The Wheel of Time's Rand Al'Thor
Custom Cards forum
Posted on Aug. 8, 2019, 10:59 a.m. by 2gherkins
Don't know if anyone here has read Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time series (I'm sure someone has), but I've been brainstorming up some ideas for what the series' main character, Rand Al'Thor, might look like on cards. Without further ado:
Rand Al'Thor of the Two Rivers
Legendary Creature - Human Wizard
At the beginning of combat, untap Rand Al'Thor of the Two Rivers. If it's your turn, he gets +1/+0 until end of turn.
Ta'Veren (If this creature would die, you may discard a card and return him to your hand instead.)
1 / 3
Rand, the Dragon Reborn
Legendary Creature - Human Wizard
At the beginning of your end step, you may untap Rand, the Dragon Reborn. If you do, you gain life equal to his power.
: Untap another target creature. Put a +1/+1 counter on that creature and Rand, the Dragon Reborn.
Ta'Veren
2 / 3
Rand, Dragon Isolated
Legendary Creature - Human Wizard
Rand, Dragon Isolated has indestructible as long as it is tapped.
Whenever Rand, Dragon Isolated attacks alone, you may sacrifice three other nonland permanents. If you do, choose a color. Each opponent sacrifices each nonland permanents he or she controls of the chosen color.
Ta'Veren
5 / 4
Rand, Dragon Savior
Legendary Creature - Human Wizard
When Rand, Dragon Savior enters the battlefield, exile target permanent. Rand deals 6 damage to that permanent's controlled.
, Untap Rand, Dragon Savior: Creatures you control get +2/+0 and gain protection from the color of you choice until end of turn. If this ability is activated during combat, remove Rand from combat. It deals equal to it's power to the player or planeswalker it was attacking.
Ta'Veren
6 / 6
Thoughts on the cards? You don't have to have read the books, this was simply more and exercise in designing some fun and flavorful cards. I wanted them to be powerful; everything uniquely playable.
Caerwyn: what if you added 1 to The Dragon Reborn, 1 to Dragon Isolated and 1 to dragon savior? The untap ability on Dragon Reborn was meant to represent him forming alliances in the earlier books as he unites the kingdoms. I feel like Dragon isolated's ability is more white than you would think. Destroying things of a color is very white ( Iona, Shield of Emeria and the sacrificing of permanents is very à la Cataclysm . As for dragon savior, I think the "can't be sacrificed" ability is probably too much.
August 8, 2019 11:40 a.m.
I do not really see how untapping represents building alliances, and I still think it is far too easy to enable untap abilities. With a whole host of enabler cards, your ability pretty much reads "whenever a creature enters the battlefield, put a +1/+1 counter on it and Rand."
Instead, you could just make it a Tap ability - from a flavour stance, I think that works better, given that gaining all those alliances was a fairly slow process, better represented by the creature having to spend a turn out of commission.
Also, as written, I don't think this card necessarily needs Green - it is a lot like a super Bolster, which is a White-based ability. Also, from a flavour stance, Rand was not really a Green character at that time in the books.
I think the addition of Black would both be flavorful and would help with the card's colour identity. would probably be a good cost.
When White has abilities which cause a sacrifice as a wrath effect (rather than the common "sacrifice an attacking creature") they're flavoured such that the focus is on what can be saved, rather than what is going to die. Cataclysm , Balance , Balancing Act ,, Cataclysmic Gearhulk , etc.
I think the addition of Red to the last card would be apt from a flavour perspective and would work well with your abilities, as discussed above.
August 8, 2019 11:58 a.m.
In later reflection, I'm wondering if the life gain + the repeated pump ability is a bit too powerful for a 4 mana creature--doing a quick search, I could not find anything comparable.
Otherwise, I think these are looking pretty good.
Caerwyn says... #2
Some spoilers for the books/upcoming TV show, so I'll put my commentary on the colour choice behind a spoiler block.
Colour Choice
I disagree profoundly with Rand being Mono-white. Rand, at his core, is a very Red/White character--he is committed to his quest to destroy the Dark One and generally has a strong sense of morality (White), but he also has a strong drive toward taking action and gives a fair bit to his emotions (Red). Arguably he delves a bit into a Black there in the middle of the book before his rebirth on the Dragonmount.
Regarding the cards themselves, without any spoilers:
Of the Two Rivers - This seems like a fairly reasonable card and I think is costed fairly well. The new keyword ability is flavorful appropriate and seems like it could reasonably be on a White creature (though White and Discard is a bit of a stretch).
The Dragon Reborn - I think the +1/+1 counter ability is far too powerful. There is a reason Wizards tends to shy away from untap abilities--it's far, far too easy to enable them.
Dragon Isolated - This is a Black, not White, ability, both because it requires you to sacrifice permanents, and because the effect is your opponents sacrificing permanents.
Dragon Savior - This card is doing a bit too much, and much of it is Red aligned not White. For the exile ability, the exile effect is fully within White's domain; direct damage to the controller, however, is Red. Same goes with the second ability's direct damage effect--that's a very Red effect.
2.
August 8, 2019 11:22 a.m.