@KorandAngels even if you don't print any migrate/landfall cards, imagine if that card that you posted was a legal commander. That would be a meta-changer because landfall was mostly those colors
Also, an updated version of Sunburst on nonpermanent spells could be interesting. It might not be useful for much other than flavor. In my below example, it could just say "Create a 3/3 green Beast creature token for each color of mana spent to pay this spell's costs." Of course, that could change its interactions slightly, as some cards care about the color of spells.
i.e.
Forest's Call 4G Sorcery
Sunburst (This spell is each color of mana spent to pay its costs.)
Create a 3/3 green Beast creature token for each color this spell is.
Supreme Deity - (When this spell resolves, choose a creature you control. If you don't have a Supreme Deity, that creature becomes your Supreme Deity.)
The intended effect is that the creature become a God, and has an enchantment effect, the example below is a work in progress but it serves its purpose
If you want to know more about this mechanic, I implore you to peruse this Google Doc I made, it also includes info about the plane I am making.
- Informant — Whenever you draw your second card each turn, [Effect]. Just a name for an unnamed mechanic in Throne of Eldraine.
- Epiphanize N (Look at the bottom N cards of your library, then put any number of them on the top of your library and the rest on bottom in any order.) or - Epiphanize (Look at the bottom card of your library. You may put that card on top of your library.) Think of epiphanize as scrying from the bottom, 'cause that's what it is. Try pulling ideas from the back of your mind instead of the front!
- Hallowed (This card can't be the target of spells or abilities while it is in the graveyard.) Meant to be paired with a minor beneficial effect for the card being in the graveyard.
- Sleepwalk (This creature can block while tapped. If it would die during the turn it blocks this way, exile it instead.) A means to give creatures with tap abilities a touch more utility, but at a cost.
- Submission [Cost] (When this creature attacks, you may pay [Cost]. If you do, tap target creature defending player controls.) A simple representation of one creature holding sway over another, but not enough to constitute mind control. Easily paired with abilities that trigger when a creature deals combat damage or isn't blocked.
- Bless (When this creature enters the battlefield, put a fate counter on another target creature. That creature becomes blessed.) A means to grant the underused fate counter using a designation similar to monstrous. Paired with spells and abilities that care about "blessed creatures" or fate counters. Speaking of which...
- Fated N (As an additional cost, you may remove N fate counters from among permanents you control.) An additional cost, much like kicker, that cares about fate counters. Like kicker, it grants alternate or enhanced effects to the spell.
- Destined N (This creature enters the battlefield with N fate counters on it.) A way to bake fate counters right into a creature as opposed to placing them via an external source. Paired with abilities that remove fate counters as a cost.
- Legacy (When this creature dies, create a token copy of it, except it's an Aura permanent with enchant creature and no mana cost.) A twist on the bestow ability for enchantment creatures, instead relying on death as a trigger.
- Underdog — If an opponent controls more creatures than you, [Effect]. A way to benefit from being behind on board state.
- Extract (When this creature enters the battlefield, you may sacrifice a land.) A variant of exploit in which you sacrifice a land instead of a creature. This mechanic was made for a challenge to design cards for the color purple. For those unaware, WotC playtested an additional color in Planar Chaos to emphasize the alternate reality vibe for the set.
And an example for each in the above listed order:
Last Chance (When this card enters the graveyard from anywhere for the first time each turn, exile it, you may cast it until end of turn.)
I wanted a mechanic that could create dramatic scenarios and finishers without having to be 7+ CMC, I still think it can be improved, but feel free to experiment with it.
This creature wanders (Reveal the top card of your library. If It is a land card, draw a card.)
Two noticeable things: •I love explore but the reminder text Is INSANELY long, I hate that. I think reminder text should always be less than 3 lines if possible. •I chose to make it a draw a card effect because it saves space AND It Is more interactive than "put It into your hand". It triggers underworld dreams, lorescale coatl, etc.
This ability adds a space for holding captured creatures, much like the energy reserve in Kaladesh.
Capture target creature (Exile targeted creature facedown into your Brig.)
Text for the Brig: "Whenever you would be dealt combat damage by a creature, that creatures controller may return a random creature from your Brig to the battlefield under its owners control instead. Doing so does not activate any 'enter the battlefield abilities' that effect anything other than the returned creature."
Deluge, Chaín or Concatenate. Still not sure wich name to use. (When you cast this spell, reveal the top card of your library, if It has converted mana cost lower than this spell, you may cast it without paying it's mana cost)
Or
(When you cast this spell, reveal the top card of your library, if It has converted mana cost lower than this spell, you may cast it without paying it's mana cost. That spell gains Deluge.)
I don't want to do an strictly worse Cascade but It might be necessary.
Advanced manna benefits from merging, instead of being penalized. Further, it usually has a huge advantage over normal forms of manna. Remember, STATE the land now, because there's new subs in the different colors due to advanced manna.
Surreal [cost] (When you cast this spell, you may pay an additional [cost]. If you do, you may return this card to your hand when it resolves.)
Mainly used solely for instants and sorceries, it's supposed to raise the cost by the same amount of colored mana necessary for the respective spells (ex. a 1UR will have UR as surreal cost in most cases) but this is for the sake of having instants and sorceries return to your hand after resolving, which I think migh be a useful and maybe competitive ability in the long run.
Freeze [cost] (Whenever this creature attacks, you may pay [cost] to tap a creature an opponent controls, it doesn't untap during its controllers next untap step.)
This was created for the let it snow contest, but imho fits best for any blue creature when taken out of the snow permanent context, allowing you to make greater use of attacks by tapping a creature you least want blocking you during your combat phase, provided the target does not have hexproof or shroud or any protection of your creature's color.
Frostbite — If you control 3 or more Snow permanents, [card name] [insert effect]
Just like hellbent, spell mastery, treshhold, etc this ability wants you to play on having something somewhere in or out of your board. This is obviously a specific ability for snow permanents as it was designed for the let it snow contest, so it might seem a little boring and out of place in regards to other mechanics of this kind.
@Credius -Surreal WotC has already made that mechanic. It is called Buyback( https://mtg.gamepedia.com/Buyback ) Personally, it is one of my least favorite mechanics, because it's like a permanent that's impossible to remove, and super annoying in late game.
-Freeze ".. you may pay [Cost]. If you do, ...." The mechanic is fine, but this looks like only for blue cards. WotC doesn't keyword abilities that appear only in one color. But it doesn't mean we can't do that on this site. "Freeze" is a verb, so I would imagine an action keyword rather than triggered ability keyword. It's more flexible. For example, {u}, {t}: Freeze target creature. (Tap that creature. It doesn't untap during its controller's next untap step.) Whenever this creature attacks, you may pay {5}. If you do, freeze up to two target creatures.
-Frostbite "3" should be "three". You can put as many basic snow lands as you want in your deck, so gaining that [effect] is much easier than hellbent or spell mastery. I would make it say "nonland snow permanents".
@Lastjustice White isn't supposed to get "draw a card" very often. I don't think designing a keyword for something that gives white exactly that is wise, but the mechanic is neat!
@Faiths_Guide If you look at the writing on the wall, Commander is the future of magic as wotc is taking notice to the fact it's a major money maker and an eternal foremat so people are willing invest in it. They need make cards with more card draw that are printed in commander sets, so doesn't goof up white's performance in standard. The mindset white can't have card draw shouldn't be held to commander. (Which my mechanic would be terrible in being a singleton foremat in majority of cases.) There needs be a different design philosophy for each foremat. Similar to how some video games have forked designs, where certain abilities/characters are buffed and nerfed between single player and multiplayer modes.
I mean try make a mono white deck that could easily combo off and draw your entire deck(assuming there was an artifact win condition for decking yourself.)...I don't know if it's even possible in a reasonable time table. Every other color is capable doing it far faster. Even if your opponent is playing poorly, if they are drawing twice as many cards as you, you will lose to them if the game drags on. The longer the game goes on, the larger their advantage becomes. As someone who heavily plays white I can be beating the tar out of someone, and then do something that allows them to draw dozens of cards and win out of no where. I can squeeze all the value I possibly can out of creatures and permanents,pick 100% the most optimal targets for my removal but at some point I just need more cards to win.
Green keeps getting cards that reward it for doing what green does, play creatures or lands. They don't even need pay anything to get the draw alot of times since the card that triggers the card draw is out. White typically needs pay mana on top of the narrow conditions.(small creatures, equipment, auras/enchantments) White card draw generally needs be built around truly work. I think that's an acceptable thing, just there's need be more options and cards that work with in that framework to give white some means be more competitive especially in commander. The gap needs be made a bit narrower than it is. While I agree colors need have something that makes them different, white has continued to lose what made it unique and gets nothing new to replace the things it loses. The game has evolved but white hasn't changed enough to keep up.
@Lastjustice Wizards has conceded that egregious bends or straight-up breaks (as they've done for green in the past) is a terrible solution to a problem. They used that solution for green because it, like white presently and every color at some point in time, was considered the weakest. As the "Lend White a Helping Hand" contest spells out, there are better ways to solve white's underwhelming power in EDH and every other format than simply creating abilities that break white's mechanical identity.
To get back to your keyword ability designed for white: this is a sort of worst case application. Designing something as a keyword for a color in which it is a break. There are far better--more unique, interesting, & fun--solutions to the problem you (and others) are finding with the color.
I'm just trying to alter your direction to a reasonable one while attempting to tackle this issue. In short, there is plenty of room for both white's change and expansion without stepping on the other color's mechanical toes.
Stalk {cost} (At the end of each block step, if there is an unblocked creature attacking you, you may cast this card for its stalk cost. If you do, choose an unblocked creature attacking you. This creature blocks that creature.)
Forge a Sword and/or Shield (Create a colorless artifact Equipment token named Sword with “Equipped creature gets +1/+0” and “Equip {1}” and/or a colorless artifact Equipment token named Shield with “Equipped creature gets +0/+1” and “Equip {1}”.)
Evict (If X or more cards you own are in exile, {effect}. X is this card’s converted mana cost.)
Prosecute X (Choose up to one target nonland permanent and exile it with X jail counters on it. That permanent's owner may pay {2} to remove a jail counter from that permanent at any time they could cast a sorcery. When there are no jail counters on it, return it to the battlefield.)
I feel like giving my two cents because I like white as a color, but it isn't performing well by any stretch of the imagination. I don't think it's performing well in...any formats, unless I'm mistaken.
To begin, that mechanic is snazzy, and I agree with Lastjustice on the card draw. Rewarding, for example, green by giving it card draw for big creatures (as is done frequently) is, I would argue, far from a color bend. Rather, it should be a core part of all five-colors' designs. Red can impulse draw, black can pay life, blue can, you know, draw, and green can draw based on its creatures (and things that it likes to have, such as enchantments). Red isn't really supposed to be able to get card advantage, but impulse drawing and cards like Risk Factor are flavorful ways of giving red card advantage while staying in its color. Black just...does black and pays life and sacrifices permanents because it's red. Green should, by design philosophy, not be nearly as good at gaining card advantage as blue. However, it can out-draw blue in many cases while staying in the borders of its color.
White has a "go wide" theme. It likes meek (power 2 or less) creatures. Thus, cards that function similar to Inspiring Commander could absolutely be printed without breaking any rules. Rather, the design philosophy would shift to enable each color to draw cards for doing things that color is good at.
White also taxes. Card draw effects like Rhystic Study (though not necessarily quite as powerful) could slot into white. Hell, I personally thing white should be secondary for counterspells and get cards functionally similar to Quench, Mana Leak, Convolute, and so-forth. It should be able to ramp, fix mana, gain card advantage, etc., from Balance/Land Tax-style and taxing effects (not at the same power level, however...).
It shouldn't do it better than the colors. It needs setup. Those counterspells would be worse than blue's counterspells overall, but fit into white. The potential fixing and the deck thinning from Land Tax-style cards fit into white, but it wouldn't necessarily do it as well as green.
The power levels would, of course, need to be kept in check. White shouldn't necessarily be able to do anything the other colors can with the stipulation that it requires taxing or Balance-esque effects, but it really needs to be able to have a few core things it can tax.
White can board wipe. It can drop creatures with big toughness. But neither of those matter much if you can't get ahead. The board wipes let you level things out without helping you get ahead (such is the nature of board wipes...a decent chunk of the time). That 6/4 on the board is far scarier than white's 4/6 in most instances.
On other notes, white should be primary for of fog-effects (red is one of its enemy colors...), be better at indestructible, and see some more recursion to go well with its ability to wipe the board. It needs things that set it apart from other colors while also helping blend it with its two ally colors, as they should share some philosophies (i.e. white and green both pump their team, but green can also focus on individual creatures better than white).
White should get some more rewards for gaining life. It's the best color at it, but lifegain on its own isn't that great. Dawn of Hope-style effects are a good way for white to that while staying in its slice of the pie.
In sum:
White basically borrows from other colors. It doesn't do much of anything better than other colors, which is problematic. White cares about justice and equality. White should be able to benefit better off of other colors doing better than it. It should be able to, if setup correctly, outpace your opponents by utilizing their own advancements for its benefit with a justice and taxing flavor.
The details of this would need to be explored through design and require setup while being typically slower than other colors to allow it to be used advantageously without outright outperforming other colors. I think if that design for white was implemented, some work at balancing out the colors could start taking place. But right now, white just doesn't cut it and needs a better represented and explored identity that enables it to keep up with other colors. It should be good at mid-rangy decks since it's situated between a color that's typically aggressive and a color that's typically looking for late games, and taxing effects can help with that. They can help slow down aggressive decks and punish decks going into the late game for gaining the advantages it does in the late game.
I feel there are two major routes that I've discussed:
1. Make white able to make itself better than its opponent because its opponent is better than it. (Yes, I intentionally worded it like that.)
2. Freakin', give white some love and make it have things that are advantageous and that it can do well.
MTG Cardsmith Community Forums
Comments
(Note that you only get Basic lands out of the deal.)
Examples:
Overpower — If [blank] has converted mana cost N or less...
Example (a card that was made for Nobody Likes Counterspells by @KorandAngels):
i.e.
Forest's Call
4G
Sorcery
Sunburst (This spell is each color of mana spent to pay its costs.)
Create a 3/3 green Beast creature token for each color this spell is.
Example:
https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/avariel-wanderer-of-lands
The intended effect is that the creature become a God, and has an enchantment effect, the example below is a work in progress but it serves its purpose
If you want to know more about this mechanic, I implore you to peruse this Google Doc I made, it also includes info about the plane I am making.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1NsIqLur1jPebj_VzLA8acVHF-kZCzG-J7618oXqai8Q/edit?usp=sharing
Just a name for an unnamed mechanic in Throne of Eldraine.
- Epiphanize N (Look at the bottom N cards of your library, then put any number of them on the top of your library and the rest on bottom in any order.)
or
- Epiphanize (Look at the bottom card of your library. You may put that card on top of your library.)
Think of epiphanize as scrying from the bottom, 'cause that's what it is. Try pulling ideas from the back of your mind instead of the front!
- Hallowed (This card can't be the target of spells or abilities while it is in the graveyard.)
Meant to be paired with a minor beneficial effect for the card being in the graveyard.
- Sleepwalk (This creature can block while tapped. If it would die during the turn it blocks this way, exile it instead.)
A means to give creatures with tap abilities a touch more utility, but at a cost.
- Submission [Cost] (When this creature attacks, you may pay [Cost]. If you do, tap target creature defending player controls.)
A simple representation of one creature holding sway over another, but not enough to constitute mind control. Easily paired with abilities that trigger when a creature deals combat damage or isn't blocked.
- Bless (When this creature enters the battlefield, put a fate counter on another target creature. That creature becomes blessed.)
A means to grant the underused fate counter using a designation similar to monstrous. Paired with spells and abilities that care about "blessed creatures" or fate counters. Speaking of which...
- Fated N (As an additional cost, you may remove N fate counters from among permanents you control.)
An additional cost, much like kicker, that cares about fate counters. Like kicker, it grants alternate or enhanced effects to the spell.
- Destined N (This creature enters the battlefield with N fate counters on it.)
A way to bake fate counters right into a creature as opposed to placing them via an external source. Paired with abilities that remove fate counters as a cost.
- Legacy (When this creature dies, create a token copy of it, except it's an Aura permanent with enchant creature and no mana cost.)
A twist on the bestow ability for enchantment creatures, instead relying on death as a trigger.
- Underdog — If an opponent controls more creatures than you, [Effect].
A way to benefit from being behind on board state.
- Extract (When this creature enters the battlefield, you may sacrifice a land.)
A variant of exploit in which you sacrifice a land instead of a creature. This mechanic was made for a challenge to design cards for the color purple. For those unaware, WotC playtested an additional color in Planar Chaos to emphasize the alternate reality vibe for the set.
And an example for each in the above listed order:
I wanted a mechanic that could create dramatic scenarios and finishers without having to be 7+ CMC, I still think it can be improved, but feel free to experiment with it.
Two noticeable things:
•I love explore but the reminder text Is INSANELY long, I hate that. I think reminder text should always be less than 3 lines if possible.
•I chose to make it a draw a card effect because it saves space AND It Is more interactive than "put It into your hand". It triggers underworld dreams, lorescale coatl, etc.
Capture target creature (Exile targeted creature facedown into your Brig.)
Text for the Brig:
"Whenever you would be dealt combat damage by a creature, that creatures controller may return a random creature from your Brig to the battlefield under its owners control instead. Doing so does not activate any 'enter the battlefield abilities' that effect anything other than the returned creature."
Represents a heroic individual transcending their mortal body to become a god (Theros Type).
(When you cast this spell, reveal the top card of your library, if It has converted mana cost lower than this spell, you may cast it without paying it's mana cost)
Or
(When you cast this spell, reveal the top card of your library, if It has converted mana cost lower than this spell, you may cast it without paying it's mana cost. That spell gains Deluge.)
I don't want to do an strictly worse Cascade but It might be necessary.
Submerge {Cost} - {Cost} Exile this creature, then return it to the battlefield under it's owners control, it gains haste until end of turn. https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/terror-of-the-shallows?list=user
Unkillable - Whenever {Name} would be put into a graveyard form anywhere, instead put it into your hand. https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/deadpool-antihero?list=user
Here are a few that I made for Star Wars.
Force Push {Cost} - {Cost} Tap target creature, that creature doesn't untap during it's controllers next untap step, activate this ability only up to three times each turn. https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/obi-wan-kenobi-jedi-master-6?list=user
Force Jump {Cost} - {Cost} {Name} get's +1/+1 and gains Reach until end of turn. https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/yoda-jedi-master-18?list=user
Meditate {Cost} - {Cost} Look at the top four cards of your library, put them back in any order. https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/mace-windu-jedi-master-5?list=user
Here are a couple I made for The Wheel of Time
Saidin {Cost} - {Cost} Choose one, This creature deals 3 damage to any target, or Draw 2 cards you lose 2 life. https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/rand-al-thor-king-of-illian?list=user
Saidar {Cost} - {Cost} Choose one, Regenerate another target creature, or Tap target creature, that creature doesn't untap during it's controllers next untap step. https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/moiraine-damodred-2?list=user
I made these two for The Princess Bride.
Swordsmanship - Whenever {Name} becomes blocked by a creature without Swordsmanship, that creature gets -2/-1 until end of turn. https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/the-man-in-black-3?list=user
Sneak-attack {Cost} - {Cost} {Name} can't be blocked by creature with greater power until end of turn. https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/the-six-fingered-man?list=user
I made these for unglued cards... their kinda stupid.
Flatter N - Whenever {Name} attacks, target creature an opponent controls gets +N/+N until end of turn. https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/joe-the-incredibly-handsome?list=user
Beauty Sleep {Cost} - {Cost}{tap} Exile {Name} Return it to the battlefield at the beginning of your next end step with four +1/+1 counters on it. https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/joe-the-incredibly-handsome?list=user
Macaroni - Whenever this creature becomes tapped, you may say "Macaroni" if you do, grab target card form a random stack, and put it into your hand. https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/shadow-1-2-3?list=user
If I ever make more, I will edit this post
Advanced manna benefits from merging, instead of being penalized. Further, it usually has a huge advantage over normal forms of manna.
Remember, STATE the land now, because there's new subs in the different colors due to advanced manna.
Surreal [cost] (When you cast this spell, you
may pay an additional [cost]. If you do, you
may return this card to your hand when it resolves.)
Mainly used solely for instants and sorceries, it's supposed to raise the cost by the same amount of colored mana necessary for the respective spells (ex. a 1UR will have UR as surreal cost in most cases) but this is for the sake of having instants and sorceries return to your hand after resolving, which I think migh be a useful and maybe competitive ability in the long run.
Freeze [cost] (Whenever this creature attacks, you may
pay [cost] to tap a creature an opponent controls, it
doesn't untap during its controllers next untap step.)
This was created for the let it snow contest, but imho fits best for any blue creature when taken out of the snow permanent context, allowing you to make greater use of attacks by tapping a creature you least want blocking you during your combat phase, provided the target does not have hexproof or shroud or any protection of your creature's color.
Frostbite — If you control 3 or more Snow
permanents, [card name] [insert effect]
Just like hellbent, spell mastery, treshhold, etc this ability wants you to play on having something somewhere in or out of your board. This is obviously a specific ability for snow permanents as it was designed for the let it snow contest, so it might seem a little boring and out of place in regards to other mechanics of this kind.
@Tomigon
Could you do me a solid and review these?
-Surreal
WotC has already made that mechanic. It is called Buyback( https://mtg.gamepedia.com/Buyback )
Personally, it is one of my least favorite mechanics, because it's like a permanent that's impossible to remove, and super annoying in late game.
-Freeze
".. you may pay [Cost]. If you do, ...."
The mechanic is fine, but this looks like only for blue cards. WotC doesn't keyword abilities that appear only in one color. But it doesn't mean we can't do that on this site.
"Freeze" is a verb, so I would imagine an action keyword rather than triggered ability keyword. It's more flexible. For example,
{u}, {t}: Freeze target creature. (Tap that creature. It doesn't untap during its controller's next untap step.)
Whenever this creature attacks, you may pay {5}. If you do, freeze up to two target creatures.
-Frostbite
"3" should be "three".
You can put as many basic snow lands as you want in your deck, so gaining that [effect] is much easier than hellbent or spell mastery. I would make it say "nonland snow permanents".
ex.
({m} can be paid with one mana from an artifact.)
-Void mana symbols
({_/v} can be paid with either {_} or by exiling a ____ card from your hand.)
-Dominarian mana symbols
({_/d} can be paid with either {_} or by tapping an untapped 'color' legendary creature you control.)
-Serran mana symbols
({_/s} can be paid with either {_} or by sacrificing a 'color' enchantment.)
I like that mechanic!
Conformity By LastJustice
Conformity (Whenever another permanent with the same name enters the battlefield, you may pay {1}. If you do, draw a card.)
White isn't supposed to get "draw a card" very often. I don't think designing a keyword for something that gives white exactly that is wise, but the mechanic is neat!
I mean try make a mono white deck that could easily combo off and draw your entire deck(assuming there was an artifact win condition for decking yourself.)...I don't know if it's even possible in a reasonable time table. Every other color is capable doing it far faster. Even if your opponent is playing poorly, if they are drawing twice as many cards as you, you will lose to them if the game drags on. The longer the game goes on, the larger their advantage becomes. As someone who heavily plays white I can be beating the tar out of someone, and then do something that allows them to draw dozens of cards and win out of no where. I can squeeze all the value I possibly can out of creatures and permanents,pick 100% the most optimal targets for my removal but at some point I just need more cards to win.
Green keeps getting cards that reward it for doing what green does, play creatures or lands. They don't even need pay anything to get the draw alot of times since the card that triggers the card draw is out. White typically needs pay mana on top of the narrow conditions.(small creatures, equipment, auras/enchantments) White card draw generally needs be built around truly work. I think that's an acceptable thing, just there's need be more options and cards that work with in that framework to give white some means be more competitive especially in commander. The gap needs be made a bit narrower than it is. While I agree colors need have something that makes them different, white has continued to lose what made it unique and gets nothing new to replace the things it loses. The game has evolved but white hasn't changed enough to keep up.
Wizards has conceded that egregious bends or straight-up breaks (as they've done for green in the past) is a terrible solution to a problem. They used that solution for green because it, like white presently and every color at some point in time, was considered the weakest. As the "Lend White a Helping Hand" contest spells out, there are better ways to solve white's underwhelming power in EDH and every other format than simply creating abilities that break white's mechanical identity.
To get back to your keyword ability designed for white: this is a sort of worst case application. Designing something as a keyword for a color in which it is a break. There are far better--more unique, interesting, & fun--solutions to the problem you (and others) are finding with the color.
I'm just trying to alter your direction to a reasonable one while attempting to tackle this issue. In short, there is plenty of room for both white's change and expansion without stepping on the other color's mechanical toes.
Stalk {cost} (At the end of each block step, if there is an unblocked creature attacking you, you may cast this card for its stalk cost. If you do, choose an unblocked creature attacking you. This creature blocks that creature.)
Forge a Sword and/or Shield (Create a colorless artifact Equipment token named Sword with “Equipped creature gets +1/+0” and “Equip {1}” and/or a colorless artifact Equipment token named Shield with “Equipped creature gets +0/+1” and “Equip {1}”.)
Evict (If X or more cards you own are in exile, {effect}. X is this card’s converted mana cost.)
Prosecute X (Choose up to one target nonland permanent and exile it with X jail counters on it. That permanent's owner may pay {2} to remove a jail counter from that permanent at any time they could cast a sorcery. When there are no jail counters on it, return it to the battlefield.)
All of these by Irihihi
I feel like giving my two cents because I like white as a color, but it isn't performing well by any stretch of the imagination. I don't think it's performing well in...any formats, unless I'm mistaken.
To begin, that mechanic is snazzy, and I agree with Lastjustice on the card draw. Rewarding, for example, green by giving it card draw for big creatures (as is done frequently) is, I would argue, far from a color bend. Rather, it should be a core part of all five-colors' designs. Red can impulse draw, black can pay life, blue can, you know, draw, and green can draw based on its creatures (and things that it likes to have, such as enchantments). Red isn't really supposed to be able to get card advantage, but impulse drawing and cards like Risk Factor are flavorful ways of giving red card advantage while staying in its color. Black just...does black and pays life and sacrifices permanents because it's red. Green should, by design philosophy, not be nearly as good at gaining card advantage as blue. However, it can out-draw blue in many cases while staying in the borders of its color.
White has a "go wide" theme. It likes meek (power 2 or less) creatures. Thus, cards that function similar to Inspiring Commander could absolutely be printed without breaking any rules. Rather, the design philosophy would shift to enable each color to draw cards for doing things that color is good at.
White also taxes. Card draw effects like Rhystic Study (though not necessarily quite as powerful) could slot into white. Hell, I personally thing white should be secondary for counterspells and get cards functionally similar to Quench, Mana Leak, Convolute, and so-forth. It should be able to ramp, fix mana, gain card advantage, etc., from Balance/Land Tax-style and taxing effects (not at the same power level, however...).
It shouldn't do it better than the colors. It needs setup. Those counterspells would be worse than blue's counterspells overall, but fit into white. The potential fixing and the deck thinning from Land Tax-style cards fit into white, but it wouldn't necessarily do it as well as green.
The power levels would, of course, need to be kept in check. White shouldn't necessarily be able to do anything the other colors can with the stipulation that it requires taxing or Balance-esque effects, but it really needs to be able to have a few core things it can tax.
White can board wipe. It can drop creatures with big toughness. But neither of those matter much if you can't get ahead. The board wipes let you level things out without helping you get ahead (such is the nature of board wipes...a decent chunk of the time). That 6/4 on the board is far scarier than white's 4/6 in most instances.
On other notes, white should be primary for of fog-effects (red is one of its enemy colors...), be better at indestructible, and see some more recursion to go well with its ability to wipe the board. It needs things that set it apart from other colors while also helping blend it with its two ally colors, as they should share some philosophies (i.e. white and green both pump their team, but green can also focus on individual creatures better than white).
White should get some more rewards for gaining life. It's the best color at it, but lifegain on its own isn't that great. Dawn of Hope-style effects are a good way for white to that while staying in its slice of the pie.
In sum:
White basically borrows from other colors. It doesn't do much of anything better than other colors, which is problematic. White cares about justice and equality. White should be able to benefit better off of other colors doing better than it. It should be able to, if setup correctly, outpace your opponents by utilizing their own advancements for its benefit with a justice and taxing flavor.
The details of this would need to be explored through design and require setup while being typically slower than other colors to allow it to be used advantageously without outright outperforming other colors. I think if that design for white was implemented, some work at balancing out the colors could start taking place. But right now, white just doesn't cut it and needs a better represented and explored identity that enables it to keep up with other colors. It should be good at mid-rangy decks since it's situated between a color that's typically aggressive and a color that's typically looking for late games, and taxing effects can help with that. They can help slow down aggressive decks and punish decks going into the late game for gaining the advantages it does in the late game.
I feel there are two major routes that I've discussed:
1. Make white able to make itself better than its opponent because its opponent is better than it. (Yes, I intentionally worded it like that.)
2. Freakin', give white some love and make it have things that are advantageous and that it can do well.