[OAO] OneAndOnly's Custom Card Thread

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Sporegorger_Dragon
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Post by Sporegorger_Dragon » 1 year ago

OneAndOnly wrote:
1 year ago
Rakdos Emancipator -- 1RG
Creature - Orc Shaman
Whenever a creature becomes enchanted or equipped, Rakdos Emancipator fights that creature, then unattach that Aura or Equipment.
"Stop! Do not lessen yourself by submitting to the unnatural!"
3/2

It fits within the "act natural" aspect of both red and green but ends up feeling very white/black, due to its control / hatebear nature.
This is interesting! Also destroys the Aura unless it has bestow.

But I feel it shouldn't have "Rakdos" in the name, from an aesthetic point of view. It suggests too heavily that the card is Rakdos-aligned. I think maybe Scab Clan Emancipator, since the Scab Clan is the most likely to have former members/victims of the Rakdos.
"What's with you and pitcher plants?" -NinjaCaterpie, 27-9-2021

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OneAndOnly
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Post by OneAndOnly » 1 year ago

Destroying Auras is intentional. Originally the Emancipator was going to destroy the card in question; as it is, it leads to a situation where you could equip a creature, RE fights and unattaches the Equipment, the player attaches the Equipment again, they fight again, ad naus.

To be honest, I really don't follow Magic lore that closely (even when it's printed on the cards). Could you DM me more about the difference between Rakdos and Scab Clan?

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OneAndOnly
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Post by OneAndOnly » 1 year ago

Vertex of Flame -- 2R
Instant
If a source would deal damage this turn, it deals three damage instead.
Draw a card.
.
Interesting how various damage-substitution effects work out. Changing everything to 1 point of damage, for example, works more as damage prevention (and in fact, can be seen on older cards like Forcefield). Changing everything to deal, say, 7 points of damage instead makes it a plus-sized Overrun. Somewhere between 3 and 5 points of damage, therefore, seems like the sweet spot -- though of course, you wouldn't play this if you had a field of Hill Giants and a hand of Lightning Bolts already.

The difficulty with making this scaleable -- ie, more mana to have a higher damage base -- is that you risk pricing the player out of the ability to play other damage sources. Either version would probably work best in a deck full of pingers.

It's intended to benefit both all players equally; a one-sided version would necessarily be much more expensive.

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Post by OneAndOnly » 1 year ago

A different version of flip lands:

Trembling Volcano
Land
T: Add R or B at random.

Is "at random" sufficient enough to tell you to determine which color it is, randomly? Also, I'd like to avoid specifying that it needs to be determined by coin toss or die roll (... or clash...), to avoid unforeseen interactions.

I had an argument a long time ago on another board about whether these would actually work, mechanically, with the counter-argument being that, if a player announces a spell but can't play its costs (it's a red spell, but the trembling spits out black mana instead), the game "rewinds" to before the spell was announced, meaning the mana would empty and the land untap. My instinct would be that the mana generation is separate from casting the spell, and you would be left with black mana in your mana pool, and unable to cast the red spell (unless you had another source). I could always add "Activate as a sorcery," but that really weakens the card!

Of course, I think the following would be reasonable dual lands, too:

"Add R or B. Activate only as a sorcery,"
"Add R or B. Activate only during your own turn,"
"Add R or B. Activate only during another player's turn,"

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Post by OneAndOnly » 1 year ago

The ability I'm currently exploring is biomorphic, which is my own take on living weapon:

Biomorphic (As this enters the battlefield, create a 1/1 blue Shapeshifter creature token with changeling, then attach this Equipment to it.)

A few notes:
-- The creature it creates can exist independently of the Equipment, unlike Germs. This opens up the variety of Equipment I can make with it (since living weapon had to always provide a P/T boost).
-- The creature has changeling, meaning it's actually all creature types. This matters, because all of the Equipment also have an activated ability that targets creatures that share a type with the equipped creature. So, when the Equipment is originally deployed, it can target any creature; but if you have to re-equip it, you're limited to the creature types of the creature it's now equipped to. That's a pretty cool built-in scope-reducing effect,


Unfortunately, it also ends up for some very wordy activated abilities. I already need to have:
Equipped creature has "T:...

and then we add to that:
"... Target creature that shares a creature type with equipped creature...

before we finally get to the actually effect:
"... gets +1/+1 until the end of turn"

It's that middle portion that bothers me. It's ten words, nearly sixty characters, all to express a simple concept ("If A.type == B.type"),

Im considering shortening it to "Target kindred creature," to encapsulate the entire idea. "Equipped creature has, 'T: Target kindred creature gets +1/+1 until the end of turn" might actually fit onto a card.

Thoughts?

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Sporegorger_Dragon
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Post by Sporegorger_Dragon » 1 year ago

OneAndOnly wrote:
1 year ago
I could always add "Activate as a sorcery," but that really weakens the card!
How about Lion's Eye Diamond's wording? "Activate only as an instant." That avoids the problem of rewinding when you get the wrong type of mana, but still allows you to tap it for mana to cast instant and activate abilities.

Lion's Eye Diamond rulings:
"The ability is a mana ability, so it is activated and resolves as a mana ability, but it can only be activated at times when you can cast an instant. Yes, this is a bit weird."
"What's with you and pitcher plants?" -NinjaCaterpie, 27-9-2021

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Post by OneAndOnly » 1 year ago

That's an interesting choice. I think Wizards would be hesitant to print it on an actual card, since many players might not understand the difference. I think "Activate as a sorcery" is more meaningful, but "activate only on your turn" ultimately wins out, for me.

Not that I'm at the point of putting them into a set *just* yet. But soon.

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Post by OneAndOnly » 1 year ago

How the end a turn quickly, and poorly:

Mana Scramble -- CCC
Instant
Split second
Until the end of turn, if a player would add mana, that player adds that much mana of a random color instead.

The colorless players of the world shrug it off. Possibly NBD if you already have a solid board position and are just turning creatures sideways.

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Post by OneAndOnly » 1 year ago

Nexterday Elemental -- 2UU
Creature - Elemental
Flying
1U, T: Return target nonland permanent to its owner's hand. Cards with that name can't be cast this turn. At the beginning of you next turn, cards with that name cost 1 less to play.
0/4

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wizyard
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Post by wizyard » 1 year ago

re: Mana Scramble

player's can still activate mana abilities while a split second spell is on the stack, so they could add what they need "faster than in response." you could add a bit to the end about bleaching any mana that's already out there colorless

i think it's a cool funky Mana Short / Drain Power twist otherwise

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Post by OneAndOnly » 1 year ago

True. It's one of those cards that looks more powerful on paper than it actually plays (since it doesn't affect Tron decks at all, or decks with strong mana fixing, etc.)

But I imagine this would mostly be played at the beginning of the turn, and since most mana still empties out at the end of phases, you can't safekeep that much mana.

The "random" bit is also a bit of a griefer, since it means leaning on an RNG (die roll, series of coin flips, or phone app) to perform just about any action during that turn.

I could probably change it to "... that much mana of *another* random color" to clean it up a bit.

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wizyard
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Post by wizyard » 1 year ago

maybe the random color can be chosen thru the resolution of the spell rather than a new color being determined every single time a source produces mana

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Post by OneAndOnly » 1 year ago

Aulaga, Weedwright -- 1G
Legendary Creature - Elf Druid
At the beginning of your upkeep, you may choose a color. If you would add mana this turn, add mana of that color instead.
T: Target untapped land becomes a 3/3 green Treefolk Forest land creature until end of turn.
1/3

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Post by OneAndOnly » 1 year ago

Born in the Boughs -- 1G
Instant {U}
Creatures you control entering the battlefield this turn enter with an additional reach counter on them.
.
Born in the Billows -- 2U
Instant {U}
Creatures you control entering the battlefield this turn enter with an additional flying counter on them.
.
Born in the Barracks -- 3W
Instant {U}
Creatures you control entering the battlefield this turn enter with an additional first strike counter on them.
.
I could possibly extend this to a full five-color cycle, but I'm partial (ahem) to partial cycles. The wording seems slightly off, but I really don't want it to set up a triggered ability.

There's an additional balance between cost and reward; too expensive, and you can't combo it with other creatures. This sort of ability does go really well with tokens, especially things like Avenger of Zendikar and others that create multiple tokens at once.
.
Subsumed by Fungus -- WBG
Enchantment - Aura
Enchant creature
2: Remove a counter from enchanted creature.
3: Add a counter of a type already on enchanted creature to enchanted creature.

Utility enchantment for a counter-based set; there are a lot of variabilities at play.
Either ability could open up to be able to be activated by any player. The costs to activate could change to hybrid mana (WG to add a counter, WB to remove). Changing the activation costs, though, limits whether other players are able to activate the abilities.

Plus: What if it could copy counters (to, or from other counters), or if instead of removing counters, moved them to other creatures.... What if it could enchant things other than creatures?

Since it's meant to represent both positive and negative counters, is "subsumed by fungus" really the best flavor?

Hmmmm.

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Post by OneAndOnly » 1 year ago

Master of Physick - WB
Creature - Human Cleric {R}
Whenever another player pays life as part of a cost, that player gains a poison counter.
"Doctor," exclaimed Failene, "just what is it are you trying to cure?"
2/2
Last edited by OneAndOnly 1 year ago, edited 1 time in total.

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Post by OneAndOnly » 1 year ago

Intermittent Research - 2U
Sorcery {R}
Draw a card.
At the end of turn, draw a card.
At the beginning of your next upkeep, draw a card.
"I'd like to learn more about - well, about everything," said Sar Sellen. "But between my other classes, sports and, y'know, having a social life - it's hard to find the time!"

Originally this was XU for "Draw a card at the beginning of your next X upkeeps" - which is still a good card, but doesn't seem worthwhile compared to Stroke of Genius and others. So this sets a fixed cost and slightly accelerates the timeline.
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Post by OneAndOnly » 1 year ago

When the Saprolings get compleated...

Viruphytosis -- 1GG
Enchantment
At the end of your turn, you gain a poison counter, then create an 0/0 green Creature - Phyrexian Fungus token. Put a +1/+1 counter on that token for each poison counter you have.
.
Lexag of the Welters -- 3BG
Legendary Creature - Phyrexian Treefolk
At the beginning of your upkeep, gain a poison counter.
Whenever Lexag of the Welters deals combat damage to a player, lose a poison counter. If you do, that player gains a poison counter.
4/4

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Post by OneAndOnly » 1 year ago

Fight Fair -- 1R
Enchantment - Aura
Enchant creature
Whenever enchanted creature blocks or becomes blocked, if an opposing creature has more of a type of counter than enchanted creature, you may add counters equal to the difference.

"Opposing creature" = "a creature blocking or blocked by <this creature>" or, in this case, "by <enchanted creature>."
.
Spirit Guardian -- 1U
Instant
Create a token copy of target tapped creature you control.
.
Astral Companion -- 1UW
Enchantment - Aura
Enchant creature
Whenever enchanted creature becomes tapped, create a white Spirit creature token with base power and toughness equal to enchanted creatures.
Whenever enchanted creature becomes untapped, exile each token created this way.

Pseudo-vigilance by way of creating a copy (albeit, without any abilities).

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Post by OneAndOnly » 1 year ago

Eshemi Gladiator - 3R
Creature - Minotaur Warrior
Whenever Eshemi Gladiator attacks with less than 3 counters, choose a counter of one of the following types to put on it: +1/+1, first strike, menace, or tremble.
3/3

No, I don't mind making Hill Giant (more) obsolete.

"Tremble" is "Whenever this creature deals combat damage to a player, tap that many lands that player controls. " Meant to prep past combat spells.

Also, obvious beginning of a cycle.

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Post by OneAndOnly » 1 year ago

Sacred Hollow
Land
T: Add C. If you control a Plains, add W instead.
Exile Sacred Hollow from your graveyard: Add W. Activate this ability only if Sacred Hollow wasn't put into your graveyard this turn.

Another /cycle.

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Post by OneAndOnly » 1 year ago

Faiol of the Keening -- 2WR
Legendary Creature - Orglit Warrior {R}
Combat damage dealt by Faiol can't be prevented.
Prevent all damage opposing creatures with lesser power would deal to Faiol.
4/3

The first ability really needs to be keyworded. "Accuracy," maybe?

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Post by OneAndOnly » 1 year ago

Glitch -- 2C
Instant
Target artifact creature fights target creature you don't control.

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Post by OneAndOnly » 1 year ago

Match Wits -- U
Sorcery
Draw a card for each other player that has more cards in hand than you.

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Post by OneAndOnly » 1 year ago

Disappear Fear -- XWU
Sorcery
Target permanent phases out for the next X turns. (It phases back in at the beginning of that turn's upkeep.)

Phasing's cool, but also currently situated in mostly blue -- which also gets bounce, tuck, suspend, and few other temporary removal mechanics. White generally gets exile, as well as destruction. But I think phasing, since it's barely deciduous, should be a primarily multi-colored mechanic. (Blue-red is also a strong possibility to me.)

Disappear Fear, by the way, is a really great band everyone should listen to.

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Post by OneAndOnly » 1 year ago

Favored One - 3
Enchantment - Aura
Enchant non-legendary creature
Discard a card with the same name as enchanted creature: Put a number of +1/+1 counters equal its mana value on it. Choose an activated or triggered ability of enchanted creature and activate or trigger it without paying any costs.

Wondering how this might fare in Squadron Hawk decks. The second sentence seems a little sloppy.

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