Stranglehold-esque/"cheese hating" EDH cards

Custom Cards forum

Posted on May 11, 2018, 4:14 p.m. by Coward_Token

(Edit: Updates now on (List) Coward_Token's custom cards)

Edits/changelog Show

• Scorner Of Cowardice -> Scorner of Cowardice
• removed an extra "Comment:" that found its way into a card spoiler
• typo fix
• moved the card comments into the spoilers
• added short comment to Aether Backlash
• replaced the mention of Paradox Engine with another card mentioned later in the thread to clarify an anti-lockdown intent
• made "Comment:"s bold to clarify to indicate they're not part of their respective cards
• Added Mishra's Isolator
• Made all flavor text into italics
• Restricted Mishra's Isolator from chosing the stack
• Split Vengeful Pilgrim's second ability into two to avoid unintentional lockdown with Intruder Alarm (was previously just "Spells and abilities can't cause permanents to tap or untap.")
• Added Mishra's Revoker
• Added Symbol of Alienation

I really like how Stranglehold hoses some mechanics that can be boring (and the fun flavor text exemplifying red's anti-intellectualism is a nice bonus). Because of this, I thought I'd brainstorm some cards in the same spirit by similarly hating on arguably cheesy stuff in Commander, e.g. staples, lockdown and various kinds of infinitive combos (while trying to avoid letting my cards enable such shenanigans themselves).

Would appreciate feedback and other cards in a similar vein (maybe an Eminensce/Oloro interactor?), especially from actual cEDH people as I'm not too familiar with the cutthroat realm of 2-3 turn victories myself. Since I feel Stranglehold is too conservatively costed for a kinda niche card, so I might have gone overboard with my below creations by e.g. making them creatures and/or giving them too low CMC. Also, right now the hating is mostly done trough some sort of loss of life or downright prevention; suggestions on mixing things up a bit more would be particularly appreciated.

Scorner of Cowardice Show

Enchantment Creature - Minotaur Warrior

2/1

You may cast this spell as though it had flash if you pay more to cast it.

Whenever a spell or ability causes a nonland permanent to return to its owner's hand, Scorner of Cowardice deals 2 damage to the controller of that spell or ability.

"The only reason to leave the battlefield is victory or oblivion."

Comment: Meant to hate on Cyclonic Rift and e.g. Cloudstone Curio . The flash option is there to provide some risk for Rift in particular. The nonland clause is primarily meant to avoid causing unjustified collateral damage to Karoos and Moonfolk but I dunno if that leads to some infinitive combos slipping under the radar. Flavorwise it's meant to be a Nyx creature associated with Mogis or maybe Iroas/Purphoros.

Vengful Pilgrim Show

Creature - Human Knight

2/2

If a player would begin an extra turn, that player skips that turn instead.

Spells and abilities can't cause permanents controlled by the controller of those spells and abilities to untap.

Spells and abilities can't cause permanents not controlled by the controller of those spells and abilities to tap.

"I will honor Zhalfir's memory with the blood of time mages."

Comment: Provides an obstacle for e.g. Palinchron (Scorner of Cowardice doesn't really faze it currently) and Derevi, Empyrial Tactician . Flavor-wise, it's a Kwende knockoff (although this one isn't looking for Teferi specifically since he's widely believed to be dead). Was changed from white to red as it primarily hates on mechanics associated with blue (and to a lesser extent white due to the tapping).

Previous version:

Time Standardizer

2W

Creature - Human Adivsor

"For there to be order in a nation, all must follow the same clock."

Patent Keeper Show

Creature - Human Advisor

1/2

Extort

Whenever a spell or ability copies a spell or permanent, the controller of the first spell or ability loses 2 life.

Comment: Meant to hate on Storm and e.g. Kiki-Jiki. The extort is there to make it less niche (also because it's funny).

Pyromaniac Show

Creature - Human Shaman

2/1

If a player would draw a card while their library has no cards in it, they do not win or lose and Pyromaniac deals 5 damage to that player instead.

Hellbent - (unfinished)

"If your head is empty, fill it with fire!"

Comment: Obvious anti- Lab man (although I kinda feel obliged to reference Pyromania somehow). The wording feels overly specific since the "win" clause is currently only relevant when the card's opposite is involved. The hypothetical Hellbent ability is there to give it something to do outside of being a hater (and goes nicely with the flavor text), but I dunno what to put there. Could be some kind of bonus damage but it would have to be sufficiently distinct from Anthem of Rakdos , or add without being neither underwhelming nor abuseable.

Aether Backlash Show

Enchantment

Whenever a spell or ability causes a card to be put from exile onto the battlefield, Aether Backlash deals 3 damage to the controller of that spell or ability.

Comment: Hates on flicker combos like Worldgorger Dragon + Animate Dead and to a lesser extent end-of-turn stuff like Roon of the Hidden Realm

Mishra's Isolator (new) Show

Artifact

As Mishra's Isolator enters the battlefield, choose a zone other than the battlefield or the stack.

Cards in the chosen zone loses all abilities.

It permits no interference.

Comment: Following my own suggestion, this shuts down Oloro, Derevi's commander tax-defying shenanigans and the Eminence people. Other than that niche it can also be used to hose e.g. Anger and Cycling; I dunno if that makes it too unfun. I'm also a bit unsure how it works with casting-relevant stuff like Kicker.

Mishra's Revoker (new) Show

Artifact Creature

2/1

As Mishra's Revoker enters the battlefield, choose a card name.

Cards with the chosen name loses all abilities unless they're on the stack or the battlefield.

Comment: A less extreme alternative to the Isolator. Mishra was influenced by OG Phyrexia, so it's not a stretch to think he'd make his own Revoker.

Symbol of Alienation (new) Show

Artifact

All creatures lose all creature types. The same is true for creature spells and creature cards that aren’t on the battlefield.

Comment: This one came up as a byproduct of me working on my Universal Tribal Supplements. It's mainly meant to hose the Eminence people since they all rely on tribal cards/permanents, although this might be a case of throwing out the baby with the bathwater.

Rabid_Wombat says... #3

Dude, I so need that Scorner of Cowardice right now! Cyclonic Rift is killing us man.

Great cards - Wizards R&D should hire you ASAP :D

May 11, 2018 10:37 p.m.

Faded says... #4

Vengful Pilgrim works great at slowing Derevi, Empyrial Tactician. I like it alot.

Pyromaniac seems too niche but I like the 'lose' clause as well, it gives the card some versatility. Instead of 'a player' why not 'an opponent', this could be used as an anti-mill card or facility an all mill strategy. Not sure that fits within red. Also not sure this needs to be a creature. I'm thinking a blue/red enchantment.

May 12, 2018 8:34 a.m.

Coward_Token says... #5

Rabid_Wombat: More like Wizards need to start their own custom card site where they can pay people like 5 bucks for the rights to their ideas

Faded: Yeah the "a player" wording is both in order to hate on Lab man but also to act as a sort of symmetric Phyrexian Unlife vs mill, and since mill is heavily associated with blue I thought that would fit as a mono-. When you say it could be used to "facility an all mill strategy", do you mean self-mill? I mean if you're milling opponents yourself the smart thing to do is probably just to let them lose from decking out and not play this card. And it's a creature partially to highlight the connection with Lab man but also because to make it somewhat useful outside of its anti-mill niche; dunno if that makes it overpowered.

May 12, 2018 2:36 p.m.

Coward_Token says... #6

Oh and it's kinda obvious in retrospect but Venegul Pilgrim accidentally puts a lockdown on all creatures with Intruder Alarm, which as stated before wasn't where I wanted to go with these cards. The obvious fix I can think of is kind of a mouthful in its inelegancy; I dunno if it can be made more concise while still adhering to the usual syntax:

Spells and abilities can't cause permanents controlled by the controller of those spells and abilities to untap.

Spells and abilities can't cause permanents not controlled by the controller of those spells and abilities to tap.

This still lets you lock down a single person's stuff with Donate effects which isn't ideal but imo tolerable; the only alternative I can think of is keeping the original wording but adding another line which shuts down all "Permanents don't untap during their controllers' untap steps." spells/abilities, but I bet that will open a whole 'nother can of worms. (Also as a bonus, with the new wording Threaten and its buddies work again since the untapping comes before the controlling.)

Appendix: One thing I dislike about Stranglehold is that it isn't symmetrical. If it was, it could act as a signal to the other players that you're not planning on taking advantage of the shenanigans it shuts down yourself. This might clarify why I've chosen to e.g. not let Pyromaniac just keep tabs on opponents

May 12, 2018 3:47 p.m.