General [Design Contest] New Lessons to Learn

safra

safra

learn//lesson. A very deep pair of mechanics with a shallow cardpool (20 lessons).

Learn. (You may reveal a Lesson card you own from outside the game and put it into your hand, or discard a card to draw a card.)
Click to expand...
There are 5 rare Lessons, 1 Mythic, 5 mono-coloured uncommon Lessons, 5 common Lessons that make each school's token, and another 4 colourless Lessons at common. So of the 20 printed Lessons the mechanic was introduced with, 5 are colourless, 5 are hybrid, and then each colour has a rare and an uncommon Sorcery that do various in-colour effects. All 20 Lessons are Sorceries; presumably this was a concession to Limited that allowed for instant-speed Learning without a mid-combat toolbox. In Cube I think we don't need this.

Here is my challenge: I'd like us to design a few additional Lesson and Learn cards such that we arrive at a cardpool of 30 Lessons (us designing 10) and however many interesting effects we can staple "Learn." onto. To submit an entry, design one or more "Learn." card and 2-3 Lessons. You can submit as many entries as you want but they've got to be 3-5 card submissions. It's okay if it's just a design, not a full card mockup with art; I'd like to produce a RipLab 'supplemental pack' of Lessons "available for cubes everywhere". There's no hard and fast rule for power level on your designs - a cohesive set can be developed after we all iterate our designs - but I think aiming for stuff in between original Strixhaven power level and ~Modern power level would be awesome.

PRIZES: In mid/late December I'll add a poll to the thread for voting on the forum's favourite designs. I will also, separately, send two winners (chosen at my whim and whimsy) some counterfeit Vintage cards for powered cubing. Thanks!

ALLEZ CUISINE
 
PyreDream

PyreDream

Thanks for doing this. I liked the lessons a lot in STX limited and I hope they get revisited.

Star Duelist {R}
Creature - Elemental Warrior
First strike
Whenever you learn for the first time each turn, put a +1/+1 counter on Star Duelist.
1/1

Dreadmaw Fossil {3}
Artifact
When Dreadmaw Fossil enters the battlefield, learn.
{3}: Dreadmaw Fossil becomes a 4/4 Dinosaur artifact creature with trample until end of turn.
Unearth {6}

Pillarhold Thopter {2}
Artifact - Vehicle
Flying
Whenever Pillarhold Thopter deals combat damage to a player, learn.
Crew 1
1/3

Riptide Ruins
Land
{T}: Add {1}.
{1}{U}, {T}, Sacrifice a Wizard: Learn.

LESSONS
Lesson in Humility {3}{G}{W}
Sorcery - Lesson
Choose target creature you control. It gains indestructible until end of turn.
Until your next turn, each creature you don't control has base power and toughness 1/1, loses all abilities, and gains "this creature must block if able."
 
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safra

safra

Onderzeeboot said:
I think you’ve got 4 “Learn” cards and 1 Lesson now, which is one “Learn” card too many, and one Lesson short of a valid configuration. Sorry to be “that” guy ;)
Click to expand...
Now it's just up to 5 cards per post. They can be 5 monocolour Learns or whatever other balance someone wants to post. Easy!

And for reference, here are all the "Learn." spells on Scryfall and here are all the Lessons

Here are some designs I came up with today:

Learn Mind Rot {3}{B}
Sorcery
Target player discards two cards.
Scry 1. Learn. (Reminder text.)

Learn Restock {3}{G}{G}{G}
Sorcery
Exile ~ as it resolves.
Return two target cards from your graveyard to your hand. If they're both permanent cards, learn. (Reminder text.)

Pay Attention {U}
Instant
Scry 1. Learn. (You may reveal a Lesson card you own from outside the game and put it into your hand, or discard a card to draw a card.)

Library Robot {2}
Artifact Creature - Construct
When Library Robot enters the battlefield, each player learns. (They may reveal a Lesson card they own from outside the game and put it into their hand, or discard a card to draw a card.)
2/2

Planar Isolation Field {6}
Sorcery - Lesson
Each player exiles their library, then shuffles all cards from their graveyard into their library.
End the turn.
 
K

Karshtakavaar

I'm super interested in Lessons and Learn being more supported, and there's a wealth of MTG lore for future Masters sets to revisit with the mechanic.
I don't think they fit the powerlevel proposed at all, but hey I wanted to make cards I would like to cube.

Leisurely Study {U}
Instant
Learn.
Untap target land.
For academy students, temporal manipulation trumps time management.
[Flavor: A young Teferi, casually doodling in the margins of a notebook with his head resting on the other hand - reference Frantic Search, Disruptive Student. Mood: "I've got time for this later."]

Gatha's Designs {1}{R}
Enchantment
{B/R}, Discard a creature card: Learn.
Madness {1}{B/R}
Gatha threw away everything in his pursuit of perfect form.
[Flavor: Gatha hunched over a surgical table in a poorly lit and dirty laboratory. Fuzzy outlines of genetic experiments that have been scrapped for parts float in incubators behind him. Piled viscera and blood leak from the shadows around the room. Mood: "The others have all been failures. This one had better work - or else!"]

Hanna's Compass {1}
Artifact
{2}{T}, Sacrifice CARDNAME: Search your library for an artifact card with a mana ability or land card, reveal it, put it into your hand, then shuffle.
When CARDNAME is put into a graveyard from the battlefield, Learn.
"This definitely does something"
- Hanna, Weatherlight navigator.
[Flavor: A hand from each member of the Weatherlight crew resting or leaning on a table crowded with maps and charts while Hanna plots a course with a compass (The geometry kind, not the magnetic kind) - reference Sisay's Ring. Mood: Coming together create a plan.]

Barrin's Anguished Obliteration {4}{R}{R}
Legendary Sorcery - Lesson
(You may cast a legendary sorcery only if you control a legendary creature or planeswalker.)
This spell can't be countered.
Each player sacrifices four lands. CARDNAME deals 4 damage to each creature.
Centuries ago, a family's devastation was echoed in merciless flame.
[Flavor: Vast, unfathomable destruction. At the center a lone figure channeling power, about to be consumed - reference Obliterate, Urza's Ruinous Blast. Mood: "I give all I have, as I have nothing left"]

Thaddeus and Agnate {2}{U}{W}
Legendary Creature - Metathran Soldier Lesson
Thaddeus and Agnate enters the battlefield phased out.
{W/U} - Thaddeus and Agnate gains Flying and First Strike until end of turn.
{W/U} - Thaddeus and Agnate phases out.
{1} - Thaddeus and Agnate gets +2/-1 until end of turn.
The researches of the Bloodline Project led to greater success than even Urza could anticipate.
3/3
[Flavor: Thaddeus and Agnate fighting acrobatically, one using the other to vault over massed Phrexian footsoldiers to strike at Tsabo Tavoc, sihouetted in the foreground. Mood: Twins that utterly rely one each other to form the perfect weapon.]

Edit: Fixed hybrid mana symbols
Editedit: Copied Zee's inclusion of art direction, does a great job of selling the card concept.
 
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Onderzeeboot

Onderzeeboot

Ecstatic Orb
safra said:
Now it's just up to 5 cards per post. They can be 5 monocolour Learns or whatever other balance someone wants to post. Easy!

And for reference, here are all the "Learn." spells on Scryfall and here are all the Lessons
Click to expand...
This should probably be in the first post ;)

My (first?) submission:
Cram for Exams {2}{U}
Sorcery (U)
Learn twice, then untap a land for each card discarded this way. (To learn, you may reveal a Lesson card you own from outside the game and put it into your hand, or discard a card to draw a card.)
[Flavor: A student is cramming for magic exams late at night, study books sloppily piled up on both ends of their desk, nose buried in a book with abstract, arcane diagrams. Mood: Shit shit shit! I've got an exam tomorrow, and still so much to learn!]

Apprentice Healer {1}{W/B}
Creature — Human Cleric (R)
Lifelink
Whenever you gain life for the first time each turn, learn. (You may reveal a Lesson card you own from outside the game and put it into your hand, or discard a card to draw a card.)
1/3
[Flavor: Under the tutelage of an experienced healer, a young student in robes is trying to heal another student with some condition that is clearly the result of a magical mishap, like an elongated leg or a gash that is oozing magical residue. Mood: Learning to heal the many weird injuries that magic can cause is hard, but luckily they've got a good teacher.]

Reset the Board {2}{W}
Instant — Lesson (U)
Choose one or both —
• Exile target creature you control, then return it to the battlefield under its owner's control.
• Exile target creature an opponent controls, then return it to the battlefield under its owner's control.
[Flavor: Two students are using subtle magic to reset the pieces on a game board to their starting position. Mood: One of them clearly won the previous battle of wits.]

Practiced Culling {3}{B}{B}
Instant — Lesson (R)
This spell costs {1} less to cast for each Lesson card in your graveyard.
Destroy target creature.
[Flavor: Students gather around a classroom duel, a brooding teacher approvingly watches as one of the dueling students hit the other duelist with a killing curse. Only the outline of a magical circle on the ground around the duelists hints at the duel being less lethal than it looks, as tendrils of healing energy start creeping towards the crumpled body of the stricken duelist. Mood: As a wizard you have to learn how to defend yourself, and attack is the best defense.]

Hammer Home {1}{R}
Instant — Lesson (R)
Destroy target artifact. If you do, you may return another target artifact card from your graveyard to your hand.
[Flavor: A student learns how to forge magical wands at a magical anvil. Various failed projects litter the floor of the smithy around the anvil. Mood: He'll get there... eventually.]
 
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K

Karshtakavaar

Karshtakavaar said:
Leisurely Study {U}
Instant
Learn.
Untap target land.
For academy students, temporal manipulation trumps time management.
Click to expand...

Onderzeeboot said:
Cram for Exams {2}{U}
Sorcery (U)
Learn twice, then untap a land for each card discarded this way. (To learn, you may reveal a Lesson card you own from outside the game and put it into your hand, or discard a card to draw a card.)
[Flavor: A student is cramming for magic exams late at night, study books sloppily piled up on both ends of their desk, nose buried in a book with abstract, arcane diagrams. Mood: Shit shit shit! I've got an exam tomorrow, and still so much to learn!]
Click to expand...

I like that we both want more Frantic Searches.
 
spicewitch

spicewitch

oksN.png
oksq.png

Card on the left: fairly happy with it!
Card on the right: could really use some workshopping. The art is from an upcoming Jumpstart card - it's just TOO PERFECT as some kind of Lesson/Learn card!
 
Nanonox

Nanonox

I suck at designing and balancing cards, but this seems too fun not to try.

Learn

Study Guide {1}{W}
Sorcery
Learn.
Storm.

Lesson 1

Skim through {1}
Sorcery - Lesson
Surveil 2.

lesson 2

Plagiarism {1}{W}
Sorcery - Lesson
Return a permanent with mana value 2 or less from GY to the battlefield

Lesson 3

Smart flavourful name {W/U}
Sorcery - Lesson
Create a 1/1 monk token with prowess.

Lesson 4

Class favorites {2}{W/U}
Sorcery - Lesson
Create three Treasure tokens.
 
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K

Karshtakavaar

Instead of getting sleep before work, I have instead continued to think about this contest - admittedly mostly from a flavor perspective rather than anything else. To try to get it out of my system, have a second submission:

Agrus Kos, Wojek Detective {R/W}{R/W}
Legendary Creature - Human Soldier
Agrus Kos, Wojek Detective enters the battlefield with your choice of a First Strike counter or a Haste counter.
Whenever Agrus Kos, Wojek Detective deals combat damage, Investigate.
{1}, Sacrifice a Clue: Learn.
2/2
[Flavor: A rakdos club. Over the shoulder perspective behind a goblin madcap being held against the wall, eyes wild, babbling. A younger, angrier Agrus Kos fills the frame, holding it up by its collar. A veteran Wojek in the background supervises approvingly. Mood: It might take violence, but Agrus Kos gets results.]
Goal - Meant to entice both aggressive and controlling shells with a solid body, card draw, and a discard outlet. Plus I like the idea of Agrus Kos being able to get information from Clues faster than someone else can.

Chiyo, Devoted Student {1}{U}
Legendary Creature - Moonfolk Wizard
Flying
{1}, Return a land you control to it's owner's hand: Learn.
2/1
[Flavor: A soratami, mask over one half of her face, leaping from a rooftop, weapon in hand, and silhouetted against the crescent moon. Mood: "I will kill him this time"]
Goal - Thinking of places of wisdom or learning in the multiverse, remembered Minamo. Couldn't think of anything cool with Minamo, but the Soratami ability would be a cool way to guard against flooding out as you can pitch the land to draw. Named soratami who don't have a card? Pretty sure she's it.

Scholar of the Unseen {U}
Creature - Human Wizard
Shuffle a card from your hand into your library: Learn.
1/1
[Flavor: A wizard frantically stuffing scrolls and papers into their robes, attempting to hide and protect them from invaders. The shadow of some Phyrexian engine gives cause to the fear. Mood: "The knowledge matters more than I do"]
Goal - Fast, repeatable discard outlet, also protects key cards from hand attack. Also acts as a "pre-sideboard" - Low on learn? Shuffle all the lessons relevant to the matchup into your deck on t1.


The Institute of Arcane Studies
Legendary Land - Lesson
{T}: Add {c}
{1}, {T}: Add one mana of any color.
The true legacy of Lat-Nam was the proliferation of places of learning across Dominaria.
[Flavor: A towering castle built into the side of a mountain. Mood: An ivory tower divorced from the world below.]
Goal - I see no reason Lessons have to remain only on Sorceries. They're best on situational cards, whether that be matchup-based or to fill a gap in your current hand, and hitting a land drop seems pretty universally relevant.

Krieg, Witch-King of Keld {4}{R}{R}
Legendary Creature - Human Warrior Lesson
Haste
Krieg, Witch-King of Keld's power and toughness are each equal to the number of artifact, creature, and land cards in your graveyard.
Madness {1}{B}{R}
"I have no equal. I am Keld."
*/*
[Flavor: A grey-skinned titan donning heavy metal gauntlets, inspecting them as he does so. Smoke cascades out of matted hair plaited with smouldering embers, a massive greatsword like a slab of metal on his back. Gatha hovers behind him, shielded by his bulk. Reference Maraxus of Keld. Mood - "Your challenge can wait 'til I'm good and ready - not that you're worthy"]
Goal - Pretty explicitly meant to go with the Obliterate-Wildfire and Learn-Survival of the Fittest from my previous submission.
 
LadyMapi

LadyMapi

These are going to be a bit stronger than the existing Learn/Lesson cards, but shouldn't be too much stronger.

Dryad Botanist - {1}{G}
Creature - Dryad Druid
When Dryad Botanist enters the battlefield, learn.
If you would Learn, you may play an additional land this turn instead.
1/2
[Flavor: A dryad in a broad straw hat tends to a circle of vibrant flowers in the middle of a wasteland. Mood: "Life finds a way."]
[Mechanical note: I like cards like Retriever Phoenix that give you a reason to draft a bunch of Learn cards without necessarily needing to find a bunch of Lessons.]

Rogue Phlebotomist - {2}{B}
Creature - Vampire Rogue
Flying
When Rogue Phlebotomist deals combat damage to a player, create a Blood token.
{1}, sacrifice a Blood token: Learn.
"Blood holds a wealth of secrets, ready for the plucking."
2/2
[Flavor: A vampire holds up a blood vial while walking away from a fresh corpse sprawled against a wall in an alleyway. Mood: "I got what I came for — shame about the mess."]
[Mechanical note: Blood tokens already let you rummage, so having a creature upgrade that to Learning feels like a pretty minor jump.]

Cross-Disciplinary Synthesis - {1}
Sorcery - Lesson
Cross-Disciplinary Synthesis is Arcane.
Splice onto Instant or Sorcery - {0}
[Flavor: A pair of young students in Strixhaven uniforms walk into Minamo, suitcases in hand. Mood: "We're here, and we're excited to learn."]
[Mechanical note: I'm still salty that Lessons weren't Arcane... but this feels like the next best thing. As a sweet extra bonus, this lets you splice onto arcane onto ANYTHING, which can lead to some sweet tricks.]

Introduction to Iteration - {R}
Sorcery - Lesson
When you cast your next instant or sorcery spell with mana value 1 or less this turn, copy that spell then Learn. You may choose new targets for the copy.
Students learned more from Professor Scaldron's final exam than they did from the rest of his course.
[Flavor: A student reacting in shock as a stream of runes pours out of a parchment in front of them. Mood: "WHY DOES THIS KEEP HAPPENING?"]
[Mechanical note: I really like this as a set-up spell — it's situational enough that you aren't going to want it sitting in your deck, but it's absolutely perfect to grab before casting a Lightning Bolt or Opt.]
 
Mown

Mown

hi
I spent a lot of time on this
although I don't really care about any prize

Mural of History {1}{W}
Creature — Wall
Defender
When ~ enters the battlefield, learn.
0/4

Paragon of Learning {3}{W}{W}
Creature — Avatar
Lifelink
Whenever you cast an instant or sorcery, you may return ~ from your graveyard to your hand.
{1}{W}, Discard ~: Learn.
4/4

Lost in the Halls {1}{W/U}
Instant — Lesson
Exile target nonland permanent, then return it to the battlefield tapped.

Introduction to Necromancy {1}{W/B}
Sorcery — Lesson
Return target creature card with mana value 3 or less from your graveyard to the battlefield.

Sword Practice {1}{W}
Instant — Lesson
Target creature gains double strike until end of turn.
Burst of Inspiration {U}
Instant
Learn.
The next sorcery spell you cast this turn can be cast as thought it had flash.

Tireless Research {1}{U}
Sorcery
Rebound
Learn.

Dishonest Mimicry {1}{U/B}
Sorcery — Lesson
You may cast a nonland card from an opponent's graveyard this turn, and you may spend mana as though it were mana of any type to cast it.

Transformative Work {3}{U/R}
Sorcery — Lesson
Exile target permanent and choose one of its card types. Its controller reveals cards from the top of their library until they reveal a permanent card of the chosen type, puts it onto the battlefield, then puts the rest of the revealed cards on the bottom of their library in a random order.

Endless Creativity {3}{U}{U}
Sorcery — Lesson
Scry 4.
Manifest the top card of your library, then put two +1/+1 counters on it.
You may learn ~ from your graveyard as though it was a Lesson card you own outside the game.
Crunch Time {B}
Instant
Mill two cards.
Learn.

Grim Instructor {2}{B}
Creature — Zombie Wizard
When ~ enters the battlefield, learn.
Unearth—Sacrifice a creature
3/2

Added Effort {1}{B/R}
Sorcery — Lesson
Add {c}{c}{c}.

Neglected Seedlings {2}{B/G}
Sorcery — Lesson
Create a 1/1 green and black Plant creature token for each different card type among cards in your graveyard.

Thesis of Cruelty {3}{B}
Sorcery — Lesson
When you cast this spell, copy it for each Lesson card in your graveyard.
Each opponent loses 2 life and you gain 2 life.
Impatient Scholar {1}{R}
Creature — Human Wizard
As an additional cost to cast this spell, discard a card.
When ~ enters the battlefield, learn.
Haste
2/2

Extra Credit {2}{R}
Sorcery
Learn.
When you cast your next instant or sorcery spell this turn, copy that spell. You may choose new targets for the copies.

Amateur Beast Taming {4}{R/G}
Sorcery — Lesson
Put a creature card from your hand onto the battlefield. It gains haste until end of turn. Sacrifice it at the beginning of the next end step.

Mastery of Arms {1}{R/W}
Sorcery — Lesson
Equipment you control have equip {0} this turn.

Temporary Assistant {2}{R}{R}
Sorcery — Lesson
Create a token that's a copy of a creature you control. It gains haste and trample until end of turn. Sacrifice it at the beginning of the next end step.
Nettling Command {1}{G}{G}
Instant
Choose two —
- Destroy target artifact.
- Destroy target enchantment.
- Counter target activated or triggered ability.
- Target player learns.

Astute Pathfinder {2}{G}{G}
Creature — Troll Scout
Whenever ~ becomes the target of a spell or ability, you may learn.
5/5

Community Cooking {2}{G/W}
Sorcery — Lesson
Put a +1/+1 counter on each creature you control.

Perfect Replica {1}{G/U}
Sorcery — Lesson
Create a token that's a copy of target token you control.

Course Repeat {1}{G}
Sorcery — Lesson
You may play a permanent card from your graveyard this turn.

making cool learn cards is surprisingly challenging
 
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spicewitch

spicewitch

So, Lesson/Learn is overcosted, and Splice/Arcane is overcosted...
could we just write Lesson onto a lot of the arcane cards?
 
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