I'm trying to create some oriental-themed cards, but not like Kamigawa. I mean, without been hyperfocused on spirits, legendary cards and other things that makes Kamigawa flop. I don't know if I will succeed on this task, but I will try my best on it.
Overcome: Whenever a creature enters the battlefield under an opponent's control, if it has greater power or toughness than this creature, put X +1/+1 counters on this creature where X is the difference between their power/toughness plus 1.
Mechanic #1 from me is -- Fascinate (Whenever the enchanted creature deals combat damage to a player, its controller may create a token that's a copy of this card, except the token isn't legendary if this card is legendary.)
Pantheon - If you control "number" or more gods, "effect" I see it mostly on lands, artifacts, and enchantments though I could also see it on the Gods themselves. I wouldn't even consider putting it on a creature that doesn't have the subtype God.
clone pay a cost (it should be the creatures mana cost but you do whatever) to create a token that's a copy of this card. it should only be on creatures
Bloodied - Bloodied - If your life total is equal to or less than half your starting life total, [effect]. - Bloodied - As long as your life total is equal to or less than half your starting life total, [effect]. - Bloodied [cost] - [effect]. Activate this ability only if your life total is equal to or less than half your starting life total, [effect].
Invocation N (Updated) - Invocation N - If you control N or more creatures that share a color with [name], [effect]. - Invocation N - As you control N or more creatures that share a color with [name], [effect]. - Invocation N [cost] - [effect]. Activate this ability only if you control N or more creatures that share a color with [name].
Lurk [cost] If you put this card into your graveyard from your library, put it into exile. When you do, cast it for its lurk cost or put it into your graveyard.
Resonance - Resonance - If [prerequisite] is even, [effect]. - Resonance - As long as [prerequisite] is even, [effect]. - Resonance [cost] - [effect]. Activate this ability only if [prerequisite] is even.
Terminal (wording may vary) - Terminal - As long as [prerequisite] is 1 , [effect]. - Terminal - If [prerequisite] is 1, [effect]. - Terminal [cost] - [effect]. Activate this ability only if [prerequisite] is 1.
Examples :
Terminal - As long as you control exactly one creature, [effect]. Terminal - If you have exactly one card in your graveyard, [effect]. Terminal - As long as an opponent has 1 life, [effect].
Flatulent(Whenever a player smells a queer odor, this creature gains intimidate until end of turn.) Sleep In(When this creature enters the battlefield, it gains summoning sickness for three turns instead of one.)
Backstab [Cost] (during any declare attackers step, you may cast this for it's backstab cost tapped and attacking target creature. It deals double damage until end of turn.)
EDIT: Sorry about the length. No idea why I wrote a small book for these. EDIT II: Do y'all think these should be "...when this permanent leaves the battlefield or loses soulsteal/soulborrow, you gain/lose N life"? Or does that seem too..."hey don't break this"-y?
"Soulsteal N (When this [card type] enters the battlefield, you lose N life. When this [card type] leaves the battlefield, you gain N life.)
Rules:
*.a Soulsteal is a static ability. "Soulsteal N" means "When this permanent enters the battlefield, you lose N life. When this permanent leaves the battlefield, you gain N life." *.b If a permanent has multiple instances of soulsteal, each works independently.
And, conversely:
"Soulborrow N (When this [card type] enters the battlefield, you gain N life. When this [card type] leaves the battlefield, you lose N life.)"
Rules:
*.a Soulborrow is a static ability. "Soulborrow N" means "When this permanent enters the battlefield, you gain N life. When this permanent leaves the battlefield, you lose N life." *.b If a permanent has multiple instances of soulborrow, each works independently.
I feel like both keywords could obviously be abused a wee bit due to similar wording to Oblivion Ring. No idea how that would be helpful though, since they'd both ultimately trigger anyway. I thought about "You gain N life until this leaves the battlefield" and "You lose N life until this leaves the battlefield," but they just seemed they could be misinterpreted or at least unclear to me, and unnecessary given the above. Suggestions to remedy this, whether they be "Yeah, do the 'until this.'" or "Leave it how it is" are much appreciated!
I think the application of both would be to effectively have a life loss or life gain event sort of "waiting" that you could trigger when you wanted to (via blocking). It could also provide an incentive for defending players to avoid blocking (they may not want you to regain that life if it's significant enough). I guess it could also serve as a bit of a threshold if you found a way to have permanents with soulsteal leave the battlefield at instant speed (i.e. sacrificing), so that, when your burn opponent plays what they think is their big win condition and they forgot about soulsteal, you can gain that life back and they wasted their Fireball and their turn. Sort of, anyway.
Oh, also "When you would gain life, instead gain twice that life" exists. Yeah. I'm thinking both would be white and black, probably primarily black.
Soulborrow and soulsteal-esque ideas could also work with some other things now that I think about it...
Discard/draw Strange mana sinks?..or mana...storages? Some word [cost] (When you cast this spell, counter it unless you pay [cost]. When this leaves the battlefield, add [cost].) Hehe turns (When it enters, skip next N turns, take extra N after it leaves or vice versa) Exile permanents (you control)/return those (Could work both ways to temporarily retrieve cards from exile) etc.
Grudge - When CARDNAME enters the ACTION, target opponent may EFFECT. If they don’t, CARDNAME now holds a grudge against that player
And an effect that has to do with begrudged player.
Example:
Begrudging Landlord {2}{g}{w}
Grudge - When Begrudging Landlord enters the battlefield, target opponent may have you gain control of a land of their choice that they control. If they don't, Begrudging Landlord now holds a grudge against that player.
At the beginning of your upkeep, begrudged player may pay {2}. If they don't, they lose 3 life.
@Bowler218, what @MonkeyPirate2002 is trying to say is that your wording is improper and wouldn't make the mechanic function well. It's about mechanics and the ability for the mechanic to be playable.
I'll use ninjutsu and Prey Upon as examples.
Ninjutsu allows you to cast a creature spell in place of an unblocked attacker and have it tapped and attacking. That means the card with ninjutsu will deal combat damage to the defending player.
Prey Upon is a one-drop sorcery (g) that has a target creature you control fight target creature you don't control. These creatures deal combat damage to each other, but your creature is not attacking. If it said to attack target creature you don't control, then a) it couldn't attack the creature since you can only attack players and planeswalkers and b) the defending creature would...more accurately be a blocker? But it technically isn't blocking? It would need to say something like "Target creature you control attacks target opponent. You choose target creature defending player controls to block that creature."
I know where he's coming from, but let me explain where I'm coming from:
I just got back from a BSA summer camp with a lot of card ideas, and on the way from the spot where we picked up our gear from the trailer we use so we can go home I got one last idea. I play rouges in D&D, and the one constant between editions is the backstab ability, where if you are behind another humanoid and they don't know your there, you get double damage on the attack. My idea was something like a combo of ninjitsu and prey upon, but the normal fighting rules didn't feel right to me, and just coming out tapped and dealing damage wouldn't allow for stuff with "target attacking creature" to target it because the ability in D&D clearly has it as an attack, sometimes a sneak attack, but still an attack. And since it's considered an attack, I thought it would work to have it attack targeting it's desired "target." Once he does the kill everyone else knows he's here and he loses his double damage.
One mechanic, which I will be using quite heavily in my sets on the Plane of Thestria is Exorcism - If there are no cards in your graveyard and you control no black permanents, _______/whenever ______, if there are no cards in your graveyard and you control no black permanents, ________. The effects of Exorcism always benefit you, however, never doing things like giving creatures your opponents control -1/-1. Exorcism on creatures will often trigger when they attack, and can also often do things like give the creature +1/+1, and/or give it an additional keyword ability like vigilance. Exorcism on instants/sorceries or enchantments often do boosted versions of what they already did, for example gaining you 6 life where without having Exorcism you'd only gain 3. Exorcism on any permanent can commonly trigger when the permanent enters the battlefield. Examples: https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/cathedral-turmoil https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/tibellian-hulk https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/pondering-soldier https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/holy-immolation
@TrAction interesting mechanic. Unless you plan to keep everything out of your graveyard (such as if you're running Rest in Peace), I don't see it being that practical, however. Definitely interesting and could actually make running Rest in Peace very practical if it isn't already (I'm really not sure; I've never really seen it used anywhere, but I'm pretty new to MTG).
I'd be interested in seeing something similar, except maybe as a keyword action (Exercise blue; exercise black; exercise Beast; etc.) that does...something to all permanents, or maybe a target permanent, of the specified quality.
Gonna drop some comments on those cards so as to not flood the forums here
MTG Cardsmith Community Forums
Comments
Example card: https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/ruthless-ronin-1
I'm trying to create some oriental-themed cards, but not like Kamigawa. I mean, without been hyperfocused on spirits, legendary cards and other things that makes Kamigawa flop.
I don't know if I will succeed on this task, but I will try my best on it.
tangled counter on it)
The creature then has an effect to add and remove htose counters.
Example of card.
I see it mostly on lands, artifacts, and enchantments though I could also see it on the Gods themselves. I wouldn't even consider putting it on a creature that doesn't have the subtype God.
Example: https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/solbark-trail-relayer
clone pay a cost (it should be the creatures mana cost but you do whatever) to create a token that's a copy of this card.
it should only be on creatures
- Bloodied - If your life total is equal to or less than half your starting life total, [effect].
- Bloodied - As long as your life total is equal to or less than half your starting life total, [effect].
- Bloodied [cost] - [effect]. Activate this ability only if your life total is equal to or less than half your starting life total, [effect].
Invocation N (Updated)
- Invocation N - If you control N or more creatures that share a color with [name], [effect].
- Invocation N - As you control N or more creatures that share a color with [name], [effect].
- Invocation N [cost] - [effect]. Activate this ability only if you control N or more creatures that share a color with [name].
Lurk [cost]
If you put this card into your graveyard from your library, put it into exile. When you do, cast it for its lurk cost or put it into your graveyard.
Resonance
- Resonance - If [prerequisite] is even, [effect].
- Resonance - As long as [prerequisite] is even, [effect].
- Resonance [cost] - [effect]. Activate this ability only if [prerequisite] is even.
Terminal (wording may vary)
- Terminal - As long as [prerequisite] is 1 , [effect].
- Terminal - If [prerequisite] is 1, [effect].
- Terminal [cost] - [effect]. Activate this ability only if [prerequisite] is 1.
Examples :
Terminal - As long as you control exactly one creature, [effect].
Terminal - If you have exactly one card in your graveyard, [effect].
Terminal - As long as an opponent has 1 life, [effect].
Flatulent(Whenever a player smells a queer odor, this creature gains intimidate until end of turn.)
Sleep In(When this creature enters the battlefield, it gains summoning sickness for three turns instead of one.)
Heed
Heed - (As long as this _____ is untapped, it can't be the target of spells or abilities during your opponents' turn.)
EDIT II: Do y'all think these should be "...when this permanent leaves the battlefield or loses soulsteal/soulborrow, you gain/lose N life"? Or does that seem too..."hey don't break this"-y?
"Soulsteal N (When this [card type] enters the battlefield, you lose N life. When this [card type] leaves the battlefield, you gain N life.)
Rules:
*.a Soulsteal is a static ability. "Soulsteal N" means "When this permanent enters the battlefield, you lose N life. When this permanent leaves the battlefield, you gain N life."
*.b If a permanent has multiple instances of soulsteal, each works independently.
And, conversely:
"Soulborrow N (When this [card type] enters the battlefield, you gain N life. When this [card type] leaves the battlefield, you lose N life.)"
Rules:
*.a Soulborrow is a static ability. "Soulborrow N" means "When this permanent enters the battlefield, you gain N life. When this permanent leaves the battlefield, you lose N life."
*.b If a permanent has multiple instances of soulborrow, each works independently.
I feel like both keywords could obviously be abused a wee bit due to similar wording to Oblivion Ring. No idea how that would be helpful though, since they'd both ultimately trigger anyway. I thought about "You gain N life until this leaves the battlefield" and "You lose N life until this leaves the battlefield," but they just seemed they could be misinterpreted or at least unclear to me, and unnecessary given the above. Suggestions to remedy this, whether they be "Yeah, do the 'until this.'" or "Leave it how it is" are much appreciated!
I think the application of both would be to effectively have a life loss or life gain event sort of "waiting" that you could trigger when you wanted to (via blocking). It could also provide an incentive for defending players to avoid blocking (they may not want you to regain that life if it's significant enough). I guess it could also serve as a bit of a threshold if you found a way to have permanents with soulsteal leave the battlefield at instant speed (i.e. sacrificing), so that, when your burn opponent plays what they think is their big win condition and they forgot about soulsteal, you can gain that life back and they wasted their Fireball and their turn. Sort of, anyway.
Oh, also "When you would gain life, instead gain twice that life" exists. Yeah. I'm thinking both would be white and black, probably primarily black.
Feedback is much appreciated!
Discard/draw
Strange mana sinks?..or mana...storages? Some word [cost] (When you cast this spell, counter it unless you pay [cost]. When this leaves the battlefield, add [cost].)
Hehe turns (When it enters, skip next N turns, take extra N after it leaves or vice versa)
Exile permanents (you control)/return those (Could work both ways to temporarily retrieve cards from exile)
etc.
Grudge - When CARDNAME enters the ACTION, target opponent may EFFECT. If they don’t, CARDNAME now holds a grudge against that player
And an effect that has to do with begrudged player.
Example:
Begrudging Landlord {2}{g}{w}
Grudge - When Begrudging Landlord enters the
battlefield, target opponent may have you gain
control of a land of their choice that they control.
If they don't, Begrudging Landlord now holds a
grudge against that player.
At the beginning of your upkeep, begrudged
player may pay {2}. If they don't, they lose 3 life.
https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/begrudging-landlord
Besides, fighting is very similar to attacking, and it’s the proper mtg term for what you’re trying to do.
A war of the Spark
I'll use ninjutsu and Prey Upon as examples.
Ninjutsu allows you to cast a creature spell in place of an unblocked attacker and have it tapped and attacking. That means the card with ninjutsu will deal combat damage to the defending player.
Prey Upon is a one-drop sorcery (g) that has a target creature you control fight target creature you don't control. These creatures deal combat damage to each other, but your creature is not attacking. If it said to attack target creature you don't control, then a) it couldn't attack the creature since you can only attack players and planeswalkers and b) the defending creature would...more accurately be a blocker? But it technically isn't blocking? It would need to say something like "Target creature you control attacks target opponent. You choose target creature defending player controls to block that creature."
Hope that helps clarify!
I just got back from a BSA summer camp with a lot of card ideas, and on the way from the spot where we picked up our gear from the trailer we use so we can go home I got one last idea. I play rouges in D&D, and the one constant between editions is the backstab ability, where if you are behind another humanoid and they don't know your there, you get double damage on the attack. My idea was something like a combo of ninjitsu and prey upon, but the normal fighting rules didn't feel right to me, and just coming out tapped and dealing damage wouldn't allow for stuff with "target attacking creature" to target it because the ability in D&D clearly has it as an attack, sometimes a sneak attack, but still an attack. And since it's considered an attack, I thought it would work to have it attack targeting it's desired "target." Once he does the kill everyone else knows he's here and he loses his double damage.
Examples:
https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/cathedral-turmoil
https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/tibellian-hulk
https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/pondering-soldier
https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/holy-immolation
I'd be interested in seeing something similar, except maybe as a keyword action (Exercise blue; exercise black; exercise Beast; etc.) that does...something to all permanents, or maybe a target permanent, of the specified quality.
Gonna drop some comments on those cards so as to not flood the forums here