Will of the Council cycle?
Custom Cards forum
Posted on March 9, 2015, 6:18 p.m. by MagicalHacker
The idea is that ties do 1/2 of each option:
Will of the Just Council 
Sorcery
Will of the council - Starting with you, each player votes for war or peace. If war gets more votes, put two +1/+1 counters on each creature you control. If peace gets more votes, gain 10 life. If the vote is tied, put a +1/+1 counter on each creature you control and gain 5 life.
Will of the Erudite Council 
Sorcery
Will of the council - Starting with you, each player votes for mind or matter. If mind gets more votes, draw two cards. If matter gets more votes, untap four permanents you control. If the vote is tied, draw a card and untap two permanents you control.
Will of the Miserly Council 
Sorcery
Will of the council - Starting with you, each player votes for censure or tribute. If censure gets more votes, each player discards two cards. If tribute gets more votes, each player sacrifices two creatures. If the vote is tied, each player discards a card and sacrifices a creature.
Will of the Rash Council 
Sorcery
Will of the council - Starting with you, each player votes for fire or lightning. If fire gets more votes, ~ deals 6 damage to each player. If lightning gets more votes, add to your mana pool. If the vote is tied, ~ deals 3 damage to each player and add to your mana pool.
Will of the Wild Council 
Sorcery
Will of the council - Starting with you, each player votes for champion or throng. If champion gets more votes, put a 6/6 green Elemental creature token onto the battlefield. If throng gets more votes, put four 1/1 green Elemental creature tokens onto the battlefield. If the vote is tied, put a 3/3 green Elemental and two 1/1 green Elemental creature tokens onto the battlefield.
Thoughts?
FAMOUSWATERMELON says... #3
The red one and blue one are pretty OP, but I like them that way :)
Nice job!
March 9, 2015 6:32 p.m.
MagicalHacker says... #6
I mean cards are always pretty under-powered when you are giving an opponent choice. I mean the only one I can see being played is the red one in a janky storm deck.
March 9, 2015 6:39 p.m.
CrazyLittleGuy says... #7
Yep, Will of the Wild Council is far and away the best in this bunch, and seems rather good. The generic problem with Will of the Council keyworded cards is that your opponent gets to make the decision, decreasing their value. Much like Vexing Devil. The only way they are playable is when the tied result leads to a favorable card anyway in a wide variety of situations, like Council's Judgment. The reason the green example here is good, however, is that both modes are more or less the same; you get great value in terms of power and bodies for mana cost no matter the result. The others all are a bit narrow in what they do, and while each half seems like a good card in the abstract, they're good in specific situations; the choosing results in you never getting that benefit of narrow application.
That said, the others are a bit tougher to evaluate, so I might be a bit off.
March 9, 2015 6:44 p.m.
The green one has the potential to be a two mana 6/6 or two mana for four 1/1s when the norm is three mana for three 1/1s. The red one is good in burn for damage or acceleration for more burn. The blue one gives two draws for two mana when three mana is the standard; it lets you untap any four permanents for two mana when a 1 mana/1 permanent split is usually the case; the combined effect is also amazing. The white one is only fine if you gain 10, but even that's pushing it (buffing your entire board that much for so little is incredibly strong). The only one that's even mildly not amazing is the black one because it's a setback to you as well, but it'd only make Pox decks stronger.
March 9, 2015 6:45 p.m.
Giving your opponents a choice isn't a big deal when they're super fucked no matter what.
March 9, 2015 6:45 p.m.
CrazyLittleGuy says... #10
The red one seems rather mediocre actually. Generally the damage isn't relevant until you hit your combo card a la Grapeshot, so basically it's always going to be a Pyretic Ritual for RR, maybe with minor upside.
March 9, 2015 6:47 p.m.
The problem with the red one is that it gives two mana instead of one. That's part of why Seething Song was banned.
March 9, 2015 6:48 p.m.
CrazyLittleGuy says... #12
@bigguy99 Yes it does. Vexing Devil. The norm is 2/2 for R or 3 damage for R, so it exceeds both expectations. Yet it is still pretty awful. You undervalue the choice aspect of mtg.
March 9, 2015 6:50 p.m.
Thing is that cards like Vexing Devil or even fucking Dash Hopes are easy to deal with. Whether you let them pass or not, there's nothing huge about either of them and if the situation is bad enough you'll just pay the life. Problem with these is that you're put in a terrible position as soon as they resolve no matter what the outcome is.
March 9, 2015 6:52 p.m.
CrazyLittleGuy says... #14
@bigguy99 I actually thought the red one was RRR in the tied option. It seems even worse then actually. It will net you two mana approximately 0 percent of the time. The 3 damage is rather irrelevant.
March 9, 2015 6:52 p.m.
Well then yea, when tied the red one is pretty bad. But what about the others?
March 9, 2015 6:53 p.m.
CrazyLittleGuy says... #16
@bigguy99 Not true at all. +1/+1 to all your opponent's creatures and 5 life to their total is not at all a terrible position. 3 damage for 0 mana and a card from your opponent is not a terrible position. Cycling a card for 0 mana is not a terrible position.
March 9, 2015 6:55 p.m.
lemmingllama says... #17
I really like all of these, they would be fun and not too powerful for anything other than Standard.
The green one is a little overpowered though. It might be better as either a 3/3, 3 1/1's, or a 2/2 and a 1/1.
March 9, 2015 7:29 p.m.
MagicalHacker says... #18
Hmm, I may just completely go back to the drawing board for the green one.
March 9, 2015 7:31 p.m.
MagicalHacker says... #19
Will of the Wild Council
Sorcery
Will of the council - Starting with you, each player votes for above or below. If above gets more votes, put two 1/1 green Elf Druid creature tokens with "
: Add to your mana pool" onto the battlefield. If below gets more votes, return up to two cards from your graveyard to your hand. If the vote is tied, put one of those tokens and return up to one card from your graveyard to your hand.
Better?
March 9, 2015 7:39 p.m.
lemmingllama says... #21
How about something like "Will of the council - Starting with you, each player votes for overrun or stampede. If overrun gets more votes, creatures you control get +3/+3 until end of turn. If stampede gets more votes, creatures you control get trample and hexproof until end of turn. If the vote is tied, target creature you control gets +3/+3, trample, and hexproof until end of turn.
March 9, 2015 7:41 p.m.
julianjmoss says... #22
So usually with incredibly low cmc cards like this have drawbacks and these don't at all. The blue one is vintage and legacy playable and is a free cantrip/storm enabler. I would recommend changing cmc or balancing the effects. Another criticism is that the other will of the council cards that are printed don't have a different effect when the votes are tied but that isn't super important since there aren't enough to set precedence and is entirely up to you. I like them though, you clearly put a lot of thought into them.
March 9, 2015 7:42 p.m.
lemmingllama says... #23
Oh, didn't see the new one. It looks pretty good, and is a good power level.
March 9, 2015 7:42 p.m.
MagicalHacker says... #24
Thanks for the feedback guys! So just to get a general consensus, are the four W through R and the new G one balanced? I feel as if there is disagreeing positions, you know?
March 9, 2015 7:49 p.m.
I very much like the new green one. I still don't like the blue one because for 0 mana a cantrip is incredibly good - people would likely play Gitaxian Probe even if it didn't let you Peek. The same goes for the red one but less so. The black one is balanced enough since it can be a flub. I'm on the fence about the white one.
March 9, 2015 7:52 p.m.
MagicalHacker says... #26
I also don't like the untap effect, what could I replace it with?
March 9, 2015 7:56 p.m.
Bouncing nonland permanents might be too good. How about adding 
to your pool at the beginning of your next turn if it's both votes for it and 
if it's a split. Keep in mind that it'd be colorless. It might be fine since blue is more reactionary, but it could also make some big plays. Not sure.
March 9, 2015 7:59 p.m.
julianjmoss says... #28
I believe the red and blue ones are a little too OP. The blue one especially
March 9, 2015 7:59 p.m.
i like the elf version of the green card. although the second half feels almost like a black effect.
what about "evolution or rampant growth: evolution is 2 elves. rampant growth is put a land from your library to your hand and one land from your hand onto the battlefield tapped. (there is a 3 mana version of this that i cant think of, which makes this reasonable since its choice). split is 1 elf and untap a land. (because if you have no land in hand that would be pretty bad.)"i think black is the only one that might need a buff."raid or tribute: basically just change the discard to only opponents. the sac can stay as both players." because either its a pox or a better version of Mind Rot which is acceptable considering its opponents choice.the white one is pretty powerful at least the first half. the life gain one is fine. other side might be distribute 4 +1/+1 counters (that might be a lot but it prevents token decks from destroying with this card, but it might be a little on the strong side still.) split is 2 +1/+1 counters and 5 life.blue one is strong, but i think the 2 draw is fine for 2 mana on choice. the 4 un-tap is pretty strong but i know dropping it to 2 would be too weak. you could make it return 2 creatures to their owners hands. which is pretty strong. (ive seen this effect for 4 mana in modern and 3 mana in older sets). split would be 1 draw 1 return which is good for 2 mana. id play that all day.red is good. i think the 6 damage is good for 2 mana but it hits you so its not crazy powerful. its slightly more than the 2 mana deal 4 to each player. and this is slightly better than the 2 mana that gives 3 mana. i think wizards would get touchy about the adding of an extra 2 mana so just as a back up, id say you could always go with some other aggressive creature based decks. such as creautes you control get +2/+0 (Trumpet Blast for 1 less which is reasonable for choice) split is 3 damage and +1/+0 which i would think is reasonable.
thats my 2 cents. This is a really interesting idea. i like it and i hope something comes of it.
March 9, 2015 9:05 p.m.
MagicalHacker says... #30
I've got it! Choose prepare or plan. Prepare: draw two. Plan: scry 6. Tie: draw, scry 3.
March 10, 2015 7:15 a.m.
That is balanced. i mean most likely your opponent will choose plan. but i know theres a 1 drop blue with scry 3 so 2 for scry 6 is good. I'd say its a very solid card regardless which probably a good thing.
March 10, 2015 7:03 p.m.
MagicalHacker says... #32
So here are the "final versions". Had to trim the green one cause it was too wordy, and it's still the wordiest of the bunch too.
Will of the Just Council
Sorcery
Will of the council - Starting with you, each player votes for war or peace. If war gets more votes, put two +1/+1 counters on each creature you control. If peace gets more votes, gain 10 life. If the vote is tied, put a +1/+1 counter on each creature you control and gain 5 life.
Will of the Erudite Council
Sorcery
Will of the council - Starting with you, each player votes for research or theorize. If research gets more votes, draw two cards. If theorize gets more votes, scry 6. If the vote is tied, draw a card then scry 3.
Will of the Miserly Council
Sorcery
Will of the council - Starting with you, each player votes for censure or tribute. If censure gets more votes, each player discards two cards. If tribute gets more votes, each player sacrifices two creatures. If the vote is tied, each player discards a card and sacrifices a creature.
Will of the Rash Council
Sorcery
Will of the council - Starting with you, each player votes for fire or lightning. If fire gets more votes, ~ deals 6 damage to each player. If lightning gets more votes, add to your mana pool. If the vote is tied, ~ deals 3 damage to each player and add to your mana pool.
Will of the Wild Council
Sorcery
Will of the council - Starting with you, each player votes for endure or regrow. If endure gets more votes, populate four times. If regrow gets more votes, return two cards from your graveyard to your hand. If the vote is tied, populate twice, then return a card from your graveyard to your hand.
kingofcramers says... #2
the green one is absurdly powerful, but other than that, they look really really cool. I especially like the idea of a tied vote giving a different effect.
March 9, 2015 6:30 p.m.