Feelin' Blue...

[DÛke]

...

I decided to get in touch with my second favourite color -- Blue.

Mental Fusion (XUU)
Sorcery
Choose X cards in your hand, and remove the rest from the game.
Take an extra turn after this one.

Mental Distraction (1UU)
Instant
Counter target spell unless its caster pays 2.
If he or she pays, return Mental Distraction to your hand at the end of the turn.
"Give it up..."

Will of Force (UUU)
Sorcery
Look at target opponent's hand and choose a card there.
At the end of that player's next turn, if he or she did not play that card, he or she discards that card and loses 3 life.

Unconscious Influence (3U)
Instant
Reveal your hand to all players.
If Blue cards are the most in your hand, draw 2 cards.
If Black, destroy target non Black creature. It can't regenerate.
If White, gain 10 life.
If Green, put a Beast token into play. Treat it as a 3/3 Green creature.
If Red, Unconscious Influence deals 3 damage to target player.
If artifacts or lands, add up to UUUUUUUU to your mana pool.
"Determined surface. Versatile within."

 

[TylersOnFire]

cool...about metal fusion...think maybe thats not enough of a drawback for getting an extra turn. its not that much mana and you may loose like on card but you'll get to draw a new one when your next turn comes up.

 

[DÛke]

...I think it is. Mental Fusion simply can't be played early in the game while you have many cards in your hand. Suppose by turn 3, you managed to have only 3 cards in your hand. If you play Mental Fusion by only paying UU, you'll lose 3 cards. That's not bad enough of a drawback. If you pay 1UU, you'd still lose 2 cards. Is that really great? You've probably used all your mana *and* lost 2 cards. Almost like skipping a turn. If you pay 2UU, which I question the chance of that since it is only your 3rd turn, than the same case apply as if you pay 1UU. Mental Fusion is perfectly designed for some new Blue suicide generation type of decks, or later in the game where you have no cards in hand, or can afford to keep the cards you already have. Think of it as a more flexible Time Warp, yet a much more strict Time Walk. *Maybe* the casting cost should be increased to X1UU, but I'm not sure.

Another card...

Time Stretch (U)
Instant
Counter target spell and remove it from the game.
At the beginning of that spell's caster main step, return that spell to the stack. Treat it as if it was just cast.
4UU: Counter target spell and remove Time Stretch from the game. Use this ability only if Time Stretch is in your graveyard.
"Observe. Analyze. Delay, distract, and confuse. Delete. Done."

 

[Istanbul]

Duke, in the late game, Mental Fusion is Time Walk. Just pay for all the cards in your hand, and take your next turn. It doesn't matter that you tap out to do so, because you untap in your bonus turn.

Will of Force is interesting, but is the effect really in flavor with blue? It should be 'they discard that card, and you draw a card' or somesuch thing.

The white effect on Unconscious Influence is too big. Take it down to something like 7 life.

The secondary ability of Time Stretch should have its cost reduced to 3UU, since Time Stretch's primary ability is kind of weak, especially if used to counter a spell cast during your opponent's precombat main phase.

 

[DÛke]

...

So what about Time Warp? Late game, *it* is a Time Walk also, and "it doesn't matter that you tap out to do so, because you untap in your bonus turn." Time Warp didn't get much play, though it *was* one of the over-hyped cards. In any event, thinking about it, Mental Fusion is a bit on the powerful side. I believe changing the cost to XUUU would solve the problem?

Will of Force -- I agree. However, I don't like to stay with drawing cards though. Blue has the very weak ability to make the opponent discard (Amensia, Mind Bomb). In effect, the cards change to:

Will of Force (UUU)
Sorcery
Look at target opponent's hand and choose a card there.
At the end of that player's next turn, if he or she did not play that card, he or she discards that card, and then discards a card at random.

Unconscious Influence -- I completely disagree. 10 life for 3U, and revealing your hand isn't the best deal. Consider how pathetic life gain is in any given envrionment. Helpful, I admit, but too powerful it is not.

Time Stretch -- Oops. I wrote the card wrong. The card was supposed to completely delay an action. What it does currently is way to weak for my taste. Here's what I truly inteded:

Time Stretch (U)
Instant
Counter target spell and remove it from the game.
At the beginning of that spell's caster next main step, return that spell to the stack. Treat it as if it was just cast.
4UU: Counter target spell and remove Time Stretch from the game. Use this ability only if Time Stretch is in your graveyard.
"Observe. Analyze. Delay, distract, and confuse. Delete. Done."

Isn't it funny how one word can take a card from being great to being useless?

Well, I believe the 4UU should stay now since the card has been "fixed."

 

[Istanbul]

Time Stretch is still weak; if you use it to counter a spell I cast during my pre-attack main phase, it goes back on the stack at the beginning of my post-attack main phase. How about this?

"At the beginning of that spell's caster's next precombat main phase, return that spell to the stack."

 

[DÛke]

...

Yup. That's exactly what I wanted. It's just that I haven't been keepin' up with the constantly changing rules.

More cards...

Anesthesia (XXUU)
Sorcery
Choose X cards in your hand and set them aside.
Target opponent takes X extra turns after his or her next turn.
At the beginning of your next turn, you may play any number of the cards set aside with Anesthesia without paying their mana cost.

Karmic Counter (UUUU)
Instant
Counter target spell.
If that spell is Blue, you may return Karmic counter to your hand at the end of the turn.
If that spell is Black, you may draw a card.
If that spell is White, its caster loses 3 life.
If that spell is Red, you may gain 6 life.
If that spell is Green, its caster sacrifices a creature.
“It’s only what you deserve.”

Domineering Nature (4UU)
Sorcery
Gain control of all creatures with power and/or toughness of 4 or more.
"Mine. Mine. Mine. Yours..."

 

[DÛke]

...

I seem to have a burst of ideas lately...

Psychic Gravity (3U)
Sorcery
Look at the top 3 cards of each other player's library.
Then look at the top 3 cards of your library and put them back in any order.

Ebb and Flow (3U)
Sorcery
Target player returns 3 permanents he or she controls back to owner's hand.
Ebb and Flow costs 2 more to play for each Ebb and Flow card in your graveyard.

Odessa (3UU)
Sorcery
Search target opponent's library for up to 4 cards and remove them from the game without revealing them to their owner.
"I wouldn't plan too quickly. In fact, I wouldn't plan at all..."

Wave of Energy (U)
Instant
Wave of Energy deals 3-X damage to target player, where X is the number of Wave of Energy cards in your graveyard.

Alter Genetics (1U)
Enchant Creature
Enchanted creature loses all of its abilities and gains +2/+2.

Mind Cage (2U)
Enchantment
Your opponent's hand size limit is reduced by 2.
"Feeling a little stupid?"

Mastermind (3UU)
Creature - Wizard
Your hand size is limitless.
You may draw an additional card during your draw step. If you do, you can't play spells for the remainder of the turn.
1/3
"Push the limits..."

I'm really trying to give Blue a shot at some suicidal deck ideas with cards like Ebb and Flow, Alter Genetics, and Wave of Energy. Oh, and Mental Fusion.. My favourite Blue card ever would have to be Odessa -- I think it's a nightmare for any player dealing against this monster sorcery.

 

[FoundationOfRancor]

Mental Fusion
I think X1UU would be fine.

Mental Distraction
I think it's too powerful as is...I suggest a 2U cc, and a discard a card clause to the resurrection ability.

Will of Force
I agree with Istanbul, I dont think this card should be blue. I think it's more black. Either way, its overcosted: I think 2U or UU is better.
[ I just saw what you said about this card later on...I think the new card is still out of flavor for blue (Amnesia was printed because it's set was all about offcolor abilities. And Mind Bomb is just...dumb.)

Unconscious Influence
It all looks good except for the land/artifact ability. I suggest it be cut totally or drastically changed.

Time Stretch
Istanbul's suggestion of making the resuurection cc 3UU is a good one. Are their wording issues on this card? I'm not sure, but there might be.
[Again, saw the changes, looks good.]

Anesthesia
Looks fine.

Karmic Counter
I think 4 blue is a bit too harsh, even with the power of this card considered. I suggest 1UUU. It wont matter much, the card demands you either play mono-blue or dont play the card, but at least therre s a hope of non-basic land.

Domineering Nature
This reminds of a card I made that did the inverse of this; it gained control of all creatures with power 2 or less! It's looks good.

Psychic Gravity
Wow, this card is totally overpriced! It's balanced at 1U...but I can see it going for U, since you lose card advantage.

Ebb and Flow
Looks good, I like it.

Odessa
2UU should be ok for this card.

Wave of Energy
Why is this card blue? Yes, yes it deals with additinal copies of it in the graveyard, which I suppose could be seen as a mono-blue mechanic, but Kindle does the same thing, only in reverse.

Alter Genetics
2U, considering blue isnt the color for creature pump
I'd suggest UG, but I hate gold cards. With a passion.

Mind Cage
Hmm....seems killer in counter vs. counter decks.

Mastermind
"You have no maximum hand size"
I compare this guy to Archivist, which makes me suggest he be cc'ed at 2UU.

I see what your doing with the blue suicide thing....but blue doesent do suicide.

 

[DÛke]

...

Ok, then.

Here are all the cards again, redone to fit the advice I've gotten so far. I've only chosen the cards that I feel are unique and fresh. The rest are...trash.

Mental Fusion X1UU
Sorcery
Choose X cards in your hand, and remove the rest from the game.
Take an extra turn after this one.

Will of Force 1UU
Sorcery
Look at target opponent's hand and choose a card there.
At the end of that player's next turn, if he or she did not play that card, draw 3 cards.

Karmic Counter 1UUU
Instant
Counter target spell.
If that spell is Blue, you may return Karmic counter to your hand at the end of the turn.
If that spell is Black, you may draw a card.
If that spell is White, its caster loses 3 life.
If that spell is Red, you may gain 6 life.
If that spell is Green, its caster sacrifices a creature.
"Blame yourself..."

Psychic Gravity 1U
Sorcery
Look at each opponent's hand and at the top 3 cards of each of their libraries.
Then look at the top 3 cards of your library and put them back in any order.

Ebb and Flow 3U
Instant
Target player returns 3 permanents he or she controls back to owner's hand.
Ebb and Flow costs 2 more to play for each Ebb and Flow card in your graveyard.

Odessa 3UU
Sorcery
Search target opponent's library for up to 4 non land cards and remove them from the game without revealing them to their owner.
"Don't get your hopes up..."

Mind Cage 2U
Enchantment
Your opponent's hand size limit is reduced by 2.
"Feeling a little stupid?"

Now for some notes:

FoR, I realize what you're saying about Will of Force, however, I don't agree completely. I, personally, think Mind Bomb isn't bad at all. In fact, I really always liked playing it. It's true though, that Will of Force looked more Black than Blue. Changes made.

Psychic Gravity -- Wow, it is over priced. I think it's a powerful card though. Especially the new version, which completely gives you the near future and any possible plays the opponent could make. That, plus the ability to adjust your own fate after that...it's all worth it. For 1U, I personally would play it if it would ever be printed.

Odessa -- I think being able to look through an opponent's library, remove *any* 4 cards you want, and having their owner not know what cards you've even chosen could really screw any player if done properly and at the right time. If not anything, than Odessa could take care of all copies of a card -- that's beautiful by itself. I also added the "non land" restriction.

And trust me, FoR, by the time I'm done with this thread, Suicide Blue will be possible.

Now for some few more ideas to hopefully add to the list later on...

Ice Bug (U)
Creature - Insect
Flying
As long as Ice Bug is in play, lands tapped to pay for Ice Bug don't untap during their controller's untap step.
2/1

Render with Illusion (0)
Instant
You can't play Render with Illusion unless you control at least 1 Island.
Creatures you control can't be the target of spells or abilities and are unblockable until end of the turn.
Render with Illusion costs you 2 more to play for each Render with Illusion card in your graveyard.

Eugenics (1UU)
Enchantment
Your creatures' power is X, where X is the highest power amongst those creatures.
Your creatures' toughness is Y, where Y is the highest toughness amongest those creatures.

 

[Istanbul]

Will of Force - Oh my GOD, no. "I'll just choose a spell you can't cast yet...hey look, 3 mana for 3 cards, and you discard! Best bargain since Ancestral!"

Psychic Gravity should be 1U. No doubt in my mind.

Ice Bug is fine as a 1/1 flyer for U. 2/1 for U with very little drawback is a little too good.

Remove the first line of Render with Illusion, and make the first casting cost 1U. You have to look *carefully* at anything that affects all creatures you control at once, and one totally unfettered attack phase (as well as the ability to counter any spell that targets creatures you control) is quite strong.

Eugenics should be 2UU. Imagine it with Kamahl and Glacial Wall in play.

 

[DÛke]

...

Will of Force -- Well, I don't know then. Personally, I like the discard ability better. You misread the card though; it doesn't say "discard" any longer. Any suggestions? I want it a bit unique.

Ice Bug -- Well, ok. If I make it a 1/1 flier with that drawback, it would be a little bit too close to having Echo, and it would be better with Echo anyway. I want to avoid that. I really want it to be a 2/1 flier *and* a first turn play though, so:

Lunar Bug (U)
Creature - Insect
Flying
At the beginning of your upkeep step, if you have 2 or more Islands, sacrifice Lunar Bug.
2/1

Tell me what you think about it...

Render with Illusion -- I really wanted a defensive/offensive Blue card that doesn't drain mana to play, and that's powerful enough to see plenty of play. I think you're right...but, here's the new version:

Render with Illusion (0)
Instant
You can't play Render with Illusion unless you have at least 2 lands, 1 of which being an Island.
Creatures you control can't be the target of spells or abilities and are unblockable until end of the turn.
Render with Illusion costs you 2 more to play for each Render with Illusion card in your graveyard.

It's better, but still leans on the powerful side. What do you think?

Eugenics -- Would you play it at 2UU? If so, then ok...

 

[Istanbul]

Now Lunar Bug is too weak; to keep it, you have to paralyze yourself. Change 'two Islands' to 'three Islands'.

Make Render with Illusion cost 1U, and it's more fair. Realize that, as it stands, it renders your creatures completely safe and grants you a completely uninhibited attack phase.

Eugenics is fair at 2UU; it provides boosts to almost all of your creatures, permanent ones.

 

[DÛke]

...

Lunar Bug -- Agreed. I have a better solution though...

Lunar Bug (U)
Creature - Insect
As long as you have 2 or less lands, Lunar Bug gains +1/+0 and Flying.
1/1

It's weaker than the very original version, but it's stronger than the "sacrifice if you have 3 lands" version because this one can live forever.

Render with Illusion -- Agreed, finally.

Eugenics -- Point well taken.

More ideas...

Lunar Fairy (U)
Creature - Fairy
Flying
Tap: Add U to your mana pool. Play this ability only if you control 4 or less lands.
0/1

Lunar Sorcerer (UU)
Creature - Mage
Tap: Lunar Sorcerer deals 1 damage to target creature or player. If you have 4 or less lands, and you dealt the damage to a creature, you may tap that creature.
0/1

Lunar Screen (1U)
Instant
If you have 2 or less lands, and at least 1 Island, you may play Lunar Screen without paying its mana cost.
Counter target spell unless its caster pays 1.
UU: Remove Lunar Screen from the game and counter taget spell. Play this ability as an Instant, only if Lunar Screen is in your graveyard, and only if you control 4 or less lands.

And let's not forget the compliment for Lunar cards...

Lunar Eclipse (U)
Instant
If you control more than 4 lands, add up to U to your mana pool an draw a card.
If you control 4 or less lands, add up to UU to your mana pool.
If you control 2 or less lands, add up to UUU to your mana pool.
If you control no lands, add up to UUUU to your mana pool.

 

[Istanbul]

Lunar Fairy is kind of neat, but could probably stand to be a 1/1, so it isn't useless after you hit 4 land.

Lunar Sorcerer is interesting, but it IS an improved Tim...should be 1UU, like Suq'Ata Firewalker.

Lunar Screen...NO. No no no! No free countermagic! Free countermagic, even comparatively weak free countermagic, has never failed to disrupt any environment in which it appeared. I have not-so-fond memories of Masques block with Thwart and Foil and Daze, and Force of Will speaks for itself.

Lunar Eclipse strikes me as a card that would either never get played, or would get abused...
Turn 1: Island, go.
Turn 2: Island, go.
Turn 3: Lunar Eclipse, add UUU, Island, tap out, Air Elemental.

 

[DÛke]

...

Ok.

Lunar Fairy (U)
Creature - Fairy
Flying.
As long as you have more than 4 lands, Lunar Fairy gains +1/+0.
Tap: Add U to your mana pool. Play this ability only when you control 4 or less lands.
0/1

I *really* would like to leave its cost at U.

Lunar Sorcerer -- Hmmm. I really want him to cost UU only.

Maybe:

Lunar Sorcerer (UU)
Creature - Mage
U, Tap: Lunar Sorcerer deals 1 damage to target creature or player. If you have 4 or less lands, and you dealt the damage to a creature, you may tap that creature.
0/1

Lunar Screen -- Maybe so.

A "weaker" version:

Lunar Screen (1U)
Instant
Counter target spell unless its caster pays 2. If you have 4 or less lands, you may have that spell's caster pay an additional 2.
If you have 2 or less lands, draw a card.

It seems stronger to me, but balanced...I so believe.

Lunar Eclipse -- So is it an ok of a card? The combo you did is great...but typical, and not that powerful, hence you could *almost* do the same thing if you have Lunar Fairy, or Sapphire Dimond (?) from Mirage. However, I think the chance of it being used are a bit greater than not.

Two more cards for now...

Psychic Warrior (UU)
Creature – Warrior
All spells and abilities targeting Psychic Warrior resolve at the end of your next turn instead of any other time.
All damage dealt to Psychic Warrior is dealt to it at the end of your next turn instead of any other time.
2/1

Morph (0)
Instant
You can’t play Morph unless you control at least 1 Island.
Return target creature you control back to owner’s hand.
If that creature comes into play this turn, you may put a +1/+1 counter on it.

 

[Istanbul]

Silly question...why are you so enamored with the idea of a Tim that costs two mana?

Lunar Fairy seems balanced.

The trouble with Lunar Screen is that you're trying to make it more powerful when you have less lands. As it is now, it'll be nearly useless in the late game, but GODLIKE in the early game; with 3 or 4 land, Mana Leak wishes it was so good, and with 2 land, it's better than Counterspell.
Read that again. BETTER THAN COUNTERSPELL. Because you draw a card too.
No countermagic should EVER be better than Counterspell.

How about this?

Lunar Screen (1U)
Instant
Counter target spell unless its caster pays an additional 2.
If you control less than two lands, Lunar Screen costs 1 less to play.

This version allows someone with one Island in play to improve slightly upon Force Spike, while two Islands in play will still tap you out to play this spell, as well it should. (Remember, in the early game, forcing someone to pay an additional 2 *is* a Counterspell.)

I really don't think Lunar Eclipse should exist at all. Blue doesn't need a Dark Ritual; it's already got plenty of power. There's a *reason* blue doesn't have mana acceleration.

Psychic Warrior makes sense as a 1/1; a 2/1 for two mana that you can't get rid of except on a time delay is pretty good. 2U is fair for him as he is.

Please try to be very, VERY, *VERY* careful with free spells. It's my experience that they break the environment whenever they exist, and having to have an Island really isn't a drawback at all.

 

[DÛke]

...

I want Lunar Sorcerer to cost only 2 mana because of few reasons. Mostly, I'm trying to give Blue a chance at suicidal deck types, few of which naturally demand fast, intelligent creatures such as Lunar Sorcerer. Second, you've noticed my failing attempt at free cards. Blue has always been dependant on counters (or so *you* believe) and I'm trying to break the norm with great, cheap spells. It may seem pointless that I want him to cost UU rather than 1UU, but as I make more cards, the UU will fit much better within the context of those cards.

Lunar Screen -- Your version is good. I want to change it to say "two *or less*" lands rather than just "less than two lands." It wouldn't completely unbalance the card.

Lunar Eclipse -- Ok, that's fine. It's out. I'll still use that name for a future card though...

I am trying to be careful with the free cards. The "having at least 1 Island" is *not* supposed to be a disadvantage of any type at all -- it is merely to restrict just any color playing those cards.

Morph doesn't seem too powerful at all. In fact, I think it's one of the most balanced free cards ever. You didn't give me your opinion on it...so please do if you can.

Psychic Warrior -- Ok, he's fine at 2U.

Two similar cards:

Fading Traces (3UU)
Sorcery
Look through target player's library.
You may remove from that library any cards, but only if each of those cards have no other copies of them in that library.
Shuffle that library.

Fading Signals (3UU)
Sorcery
Look through target player's library.
You may remove from that library any cards, but only if each of those cards have at least 1 additional copy of them in that library.
Shuffle that library.

A note about those 2 cards. Fading Trances maybe too weak at 3UU, and should be reduced to 2UU. As for Fading Signals, I believe it should even cost as high as 4UU or even 5UU? 4UU seems right...

 

[Istanbul]

Morph should cost just U...as it is, you're basically re-casting your creature at an inflated size. It also makes a great way to save a creature from death...those two abilities stuffed into one card should cost at least a nominal investment of mana.

Fading Traces is cool. Should be 3UU, as you set it...when cast in the late-game, after your opponent has drawn a lot of cards, it could just totally wreck an opponent's deck.

...I really don't know if Fading Signals is fixable. As a blue player, I would cast this as SOON as mana permitted, possibly even dipping into green for mana acceleration. As it is, it looks like a Haunting Echoes that doesn't rely on cards in the graveyard. For such a MASSIVE effect, it would have to look something like this:

Fading Signals (3UU)
Sorcery
As an additional cost to playing Fading Signals, discard your hand and sacrifice all permanents you control.
Look at target player's library. You may remove any cards in that player's library that share a name with another card in that player's library.

 

[DÛke]

...

Morph -- Agreed.

As for Fading Signals, now *that's* a drawback that will make the card useless. I knew it was a powerful card...but to have a drawback like that! It's trash...

One more card...

Mercury Elemental (1UU)
Creature - Elemental
Mercury Elemental also counts as an Artifact, a Land, and an Enchantment.
3/4