New competitive lands
Custom Cards forum
Posted on Sept. 12, 2015, 10:55 a.m. by K34
A series of 10, both ally and enemy pairs. Dual basic land types, that enter untapped. Not so broken as the ABUR duals, so maybe on par with using a fetch and a shock.
So like...(island swamp) when this card enters the battlefield, you lose 3 life.
What do you think? I have no idea why wizards hasn't already printed these.
They are strictly worse than shock lands, but how does the idea already exist? I just want to have more options for my commander deck that can provide colored mana on turn one of varying colors.
I'm just toying with the idea. It would be awesome to me if wizards printed them, but I really doubt they would. I'd also like an enters untapped dual with different drawbacks like discard a card, or exile top card of your library, stuff like that. Just so i can have better consistency in EDH mostly.
September 12, 2015 11:08 a.m.
Epochalyptik says... #4
It exists as the shock land model. The only differences are the amount of life lost and the default untapped state. And those differences aren't great enough to make these lands worth printing. You would need to vary the effects somehow; otherwise you're just cloning shocks.
September 12, 2015 11:40 a.m.
The difference between these and shocks would be greater than that between Salt Marsh and Dimir Guildgate. These could even be used against you by your opponent bouncing them.
September 12, 2015 1:12 p.m.
FAMOUSWATERMELON says... #6
I just see absolutely no reason to run these over shocks, besides EDH where you need more duals.
September 12, 2015 1:23 p.m.
Yeah, that's the only format I play. I guess that's pertinent information for the discussion.
September 12, 2015 2:38 p.m.
Epochalyptik says... #8
The differences are not analogous.
The only difference between Dimir Guildgate and Salt Marsh is a land type.
Your proposed cards and the shocks would have identical land types, but different life loss and tap clauses. In terms of design, your card cycle occupies the same design space at the shocks without adding anything of their own. They're only worse versions of the shocks. That's not a reason to design cards; when you design functionally similar versions of extant cards, you should change the workings of those cards enough to justify their existence. For example, the tango lands have properties similar to both shocks and checks, but they differ enough from any one of those cycles to be printable on their own.
Not trying to be negative; just being critical of the design process you're proposing.
September 12, 2015 3:20 p.m.
While I agree they shouldn't all be identical, I disagree that there's no design space in the multiverse for another dual that functions similarly to the shocks. There was no real reason to print the Guildgate series other than that it fit the flavor of the plane wizards had created.
Consider Rupture Spire and Transguild Promenade, or perhaps Evolving Wilds/Terramorphic Expanse. These are reprints with new names.
I'm not saying your point is invalid, I just disagree. The lack of easily accessible and good land bases is the most frustrating part of mtg to me.
September 12, 2015 4:21 p.m.
Hmm.
See, one of the benefits of using a fetch to a shock is that you can get two lands out of your deck in one turn, making it more likely you will draw your spell cards. In modern you can also use it as a color fix; use a UW fetch to grab a UR steam vent and tap for red.
A vivid-shock hybrid, however, THAT would be an interesting card. "When this card enters the battlefield, you may pay 1 life, if you do it enters untapped.
This card enters the battlefield with 3 counters which can be tapped for colors X or Y, but can tap indefinitely for Z." Be really interesting if it had only 2 of the 3 land types, too. That could be stressful to play, but that strikes me as fitting Alara pretty well.
September 19, 2015 11:06 a.m.
Epochalyptik says... #11
@K34: Note, however, that those lands are commons or uncommons. Functional reprinting is generally seen in commons and uncommons rather than on rares or mythics; R/M slots are typically used for ideas that are unique or interesting enough to carry the community-ascribed expectations of those rarities (designing for Limited aside). The community has come to expect rare lands in particular to offer some new or important functionality. Therefore, it's much less likely that WOTC will print several functionally similar iterations of one idea than it is that they would explore different options or venture outside of the defined design space.
@Egann: Mechanically, that would be difficult to do. There are three things going on with such a card:
- The card has inherent mana abilities based on the land types it has. If you give a card a basic land type, it automatically gains the ability to tap for the corresponding color of mana.
- The card has a replacement effect that modifies how it enters the battlefield. (Actually, it has two: one for the tapped/untapped choice and one for the counters.)
- The card involves a limited-use ability that depends on the use and consumption of counters.
That's a lot of text and a lot to think about. It's not impossible that such a card would be printed, but it is, I think, somewhat unlikely that such an option would be explored in the near future.
Epochalyptik says... #2
Strictly worse than shock lands, so there's no real reason to print them. The idea already exists.
And is this about your own land cards or is it meant to be speculation on what could come from WOTC later?
September 12, 2015 10:57 a.m.