Commanders/Tiny Leaders Filling In Gaps
Custom Cards forum
Posted on March 13, 2015, 11:04 p.m. by KalvinHobbez
Messing around with odd concepts for Tiny Leaders and also making odd decks has gotten me wanting to make some Tiny Leaders that fill in gaps that other Tiny Leaders can't do. Like how there is no Bant Tiny Leader (Being Derevi is banned as hell).
Now this guy I've had the idea for a while...but never really could settle on a concept. I wanted to make a tiny leader that could be rainbow, but also wanted just a general commander for universal tribal. I settled on mixing the two and I'm alright with the outcome.
Now I've always been a big fan of hydras, so of course I'd want to experiment with a hydra commander. Due to the popularity of hydras in tiny leaders due to the X cost making them cheap, I decided that this should be fitting for them. I have him in Jund colors due to Corpsejack Menace being big in hydra commander and the red for things like Rosheen Meanderer, which I know that this is a good hydra commander but I wanted a tiny leaders one.
Now here's the Bant card I was mentioning I'd make due to the gap. Bant has always been an odd triple color for me even though I play it's colors separately a lot...I just don't get a feel for what it can do very well. I settled on a token styled commander from the lack of that for Bant. Inspiration from Emmara Tandris I made the ability a bit more reliable. I might just have one of the token effects as compared the Emmara this might be pretty OP. But for triple color in mythic, I feel like it's alright.
So what kinds of commanders or tiny leaders would you guys want to see be made? Just that one deck style that you've always wanted to try out but never had a good commander for it. I can see if I can make a visual for it, find some art and stuff to make it look all nice.
KalvinHobbez says... #4
Oh the symbol was a makeshift kinda Commander 20__ symbol I made. It's better than the one set symbol I made one time that actually was a dick. :3
Anyways, Kruyva is primarily just a universal tribal commander. It doesn't mean you have to use all of the colors, the ones you do use are what are useful. Technically you only need to play Golgari tribal and it's fine.
Xantov I felt like he might have been a bit on the crazy side...should I make him straight up hydra tribal or keep to the X theme?
Melphany I mentioned probably could have kept just one of the mechanics, but I felt like just indestructible made her just a better Emmara. Maybe they can get Vigilance or something?
March 13, 2015 11:16 p.m.
Epochalyptik says... #5
Shroud is obsolete and isn't used on cards anymore. Hexproof is the replacement.
Xantov's ability is awkward and doesn't really make any sense. I suppose it just isn't worded to say what you mean it to say. When you cast a spell with X in its mana cost, you announce the value of X, then calculate costs based on that announcement. Also, there's no convention for changing the declared value of X.
March 13, 2015 11:34 p.m.
KalvinHobbez says... #6
Well Arcane Lighthouse was recently made so I wouldn't say obsolete. I made a card that stated that it can not be targeted by spells or abilities and I was told to just put shroud on it, so yeah I guess I go left and right with it.
Yeah X was a bit weird to try and word it, probably a hint for not doing that ability. Maybe, due to the Jund colors, I could have something with sacrifice and +1/+1 counters then?...but then that's just Varolz, the Scar-Striped
March 13, 2015 11:56 p.m.
Epochalyptik says... #7
@KalvinHobbez: I think the difference between printing Arcane Lighthouse and, say, Neurok Commando should be apparent. Shroud is no longer used in new card designs. New cards don't have or give shroud to anything. Hexproof is the successor to shroud, as it is an evolution of design philosophy.
Of course, you're allowed to do whatever with a custom card. But I would advise you at least stick to current design philosophy unless you have a pressing reason to break from it.
March 14, 2015 12:09 a.m.
KalvinHobbez says... #8
I personally like utilizing shroud due to being mechanically a bit different than hexproof. Hexproof is a advantage, Shroud can be a disadvantage. Just the simple "You can't target this anymore" can make room for bigger buffs to be allowed as that is the final buff they can get. That's just how I feel with shroud. I'll probably stick with creature tokens getting +1/+1 and indestructible or vigilance possibly.
March 14, 2015 12:21 a.m.
Hjaltrohir says... #9
Is it just me or would Melphany see an extremely large amount of play in Commander?
March 14, 2015 3:18 a.m.
KalvinHobbez says... #10
Well she was designed as a Tiny Leader, so she could be interchangeable as a good Commander as well. I mean, hell, if you guys enjoy her you can go ahead and try decks out with her to see how balanced she is.
March 14, 2015 3:37 a.m.
jandrobard says... #11
Give Kruyva less power, maybe 1, it'll balance out his abilities. Xantov is very good. Melphany is really good though, maybe if she only gave hexproof?
March 14, 2015 5:09 p.m.
KalvinHobbez says... #12
My problem with the abilities for Melphany is that I tried to keep her true to her colors. The token that she makes it green and partially white, so I was thinking of what kind of blue effect she could give. Blue tokens are exactly a big thing, though... Maybe her tap ability is to make a token thats a copy of a creature and her passive abilities are like "Tokens get +1/+1 and vigilance" or something? Of course if I make her able to clone creatures at will her ability would be costed heavier.
FAMOUSWATERMELON says... #2
Kruyva is... strange. I can't really find out what kind of deck she is made for (slivers???). Tiny leaders is not really a format meant for 5-color decks, hence the absence of those types of commanders. It's just too hard to fit in the right amount of color combination in 50 cards.
Xantov is straight up overpowered. Copying a Fireball for 2 is insane. Enough said.
Melphany works great in a token deck (almost a bit too great). Maybe take off shroud, no one is going to target individual tokens anyways, since the point is to swarm.
March 13, 2015 11:10 p.m.