[Assorted][Daily] SecretInfiltrator's SecretBase

[SecretInfiltrator]

Reverence actually already went through a dozen different names and creature type options, so I guess I'll have to go through some more. Though I actually have loosened the "unique cardname" rule for the purely practical reason that Wizard never seems to bother checking against my cardnames either. ; )

I really like the suggestion Esteem though.

Card of the Day 2019-08-01: >

Tusava's Hymn GWU
Enchantment (R)
Creatures you control get +1/+1.
Whenever you cast an enchantment spell, you may return ~ to its owner's hand. If you do, draw a card.

[void_nothing]

Neat. A bit "generically powerful" but I like the idea of looping constellation abilities.

[SecretInfiltrator]

Card of the Day 2019-08-02: >

Sporesnapper WBG
Creature - Bird Lizard (R)
Flying
Whenever a counter is placed onto another permanent you control, you may pay {1}. If you do, put a +1/+1 counter on ~.
It roosts atop fungal reaches sifting nourishment out of winds whirling with thallid spores.
2/2

[void_nothing]

Huh! That typeline is... odd... but if it makes sense for the setting, why not. The black seems out of place - not that black doesn't put counters on stuff, but it seems more like it should be a symmetrical effect if it's black as black likes to hose counters as well as place -1/-1 counters. Blue seems like the best third color if it had to be three colors.

[SecretInfiltrator]

I could see this triggering on any counter put on another creature/permanent. There was a time, when it was more black by actually stealing the counter. The card suffers a little from having just so many valves to be turned for all kinds of minor attunements.

Card of the Day 2019-08-03: >

Narset's Preparation URW
Instant (U)
Put any number of noncreature, nonland cards from your graveyard on top of your library, then draw a card.
Exile ~.

[SecretInfiltrator]

Card of the Day 2019-08-04: >

Damia's Counsel BGU
Sorcery (U)
Discard any number of cards. If the number of cards in your hand is less than the greatest power among creatures you control, draw a number of cards equal to the difference.

[user_938036]

While I see what's being done and even realize that the wording means you don't have to discard any cards and could draw twelve it just feels so wrong to read an effect that reads as typical rummaging and not see Red in the cost. It's probably the right colors but it feels very wrong.

[Legend]

A storm knocked the power out so I'll do this.

SPOILER

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Avatar of the Void - Great Name doesn't match the package. Name sounds more like six mana that counts lands too. Package seems more like a Herald.

Knight in Shining Armor - Brilliant would be fitting in Theros. The White Knight base falls flat as a brilliant lord. Something splashier for this effect would be more fun. It's also awkward that the card that gives brilliant creatures double strike only has first strike itself.

Whisper Campaign - The base effect is set filler. Maneuver is parasitic. It would be nice to see the entire suite of cards with maneuver.

Commune with the Dead - Solid, flavorful, cross-tribal effect. The name points to the graveyard though. "Commune with Undead" might be better.

Illegal Search - Love it. Maybe too good. We all know how strong even the most janky effects can be at 1 cmc.

Grand Broodling - There's nothing "grand" about this. I assume that you designed Incubate before Afterlife was spoiled.

Quell - This could serve as a nice signpost. Especially, I think, in a Core Set.

Dimir Voidmaw - This is more wu than ub. And white Eldrazi are intriguing.

Olivia's Celebration - Looks good. I don't think the word "has" is proper though.

Ransack the Place - Awesome mashup.

Be Fruitful - "And multiply" Gen 1:28

Mirror Hex - This is the kind of small effect that can turn the tide of a close Limited game.

Obsessive Tweaking - in a way, this reads "Buyback - Don't draw a card.", which I'm willing to bet, would be or become problematic. So much so that it may not be printable.

Clan Druid - Difficult to evaluate in a vacuum, but it's be potent paired with even a little life gain, which is likely to happen given the colors.

Agrus's Cohort - Mechanically sound. I like the idea of a legendary matters sub(?)theme in Ravnica and wonder how the other guilds would join in the fun.

Eerie Piper - Excellent.

Aminatou's Memento - Call me old fashioned, but IMO, wub =/= Reclaim and its many monogreen derivatives.

Restoration of Kess - Safe enough to print, potent enough to play.

Shattergang Spree - Great riff.

Reverence - Thumbs up. My favorite creature in this thread so far.

[Blinking Spirit]

I don't think there's anything wrong with Damia's Council. Blue and black do a lot of rummaging. Neat effect. Probably doesn't need to be all three colors (heck, you could possibly get away with mono-green), but in a wedge-themed set, why not?

[SecretInfiltrator]

I though of the rummage/looting issue as well. I could change this to "Draw seven cards. If you have more cards in hand than the greatest power among creature's you control, discard a number of cards equal to the difference." to be closer to looting than rummaging. As many have pointed out before elsewhere though: rummaging is actually the more cerebral act and requires considering possibilities ahead of time, which conceptually fits blue's discerning mindset well - and on a multicolored card I feel like leaning into this by starting the effect with a less severe One with Nothing.

Would you consider the current effect a good fit for GUR?

---

A lot of comments I'm going to have to process through there, Legend, thanks. : )

Card of the Day 2019-08-05: >

Witch Pyre RWB
Instant (C)
~ deals 3 damage to target creature.
Target player loses 3 life.
Target player gains 3 life.

[spacemonaut]

I though of the rummage/looting issue as well. I could change this to "Draw seven cards. If you have more cards in hand than the greatest power among creature's you control, discard a number of cards equal to the difference." to be closer to looting than rummaging. As many have pointed out before elsewhere though: rummaging is actually the more cerebral act and requires considering possibilities ahead of time, which conceptually fits blue's discerning mindset well - and on a multicolored card I feel like leaning into this by starting the effect with a less severe One with Nothing.

Would you consider the current effect a good fit for GUR?

The effect you just described is a perfect fit for Sultai. The looting pattern (draw then discard) very blue, filling your graveyard is very green-black, and draw based on creature power is very green.

This would feel undercosted at CMC 3 though.

The effect here—

Card of the Day 2019-08-04: >

Damia's Counsel BGU
Sorcery (U)
Discard any number of cards. If the number of cards in your hand is less than the greatest power among creatures you control, draw a number of cards equal to the difference.

—feels red-green. There's no blue component. It's rummaging (discard then draw) which is red, and draw based on creature power which is green.

[SecretInfiltrator]

Card of the Day 2019-08-06: >

Sarkhan's Paradox GUR
Sorcery (M)
Search your library for a planeswalker card that shares a planeswalker type with a planeswalker you control or a legendary permanent card that has the same name as a permanent you control. Put that card onto the battlefield, then shuffle your library. Both permanents are no longer legendary.

[user_938036]

I'm 90% certain that to get your card to function right it needs to start off with "Choose a legendary permanent you control." Otherwise, I don't think it can refer to "Both Permanents" in the way that you want.

[SecretInfiltrator]

You are correct. Something about the wording has to change. Maybe I can make it easier to parse in the process as well...

Card of the Day 2019-08-07: >

Tyrant's Sway WUBR
Instant (R)
Exile target spell and put a a claim counter on it. For as long as that card remains exiled, you may cast that card and your opponents can't cast cards with the same name as that card.
When it comes to displays of power, flagrancy is advised. Lest one would assume you have qualms to act.

[SecretInfiltrator]

Card of the Day 2019-08-08: >

Prevent Disaster GWUB
Instant (R)
Until end of turn, if a permanent you control would leave the battlefield, exile it until end of turn instead.
You can't lose life this turn.
To achieve immortality you need to live not in the moment, but past it.

[Blinking Spirit]

Tyrant's Sway is a really unique effect and believable in the four colors, although it could probably work without the red if you wanted it to. I'd word the first sentence "Counter target spell and exile it": the card doesn't really need the claim counter to remind you what it's there for, in my opinion, and the effect should probably play nice with other stuff that interacts with countermagic. Also, the flavor text advises the opposite of what the actual card encourages - deliberate irony?

[SecretInfiltrator]

Card of the Day 2019-08-09: >

Echoes of Brilliance RGWU
Instant (R)
Copy up to one target nonpermanent spell. You may choose new targets for the copy.
Create a token that is a copy of up to one target permanent.
Purging corruption is necessity. Expanding splendor is the true goal.

[Dragonlover]

Does the wording 'nonpermanent spell' actually mean anything in the rules? I know what you mean colloquially, but I'd probably have worded it as 'target instant or sorcery'. Cool card though!

Dragonlover

[SecretInfiltrator]

Does the wording 'nonpermanent spell' actually mean anything in the rules? I know what you mean colloquially, but I'd probably have worded it as 'target instant or sorcery'. Cool card though!

Thanks. The term "permanent spell" is known to the rules. I work with the assumption that "nonpermanent spell" can be inferred from there or be added to the rules etc. I prefer using that wording here specifically to showcase how the two abilities mirror each other.

In custom rules there is a real chance I'm doing the wrong thing if e. g. there is going to be a new card type that is neither a permanent in the traditional sense nor "volatile" like instant and sorcery are, but can be cast as a spell (I could imagine e. g. classifying a card type I worked on once upon a time as a "zone spell" though it was originally meant to be a permanent). No wording is entirely future proof unfortunately.

[Dragonlover]

That's cool, I had no idea 'permanent spell' was a thing written in the rules/on a card anywhere. Got an example?

Dragonlover

[void_nothing]

Only Unbound Flourishing uses that wording as of this point, but I wouldn't be surprised if Core 2021 or another future core set had a "counter target permanent spell".

I too support "nonpermanent" replacing "instant or sorcery" - it's only logical.

[SecretInfiltrator]

I wasn't aware it is still used on only one card. Originally I started using the term as it appeared in the comprehensive rules that use it in several places e. g. where it says that the final step of resolving a permanent spell is putting it on the battlefield and I noticed it appearing on some card at some point, but never bothered committing to memory which one. : )

It's also a surprisingly recent card.

Card of the Day 2019-08-10: >

Leap from the Crypt BRGW
Instant (U)
Return target creature card from a graveyard to the battlefield under your control with a +1/+1 counter on it. That creature fights target creature you don't control.

[SecretInfiltrator]

Card of the Day 2019-08-11: >

Boundless Desire UBRG
Sorcery (R)
As an additional cost to cast ~ discard X cards and pay X life.
Put X +1/+1 counters on target creature, then draw a number of cards equal to that creatures power.
You continue to reach for the stars, but I won't rest until I have reached past them.

[SecretInfiltrator]

Card of the Day 2019-08-12: >

Ur-Dragon's Boon WUBRG
Instant (R)
Up to one target player gains 3 life, draws three cards and adds three mana in any combination of colors.
Ur-Dragon's Boon deals 3 damage up to one target.
Up to one target creature gets +3/+3 until end of turn.

[Krishnath]

Card of the Day 2019-08-12: >

Ur-Dragon's Boon WUBRG
Instant (R)
Up to one target player gains 3 life, draws three cards and adds three mana in any combination of colors.
Ur-Dragon's Boon deals 3 damage up to one target.
Up to one target creature gets +3/+3 until end of turn.

Ha! I know the five cards it is referencing. And in the proper order as well, it's magnificent.

• Healing Salve
• Ancestral Recall
• Dark Ritual
• Lightning Bolt
• Giant Growth