Prismatic Lotus
Custom Cards forum
Posted on March 23, 2020, 10:23 p.m. by DemonDragonJ
This card was inspired by a card from a supposed leak of Ikoria that has now been proven to be false, so I have made my own version of that card, as seen, here:
Prismatic Lotus Show
This card is an artifact version of Bloom Tender and Faeburrow Elder, but can be put into any deck, although decks with more colors with obviously gain a greater benefit from it. The version in the leak had a fixed mana cost of , but I thought that it would be more interesting with the ability to have its cost be reduced, which also would both encourage and enable decks with a greater number of colors. I initially planned to give this card a cost of , but I then decided that that was simply too high of a cost, even with the card's cost-reducing ability.
What does everyone else say about this? What do you think of this card?
Also, as a side note, why is Bloom Tender much more expensive in terms of money than is Faeburrow Elder? Is it because it is an older card, because it costs one less mana, or for another reason?
So, in 3 color deck, this is basically a Gilded Lotus, and it only gets better with more colors? Sure, that is a decent one.
March 24, 2020 5:42 a.m.
DemonDragonJ says... #4
Funkydiscogod, this card is intended to be an artifact version of Bloom Tender and/or Faeburrow Elder, so I do not wish to limit its ability to produce mana.
What if it had a fixed cost of only or ? Would that make it more feasible?
March 24, 2020 9:17 a.m.
manbearpig90 says... #5
i would never use this. i only use mana rocks that cost 3 or less, and this would only cost 3 if i have all 5 colors among my permanents, at which point i no longer need the mana ramp. everyone else here seems too focused on what it "Can" do, rather than think about the setup required and whether the card is needed at that point.
March 24, 2020 2:14 p.m.
MindAblaze says... #6
manbearpig90 that’s why I said I’d only use it for Yidris. I pay four for it but cascade into a 7 or more. Other than that I have to agree with you, it requires a very specific set up to be inexpensive, and mana rocks need to be inexpensive to be effective.
March 24, 2020 2:24 p.m.
DemonDragonJ says... #7
manbearpig90, I care less about the initial cost of a mana-generating artifact and more about how long it takes to pay itself back.
For example, Arcane Signet, Gilded Lotus and Thran Dynamo each take only two turns to pay themselves back, so I have them in nearly ever EDH deck that I have built, but the artifacts in the diamond cycle (Sky Diamond, Charcoal Diamond, and so forth) take three turns to pay themselves back, so I do not use them; the one exception to that is Chromatic Lantern, because of its amazingly useful ability (and the fact that it can be used immediately, whereas the diamonds cannot be, also helps).
March 25, 2020 1:25 p.m.
I would go with a static CMC. It seems leaning a bit too heavy if you need multiple colors on board to actually play it effectively and for it to pay itself back. Seems like a multicolor double-dip.
I would probably go something like
Prismatic Lotus
Artifact
: Add
: For each color among permanents you control, add one mana of that color.
At first I had it enter tapped, so as to mimic the summoning sickness of the creature equivalents, but figured it would be too high a price if you never even got to use it once - and it doesn't add colors by itself. You're still unlikely to have many colors by 4 mana, so it can mostly only tap for 1-2, at the very best 3 mana - unless you use cheap hybrid cards just for the sake of adding loads of colors quickly, at which point I think it's fine if you delude your deck to use such cards just for the advantage it brings this Lotus.
It will suffer some of the same issues that Thran Dynamo does. It's not really ramp, it's mana explosion or tools to be manipulated/abused with untaps. It works more like a Mirari's Wake or Mana Reflection than it does a Mind Stone. It is unlikely to see play outside 3+ color decks, as it still hinges on having colors on the battlefield to tap for anything.
I added the tap for 1, just so it at the very least can tap for mana regardless of your board state. Both the creature equivalents can always tap for mana. Unless there's a Mycosynth Lattice on the field.
May 11, 2020 10:26 a.m.
DemonDragonJ says... #9
Tzefick, the idea that this artifact should be able to produce colorless mana is a great one, since it would be very unfortunate to spend four mana to summon it and then be unable to use it.
MindAblaze says... #2
I’m going to go with both of those reasons is why it’s more expensive.
As far as your card, I like it. I’d be slamming it in Yidris, but not tempted to put it in every deck. For me that’s a good card design. Powerful in the right place, but not an autoinclude everywhere.
March 23, 2020 10:46 p.m.