General Print this Wizards! (So I can put it in my cube)

[Rasmus Källqvist]

I mean, if we look at it as a vanilla 1.5/1.5 would you cube it?

 

[Chris Taylor]

and thus comes the problem with prowess: it's good in cube, but stupid broken in older formats (See the only white card to ever be taken seriously in vintage since balance). Basically every card with prowess has to be made with the conceit that it's either limited only fodder, or hella strong.

Taylor Swiftspear is better than goblin guide in legacy when your curve stops at 2 with goyph and everything you draw is either brainstorm, lightning bolt or threats. These are like 15 land constructed decks where swiftspear is good. Cube is not like this (I fucking hope!).

This card has been about as good as elite vanguard, who is now below average for a 1 drop. It does work, the evasion is okay, but not being able to count on it having 2 power is a real cost.

 

[Onderzeeboot]

Yeah, that was pretty much what I was trying to say.

 

[Onderzeeboot]

Pick two, then pick a third. (Because I'm not sure if I want to run 2 or 3 of these hybrids.)

Tweak suggestions are also welcome. Douse the Flames might need to be a sorcery, for example.

 

[Chris Taylor]

Witch doctor: Interesting. I'm not sure how good hosing draw spells and sometimes dealing 2 is, but on a looter it should be fine.

Douse the Flames: This card I like. Searing Blaze style upsides are awesome, even if UB isn't the best spot for them (Despite what undermine would have you think)

Final Word: Solid, but unexciting, see undermine above. It's certainly a better upside than something like psychic strike, but cancel variants usually need a more consistent upside (give or take cube power level) like dissolve or forbid, and damage (While awesome) isn't always going to come into play. Lava Spike is one of the worst cards in magic unless your opponent is at 3, after all

Rimetusk Drake: Seems fine. Honestly since it's multicolored just let it block anything, It's closer to horizon drake than rishidan airship now anyways.

Traumaturgy: Cute name, though I didn't get the joke until I had to type it out So it's kinda a weird phyrexian arena that hoses brainstorm super hard? Seems okay I guess.

Douse I like, but the rest aren't really cards I like in my multicolor slots. They're all just kinda slightly better versions of existing single color cards, nothing inspiring, no direction, just kinda good. they're also not hugely above the power of mono color cards, since the average case for each is kinda meh
These are all closer to Vindicate than Edric on the "Excite me" scale, but I've cut down so much on multicolor cards in my cube perhaps I'm the wrong person to ask

 

[Onderzeeboot]

Traumaturgy: Cute name, though I didn't get the joke until I had to type it out So it's kinda a weird phyrexian arena that hoses brainstorm super hard? Seems okay I guess.

Depends. It also turns Brainstorm into a Lava Spike, which I've heard is very good if your opponent is at 3

Anyway, my cube is very gold, in fact it sports a shard theme, so I need cards like these which are above average but pull you into their respective shards. Wizards never printed the right hybrid cards for me though. It'ld be interesting to see what kind of set they would brew around a reordered color wheel.

Anyway, I'll write down Douse in Flames and Witch Doctor for your vote, with Traumaturgy as the third card. I'll also note that you'ld rather see a more build-around-me card, presumably something like Sidisi, Brood Tyrant. It took me a lot of effort and a few iterations to think of these five cards though, no promises

 

[Lucre]

Depends. It also turns Brainstorm into a Lava Spike, which I've heard is very good if your opponent is at 3

Is it supposed to deal damage to the opponent? The way it reads currently is more or less multicolour arena.

 

[kevin]

Note -- I'm also not used to a "heavy gold" cube so it's somewhat hard to evaluate cards like these.

Witch Doctor is probably just worse than Looter il-Kor. Not really a fan, but it's a totally fine card in a vacuum.

The Vapor Snag variant... dealing 6 with it seems like a mix of sweet but also overly swingy and unfair. And it just kinda sucks if you target a 1-drop/2-drop.

Final Word: Counter-burn, very literally. Does your cube have a deck that wants this? I think most wouldn't.

Rimetusk Drake: Doesn't really excite me over Cloud Spirit, which nobody plays (and this card wouldn't have DiTerlizzi art!)

Traumaturgy: confusing Phyrexian Arena with random hosing tacked on isn't really a card I like.

If I were to cube two, though, it'd be Witch Doctor and Douse the Flames. Then maybe the Drake, without the blocking downside as mentioned.

 

[Onderzeeboot]

Is it supposed to deal damage to the opponent? The way it reads currently is more or less multicolour arena.

No, it's meant to do what it does. It's easier to cast than Arena in my cube though, and it has some niche applications.that make it more fun, I think.

Anyway, sheesh, designing fun hybrid cards in this color combination is apparently hard!

Edit: Ok, two more options!

Edit 2: Blood Magus could probably lose the life loss?
Flee the Flames could probably be a little clearer for newer players. It's technically correct as written, but I have to assume some players won't get that the creature is only returned to hand if the damage wasn't lethal. Probably add "if it's on the battlefield" at the end of the second sentence.

Edit 3: On third thought, maybe removing the life loss isn't as bright of an idea. I know some storm decks that would go halleluja if I did that... Maybe a may clause then? So you can avoid the life loss?

Also, God that art on Flee the Flames is gorgeous.

 

[anotak]

douse in flames is p clear #1 for me
witch doctor is #2
i guess traumaturgy or blood magus is #3

flee the flame is too weird with the thing you mentioned. actually rules-wise, no matter what, it will bounce the creature. the creature does not actually leave the battlefield until the spell finishes resolving and state-based effects are checked. it would probably work better as a modal spell?

rimetusk drake could lose the 2nd sentence and be a lot easier to parse. if a regular attacking creature that isn't doing anything that weird has that much text on it, it gives a bad feeling.

traumaturgy could be worded as "whenever an opponent" and then you just remove the whole first sentence. unless you draft multiplayer?

 

[Onderzeeboot]

douse in flames is p clear #1 for me
witch doctor is #2
i guess traumaturgy or blood magus is #3

flee the flame is too weird with the thing you mentioned. actually rules-wise, no matter what, it will bounce the creature. the creature does not actually leave the battlefield until the spell finishes resolving and state-based effects are checked. it would probably work better as a modal spell?

rimetusk drake could lose the 2nd sentence and be a lot easier to parse. if a regular attacking creature that isn't doing anything that weird has that much text on it, it gives a bad feeling.

traumaturgy could be worded as "whenever an opponent" and then you just remove the whole first sentence. unless you draft multiplayer?

Would Douse the Flames still be as exciting if it dealt a fixed amount of damage? Kevin has a point when he says it can be pretty swingy. Dealing 6 damage with this and bouncing the creature seems way over the top for three mana. Hence Flee the Flames, a second attempt at a bounce spell. I didn't realize it doesn't work as intended though. Modal seems the way to go then.

Traumaturgy is worded the way it is to make it not broken/playable in multiplayer. I do enjoy mp, so I don't want to create something broken there. I could make it an aura with "enchant opponent", that would save some text too.

Edit: Gotta push myself. Think of something! (Talking to myself here, sorry ) I want that balanced but exciting "oh snap" card, is that too much to ask for?

 

[Chris Taylor]

FWIW, the hybrid style cards you're trying to come up with are pretty categorically hard to come up with.

 

[anotak]

for a bounce spell to cost + multicolor, it needs to be really really good

just a sketch:
GRIXIS KAVU 9000
Creature — Kavu
Prowess, Menace
When ~ enters the battlefield, return another target creature to its owner’s hand.
2/2

sketch 2:
hits lands now which is a red / black thing to some degree too. does everything a UR or UB tempo deck would love to do.
bouncy spell
Instant
Return target permanent to its owner's hand. ~ deals 3 damage to each opponent.

 

[Onderzeeboot]

for a bounce spell to cost + multicolor, it needs to be really really good

just a sketch:
GRIXIS KAVU 9000
Creature — Kavu
Prowess, Menace
When ~ enters the battlefield, return another target creature to its owner’s hand.
2/2

Holy crap that's an efficient Man-o'-War! Is that a problem though? Man-o'-War isn't exactly overpowered, and a common to boot, I guess Yeah, I might want to filch this, if you don't mind! It certainly has the "oh snap, I want to play that!" thing going for it!

Should it be "return another target creature" or "return target creature" though?

 

[Chris Taylor]

FWIW Man o War would be super op today.
Mist Raven was the best common in it's set, remember.

In cube though? I like angry monk-o-war.

 

[Onderzeeboot]

FWIW Man o War would be super op today.
Mist Raven was the best common in it's set, remember.

In cube though? I like angry monk-o-war.

That is true, but Mist Raven was the best common in a set full of blink tricks, which meant you could bounce, rebounce, and rerebounce your opponent's stuff on a frustratingly regular basis. As a rare this will show up much less often in a regular draft. It's not the body that made Mist Raven bonkers in limited, it was the availability and the environment.

I like Monk-o'-War as a playtesting name btw

 

[Lucre]

Sorry I'm not helping guys but I'm somewhere in between kev and bootman here.

Unwholesome Errand
Instant
Put the top three cards of your library into your graveyard then return a creature, instant or sorcery card from your graveyard to your hand.

 

[kevin]

Instant speed Regrowth that gets around DRS and ooze? Looks awesome!

 

[Lucre]

Instant speed Regrowth that gets around DRS and ooze? Looks awesome!

Honestly I'm so glad you noticed that because I've been trying to include that lack of clause in cube cards for ages now since I've felt grave attrition and combo have been too easily hated out by awesome cube staples you want to include.

 

[Onderzeeboot]

Yeah, that's a cool card Lucre!

 

[Lucre]

Yeah, that's a cool card Lucre!

I love it too but I think it needs a little nerd, but that might be from a "general design" standpoint.

I made this with the same set in mind. Not even terror equiv

1B
Instant
Put the top two cards of your library into your graveyard.
Destroy target creature with converted mana cost less than or equal to the number if cards put into your graveyard this turn.

I'm trying to make black removal less strictly worse than white or red and give it a little more area for edge.

 

[Onderzeeboot]

I love it too but I think it needs a little nerd, but that might be from a "general design" standpoint.

I made this with the same set in mind. Not even terror equiv

1B
Instant
Put the top two cards of your library into your graveyard.
Destroy target creature with converted mana cost less than or equal to the number if cards put into your graveyard this turn.

I'm trying to make black removal less strictly worse than white or red and give it a little more area for edge.

I think you need to assign a legal target when you cast this, i.e. before you put the top two cards of your library into your graveyard. Something like "Destroy target creature if its converted mana cost is less than or equal to the number of cards put into your graveyard this turn."

 

[anotak]

I had a similar card that has gone through many revisions and is currently sitting on Target creature gets -1/-1 for each card in your graveyard.

still a work in progress tho

 

[Aston]

Flee the Flames could probably be a little clearer for newer players. It's technically correct as written, but I have to assume some players won't get that the creature is only returned to hand if the damage wasn't lethal. Probably add "if it's on the battlefield" at the end of the second sentence.

My understanding is that it won't work as written because damage is only checked after the spell's finished resolving, at which point the creature will be back in hand. It's the same reason that if you bolt a 2/3 Tarmogoyf with no instant in the graveyard it won't kill it.

 

[Onderzeeboot]

My understanding is that it won't work as written because damage is only checked after the spell's finished resolving, at which point the creature will be back in hand. It's the same reason that if you bolt a 2/3 Tarmogoyf with no instant in the graveyard it won't kill it.

Yup, this was pointed out by someone else as well. My card totally doesn't work. Or well, it does, but it's a very expensive Unsummon