Starting a new set design, help wanted!
Custom Cards forum
Posted on Aug. 16, 2015, 5:48 p.m. by ABadMagicPlayer100
As the title states, I've decided to start up a set design. Currently, I'm in the process for hashing out the lore. I'm looking for names for a few of my factions, as well as a name for the plane (and to a lesser extent, the set).
I'd also like feedback on each of the factions' mechanics, 4 of which are new designs, and one of which is a variant on a very powerful older mechanic.
Here are the set notes as they stand. Thanks for your feedback!
buildingadeck says... #3
This sounds very similar to what Ravnica would be like without the ally colors and without the Living Guildpact.
August 16, 2015 6:19 p.m.
ABadMagicPlayer100 says... #4
@MenacingBunny, please do, that's what this thread is for! Just leave your thoughts and I'll let you know what I decide on them.
@buildingadeck, I'll admit that I couldn't come up with original ideas for the white factions, so they are very similar in flavor to the Orzhov and the Boros from Ravnica. However, the other three factions are original flavorwise and mechanically.
August 16, 2015 6:52 p.m.
MenacingBunny says... #6
Here is an idea for a green black mythic.
Erkesh, Weaver of Souls (Mythic Rare)
Legendary Creature - Vampire Shaman
Deathtouch
Other Vampire creatures you control get +1/+0 and have crippling.
3/3
August 16, 2015 7:29 p.m.
MenacingBunny says... #7
Metalcraft Designer (Mythic)
Creature - Human Wizard
Prowess
Whenever you cast a noncreature spell, put a 2/2 golem artifact token with build onto the battlefield.
4/3
August 16, 2015 7:34 p.m.
Set name: Galus (1/2 of galaxy, cuz rav was the whole galaxy. Just me thinking)
To differentiate boros, make the army slightly corrupt, and to differentiate orzhov, make it more righteous-- what they do is too according to law, almost like azorious as seen in cards like Martial Law
I could be reading it wrong, but recharge makes it seem like you have to pay the creature's mana and recharge cost. The creatures better be extra good, because if not the ability is worthless. If i'm reading it wrong, ignore this.
U/R could be called Tariar (from Tibor and Lumia)
B/W maybe Ozephyx (just mashing up phyrex and obzedat, running out of ideas)
B/G Varzad (Varolz, the Scar-Striped + Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord
R/W Gisic (Gisela, Blade of Goldnight + Tajic, Blade of the Legion)
G/U Brijka (Brion Stoutarm + Jeskai)
I tried so hard with these names. I know mash-ups probably aren't what you want, but whatever. Thanks for reading!
August 16, 2015 7:34 p.m.
MenacingBunny says... #9
Trace the Untraceable (Mythic)
Enchantment
Creatures you control have tax 1.
: Untap target creature.
August 16, 2015 7:38 p.m.
ABadMagicPlayer100 says... #10
@MenacingBunny The N in build is a number (so you might have an artificer with build 12 that can build a Blightsteel Colossus, for example).
August 16, 2015 7:39 p.m.
MenacingBunny says... #12
Stampede (Mythic)
Instant
Put two 3/3 green and blue beast tokens onto the battlefield. If it's your turn, scry 2.
Recharge
August 16, 2015 7:43 p.m.
ABadMagicPlayer100 says... #13
@MenacingBunny, while I appreciate the design ideas (and will likely use a few of them), I'm really only looking for feedback on the lore side of the set and the power level of the mechanics right now.
August 16, 2015 7:48 p.m.
Popalofiti says... #14
Orzhov - Timore
Legendary : Hazyr, Fear Incarnate - Legendary Creature - Human Spirit
Shroud, Tax 5 (Whenever an opponent casts a spell, if this creature is untapped, you may tap this creature. If you do, that player loses 5 life and you gain 5 life)
Whenever you cast a white spell and a black spell in the same turn, untap Hazyr
2/2Izzet - Aedificantes
Legendary : Quaza, Master Engineer - Legendary Creature - Human Wizard
Build X (When this creature dies, you may put an artifact card with CMC X or less from your hand onto the battlefield, where X is the amount of artifacts you control)
Whenever a creature dies, search your library for an artifact, put it into your hand, then shuffle your library
1/4Golgari - Immortui
Legendary : Raq, the Feast master
Lifelink, Crippling 4 (Whenever this creature deals combat damage to another creature, put 4 crippling counters on that creature. Creatures with crippling counters get -1/-0 for each crippling counter on them)
Whenever a creature an opponent controls dies, you gain life equal to it's toughness.
: Regenerate Raq
4/2Boros - Bellum
Legendary : Tazador, Battlemind Captain 
- Legendary Creature - Human Soldier
Double Strike, Affinity for Devotion (This creature costs less for each creature that has devotion to red or white.)
: Creatures you control get +1/+0 until end of turn. Deal 1 damage to Tazador.
2/3Simic - Pacem
Legendary : Gryv, Nature's Kin - Legendary Creature - Dryad Shaman
Hexproof
Whenever you cast an instant or sorcery spell without Recharge, it gains Recharge, and it's Recharge cost is equal to it's mana cost. (If you cast this spell from your hand, exile it as it resolves. At the beginning of your next upkeep, you may cast it for its Recharge cost)
0/4If you have any questions to anything, please ask, I won't explain here.
August 16, 2015 8:17 p.m.
Popalofiti says... #15
And keep in mind I started the comment after the second comment, so I missed stuff...Oops...
August 16, 2015 8:19 p.m.
ABadMagicPlayer100 what do you think of me and Popalofiti's ideas?
August 16, 2015 9:05 p.m.
I like it, but you need a little more to differentiate the set from Ravnica. I would be 100% okay with having a mob-based set-the factions are the different "Families," warring for their own means.
Also, you need a set wide mechanic somewhere to glue the set together. I recommend Kicker or maybe Undying/Persist to either show, in kicker's case, extreme overkill or, in undying/persist, to demonstrate the trope of body doubles.
Also offering Mercurial Sheen/Blast/Feast/Strength/Evolution as uncommons.
August 16, 2015 9:22 p.m.
ABadMagicPlayer100 says... #18
@JA14732, I saw those, can I have a link to them? I like the idea of kicker to tie the set together, and may use the kicker variant of those cards.
August 16, 2015 9:28 p.m.
Here's a link to the thread, can't do too much more while my new computer is slowly arriving: Mercurial Cycle.
Also, yay or nay on the lore ideas?
August 16, 2015 9:55 p.m.
ABadMagicPlayer100 says... #20
@JA14732, while I like the idea of a mob-based set, that isn't really what I was going for here. I was thinking more along the lines of a mana-rich plane like Shandalar.
August 17, 2015 12:11 p.m.
I like the mechanics.
Are you going to give each color an answer so as to be able to 2-for-1 or even 3-for-1 the opponent? Cards like Drown in Sorrow, Volcanic Fallout, and many more mean that any wienie strategy is automatically fail. Will you be giving creatures P/T based around these types of cards so that one or two out of 4 creatures survive, will you let these cards dominate, will you be placing harsh color restrictions on these cards, or will you simply not have them?
looks super prone to failure if you put in things like Languish, Anger of the Gods, Drown in Sorrow, Volcanic Fallout. Granted this is just from reading the description.
August 17, 2015 4:58 p.m.
To piggy back off what JA14732 has said I think Kicker would be great as a unifying mechanic. It's usually isolated to one set at a time, feasible for all the colors, and each color can get the benifit of another color through it's use, sort of similar to how gold cards function. You don't have to invent new mechanics or effects like you would for Hybrid mana symbols.
August 17, 2015 5:01 p.m.
ABadMagicPlayer100 says... #23
@kengiczar of course the Human tribal color will be fairly weak to mass removal, however, the designs I have for the mythics in that faction are a gold 4/4 that gives +2/+2 (therefore helping toughness) and an instant that pumps toughness and gives lifelink. Hopefully, cards like these will help the Humans survive mass removal in some cases.
MenacingBunny says... #2
This looks awesome!! I would love to help out.
August 16, 2015 6:13 p.m.