MTG Share your Card Designs II

[-D-]

This could be cheaper or have a wider usage. Targeting only planeswalkers I feel like it would be fine at W.

Eh, I'd go with wider usage. It's still "soft" land destruction in white (if you enchant a land with type Plains). Perhaps enchanting creature, planeswalker would be 2W or 1W.

Well mono-white needs to do something different to become competitive against other color. I thought it was about that, making a Commander that stayed close to what likes to do and yet increasing their potential.

In commander, yes, in constructed, you are meant to shore up gaps with other colors.

Also, vampires do use "pay life" as a mechanic for effects and there IS mono-white vampires.

Ninjaman is probably right. Life is cheap in Magic, and in Commander doubley so.
While I think a vampire could create familiars using only life ala Hellsing's Alucard, it's going to be inherently risky. You'd need to make him easy to remove, or his ability difficult to activate - Good examples for making it harder to activate are added mana cost, add Tap, add "Once per turn", add "Activate this ability only any time you could cast a sorcery."

Orlov, the Inquisitor - 1WWW
Legendary Creature - Vampire Cleric
When Orlov, Chief Inquisitor enters the battlefield, create a 1/1 white spirit token creature with flying for each creature in your graveyard.
Each time a token creature you control deal damage to your opponents, investigate
2/3

Rule wise: Second part should be "Whenever a token creature you control...".

Flavor wise: So, the vampire is raising the dead to investigate the enemies? That seems very bizzare.

Pie wise: The second ability is a Curiosity effect - which is green-blue. It has a restriction but that still feels green than white. Perhaps you should change it.

Balance wise: Raising that many fliers might be a problem. Second part should be "Whenever a token creature you control...". Also, I'd restrict it to probably "combat damage", but to be honest, this is looking a lot like

Possible suggestions: Since green usually cares about big creatures, you could make it like this.

Orlov, the Inquisitor - WWW
Legendary Creature - Human Cleric
Whenever Orlov or another creature with power 2 or less deals combat damage to your opponent, investigate.
2/3

Why this might work in principle. It's a narrow strategy. Forces you go very wide. You can't buff your creatures (except Orlov), without losing investigate. Also, it's a build around, you don't get creatures

[Emmerlaus]

Thank you both for ytour advices... This is coming together quite nicely!

Yes, I wanted a feel about ghost being able to go anywhere and spy on the ennemies. But we could make it fliers instead of ghost.

-D-: I still feel it,s too narrow/weak for a commander...

Your idea:

Orlov, the Inquisitor - WWW
Legendary Creature - Human Cleric
Whenever Orlov or another creature with power 2 or less deals combat damage to your opponent, investigate.
2/3

Let's see if this is better:

Orlov, the Inquisition Leader - 1WWW
Legendary Creature - Spirit Cleric
Flying, Convoke
Whenever a token creature with flying deal combat damage to your opponent, investigate.
2/3

I monowhite, their is not a lot of creatures token you can do with flying. Its mostly Angels, Spirits or bird tokens tokens. And worded this way, it makes you want to go wide rather then making big tokens still.

Flavorwise, This make him more of a inspiring leader with lots of minions to inspire and do the work for him!

[-D-]

-D-: I still feel it,s too narrow/weak for a commander...

It could be, I did lower the price a bit, so it could be use in Tiny Commander. I don't play commander, so
I'm probably not the best person to ask. Sadly Ninja doesn't seem to be browsing. I'll ask around Discord, see what they think about it.

EDIT: Asked around Discord, here is there input:
- One person liked the commander overall
- Another person thought it should be either token or creature with flying, also that it should be blue
- Another person also said, this wants to be WU spirits commander since token/flying spirit is very blue ability
- One person said it needs to cost more since it has convoke

And tbh Spirits are very WU focused (you could make a case for Esper i.e. WUB). Here is Spirits by colors:
- W: 126
- U: 94
- B: 90
- R: 44
- G: 71

Yes, I wanted a feel about ghost being able to go anywhere and spy on the ennemies. But we could make it fliers instead of ghost.

Oh, ok. That does make some sense. But then why does his investigate care about token creatures. Spirits aren't only tokens?

Orlov, the Inquisition Leader - 1WWW
Legendary Creature - Spirit Cleric
Flying, Convoke
Whenever a token creature with flying deal combat damage to your opponent, investigate.
2/3

While convoke is white, not sure I like it on a commander. The only exception to this rule is Hogaak, which is... not a great precedent.

Its mostly Angels, Spirits or bird tokens tokens. And worded this way, it makes you want to go wide rather then making big tokens still.

Yeah, but this is a broader strategy, white has tons of ways of generating a lot of these tokens and even way to generate insane amount of Angels specifically (Entreat the Angels).

I still don't get, why it relies on token creatures? If you want him to be about Spirits, let him be about Spirits. Honestly, I'm more worried about token creatures being too easy to generate, than nontokens (you pay a price to cast each nontoken spirit).

[Emmerlaus]

Well the reason I gave it Convoke is because its a white mecanic. Let's not forget that we want a commander that will make it easier for white color to draw cards.

Isperia is already doing that for WU commanders. And its direct draws, not just investigate.

It focus on tokens to represent its minion or its spy network.

Sepheria Sky Blade has a similar ability and stronger effect for 3 flying creatures in play! I dont think its OP to have Convoke on a Commander if the effect is only a mana-costing engine. But if you think it's OP, what about this:

Orlov, the Inquisition Leader - 3WWW
Legendary Creature - Spirit Cleric
Flying, Convoke
Each time a creature token you control dies because of a opponent's card effect, investigate
2/3

Ok, now it really does feel like a investigator LOL

The Investigate trigger wont happen if the creature are exiled or damaged, I feel its balanced this way. There is boardwipe that dont just destroy.

[Oerlaf]

Footman
WWWWW
Creature - Human Warrior
The next Footman you cast costs W less.
When the Footman enters baatlefield, search your library for a Footman, reveal it and put it into your hand. Shuffle your library.
5/5

[-D-]

Orlov, the Inquisition Leader - 3WWW
Legendary Creature - Spirit Cleric
Flying, Convoke
Each time a creature token you control dies because of an opponent's card effect, investigate
2/3

Ok, now it really does feel like a investigator LOL

Interesting thing. Although, still not fully sold on the Convoke a Spirit.
This is hard effect to word properly.

Orlov, the Investigator - 2WW
Legendary Creature - Spirit Soldier
Flying
Whenever a nontoken creature you control is destroyed, damaged or targeted by anything opponent controls, investigate.
2/3

Tokens aren't something you should care about. I'm still iffy on this wording. I'd personally limit it to once per turn. "At end of each turn, if a creature you control was destroyed, damaged or targeted by anything opponent controls, investigate".

Footman
WWWWW
Creature - Human Warrior
The next Footman you cast costs W less.
When the Footman enters battlefield, search your library for a Footman, reveal it and put it into your hand. Shuffle your library.
5/5

Your wording doesn't work. And I'm not sure you want.

Does this?

A) reduce the cost of only the Footman after it.
B) reduces the cost of Footman, for each Footman on the battlefield.

[Ninjaman]

Well the reason I gave it Convoke is because its a white mecanic.

This isn't how you should design cards.

Orlov, the Inquisition Leader - 3WWW
Legendary Creature - Spirit Cleric
Flying, Convoke
Each time a creature token you control dies because of a opponent's card effect, investigate
2/3

Karmic Justice has the wording you are looking for.
You probably don't have to limit this to tokens.
This trigger feels very white. I like it.

Footman
WWWWW
Creature - Human Warrior
The next Footman you cast costs W less.
When the Footman enters baatlefield, search your library for a Footman, reveal it and put it into your hand. Shuffle your library.
5/5

This definitely shouldn't cost this much white mana. Cards are only this mana intensive if there is a very good reason, and I fear this doesn't have that.
The first ability should either be a trigger or be a static and therefore not say next. It's Footman, not the Footman. If you're referring to other cards with a name it should be creature named Footman. Squadron Hawk has the wording you are looking for.
I'm also not sure what you're going for with this.

[Emmerlaus]

Karmic Justice has the wording you are looking for.
You probably don't have to limit this to tokens.
This trigger feels very white. I like it.

Thanks Ninjaman! And What do you think of D idea? (I removed the targeted as it feel too OP as Hexproof)

Orlov, the Investigator - 2WW
Legendary Creature - Spirit Soldier
Flying
Whenever a creature you control is destroyed or damaged by anything opponent controls, investigate.
2/3

=======

If I were to word it like Kaharmic Justice, it would be like this:

Orlov, the Investigator - 2WW
Legendary Creature - Spirit Soldier
Flying
Whenever a spell or ability an opponent controls destroys or damage a creature you control, investigate.
2/3

EDIT: Im very tempted to remove Flying and give it Flash, It could be interesting strategic wise to summon it in a boardwipe during your opponent turn if you really needed the card draw?

[Ninjaman]

Thanks Ninjaman! And What do you think of D idea? (I removed the targeted as it feel too OP as Hexproof)

Orlov, the Investigator - 2WW
Legendary Creature - Spirit Soldier
Flying
Whenever a creature you control is destroyed or damaged by anything opponent controls, investigate.
2/3

=======

If I were to word it like Kaharmic Justice, it would be like this:

Orlov, the Investigator - 2WW
Legendary Creature - Spirit Soldier
Flying
Whenever a spell or ability an opponent controls destroys or damage a creature you control, investigate.
2/3

EDIT: Im very tempted to remove Flying and give it Flash, It could be interesting strategic wise to summon it in a boardwipe during your opponent turn if you really needed the card draw?

The wording "anything your opponent controls" doesn't work, it doesn't have rules meaning.
I wouldn't give it flash. It doesn't need to be a trick, it just need to give you some card advantage when your stuff is answered.
I'm not a fan of drawing off damage, but it works when you limit it to spells and abilites, so you don't investigate from combat. I don't think this is how It would be worded though.
I would probably split it up into two abilities like this:
Whenever a spell or ability an opponent controls destroys a creature you control, investigate.
Whenever a creature you control does, if it had lethal damage from sources your opponents control marked on it, investigate.

[Emmerlaus]

The wording "anything your opponent controls" doesn't work, it doesn't have rules meaning.
I wouldn't give it flash. It doesn't need to be a trick, it just need to give you some card advantage when your stuff is answered.
I'm not a fan of drawing off damage, but it works when you limit it to spells and abilites, so you don't investigate from combat. I don't think this is how It would be worded though.
I would probably split it up into two abilities like this:
Whenever a spell or ability an opponent controls destroys a creature you control, investigate.
Whenever a creature you control does, if it had lethal damage from sources your opponents control marked on it, investigate.

Orlov, the Inquisition Leader - 1WWW
Legendary Creature - Spirit Cleric
Flying
Each time a creature you control dies because of a opponent's card effect, investigate
2/3

This would make it a single sentence right?

[Ninjaman]

Orlov, the Inquisition Leader - 1WWW
Legendary Creature - Spirit Cleric
Flying
Each time a creature you control dies because of a opponent's card effect, investigate
2/3

This would make it a single sentence right?

That doesn't work, it has no rules meaning.

[Emmerlaus]

Orlov, the Investigator - 2WW
Legendary Creature - Spirit Soldier
Flying
Whenever a spell or ability an opponent controls send a creature you control to the graveyard, investigate.
2/3

============

Is the wording better now?

This way, its not just destroy trigger. The trigger works when the creature is sent to the graveyard.

[-D-]

Orlov, the Investigator - 2WW
Legendary Creature - Spirit Soldier
Flying
Whenever a spell or ability an opponent controls send a creature you control to the graveyard, investigate.
2/3

============

Is the wording better now?

This way, it's not just destroy trigger. The trigger works when the creature is sent to the graveyard.

Eh, the wording probably needs to be "Whenever a spell or ability an opponent controls destroy a creature you control, investigate". There is no way to truly capture the effect you want.

If Everlasting Lich ever sees the light of day, you could theoretically say. "Whenever a spell or ability an opponent controls causes creature you control to die, investigate. (Effects that destroy, sacrifice or reduce toughness of creature to 0, cause it to die)".

[NigelWalmsley]

Spawning Pod (R)
3G
Artifact
G, T, Sacrifice a creature: Search your library for a creature card with converted mana cost equal to 1 plus the sacrificed creature's converted mana cost, put that card onto the battlefield, then shuffle your library. Activate this ability only any time you could cast a sorcery.

As the name suggests, it's an attempt at a balanced replacement for Birthing Pod. I contemplated having it cost 1G to activate, but I felt like not being able to cast it for 3 (which often let Pod come down on T2) and requiring a big pile of green mana to repeatedly activate probably made it okay.

Christoph, Honored Chronicler (R)
3WW
Legendary Creature - Human Advisor
Companion -- Each non-land card in your starting deck is historic.
When Christoph enters the battlefield, you may return an artifact card, a legendary card, and a Saga from your graveyard to your hand.
2/2

Zelus, Nexus Archmage (R)
3UU
Legendary Creature - Human Wizard
Companion -- Your starting deck contains no creature cards.
1U, T: Copy target instant or sorcery spell. You may choose new targets for the copies.
2/5

Jarn, Merchant Prince (R)
1BB
Legendary Creature - Human Rogue
Companion -- Your starting deck contains five or more copies of a non-land card.
When Jarn enters the battlefield, reveal a card from your hand. Search your library for a card with the same name as that card, reveal it, put it into your hand, then shuffle your library.
2/1

Razin, Cataclysm Caller (R)
2RR
Legendary Creature - Human Shaman
Companion -- Your starting deck contains ten or more cards with converted mana cost six or greater.
At the beginning of your upkeep, exile the top card of your library. You may have him deal damage equal to its converted mana cost to target creature. If you don't, you may play it until the beginning of your next end step.
2/2

Lisolet, Elder Druid (R)
2GG
Legendary Creature - Human Druid
Companion -- Half the cards in your starting deck are land cards.
You may play an additional land each turn.
Tap ten untapped lands you control: Create a 5/5 green Elemental creature token with Trample.
2/2

Mono-colored companions. I like the restrictions, and the rough drafts of the effects, but I'm not 100% on the numbers. In particular, Razin is probably too good right now, because a ramp deck can hit the restriction pretty easily and really likes the effect. Might need to cost more. Jarn would require some support from the format he was in. Probably a cycle in the set, and a slightly higher density of that type of effect in surrounding sets. It's also possible it should be eight copies or something, just to force you to play a slightly higher number of enablers.

Shifting Woods (C)
Land - Forest
Shifting Woods enters the battlefield tapped.
Basic landcycling 1

Ash Barrens riff. Obviously there's a cycle here, but I'm not going to waste time writing them all out. Honestly, this might just be worse than Barrens in a lot of cases. Maybe it needs a bump up to Uncommon and some kind of expensive activated ability.

Treasure Seeker (U)
G
Creature - Human Scout
T, tap an untapped Desert you control: Create a tapped Treasure token.
1/1

It's a mana dork. Worse than the likes of Grazer and Goose early, but can stock up a bunch of mana in the mid and late game. Intended for a Return to Amonkhet-type set that explores a more dungeon-delving take on Ancient Egypt.

Morphic Slime (U)
1UG
Creature - Ooze
Graft 0
4GU: Adapt 2.
Whenever Morphic Slime adapts, create two 1/1 green Ooze creature
2/2

There's a couple of things you can do here. It can pump out 2/2s by immediately moving the counters to the new Oozes, boost your other creatures by moving counters to them, or just be a pile of stats. There are definitely a lot of moving parts here, and I could imagine any of the numbers on the card moving up or down.

Weaken (C)
B
Instant
Target creature gets -1/-1 until end of turn.
Transmute 1BB

Lazav, Lord of Plots (M)
1UUBB
Legendary Creature - Shapeshifter
You may activate the Transmute abilities of cards in your had at any time you could play an instant.
Whenever you transmute an instant or sorcery, you may pay X, where X is that card's converted mana cost. If you do, copy it. You may cast the copy without paying its mana cost.
Transmute 1UB
4/4

I dunno, man. I just want a Transmute lord. Note that Lazav's ability won't let you bypass color requirements (barring extreme cases), because every Transmute card Transmutes for the same colors it costs.

Maelstrom Titan (M)
1WUBRG
Creature - Giant
Whenever Maelstrom Titan enters the battlefield or attacks, exile cards from the top of your library until you exile a nonland card that costs less than Maelstrom Titan. You may cast it without paying its mana cost. Put the exiled cards on the bottom of your library in a random order.
6/6

It's a Titan whose effect is "Cascade". What's not to love? It's possible that this should have actual Cascade, because I assume there's some kind of degenerate nonsense you could do by repeatedly "cascading" into Ghostly Flicker-type effects, but then it's not really a Titan. Also, getting a Cascade trigger on an attack is a real pain. You have to do something like "cast a copy of this, except it's an Instant" -- which does not read great, IMO.

Mind Nibbler (R)
B
Creature - Rat Demon
When Mind Nibbler enters the battlefield, you lose life equal to its power.
Hellbent -- 4BB: Return Mind Nibbler from your graveyard to the battlefield with three +1/+1 counters on it. Activate this ability only if you have zero cards in your hand.
2/1

It's Escape, but implemented by way of Hellbent. The life loss might be too steep, but it needs something to not make it an unkillable 5/4 in the late game. Maybe a fixed amount of life lost?

Momir's Vision (R)
GGUU
Enchanment
Graft 20
At the beginning of your upkeep, if there are no counters on Momir's Vision, you win the game.

It's an anthem that's also a combo piece. I like the concept, but I'm not sure what the appropriate number of counters is.

Rubblebelt Remnant (U)
1R
Creature - Spirit
Bloodrush -- R, discard Rubblebelt Remnant: Target attacking creature gets +2/+1 until end of turn.
Madness 1R
2/1

Resilient Krasis (U)
1GG
Creature - Troll Insect
Persist
4GG: Adapt 4.
2/2

Persistent Rumors (U)
1U
Sorcery
Surveil 2. Draw a card.
Escape -- 2UU, exile three other cards from your graveyard.

Counterintelligence (U)
1B
Sorcery
Look at target players hand and the top card of their library. You may put a non-land card from among them into that player's graveyard.
Transmute 1BB
Madness 1BB

Night Tilling (U)
2G
Sorcery
Return target permanent card from your graveyard to your hand. Exile Night Tilling.
Dredge 2
Cycling 2

A bunch of Future Sight-esque mechanic A + mechanic B cards. Primarily based on various Ravnica mechanics.

[Androgeus]

Dredge 2
Cycling 2

This is fine.

[NigelWalmsley]

This is fine.

It probably should be either Dredge 1 or Cycling 1G, based on most effects like that, but I really like the symmetry. Also, Dredge decks can already do better with Life from the Loam loops.

[Gauntlet]

If there were a land that, instead of a mana ability, had "{T}: You gain (_) life" but it also had "At the beginning of your end step, if you did not pay any life this turn, you lose (_+1) life" (such that the net life loss would be one if you couldn't pay life for any purpose but also didn't leave the thing unused like an idiot) what should "_" equal?

It would have to be a very large number to be remotely interesting - without supporting cards, it's effectively completely blank, and the payoff isn't that big given that there are other sources of lifegain available which can enable life-paying plans without being completely blank without their synergy pieces.

If it gained 20, it would be reasonable when combined with lifegain payoffs like Sanguine Bond, Sunbond, and so on. Pretty much all the viable effects are too expensive in mana to be a useful combo, when the other half is completely blank on its own.

Incidentally, if you play this and then your opponent plays a Pithing Needle, you can't activate it to gain life and proceed to lose quickly.

[-D-]

If there were a land that, instead of a mana ability, had "{T}: You gain (_) life" but it also had "At the beginning of your end step, if you did not pay any life this turn, you lose (_+1) life" (such that the net life loss would be one if you couldn't pay life for any purpose but also didn't leave the thing unused like an idiot) what should "_" equal?

If there was a land that had life gain life instead of mana ability, it wouldn't be played. To put things in perspective this card is worse than Wastes.

Imagine you play this land in the deck, you are stuck on land 1 turn 3, you pray to RNJesus and it then you draw this ****. I'd quit MtG then and there.

[Unavenger]

Bah. Had a fun idea about Planeswalker Auras

Isn't this just bad colourshifted Imprisoned in the Moon?

[NigelWalmsley]

It, uh, turns on Plainswalk? Combo with Zodiac Rooster.

If there was a land that had life gain life instead of mana ability, it wouldn't be played. To put things in perspective this card is worse than Wastes.

It wouldn't be played as a land. It might be played as an engine card. Probably not in this specific case, because it's not a great engine, but in general there are absolutely cards (e.g. Fires or Reclamation) where being uncounterable, difficult to interact with, and not costing mana is worth costing a land drop.

[-D-]

Isn't this just bad colourshifted Imprisoned in the Moon?

A narrower colorshifted imprisoned in the moon. It being underwhelming is me being careful with mana.

Also this piece was discussed.

It wouldn't be played as a land. It might be played as an engine card.

It still kills your tempo for life gain. That's like deciding limb cutting is a weight loss program. I don't see a reason to play this over cheap life gain artifact.

Yes, lands in MTG can be without mana abilities, but there needs to be a hell of a good replacement. This ain't it.