Design a Card

[WP&P]

What if you worded it "As long as you control a tapped creature named Spellwild Treefolk, creature spells you cast cost 2 less to cast". Then you can't double up on them. You could go one step further and purposefully allow doubling up, by saying "creature spells you cast cost 1 less for each Spellwild Treefolk you control".

[chetoos]

I have a method of figuring out how to have the ability word work, without referencing the stack: As long as _____ is a spell...

[SixFootTurkey]

There are plenty of ways to tap a creature without attacking. (Convoke just for one.) There are also creatures with flash (or ways to give them flash).

I'm not sure if green gets cost reductions; they get ramp, that's what they do. Yes, cost reduction is similar to ramp, but they are not the same. Similarly, I don't know if they get colorless mana production.

Also, a mana cheaper is huge. I'm not sure it would be enough, but you could turn one mana dork into turn two spelltreeguy. This would let you cast a 6 CMC creature if they can't kill it with their two drop. (Or two 4 CMC creatures, or four 3 CMC creatures...) For instance, you could flash in two boon satyrs (despite CMC 3, due to the 1GG cost), even if they manage to kill your treefolk.

[Asthanius]

WP&P: I believe that would still allow for doubling up on the effect.

Chetoos: I like it!

---

On another note, I think I like having Spellbound effects when they have a clause that allows the spell to be countered by itself. For reference, I've edited all of my current Spellbound cards and have them displayed here.

[Citronman]

I prefer this new version of spellbound. Feel a little like kicker/split card/bloodrush

[Aarhg]

What do you guys think of this "un-card" I made? And yea, I know, the art is probably better than Mozart, thank you.

[Asthanius]

He's not overpowered enough to be an original character (do not steal). Try giving him angel/demon wings and/or a huge sword.

[Aarhg]

He actually has ultra mega laser breath, but he closed his mouth right when I took the picture of him (and I was on my last freaking picture on my single use camera as well!).

[Asthanius]

In all seriousness, though, I think it's really weak, because if you're at all worried about it, you can just gain control of it during combat to make it unable to attack you or block you.

[Aarhg]

Yea, you have a point. I'm just not completely sure if upping his p/t will make him any more balanced. What if I made the "gain control of" effect cost a little more? Then your opponent wouldn't be able to grab it immediately if you cast it on curve.

[Asthanius]

I'd make the ability say "{3}: Gain control of CARDNAME. Any player may activate this ability during his or her own turn."

That way, if the opponent immediately takes it after you cast it on curve, they're using up basically their entire turn for it.

[WP&P]

With the Haste on him, the first player will get to use him, then the next player only gets to gain control of a tapped creature. But I wouldn't want it to just have "untap CARDNAME" tacked onto the ability, since that could become a combo engine.

Maybe something like, "When CARDNAME's controller changes, untap CARDNAME" (maybe there is better templating, not sure how best to write that)?

[Aarhg]

With the Haste on him, the first player will get to use him, then the next player only gets to gain control of a tapped creature. But I wouldn't want it to just have "untap CARDNAME" tacked onto the ability, since that could become a combo engine.

Maybe something like, "When CARDNAME's controller changes, untap CARDNAME" (maybe there is better templating, not sure how best to write that)?

The haste kinda has to be there, or summoning sickness would be a problem. But it fits his (original) character.
And I think the ability works well, as simple as it is now. Whenever the player who doesn't control Original Character has some free mana, they can just steal it on their opponent's turn before attacks. Then it untaps when the next turn begins.

[WP&P]

Let's say Player A cast OC, and Player B immediately spends 3 to take control prior to Declare Attackers. Both players are tapped out, so control changes but OC doesn't participate in combat (he could be used for blocking, but let's consider that Player A held off any attack, or has no other creatures).

Player B gets a turn, and now has OC. They untap the 3 mana they used to gain control, and the haste doesn't matter to them, they just attack with OC; Player A is still tapped out. Player B's turn ends with OC tapped, 3 mana available (if they so desire), and then Player A begins their follow up turn at a serious disadvantage. The haste is meaningful to them, as they can now attempt to gain the creature back... except, they have to wait until after untapping!

So Player A must sit on 3 open mana and leave OC under opponent's control until their untap step. Without an untap clause, the gain control ability is heavily weighted in favor of the opponent, I believe.

[Tinfish]

In honor of my current situation, I present you with a new MTG card:

Tinfish, Host of Plagues - 4BB
Legendary Artifact Creature - Zombie Fish
0/6
During your upkeep, put a -1-1 counter on each creature.

[WP&P]

Tinfish might actually be a bit over costed. The way it works also seems like it can be played around; creatures that arrive in later turns will have fewer negative counters, and of course it kills itself eventually. Melira gets around it, and as it gets weaker itself it becomes that much easier to remove.

What if it just gained a -1/-1 counter on itself each turn, and had "each other creature gets -X/-X, where X is equal to the number of counters on Tinfish." That way, it works like Elesh Norn, insta-killing small dudes that try to enter the field on later turns.

[Tinfish]

I wasn't sure about the casting cost - designing these things in a vacuum, it's hard to know how good a thing is. I also wasn't sure about the -X/-X idea you suggested, but now that this plague has advanced further I think it's brilliant. The symptoms are getting progressively worse, of course that's how it works.

[Aarhg]

I dang gone done a phoenix, y'all! That's how the kids talk these days, right? Anyway, here's the card.

Story - Click to Expand

This fiery bird was cursed by an evil-ass wizard, making it unable to rise from its ashes ever again. It then befriended a random dude who also happened to be fighting that evil wizard guy I mentioned. The random dude and the hot bird went on some fancy-ass adventures together, but then bird died horribly. Random dude was pretty sad, and felt cheated, since most hot birds tend to not die forever.

As he was being all sad and stuff, a flare of white light blinded him for a moment. He then saw a human-shaped being of light, bright as the sun, but not as hot as it, that would be silly. The funky light-being did some kind of spell on the pile of dead bird ashes, then vanished in yet another flare of "ow my eyes".

Random dude's confusion was clear on his face, but it was replaced by surprise, when the ash pile suddenly started moving. Slowly but surely it formed itself into the shape of a bird. A weird ash-bird. As the last bits of ash were flying into place, the bird started moving. It quickly greeted random dude, and he immediately knew that his old friend was back again.
He then named the bird "Ashwing", because apparently he never called the bird anything but "little guy" or "fella", but this new name seemed fitting.

And that's the rough story of this little phoenix. I hope I didn't frighten you all with my amazing writing abilities.

[Re'ozul]

This seems fine, but involves something I'm woefully unaware of.

When the transformed version (Ashwing) dies, is it exiled ashwing up or deathbound up? Basically, is it treated as ashwing or deathbound while in exile. I know manacosts for graveyard effects utilize the front bit could you infinitely recycle this card? If so, this would be massively useful.

Based on the Legendary part in ashwing I assume that that is possible and the legendary is your way of suppressing multiples.

[Mara Kalat]

This seems fine, but involves something I'm woefully unaware of.

When the transformed version (Ashwing) dies, is it exiled ashwing up or deathbound up? Basically, is it treated as ashwing or deathbound while in exile. I know manacosts for graveyard effects utilize the front bit could you infinitely recycle this card? If so, this would be massively useful.

Based on the Legendary part in ashwing I assume that that is possible and the legendary is your way of suppressing multiples.

Much like being morphed, monstrous or flipped the transformation is only something that exists on the battlefield. At least to my knowledge.
So this would allow for infinite recycling (which is good and in-flavour with phoenixes).

Mara.

[Artirian_Legacy]

Much like being morphed, monstrous or flipped the transformation is only something that exists on the battlefield. At least to my knowledge.
So this would allow for infinite recycling (which is good and in-flavour with phoenixes).

Mara.

Yes, Mara, you are correct. I used to be confused about this rule myself. Gold star to you!

[Mara Kalat]

Yes, Mara, you are correct. I used to be confused about this rule myself. Gold star to you!

I feel so special!

[Havtorn]

Right, so... I remember a while ago when I was in an M14 rare re-draft. Y'know, where you put all the rares back afterwards and "draft" those in the order of the placement in the draft.

I usually hate those, because I think the're a bit unfair, but it showed me something interesting: The most unwanted rare in M14, Spell Blast: http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=370645.

So, in an effort to try to make a fun version of it, I made it also give you thopters.


It shares the same weakness as Spell Blast in that it requires you to keep a large amount of mana open to counter spells that are cheaper than what you'll be casting Artificer's Trap for, but hopefully getting a couple of thopters in the bargain makes that less painful.

[Aarhg]

But, uh.. Spell Blast was an uncommon in M14.
Anyway, your card seems fun. Maybe a bit on the strong side, but the casting restriction balances it out, I suppose.

Edit: I did another little card. This one's for an "alternate win condition" design contest.
And I know, the wording is a little clunky, but I can't figure out a better one. Feedback is very welcome!

[WP&P]

I like Orilec - he feels like one of the original Commanders that WoTC gave us. I think the thing that sticks out to me is the word "Then". It makes it seem like it's still part of resolving the tap ability, which might well be your intention. But then there is a static ability wedged in there between the gain control effect and the win the game effect, both of which are triggered.

You could just split the static ability off on its own, and you don't need the "As long as you control Orilec" clause; the static ability will apply to whoever controls Orilec. It could just be "Creatures you control but do not own can't attack, block, or have their activated abilities be activated." If you want the ability to ONLY apply to creatures gained via Orilec, you could have counters of a unique type be placed on them as he gains them, then the static can be "Creatures you control with a [NAME] counter on them cannot attack, block, or laugh at a Crapshot"... er, whatever.