Custom Set Based on Nordic Legend and Myth
Custom Cards forum
Posted on April 5, 2018, 3:27 p.m. by Emensmansera
A set I built based on Nordic Myth. Yes, I know some of the cards are broken, so I ask thee to give some suggestions as to what I could do to balance some of the cards.
The wording on some is also convoluted at times.
Emensmansera says... #3
Yea, I know the wording is off haha. Which did off colour things? Lol
April 5, 2018 5:45 p.m.
Erdas blessings let's you get an instant from the grave yard and that's a blue and very rarely a red ability also the cost is crazy high for the effect and discarding cards to pay the cost is a black and red effect. And the card the last you reorder the your opponents deck is something only two cards do cards in all of mtg that I can think of do and they are both blue
April 5, 2018 6:09 p.m.
Emensmansera says... #5
I made them white to play off the goddess vibe going on.
April 5, 2018 6:14 p.m.
Make the effects work with enchantments or artifacts in the discard so it stays on color and on theme
April 5, 2018 6:53 p.m.
I'm going to go into a lot of detail, and ramble about card design and Nordic mythology and history. I apologize in advance.
Valkyries: As it stands, your creations are far too close to Angels, just with different flavour. Angels are a primarily White tribe, with touches of Black and Red. To differentiate from Angels, you should make Valkyries a primarily Black and Red tribe (given their association with death and battle), with a touch of White.
Pegasus's Wing is the wrong mythology. You should make an enchantment related to Sleipnir instead.
Consider adding some enchantments based on the magical staves (Icelandic magical symbols). You can find a list here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Icelandic_magical_staves
You should add some of the new Saga enchantments. The sagas are, after all, works of Icelandic literature. I would suggest naming and designing them after some of the more famous of the Sagas (Njals Saga, Egils Saga, etc.).
You need more nonlegendary creatures. Here are some ideas:
Lawspeaker - Human Advisor. The Lawspeakers (Sorry cannot use the original word--this website does not display the letter eth) were individuals tasked with memorizing the extremely detailed code of laws which governed Icelandic society, and were to recite the law at the annual Thing (again, can't type the letter thorn on this site).
Lesser Outlaw / Full Outlaw - Human Rogues. Outlawry was the Nordic punishment for crimes - a type of banishment pursuant to very explicit laws. Lesser Outlawry was a usually 3 years; full outlawry for life. If an individual broke outlawry and returned home, they were to be engaged in combat and killed.
Ravens, wolves, goats, cats, falcons are all good mundane creatures that show up in various parts of Nordic mythology.
Zombies (you'd have the Old Norse draugr in the name), trolls, and giants are all good supernatural creatures to add.
Here is a set of critiques of your first few cards. I think this should give you a decent start on learning how to improve other cards you design:
- Frankly, I think the discard a sorcery requirement makes Edra's unplayable--far, far too situational. - If you want to cost this card, I would make it two mana and "discard an instant or sorcery."
- The word instant should not be capitalized.
Equipped creature does not untap during its controllers upkeep, can't attack or block, and its activated abilities can't be activated.
Equipped creature has "Skip your draw step. At the beginning of your draw step, reveal the top two cards of your library and place them in your hand. Then, if a creature was revealed this way, discard a card."
You need to add an equip cost.
You need to make this a targeted ability--it creates too many issues otherwise, as Equipment do not have the same rules as auras regarding non-targeted equipping.
, , sacrifice Nibelung's Treasure: Search your library for a card named Nibelung's Ring, then place it on the battlefield equipped to target creature you don't control.
Anyway, I really dislike hyper-limited tutors.
A bit too situational to ever be a great card. For writing purposes, it is merely "Equipped creature" not "the equipped creature".
The last line should read "When equipped creature blocks a dragon, destroy that creature." This will trigger before damage is dealt.
You should use "At the beginning of your upkeep".
To fix the issue, make it blue and use the top of their library (see Predict. You'll have to clean up the wording some ("Target opponent reveals the top card of his library. If it is the named card, exile it. Otherwise, return it to the top of its owner's library.").
Let me know if there are any further specific cards you would like me to look at.
Anyway, that's just some meandering thoughts as I went through your cards. Overall, there are defiantly some good ideas in there. Keep at it, and let me know if you add more or make any substantial changes!
April 5, 2018 7:06 p.m. Edited.
Emensmansera says... #9
I havent finished with it yet. And its more fun to build the legends :) I was told the Birftost was too broken.
April 5, 2018 11:13 p.m.
I agree completely with the assessment the land is too powerful. Three mana, even colourless mana, is just a whole lot, even if limited to a certain tribe.
Further, it places limits on your deckbuilding. Because this land exists, you have to consider it when costing all your Valkyrie creatures--inevitably this ends with your being forced to overcost the creatures for what you receive.
Finally, it seems like it would be quite fitting for a realm reached via a rainbow bridge to be a "rainbow land" (i.e. a land that produces any colour land). If I were designing this card, I would look toward the best single-tribe land ever printed, Sliver Hive. I would probably go with something like this:
Asgard, Enclosure of the Aesir (I'm ignoring how silly of a name this is--if anyone is following along who is not familiar with their Old Norse, the literal reading would be "Enclosure of the Aesir, Enclosure of the Aesir").
: Add . (Wizards is eliminating "to your mana pool" with Dominaria).
: Add one mana of any color. Spend this mana only to cast a Valkyrie spell.
, , Sacrifice a creature: Put a 3/3 white Valkyrie creature token with flying onto the battlefield. Activate this ability only if you control a Valkyrie.
This thematically fits with the idea of a Valkyrie taking a slain soul to the
As a sidebar since I was already looking at your lands in more depth, your Valhalla land should probably not use the word "Realm" in its name. Realm has a very specific connotation in Norse cosmology.
I'd also be sorely tempted to do a mini tron with Valhalla and Folkvangr, since the two are paired in the mythology.
April 6, 2018 midnight
Emensmansera says... #12
Yea I hope Wizards releases a Norse mythology set...
April 6, 2018 12:13 a.m.
If they were to go that route, it would not look like what you've presented. Compare to Theros--a block inspired by Greek Mythology, but with its own distinct Magic spin.
Personally, I would rather they revisit Theros than try to adapt a the Norse pantheon for a couple reasons. First, Theros was a really well done set, with some incredibly interesting mechanics that I'd like to see revisited. Second, Theros will cast a shadow over any Magic adaptation of a Western pantheon--any such further set would inevitably be derivative.
Frankly (warning, slight rant ahead), I also am incredibly distrustful of adaptations of Nordic mythology and history. The idea of the vicious barbarian has become pervasive in modern culture, infecting assorted interpretations of Scandinavian history. Even the History Channel, who one might guess, based on its name, would care about history, fell privy to this stereotype in their disgustingly anachronistic Vikings show.
April 6, 2018 12:28 a.m.
Emensmansera says... #14
@cdkime what was the other site besides mtg cardsmith.
April 21, 2018 2:51 a.m.
I am not sure what site you are referring to. I did a quick skim of my previous posts, and the only other site I referenced was the Wikipedia page on a somewhat obscure piece of Icelandic culture.
shadow63 says... #2
Your wording is off on the cards look at how cards irl are worded. Also a few of your cards did very off color things. Solid looking set
April 5, 2018 4:20 p.m.