the flavor of the mechanic; it plays up red's spontaneity and unpredictability in a way that doesn't involve coin flips..... and acting on intuition or reflex is actually one aspect of red that doesn't always have to feel shortsighted.... The only problem is: i can't seem to think of any fun, resonant cards to put the mechanic on

I think you are onto something with this reflex thing, but you probably wouldn't print it exactly in that form and it would end up looking like a trap.

I want more sweet green 6s guys. Cards with play to them that make you think in the deck building process!

 

[Onderzeeboot]

That's kinda reinventing the wheel, isn't it?

How so? Obviously both effects are a known quantity, and others have thought of spellfetches, but I haven't seen this combination before. It looks pretty innocuous, because tutoring, while powerful, at the cost of a land seems a real cost and you don't actually get the spell effect you want, it's only a tutor for the spell effect. Of course, in the end game it guarantees you hit something useful next turn. Once my computer is fixed I am going to try and make good proxies that don't jar me, and if I succeed at that I think I'm trying these out in place of the Vivids that I currently run, in addition to fast lands with basic land types added to them maybe.

I want more sweet green 6s guys. Cards with play to them that make you think in the deck building process!

Even more? Alright, I can think of a few more, challenge accepted!

Frenzied Summoner
Creature - Elf Shaman
At the beginning of each upkeep, put a +1/+1 counter on Frenzied Summoner, then search your library for a creature card with converted casting costs equal to the number of +1/+1 counters on Frenzied Summoner and put it onto the battlefield. Then shuffle your library.
1/1

Loamdrifter
Creature - Elemental
When Loamdrifter enters the battlefield, search your library for a basic land card, reveal that card, put it into your hand, then shuffle your library. Then draw a card.
Evoke
6/5

Ragefever Baloth
Creature - Beast
Trample
Other creatures you control with converted casting cost 4 or more get +3/+3 and have trample.
6/6

Leafspun Dryad
Creature - Dryad
Loambond (Whenever you search your library for a land card, you may reveal Leafspun Dryad from your library and cast it for .)
Leafspun Dryad enters the battlefield with a number of +1/+1 counters on it equal to the amount of green mana spent to cast it.
2/2

Need more? There's only so many spots for 6-drops in a cube

 

[Onderzeeboot]

I have a half baked idea for a new red mechanic: reflex (or instinct, or some such thing). The only problem is: i can't seem to think of any fun, resonant cards to put the mechanic on

I find it hard to make an ability word out of this that can also point to a card type. Maybe "intuit"? Something like this?

Spellfeed Gravelspitter
Creature - Beast
First strike
Intuit instant - Whenever Rockslide Charger attacks, if your opponent played an instant your last turn, destroy target land.
3/2

I think the upside on this can be pretty high, since your opponent sees this coming. It's a subtle anti-counterspell card if you cast your spells pre-combat.

Scrapfeed Bolt
Sorcery
Scrapfeed Bolt deals 2 damage to target creature or player.
Intuit artifact - If your opponent played an artifact since your last turn, copy Scrapfeed Bolt. You may choose a new target for the copy.

Once again a card that triggers on a card type not every deck plays, so the payoff can be a bit higher. The base is bad but not unplayable.

Bloodfeed Terramagus
Creature - Human Shaman
Intuit creature - When Bloodfeed Terramagus enters the battlefield, if your opponent played a land creature since your last turn, untap target Mountain. It becomes a 4/4 red Elemental creature until end of turn. It's still a land.
2/1

Your opponent will have a blocker, but does he wish to put it in front of a 4/4?

 

[Jesse G]

Bloodfeed Terramagus
Creature - Human Shaman
Intuit creature - When Bloodfeed Terramagus enters the battlefield, if your opponent played a land since your last turn, untap target Mountain. It becomes a 4/4 red Elemental creature until end of turn. It's still a land.
2/1

Your opponent will have a blocker, but does he wish to put it in front of a 4/4?

I'm assuming land was meant to be creature here. If so, i really like this! and are all of them supposed to say "since your last turn" for the trigger condition? Cause I like that too. I actually think this is sort of a different mechanic from mine. It feels a bit less red, since the reaction need not be immediate. Your wording is much more flexible though, and need not be solely on instants....

I just feel that, for color pie (and flavor) reasons, its important that the "trap" triggers right away. It doesn't feel very red to wait until your next turn to spring the trap on them... Maybe you have to reveal the card when they "set off the trap" or some weird thing like that...

Another way to go would be to have them be triggered abilities on permanents, like "Whenever your opponent casts an instant spell do X" that's a much less interesting ability though.

Also, I want pentavus to be cooler:
Hemivus
Artifact Creature -- Construct
~ enters the battlefield with two +1/+1 counters on it.
, remove a +1/+1 counter from ~: Put a 1/1 colorless SOMETHING artifact creature token with flying onto the battlefield.
, sacrifice a creature: Put a +1/+1 counter on ~.
0/0

 

[Onderzeeboot]

I'm assuming land was meant to be creature here. If so, i really like this! and are all of them supposed to say "since your last turn" for the trigger condition? Cause I like that too. I actually think this is sort of a different mechanic from mine. It feels a bit less red, since the reaction need not be immediate. Your wording is much more flexible though, and need not be solely on instants....

Uh... yeah, that was supposed to be creature It is a bit different indeed, less of an immediate trap. Those are hard to cost though, and less flexible. Unless... What about this (wall of text upcoming!)?

Snarebolt Trapper
Creature - Human Shaman
Ambush creature (Whenever an opponent plays a creature spell, you may cast this without paying its casting cost. If you do, sacrifice it at the beginning of your next upkeep, unless you pay .)
Whenever another creature enters the battlefield under an opponent's control, Snarebolt Trapper deals 1 damage to that creature, and that creature can't block until the end of your next turn.
3/2

This is an ability you can't put on instants and sorceries, but you can do pretty cool things with this.

Skull-Clan Stalker
Creature - Human Warrior
Ambush instant (Whenever an opponent plays an instant spell, you may cast this without paying its casting cost. If you do, sacrifice it at the beginning of your next upkeep, unless you pay .)
If you cast Skull-Clan Stalker during your combat step, it enters the battlefield tapped and attacking.
3/1

Pyrechant Elder
Creature - Goblin Shaman
Ambush sorcery (Whenever an opponent plays a sorcery spell, you may cast this without paying its casting cost. If you do, sacrifice it at the beginning of your next upkeep, unless you pay .)
When Pyrechant Elder enters the battlefield, add to your mana pool.
2/1

In case you want to do this in MSE, make a keyword that matches on:
Ambush <name> (Whenever an opponent plays a {param1} spell, you may cast this without paying its casting cost. If you do, sacrifice it at the beginning of your next upkeep, unless you pay {(card.casting_cost)})



(Art used without permission, found on www.annasteinbauer.com)

 

[Jesse G]

Yes! This is very much what I was imagining for these cards. It's like conditional SuperHaste!!!
I think it works better as an ability word, so that you have a lot more leeway on how to use it. For instance, the current wording doesn't let you trigger the trap off of, say, life loss, or drawing extra cards, or whatever. As a keyword though, this is perfect.

 

[Onderzeeboot]

I think this ability fits in green and, to a lesser extent, in blue as well, where it can be flavored more as preparation instead of reflexes. Thanks for sparking this idea by the way, I like designing cards

 

[Jesse G]

I agree with placing the mechanic in green and blue as well. My original idea was for this to be a Red Green thing, since it doesn't feel very calculating... its just sort of wild and explosive. It reminds me a lot of bloodrush, actually which I think is a great mechanic for capturing how Gruul should feel... Say, I'll bet we could design some pretty cool bloodrush cards, who doesn't love Ghor Clan Rampager?

By the way... Isn't it funny that the rational calculating color is typically the most unpredictable. and the color that's supposed to be the most "random" is usually a total known quantity? Its kind of an awkward/unintended consequence of the rules that 'faster' strategies are also inherently more straightforward and predictable... its hard to be tricky when you're already handless on turn 4...

 

[Onderzeeboot]

Then again, red isn't necessarily tricky (and thus unpredictable), it's passionate and impulsive. I think Wizards is actually doing a pretty fine job in that regard nowadays, with haste, discard then draw, Threaten effects, coin flips and random effects all being part of red's color pie. Actually, red is predictable precisely because it is so impulsive. You could either scheme for days or, you know, just attack already!

 

[Jesse G]

I guess i agree... I've just found myself wishing red had more tricks up its sleeves lately. I think Threaten effects are the best example of the trickiness i like to see from red.

But on to somehting completely different! So an idea I've been mulling over: The reason for the "powermax=> Bad gameplay" effect we usually claim is twofold right?
-Better for the player does not equal better for the environment
-Higher power level means less total options (from a cube design perspective) and less possible redundancy

Can't both these problems be solved with powerful custom cards and a change in objective from power-max to power-ReallyHigh
So like, couldn't we just take a super typical unpowered cube list and take out all the weakest cards for cool custom stuff, while leaving in place the (ordinarily game ruining bullshit) cards that people seem to love playing so much? Maybe some of the GRBS cards are actually really fun in an environment that's balanced around them?
Anyway..... I like custom cards in cube, and I think they could probably create world peace.
And solve the energy crisis

 

[Chris Taylor]

I guess i agree... I've just found myself wishing red had more tricks up its sleeves lately. I think Threaten effects are the best example of the trickiness i like to see from red.

But on to somehting completely different! So an idea I've been mulling over: The reason for the "powermax=> Bad gameplay" effect we usually claim is twofold right?
-Better for the player does not equal better for the environment
-Higher power level means less total options (from a cube design perspective) and less possible redundancy

Can't both these problems be solved with powerful custom cards and a change in objective from power-max to power-ReallyHigh
So like, couldn't we just take a super typical unpowered cube list and take out all the weakest cards for cool custom stuff, while leaving in place the (ordinarily game ruining bullshit) cards that people seem to love playing so much? Maybe some of the GRBS cards are actually really fun in an environment that's balanced around them?
Anyway..... I like custom cards in cube, and I think they could probably create world peace.
And solve the energy crisis

Or destroy it

 

[Suicufnoc]

Land Lover 2GG
Creature - Land Lover
~ power and toughness are equal to the number of lands you control.
Draft ~ face up.
Immediately after the draft, you may choose a card from the utility lands and add it to your draft pool.
*/*

Any other ideas? I want something that has something to do with lands while in play

 

[Suicufnoc]

Aethersoul 1U
Creature - Spirit
Flying
You may cast ~ from your sideboard.
1/1

 

[Chris Taylor]

Land Lover 2GG
Creature - Land Lover
~ power and toughness are equal to the number of lands you control.
Draft ~ face up.
Immediately after the draft, you may choose a card from the utility lands and add it to your draft pool.
*/*

Any other ideas? I want something that has something to do with lands while in play

This guy is awesome, though another pick from the utility draft seems quite strong on a mostly playable creature

Aethersoul 1U
Creature - Spirit
Flying
You may cast ~ from your sideboard.
1/1

This guy I'm less excited about. Though maybe this is what squadron hawk wants to be?

 

[Lucre]

Can like, a non blue colour get free access to creature spells?

 

[Lucre]

Blood Compact
Legendary Enchantment (M)
Creatures you control have haste.
Attacking creatures you control get +1/+0.
When your devotion to red is 5 or greater Blood Compact is a 4/4 indestructible creature.

^ Just a working title.

Invocation of Tytos
Legendary Enchantment (M)
When Invocation of Tytos enters the battlefield, exile another target creature or planeswalker
When Invocation of Tytos leaves the battlefield, return the exiled card to the battlefield under its owner's control.
When your devotion to white is 5 or more Invocation of Tytos is a 5/5 indestructable creature.


The idea is you invoke these ancient powers and they work their mojo for what you intially put into it, buuuuuuut if you are showing proper reverance or the time is right they avatar it up through the thing you opened up. You can imagine tytos being some sort of celestial gaoler and the blood compact might be in reference to some primal power of shamanic tradition or something akin to Mars.

Both of these are models are similar but function very differently vs legendary rule interaction. Tytos is much more like the kamigawa dragons whereas blood compact is something you'd keep in hand until your other one got vindicated somehow. I can imagine a blue version that allows you to sift through cards when she comes into play or one with a more persistent effect that you can use over and over.

It's an idea I've been playing around with for a while when it comes to making god-like spells for my hybrid / devotion / splitcard set project. Design the playable enchantment and then work out the kinks of it being an entity part of the time. Doesn't even need to be indestructible really.

 

[anotak]

the red one is way too good but i like the ideas here