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Atlantis-Themed Set
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A player's harbor is their second library. If a card asks a player to interact with cards in their library (other than haul), they may choose to interact with cards in the harbor instead (It won't apply to things like Laboratory Maniac). However, if a card specifically asks about the harbor, you can't have it apply to your library instead.
The one problem that I have with this is that it doesn't really feel like it could be applied to something like elementals. I do like the idea, and I feel like it could definitely be applied to pirates, merfolk, and even warlocks, but I don't see any way that elementals would have anything like a harbor. Maybe there's a way to take this idea and make it fit with elementals, but I do think that it needs some refining.
Regarding elementals, I really like the idea of a race of elementals made out of lava and magma that inhabit a volcanic island that's rising from the ocean, but I haven't really come across a good idea as to how they could be applied to a library-matters set. Any ideas on that?
Basically, you start the game with a special deck of cards (maybe called the treasure deck?). A certain mechanic could allow you to draw a card from your treasure deck (Or play it if that sounds better). You can probably see there are a lot of comparisons to Learn and Contraptions, which is why I'm not sure that this is a good mechanic idea.
Do you think that more worldbuilding might be needed? I feel like the only thing that I have going on right now is that this is an underwater-themed library-matters set. Maybe I should look into going a bit more in-depth on the types of characters in this world, what they do in this world, and some conflict? At this point, I don't think that there is much about anyone, other than what they are (Like all there is about pirates right now is that they are pirates).
Regarding worldbuilding, here are a few things that I have in mind:
- If there is an Atlantis location, there shouldn't be a race to find it, since "the lost city" thing is aleady Ixalan's thing.
- Sea Warlocks and a specific group of Pirates could be villainous tribes in this world. Maybe Sea Warlocks are trying to submerge everything water, and a crew of zombified pirates who are trying to get revenge on the living sound like they could be pretty cool conflicts.
- I think that (living) pirates just trying to survive sounds a lot like the humans in Ikoria but with a different threat. Maybe they are trying to stop the Sea Warlocks from completing their plan of flooding the entire world?
- After some thinking, I don't think that Elementals as a whole tribe will work well here. I don't really think that there is much that they could be doing, other than just being there to look cool. Maybe they might work as one-off creatures, such as an elemental merfolk, or elemental fish, but it doesn't feel like they can work as a whole fully fleshed out tribe.
- I haven't gotten to playtest Sink myself, but I did enter a deck using it for Fisticuff Friday. I'll admit that I think some of the cards I made were a bit overpowered, but it also seems like it might be a good idea to raise the card requirement from two to three. I'll try to playtest with a three-card version of sink soon.
- This isn't a mechanic idea, but rather a possible way to minimize wording. I have a feeling that there probably will be a few cards that care about Krakens, Leviathans, Octopuses, and Serpents. Maybe there can be some form of classification for these cards? Something like "Sea Monsters you control get +1/+1 and gain trample until end of turn. (Krakens, Leviathans, Octopuses, and Serpents are sea monsters.)"
White:
- Conditionally searching for lands (Usually Plains)
- Enchantment/Artifact searching
- Impulse effects usually around smaller creatures, or enchantments/artifacts
- Putting creatures on the bottom of libraries
- Searching for creatures with the same name (Such as Squadron Hawk)
- Drawing cards as taxation or two or more players draw the same number of cards
Blue:
- Artifact/Instant/Sorcery searching
- Impulse effects, Fact or Fiction effects, Taigam's Scheming effects
- Mill
- Scry, Future Sight/Precognition Field effects
- Drawing cards
- Putting creatures on the top or bottom of a library
- Polymorph effects
Black:
- Searching for any card/entomb effects
- Ransack the Lab effects
- Impulse effects (Usually with a life payment)
- Putting creatures from your graveyard into your library
- Mill
- Drawing cards with a cost
- Exiling cards from opponent's libraries
Red:
- Artifact searching
- Discarding cards to draw cards
- Act on Impulse effects
- Effects similar to polymorph
Green:
- Creature/Land searching
- Impulse/Ransack the Lab effects usually around creatures or lands
- Drawing cards
- Birthing Pod effects, Searching your library for a creature and putting it on the battlefield
- Putting cards from your graveyard into your library (Sometimes)
In there, I'll add that every colour is allowed to tutor for cards that are very specific to its themes. For instance, every colour is technically allowed to search for its own basic land, Red can search for dragons, White for creatures with lifelink, etc.
Unless I'm mistaken, Polymorph has fully migrated from Blue to Red and isn't part of Blue's part of the colour pie anymore.
I will also add that Red is the primary colour for playing cards from the top of your library but every colour is allowed to do it if they focus on something tied to their own theme (Experimental Frenzy, Bolas's Citadel, Courser of Kruphix, Future Sight, Realmwalker, etc.)
Putting cards back from your graveyard into your library is also pretty common in Blue (Devious Cover-Up, etc.) it's an anti-mill protection that you can often find on artifacts as well.
I do agree that mermaids are primarily in blue (I'm probably just gonna call them merfolk since some art is actual mermaids, and others look like the merfolk in magic). However, since the world is mostly underwater, there isn't too much space for a bunch of normal land creatures. Usually, there are lots of creatures like humans, elves, and dryads, but since there really is only space for humans (who also fit in the pirate category to some extent), there needs to be a more general creature type that can be those things like Wizards, Soldiers, and Warlocks. Merfolk fits that bill pretty well, and when they are things like warlocks, I don't think that they need to stay in blue (+another color).
This just means that merfolk will be spread out across each color. There will probably be 1-2 in red, maybe a few in white, There could be a focus on merfolk in blue, but I think that Sea Warlocks (which will mostly be merfolk) will be green/black since I already am thinking of having undead pirates in blue/black.
Other creature types could include horrors (underwater horrors), or prehistoric marine organisms.
I do have plans to have some "Sea Monster" archetype relating to Krakens, Leviathans, Octopuses, and Serpents (I might use some classification to reduce the number of words that are used). I think the only "Horror" would just be some ancient kraken that is revived through a ritual.
What if I used something like cycling instead? I feel like that doesn't thematically feel restrictive, and it does help with achieving sink. I can try to look at how much design space cycling has.
I'm working on trying to find some interesting design space for cycling and hoping to finally playtest a bit. I hope to give an update on that soon.
https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/garr-the-shipwrecker-1?list=user
https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/attilus-majestic-hybrid?list=user
https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/celia-sunsinger?list=user
https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/ursula-aspiring-witch-1?list=user
While this isn't a set that'll use partner, I like the effects (Especially Celia's). Thanks for the inspiration!
I've found an idea for at least a cycle of cycling cards that all have a similar approach. Each has a main effect when you cast it, but has a completely separate effect when you cycle it. For Example:
While this is your normal burn spell, it also has the ability to destroy an artifact if you cycle it, which gives it great versatility.
Obviously, not every cycling card is going to be like this, but I like where this is going.
The cards that helped turn sink online were stuff like evolving wilds, Armillary Sphere, and Shriekhorn. I think that there definitely needs to be a small handful of cards like these sprinkled throughout the set.
Exhaust - Whenever [Cardname] becomes tapped, [effect].
I think that this as a mechanic could be very interesting, and seeming as we've seen it used multiple times after Lorwyn, I think it's fairly safe to say that it's at least not a broken mess.
I'm planning on having pirate ship cards, so there will be at least one or two vehicles (probably more). This means that Exhaust already has some synergies within the set.
Thoughts on Exhaust or anything else so far are welcome
Torrent [Cost] (You may cast this spell for its torrent cost if you haven't cast a spell this turn)
I feel like this could make for an interesting combo strategy, but I'm not sure if its too strong as-is...
Lure (Whenever this creature attacks, you may have target creature block it this turn if able.)
I had made this card to test the sink mechanic, and while testing it, I noticed that it has some neat interactions with menace (I might be wrong, but I think that if a creature is forced to block a creature with menace, then another creature must block it as well).
I do think that a mechanic like provoke could work thematically, but I'm not sure if it is mechanically weak. If it seems like it might be interesting to use, then I'm fine with either provoke or lure.
509.1c The defending player checks each creature they control to see whether it’s affected by any requirements (effects that say a creature must block, or that it must block if some condition is met). If the number of requirements that are being obeyed is fewer than the maximum possible number of requirements that could be obeyed without disobeying any restrictions, the declaration of blockers is illegal. If a creature can’t block unless a player pays a cost, that player is not required to pay that cost, even if blocking with that creature would increase the number of requirements being obeyed. If a requirement that says a creature blocks if able during a certain turn refers to a turn with multiple combat phases, the creature blocks if able during each declare blockers step in that turn.
Example: A player controls one creature that “blocks if able” and another creature with no abilities. If a creature with menace attacks that player, the player must block with both creatures. Having only the first creature block violates the restriction created by menace (the attacking creature can’t be blocked except by two or more creatures). Having only the second creature block violates both the menace restriction and the first creature’s blocking requirement. Having neither creature block fulfills the restriction but not the requirement.
So it does work as you thought, it forces two creatures to block, but I would warn you that it's an extremely complex interactions and most players won't know what to do in that situation. I, for one, instinctively thought you didn't have to block because I believed it worked like the "must attack if able" + ghostly prison interaction where ghostly prison cancel any "must attack if able" effect.
Sink - As long as three or more cards have left your library this turn, [effect]
Exhaust - Whenever CARDNAME becomes tapped, [effect]
Cycling [Cost] ([Cost], Discard this card: Draw a card.)
I know that I should have a good balance of mechanics, but I'm not sure what type of mechanics I should be looking for now. Should I be trying to make a keyword ability or action?
Right now, you have:
• Sink: It's new and intriguing but it's ultimately a glue mechanic that's probably not going to be the centre of attention.
• Exhaust: It's a slightly better Inspired, which was an unpopular mechanic the first time around, and it doesn't seem to have specific synergies with the theme of the set. I'm a little confused why it's here at this stage, maybe it ends up being a good fit at the end when you look at your set and you realise you're in dire need of a blue-centred mechanic that isn't about card advantage, but I wouldn't start with it.
• Cycling: It's a nice mechanic but it's also deciduous at this point so it has zero excitement value.
From this, I think it's pretty clear the next type of mechanic you need is something flashy and exciting that will define the feel of your set. Either something mechanically daring like the learn/lesson package, MDFC, or something never seen before about the structure of the set like the four-factions distribution of Ixalan.
On another note, I have a possible name for the plane:
Nerotomea (I'm pretty sure it basically means "Water Domain" in Greek)
Also, I think I have some interesting conflict ideas for the plane:
Thousands of years ago, there once was a kraken god who practically owned Nerotomea. They were so powerful that even a single glance held the power to raise the dead or kill someone on the spot. The power that this being had brought together a cult of merfolk, who worship the god eternally. However, every being has a weak spot, and a group of heroes found that spot, which was its eye, and tore it out, slaying the god. Even after death, the cult continues to worship the kraken as their god, waiting for a day for them to return.
Fast forward to the present and the eye of the kraken god is found when a drowned pirate lands on the eye after sinking to the bottom of the ocean, which brings him back to life. This pirate keeps the eye and uses it to amass a crew of zombified pirates, who want to get revenge on those who betrayed them. Word gets out about this zombified pirate crew, and the merfolk cult who worships the Kraken begins to plot a scheme to take back the eye of the kraken, in order to bring their god back to life.
Here's a smaller conflict idea I had:
An interplanar demon who travels from plane to plane, possessing vessels to strike fear into those who live there. Whenever they "die" they leave the vessel and travel to a new plane, looking for a new vessel to inhabit. I know that this might not seem like a good fit for an "underwater-themed villain", but its a character I could possibly use for other sets I make in the future, and I think that it could be pretty cool to have a recurring villain/agent of fear and chaos.
Also, here's a random idea for a flashy mechanic that could be flavoured around pirates and would synergise with library stuff like mill:
With an alternate frame and the free spells stuff, I think it could be quite flashy ^^ I've done some quick concepting and there is a ton of design space around this idea of stacking up spells in a bounty. I accidentally re-invented learn and lessons at some point xD
And here are some supporting cards to go with the above concept, just for fun: