Reworked Alpha Boon Cycle. Thoughts?
Custom Cards forum
Posted on June 14, 2022, 10:22 p.m. by Stardragon
Alpha Boon Cycle reworked added a colorless mana to the casting cost to make them more balanced (some overpowered while other underpowered) and all useable while keeping to their core mechanic (3 of something but upgraded to 4 and raised their rarity to uncommon)
From Healing Salve to Healing Prayer:
Choose one:
Prevent the next 4 damage that would be dealt to any target this turn
Remove 4 counters from target creature you control or yourself
From Ancestral Recall to
Ancestral Foresight
Scry 4 than draw 1 card
From Dark Ritual to Shadow Ritual
Add to your mana pool
If this card was spent to cast a creature that creature gains a -1/-1 counter, if used to cast a noncreature spell lose 3 life
From Lightning Bolt to Lightning Squall deal 4 damage to any target this damage can't be redirected
From Giant Growth to Giant Surge
Target creature gains +4/+4 until the end and if blocked can deal damage as if it wasn't blocked
Stardragon says... #3
legendofa All of these are instants just like inspirations are
I reworded the white one it's meant to remove -1/-1 counters from creatures you control or poison counters from you and while i didn't even know leeches were a thing it does show that white can remove counters from things and since it only targets you or creature you control (again reworded it) it heals you which as white as wennies
The blue one was always going to powerful since it is based off of a power nine card and is still most likly the most powerful card of the cycle (#bluebroken, #banblue and all that jazz) but i think it's not too powerful
The black one ik black isn't ritual anymore but since it's based off the OG ritual what eles was i going to do? Plus i disagree with wizards decision i think ritual fit blacks the most flavor wise with Cull the Weak being the best as it show both blacks lose something for gain and the whole sacrifice thing from real world demonic cult IRL
The red one yeah i may have put too much on cut the whole deamage can't be negated but kept the whole damage can't be redirected as it makes it more unique than just anothe can't be prevented burn spell
The green i think is fine since your comparisons are of common rarity and all these are of unommon rarity so they can nudge up the power
June 15, 2022 2:17 a.m.
Giant Growth is perfectly balanced, and needs no tweaking. Seriously. It got reprinted into Standard with War of the Spark. Adding just makes it Titanic Growth or something like Sylvan Might.
legendofa says... #2
Healing Prayer's second ability needs a little tweaking. I'm not quite sure what, but removing counters is generally more of a black deal, as seen on Hex Parasite or Aether Snap, and I think the only precedent for removing counters from players is Leeches. The first ability is fair as an option. Maybe "Target attacking or blocking creature gets +4/+4 until end of turn," like a better Gallantry, but that's stepping on green.
Ancestral Foresight is on the stronger end as an uncommon, but not unreasonable. I think this could work.
Black isn't in the mana ritual business as much anymore. I like the idea, it's just off-color now.
I think Lightning Squall is still too strong. Compare to Flame Rift, Thundering Rebuke, or Lava Coil. 4 damage to any target at MV 2 with no drawbacks is probably too much. Lightning Bolt + the "can't be prevented" clause is likely worth 2 mana at uncommon (Skullcrack is the closest example right now), but that breaks from the "raise to 4" idea.
Giant Surge is pretty good. Is it a sorcery or instant? Monstrous Growth and Titanic Growth are the comparisons here. This effect as an instant would be pushing it, but I might just be too cautious here. Sorcery is the safe option.
June 15, 2022 12:57 a.m.