Empyrean Enlightenment
Custom Cards forum
Posted on March 29, 2020, 10:21 a.m. by DemonDragonJ
The concept of enlightenment is one that has not been explored in great depth in this game, likely because it is such varied concept in actuality, with different people having their own definitions and ideas of what constitutes enlightenment.
Therefore, I have made my own card that portrays my own conception of enlightenment, as seen, below:
Empyrean Enlightenment Show
I made this card mono-white, but with abilities that required mana of other colors, to make it more flexible. I based it off Aegis of the Gods, so it has the same mana cost, but is not a creature.
Most depictions of enlightenment show that a person has made themselves resistant to the hazards of the world, so this card grants it controller hexproof, since it represents the player becoming enlightened. The player can also heal their own wounds, represented by the life-gaining second ability.
Some depictions of enlightenment show beings becoming more power, hence the third ability.
One of the most common features of enlightenment is increased knowledge, as seen in the final ability.
I was planning to have the green ability grant a creature +2/+2, but I thought that that would make it too powerful, so I reduced it to only +1/+1. I wish to keep the cost of the blue ability as it is, so I wonder if both scrying and drawing a card may be too powerful; what if the ability did only one or the other effect? Also, should this card be legendary?
What does everyone else say about this card? Do you like it?
fatalzintomyum says... #3
I think that perhaps the blue ability could be just for just scry 1. Maybe you could make it 3 mana for scry 2.
March 29, 2020 5:27 p.m.
Closet 2 analogs we have for this is Aegis of the Gods and Leyline of Sanctity this a million times better then aegis and if leyline didnt have the opening hand clause itd probably still be 3cmc. I'd make this thing cost WWUUGG and make the abilities cost double colored mana a 1 colorless
March 29, 2020 5:50 p.m.
DemonDragonJ says... #5
From the comments that the other users here have made, this card definitely has too low of a cost, so I shall fix that, as seen, here; in fact, I did more than that; I decided to make the card a creature, instead:
Azmaria, angel of enlightenment Show
I realized that the green ability would be useless without any creatures on the battlefield, so I decided to have the card be a creature rather than an enchantment. fatalzintomyum, I want the abilities to escalate in cost; the first is always active, the second costs 1 mana, the third costs 2 mana, and the fourth costs 3 mana, so I changed it to scry 2.
Now, what does everyone else think of this card?
March 29, 2020 8:59 p.m.
fatalzintomyum says... #6
I really love the idea of this card. Of course, having a built in ability to protect it from removal is pretty powerful, but I think it would do well as an enchantment creature, mayhaps.
March 30, 2020 8:20 p.m.
DemonDragonJ says... #8
fatalzintomyum, yes, that was an idea that I had in my mind when I designed that card.
March 31, 2020 9:46 p.m.
DemonDragonJ I think being able to protect itself for is a little much on a 3/3 flier. I would suggest to change the green to "Another target creature...". Although being able to grant hexproof as a removal counter for just 2 mana without tapping seems on the strong side. I would argue that it should cost 3. If we compare it to Deathless Angel who grants indestructible which is a similar (but mostly stronger) defensive keyword, she does it for but costs 6 CMC and that's all the active abilities she has. This one pumps the creature as well.
If you want the scaling costs perhaps swap the blue and green ones.
May 13, 2020 4:03 a.m.
fatalzintomyum says... #10
Don't quote me on this, but the day WOTC makes a three or lower mana cost creature with three activated abilities is going to be a dark day for every format.
May 15, 2020 2:13 p.m.
DemonDragonJ says... #11
fatalzintomyum, in that case, what would be a more reasonable mana cost for this creature? Would either four or five mana help to make her more balanced?
May 15, 2020 9:41 p.m.
fatalzintomyum Wait no longer: Deathrite Shaman. They made a 1 cost in hybrid cost with 3 abilities. Jaya Ballard, Task Mage. It's not something new.
May 16, 2020 2:44 p.m.
fatalzintomyum says... #13
Shaman was broken, but I think that a creature that can protect itself against burn and removal might be even more powerful. This angel also gives yu hexproof, and would probably be a pretty strong enemy against burn, especially with a cheap lifegain ability. These colours are also dangerous, seeing as bant snowblade control remains a dominant deck in modern. The variation of that deck that is equipped with Wilderness Reclamation would probably utilize this card to best effect with all of that extra mana sitting around. The only reasonable thing about cards like this are their struggle to interact with opponents. For example, where this card demonstrates a massive power i terms of protecting itself, It lacks the ability to stop any threats your opponent might be playing out.
May 23, 2020 12:57 p.m.
fatalzintomyum says... #14
I must also add that anything I say really only has any coherance in referance to modern. In terms of other formats, this would find a home, perhaps, in legacy Aluren decks, as, once again, the deck has a little bit of extra mana, and would love the scry ability to piece together the combo. In vintage, I have no knowledge of the metagame. In terms of pioneer, this would probably splash green into azorius control, and in terms of standard, the sheer power of this card would make waves anyway.
May 23, 2020 1:04 p.m.
fatalzintomyum I think we both agree that this creature packs a bit too much power. I just commented that your parameter of 3 activated abilities on a cheap permanent is lackluster and WotC have done it a few times already, so it doesn't hold much in terms of evaluating it overpowered.
This card is indeed the bane of burn as it grants you hexproof and repeatable cheap life gain - and as it stands it can protect itself for cheap - I suggested to limit that. One of the troubles of white's limited slice of the color pie is that they usually only can tack life gain as a benefit to something they can do for cheap and repeatedly. Alternative is boosting stats but that is mostly just toughness, another is to strip it of flying and let the white activation grant it flying.
May 23, 2020 6:26 p.m.
DemonDragonJ says... #16
Tzefick, if I removed flying from the creature, she could not be an angel, since angels always have flying, so what if I simply increased her mana cost?
May 24, 2020 2:04 p.m.
DemonDragonJ There is Sustaining Spirit without flying, but true under the normal design plan, angels do naturally have flying. I only suggested to shove the flying into the white activation to lower her power, remove the all-present life gain to not make her a nightmare for burn. White's slice of the color pie for repeatable activated abilities are pretty much reduced to: Grant life, stats or keywords (white loves to hoard keywords).
You could increase her CMC to better match her powers. However I stand by my previous statement that her green ability to grant hexproof should at the very least say "another target creature..." or have it cost .
May 25, 2020 4 a.m.
DemonDragonJ says... #18
Tzefick, if I were to increase the cost of the green ability, I would need to decrease the cost of the blue ability to , so how do you recommend that I change the ability to match that lower cost?
May 25, 2020 8:51 a.m.
DemonDragonJ Make it Scry 1. Hedron Alignment, Hidden Stockpile, Riddleform. Most of the repeatable Scry variants I find is a very low Scry amount for a not insignificant payment.
May 25, 2020 9:31 a.m.
DemonDragonJ says... #20
Tzefick, that is very good, so here is my new version of her:
Azmaria, angel of enlightenment Show
I increased her overall mana cost, but also increased her power and toughness to balance that; I also decided that her white ability was not sufficiently powerful, so it now can affect any player, and, as you suggested, I switched her blue and green abilities.
Now what does everyone think of this card?
DemonDragonJ says... #2
TypicalTimmy, should I increase the initial cost of this card to ? What about increasing it to ?
March 29, 2020 1:44 p.m.