The Rift -What I think attrition is-
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Posted on Aug. 16, 2015, 1:57 a.m. by Serra_Sentinel
The Rift
Enchantment
Cumulative Upkeep -- Pay 1 Life
Lifelink
Creatures your opponents control cannot attack you unless they pay 
and one life for each attacking creature.
When The Rift is put into a graveyard from play, it deals damage to each creature equal to the number of age counters on it.
Serra_Sentinel says... #3
You're right, it does, and I was hoping to keep it at around three mana due to it trying to fade aggro.
August 16, 2015 2:07 a.m.
well Ghostly Prison is 
and this is better than it, so it can't be 3 CMC. The next closet comparison is Norn's Annex, but since your card is also a boardwipe in a box it can't be mono-White. That's why I think it's probably closer to 4-5 CMC.
Also, this card isn't really that helpful against aggro if you're paying life each time to build up to the board wipe.
August 16, 2015 2:16 a.m.
Here's a slightly modified version that would be more balanced and offset the aggro decks.
The Rift
Enchantment
At each opponent's upkeep, you may pay one life. If you do, add a charge counter to The Rift, creatures can't attack you or planeswalkers you control this turn unless their controller pays and one life.
TAP, Sacrifice The Rift; The Rift deals damage equal to the number of charge counters on it to each creature. You gain life equal to the number of creatures that died this way.
This would allow it to come out early, but still be on par with cards such as Ratchet Bomb or Engineered Explosives, but also gain the upside of being color-based.
August 16, 2015 2:41 a.m.
Reminds me a lot of Heart of Bogardan. With that in mind, how about something like this (super wordy but hey I'm not a card designer):
The Rift
Enchantment
Cumulative Upkeep- Pay 1 life
If you paid Cumulative Upkeep this turn, put a charge counter on The Rift.
Lifelink
Creatures can't attack you unless they pay 
for each attacking creature they control.
When a player doesn't pay The Rift's Cumulative Upkeep, sacrifice it and it deals damage to target player and each creature he or she controls equal to the number of charge counters on The Rift.
The numbers could be tweaked but it looks like it could be kind of interesting. Thoughts?
August 16, 2015 2:51 a.m.
FAMOUSWATERMELON says... #7
Would it be too powerful for it to deal damage only to your opponent's creatures? Because killing your own Rhinos doesn't sound like a very good deal.
August 16, 2015 3:38 a.m.
FAMOUSWATERMELON it wouldn't be attrition if it didn't do an equal effect?
August 16, 2015 4:35 a.m.
FAMOUSWATERMELON says... #9
Well attrition doesn't necessarily mean parallel effects, simply gaining advantages slowly through grinding.
August 16, 2015 5:03 a.m.
GoofyFoot - I don't think this card would be a hybrid, I'm pretty sure it has to be a gold card. That said, I think we're getting somewhere.
August 16, 2015 12:30 p.m.
I don't like it having Lifelink, you could just put that as text in the last ability. Also when you pay a Cumulative Upkeep you put age counters on the permanent. So you can delete that 2nd ability and replace "charge counter" with "age counter".
August 16, 2015 1:27 p.m.
Serra_Sentinel says... #13
The reason it has lifelink is becuase Araganor had a valid point, and the Soulfire Grand Master gives instant and sorcery spells that ability as well.
August 16, 2015 2:23 p.m.
The idea is your opponent would be dissuaded from putting too many creatures on the field, since you would gain life from each one that gets hit. On the other hand, you can't pay the upkeep cost forever, and if your opponent has burn spells or fatties things could get sketchy for your life total.
August 16, 2015 2:41 p.m.
I can see that, but Lifelink isn't very intuitive on an Enchantment as opposed to instant/sorceries.
August 16, 2015 2:41 p.m.
Serra_Sentinel says... #16
I see your point there. However, it cuts down on the word count. I'd also like to see more permanents with "leaves play" instead of "put into graveyard."
August 16, 2015 2:52 p.m.
I think it should still be "When ~ is put into the graveyard" because there are too many shenanigans you can do with "leaves play". I'm sure that's what you'd like to happen, but if it has "When ~ leaves play" there is no way it can be CMC <=3. I still think it should be around 4-5 CMC.
August 16, 2015 2:59 p.m.
Serra_Sentinel says... #18
You have a point. I forgot about the shenanigans with bouncing it and recasting, or blinking it (I don't know many things that blink enchantments though) however, the card is solely dependent on how long it's on the field. CMC is now four, with a hefty specificity on the mana.
August 16, 2015 3:03 p.m.
That seems fine for a mana cost. Also, if you want to see what type of shenanigans can occur, go look up the 
Demonic Pact deck from PT Origins. Using Invasive Species to bounce your Pact is pretty good.
JWiley129 says... #2
This feels more like a
gold card than a mono-black one. Something like 
or 
.
August 16, 2015 2:06 a.m.