Team-made set...

A

Azreal the Soulmaster

Guest
love potion: balanced, and funny i like it
genocide: way too powerful.....it removes the creatures from the game... it shouldn't hit their library thats just screws any theme deck
Razzerdrix: nice spin...hope you make a green a white one
Improvisation: for the choices you have..too strong, granted it costs five but still, i'd add another U to the cost since it is three nice blue spells in your hand as one spell
Intellect Crush: balanced
wall of vines: balanced...i remeber whip vine
 
I

Istanbul

Guest
Genocide is supposed to be strong. It's six mana, and only works on a certain creature type. It doesn't give them -1/-1 because that's been done to death. Maybe if it were 3URB?

I still say that Improvisation is balanced. Often, casting cost is sacrificed for diversity...and remember, no matter which function you choose, you're paying more than you ordinarily would; 2 out of 3 times, a LOT more.
 
D

DÛke

Guest
...

Love Potion - very good. Though, Flickering Ward (from Tempest) gives a creature protection from a color of controler's choice, which is much more useful than what Love Potion offers, plus, the Ward costs only "W". Cho-Manno's Blessing (MM) costs 2 mana (same as Love Potion), and is played as an Instant. I think Love Potion is good, it should cost "W" though. One little White mana.

Genocide is redundant; though, redundant with over-power. It's very powerful, but I don't think it's broken at all. I don't like it in the set because it's not something new. I like newer ideas, <laughs> like Love Potion.

Razzerdrix. VERY cool! BUT:
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Razzerdrix 2RR
Creature - Beast
Whenever Razzerdrix attacks or blocks, it gains flying until end of turn.
At the end of any turn, if neither player has taken damage, sacrifice Razzerdrix.
4/4
___

I know you didn't mean it Istanbul, but that bold part right there makes the card useless, since you play it, and you probably wouldn't have enough sources to deal damage. I know that it's already undercosted and that it needs all the drawbacks it could get, but, giving it Haste wouldn't hurt, would it? At least it has one chance of attacking before it says bye bye bye.

Improvisation - is NOT broken at all. It's like a super charm. See all Istanbul's reasons why it's not broken. I don't like it that much, but it's nevertheless, good.

Intellect Crush - good. Though, I never was very fond of 3 (or more) casting cost cards that >>only<< grab one card. Even at playing Intellect Crush the first turn with a Dark Ritual, I have just wasted 2 cards to permenantly remove a card from my opponent's hand from the game. Not that bad, but still...something is missing. If that's the only way it could be, than I'll take it into the set anyway; as an Uncommon though.

Wall of Vines - I am rarely fond of anywall, unless it's something like Wall of Glare or Stinging Barrier. I think Wall of Vines is good...balanced.

Ok, Istanbul, on Nimrod...glad we reach an agreement: I'll make it 6/6. It should make it easier to remove now, since 1 creature in any grave would make it a 5/5, which is not that great for 6 mana. Yes, I know the other "sleeping Wrath of God" ability is useful, but you either choose a fat creature, or a Dark Banishing each turn. I think that we'll discuss my future cards even more...since most of them revolve around the same idea.

Ok, here's for some more ideas:
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Precaution (2UU)
Instant
At the beginning of your upkeep step, if Precaution is in your hand, you may reveal it to target player.
If you do, look at that player's hand.
Counter target spell.
"I don't think so."

*When I play Blue, I always wonder if I should tap out to play a spell, or should keep untapped to counter any bothersome crap my opponent would play. Precaution solves this slight problem by LETTING the opponent know that you're paranoid, and by revealing you plans: that you have countermagic in your hand.
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Insecure Judgment (B)
Sorcery
Look at target player's hand, and then you may pay 3.
If you do, that player discards 2 cards at random from his or her hand.

*Hey, Stupor is good, right? This is not Stupor, but at least it gives you a slight option of playing something better if nothing is good enough in oppnent's hand. You play this for "B", you see something worthy, you pay the 3, and if you don't, than you probably have something better to do with your 3 mana...in the least, this gives you a chance to get a look on opponent's plans.
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Postpone (U)
Instant
Look at target player's hand, and then you may pay 1.
If you do, that player can't play spells this turn.
"Better safe than sorry."

*Maybe I should change the "1" into "2", but I play tested this thing, it's just right the way it is. Like the flavor text says, "Better safe than sorry.".
___

There. :)
 
I

Istanbul

Guest
Love Potion is good at W, so W it is.

I've never seen another spell that did what Genocide does, Duke.

Razzerdrix's drawback was intentional. Better have some steady source of damage. And remember, it's if NEITHER player has taken damage...if your opponent hits you for so much as 1, you keep Razzerdrix.

Intellect Crush is good because it does something BETTER than Coercion; instead of forcing a discard, it removes the offending card from the game. Remember that you can play this turn 1 with a Ritual.

Precaution - Fun for mindgames. I like it.
Insecure Judgement - Fair. 4 mana for 2 random discards, or 1 mana for a peek at your opponent's hand.
Postpone - Be VERY wary of any spell that prevents your opponent from playing spells for an entire turn. In many cases, that turns such a spell into a Time Walk. Change 1 into 2, and add, "Any player may sacrifice a land or creature to counter Postpone."
 
D

DÛke

Guest
...Postpone would sound much better if it was:

Postpone U
Instant
Look at target player's hand, then you may pay 2.
If you do, that player can't play spells this turn. That player may pay 2 to counter this effect.
"Better safe than sorry."

*See, it makes more sense this way: either way, you could be "postponing" the opponent...which is something good. It kind of looks like a "rhystic" card, but oh well...

For your cards:

Intellect Crush is pretty good, but what is in there that is really heart shattering that I must go to such disadvantage? Against the right deck, it's a golden card...worth tons and tons, but against >>most<< decks, it's nothing but an Addle...which is good. We'll take it into the set; I predict that we'll see a lot of stuff that Intellect Crush will be great on, plus, it's great anyway...

I agree with you on the rest of the cards.

Ok, now, for everyone...you may submit more cards now...I have partially planned what cards submitted will be in the set...don't worry, most of them made it...you have great ideas...now is the time to keep such cards comin'. :)

But wait, should we kind of like "vote" on which cards should stay and which should be put back for future use, OR for complete rejection? Or, should I just pick the cards myself...which I don't think is exactly the definition of "fair".

Bring it on!

Wait, one card before we rebegin:

Ertoic Nightstalker (2BB) (2/2)
Creature - Stalker
2: Put a +1/+1 counter on target creature an opponent controls, and Erotic Nightstalker gains +X/+Y until end of the turn, where X is that creature's power, and Y is its toughness. Use this ability only once each turn.
"He invades her own value; parading her shy security, while gribbing on her innocence."

[Edited by DÛke on 01-17-01 at 01:03 PM]
 
I

Istanbul

Guest
Two problems:

Let's try to keep Y out of the equation, shall we? There's a REASON that the only time we see Y on a M:TG card is on an Unglued card.

Secondly...uh, let's not have the word 'erotic' in any of our cards, shall we?
 
D

DÛke

Guest
...I maybe able to see the reason of keep the "Y" out, but a word? Oh well...how about "Intimate"? "Tempted"? Ok, I'm out of words...

Anyway, I had a hard time wording the card without have a second-hand "X", which is "Y". How would I word the card without Y?
 
A

Azreal the Soulmaster

Guest
they used Y on the reprinted fireball in beatdown
 

Spiderman

Administrator
Staff member
Isty steps behind the door of the topic and finds an empty room with torn wallpaper, broken furniture, and one dusty table with what looks to be faded cards on it...
 
F

FoundationOfRancor

Guest
Sorry, very soon im gonna get back in this thread and comment on all the really amazing cards posted.

Soon. Cant now.
 
D

DÛke

Guest
...if you wanted more cards, you should've told me, I have some made, but I didn't want to "take over" the thread by my own cards...I'm waiting for people to submit more cards...

Anyway, here:
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Strikesky Minion (2B) (3/2)
Creature – Minion
At the beginning of your upkeep step, pay 1 or sacrifice Strikesky Minion.
If you paid R, Strikesky Minion gains First Strike until end of the turn.
If you paid U, Strikesky Minion gains Flying until end of the turn.

*A 3/2 for 3 mana is not bad, and MAY BE undercosted to some people, so I added the little upkeep. The upkeep could be a drawback, or...a drawback with a slight advantage. I don't think it's undre costed at all: Pretend it's a 3/2 for 3 mana with either Flying, for an upkeep of U, or First Strike, for an upkee of R...or, JUST an upkeep of 1, which is NOT that bad.
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Glimmermight Guardian (3W) (2/5)
Creature – Guardian
At the beginning of your upkeep step, pay 1 or sacrifice Glimmermight Guardian.
If you paid U, Glimmermight Guardian can’t be the target of spells or abilities until your next upkeep step.
If you paid G, Glimmermight Guardian gains +1/+1 until your next upkeep step.

*To start off, a 2/5 for 3W may be a bit undercosted, but the upkeep should punish that. Don't look at this card as a 3/6 for 4 mana, or a 2/5 that can't be targeted for 4 mana...look at it as a 2/5 for 4 mana, with an UPKEEP of 1.
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Hopestrike Beast (2G) (3/3)
Creature – Beast
At the beginning of your upkeep step, pay 2 or sacrifice Hopestrike Beast.
For each W paid this way, Hopestrike Beast gains +0/+1 until your next upkeep step.
For each R paid this way, Hopestrike Beast gains +1/+0 until your next upkeep step.

*This is my favorite one, from all those >>mixed abilities<< cards. A 3/3 Green creature for 3 mana is surely undercosted...therefore, to punish Green's many mana sources, I gave it an upkeep of 2. If you mana to be playing Red or White, the upkeep could turn this 3/3 into a 5/3, a 3/5, or a 4/4...mostly depending on the mana you have...and better yet, you could "adjust" your own creature for a certain situation.
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Cutlass Strike (1R)
Instant
As an additional cost to play Cutlass Strike, pay 1.
If you paid G, Cutlass Strike can’t be countered.
If you paid B, you gain 1 life for each point of damage dealt by Cutlass Strike.
Cutlass Strike deals 3 damage to target creature or player.

*I like this card a lot. It doesn't cost 2 mana like it look like, but 3. Note the "As an ADDITIONAL COST TO PLAY Cutlass Strike, pay 1". This, in the least, is 3 damage for 3 mana - yes, bad...but still playable. However, if you mana to pay G, you'd have a counterless Lightning Bolt, which is good. Note that Green and Red both dislike Blue - that's why you get a counterless version when you pay G. If you pay B, you get something really nice: basically, a drain life for 3.
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Deathglow Mists (2U)
Instant
As an additional cost to play Deathglow Mists, pay 1.
If you paid B, all creatures gain -1/-1 until end of the turn.
If you paid W, you gain 1 life for each permanent in play.
Tap all creatures target player controls.

*Well, this is very powerful in Blue control decks. It does cost 4, but...if you pay W, you get to boost your life total A LOT, and if you pay B, you might even lash and slash a couple of annoying MOFOs.
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Hooligan Mage (1UU) (3/4)
Creature – Mage
At the beginning of your upkeep step, pay 3 or tap Hooligan Mage.
For each W paid, you gain 1 life.
For each U paid, tap target artifact, creature, or land.
For each B paid, target player loses 1 life.

*What can I say? This is a personal favorite. A 3/4 for 1UU is truely broken...especially for Blue...but, the upkeep is a pain in the butt if you look at it. It basically "echos" forever - not good for a Blue mage, BUT...the upkeep could be just as annoying to the opponent as it is to you. Look at the many things you could do? It's like, mix AND match your favorite Magic spells.
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Clone Magic (UU)
Sorcery
Look at target opponent’s hand and choose an Instant or Sorcery card there.
Clone Magic does the effect of that card.
“A full mind is a bad thing after all.”

*Don't look at this and say "broken". Think about it first. It costs UU, and is a Sorcery - meaning that you most likely will NOT be able to play countermagic if you play Clone Magic...but you get a chance to play an effect of any Instant or Sorcery card in opponent's hand. This can't be broken, since it heavely depends on the opponent's hand. With a Howling Mine, Clone Magic shine.
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Mock Attack (WW)
Sorcery
Untap target creature that attacked you last turn and gain control of it until end of the turn.
That creature must attack this turn.
“Feel yourself turning against you.”

*I like the flavor text. Anyway...I think White should have a piece of revenge every now and then, and Mock Attack does just that. If a SoB is bothering you, make sure you show the opponent how it feels being attacked by whatever...Not that powerful, but good.
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Providence (W)
Instant
Until end of the turn, whenever target creature is dealt damage, prevent that damage and you may pay 2.
If you do, that creature deals an amount of damage equal to its power to target creature.

*I like it. That's all I can say right now.
___

There, Istanbul...all the cards you could cuss, fuss, and whatever...about. :)
 
I

Istanbul

Guest
Just a TOUCH too powerful there, Duke.

Strikesky Minion - 2/2.
Glimmermight Guardian - 2/4.
Hopestrike Beast - 2/3.
Cutlass Strike - Target only creatures.
Deathglow Mists - If you paid W, gain 1 life for each creature tapped in this way.
Hooligan Mage - 1/2. AMAZINGLY strong, regardless. Tangle Wire, Lightning Bolt, or Healing Salve every turn.
Clone Magic - Add 1 to the casting cost. Needs templating.
Mock Attack - Useless, unless you give the creature Haste. Add 'Your opponent gains 2 life.'
Providence - Balanced.
 
T

Thallid Ice Cream Man

Guest
Ever notice that when rating DÛke, Istanbul almost always says that exactly one card is balanced? Oh well.


The most I can offer is occasional suggestions and occasional cards, because for the next couple of weeks I won't be coming here much due to stupid reality, as manifested by too much homework. No, I'm not leaving, but I don't really have time to seriously devote myself to a set for now.

Re: Hooligan Mage:

At the very least you should change Hooligan Mage's upkeep cost to force you to sacrifice it instead of just tapping it if no mana is paid. Secondly, I think you should either reduce the range of options by making them similar as opposed to being so different and yet very useful, or restrict how many times each ability is used. How about something like this:

Hooligan Mage
1UU
2/2 (At the most, 2/3 )
At the beginning of your upkeep, you may pay 3. If you don't sacrifice Hooligan Mage.
Then, if you paid W as part of this effect, prevent the next 2 damage to Hooligan Mage this turn.
Then, if you paid U as part of the effect, return target tapped permanent to owner's hand.
Then, if you paid B as part of the effect, at the beginning of your next main step, target player discards a card.


Is this better?/worse? (probably worse)

I also have two more cards but I don't think I should post them yet...
 
D

DÛke

Guest
...!

First, Thallid Ice Cream Dude, I don't get what you're getting at with your comment about Istanbul...

Hooligan Mage! Why must it be so powerful? It's not...

I agree about the "sacrifice" if you don't pay it's upkeep. So that I'll add.

Hooligan Mage is too powerful, and should be a 1/2? No way! You realize that you MUST have 3 Black, 3 White, 3 Blue, or a mix of those inorder to perfrom the "hooligan combination", right? She costs 1UU (note the "UU"), which makes her hard to splash. Most likely, a common Blue Mage will either have mostly Blue mana (which gives the Tangle Wire effect), OR >>some<< Black and/or White mana, which should give you few life or take off of oppnent's life...not to mention that you'd be tapping 3 mana, rendering most of your counter magic uselss. If she IS in fact strong, which I don't think, I think a 2/3 would be fine, but a 1/2 for "1UU) and an upkeep of "3"? God.

Strikesky Minion is not broken at all. Here:

Strikesky Minion (2B) (3/2)
Creature - Minion
Flying
At the beginning of your upkeep step, pay U or sacrifice Strikesky Minion.

*Is that, above, too powerful? I don't think so.

Or how about:

Strikesky Minion (2B) (3/2)
Creature - Minion
First Strike
At the beginning of your upkeep step, pay R or sacrifice Strikesky Minion

*Is THAT too powerful?

OR:

Strikesky Minion (2B) (3/2)
Creature - Minion
At the beginning of your upkeep step, pay 1 or sacrifice Strikesky Minion.

*You can't tell me THAT'S too powerful...

You see, Istanbul...Strikesky Minion is a combination of all of the above creatures - just a bit mroe flexible. Plus, you can't really cast it first turn with a Dark Ritual unless you're going to pay the "1" for the upkeep, which means that you're paying for a 3/2 with an upkeep of "1"...which, according to my knowledge, isn't really THAT powerful.

Now, for Cutlass Strike...why does it target ONLY creatures? Urza's Rage costs 3, is an Instant, and ALREADY can't be countered (no need to pay G, like in Cutlass Strike), and is it broken? Nope...powerful...not broken. However, the life gaining ability >>might<< be too powerful, but I really don't think so...do I have to demonstrate, again? OK:

Cutlass Strike 1BR
Instant
Deal 3 damage to target creature or player.
Gain 1 life for each 1 damage dealt this way.

*Is that too powerful? It's really good, but I don't think it comes to the sheer power that you'd expect me to give the card a big drawback. Is Drain Life too powerful? This is a "fixed" version; you can't choose what "X" is.

Or:

Cutlass Strike 1GR
Instant
Deal 3 damage to target creature or player.
Cutlass Strike can't be countered.

*There is not way that this is powerful. Heck, it's not even as good as Urza's Rage! Urza's Rage costs "2R" and has the same effect, this however...costs "1GR"...it the flexibility that makes it good, NOT the ability. Trust moy.

For the other cards, I'm not sure...but I think I'd find the same problem...so I'll see what you think.
 
T

Thallid Ice Cream Man

Guest
I wasn't really getting at anything, I just noticed it and felt like posting it. If someone who has more free times than I do proves this statement false, I will retract it.

I think that, for the most part, the creatures with the variable upkeep costs are balanced. However, in the case of Hopestrike Beast, you should probably change it to the following:

Hopestrike Beast
1GG
3/3
At the beginning of your upkeep, you may pay 2. If you don't sacrifice Hopestrike Beast.
If you paid R as part of this cost, Hopestrike Beast gets +1/+0 until the beginning of your next upkeep.
If you paid W as part of this cost, Hopestrike Beast gets +0/+1 until the beginning of you next upkeep.

Is this balanced? I'm sort of trying to chart a middle ground between Duke's ideas which occasionally might seem too powerful to the layperson and Istanbul's reccomendations which occasionally might seem too weak to the layperson. Or maybe not, I could get flamed for that. :)

I would like to remind you, however, that Trained Armodon was 1GG for 3/3 with no abilities and was actually rarely used.
 
D

Duster

Guest
I like the creatures DUke, but I think I need a little clarity. Can you mix what mana you want to spend on them or does it have to be a single color? If for example Hooligan Mage was...

Hooligan Mage
1UU
Creature - Wizard
At the beginning of your upkeep, you may pay 2 of any single color. If you don't sacrifice Hooligan Mage.
If WW was paid for ~this~' upkeep, you gain 2 life.
If UU was paid for ~this~' upkeep, tap up to two target creatures.
If BB was paid for ~this~' upkeep, target player loses 2 life.

2/3

How about that? I dig it :)
Take it easy guys, hopefully I'll be around more in the next couple days.

S'all Dustin
 
D

DÛke

Guest
...you could mix them if you wish. Like in Hooligan Mage, you could pay 1 Blue, 1 Black, and 1 White mana to tap a permenant, gain 1 life, and have target opponent lose 1 life.
 
T

Thallid Ice Cream Man

Guest
DÛke: I think the problem people are having with Hooligan Mage is that it can be too versatile. Duster's idea helps deal with this excess versatility well. I know you wanted real versatility (as opposed to Kavu Aggressor-style "versatility") for these cards, but unfortunately there comes a point where too much versatility can become a bad thing.

Morphling was versatile.

This is not to say that Hooligan Mage is horribly broken and you should be burned at the stake (that was what happened to the guy who made Morphling..... right?). Actually (Duster's idea notwithstanding), here is my suggestion: Give no bonus for paying the upkeep with U.

BTW, after we come to a final decision about Hooligan Mage, I have numerous gold cards to post. Just say when.

[Edited by Thallid Ice Cream Man on 01-20-01 at 05:57 PM]
 
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