MTG - You Make The Card VIII: Escape - Exile 7 MTG topics to create this thread

[Personification]

The Honorable Judge Minh-Dhe?

[mystic1110]

I am sorry all - work got away from me. I will work on this now!

- - - Updated - - -

Spoiler: Personification

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Cut Ties 2R
Sorcery R
Cleave UURR
Gain control of target creature[ until end of turn]. Untap it, it gains haste until end of turn.
"Your past is as dust, for you have been reborn in the glorious light of the Dragon God!
-Prestis, Evangel of Bolas

This makes sense as a cleave card – either an act of treason or control magic. Their might be a power issue in terms of acts of treason already being 2R and this is one with upside but I think AOT is weak as is so that’s not an issue – on the otherhand the cleaved portion with 4 color cost should be OK.

Spoiler: Quiddle

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Vindictive Dragon 2R
Creature - Dragon U
Cleave RRR
[Flying]
If Vindictive Dragon was cast for its Cleave cost when it enters the battlefield it deals 2 damage to any target.
2/2

I like the idea and flavor a lot, but I think there are memory issues with using Cleave on a permanent card – you can’t really remember if the Dragon is supposed to have flying or now.

Spoiler: Dr.Gunsforhands

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Jevil's Prison - 4WW
Enchantment - R
When Jevil's Prison enters the battlefield, exile [all creatures and planeswalkers other than] target creature or planeswalker until Jevil's Prison leaves the battlefield.
Cleave 2W

I might have complained that Cleave isn’t used for permanent cards, but this is an ETB effect – that said it might work better if you reword the leaving the battlefield effect as a separate sentence and applied to all cards exiled by Jevil’s prison, so that it would return cards regardless if it was cleaved or uncleaved.

Spoiler: Mythmonster

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Unharnessed Lightning R
Sorcery (U)
Cleave 1R
Unharnessed Lightning deals 3 damage to any target[ and 2 damage to any target of an opponent's choice].

This is an interesting card – another bolt for burn, and I am not sure it would need it, but since it doesn’t specify players and can hit any target I feel that decks would try it out even uncleaved – as additional bolt.

Spoiler: Ben-Zayb

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Deeproot Tree Invasion 2UG
Instant R
Cleave RWG
Choose one—

• Each [un]blocked creature you control explores and gains [hexproof and] indestructible until your next turn.
• ~ deals 2 damage to each [non-Merfolk] creature [with flying].
• Target nonbasic land becomes a 0/0 Elemental creature. [Put four +1/+1 counters on it.]

This card is flavorful, but might do too much. 2UG for a 4/4 or a combat trick or maybe some removal OR RWG for land destruction, pyroclast, or a combat trick. It’s hard to evaluate, since I don’t think any mode is overpowered, but it does give you a hell of a lot of options.

Spoiler: Bucky

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Spellcrack BU
Instant C
Cleave 1UU
Counter target spell [with mana value 2 or less. Its controller loses 2 life].

I like this and is a good common card with cleave.

Spoiler: Misothene

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Gravespinning BG
Sorcery- U
Cleave 3BG
Create a 0/0 Elemental creature token with "This creature gets +1/+1 for each [creature] card in your graveyard."

I don’t think cleave is on non-instant/sorcery spells? I think the reason why is that there is currently no way to keep track of whether the permanent card was cleaved or not. In this instance – after the spell was cast how do you tell in the token counts creatures or just the graveyard?

Spoiler: Tomthemine

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[R]Ash Blast 1R
Sorcery U
Cleave XR
[Discard a card]
Deal X damage to target creature. [X is the mana value of the discarded card]

Most mechanics are just kicker in disguise – that said I think your spell is doing something different with cleave by introducing a whole cleaved sentence. I like the way you have it because the cleaved card and the uncleaved part do totally different things and have different math other than one “side” just being better.

Spoiler: NecroticPlague

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Inhuman-Wave Tactics 1B
Enchantment U
Cleave 2BB
At the beginning of your turn, return one [zombie] creature card from your graveyard to your hand.

I don’t think cleave is on non-instant/sorcery spells? I think the reason why is that there is currently no way to keep track of whether the permanent card was cleaved or not. That said - if the card works regardless of memory issues, I quite like it, turning zombies into squees or other creatures into squees. Would be quite powerful with Evoke cards and I'm sure there are plenty of zombies in of themselves that would make us regret this card's printing

Spoiler: Laughing Dog

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Obliteration Contract (B/P)(B/P)(B/P)(B/P)(B/P)(B/P)(B/P)(B/P)(B/P)(B/P)
Sorcery- MR
Cleave BBB
[This spell can't be countered.]
[Gain control of all permanents you own. Then,] Destroy all creatures [and non-creature permanents you don't control.]
"As long as you pay me enough, I'll get rid of any problems you have."-Roht, mercenary destruction mage.

So 3 mana wrath of god or 10 mana/20 life win the game – the uncleaved version also can be cheated out if you use life gain cards and since it functions as one-sided armogeddon might be too strong. Even 3 mana wrath of god hasn’t been done before, let alone one with an upside (the potential uncleaved part) – hell because of its CMC it would have other advantages vs a regular 3 mana wrath regardless.

Spoiler: Winner

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TOM THE MINE

[Bucky]

Re: Misothene's Gravespinning, it works as templated since the token doesn't actually have cleave. Rather, it has two tokens it can generate with slightly different text, just like a card without cleave can say "create a 2/2 Soldier token or a 2/2 Soldier token with Vigilance"

[mystic1110]

Thanks for the clarification and apologies for the misread.

[Personification]

Tom the Mime, do we have a new challenge?

[Tom the Mime]

Sorry for the delay.

Challenge: Make a card that makes one or more tokens

Also with the Cleave discussion, lots of mechanics can be written as kicker but as a general rule, when they become mechanics themselves their effect is obvious at a glance. For example, if you see overload, you know it can hit all targets and if you see buyback, you know you can get it back. If you see cleave, all you know is that the effect changes somehow and gives you no insight into what that change is. I'm not saying you can't do interesting things with cleave that you can't (or would be unbelievably clunky) with kicker. You can. It's just that Wizards hasn't and, with the exception of one card, has basically treated cleave as a differently templated kicker. That card (Lantern Flare) was a large part of why I had X in the cleave cost because it was a good starting point for forcing the modes to be different (and also makes it harder to rewrite as kicker if the cleave cost is lower if X=0).

[ben-zayb]

Master of Banquets 3WG
Creature - Giant Chef R
At the beginning of each upkeep, you may pay XWG. If you do, target player creates X Food tokens. Until end of turn, creatures they control can't attack or block as long as they control one or more Food tokens.
5/5

[Bucky]

Challenge: Make a card that makes one or more tokens

One token OR more tokens? Sure.

Guardians' Charm 1WW
Instant U
Choose one -
* Create a 2/2 white Knight creature token with First Strike.
* Create two 1/1 white Spirit creature tokens with Flying.
* Create three 0/2 Wall artifact creature tokens with Defender. Exile them at the beginning of the next end step.

As a development matter, this design assumes other cards in the set use at least two of these token types.

[mythmonster2]

Dragon's Protection 1W
Instant (U)
Target creature gains indestructible until of turn. Whenever that creature is dealt damage this turn, create that many Scale tokens. (It's a colorless artifact token with "1, T, Sacrifice this artifact: Put a +1/+1 counter on target creature")

[Quiddle]

Gorestorm 2B
Instant R
All creatures get -1/-1 until the end of the turn. You lose 1 life and create a blood token.
Until the end of the turn whenever a creature dies cast a copy of this spell.

[mystic1110]

Shardcopy 1RR
Instant
Choose target attacking creature you control and create a tapped and attacking token that’s a copy of that creature, except it’s not legendary and it has “Exile this creature at end of combat.”
"Sometimes the mirror doesn't wait to be broken to bring bad luck to your door"

[Dr.Gunsforhands]

Vital Post - 1WW
Enchantment - R
At the beginning of each upkeep, if you control no creatures, create a 4/4 white Angel creature token with flying and vigilance.

[Necroticplague]

Dualvis, Splintered Reflections 3UU
Legendary Creature-shapeshifter R
This card enters the battlefield as a copy of any permanent you own on the battlefield or in exile.
Storm
0/0

[Personification]

Niko, Reshaper of Destiny 1WU
Legendary Planeswalker - Niko
+1: Create a Shard token.
-1: Choose target creature an opponent controls and up to one Shard you control. Tap the chosen creature. The chosen Shard becomes an Aura in addition to its other types and gains "Enchant creature" and "Enchanted creature does not untap during its controllers untap step." Attach it to the chosen creature.
-7: You get an emblem with "At the beginning of your upkeep, scry 1 and draw a card."
Loyalty: 3

The middle ability is worded the way it is because I wanted it to do something if you had no Shards and because I wanted it to not destroy the Shard if the creature is sacced before it resolves.

Spoiler: Cleave discussion

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I kind of disagree with you about Cleave not having a mechanical identity. Seeing Cleave tells me that the card I am reading is one that, whether or not it could be made with kicker, would be much clumsier, and I do think that they chose designs where that is the case. The simplest use case for cleave is a spell with a restriction removed when cleaved, and several of the cards are in that form. Many kicker spells do this to, and all of them have to resort to using "If this spell was kicked [card text minus a few words]". This is often over double the text for something cleave takes no space to do, and because that doubled text is required, it limits the kinds of things you can use it for, while cleave doesn't need to worry about the wasted space.

[Laughing Dog]

Meat-ier Storm 2G
Instant- U (Un)
Create a Food Token. (It's a artifact with 2,T, Sacrifice this : You gain 3 Life)
You gain CC. You can only use this mana to activate abilities of artifacts.
Storm

[Tom the Mime]

Spoiler: Laughing Dog

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Meat-ier Storm 2G
Instant- U (Un)
Create a Food Token. (It's a artifact with 2,T, Sacrifice this : You gain 3 Life)
You gain CC. You can only use this mana to activate abilities of artifacts.
Storm

If you use it in the way that seems intuitive, it's pretty bad ass a 3 life gain storm for 3 it's pretty bad. I'd be concerned with how good it could be in some combo decks, using Meatier Storm to crack open some eggs especially given that sort of deck could make good use of storm. Probably not an issue for an un card though.

Spoiler: personification

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Niko, Reshaper of Destiny 1WU
Legendary Planeswalker - Niko
+1: Create a Shard token.
-1: Choose target creature an opponent controls and up to one Shard you control. Tap the chosen creature. The chosen Shard becomes an Aura in addition to its other types and gains "Enchant creature" and "Enchanted creature does not untap during its controllers untap step." Attach it to the chosen creature.
-7: You get an emblem with "At the beginning of your upkeep, scry 1 and draw a card."
Loyalty: 3

The middle ability is worded the way it is because I wanted it to do something if you had no Shards and because I wanted it to not destroy the Shard if the creature is sacced before it resolves

If there was another source of shard tokens, the -1 would probably be too strong. As there is only the other Niko, it might be okay but the first two abilities feel quite strong for a 3 mana walker.

Spoiler: Necroticplague

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Dualvis, Splintered Reflections 3UU
Legendary Creature-shapeshifter R
This card enters the battlefield as a copy of any permanent you own on the battlefield or in exile.
Storm
0/0

I'd like this a lot more as a token creating sorcery both because storm is cleaner on non-permanents (although mystery boosters did have it on permanents) and it removes the wondering about you the legendary rule effects it (I think it doesn't really do anything here, and if that's the case, I'd rather not have the confusion. I'd probably up the cost a little too because of storm.

Spoiler: dr gunsforhands

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Vital Post - 1WW
Enchantment - R
At the beginning of each upkeep, if you control no creatures, create a 4/4 white Angel creature token with flying and vigilance.

Design feels nice, might be too good. A powerful effect with significant drawbacks. Concerning in a set with lots of boardwipes for control given a free 4/4 flyer whenever you wipe the field and always having a 4/4 blocker is going to be hard to get around.

Spoiler: mystic

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Shardcopy 1RR
Instant
Choose target attacking creature you control and create a tapped and attacking token that’s a copy of that creature, except it’s not legendary and it has “Exile this creature at end of combat.”
"Sometimes the mirror doesn't wait to be broken to bring bad luck to your door"

Whenever a card puts something into play attacking, you need to be really careful about your intent and when it can be played. As written, you could cast this after blockers have been declared to sneak through which doesn't feel like the intent of the card. Seems fine other than that.

Spoiler: Quiddle

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Gorestorm 2B
Instant R
All creatures get -1/-1 until the end of the turn. You lose 1 life and create a blood token.
Until the end of the turn whenever a creature dies cast a copy of this spell.

Feels better like this than when it was storm instead. The core effect is basically massacre girl without the creature which is fine. A 3 mana boardwipe that doesn't always work with some lifegain and minor tokens feels okay and the drawbacks (plus indestructible doesn't get around it) should mean that the instant speed is okay.

Spoiler: ben-zayb

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Master of Banquets 3WG
Creature - Giant Chef R
At the beginning of each upkeep, you may pay XWG. If you do, target player creates X Food tokens. Until end of turn, creatures they control can't attack or block as long as they control one or more Food tokens.
5/5

Feels like it will either make a deadlock or break one. With greens ramp, this could easily lock someone without a sac outlet out of either attacking or blocking long term. I think I'd like it more if it was only during your own upkeep but that might just be me. Locking someone out of blocking long term doesn't feel as bad because if you can take advantage of it, there probably won't be a long term. Locking someone out of attacking with this feels like the game will stall out until there's removal.

Spoiler: Bucky

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One token OR more tokens? Sure.

Guardians' Charm 1WW
Instant U
Choose one -
* Create a 2/2 white Knight creature token with First Strike.
* Create two 1/1 white Spirit creature tokens with Flying.
* Create three 0/2 Wall artifact creature tokens with Defender. Exile them at the beginning of the next end step.

As a development matter, this design assumes other cards in the set use at least two of these token types.

Versatile token creation depending on what you need. Nice and simple uncommon design.

Spoiler: mythmonster

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Dragon's Protection 1W
Instant (U)
Target creature gains indestructible until of turn. Whenever that creature is dealt damage this turn, create that many Scale tokens. (It's a colorless artifact token with "1, T, Sacrifice this artifact: Put a +1/+1 counter on target creature")

Very thematic, nice protection but creating that many scale tokens feels like it might be too much. That many small known combat tricks makes it feel like combat might be a nightmare to deal with for the rest of the game.

Spoiler: Winner

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Quiddle with Gorestorm. Very close with Vital Post with the creative design but thinking on how other decks could handle it if there were any wrath effects in set decided it.

[Quiddle]

Thanks Tom!

This week I would like you to make me a card that introduces a new mechanical identity for an existing tribe or a new tribe.

[Dr.Gunsforhands]

A Problem - 1(c/p)(c/p)
Creature - Phyrexian Eldrazi - U
((c/p) can be paid with specifically colorless mana or with 2 life. This card's mana value is 3.)
Oops (This creature deals infect damage and normal damage simultaneously.)
1/3

[mythmonster2]

Tinhead Foreman 2W
Creature- Goblin Artificer (U)
When Tinhead Foreman enters the battlefield, search your library for an artifact card with converted mana cost less than or equal to the number of Goblins you control, reveal it, and put it into your hand. Then shuffle.
2/2

Red-White care-about-artifact goblins!

[Bucky]

Whitecrown Emissaries 2R
Creature - Orc Druid C
Mountaincraft - Whitecrown Emissaries has +2/+0 and Trample as long as you control three or more Mountains.
2/3


The best way to introduce a new mechanical identity is with a self-contained common, right?

[Necroticplague]

Necrotic General BBB1
Creature-Zombie Wizard C
Whenever you cast a Zombie creature spell, dig for a zombie creature. (To dig for a card, reveal cards from the top of your library until you reveal a card of the with those traits. Then, put the last revealed card into your hand)
2/3

[ben-zayb]

Stylish Scion 3B
Creature - Human Noble C
When ~ enters the battlefield, create a Treasure token.
~ has deathtouch as long as you control two or more Treasures.
"Keep your distance. Do you know how much this scarf costs?"-Jakob, Heir to House Namdreif
3/3

[+5 Vorpal Bunny]

Herald of Many Heads XG
Creature - Hydra U
A deck may have any number of cards named Herald of Many Heads.
Herald of Many Heads enters the battlefield with X +1/+1 counters on it.
Hydra creatures cost 1 less to cast for each other creature on the battlefield named Herald of Many Heads.
0/0

One part Gargos, Vicious Watcher and one part Relentless Rats.
Because what Green needs is yet another way to rapidly ramp out of control.

[mystic1110]

Eueh Warden 2G
Creature - Treefolk (U)
If a player did not have a land enter the battlefield this turn, creatures can’t attack you unless their controller pays {2} for each creature they control that’s attacking you.
1/4

Eueh would have abilities that function if opponent doesn't keep playing lands.

[Quiddle]

Spoiler: Dr Guns4Hands

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A Problem - 1(c/p)(c/p)
Creature - Phyrexian Eldrazi - U
((c/p) can be paid with specifically colorless mana or with 2 life. This card's mana value is 3.)
Oops (This creature deals infect damage and normal damage simultaneously.)
1/3

For a hot second I thought this might not be a problem card then I remembered that you used Phyrexian mana! When it comes to fighting other creatures this is kind of like a 2/3 with wither but the big problem is that you made a better glistening elf. Thank about what you've done.

Spoiler: Mythmonster

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Tinhead Foreman 2W
Creature- Goblin Artificer (U)
When Tinhead Foreman enters the battlefield, search your library for an artifact card with converted mana cost less than or equal to the number of Goblins you control, reveal it, and put it into your hand. Then shuffle.
2/2

Oo tribal treasure mage in white! I think this is a cool direction you could take goblins nice job.

Spoiler: bucky

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Whitecrown Emissaries 2R
Creature - Orc Druid C
Mountaincraft - Whitecrown Emissaries has +2/+0 and Trample as long as you control three or more Mountains.
2/3


So orcs with be lands/mountain matter? Not sure how this would play out in other cards, specifically not sure what other tribal cards would do. Would you get an orc lord that gives bonus based on how many mountains you have? Ramp isn't a very red effect.

Spoiler: Necroplague

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Necrotic General BBB1
Creature-Zombie Wizard C
Whenever you cast a Zombie creature spell, dig for a zombie creature. (To dig for a card, reveal cards from the top of your library until you reveal a card of the with those traits. Then, put the last revealed card into your hand)
2/3

Where do the rest of the cards go? This is a neat way to do a search effect but could be a pain in paper magic if run in decks that don't have many zombies. I think maybe this card would work more elegantly if it used the seek keyword from mtga?

Spoiler: benzyb

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Stylish Scion 3B
Creature - Human Noble C
When ~ enters the battlefield, create a Treasure token.
~ has deathtouch as long as you control two or more Treasures.
"Keep your distance. Do you know how much this scarf costs?"-Jakob, Heir to House Namdreif
3/3

Nobles have treasures matter! Good idea. :) The rate is a little weak but it is a common and the total cost is 3 if you spend the treaure so I like it.

Spoiler: +5 vorpal

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Herald of Many Heads XG
Creature - Hydra U
A deck may have any number of cards named Herald of Many Heads.
Herald of Many Heads enters the battlefield with X +1/+1 counters on it.
Hydra creatures cost 1 less to cast for each other creature on the battlefield named Herald of Many Heads.
0/0

I have to admit, this is pretty cool. It doesn't feel like a completely fresh direction for hydras but the go wide that this card suggests is -- wait it the ability is for each other? So with 2 out you get a discount of 2 but with 3 out you get a discount of 6? then 12? Hmm the idea is interesting but I worry that this gets out of control a little too rapidly.

Spoiler: Mystic

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Eueh Warden 2G
Creature - Treefolk (U)
If a player did not have a land enter the battlefield this turn, creatures can’t attack you unless their controller pays {2} for each creature they control that’s attacking you.
1/4

I worry that making cards that interact with not making land drops will only lead to non-games and feel bad moments. Are other treefolk going to stop your opponent from playing land? Also this kind of tax attackers ability is a blue or white effect not a green one.

Spoiler: top 2

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Mythmonster benzyb

Spoiler: winner

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benzyb
thanks for playing everyone!

[ben-zayb]

Thanks, Quiddle!

This week's challenge:

Make a card with a substitution/replacement theme or mechanics.

[+5 Vorpal Bunny]

Dimir Skinwalker UUBB
Creature - Shapeshifter Horror R
Flash, Deathtouch

When Dimir Skinwalker enters the battlefield, destroy target creature. It then becomes a copy of that creature, except its name is Dimir Skinwalker and it has Deathtouch.

1/1

'I see you learned from the best, agent. The Legion isn't so mighty once we turn their own champions against them.'
- Lazav the Multifarious

[Bucky]

Patopa of the Spinning Blades 1WW
Legendary Creature - Dwarf Soldier R
Flying
Creatures you control with First Strike but not Flying have Flying instead of First Strike.
2/3



I'm not sure if I interpreted the prompt correctly, but have a helicopter hero anyway.

[mystic1110]

Elvish Taxhunter W
Creature - Elf Wizard R
1G: Epiphany - Creature. (1G: If this creature did not have an epiphany, put a epiphany counter and it has had an epiphany. If this creature has an epiphany counter on it change its text by replacing all instances of “land” with “creature.”)
At the beginning of your upkeep, if an opponent controls more land cards than you, you may search your library for a land card, reveal it, put it into your hand, then shuffle.
1/2

[Tom the Mime]

I think this fits the challenge.

Unstable Phantasm 2U
Creature - Illusion U
Whenever ~ becomes the target of a spell or ability, sacrifice it. If you do, add 2U and the next spell you cast this turn can be cast as though it has flash.
3/3

Phrased as it is to make it clear that it can't be targeted again while the sacrifice trigger is on the stack to get extra mana. There might be a better way to phrase it.