Wording Question
Custom Cards forum
Posted on Sept. 4, 2018, 6:31 p.m. by PIayswithFlRE
In the Wish List episode of Command Zone, one of the cards they came up with had an ability to have two commanders (neither necessarily having partner) as long as the second commander was within a color identity specified by one of them.
Their example graphic just said "Partner with red and white creatures" with the standard partner reminder text, but that's not quite what they meant.
In toying around with the idea, I came up with the following. Is it clear without being needlessly wordy?
Unite - [list of colors] (You can have two commanders if their color identities include only one or more of those listed)
Blue Dude
U
Legendary Creature -- Human
1/1
Call to Action--RW (At the beginning of the first turn's upkeep, if you don't have another commander, search your library for a red and white legendary creature and put it in your command zone. For the rest of the game, that card has partner and is treated as your commander.)
Partner
It's a bit inelegant, I'll admit, and has a slight flaw in that you could alter whoever your second commander is based on the rest of the table, but I think it's the best way to use the existing 'multi-commander' effects we have, since they rely on both cards having a certain aspect (namely, having partner), since we ideally would want to avoid redundancy in created a new ability.
Also, it doesn't have to be keyworded, especially if it's only showing up once as opposed to on a cycle of commanders.
September 4, 2018 10:53 p.m.
PIayswithFlRE says... #4
Also, it doesn't have to be keyworded, especially if it's only showing up once as opposed to on a cycle of commanders.
True. I guess I had started to think it would be an interesting thing to have a cycle of.
I also want to make sure that:
- the creature itself doesn't add the Unite colors to its color identity
- making the second creature your commander occurs in time to have its colors factored in to determining the legality of the deck
September 4, 2018 11:40 p.m.
First of all, I think the idea of having two commanders is against the spirit of the format. Second, how cool would Nekusar and Yidris double commander be?
The best bet is to word it would be:
Cry for help - At the beginning of the game, if this card is in the command zone, search your library for a legendary creature card. Both cards gain partner and become your commanders.
There are some leaps of logic here, but it is perfectly serviceable and understandable. There is no need to specify it has to be within the color identity, as that is part of the deck building rules of the format.
September 5, 2018 3:24 a.m.
PIayswithFlRE says... #6
Fair points. I just liked the idea of creating interesting mono-colored legendaries with a conditional way to partner, but maybe colors the wrong way to do it.
Bloodknight
Legendary vampire knight
Lifelink, vigilance
Bloodknight gains flying until end of turn if it attacks with another vampire.
Bloodknight and another legendary vampire or knight gain partner.
(This one's not that interesting. Just an example of switching it to tribal)
September 5, 2018 7:21 a.m.
Tbh i had an idea to do this but thought of it differently. I ended up with the idea that each commander had to share one color at least.
Also the issue with having the card be put into the deck at the beginning of the game is that it makes the deck technically illegal prior to the beginning of that game unless the entire identity of the commander are the only colors in that deck.
For example, it couldn't really work if your commander in the beginning is only U/B but you search for a R/W at the beginning of the game. Up until the game starts, it's illegal to have R/W cards. Also, cards with a distinction commander is something decided prior to the beginning of the game (I think). So I don't think that would work.
September 5, 2018 1:15 p.m.
MagicalHacker says... #8
First of all, I very much dislike the idea of a commander being able to partner with existing commanders to give those commanders additional colors. That is a very VERY big no-no in my book, because the format as a whole is already way too skewed away from mono-colored decks.
However, I would totally be down with cards that could partner with monocolored commanders that do not add to their color identity, which can be done either with commanders with strictly generic/colorless mana costs or commanders without mana costs at all! In order to prevent them from being strictly better, I would give them all Eminence effects that are symmetrical for all players, like a reverse Rhystic Study, a Mindlock Orb, etc.
September 5, 2018 4:09 p.m.
Rhadamanthus says... #9
What about something like
Unite (This card can be partnered with any legendary creature with only a and/or color identity)
September 5, 2018 4:20 p.m.
PIayswithFlRE says... #10
That last one works other than using the words instead of the mana symbols if we need to avoid impacting the color identity of the card it's printed on.
I'd start to think of something like
Fist of God
Legendary Creature - Berserker Angel
Flying
Whenever you gain life, creatures you control get +1/+0 until end of turn.
If ~ is your commander, add red to its color identity. It and another legendary creature in your deck gain partner.
2/4
But MagicalHacker makes a good point about boosting monocolor decks, so maybe that wording without the part about adding to the identity.
I appreciate all the thoughts from everyone
September 5, 2018 6:08 p.m.
Sorry if anyone already said this but the way I would word it is
Partner you may have two commanders if your other commander is only red or only white
Or whatever restriction youd like. I think making a knight that can team up with any wizard could be fun or maybe something with mana cost
PIayswithFlRE says... #2
Not quite redundant, since partner currently only works if they both have it.
I think the word "only" is necessary, since your wording would let a creature with Unite - red, white (need to use the words instead of symbols to avoid impacting its color identity) co-commander with a creature, rather than capping the combined color identity at the listed Unite colors, allowing this example to co-commander only with a , , or creature
September 4, 2018 7:33 p.m.