That's a good point @Sweda. I forget that we've been using Gatherer so long that we rarely mention it for newer Cardsmiths. Feel free to use the link there to check it out @SPyBondPlays or anyone else looking to make their cards more official sounding!
Yes, @Corwinnn! Gatherer over Scryfall for this purpose because they give you the Oracle wording of your search results in text form and you can Ctrl+F to zero in on specific phrases because your search terms could occur in any order in the results. Gatherer has been a great help to me in tracking down the officially established/standardized wordings for abilities.
@cadstar369, love both of those cards! What I like about Synaptic Staticaster is that it's more controllable. Mindwhorl Weave, on the other hand, is very unpredictable. It can be quite useful against other players, but other players can use it against you as well. It just seems rather unwieldy in a game situation.
Actually, I'm having second thoughts. Mindwhorl Weave is actually quite powerful in a Flashback deck. It annoys other players, but if you have a lot of cards with flashback or disturb for instance, it doesn't hurt you as much. In fact, in a lot of cases it helps you. There are probably other better examples, but that's the first one that came to mind. I'm now wondering if it's a bit cheap? Maybe 3 could be a better cost? Idk
Great card, though, way better than I first thought!
@CrimsonFox Sweet! I always like seeing haste on green creatures. I really like how evasive it is from removal, however at it's current state its extremely hard to deal with. I'd suggest changing it to: "At the beginning of your end step, exile Orion with a [title] counter." and
"At the beginning of your upkeep, if Orion is exiled with a [title] counter, you may cast it without paying its mana cost." This way it's a little more susceptible to being removed.
@Sweda I actually did look at the bouncing stuff, and I thought it was fine, because you can regrowth instants and sorceries with flashback, which I thought would be a similar interaction. Yeah, Arise isn't supposed to activate at instant speed. I've found that when I'm designing a card, there is a gap between what I want the card to do, and what its text is. For arise, I just was thinking to myself "oh yeah, you can cast the creature from the graveyard, its not going to be at instant speed", but if you don't write it it is. Similar thing for this MLK jr. and Ben Shapiro cards I made. For the MLK one, it gave attacking creatures vigilance, which does nothing because they are already tapped. What I meant by gaining vigilance was that they wouldn't tap, but it wouldn't actually work that way. For the Ben Shapiro one, I had it "tap all attacking or blocking creatures an opponent controls", thinking that that would stop the creatures from attacking or blocking, when in reality the effect that that accomplishes is very very low (you can't activate a tap ability after blocking or it stops vigilance). Same thing for this card I saw while browsing which said "{w}, {t}: CARDNAME loses defender until end of turn" which actually would do nothing because now it is tapped and you can't attack with it. There is a very human feeling, and I get this with writing too, where you just know how something works because you are making it, but its face value doesn't reflect that.
@CrimsonFox That Orion thing seems way too OP. I mean removal does nothing against it and you get it back brand new without summoning sickness every turn, so the more permanent ways of dealing with it: enchantments, counters, or equipment just pop off of it, rendering them useless. And on top of thatit has forest walk too so if your playing mono green against it you just lose. @ShadowReign Rural Vicitm is awesome, and I love the flavor(text). I think sacrifice fodder that you get back is interesting. Its expensive enough that getting it back doesn't mean you'll play it again instantly, and its effect isn't too strong. I think that you could maybe lower its power or toughness by one. This card is really balanced and a cool design. I have a soft spot for the Rakdos sacrificing/dies triggers stuff.
@SPyBondPlays Transparency is ‘fair’ Telepathy, so I’d suggest either adding an additional effect or making it a common/uncommon that costs {w}, since this kind of effect technically does nothing to advance your position (enchantment synergies aside).
Oh my gosh. I didn't realize that there was a {b} you get to look at your opponents hands. I've really got to go to bed but I think that Transparency is pretty bad compared to that, so yeah I would definitely make it cost less and like give some effect. Im thinking etb scry or lifegain
@SPyBondPlays Maybe you could leave it as is, and tack on "Players play with the top card of their library revealed.", and "Players can't cast spells on their opponents turns." I think that might be interesting.
@ShadowReign I’d suggest increasing the mana cost by 1~2 along with those additions, since that’s now Telepathy + Field of Dreams + City of Solitude. Regardless, I’d also be interested in a card like that.
To be honest, If I was making a card like Telepathy, I would've costed it at 3UU or 5U. I think that Maro is definitely right about how most players "have a hard time figuring out the costs of [cards]".
@SPyBondPlays why upcost it so much? Information is only as good as your ability to use and act on it, so since Telepathy only provides information and no actual effect on anything, it’s useful at 1 mana, justifiable at 2 mana (since there are global hand reveals at 1 mana), but not worth using at all above that without some additional benefit. Information isn’t so valuable that’s you’d rather spend resources obtaining it as opposed to moving toward winning the game or preventing your opponent from doing so.
Yeah, but without thinking about it too much seeing your opponent's hands is crazy and very appealing. Anyway, here is the improved version of Transparency.
I think I've finally got a good version of arise. The casting cost is normal for flashback costs (2 more usually) and you can only activate the ability any time you can cast a creature, so if you can't cast creature spells due to an effect, you can't activate it. I think that is fair.
So I made a new mechanic called utilize where the flavor is that you, the planeswalker, are utilizing the artifact for its effect. The cost to activate an utilize ability is paying the cost and revealing the card from your hand. You can only activate it at the speed which it says on the card and then the ability goes on the stack as whatever type it says (instant or sorcery). Its like the adventure abilities, the ability goes on the stack as an instant or sorcery not an activated ability. You can get an extra effect and an artifact on the battlefield, but then getting the utilize effect costs more then it would if you don't make it an artifact. I think that maybe the utilize cost is too high, though I don't know, I don't playtest my designs.
Transparency - For a common and 1 mana it can have it's uses. If you want it to be more interesting you can add an ability that synergizes with everyone having to have their hands revealed, like each turn choose a card type and gain something for each card type in everyone's hand (gain life, give something ward X for each card type, tax something...) something in flavour of diplomacy or white.
Resurgent Lagoma - Pretty standard card now maybe make it uncommon as a 3 mana 3/3 for black with all upside is hard to come by. As for Arise, now that I think about it, it's almost identical to embalm if what you are trying to do is a creature with flashback. Only difference is of course embalm gives you a zombie token version and being a token it solves the issues of bouncing it back to your hand. Your cost to arise is inline with the cost for embalm which is +2 to normal cost.
Tried making a tutor hoser, unfortunately it can't stop fetch lands without being too wordy.
Edit: Thanks to @cadstar369 for pointing out that the first iteration would affect normal card draw.
Edits I made was adding the clause "if it wasn't drawn" not a fan making new terms but it's the shortest way I to convey what I was getting at.
Using “While an opponent is searching their library and/or graveyard, they exile each card they find.” would not affect returned cards from graveyard which I also wanted.
@Sweda in its current state, Tyon shuts down all ways your opponent gets cards from their library, including drawing, so you can lock them out from ever getting new cards after Tyon comes out. If you want a tutor hoser, I suggest using this text for the first half of the main ability (modified from Opposition Agent): “While an opponent is searching their library and/or graveyard, they exile each card they find.” Then you have an interesting card that won’t lock your opponents out of playing Magic. (I do like how the effect has some counterplay via tap effects or multiple tutors.)
@cadstar369 Nice catch, I forgot about the drawing part. My intent was to have a static ability to stall a tutored card by one turn and the ability to stop a searched card with a flavour of an investigation.
My nitpaick now would be if searched cards are exiled this will include lands from fetch lands and weather or not to put them into play or back to hand. This might be more powerful than I intended and may need to adjust costs.
I think that stalling things is generally better than getting rid of them, as your opponents did have to pay for the tutors. In the case of fetch lands, I think it should make them go onto the battlefield untapped. Honestly though the bottom ability just feels so bad. "Oh yeah I played some card to get something but now it gets exiled and I get it back next turn, okay that's fine but then it gets shuffled back in and he or she gets a token?? What? Why don't I get a token? why did I even play that card? urgh." I would make it non legendary and then get rid of the bottom ability and add another investigate trigger.
@SPyBondPlays I can see where you are getting at with the last ability, it's a pretty big rattle snake effect. Why would you tutor a good card if Tyon will just shuffle it? Well maybe it's doing exactly what it's supposed to do, every turn you don't deal with it you are discouraged to play your tutors.
Having it in play brings interesting play dynamics, do you bait the investigate? Do you wait until they can't pay the mana? In multiplayer do you wait until someone else tries to tutor? For the player controlling are you willing to keep {1}{w}{u} untapped over playing a strong spell?
I get that, I understand how it is strategic and makes the game have an extra angel, I'm just saying that for a beginning player it would be pretty bad. I think its a cool card, and you can play around it in interesting ways.
Here is my (art) card. I made this art in a photo editing program by grafting pieces of the two time walk pictures onto The Persistence of Memory by Salvador Dali.
@ShadowReign Ghanix feels undercosted for the collection of powerful abilities it has, and should almost certainly be mythic rarity. It's approximately Lotus Cobra + Eidolon of Blossoms + self Great Henge, so it practically does everything for you despite how the triggers for its abilities are all over the place. (It's a growing threat, card draw, and ramp all in one.) Honestly, because it does so much, I'm not sure how one would go about balancing Ghanix. Perhaps paradoxically, I don't think the mana cost should change very much, because it should be able to come out early enough to be relevant with each ability. Perhaps limiting the number of times one or more of the abilities triggers, or changing one or more of the triggers to "whenever one or more"? Mayhaps I'm overly wary of powerful all-purpose cards like this, especially when they're legendary.
I'd appreciate thoughts on these two:
Mender's Sigil has paired custom abilities of mine:
Charge N—{cost} ({cost}: Put N charge counters on this permanent. Spend only mana of this permanent's color identity to activate this ability. Activate only if none of this permanent's Discharge abilities have been activated this turn.)
Discharge N—{effect} (Remove N charge counters from this permanent: {effect}. Activate only if none of this permanent's Charge abilities have been activated this turn.)
Additional Formations can be found here, and my main concern is whether the restriction on Charge/Discharge is too much.
@cadstar369 ; Guild Reception I really like how this card works! It gives your opponents an insensitive to not attack you, while also allowing you to draw cards and gain on your own turn, yet your opponents can shut it off by sneaking in some damage/life loss on other player's turns. Truly an awesome interaction. I do think it should cost just a bit more, as your gonna get a descent amount of card draw while taking less damage than you normally would. Awesome card nonetheless.
Mender's Sigil
I like how these two mechanics interact with each other. However, you should maybe limit the amount of times you can activate each ability in a single turn, because there's nothing stopping you from dumping mana into it, and gaining twice that much life the immediate next turn. Also, I think you could save some confusion by just saying "Charge 1—{w}", or whatever the color(s) in the cost is. I do like the interactions between these two mechanics, I just think they need to be tweaked a little.
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Great card, though, way better than I first thought!
Is this too op? (also I know I forgot to add the e before the a in the name)
"At the beginning of your end step, exile Orion with a [title] counter."
and
This way it's a little more susceptible to being removed.
I'd like some critique on this card, and the custom mechanic it contains.
https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/ritual-victim?list=user
Also, @CrimsonFox, I have a similar card to Orion:
https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/ojnikelivar-spirit-evergrowth?list=user
That Orion thing seems way too OP. I mean removal does nothing against it and you get it back brand new without summoning sickness every turn, so the more permanent ways of dealing with it: enchantments, counters, or equipment just pop off of it, rendering them useless. And on top of that it has forest walk too so if your playing mono green against it you just lose.
@ShadowReign
Rural Vicitm is awesome, and I love the flavor(text). I think sacrifice fodder that you get back is interesting. Its expensive enough that getting it back doesn't mean you'll play it again instantly, and its effect isn't too strong. I think that you could maybe lower its power or toughness by one. This card is really balanced and a cool design. I have a soft spot for the Rakdos sacrificing/dies triggers stuff.
The paintings black and white which is kinda lame.
https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/transparency-1?list=user
It lets you scry, but you reveal the card so its more flavorful.
I think I've finally got a good version of arise. The casting cost is normal for flashback costs (2 more usually) and you can only activate the ability any time you can cast a creature, so if you can't cast creature spells due to an effect, you can't activate it. I think that is fair.
So I made a new mechanic called utilize where the flavor is that you, the planeswalker, are utilizing the artifact for its effect. The cost to activate an utilize ability is paying the cost and revealing the card from your hand. You can only activate it at the speed which it says on the card and then the ability goes on the stack as whatever type it says (instant or sorcery). Its like the adventure abilities, the ability goes on the stack as an instant or sorcery not an activated ability.
You can get an extra effect and an artifact on the battlefield, but then getting the utilize effect costs more then it would if you don't make it an artifact. I think that maybe the utilize cost is too high, though I don't know, I don't playtest my designs.
https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/time-walk-51
I did this because I swear that the Persistence of Memory was linked to Time Walk in some way, and wanted to make a piece showing that.
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Here is my card:
https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/ghanix-majestic-predator?list=user
I'd appreciate thoughts on these two:
Mender's Sigil has paired custom abilities of mine:
Charge N—{cost} ({cost}: Put N charge counters on this permanent. Spend only mana of this permanent's color identity to activate this ability. Activate only if none of this permanent's Discharge abilities have been activated this turn.)
Discharge N—{effect} (Remove N charge counters from this permanent: {effect}. Activate only if none of this permanent's Charge abilities have been activated this turn.)
Additional Formations can be found here, and my main concern is whether the restriction on Charge/Discharge is too much.
Guild Reception
I really like how this card works! It gives your opponents an insensitive to not attack you, while also allowing you to draw cards and gain on your own turn, yet your opponents can shut it off by sneaking in some damage/life loss on other player's turns. Truly an awesome interaction. I do think it should cost just a bit more, as your gonna get a descent amount of card draw while taking less damage than you normally would. Awesome card nonetheless.
Mender's Sigil
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Here is my card:
https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/shinkanaru-of-the-depths?list=user
Special thanks to @Jadefire for helping with the wording.