How to balance this card?
Custom Cards forum
Posted on Nov. 11, 2014, 9:36 p.m. by Programmer_112
Mindless Retribution
1B
Instant
You may not cast Mindless Retribution if you have cast any other spells this turn.
As an additional cost to Mindless Retribution, tap all lands you control and empty your mana pool.
Exile target permanent.
It's a bit clunky because I couldn't think of a better way to say "This costs everything you have".
I intend for this card to be played in a Modern setting.
Is it overpowered? Under? I'm famously bad among my friends at creating balanced cards, so I really have no idea how effective this would be as a removal spell.
Thanks!
I think the cost is supposed to be 
.
Hmmm. I will consider and come back with a reccomendation within the hour
November 11, 2014 9:42 p.m.
Programmer_112 says... #4
Well, if it costs 4, it's just strictly worse than Utter End. Also, B=Black, U=Blue. Unless you're suggesting that it should change to blue, which I think would make it fairly off-color.
November 11, 2014 9:45 p.m.
I would be worded, "As an additional cost to Mindless Retribution, tap all lands you control. You may only cast Mindless Retribution during your upkeep (or endstep). Mindless Retribution Exiles target permanent, If you cast a spell other then Mindless Retribution this turn, Counter Mindless Retribution instead."
Honestly the CMC isn't a problem, most turn ones in black modern are Thoughtseize anyway. The only thing about this card that makes it unplayable, (how you worded it,) is the "tap all lands" part. Sure on turn 2 it doesnt matter, but this card becomes undesirable turn 3, and if you run a 4CMC curve, it becomes unplayable turn 4. I feel if this card read, "You may only cast Mindless Retribution after your Combat Phase," and took out the "tap all lands" cost it could be playable.
November 11, 2014 10:02 p.m.
TurboFagoot says... #6
Black isn't allowed to deal with artifacts or enchantments. This card bleeds the color pie, and would never be printed, regardless of power.
November 11, 2014 10:07 p.m.
MagicalHacker says... #7
Mindless Retribution 
Sorcery
Cast Mindless Retribution only if you haven't cast another spell this turn. (Based on Illusory Angel.)
As an additional cost to Mindless Retribution, tap all lands you control and empty your mana pool.
Exile target nonbasic permanent.
November 11, 2014 10:11 p.m.
DersitePhantom says... #8
This effect is way out of colour pie. Mono black doesn't get enchantment removal, and it very rarely gets exile based removal. If you want to keep the effect, you should change the colour to B/W, W/R or W/G. Alternatively, you could change exile to destroy and either add a "nonenchantment" clause or make it B/W or B/G.
Now in terms of balance for modern, this is significantly overpowered. I think the first step to balancing it would be to make it a sorcery. As an instant, the drawback practically doesn't even matter. If you want to follow current MTG design principles, there should be a "nonland" clause in there, or at least an "other than a basic land" clause. Two mana land destruction is not only ridiculous, but degenerate. You can probably keep it at two cmc if you do this, as the result would be somewhat similar to Abrupt Decay, but less narrow and with a drawback, which seems reasonable.
November 11, 2014 10:14 p.m.
MagicalHacker says... #9
DersitePhantom, looks like we were thinking the same things xD
November 12, 2014 7:48 a.m.
Programmer_112 says... #10
Thanks for all the help!
So, from what I'm getting, it should change to something like this:
Focused Retribution (?)
Sorcery
Cast Focused Retribution only if you haven't cast another spell this turn.
As an additional cost to Mindless Retribution, tap all lands you control and empty your mana pool.
Exile target nonland permanent.
Would this work?
November 12, 2014 10:26 p.m.
TurboFagoot says... #11
Would probably work better as an Enchantment similar to O-Ring.
Asher18 says... #2
raise mana cost and remove the last bit of emptying mana pool. Try
November 11, 2014 9:40 p.m.