Magic: The Gathering Thread XXV: 3 Vorthoses barely clinging to sanity and 45 Spikes

[RayGallade]

I've been playing a fair bit of Bo3 lately and have found that I either go 0-3 or 3-0. Pretty much nothing in between.

Witherbloom tends to do pretty well for me, as does Prismari. Both appreciate it when I splash some white. Haven't had a decent Quandrix or Silverquill run yet.

[Haruspex_Pariah]

Funny story. I got back into Arena mid way through Kaldheim (left mid way through Eldraine), and today was the legit the first time I played against a Cycling deck. It was like "gee I sure hope they don't have Zenith Flare" followed by "they've been cycling the entire game of course they have it".

[LaZodiac]

Big magic reveal today! Modern Horizons 2 and Adventures in the Forgotten Realm!

Modern Horizons 2 News.
- Crazy **** like a land that is also a saga.
- Return of super old legacy frames for things
- The special showcase art is "sketch art", which is fascinating an idea
- Same stuff as usualy; plays on old cards from Modern and Modern stuff for the first time since forever
- A few card reveals along those lines.

Forgotten Realms News.
- Going balls to the wall with flavour, the basic lands have adventure prompts on them based on the mana type.
- Lots of classic DND stuff; preview of Portable Hole (standard white temporary exile thing), Power Word Kill (kills anything that isn't an angel, demon devil, or dragon)
- TIAMAT reveal, hell yeah dragon mom.
- Showcase frame is a really lovely looking worn paper effect, with the art looking like class rulebook DND monster art. It's great; they showcase it with a Beholder
- Vorpal Sword that lets you instant kill a player.

So yeah, that's all pretty cool.

The mothership also put the info here for us, btw.

[Tvtyrant]

Spoiler: Urza's Saga

Show

Ugggggggh

So it's a land that is an auto-1 of in commander. Makes OP tokens, summons sol ring, it's just fantastic. So annoying.

[Dienekes]

I see the power of Urza's Saga is dramatically reduced from the 90s.

[Personification]

Spoiler: Urza's Saga

Show

Ugggggggh

So it's a land that is an auto-1 of in commander. Makes OP tokens, summons sol ring, it's just fantastic. So annoying.

More importantly, it has the type line Enchantment Land - Urza's Saga.
I feel like the weird Tron Rules exist purely so that this could be a thing.

[Emmerlaus]

More importantly, it has the type line Enchantment Land - Urza's Saga.
I feel like the weird Tron Rules exist purely so that this could be a thing.

Urza's Saga and Hex Parasite just became the newest couple of MTG!

Seriously, I can predict a huge spike of the price of Hex Parasite lol

[Haruspex_Pariah]

So far so good. There isn't enough to form any kind of pattern, but they've dropped a Power Word, halflings and innkeepers, as well as a portable hole and Tiamat. Cool, cool. Looks like beholders and mind flayers are on the cards (lol) as well.

The only thing I wonder about is how heavily they'll lean into the whole "adventuring party" thing. Looking at you, Zendikar Rising. Given the sheer amount of content you can find in the D&D universe, the set could easily focus on the monsters, NPCs, and equipment/spells, plus some famous names like Drizzt and so on.

My first guess is that they won't use the party mechanic at all (because they'd have to design around it), but represent the various classes with whatever creature subtype suits them best. I would be genuinely surprised if there wasn't at least a small nod to the core Player's Handbook classes.

[Personification]

So far so good. There isn't enough to form any kind of pattern, but they've dropped a Power Word, halflings and innkeepers, as well as a portable hole and Tiamat. Cool, cool. Looks like beholders and mind flayers are on the cards (lol) as well.

The only thing I wonder about is how heavily they'll lean into the whole "adventuring party" thing. Looking at you, Zendikar Rising. Given the sheer amount of content you can find in the D&D universe, the set could easily focus on the monsters, NPCs, and equipment/spells, plus some famous names like Drizzt and so on.

My first guess is that they won't use the party mechanic at all (because they'd have to design around it), but represent the various classes with whatever creature subtype suits them best. I would be genuinely surprised if there wasn't at least a small nod to the core Player's Handbook classes.

It would mean them finally folding and making Bard a type (your welcome Yisan).

[Haruspex_Pariah]

It would mean them finally folding and making Bard a type (your welcome Yisan).

Yea, there don't seem to be any hard and fast rules about that kind of thing. Searching Scryfall, I find creatures which are named "sorcerer" but are of the Wizard type. "Bards" are Rogues or Shamans. "Paladins" are Knights. "Rangers" are Scouts, Warriors, Soldiers, Archers, etc.

Ooh! Kobolds! Maybe they'll have a lot more kobolds.

And ten foot poles. There's a lot of iconic things to draw from.

[Personification]

Yea, there don't seem to be any hard and fast rules about that kind of thing. Searching Scryfall, I find creatures which are named "sorcerer" but are of the Wizard type. "Bards" are Rogues or Shamans. "Paladins" are Knights. "Rangers" are Scouts, Warriors, Soldiers, Archers, etc.

Ooh! Kobolds! Maybe they'll have a lot more kobolds.

And ten foot poles. There's a lot of iconic things to draw from.

The real issue is that while all of the D&D classes mean something in D&D, they have different meanings in other parts of fantasy. Magic doesn't have sorcerers that are distinct from wizards, in part because mage class is more to do with style than origin of the power (Warlocks, by the way, also don't work the way they do in D&D and are mostly just Black-aligned Wizards). Of the D&D classes that don't have MtG classes yet, though, Bards are the ones that would make the most sense to add.

[enderlord99]

Spoiler: Story spoiler

Show

Oh no, I foresee a creature typeline in the future: Phyrexian God

I foresee something worse:

Spoiler

Show

Legendary Planeswalker - Norn

Your subtype-combination will probably happen shortly beforehand, though.

Yes, it took me this long to think of it.

[LaZodiac]

They have already confirmed that the Forgotten Realms set is not part of Magic canon, sadly.

[enderlord99]

They have already confirmed that the Forgotten Realms set is not part of Magic canon, sadly.

That's good, actually. There are already meta-settings that (at one point) include(d) Forgotten Realms: Spelljammer is the main one, but there's also Planescape, which includes Spelljammer.

Adding it to the Magic multiverse would cause even more headache than when they tried to separate it from its roots.

[LaZodiac]

That's good, actually. There are already meta-settings that (at one point) include(d) Forgotten Realms: Spelljammer is the main one, but there's also Planescape, which includes Spelljammer.

Adding it to the Magic multiverse would cause even more headache than when they tried to separate it from its roots.

I was personally of the opinion that the forgotten realms and all of its stuff was one big super plane ala Kaldheim.

[enderlord99]

I was personally of the opinion that the forgotten realms and all of its stuff was one big super plane ala Kaldheim.

Again: the Forgotten Realms and "all of its stuff" is already connected to other, separate things. As in, ones that belong to other settings.

Seriously, look up Spelljammer.

[unseenmage]

Again: the Forgotten Realms and "all of its stuff" is already connected to other, separate things. As in, ones that belong to other settings.

Seriously, look up Spelljammer.

The Forgotten Realms is canonically connected to our, the real, world too iirc.

Thar setting is practically metaphysical Swiss cheese with all the ways one could leave it for other realities.

If anything this makes it one of the best places to wind up having a one-way transfer of items and NPCs into the MtG universe from.

[noob]

The Forgotten Realms is canonically connected to our, the real, world too iirc.

Thar setting is practically metaphysical Swiss cheese with all the ways one could leave it for other realities.

If anything this makes it one of the best places to wind up having a one-way transfer of items and NPCs into the MtG universe from.

It also makes it one of the worst places if as a fan you do not want mtg to include cards like "stealth plane" and "railgun battleship" and "nuclear bomb" (probably something like "destroy target land and deal 4 damage to all the creatures") because in the long term it can explain earth crossovers because earth is included in FR (who wants to play a "modern earth artifact deck with urza terrains" vs a "hangman deck" ? No clue).

[unseenmage]

It also makes it one of the worst places if as a fan you do not want mtg to include cards like "stealth plane" and "railgun battleship" and "nuclear bomb" (probably something like "destroy target land and deal 4 damage to all the creatures") because in the long term it can explain earth crossovers because earth is included in FR (who wants to play a "modern earth artifact deck with urza terrains" vs a "hangman deck" ? No clue).

Alternative horror story, fiat monsters like The Lady of Pain, The Dark Powers of Ravenloft, or the myriad unstattable horrors of the Far Realm getting cards so instead of being ineffable they are removed by a single removal or board wipe spell. *shudders*

[rferries]

Not sure if this is the right thread for homebrewing, and I haven't played in almost 2 decades so my balance is no doubt way off, but here's my stab at some custom cards.

Celestial Bureaucracy (X)WW
Sorcery

Cycling 2.

Gain control of each planeswalker and each legendary creature with converted mana cost X or less.

Each player gains X life.

Join the cause of righteousness!

Dominate Monster (X)UU
Enchantment - Aura

Enchant creature or planeswalker with converted casting cost X or less.

You control enchanted creature or planeswalker.

You belong to me.

Humble Farmer W
Creature - Peasant 0/3

Defender

At the beginning of your upkeep, you may look at the top of your deck. If it is a Plains, you may reveal it and add it to your hand.

It's simple work, yet honest.

Introspection U
Enchantment

At the beginning of your upkeep, Scry 0.

If you would Scry, you Scry that many cards plus 1 instead.

Whenever you Scry 3 or more, you may draw a card.

To know one's self is to know one's future.

Planeswalkers' Immortality WW
Enchantment

Cycling 2.

You may cast this spell from your graveyard or from exile.

At the beginning of your upkeep, each player may place each card they own in exile in their graveyard, then shuffle their graveyard and place it on the bottom of the deck.

Once we were no more limited by eternity than we are by infinity.

---

And here are a bunch of counterparts for Valakut, Molten Pinnacle (which isn't legendary for some reason?!).

Avalon, The Misted Archipelago (0)
Land

Avalon, The Misted Archipelago enters the battlefield tapped.

While you control at least five Islands, your Islands gain Flash and "When this land enters the battlefield under your control, choose one - counter target instant or sorcery spell; or return target permanent to its owner's hand; or Scry 2 then draw a card."

Tap: Add U.

Babylon, The Verdant Gardens (0)
Land

Babylon, The Verdant Gardens enters the battlefield tapped.

Whenever a Forest enters the battlefield under your control, if you control at least five other Forests, you may put three tokens on the battlefield in any combination of food tokens and/or 1/1 green Saproling tokens.

Tap: Add G.

Camelot, The Shining Realm (0)
Land

Camelot, The Shining Realm enters the battlefield tapped.

Whenever a Plains enters the battlefield under your control, if you control at least five other Plains, you may gain 3 life, draw a card, and put a treasure token on the battlefield.

Tap: Add W.

Halicarnassus, The Shadowed Mausoleum (0)
Land

Halicarnassus, The Shadowed Mausoleum enters the battlefield tapped.

Whenever a Swamp enters the battlefield under your control, if you control at least five other Swamps, you may place a -1/-1 counter on each creature then return a creature or artifact from your graveyard to your hand.

Tap: Add B.

[Eldest]

Not sure if this is the right thread for homebrewing, and I haven't played in almost 2 decades so my balance is no doubt way off, but here's my stab at some custom cards.

Celestial Bureaucracy (X)WW
Sorcery

Cycling 2.

Gain control of each planeswalker and each legendary creature with converted mana cost X or less.

Each player gains X life.

Join the cause of righteousness!

Dominate Monster (X)UU
Enchantment - Aura

Enchant creature or planeswalker with converted casting cost X or less.

You control enchanted creature or planeswalker.

You belong to me.

Humble Farmer W
Creature - Peasant 0/3

Defender

At the beginning of your upkeep, you may look at the top of your deck. If it is a Plains, you may reveal it and add it to your hand.

It's simple work, yet honest.

Introspection U
Enchantment

At the beginning of your upkeep, Scry 0.

If you would Scry, you Scry that many cards plus 1 instead.

Whenever you Scry 3 or more, you may draw a card.

To know one's self is to know one's future.

Planeswalkers' Immortality WW
Enchantment

Cycling 2.

You may cast this spell from your graveyard or from exile.

At the beginning of your upkeep, each player may place each card they own in exile in their graveyard, then shuffle their graveyard and place it on the bottom of the deck.

Once we were no more limited by eternity than we are by infinity.

---

And here are a bunch of counterparts for Valakut, Molten Pinnacle (which isn't legendary for some reason?!).

Avalon, The Misted Archipelago (0)
Land

Avalon, The Misted Archipelago enters the battlefield tapped.

While you control at least five Islands, your Islands gain Flash and "When this land enters the battlefield under your control, choose one - counter target instant or sorcery spell; or return target permanent to its owner's hand; or Scry 2 then draw a card."

Tap: Add U.

Babylon, The Verdant Gardens (0)
Land

Babylon, The Verdant Gardens enters the battlefield tapped.

Whenever a Forest enters the battlefield under your control, if you control at least five other Forests, you may put three tokens on the battlefield in any combination of food tokens and/or 1/1 green Saproling tokens.

Tap: Add G.

Camelot, The Shining Realm (0)
Land

Camelot, The Shining Realm enters the battlefield tapped.

Whenever a Plains enters the battlefield under your control, if you control at least five other Plains, you may gain 3 life, draw a card, and put a treasure token on the battlefield.

Tap: Add W.

Halicarnassus, The Shadowed Mausoleum (0)
Land

Halicarnassus, The Shadowed Mausoleum enters the battlefield tapped.

Whenever a Swamp enters the battlefield under your control, if you control at least five other Swamps, you may place a -1/-1 counter on each creature then return a creature or artifact from your graveyard to your hand.

Tap: Add B.

You're adding three different effects to white that traditionally are not white's deal to various degrees. Stealing control of other people's stuff really doesn't fit. The humble farmer card I would personally consider making cost GW, since manaless card advantage focused on land both belongs primarily to green, and because it's fairly powerful. Alternatively, I think you could consider buffing it if you made it, for example, cost G1 + tap to activate. Finally, graveyard going into the deck is really a blue or green then.

The lands are very high power. I don't know why the white land gets to draw a card here.

The islands getting flash means you can play an island during each turn, not just your own, which is... weird and probably unbalanced. I'd consider something along the lines of "when you own 5 islands, this land gains "1, tap, put an island from your hand into play", and when an island enters the battlefield under your control, if you control 5 or more islands, you may counter target spell unless it's control pays 1.

I would consider looking at making +1/+1 counters on things for the white land, maybe bringing back something like Bolster. Lifegain is good, too, but I don't know why white would get card draw or mana ramp from this.

I'd suggest tuning down the number of tokens that the green land grants. Field of the Dead is an example of an attempt at making a land that generates tokens, and it was both more restrictive, harder to turn online, and made less power. It also got banned in modern for being too good.

Maybe the black one should drain? Or give a target creature -2/-2 until end of turn, plus give you 2 life if that creature dies this turn?

This isn't supposed to be, like, discouraging the idea. I love the idea of finishing out the Valakut cycle. I just think you're aiming super high for power level, and might have a broader thought of what white should be able to do as a color than I do.

[Dienekes]

Not sure if this is the right thread for homebrewing, and I haven't played in almost 2 decades so my balance is no doubt way off, but here's my stab at some custom cards.

Nothing strictly against it, and can be fun.

Celestial Bureaucracy (X)WW
Sorcery

Cycling 2.

Gain control of each planeswalker and each legendary creature with converted mana cost X or less.

Each player gains X life.

Join the cause of righteousness!

This is a WU spell. U is permanent stealing, W (or technically G as well) is healing. That and Bureaucracy is often regarded as a UW kind of thing. If it was XUW this would probably be a fine card. Other control effects tend to cost about 4.

Dominate Monster (X)UU
Enchantment - Aura

Enchant creature or planeswalker with converted casting cost X or less.

You control enchanted creature or planeswalker.

You belong to me.

Seems fine to be honest. 6 to gain control of a 4 drop planeswalker? Seems fair. 4 to gain a 2 drop? Worse than Tempted by the Oriq.

Humble Farmer W
Creature - Peasant 0/3

Defender

At the beginning of your upkeep, you may look at the top of your deck. If it is a Plains, you may reveal it and add it to your hand.

It's simple work, yet honest.

As written this is pretty G. W ramp usually takes the form of Treasure tokens or some form of penalty or tax on your opponent. Personally, I'd change it to: At the start of your turn, if you control less lands than your opponent, you may look at the top 4 cards of your library. If one is a Plains you may put it into your head. Shuffle.

I'd also remove Defender, it's kinda unnecessary for a 0/3 that isn't a wall. And White buffing peasant levies into attacking fits them pretty well.

That might make it an actually tourney level sideboard card. Personally, I'd add 1 to the cost, because I like Magic lower powered. Otherwise I think dropping it down to 0/2. This kind of thing I feel should be shockable.

Introspection U
Enchantment

At the beginning of your upkeep, Scry 0.

If you would Scry, you Scry that many cards plus 1 instead.

Whenever you Scry 3 or more, you may draw a card.

To know one's self is to know one's future.

Scry 1 every round, Enchantment so more difficult to get rid of. A buff to all other Scrying and potential recurring card draw? For one? Cool effects, but I'd up the cost a bit. As of now, this fits U, though there are rumblings Scry stuff is going to be shifted more toward W in the future.

Planeswalkers' Immortality WW
Enchantment

Cycling 2.

You may cast this spell from your graveyard or from exile.

At the beginning of your upkeep, each player may place each card they own in exile in their graveyard, then shuffle their graveyard and place it on the bottom of the deck.

Once we were no more limited by eternity than we are by infinity.

This card would never be created. They're trying to make a hard and fast rule that Exile means it stays gone, except specifically by the card that exiled it. Even beyond that, if someone figures out a strategy to get this effect to win them the game somehow, and someone will. What is the counter play here? You can't remove it, you can't exile it, Hell, you can't even gain control of it. Of all of them, this is the card that I think needs to be taken back to the drawing board.

---

And here are a bunch of counterparts for Valakut, Molten Pinnacle (which isn't legendary for some reason?!).

\

They don't like doing Legendary Lands because of how it interacts in gameplay. If you want a land you pretty much want 4. If you have 4 then you'll likely get multiple in your hand. And unlike creatures lands tend to stay there once played. Meaning you now just have a useless card in your hand.

Avalon, The Misted Archipelago (0)
Land

Avalon, The Misted Archipelago enters the battlefield tapped.

While you control at least five Islands, your Islands gain Flash and "When this land enters the battlefield under your control, choose one - counter target instant or sorcery spell; or return target permanent to its owner's hand; or Scry 2 then draw a card."

Tap: Add U.

This means you can play multiple U per round. And honestly, playing a land to counter a spell is terrifying. All Valakut did was 3 damage. Scry 2 then draw a card is fine and incredibly powerful since by that point in the game a U player will be searching their library for their win condition. That's all it needs.

Babylon, The Verdant Gardens (0)
Land

Babylon, The Verdant Gardens enters the battlefield tapped.

Whenever a Forest enters the battlefield under your control, if you control at least five other Forests, you may put three tokens on the battlefield in any combination of food tokens and/or 1/1 green Saproling tokens.

Tap: Add G.

Again, Valakut is just a Lightning Bolt, it's a good card but really only worth 1 mana. Or maybe 1.5 really. 3 saprolings is a bit much. 1 is probably more than enough. Though for the reasons Eldest states I'd switch to some other benefit. Maybe add two +1/+1 counters to any creatures you control or something.

Camelot, The Shining Realm (0)
Land

Camelot, The Shining Realm enters the battlefield tapped.

Whenever a Plains enters the battlefield under your control, if you control at least five other Plains, you may gain 3 life, draw a card, and put a treasure token on the battlefield.

Tap: Add W.

Hmm. Drawing a card is already powerful, for the same reasons I said it was all Avalon needed. Really drawing a card for a land drop is already pretty great. So we'd be comparing what is the equivalent of Scry 2? 3 life I think makes more sense than a Treasure token. Though honestly, I'm not really digging the card draw at all. As I said above, White's card draw is usually designed to be more limited. A response to something your opponent does or has. It's trying to make the game outside of combat play "fair."

I kind of think Camelot should have some sort of combat trick. All creatures you control gain +1/+1 until end of turn or something. It is the city of knights after all.

Halicarnassus, The Shadowed Mausoleum (0)
Land

Halicarnassus, The Shadowed Mausoleum enters the battlefield tapped.

Whenever a Swamp enters the battlefield under your control, if you control at least five other Swamps, you may place a -1/-1 counter on each creature then return a creature or artifact from your graveyard to your hand.

Tap: Add B.

This is another "pick one" moment. All creatures gain a -1/-1 counter is already really powerful. This card could single-handedly end go wide strategies. Though I kind of like interacting with the graveyard. But I would say, artifacts are the one thing Black doesn't really interact with in the graveyard all that much, it's usually a Blue and occasionally White thing. Perhaps creature or planeswalker? Returning one of those to your hand seems reasonable and powerful.

Well that was a fun couple minutes. Some interesting ideas.

[Fable Wright]

This is a WU spell. U is permanent stealing, W (or technically G as well) is healing. That and Bureaucracy is often regarded as a UW kind of thing. If it was XUW this would probably be a fine card. Other control effects tend to cost about 4.

Evangelize is a thing, people. It's really rare, but it happens. Before that, Preacher was a thing.

I could see this kind of effect being mono-white, but definitely not "each" planeswalker and legendary creature. For mono-white, it would have to be one, of each opponent's choice.

As written this is pretty G. W ramp usually takes the form of Treasure tokens or some form of penalty or tax on your opponent. Personally, I'd change it to: At the start of your turn, if you control less lands than your opponent, you may look at the top 4 cards of your library. If one is a Plains you may put it into your head. Shuffle.

Endless Horizons was also a thing. It's perfectly fine as is, though I agree that this should be a 0/1.

This card would never be created. They're trying to make a hard and fast rule that Exile means it stays gone, except specifically by the card that exiled it. Even beyond that, if someone figures out a strategy to get this effect to win them the game somehow, and someone will. What is the counter play here? You can't remove it, you can't exile it, Hell, you can't even gain control of it. Of all of them, this is the card that I think needs to be taken back to the drawing board.

Not hard and fast. Pull From Eternity is a thing; after that, when we thought exile was hard and fast, Runic Repetition was printed, and reprinted.

Interactions with exile are incredibly rare and have only ever been in a set where exiled cards were a key mechanic; Pull From Eternity was made for both Flashback and Suspend, and Runic Repetition was more limited, but also allowed.

With that having been said: this card does not fit those stringent requirements and is going to be miserable to play against. Do you know the kinds of annoying stuff you can pull with just Squadron Hawks and this? And this cycles, so it fits further into the Caw-Go strategy.

This means you can play multiple U per round. And honestly, playing a land to counter a spell is terrifying. All Valakut did was 3 damage. Scry 2 then draw a card is fine and incredibly powerful since by that point in the game a U player will be searching their library for their win condition. That's all it needs.

Serum Visions is fine, but boring. A Ponder effect might be more appropriate? But yeah, I agree to ditch the flash.

Again, Valakut is just a Lightning Bolt, it's a good card but really only worth 1 mana. Or maybe 1.5 really. 3 saprolings is a bit much. 1 is probably more than enough. Though for the reasons Eldest states I'd switch to some other benefit. Maybe add two +1/+1 counters to any creatures you control or something.

Agree. Perhaps Might of Old Krosa, for +4/+4 as a baseline? Hunger of the Howlpack for 3 +1/+1 counters? Possibly a Vines of the Vastwood effect for +4/+4 and Hexproof.

I kind of think Camelot should have some sort of combat trick. All creatures you control gain +1/+1 until end of turn or something. It is the city of knights after all.

Brave the Elements feels fitting? "Creatures you control gain protection from a color of your choice until end of turn."

This is another "pick one" moment. All creatures gain a -1/-1 counter is already really powerful. This card could single-handedly end go wide strategies. Though I kind of like interacting with the graveyard. But I would say, artifacts are the one thing Black doesn't really interact with in the graveyard all that much, it's usually a Blue and occasionally White thing. Perhaps creature or planeswalker? Returning one of those to your hand seems reasonable and powerful.

It also doesn't feel very black, weird as it is to say. When Black cares about Swamps, it's usually for a Cabal Coffers or Shade effect. Honestly, I'd probably be happier with "if you control five or more swamps, you don't lose unspent black mana as steps and phases end. Whenever a swamp enters the battlefield, target creature gains 'this creature has +1/+1 for each unspent black mana you have' until end of turn." That feels better than giving a Black Ritual effect, which I usually associate with {B} spells; it's not miserable to play against; and it feels like you're accumulating a lot of magic for one of those infamously huge black {X} spells.

[Androgeus]

The islands getting flash means you can play an island during each turn, not just your own, which is... weird and probably unbalanced

And also does nothing.

305.3. A player can't play a land, for any reason, if it isn't their turn. Ignore any part of an effect that instructs a player to do so.

[Dienekes]

Evangelize is a thing, people. It's really rare, but it happens. Before that, Preacher was a thing.

I could see this kind of effect being mono-white, but definitely not "each" planeswalker and legendary creature. For mono-white, it would have to be one, of each opponent's choice.

Color Pie changes. Steal effects are no longer in the White mechanical slice. As of the most current released Mechanical Color Pie: https://magic.wizards.com/en/article...017-2017-06-05

Probably won't see them again unless they choose to change it back for whatever reason, or they do another Planar Chaos thing where the point is messing with the mechanical color pie. Which I kinda hope they don't do. I'm not really a fan of some of the things that brought about the first time around.

Also I did not read the word "each" when reading the card. Wow. OK then.

Endless Horizons was also a thing. It's perfectly fine as is, though I agree that this should be a 0/1.

That was twelve years ago, and they haven't done any effect like that since. At least to my knowledge. But I'm willing to concede on this one.

It also doesn't feel very black, weird as it is to say. When Black cares about Swamps, it's usually for a Cabal Coffers or Shade effect. Honestly, I'd probably be happier with "if you control five or more swamps, you don't lose unspent black mana as steps and phases end. Whenever a swamp enters the battlefield, target creature gains 'this creature has +1/+1 for each unspent black mana you have' until end of turn." That feels better than giving a Black Ritual effect, which I usually associate with {B} spells; it's not miserable to play against; and it feels like you're accumulating a lot of magic for one of those infamously huge black {X} spells.

My understanding is Black is moving away from temp mana/dark ritual effects and giving it more to Red and a bit in Green. It's not gone yet, but a quick look through the current Standard including multicolor cards Red has 12 and Black only has 3. One of which was a BG card, the other two were BR card. And both the BR cards only made R.

It's kind of being replaced with effects that directly reduce mana cost of individual cards by sacrificing life or creatures though. Which personally, I think fits Black's theming more anyway.

Other than that, yeah, a lot of good suggestions.

[LaZodiac]

While I can't speak for Preacher, Evangelize was also in Time Spiral, which is part of the whole "let's do wacky **** that isn't actually okay".

Basically, citing Evangelize is like citing Hornet Sting.

[Fable Wright]

While I can't speak for Preacher, Evangelize was also in Time Spiral, which is part of the whole "let's do wacky **** that isn't actually okay".

Basically, citing Evangelize is like citing Hornet Sting.

Preacher was in the early days of magic, when color pie identities were... much less defined.

And Hornet Sting is just the latest in a line of Green burn, starting with Unyaro Bee Sting and Unyaro Bees.

...But yes, Time Spiral had a bunch of throwback effects to the early days when color identities were less defined and Planar Chaos was all about messing with the color wheel for alternative-present situations. I would argue that it's OK to do that for Eternal-format and homebrew cards, since they exist in an environment where this bleed has happened anyways.

Probably won't see them again unless they choose to change it back for whatever reason, or they do another Planar Chaos thing where the point is messing with the mechanical color pie. Which I kinda hope they don't do. I'm not really a fan of some of the things that brought about the first time around.

Right, but these cards aren't being made for Standard. We're looking at the breadth of Magic history here to compare against.

With that being said—and this may make me a bad person—I'm kinda bummed that none of the Planar Chaos stuff ever got picked up on. Imp's Mischief and Dash Hopes, if carried forward into other designs, would help break Blue's monopoly on counterspells, meaning we could have real control archetypes outside of Blue (outside of Jund-style topdeck "control" decks). Lorwyn/Eventide was their one chance to print for-real black Counterspells that would make Blue less of a do-all color, and they blew it. We've had mono-blue aggro (anyone else remember M11's illusory bears while Delver of Secrets was in standard?), control, midrange, combo, and pretty much anything else. Anything else had to rely on Discard effects for their control, which isn't nearly the same thing. Grumble grumble.

[rferries]

Thanks for the comments, everyone! Made some edits (esp. streamlining the lands to have classic effects based on 1-cost spells).

Spoiler: Edited cards

Show

Celestial Bureaucracy (X)WW
Sorcery

Cycling 2.

Exile each planeswalker and legendary creature you do not control with converted mana cost X or less.

Each player gains X life.

Join the cause of righteousness!

Humble Farmer W
Creature - Peasant 0/2

W, Tap: If you control fewer lands than target opponent you may search your library for a Plains card, reveal it, put it into your hand, then shuffle. Otherwise, create a food token.

It's simple work, yet honest.

Planeswalkers' Immortality WW
Enchantment

Cycling 2.

You may cast this spell from your graveyard or from exile.

Whenever a card you own is discarded, milled, or exiled by a spell or ability controlled by one of your opponents, place that card on the bottom of your deck instead.

Once we were no more limited by eternity than we are by infinity.

Avalon, The Misted Archipelago (0)
Land

Avalon, The Misted Archipelago enters the battlefield tapped.

Whenever an Island enters the battlefield under your control, if you control at least five other Islands, you may draw three cards, then put two cards from your hand on top of your library in any order.

Tap: Add U.

Babylon, The Verdant Gardens (0)
Land

Babylon, The Verdant Gardens enters the battlefield tapped.

Whenever a Forest enters the battlefield under your control, if you control at least five other Forests, you may search your library for a creature card, reveal it, then shuffle and put the card on top.

Tap: Add G.

Camelot, The Shining Realm (0)
Land

Camelot, The Shining Realm enters the battlefield tapped.

Whenever a Plains enters the battlefield under your control, if you control at least five other Plains, you may choose one - target player gains 3 life; or prevent the next 3 damage that would be dealt to target creature or player this turn.

Tap: Add W.

Halicarnassus, The Shadowed Mausoleum (0)
Land

Halicarnassus, The Shadowed Mausoleum enters the battlefield tapped.

Whenever a Swamp enters the battlefield under your control, if you control at least five other Swamps, you may add BBB.

Tap: Add B.

And some new ones (last ones, I swear!):

Benalian Merchant WW
Creature - Advisor 2/2

Sacrifice a food token, Tap: Create two treasure tokens.

Sacrifice a treasure token, Tap: Create two food tokens.

Peace and prosperity.

Incorporeality 2U
Enchantment

Illusions, Shades, Spectres, and Spirits have shadow.

The spirit world knows no boundaries.

Plague 3BB
Enchantment

When your upkeep begins, put a -1/-1 counter on each creature.

All are equal in its eyes.

Royal Treasury 3WW
Enchantment

Noncreature artifacts and enchantments you control have hexproof and indestructible.

Wonders to behold.

[noob]

Thanks for the comments, everyone! Made some edits (esp. streamlining the lands to have classic effects based on 1-cost spells).

Spoiler: Edited cards

Show

Celestial Bureaucracy (X)WW
Sorcery

Cycling 2.

Exile each planeswalker and legendary creature you do not control with converted mana cost X or less.

Each player gains X life.

Join the cause of righteousness!

Humble Farmer W
Creature - Peasant 0/2

W, Tap: If you control fewer lands than target opponent you may search your library for a Plains card, reveal it, put it into your hand, then shuffle. Otherwise, create a food token.

It's simple work, yet honest.

Planeswalkers' Immortality WW
Enchantment

Cycling 2.

You may cast this spell from your graveyard or from exile.

Whenever a card you own is discarded, milled, or exiled by a spell or ability controlled by one of your opponents, place that card on the bottom of your deck instead.

Once we were no more limited by eternity than we are by infinity.

Avalon, The Misted Archipelago (0)
Land

Avalon, The Misted Archipelago enters the battlefield tapped.

Whenever an Island enters the battlefield under your control, if you control at least five other Islands, you may draw three cards, then put two cards from your hand on top of your library in any order.

Tap: Add U.

Babylon, The Verdant Gardens (0)
Land

Babylon, The Verdant Gardens enters the battlefield tapped.

Whenever a Forest enters the battlefield under your control, if you control at least five other Forests, you may search your library for a creature card, reveal it, then shuffle and put the card on top.

Tap: Add G.

Camelot, The Shining Realm (0)
Land

Camelot, The Shining Realm enters the battlefield tapped.

Whenever a Plains enters the battlefield under your control, if you control at least five other Plains, you may choose one - target player gains 3 life; or prevent the next 3 damage that would be dealt to target creature or player this turn.

Tap: Add W.

Halicarnassus, The Shadowed Mausoleum (0)
Land

Halicarnassus, The Shadowed Mausoleum enters the battlefield tapped.

Whenever a Swamp enters the battlefield under your control, if you control at least five other Swamps, you may add BBB.

Tap: Add B.

And some new ones (last ones, I swear!):

Benalian Merchant WW
Creature - Advisor 2/2

Sacrifice a food token, Tap: Create two treasure tokens.

Sacrifice a treasure token, Tap: Create two food tokens.

Peace and prosperity.

Incorporeality 2U
Enchantment

Illusions, Shades, Spectres, and Spirits have shadow.

The spirit world knows no boundaries.

Plague 3BB
Enchantment

When your upkeep begins, put a -1/-1 counter on each creature.

All are equal in its eyes.

Royal Treasury 3WW
Enchantment

Noncreature artifacts and enchantments you control have hexproof and indestructible.

Wonders to behold.

Two of them seems to be meant to fit in artefact spam affinity decks.
White already have some quite powerful metalwork cards such as that w: tap target creature and if you have 3 artifacts exile it instead.
However those cards are either costly enough or slow enough to not change much.

[Androgeus]

]Celestial Bureaucracy (X)WW
Sorcery

Cycling 2.

Exile each planeswalker and legendary creature you do not control with converted mana cost X or less.

Each player gains X life.

If you're feeling cute this could just say "Exile each legendary permanent..."