Clockwork Aurochs

[Krishnath]

Clockwork Aurochs 4
Snow Artifact Creature - Aurochs (Common)
Clockwork Aurochs enters the battlefield with three +1/+1 counters.
Whenever Clockwork Aurochs attacks or blocks, remove a +1/+1 counter from it at end of combat.
S, T: Put a +1/+1 counter on Clockwork Aurochs.
"They may be artificial, but the herds accept them as their own."
0/0

As always, comments, critiques, and constructive criticism is most welcome.

[user_938036]

Comparing it to similar cards it's kind if weak due to lack of a evergreen keyword and it shouldn't be common if it can get more counters.
It most closely resembles Clockwork Vorrac. Which we can see its 1 cheaper but loses 1 counter and the keyword and costs a snow to uptick.
All other Aurochs trample so this one should probably as well. It makes you even more similar to the Vorrac but if you forgo trample the other Auroch ability would be a good fit, though I'm not sure how it does for space. Alternatively, trample with base stats 1/0 make it feel more unique as well.

[Krishnath]

Comparing it to similar cards it's kind if weak due to lack of a evergreen keyword and it shouldn't be common if it can get more counters.
It most closely resembles Clockwork Vorrac. Which we can see its 1 cheaper but loses 1 counter and the keyword and costs a snow to uptick.
All other Aurochs trample so this one should probably as well. It makes you even more similar to the Vorrac but if you forgo trample the other Auroch ability would be a good fit, though I'm not sure how it does for space. Alternatively, trample with base stats 1/0 make it feel more unique as well.

It is common because it requires snow mana to activate, which makes it strictly worse than similar creatures. You also need to tap it, which removes it from being active for a round (barring shenanigans with proliferate). Compared to other 3/3 artifact creatures, it's perfectly fine as is. Adding trample would push it to uncommon and basically make it into a Vorrac with a lower CC, which was not the intent at all, or force me to reduce the number of counters on it. As it stands now, it's pretty well balanced compared to other 3/3's at common.

[user_938036]

Only one common can put counters back at all and it's from an age where you can't use as a viable reference. All of the uncommon ones tap to put counters on so I don't see how that matters much at all. Costing a snow defiantly is a thing that matters but not for reducing its rarity.
Repeatedly putting counters on yourself isn't a very common ability. It was only done in great numbers with outlast which specifically limited it to sorcery speed to cut down on board complexity. The only other times I could find this ability on a common it was much more expensive. Overall I can't see a good argument for making this a common.

[spacemonaut]

Functionally this attacks or blocks at as a 4-mana vanilla 2/2, which is unviably below rate. Note other clockwork creatures have an upside: flying, trample, burn, or the clockwork beetle which only gets its counter removed at end of combat. These are all also from an age where creatures were fairly weak compared to current creature power levels.

Compare to other current common artifact creatures this will be competing with.

I suggest boosting this up to 4 counters for the same cost, giving it a mechanical keyword, and only removing the counter at end of combat.

That last change is to remove the feelbad inherent in a lot of these designs: "I attack with my 4/4... no, wait, my 3/3. Aw." "I attack with my 1/1 and... oh... no, wait, I don't do that."

[Krishnath]

Functionally this attacks or blocks at as a 4-mana vanilla 2/2, which is unviably below rate. Note other clockwork creatures have an upside: flying, trample, burn, or the clockwork beetle which only gets its counter removed at end of combat. These are all also from an age where creatures were fairly weak compared to current creature power levels.

Compare to other current common artifact creatures this will be competing with.

I suggest boosting this up to 4 counters for the same cost, giving it a mechanical keyword, and only removing the counter at end of combat.

That last change is to remove the feelbad inherent in a lot of these designs: "I attack with my 4/4... no, wait, my 3/3. Aw." "I attack with my 1/1 and... oh... no, wait, I don't do that."

Psst... The counter is removed at end of combat. It's using the current wording for that kind of clockwork creature.

However, upping the number of counters and adding a mechanical keyword would make it to strong for a common. As it is right now, it's about on par with Gilded Sentinel, Foundry Assembler, and Guardian Automaton. It is not a strong card compared to modern four casting cost artifact creatures, and it is not supposed to be. It's intention is to be a common artifact creature that works well in a set with the snow mechanic as limited fodder without being overly complex (which it isn't, each of the abilities are on a separate line, and are fairly short, although you did miss the "at end of combat" part of the second line.)

I could imagine putting a "play this ability as a sorcery" on the growth ability, but I fear that would reduce the playability, and would like a second opinion on that (and a third if possible).

[spacemonaut]

Psst... The counter is removed at end of combat. It's using the current wording for that kind of clockwork creature.

Oops. I can read most of the time, I promise!

It's not quite on par with Gilded Sentinel because it winds down every turn you actually use it in combat, and you can't both attack with it and keep it the same size. It's gotta have some edge over those compared to the cost. Adding a keyword like Trample or Menace would do it. You're right that it doesn't have to be bumped up a size though, I guess! Good point.

[Krishnath]

Psst... The counter is removed at end of combat. It's using the current wording for that kind of clockwork creature.

Oops. I can read most of the time, I promise!

It's not quite on par with Gilded Sentinel because it winds down every turn you actually use it in combat, and you can't both attack with it and keep it the same size. It's gotta have some edge over those compared to the cost. Adding a keyword like Trample or Menace would do it. You're right that it doesn't have to be bumped up a size though, I guess! Good point.

Trample is the only one that makes sense, when comparing it to other Aurouchs, but that puts it dangerously close to the Vorrac.