Mechanic Inspired by Blinking a Mulldrifter

Custom Cards forum

Posted on Sept. 29, 2015, 7:42 p.m. by Femme_Fatale

Card #1

  • Pecking Thought
  • Instant
  • Draw a card.
  • Parrot — (The next time you cast a spell this turn, put a 2/2 green and blue Parrot creature token with flying onto the battlefield.)

Card #2

  • Mind of the Flock
  • Sorcery
  • Draw 2 cards
  • Parrot — (The next time you cast a spell this turn, put a 2/2 green and blue Parrot creature token with flying onto the battlefield.)
  • A flock of birds seems to have the ability to share information between them without any form of audible or visual communication signals.

Card #3

  • Call of the Fowl
  • Instant
  • Counter target spell
  • Parrot — (The next time you cast a spell this turn, put a 2/2 green and blue Parrot creature token with flying onto the battlefield.)
  • "Quit parroting whatever I say!"

Card #4, designed by -Logician

  • Tropical Parrot
  • Creature — Parrot
  • Flying
  • Exile another Parrot you control: Return Tropical Parrot to its owner's hand.
  • Parrot — (The next time you cast a spell this turn, put a 2/2 green and blue Parrot creature token with flying onto the battlefield.)
  • 2/2

Card #5

  • Sam, God of Parrots
  • Legendary Creature — Parrot God
  • Flying
  • Whenever you cast a spell, put a 2/2 green and blue Parrot creature token with flying onto the battlefield.
  • Parrots you control have protection from red.
  • 3/5

Card #6

  • Sam's Blessing
  • Instant
  • Target creature gets +2/+3.
  • Draw a card.
  • Parrot — (The next time you cast a spell this turn, put a 2/2 green and blue Parrot creature token with flying onto the battlefield.)
  • "All hail Sam, our lord and savior! Oh great Sam, give us the strength and fortitude to overcome out foes!"

I wanted to use the word "reverberate" but that is already a card: Reverberate, since the idea was to put a 2/2 blue flyer token into play, the word parrot fits the mechanic thematically well :D

Obviously, this is a control player's mechanic, and it is seemingly very Simic-like. It has evolved into an ability that doesn't require a hefty alteration to a card's mana cost from what would be considered normal, so they are definitely playable.

So... basically storm that puts a 2/2 bird on the field. That's fair...

September 29, 2015 7:54 p.m.

Femme_Fatale says... #3

Similar, but it is so not storm FAMOUSWATERMELON. This doesn't make copies of itself, and it only applies to cards cast after it. I do think it can be toned down to when it resolves.

I also realized that I need to be clearer on the reminder text. Shall edit in do haste.

September 29, 2015 7:58 p.m.

MTGbrewer says... #4

This is cool. I'm not too sure on calling it Parrot though. I'll try to brainstorm some ideas...

September 29, 2015 7:59 p.m.

Femme_Fatale says... #5

Parrot as in the verb to parrot, MTGbrewer. It has to be something along the lines of a spell "echoing" after it was played.

Old reminder text: (Whenever you cast a spell during the turn that this spell was cast, put a 2/2 blue and green Parrot creature token with flying onto the battlefield.)

New reminder text: (Until end of turn, whenever you cast a spell, put a 2/2 blue and green Parrot creature token with flying onto the battlefield.)

September 29, 2015 8:03 p.m.

Jay says... #6

I think "Flock" would be a good name for it.

Also, I think it should be noncreature spell or possibly instant/sorcery. I think with just the open "spell" it has the potential to be a little too good. Possibly leave it at spell and limit it to once per turn ("the next time you cast a spell this turn...").

September 29, 2015 8:03 p.m.

No, but I'm pointing out that with this card, you don't even need a Storm card in storm decks. Just cast one of these and keep cycling through your deck. They're infinitely better than Empty the Warrens. Even in a non-storm deck, Twin for example, cast the pseudo-Think Twice, a Visions and maybe a probe, and suddenly, you're up a significant and potentially game-winning advantage.

EDIT: Wait, I found an effortless deck: Puresteel Paladin storm. Drop the Think Twice card, then cast three-four artifacts and you've basically won.

September 29, 2015 8:04 p.m. Edited.

Femme_Fatale says... #8

Non-creature would still leave room open for affinity and Puresteel Jay. Though you do have a point. But it is not like something like this isn't really difficult to deal with. The spells are generally going to be control cards with slightly heavier mana costs. Exception is that one cantrip.

September 29, 2015 8:06 p.m.

Femme_Fatale says... #9

FAMOUSWATERMELON:

Okay, one spell it is then.

September 29, 2015 8:08 p.m.

Hahaha yeah, that's about what it would be for your opponent :) I think one spell is good, as it still makes the card powerful, but not broken.

September 29, 2015 8:11 p.m.

Femme_Fatale says... #11

Old reminder text: (Until end of turn, whenever you cast a spell, put a 2/2 blue and green Parrot creature token with flying onto the battlefield.)

New reminder text: (When you cast one other spell this turn, put a 2/2 blue and green Parrot creature token with flying onto the battlefield.)

September 29, 2015 8:12 p.m.

-Logician says... #12

(The next spell you cast this turn has, "Put a 2/2 blue and green Parrot creature token with flying onto the battlefield.")

The way you have it worded currently seems awkward. Just a suggestion. If you made that change though, there would be a slight mechanical change. The card you cast would gain that quoted text as part of its rules text, thus if that spell is countered, then the parrot is also countered. With the way you currently have it, a Stifle could counter the parrot, and countering the second spell doesn't counter the parrot.

September 29, 2015 8:44 p.m.

-Logician says... #13

Perhaps this card, maybe uncommon.

  • Creature - Parrot -
  • Flying
  • Parrot
  • Exile another Parrot you control: return ~ to its owner's hand.
  • 2/2
September 29, 2015 8:52 p.m.

Jay says... #14

I think the best wording would be about:

Parrot- The next time you cast a spell this turn, put a 2/2 green and blue Parrot creature token with flying onto the battlefield.

September 29, 2015 9:02 p.m.

-Logician says... #15

Jay I agree.

September 29, 2015 9:07 p.m.

Egann says... #16

Suddenly I'm thinking of putting a parrot on Talrand's shoulder every turn in a piracy-themed EDH deck. This image has made my day.

September 29, 2015 9:10 p.m.

Femme_Fatale says... #17

It shall be implemented Jay.

I'll put that card on the list -Logician. Just a note: It goes infinite with itself and infinite mana, though it only generates infinite ETB and LTB procs.

September 29, 2015 9:57 p.m.

-Logician says... #18

@Femme_Fatale With infinite mana, yeah. Blue Sun's Zenith with infinite mana is pretty good too. Lots of things are good with infinite mana.

September 29, 2015 11:22 p.m.

kengiczar says... #19

@ Femme_Fatale these cards look super fun to play with! I'm glad to see getting some love. Temur flyers would be incredibly fun to play with these and they are actually good. Fun flavor on good cards isn't something you run into that often. I would remember these for the rest of my life if I sat down to draft and opened these.

September 30, 2015 12:18 a.m.

Femme_Fatale says... #20

So apparently these Parrots are mainly part of their own religious cult where they worship their Parrot God.

September 30, 2015 2:25 a.m.

Boza says... #21

There is the small problem of memory issue, you need to remember if you cast another spell in the same turn.

PLayers may forget if they did or remember not to check.

With a simple wording change to: "If you cast another spell this turn, you get a Parrot", you are making the check much easier and more intuitive.

Overall, I like the mechanic, not sure if everything is properly costed for Limited (getting a Gaea's Skyfolk for just playing the game is awesome payoff).

Also, name suggestion: Wingman

September 30, 2015 2:45 a.m.

Femme_Fatale says... #22

That doesn't work Boza. I choose Parrot as in the verb to "parrot" because it applies on the next spell you play, you are "parroting" the effect of your first card onto the second card. I really wanted a keyword "reverberate" but that is already a card and "echo" is already taken. So, "parrot" is used, and it works really well thematically since the original design just made a 2/2 blue flying bird.

As for the wording, you have to clearly specify that it is only one card, and after that card was cost, so it would say "If you cast one other spell this turn after this card, you get a parrot" and that just isn't very economical wording. Once again, you have to be clear that it is the next spell, and only for that spell.

I could also choose to re-word it like this:

"Put a Parrot onto the battlefield when you cast one other spell this turn."

But when I go through the gatherer searches, there is no mechanic that does something for the next spell you cast (unless someone can enlighten me) so the ability could also say:

"Put a Parrot onto the battlefield only if you've cast another spell this turn."

September 30, 2015 4:34 p.m.

Femme_Fatale says... #23

Actually, Boza, I redid my check, and there are a lot of spells that say "the next spell you cast this turn ...". Quicken, Savage Summoning, Hardened Berserker, Narset Transcendent, Insist, Overmaster are many examples. So the current wording is fine.

September 30, 2015 6:11 p.m.

This discussion has been closed