Beyond the Future...

[DÛke]

...

Wow, I quit Magic, yet I still find making Magic cards to be fun and even amuzing at times. I still try to go beyond what everyone does...I'm not sure if I'm doing a good job, but I know I'm doing something different than simple creatures with abilities that match those of WotC.

Every time I say I wont submit to the power of WotC, I do. This time, I will try and submit *only* cards that I feel are truely unique to the Magic world...

Some ideas:

Ethereal Spirit (1BB)
Creature - Ethereal Spirit
As Ethereal Spirit comes into play, put 20 Phenomena counters on it. For each one point of damage Ethereal Spirit deals to a player, remove a Phenomena counter from Ethereal Spirit instead.
Whenever Ethereal Spirit has no Phenomena counters on it, you win the game.
4/3

Inspired by my favorite music act, Enigma. I figured having an undercosted creature deal damage to "another life total" that the opponent has to be a fresh idea. This thing treats the opponent as if he or she has 20 life, no matter what the opponent really has.

Heart of Darkness (1BB)
Creature – Shapeshifter
Trample
As Heart of Darkness comes into play, you may search your hand, graveyard, and library for any number of Heart of Darkness cards and put them into play under your opponent’s control. If you do, shuffle your library.
Heart of Darkness gains +2/+2 for each other Heart of Darkness creature in play.
0: Tap target Black creature. Heart of Darkness gains -1/-1 until end of the turn.
1/1

Ok, it was inspired by a novel I had read, "Heart of Darkness." Also inspired by Nesting Wurm and Howling Wolf, which are hip yet unplayble. I made a new twist on their abilities, all of which eventually became this thing. It's seems very effective and annoying.

The Verge of Vengeance (2BB)
Sorcery
Remove target permanent from the game. Its controller loses life equal to its mana cost.
At the end of your next turn, return that permanent back into play under owner’s control. Its owner gains life equal its mana cost.
“On the verge of vengeance, what man thought is impossible becomes the only possibility…”

Inspired by my deep and passionate hate for White's Worship and Pariah. You know, it's about time a card like this is made. It's within the color's boundaries, yet can give a player a chance against the annoying White enchantments. It's effective against any color, and is a good kill method too. The casting cost may need to be raisen to 3BB...

 

[MrXarvox]

The concept of "Another life total" was done before with poison counters, although delivering counters equal to power instead is novel.

 

[DÛke]

...poison counters were put on the player, regardless of how many life he or she had, and the creature who dealt the counters still deals the damage, that's why poison counters are a thing of the casual players (I believe), because the player is more likely to die with the damage rather than with the actual poisoning.

Ethereal Spirit is completely a new and a unique idea, so far.

 

[FoundationOfRancor]

It's a difference of ice and frozen water.

I really like Heart of Darkness, it's such a crazy twist on muscle sliver! It's great!

 

[DÛke]

...I was going to explain some more, but it seems that I would need Gizmo or Chaos Turtle to point out the difference.

Anyway, more cards.

Ethereal Elemental (3U)
Creature – Ethereal Elemental
Ethereal Elemental counts as an artifact, a land, and an enchantment.
U: Until end of the turn, target permanent counts as a creature, an artifact, a land, and an enchantment as an addition to its type.
5/5
“It is the air you breathe, the ground you step on, the life you strive for, and the power that you’ll die upon…”

Once again, I was inspired by Enigma's music. Ethereal Elemental is very easy to kill, but is fun to play. Ever wanted to Disenchant a Birds of Paradise? Ever wanted to Stone Rain or Terrorize a Worship? Well, here's your best friend.

Chained Soldiers (1RR)
Creature – Soldiers
Tap: Target Chained Soldiers gain +1/+0 until end of the turn.
As Chained Soldiers comes into play, you may search your graveyard, hand, and library for any number of Chained Soldiers cards and put them into play. If you do, shuffle your library.
When Chained Soldiers is put into the graveyard from play, sacrifice all Chained Soldiers you control.
1/1

No inspiration. Just a good idea.

 

[FoundationOfRancor]

I understand why you think etheral spirit is so diifferent. Besides a couple of small tricks, it's basically a normal creature. Provided it's the only creature damageing your oppenent, it's just an anti-lifegain card.
I wouldnt exactly call it a "completely new" or a "unique" idea, but it's pretty interesting.

Ethereal Elemental is just plain awesome, this and Ancestral Feud (by LandKiller) tie for the best magic card I have ever seen.

[Btw, why is Etheral Spirit a 4/3? It really shouldnt be, with the original cc. - FoR]

 

[DÛke]

...About Ethereal Spirit, if you mean that it's too big for the cost, then, I kind of disagree. When you bring a fat creature into play, you expect it to start dealing damage to your opponent. So if your opponent has 10 lives, you'd start knockin' him down from there. However, Ethereal Spirit doesn't care, if he has 10 lives. It treats your opponent as though he has 20 lives, so it's harder for it to kill your opponent, because no matter how low their life is, suppose he has 1 life, Ethereal Spirit couldn't kill him because it pretends that he has 20. Ethereal Spirit is only very effective in the beginning of the game, when the opponent still has a great life total. After that, Ethereal Spirit is useless, except for blocking. Poison creatures are not like that...

Thanks for your compliment about Ethereal Elemental.

 

[FoundationOfRancor]

Hmmm...interesting point, but doesent the Spirit still deal damage regardless of the number of counters vs. Life totals?

For example, if you attack me, and I am at 4 life (Lets say the spirit has 20 counters)....can it kill me?

 

[Bob]

Of course in multiplayer, all you have to do with Ethereal Spirit is kill one player with it, then you win the whole game.

 

[DÛke]

...FoR, the Ethereal Spirit CAN'T kill you if you're at 4 life while it has 20 counters on it. It doesn't CARE about your life total whatsoever, it can NEVER EVER deal damage to you directly. Poison creatures can. The Spirit's power is a mere number that only deals damage to creatures, and only DECIDES how many counters it removes from itself when damaging you.

You're at 4, it attacks you for 4, instead of dealing 4 damage to you, it removes 4 counters from itself. Which leaves it at 16. Basically, it's like, when it comes into play, it treats you with 20 life, no matter what your life total really is: whether you're at a mere 1, or some pouding 50: it will attack you as if you had 20. Period. Hence the "Ethereal" in its name: its living in a totally "different" world.

Plus, what Bob says is also valid. The Spirit can really be vicious in multiplayer games.

Can you see the huge gab of difference now?

 

[DÛke]

More cards:

Bells of Harmony (3W)
Enchantment
At the beginning of each player's turn, that player gains 1 life.
At the beginning of your upkeep, put a Chime counter on Bells of Harmony if it doesn’t have a Chime counter on it, or remove a Chime counter from it if it has one.
As long as there is a Chime counter on Bells of Harmony, creatures can’t attack.
“When the bells of harmony ring, the voice of peace sings…”

Inspired a bit by phasing. I think it's a wonderful card in control decks, but I'm not sure. I'm also not sure about the casting cost.

Ethereal Elvesman (G)
Creature – Ethereal Elf
Ethereal Elvesman comes into play with a Phenomena counter on it.
At the beginning of your upkeep, remove a Phenomena counter from Ethereal Elvesman. If you can’t, pay 3 or sacrifice Ethereal Elvesman.
3/2

Inspired by a multiple of things like Echo and Fading. This is somewhat like Echo, in that you don't pay the full mana cost right when you play it. It's like Fading because it eventually dies out...though here, you have an option of paying for keeping it. Most importantly, it was inspired by the Magic duals I've played, where I play a creature only for it to be countered (therefore I've wasted my mana), or it is destroyed before I even get to attack (therefore, I've wasted my mana!), With Ethereal Elves mana, there is *no* waste of mana at all: it comes with counter-proof-mana-safety battery, and it will attack at least once before you actually get to spend mana to keep it, and if it's killed before it doesn anything, you at least haven't wasted a lot of mana. Very flexible. I would imagine that a card like this would see a lot of play almost in any environment.

 

[FoundationOfRancor]

Ah, when I looked over the Spirit I missed that crucial word "Instead" on the end. It makes sense now, I apologize for not seeing it on my first read-through.

Bells- I have no problem with it, but the life gain thing doesent seem to fit the card.

Elf- It's a pretty good restriction.

 

[DÛke]

...

About the Bells, I understand what you mean; I couldn't find a better way to make it "fit" more though...ideas?

More cards:

Shape of the Beholder (3U)
Creature - Ethereal Shapeshifter
0: Shape of the Beholder becomes a 1/5 White creature Guardian that doesn't tap to attack until end of the turn. Use this ability only if there's a player that controls more Red permanents than any other color.
0: Shape of the Beholder becomes a 3/3 Black creature Demon that can't be blocked except by artifacts and Black creatures until end of the turn. Use this ability only if there's a player that controls more Green permanents than any other color.
3UU: Shape of the Beholder becomesa 4/4 creature with Flying until end of the turn.
1/3

Inspired by some earlier cards of mine. The concept is that each player gets to treat Shape of the Beholder differently. Red players "behold" it as a 1/5 White defensive creature, while Green players behold it as a 3/3 offensive creature. To make the card playable against anyone, I gave it the ability to shift into Air Elemental mode, which adds the extra kick to make the cards fully playable.

Serene WU / Bustle UB
Instant
Serene: Shuffle any number of cards from your hand into your library. Gain 3 life for each card shuffled this way.
Bustle: Pay 3 life. Search your library for a card and put into your hand. Shuffle your library.
You may pay 2UBW to play Serene and Bustle as one, starting with the Serene effect.

Two new twists one split cards. I think mostly everyone would agree with me that these are pure fresh ideas that WotC itself could have done, but didn't due to the lack of creativity, I guess. I figured multi-colored split cards would be very interesting, especially if they were actually *good* cards. Additionally, both cards can be played as one, as you may have noticed, by paying the specified mana cost...which is yet another great punch. Very flexible, very playable, very new. *This* is how you make split cards.

Diplomacy GW / Trickery WU
Instant
Diplomacy: Put a Diplomatic counter on up to 2 target creatures attacking you. All creatures with Diplomatic counters on them gain +1/+1 and can’t attack.
Trickery: Put a Trick counter on up to 2 target creatures attacking you. Those creatures gain +2/+2 until end of the turn. At the end of the turn, gain control of all creatures with a Trick counter on them.
You may pay 2GWU to play Diplomacy and Trickery as one, starting with the Diplomacy effect.

Can't you just imagine the insanity of playing both parts at once? You can do so many things. You can gain control of creatures, give them +1/+1, but prevent them from attacking, therefore gaining great blockers. You could steal 2 creatures, and disable 2 others from attacking...etc...a lot of flexible options you got here. A very strategic card for control freaks...like me. Note the effects of the card above do not end at the end of the turn unless noted.

 

[linsivvi]

Alright so we throw Duke in a room with a bunch of C.D's and lets see how many new cards he comes up with.

 

[Darsh]

Originally posted by Bob
Of course in multiplayer, all you have to do with Ethereal Spirit is kill one player with it, then you win the whole game.

Which is why there always is a friendly slightly pshychotic red mage around, who always puts 4 bolts into his deck, good ole red mages, they just love blowing **** up.

Duke - Damn I love Etheral Elemental, I wish they had that back when I still played, my B/U decks never could deal with annoying enhantments...especially those white ones....those are just a little too cruel....

 

[DÛke]

...thanks Darsh.

Two more cards:

Smell of Desire (W)
Instant
Remove the top 5 cards of your library from the game.
For each White card removed this way, you may gain 2 life.
If there's a Smell of Desire card in your graveyard, you may remove the top 10 cards instead.

307% Inspired by Enigma's song "Smell of Desire." I feel that life gain doesn't really see much play unless in combo decks. Though, some life gain wouldn't be that bad against rush decks. Smell of Desire, hopefully, is on the more playable side than not. If you think about it, it's not bad at all, especially if you have a Smell of Desire card in your graveyard. Hey, if not anything, this is a casual player's one of many friends. It's on the original side too...

Masked Warrior (1WU)
Creature - Warrior
Masked Warrior is unblockable.
Spells targeting Masked Warrior cost X less to play, where X is the colorless mana in that spells mana cost.
Whenever a spell targets Masked Warrior, the caster of that spell must search his or her hand, graveyard, and library for all copies of that spell and remove them from the game. That player shuffles his or her library afterwards.
2/2

How about it? A tricky SoB. You wanna shock it? Go ahead! You wanna Terrorize it? Be my guest. The thing is, this bad boy must be dealt with...and not by chumb blocking it, or just blocking it with a bigger creature -- no. You, in most cases, will have to make a great sacrifice. Very cool...in my opinion.

 

[DÛke]

...

Coming of Age (3UU)
Sorcery
Whenever your opponent casts a spell, if Coming of Age is in your hand, you may reveal it to your opponent. If you do, put a Time counter on a permanent you control.
Take X extra turns after this one, where X is the number of permanents you control with a Time counter on them.
Return all permanents you control with a Time counter on them back to owner's hand.

There you go. As original as can be, I believe.

If I could get a job at WotC creating cards, I swear, Magic will never be the same...at all...