General Custom Cards: The Lab

Onderzeeboot

Ecstatic Orb
i think that 5 mana choose wrath/zombify is actually possibly the most powerful 5 mana wrath ive seen? it's not obvious bc 5 mana wrath is well, 5 mana wrath, and 5 mana zombify seems way below par. but it's important to consider how much having the other side be a zombify resolves the drawbacks of putting a wrath in your deck and drawing one in situations where the wrath isnt good.
Yeah, it's pretty good :) I do like how it plays so far though. Turns out a 5 mana wrath is well, a 5 mana wrath, and a 5 mana zombify is pretty underpowered. They do combine very well to make a spell that's almost always desirable.
 

Onderzeeboot

Ecstatic Orb
Next one! At the recommendation of you all know who I put in Oketra's Monument, and it's a really fun card that really fuels the {b/w} sacrifice deck very well. However, I already ran a card, that might be just nonsense with this card. What do you think of this two card combo?




It seemed pretty uninteractive to me when I tested it...
Solved!

Angelic Augmentor.full.jpg
(Art link)

This also neatly adds another artifact creature to the cube for the light touch of delirium that exists in {W/B}.
 
Hi! I'm trying to add another custom Eldrazi to my cube, and I was wondering if anyone here had a fun design tucked away in a file somewhere. Ideally it would want black mana.



Here's what I came up with initially:

2B 2/2 with 'Exile ~ from your hand: Thoughtseize (as a sorcery)'
1BB 4/2 Menace Deathtoucher with 'if a Land you control would produce coloured mana, instead it produces the same amount of colourless mana'.
3C 4/4 with 'B: each player sacrifices a creature'.

Any thoughts? I'm not really thrilled with them.
 
yeah lmao I can't believe I posted that. pretty embarassing.
same deal but you can exile one card from your hand to Thoughtseize.

e: running this VVV
 

Onderzeeboot

Ecstatic Orb
So, with Jump-Start and Surveil probably delivering some playables for my cube, now more than ever, I feel like I want a second "Squee, Goblin Nabob", probably in blue, since there's already a draw/discard subtheme in {U/B} as well. What would be a fair effect to staple that "At the beginning of your upkeep, you may return CARDNAME from your graveyard to your hand." How far can you push it?

Reeavalute {2}{U}
Sorcery
Draw a card, then discard a card.
At the beginning of your upkeep, you may return Reeavalute from your graveyard to your hand.

Yeah, in constructed this would be {2}{U} to draw card once per turn once you find your second copy. Does that mean this is a problematic design?
 
So, with Jump-Start and Surveil probably delivering some playables for my cube, now more than ever, I feel like I want a second "Squee, Goblin Nabob", probably in blue, since there's already a draw/discard subtheme in {U/B} as well. What would be a fair effect to staple that "At the beginning of your upkeep, you may return CARDNAME from your graveyard to your hand." How far can you push it?

Reeavalute {2}{U}
Sorcery
Draw a card, then discard a card.
At the beginning of your upkeep, you may return Reeavalute from your graveyard to your hand.

Yeah, in constructed this would be {2}{U} to draw card once per turn once you find your second copy. Does that mean this is a problematic design?


I'm not a big constructed guy, but it doesn't strike me that this would be problematic from a power level point of view. On the other hand, repeatable card draw that's difficult to interact with, even if fairly costed, doesn't make for the most dynamic gameplay. What if it had sort of a modified Abandoned Sarcophagus clause? i.e., "If Reevaluate would be put into your graveyard and it wasn't cast, exile it instead"? I guess it loses some of that Squee-style versatility in that case.
 

Onderzeeboot

Ecstatic Orb
I'm not a big constructed guy, but it doesn't strike me that this would be problematic from a power level point of view. On the other hand, repeatable card draw that's difficult to interact with, even if fairly costed, doesn't make for the most dynamic gameplay. What if it had sort of a modified Abandoned Sarcophagus clause? i.e., "If Reevaluate would be put into your graveyard and it wasn't cast, exile it instead"? I guess it loses some of that Squee-style versatility in that case.

The whole point is that I want it to work with discard for value effects, stuff like Stormbind, something to synergize with Drake Haven-enablers. So what other effect could you put on a card like this without it becoming overbearing?

"Counter target spell unless its controller pays {1}."?
"Look at the top card of your library. You may put it into your graveyard."? (Yeah, this is the just spoiled reveil.)
"Shuffle a card from your hand into your deck, then draw a card."?
"Tap or untap target permanent."?
 
Hmm, it could be interesting if it was the opposite of my first suggestion, i.e., it would exile after you cast it, but if you milled or discarded it, it would keep returning to your hand. That way it's super versatile but not repetitive in the effect itself. You can use it to fuel those discard-for-value engines, but when there comes a turn when you really need to loot you can decide to cash it in. You could probably increase the impact of the cast effect in this case.

(With all this said, I think the original design is fine for cube as is!)
 
I reeeeeeally like that!

I am not sure how I feel about repetitive situations like casting the same spell every third turn but if it must be done then I believe this is the best possible version.

You could even make it Survail instead of Scry if you want that ‘newness’ appeal.

You got my thanks for that art-linking. We should make it a rule in the custom section to always artlink. Or AL.
 

Onderzeeboot

Ecstatic Orb
Next project: the one mana energy payoff cards in blue. I currently run two Ministers of Inquiries, but nobody ever picks them up. They're meant as light support for a (self)mill deck, but the truth is that there are more efficient ways to get the right cards in your own graveyard (through draw/discard effects), and Grindclock on its own is enough support for the mill deck (and that one does get picked up). Some early defense plus an extra cantrip might do some good.

Vedalken Enforcer.full.jpg
(Art link)

Basically a cheaper, playable Janjeet Sentry.

Aether Harvest.full.jpg vs. Aether Harvest.full.jpg
(Art link)

The first one has a lot more play to it, but the second one reads a lot cleaner. Plus, the difference in power level between the two mechanics is probably just enough to warrant an upgrade to instant speed if I choose the scry. What do you think?
 
I think sorcery speed is a must. That is my personal opinion. We have Opt and then we have tons of Sorcery speed ones.

The way I do it is by seperating the lines of text. I know it is not the correct way but I feel like it reads much more clean. First line: “You get E.” Then hit enter. Then second line: “You may pay any amount.......”
 
My take on your Reevaluate.

I am writing my take but we both know that it is your design and I have simply made two very, very small changes. Here goes:

Reevaluate Card.png

I have been pondering about a new name although the name is really really good and should be on a MtG card. Reevaluate is often a term used for when a person or a group has to evaluate the same object or content again. In our case we are evaluating new cards with the same card and not the same cards with a new card. So I was thinking about something like Eternal Studying but less dramatic. And also that name would not be quite there because it would imply that we would not have to cast the 3 mana spell over and over but actually get the eternal studying simply by casting it once.
 
Derail {R}{R}
Instant
You may choose new targets for any number of target spells.
Until end of turn, whenever an opponent casts a spell, you may choose new targets for that spell.
 

Onderzeeboot

Ecstatic Orb
Derail {R}{R}
Instant
You may choose new targets for any number of target spells.
Until end of turn, whenever an opponent casts a spell, you may choose new targets for that spell.

Ok, so it's a cheaper Shunt, basically, that works on all spells that were already cast. Good (read: killing) against storm spells I guess. That last rider feels a bit redundant though. How often is an opponent going to cast two spells that both target in a single turn anyway? Is that worth the extra mind space this takes up in understanding the spell as well as the memory issues?
 
I've been looking (in vain) for an artwork that should show a character giving up their weapon/sword.

So far this is the best I have:
Sensei 4.jpg


However I am more looking for this kind of style:
Sensei 1.jpg

Or this kind of style:
Sensei 2.jpg

They are a lot more colorful and with a rivid background.

Preferably I want an asian-inspired theme with either samurai, monks, ninja etc. Think of Kamigawa
The art must depict a person handing over their weapon. Either as a sacrifice or as a gift.

Can anyone help?
 
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