MTG Cardsmith Community Forums
Make Mono-White Great Again (at least in edh)
As you all might be aware, mono-white being the worst color (mostly in commader) has become a bit of a meme lately. Most people pointing out the lack of ramp and card draw, which are quite esential in commander.
I've tried to look for some fan-made solutions on the internet, but wasn't able to find much, so I come to you, my dear Cardsmiths, for I could try to make some cards myself, but together it will be far more fun and interesting.
I won't tell you what exactly to do, the only point is to create a MONO-WHITE card, that focuses on bringing some interesting mechanics to white. Note that I am not demanding white ramp or card draw, I am rather looking for some "splashy" and original mechanics for white.
I will be judging the originality, functionality, balance, overall looks and whether your cards fits white's place in the color pie.
You are allowed 3 whole entries (or more if you have a lot of cool ideas and you ask for permission first). Up to one older card may be submited if it already wasn't made for another contest.
You have the month of February for entering (I'll judge somewhere around the beginning of March).
1st place: 4 faves
2nd place: 3 faves
3rd place: 2 faves
Hapy smithing!
I've tried to look for some fan-made solutions on the internet, but wasn't able to find much, so I come to you, my dear Cardsmiths, for I could try to make some cards myself, but together it will be far more fun and interesting.
I won't tell you what exactly to do, the only point is to create a MONO-WHITE card, that focuses on bringing some interesting mechanics to white. Note that I am not demanding white ramp or card draw, I am rather looking for some "splashy" and original mechanics for white.
I will be judging the originality, functionality, balance, overall looks and whether your cards fits white's place in the color pie.
You are allowed 3 whole entries (or more if you have a lot of cool ideas and you ask for permission first). Up to one older card may be submited if it already wasn't made for another contest.
You have the month of February for entering (I'll judge somewhere around the beginning of March).
1st place: 4 faves
2nd place: 3 faves
3rd place: 2 faves
Hapy smithing!
Comments
Here's Path to Exile on Scryfall, by the way, just so you can look at it in the format of an actual card.
To provide a touch of creator insight on the card: it's hardly the most inventive concept ever created, and it does feed pretty heavily into the pre-existing archetype of aura buffing rather than carving out a whole new space, but I'm of the obviously potentially biased opinion that the card could theoretically provide a far greater degree of flexible niche than it does at first glance (such as the ability to path your own garbage tokens to ramp lands, without the traditional feeling of "heck, I'm card disadvantaging myself here").
A very head-scratching challenge. I love my EDH, but white is only ever my third colour if I'm deck-building. Really don't do mono or two colour with white myself.
Here's a first attempt at creating a mechanic for ramp in white. Based on the long used systems for raising armies throughout history, local populations would be called to arms in times of need, mostly arm and armour themselves, and serve as foot soldiers for their lords. They lacked training and discipline, but far more importantly, didn't have the cost of a standing army.
https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/able-bodied-farmer
Mechanically, I feel this is very white centric ability. Investing in it's creatures, it's infrastructure, to generate resources. When needed, the people who work these lands can be called to arms to better serve their planeswalking lords. If you were to use it across other colours, it'd become a basic land of the appropriate type.
I'd be interested to see what people think. I tried a few different wordings of the ability. I'm not sure if a card with levy should enter tapped for balance reasons. Or possibly enter with a levy counter already on it (which doesn't feel flavourful to me, and takes the ramp aspect from slow to really friggin' slow).
(Please excuse the mediocre art, I only have a MS paint La'ayiv image and need to do a new pencil one)
https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/laayiv-beyond-infinity
https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/steal-of-a-deal
Contracts and obligations are for white, and the group-hug aspect of the ability I think would create a very interesting gameplay choices. It's always fun to see an EDH group torment themselves deciding over pitching in for a Tempt with Discovery. Looking at white's current card advantage options, recurring themes seem to be balance and delayed pay-off. Many cards that search for lands in white will do it if an opponent has more lands in play, or will put those cards into your hand instead of the battlefield so you still have to play them.
I feel this mechanic could be another way to offer that feel in white. Rampant Growth is two mana for green, if you want to do the same effect in white (put a basic from your library onto the battlefield) maybe it should cost four mana - but, offer the same effect as a generous contract to the table for two or three mana, then maybe white can have it's land enter the battlefield directly.
I decided to try something different with devotion, not necessarily white mechanics. This card also has a lot of flexibility in what it affects depending on the colors are being played. It will play best in a mono-white deck since there is a smaller chance that you will have to choose your own color.
https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/isolation-of-faith?list=set&set=58445
I'm not entirely sure why those images aren't linking to the card pages so I'll put them here:
https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/guiding-light-10
https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/complete/full/2021/1/28/1611885736505523.png
https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/oea-spirit-of-hallowed-fens
https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/chiyoko-kyudoka-progeny
https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/linvus-battlefield-dispatcher
https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/benalish-war-captain
This card is far from an original idea but I wanted to make a concept to give white card draw while still fitting into the color pie. More entries will be entered later in the month by me to allow my creativity to design a card.
This is arguably valid, as it's not guaranteed ramp, but I think it counts! Haggle is a mechanic I came up with myself!
https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/kahl-motsky-enlightened
https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/jinzaahn-the-recruiter
https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/jinzaahns-might?list=user
He's a sortof Omniscience just for white and on a creature. The enchantment might be a bit undercostet though.
https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/brutha-prophet-of-om
Some card draw, which is a thing I don't like.
https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/training-grounds-18
This card was designed to be a fairer Humility that didn't just hose the entire field. I would call this card a wet blanket since it still makes the creatures into relatively low power and toughness fodder but didn't make them completely useless.