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The Plane of Malmornia (potentially a 3 set block)
This set is based around an idea I spoke of in another thread. The history of the kingdoms of Man have reached the point where they are proceeding with an industrial revolution of sorts. The people have realized that their kingdoms strength lies in methods of production which are more democratic, not rooted in magic that is controlled by a few wizards. The other races have retreated from the world or been pushed to the margins through centuries of warfare. That is not to say they aren't around; they just won't feature in the next chapter of the plane's history.
Mechanically speaking, the kingdoms of Man are based around the ally colors and share their mechanics in how they look to move forward in consolidating their power. The centerpiece of each kingdom is the vast consolidated industrial public works they have undertaken. The description of each kingdom is detailed in posts below.
I'm looking to tell the story of this plane over a 3 set block like Ravnica, Tempest, etc. I have something in mind for the 2 color enemy combinations but those will be introduced in set 2. Hint: it has to do with the things that have vanished into history or been stymied by war returning to strength.
Now without further ado, the kingdoms of Malmornia.
Mechanically speaking, the kingdoms of Man are based around the ally colors and share their mechanics in how they look to move forward in consolidating their power. The centerpiece of each kingdom is the vast consolidated industrial public works they have undertaken. The description of each kingdom is detailed in posts below.
I'm looking to tell the story of this plane over a 3 set block like Ravnica, Tempest, etc. I have something in mind for the 2 color enemy combinations but those will be introduced in set 2. Hint: it has to do with the things that have vanished into history or been stymied by war returning to strength.
Now without further ado, the kingdoms of Malmornia.
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Blue/White
The merchant king of Bannous gained that named by ruling over an archipelago that dominates the major trade routes between the continents of the world of Malmornia. As such, they are master shipwrights and boatmen. It is rumored that they still have dealings with the Merfolk who retreated into the ocean depths during the last war with Nemula, their neighbor over the sea.
The Merchant King's jewel of infrastructure is the vast Shipyards of Bannous, capable of turning out a sea-going vessel faster than any country on Malmornia. Some say it has to do with the lumber they use, others say it must be aided by magic, but every diplomat and trader reports back that all construction completed is done by hand by master shipwrights.
To ensure their domination of the seas, the Navy of Bannous employs marines and corsairs alike. They even have falconers and other avian trainers to aid in scouting on the open seas. Naturally, such a motley crew of sea-going soldiers lends itself to pursuits to pass the idle time on board. They corsairs of Bannous are notorious for a Shell Game (see below) they play when not on duty. It's not done to wrangle money out of their crew mates, more a challenge to test the memory and perception of their fellow ship hands. Staring at the horizon can tire the eyes and a game of Find the Pea does wonders to relax after hours on watch.
There are some that claim that Bannous knights employ the Pegasus and Roc as mounts during times of war. There are still men in Nemula that mutter about men borne on feathered wings sweeping in to rescue men from a burning ship or an entrapping maneuver on the battlefield. When asked, the soldiers of Bannous just smile and remain silent.
New Mechanic: Shell Game
Shell game involves cards that cause you to exile cards face-down either from the top of your library or your hand. They all say that when you can draw a card, you may take a face-down card exiled by a Shell Game effect and put it in your hand instead. These cards remain exiled this way, even if the card that caused you to exile it leaves play. This allows other Shell Game effects to target those cards. The reason it is called a Shell Game is that some of these effects call for you to reveal a card as you exile it face down and it is up to your opponent to remember what is in the stack of face down cards so that they might gain some information back later if they can remember what card you picked up.
Blue/Black
The Confederation of Nemula has no single ruler to the outside world. The country is actually a collection of city-states that operate to their mutual benefit through a Confederate Congress that meets to decide the way forward for the country as a whole. As a result, it is a place of intrigue and politics, of assassination and blackmail. All tools are viable in the quest for self aggrandizement. It is this internal turmoil that kept Bannous from seeing the last war they fought before it was upon them. The general wisdom thought that Nemula was too divided to muster an army and a navy to fight a war over trade in the sea they shared with the Merchant Kingdom, but somehow they gathered enough consensus to do so.
This surprise attack of a consolidated force has caused people in the political world to theorize that there must be a puppet master within Nemula. Someone ingrained in it's politics, but sharp enough to avoid the Confederate Congress. Even though their war with Bannous was considered a loss, people are still trying to figure out if it was an unsuccessful grab for power or a feint to cover a much larger plot. If it is the latter, woe to the kingdoms of Malmornia.
Nemula is built on the coast of the great western continent where the mountain rivers dump into the sea. As a result of this, the whole of Nemula is built upon a layer of sewers, drainage and supports that creates another entire country beneath the streets of the cities and towns of Nemula. Many a dark deal and secret plot are hatched in its labyrinthine water ways. The locals don't venture below ground if they don't have to, however. Some people swear they hear the sounds of beasts and the night air is punctuated by an occasional stone-muffled scream. No one knows what might live in those tunnels and no one is willing to find out.
New Mechanic: None, but a focus on unblockable and "assassin" style creatures.
The Autocracy of Kyon is a country shrouded in myth and hate. Centuries ago, the Despot King of Kyon attempted to "sweep to the sea", eradicating his enemies on his way to the ocean from his seat of power in the Pillar of Fire. The Pillar of Fire is a region in the north of the great western continent that rises above the plains below and is ringed by live volcanoes that belch smoke and fire far too often. Even so, the volcanic soil does allow for what farmland is there to flourish. Unfortunately, one man's field is another man's lava floe from year to year. It is a place of constant upheaval and death, yet somehow the new Despot King has managed to create the great Furnace of Kyon.
The Furnace is so vast that it took 100 wagon loads of lumber to get the fires stoked. Some sages say that its flames rival the heat of a dragon's breath. Some theorize that they must be using dragon fire to keep it lit. Travelers from Kyon tell a different story. There are tales told in taverns by wild-eyed men of slaves and animals and beasts being fed to the flames to keep the fires of the Furnace lit. These men are dismissed as insane, but after another terrible eruption wiped out the forests on the north slopes of the Pillar of Fire, how could they be getting enough wood to keep it running?
There are stories told to children of the frightful armies of Kyon that scorched the earth on their march to the sea. Of men imbued with fire in their blood, of demons and dragons flying at the vanguard of the column. No one has seen such beasts since those days. No one remembers the Allegiance of Four that halted the Despot King all those generations ago. Maybe no one wants to remember those horrors.
New Mechanic: Firesoul
This is a blending of red with the usual black reanimator mechanic. Either via a spell or a creature ability, a creature will be able to come back from the graveyard with the Firesoul keyword. Typically this will mean that the creature will gain haste and die at the end of the turn. The creature will have some sort of effect that goes off when it dies while possessing the Firesoul keyword. This can be things from doing direct damage to chaining to another creature and giving it Firesoul, etc.
Red/Green
If you are the sort of person that believes in Valhalla, travel to Heimgal on the eastern continent of Malmornia. There you will find a land of combat and strength, of barrel-chested men and curvaceous women. Heimgal is a rugged landscape of forest and crag and it carves the people that call it home into people worthy of such a place. Some say that the cliffs of Heimgall rise so high because the gods wanted to drown the people of Heimgall out of fear, but the first king of Heimgall lifted it out of the waters as they rose and put it up on the mountains for safety. Such are the tall tales of Heimgal.
There have been those that dared to land on its shores looking for a fight. Those people are no longer with us, nor are any of their progeny. Lucky for the world, the people of Heimgal are content with the warmth of the mead hall, the love of family and the hunt. This is all they need to sustain themselves and to want for more is greed, not glory. Even so, to prepare his people for the time when invaders will come again, the kings of Heimgal built the Tannery of Heimgal and have been expanding it for years. As such, the hunters of Heimgal keep their kinsman fed and clothed in the best leathers and skins that money can buy on Malmornia. In their quest for more and more game, the explorers of Heimgal are constantly searching beyond the next horizon for new lands and new game for their people. Some times, the beasts they find are too unique to destroy and travel back to live among the hearty people of Heimgal. Some are even put to use as guard animals around the Tannery. So long as they are fed, they are content to do so.
New Mechanic: None, just big beefy dudes and critters.
Green/white
Near the frozen wastes of the norther tundra on the eastern continent, the kingdom of Leocia stretches from the coniferous forests of the north to the wide open river plains of the south. Being so far removed from the other countries of Malmornia, Leocia has managed to avoid the war and bloodshed of the rest of the planet and focus on building an egalitarian society. Those in power gain that power through prudent leadership. With each rank gained, the more visible the individuals accomplishments. As a result, the political sphere of Leocia takes on an appearance akin to the master/apprentice relationship. As such, Leocia has the most developed road network, public works and organized army of the 5 nations.
Some say that this has to do with the influence of the now vanished Elven kings that shepherded Leocia while it was still in its infancy. Whether that is true or not, no one can deny the result. Given the natural resources within its borders, it is no surprise that the leadership of Leocia founded and patronized the Carpentry of Leocia. An enormous enclosed workspace with every tool every imagined to work wood staffed with master craftsmen that toil to ensure that every home in Leocia is appointed as well as the Estate of Authority, the residence of the Grand Executive.
Part of the skill with the chisel or blade comes from the mandatory service each man must provide upon reaching adulthood in Leocia. Whether serving in the army or working for the state in some other capacity, every man knows his way around his tools before he is 25.
No one is sure who lives in Leocia other than its people. It has been isolated in the north for so long, but some stories about the Despot King's march to the sea include tales of knights on centaurs attacking the columns as skirmishers. That was so long ago that no one believes that the centaurs have stuck around.
New Mechanic: None, but a focus on token generation.
Mechanics
Now, I'm on the fence about whether or not to make them Indestructible. They are so vast that it would be very difficult to destroy at once. Any thoughts on this would be helpful.
They would be Legendary Artifacts that rely on a Charge counter system to trigger effects. Each one has 2 different ways to put charge counters on the artifacts based on the color associated with each one. Then each artifact has two effects that are powered by removing counters from the artifact, again based on the colors involved.
Finally, each one will have an effect that triggers if you are attacked by an unblocked creature if you are willing to remove counters to set them off. This is to model the fact that the creatures have to get through it in order to do damage to you.
With that in mind, here are my ideas as a first draft for each card.
Shipyards of Bannous
Casting Cost: {u}{u}{u}{w}{w}{w}
Indestructible
Flip a face-down exiled card face-up (see Shell Game above): Put a charge counter on Shipyards
{u/w}{u/w}: Put a charge counter on Shipyards.
Remove a charge counter from the Shipyards: Add one mana of any color to your mana pool. You can only use this mana to cast artifacts.
Remove a charge counter from the Shipyards: Search your library for a Ship (a new artifact creature), Pirate, or Soldier card and put it in your hand.
If you are attacked by an unblocked creature, you may remove X charge counters from Shipyards to add -X/-0 to all unblocked creatures until the end of turn.
Sewers of Nemula
Casting Cost:{u}{u}{u}{b}{b}{b}
Indestructible
Exile a non-creature spell from your graveyard: put a X charge counters on Sewers of Nemula where X is the spell's CMC.
{u/b}{u/b}: put a charge counter on Sewers of Nemula.
Remove a charge counter from the Sewers: Search your library for a Rogue, Assassin, or Pirate, reveal it, and put it into your hand.
Remove X counters from the Sewers: Target creature you control with power equal to X or less gains Shroud and is unblockable until the end of turn.
If you are attacked by an unblocked creature, you may remove X charge counters to put X -1/-1 tokens on target creature.
Furnace of Kyon
Casting Cost:{b}{b}{b}{r}{r}{r}
Indestructible
Exile a creature you control: put X charge counters on Furnace of Kyon, where X is the creature's toughness. (It's an exile effect and not sacrifice so that you can't get double benefit from this and the second ability.)
Exile target creature card from your graveyard: put X charge counters on Furnace of Kyon, where X is the creature's toughness.
Remove a charge counter from the Furnace: Add {1} to your mana pool. This mana may not be used to cast non-artifact creature spells.
Remove a charge counter from the furnace: Add one mana of any color to your mana pool. Furnace of Kyon deals 1 damage to you.
If you are attacked by an unblocked creature, you may remove X charge counters to do X damage to all creatures and players.
Tannery of Heimgal
Casting Cost:{r}{r}{r}{g}{g}{g}
Indestructible
Tap a creature you control: Put a charge counter on the Forge. Activate this ability only during your turn.
{r/g}{r/g}: put a charge counter on the Forge.
Remove 2 charge counters: Search your library for a basic land card and put it in your hand. Shuffle your library afterward.
Remove a charge counter: Target creature you control gains +1/+1 until the end of turn.
If you are attacked by an unblocked creature, remove X charge counters from Forge Pits and put an X/X red and green Beast creature token into play blocking a creature it can legally block. If there are no legal blocks, put it into play tapped.
Carpentry of Leocia
Casting Cost:{g}{g}{g}{w}{w}{w}
Indestructible
{g/w}{g/w}: Put a charge counter on the Carpentry.
Return a land you control to your hand: Put a charge counter on Carpentry of Leocia.
Remove a charge counter from Carpentry: Search your library for an Equipment card.
Remove 3 charge counters from Carpentry: All creatures you control gain first strike and reach until the end of turn.
If you are attacked by an unblocked creature, remove X charge counters from Carpentry to put X 1/1 white and green Human Craftsman tokens into play. You may assign them to block those creatures if all blocks remain legal.
Again, none of these are etched in stone and I welcome discussion about them. These are meant to be the centerpiece of each deck so I'd like as much input as I can get.
Shah Nahour Kamal, the Merchant King: http://mtgcardsmith.com/view/the-merchant-king#.VbVyovlVhBc
The first power lets him look for Ships or the above Shipyards. The second plays on the Shell Game mechanic to allow you to retrieve a card that's been exiled due to other effects with adding 2 more cards for more option.
The Masked King: http://mtgcardsmith.com/view/the-masked-king#.VbV6GvlVhBc
The deck is meant to add punch to the assassins and rogues the deck is built around.
The other kings are to come once I have some dinner.
Ka'az Kulkaan, the Despot King: http://mtgcardsmith.com/view/the-despot-king#.VcBF7vlVhBc
This king is all about increasing his own power through fire and using minions to increase his own power through necromancy.
I'll be back with the two sides of the green coin after some careful consideration.
King Osric Tholar, The Brawler King: http://mtgcardsmith.com/view/the-brawler-king?list=user#.VcXEq_lVhBc
I'll be working on the final king shortly.
King Alwin Kerras, The Forest King: http://mtgcardsmith.com/view/the-forest-king#.VclYLflVhBc
Yes, I used a picture of Abe Lincoln. Just seemed like a good combo.
Could use some input on the next cycle of cards to work on.
1) Lands for each kingdom
2) Representative army units
3) Kingdom-based "charm" spells (choice of 3 options from one spell)
4) Kingdom banner equipment cards
5) Other (please detail your thoughts below)
@Corwinnn
Do you have any tips for making custom sets..?
XD
As far as I know, you are the most experienced set maker..