NEXUS FLAMINGO ☆ Exclusively For Custom Card Connoisseurs and Gnomes

[Megiddo]

Assembled Infantry 2WW
Creature — Eye Skeleton Spirit Ooze Soldier {R}
Whenever Assembled Infantry would be dealt damage, prevent that damage, then choose one:
- Draw a card, then this becomes Stumbling Infantry.
- Create a 1/1 black Skeleton creature token, then this becomes Sloshing Infantry.
- You gain 2 life, then this becomes Shambling Infantry.
4/4

Transformations

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Stumbling Infantry 2WW
Creature — Skeleton Spirit Ooze Soldier {R}
Stumbling Infantry can't block
Whenever Stumbling Infantry would be dealt damage, prevent that damage, then choose one:
- Create a 1/1 black Skeleton creature token, then this becomes Oozing Infantry.
- You gain 2 life, then this becomes Occult Infantry.
3/3

Sloshing Infantry 2WW
Creature — Eye Spirit Ooze Soldier {R}
Ward 2
Whenever Sloshing Infantry would be dealt damage, prevent that damage, then choose one:
- Draw a card, then this becomes Oozing Infantry.
- You gain 2 life, then this becomes Ocular Infantry.
3/3

Shambling Infantry 2WW
Creature — Eye Skeleton Spirit Soldier {R}
Menace
Whenever Shambling Infantry would be dealt damage, prevent that damage, then choose one:
- Draw a card, then this becomes Occult infantry.
- Create a 1/1 black Skeleton creature token, then this becomes Optical Infantry.
3/3

Transformation level 2

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Occult Infantry 2WW
Creature — Skeleton Spirit Soldier {R}
Menace
Occult Infantry can't block.
Whenever Occult Infantry would be dealt damage, prevent that damage, create a 1/1 black Skeleton creature token, then this becomes Apparitional Infantry.
2/2

Optical Infantry 2WW
Creature — Eye Spirit Soldier {R}
Menace, ward 2
Whenever Optical Infantry would be dealt damage, prevent that damage, draw a card, then this becomes Apparitional Infantry.
2/2

Oozing Infantry 2WW
Creature — Spirit Ooze Soldier {R}
Ward 2
Oozing Infantry can't block.
Whenever Oozing Infantry would be dealt damage, prevent that damage, you gain 2 life, then this becomes Apparitional Infantry.
2/2

Transformation Level 3

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Apparitional Infantry 2WW
Creature — Spirit Soldier {R}
Flying
1/1

IIW: Please don't let this monstrosity of a "card" win

See, why don't we get this in digital-only

well for one thing it would require eight unique pieces of art instead of just digitally recoloring the same piece five times

[Juancu]

Recombinator 1G
Artifact Creature - Construct (R)
Recombinator has the creature types of cards exiled by it.
1, Exile a creature card from your graveyard: If Recombinator has exactly five creature types, sacrifice it and choose two creature types. If each type is in a single different card exiled by Recombinator, search your library for a creature with those types, reveal it, and put it into your hand. Shuffle afterwards.
2/3

(Exile Elf Druid + Human Wizard, tutor for Elf Wizard, Human Druid, Human Elf, or Druid Wizard.)

IIW: Finally complete

[NinjaCaterpie]

The Ectoria, Roost of Dragons
Legendary Land Creature - Urza's Giant Elder Dragon Carrier Dreadnought (M)
Flying, vigilance, trample
As long as The Ectoria has five or less counters on it, it isn't a creature.
T: Add C. Put a +1/+1 counter on The Ectoria.
T, remove a counter from The Ectoria: Add two mana of any one color to your mana pool. Spend this mana only to cast spells with mana value five or greater.
0/0

(Urza's is a land type. Feel free to remove "Dreadnought" if you just wanted 5 subtypes)

IIW: Your favourite recent mechanic

[Cythare]

Crazy Uncle Jim UBR
Legendary Creature — Weird Elder Human Carrier Coward (R)
Crazy Uncle Jim can't block.
Whenever you cast a noncreature spell, put a -1/-1 counter on Crazy Uncle Jim and up to one other target creature.
Noncreature spells you cast cost X more to cast, where X is Crazy Uncle Jim's power.
1/6

IIW: Salvage your least favorite mechanic from the last 5 years

[Megiddo]

Q, Mad Biomagus GU
Legendary Creature — Human Wizard {M}
2, T: Exile target creature card from a graveyard and note one of its creature types. Put a +1/+1 counter on Q, Mad Biomagus.
2GU: Transform Q. Activate this ability only if you've noted at least two unique creature types for cards named Q, Mad Biomagus this game.
"I'm worried about Director Q. He's begun experimenting on himself, and with every trial seems to be closer and closer to finally snapping."
—From the notebook of Q's lab assistant
2/2
//
Project Q
{UG color indicator} Legendary Creature — Mutant {M}
When this creature transforms into Project Q, you draw a card and you gain 3 life.
2, T: Exile target creature card from a graveyard. Put a +1/+1 counter on Q.
"Unrestricted genetic fusion caused Director Q to become unstable in mind and body. We'll continue ."
—From the notebook of Q's lab assistant
3/3

SPOILER

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ULTIMATE LIFE FORM Q
{UG color indicator} Legendary Creature {M}
ULTIMATE LIFE FORM Q is a Crab, Drake, Insect, Sheep, and Turtle.
When this creature transforms into ULTIMATE LIFE FORM Q, double the number of +1/+1 counters on each creature you control.
Flying, trample, indestructible
At the beginning of your upkeep, exile a creature card from each player's graveyard. If you can't, sacrifice Q.
"Immortality is mine."
5/5

This alternate back face is unlisted, and only appears if you note exactly the five creature types it lists with the ability on the front face. Why these five types you ask? Uh, look over there! Somebody else posted a good entry!

IIW: At this point, digital-only cards.

[void_nothing]

Why those types in particular? The ULTIMATE LIFE FORM needs to assimilate from the creatures that are best at the five most important characteristics in nature.

The PINCHINESS of the CRAB
The CUNNING of the DRAKE
The TENACITY of the INSECT
The WOOLLINESS of the SHEEP
The HARDNESS of the TURTLE

[void_nothing]

The Fire That Lives RW
Legendary Creature - Phoenix Dragon Angel Spirit God (M)
Flash
Flying
If a source would deal any amount of noncombat damage to a permanent or player, it deals damage equal to The Fire That Lives's power instead.
Whenever a source deals noncombat damage to a permanent or player, put a +1/+1 counter on The Fire That Lives.
2RW, Remove all +1/+1 counters from The Fire That Lives: You gain life equal to the number of counters removed this way.
1/1

IIW: Variants on split cards or DFCs

[Megiddo]

Why those types in particular? The ULTIMATE LIFE FORM needs to assimilate from the creatures that are best at the five most important characteristics in nature.

The PINCHINESS of the CRAB
The CUNNING of the DRAKE
The TENACITY of the INSECT
The WOOLLINESS of the SHEEP
The HARDNESS of the TURTLE

I would have gone with Pincher except that there are no printed cards with that type. I had to settle for crab.

Wizards, you know what to do.

[void_nothing]

Actually I think there are almost 50 of them huehue

[Stapler]

Buffalo Buffalo Buffalo 2GG
Creature - Buffalo Buffalo Buffalo Buffalo Buffalo (R)
Buffalo Buffalo Buffalo has trample as long as you control another Buffalo.
When Buffalo Buffalo Buffalo or another Buffalo enters the battlefield under your control, if mana from a Buffalo was spent to cast it, Buffalo Buffalo Buffalo deals damage equal to its power to up to one target Buffalo.
1G, Sacrifice Buffalo Buffalo Buffalo: Buffalo.
4/4

Note that each of its subtypes are unique:

Buffalo refers to a water bison-esque race, a creature type printed in Dominaria United.
Buffalo refers to a type of hired goon, a new creature class first seen in Dominaria United.
Buffalo refers to a land type similar to Urza's, named after a location in Dominaria United.
Buffalo refers to the new planeswalker subtype Buffalo, which is used on cards that are descendants of the planeswalker Buffalo, who awakened his spark and planeswalked to Dominaria United.
Buffalo refers to a Treasure-esque subtype that appears on artifacts and creatures which allow you to perform a keyword action called Buffalo, a mechanic from Dominaria United.

IIW: Buffalo United

[void_nothing]

I hate that this technically accounts for the fact that some of the buffalos in that phrase are actually verbs

[Sporegorger_Dragon]

Good haul this round!

Now, the secret criteria for this round is: how well you can justify five creature types?

Faceless Mediator 4W
Creature - Advisor
This creature is also a Human, Elf, Dwarf, and Goblin
This spell costs 1 less to cast for each creature in your council (Your Council consists of up to one each of Human, Elf, Dwarf, and Goblin.)
As long as you have a full council, creatures you control get +1/+1
"Good, now that we're all at the table, negotiations can begin."
3/3

IIW: The wolves are at the door.

cheetos starts out strong with this perfectly plausible entry. Mirroring the party mechanic (even with the ceiling of four), I can easily see this in upcoming LoR set.

Matka, Watchful Incubator 3GW
Legendary Creature - Bird Eye Egg Orb God (M)
Flying
Matka and each other creature you control enters the battlefield with two additional shield counters on it.
If a shield counter would be removed from a creature you control, that counter becomes a +1/+1 counter instead.
2/2

iiw: use the same word at least five times

Mythic indeed. I can't help but feel this is too powerful, even at that rarity. Interesting second ability, but will probably be very confusing as you try to remember who still has a shield counter.

Choice of creature types does imply some sort of otherworldy entity.

Roalesk, Lord of Evolution 3GGU
Legendary Creature - Human Ooze Hydra Kraken Mutant (M)
Flying, ward 6
As long as it's your main phase, creatures you control can adapt as though they didn't have any +1/+1 counters on them.
Whenever one or more +1/+1 counters are placed on a creature you control, search your library for a creature card with mana value equal to or less than the number of +1/+1 counters placed on that creature, reveal it, put it into your hand, then shuffle.
5/5

IIW: Creature with exactly six creature types land types matter

Ah, the Simic! The go-to guild for bizarre type combinations. Overall seems like a great and powerful, and I like the nod to Vannifar in the pseudo-Birthing Pod ability there.

Party Animal 2RG
Creature — Cleric Rogue Warrior Wizard Beast (U)
Menace
Party Animal gets +1/+1 for each creature in your party.
Whenever Party Animal deals combat damage to a player, if you have a full party, put a +1/+1 counter on it. When you do, you may have it fight target creature defending player controls.
2/2

IIW: Monocolored blue or red Treasure matters cards

When I posted the prompt, I debated whether to specifically exclude the party mechanic, but ultimately decided against that; I do like the party mechanic after all, and I was pretty sure I wouldn't get a flood of party entries.

This card seems good, and its power level seems about correct for its rarity.

The Belbad Town Musicians 4W
Creature- Dog Cat Horse Bird Bard (C)
T: Tap target artifact or creature.
"Gads! It's a monster!" - Tullo, Thief of Belbad
4/4
///\\\
Foil the Thieves 1W
Instant- Adventure
You and target creature gain hexproof until end of turn. Draw a card. (Then exile this card. You may cast the creature later from exile.)

IIW: Eldraine

Musicians of Bremen! Great way to justify the five creature concept! Was it me, or were adaptation of this commonplace wen I was a kid? Most memorably a version by the Muppets.

Assembled Infantry 2WW
Creature — Eye Skeleton Spirit Ooze Soldier {R}
Whenever Assembled Infantry would be dealt damage, prevent that damage, then choose one:
- Draw a card, then this becomes Stumbling Infantry.
- Create a 1/1 black Skeleton creature token, then this becomes Sloshing Infantry.
- You gain 2 life, then this becomes Shambling Infantry.
4/4

Transformations

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Stumbling Infantry 2WW
Creature — Skeleton Spirit Ooze Soldier {R}
Stumbling Infantry can't block
Whenever Stumbling Infantry would be dealt damage, prevent that damage, then choose one:
- Create a 1/1 black Skeleton creature token, then this becomes Oozing Infantry.
- You gain 2 life, then this becomes Occult Infantry.
3/3

Sloshing Infantry 2WW
Creature — Eye Spirit Ooze Soldier {R}
Ward 2
Whenever Sloshing Infantry would be dealt damage, prevent that damage, then choose one:
- Draw a card, then this becomes Oozing Infantry.
- You gain 2 life, then this becomes Ocular Infantry.
3/3

Shambling Infantry 2WW
Creature — Eye Skeleton Spirit Soldier {R}
Menace
Whenever Shambling Infantry would be dealt damage, prevent that damage, then choose one:
- Draw a card, then this becomes Occult infantry.
- Create a 1/1 black Skeleton creature token, then this becomes Optical Infantry.
3/3

Transformation level 2

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Occult Infantry 2WW
Creature — Skeleton Spirit Soldier {R}
Menace
Occult Infantry can't block.
Whenever Occult Infantry would be dealt damage, prevent that damage, create a 1/1 black Skeleton creature token, then this becomes Apparitional Infantry.
2/2

Optical Infantry 2WW
Creature — Eye Spirit Soldier {R}
Menace, ward 2
Whenever Optical Infantry would be dealt damage, prevent that damage, draw a card, then this becomes Apparitional Infantry.
2/2

Oozing Infantry 2WW
Creature — Spirit Ooze Soldier {R}
Ward 2
Oozing Infantry can't block.
Whenever Oozing Infantry would be dealt damage, prevent that damage, you gain 2 life, then this becomes Apparitional Infantry.
2/2

Transformation Level 3

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Apparitional Infantry 2WW
Creature — Spirit Soldier {R}
Flying
1/1

IIW: Please don't let this monstrosity of a "card" win

I'm known for my predilection for designing convoluted stuff like this. And you expect me to not declare this the winner?!

Although complex, I can easily grok this by breaking down as:

1-When this is damaged, choose a creature type.
2-It loses that creature type.
3-You get an effect based on the type chosen.
4-The creature shrinks and changes based on what it has remaining.

Seems understandable enough! Now for the justification for the creature types, I can see as one of the following:
1-This is a bizarre monstrous squad from the netherworld composed of different creatures, and each time time you're killing off one of its members.
2-This is some horrible amalgam of parts, and each time one of its components.
3-This is some regular guy, and each time you're doing something horrifyingly unspeakable to them. After all, a Human without a Skeleton is an Ooze, innit?

Doppleganger Bannerlord 1WU
Creature - Shapeshifter Flagbearer
Limited Changeling - As Doppleganger Bannerlord enters the battlefield, choose three creature types. Doppleganger Bannerlord is these creature types in addition to its other types.
While an opponent is choosing targets as part of casting a spell they control or activating an ability they control, that player must choose at least one Flagbearer on the battlefield if able.
Other creatures of the choose types you control get +1/+1 and have vigilance.
2/2

IIW: Cards from the new hit set: Conspiracy 3: Trade Wars of Fiora Commence

Interesting take on the prompt. Also seems very plausible, maybe in a Modern Horizons/nostalgia set.

Recombinator 1G
Artifact Creature - Construct (R)
Recombinator has the creature types of cards exiled by it.
1, Exile a creature card from your graveyard: If Recombinator has exactly five creature types, sacrifice it and choose two creature types. If each type is in a single different card exiled by Recombinator, search your library for a creature with those types, reveal it, and put it into your hand. Shuffle afterwards.
2/3

(Exile Elf Druid + Human Wizard, tutor for Elf Wizard, Human Druid, Human Elf, or Druid Wizard.)

IIW: Finally complete

Hmm, although it works, I feel the wording is a bit clunky. Not sure how to word it differently though. The name and flavor are spot on though, tying in with the mechanic well!

The Ectoria, Roost of Dragons
Legendary Land Creature - Urza's Giant Elder Dragon Carrier Dreadnought (M)
Flying, vigilance, trample
As long as The Ectoria has five or less counters on it, it isn't a creature.
T: Add C. Put a +1/+1 counter on The Ectoria.
T, remove a counter from The Ectoria: Add two mana of any one color to your mana pool. Spend this mana only to cast spells with mana value five or greater.
0/0

(Urza's is a land type. Feel free to remove "Dreadnought" if you just wanted 5 subtypes)

IIW: Your favourite recent mechanic

Well, the prompt specified creature types, so we're in the clear. Interesting way to skirt around the 0 toughness. Also nice reference to the Dragon engines and Urza as a way to justify all five creature types.

Crazy Uncle Jim UBR
Legendary Creature — Weird Elder Human Carrier Coward (R)
Crazy Uncle Jim can't block.
Whenever you cast a noncreature spell, put a -1/-1 counter on Crazy Uncle Jim and up to one other target creature.
Noncreature spells you cast cost X more to cast, where X is Crazy Uncle Jim's power.
1/6

IIW: Salvage your least favorite mechanic from the last 5 years

Hah! An evil Animar! As far as I know, the ability does work as intended, and Uncle Jim's negative power means you get a discount.

Unlike Animar, he's better balanced because the toughness does put an upper limit on the discount. Fortunately Uncle Jim's booty has quite the bank account and you'll still get a generous bonus. Interesting tension as well in that the bigger the discount, the easier he gets to kill.

I assume Carrier is because Uncle Jim has some sort of terrible disease which makes him allergic to spells.

Q, Mad Biomagus GU
Legendary Creature — Human Wizard {M}
2, T: Exile target creature card from a graveyard and note one of its creature types. Put a +1/+1 counter on Q, Mad Biomagus.
2GU: Transform Q. Activate this ability only if you've noted at least two unique creature types for cards named Q, Mad Biomagus this game.
"I'm worried about Director Q. He's begun experimenting on himself, and with every trial seems to be closer and closer to finally snapping."
—From the notebook of Q's lab assistant
2/2
//
Project Q
{UG color indicator} Legendary Creature — Mutant {M}
When this creature transforms into Project Q, you draw a card and you gain 3 life.
2, T: Exile target creature card from a graveyard. Put a +1/+1 counter on Q.
"Unrestricted genetic fusion caused Director Q to become unstable in mind and body. We'll continue ."
—From the notebook of Q's lab assistant
3/3

SPOILER

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ULTIMATE LIFE FORM Q
{UG color indicator} Legendary Creature {M}
ULTIMATE LIFE FORM Q is a Crab, Drake, Insect, Sheep, and Turtle.
When this creature transforms into ULTIMATE LIFE FORM Q, double the number of +1/+1 counters on each creature you control.
Flying, trample, indestructible
At the beginning of your upkeep, exile a creature card from each player's graveyard. If you can't, sacrifice Q.
"Immortality is mine."
5/5

This alternate back face is unlisted, and only appears if you note exactly the five creature types it lists with the ability on the front face. Why these five types you ask? Uh, look over there! Somebody else posted a good entry!

IIW: At this point, digital-only cards.

Ok, I knew this was a triple-faced card but I was getting confused on how to get ULTIMATE LIFE FORM Q, but now I see it's an unlisted mechanic.

I'm sure it can actually work in printed Magic, unfortunately we won't have enough to list this out, so digital only it is.

And yes, I now why these five types!

The Fire That Lives RW
Legendary Creature - Phoenix Dragon Angel Spirit God (M)
Flash
Flying
If a source would deal any amount of noncombat damage to a permanent or player, it deals damage equal to The Fire That Lives's power instead.
Whenever a source deals noncombat damage to a permanent or player, put a +1/+1 counter on The Fire That Lives.
2RW, Remove all +1/+1 counters from The Fire That Lives: You gain life equal to the number of counters removed this way.
1/1

IIW: Variants on split cards or DFCs

Back to our serious entries! The chase mythic of the set (probably). Interesting that the replacement effect is not optional. Seems like a very powerful two-drop, since you can pump it with other spells before you start pinging for massive amounts of damage.

Buffalo Buffalo Buffalo 2GG
Creature - Buffalo Buffalo Buffalo Buffalo Buffalo (R)
Buffalo Buffalo Buffalo has trample as long as you control another Buffalo.
When Buffalo Buffalo Buffalo or another Buffalo enters the battlefield under your control, if mana from a Buffalo was spent to cast it, Buffalo Buffalo Buffalo deals damage equal to its power to up to one target Buffalo.
1G, Sacrifice Buffalo Buffalo Buffalo: Buffalo.
4/4

Note that each of its subtypes are unique:

Buffalo refers to a water bison-esque race, a creature type printed in Dominaria United.
Buffalo refers to a type of hired goon, a new creature class first seen in Dominaria United.
Buffalo refers to a land type similar to Urza's, named after a location in Dominaria United.
Buffalo refers to the new planeswalker subtype Buffalo, which is used on cards that are descendants of the planeswalker Buffalo, who awakened his spark and planeswalked to Dominaria United.
Buffalo refers to a Treasure-esque subtype that appears on artifacts and creatures which allow you to perform a keyword action called Buffalo, a mechanic from Dominaria United.

IIW: Buffalo United

Listen, you..

This is somehow worse with Anya's smirking face right next to it.

Okay, tallying up the points and using my complex formula to objectively determine the winner without any sort of bias whatsoever, I was about name Assembled Infantry as the winner, but seeing as Meggido emphatically does NOT want to win for that monstrosity, I'll name the runner up...

Cythare, for amusing me so with idea that an inverse Animar is actually a terrible old man.


NEXT: Salvage your least favorite mechanic from the last 5 years

[Megiddo]

I am glad you enjoyed Assembled Infantry. It was in a MUCH rougher shape when I used the "don't give this the win" IIW, and I actually like how the final turned out. I still feel dirty doing digital-only cards but there IS a lot of legitimately Fun and Cool stuff to do there.

And you correctly figured out the flavor I was going for (it wasn't #1), so I will take the moral victory.

[Mergatroid_Jones]

5 years takes us back as far as Amonkhet so folks don't have to look it up.

The Rebirth of Darigaaz 3BG
Legendary Sorcery (R)
(You may cast a legendary sorcery from your hand only if you control a legendary creature or planeswalker.)
Return target creature card from a graveyard to the battlefield under your control. Put 3 +1/+1 counters on it. It becomes legendary.
Suspend 2-- 1BG (Rather than cast this card from your hand, pay 1BG and exile it with two time counters on it. At the beginning of your upkeep, remove a time counter. When the last is removed, cast it without paying its mana cost.)

Annoying mechanic really

IIW: Eldraine

[Sporegorger_Dragon]

Stalking Bloodsucker
2{B}
Creature - Vampire (U)
When Stalking Bloodsucker enters the battlefield, create a Blood token. (It's an artifact with "{2}, {T}, Sacrifice this artifact: Target opponent loses 1 life and you gain 1 life.")
Whenever you sacrifice a Blood token, Stalking Bloodsucker gets +2/+0 until end of turn. This ability triggers only once per turn.
2/2


IIW: Blood tokens from non-Vampire creatures

[NinjaCaterpie]

Hey everyone, Rark Mosewater here, with an article about a new (or returning?) mechanic in the latest Innistrad set, Innistrad Midnight Hunt. When we first visited Innistrad all the way back in 2011, we introduced the day/night mechanic for werewolves, to represent the effect of the moon on them.

Unfortunately, the day/night mechanic had a lot of problems, mostly around memory and intuitiveness - neither day nor night was active until something made it day, but afterwards it would continue switching between night and day even if nothing needed to track it. There were also a lot of implicit features to the mechanic, like the fact that daybound cards made it day if it wasn't already. Finally, the non-daybound cards just had so much text! Day/night was really resonant, but the mechanical issues meant it rated very poorly. Readers of my blog will know about the "day/night scale", where I rate a mechanic on a 0 to 10 scale based on how likely it is to return - day/night is a 10, because we're never doing it again.

Now that we're heading back to Innistrad though, we still need to represent the werewolves somehow. Instead of making a special tracker though, we've decided to just print the abilities on the cards, like this:

Pithy Pugilist 2R
Creature - Human Werewolf (U)
First strike
At the beginning of each upkeep, if no spells were cast last turn, transform Pithy Pugilist.
"How about we take this one outside? Up the hill tomorrow night."
2/1

//

Moon-Frenzied Marauder
Creature - Werewolf
First strike
At the beginning of each upkeep, if a player cast two or more spells last turn, transform Moon-Frenzied Marauder.
Whenever you cast a spell, Moon-Frenzied Marauder gets +1/+0 until end of turn.
3/1

This cleans up a lot of the memory issues involved in tracking the day/night state. We've decided to only put this mechanic on werewolves, to make them more distinct and make it so they're the ones who care most about day and night. In addition, we've changed the condition so it tracks spells for either player, adding a bit of additional counterplay. You can now keep your opponent's werewolves at bay by firing off spells on their turn. We hope this new version of day/night will play nicer and be good enough for us to use again next time!

---

I could find a way to salvage Specialize so I memed this instead.

might make a real card for another mechanic but most of them are hard to fix.

[Juancu]

For over 20 years, even if I'm going through a magic slump, preview season makes me pay attention to the new designs and daydream about new decks and draft strategies. Nowadays we live with a much higher cadence, but still, I take every new card that comes in, paper or digital. And then there's that... thing. They are the only cards I give up on, middle way. I can't believe they greenlighted them. Sure, the idea of 5 color mutations may seem cool on paper, but having 250-worded cards is insane, they simply can't be processed during a game, and even if you are playing them, processing them before the game requires so much effort.

specialize

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Specialist Bear 1G
Creature - Bear
Specialize 2 (2, Discard a card: Choose a rune from the discarded card's colors or basic land types. Activate as sorcery and only once.)
2/2

Let's say you activate it by discarding a green-white card (or a forest plains.) You are presented by some choices:

Rune of Strength (green)
Specialized creature gets +3/+3.

Rune of Life (white)
Specialized creature gets +1/+2 and has lifelink.

Rune of Banishing (white)
Specialized creature gets +0/+1.
When you choose this rune, exile target creature an opponent controls until specialized creature leaves the battlefield.

Each color has 4 runes, so there's strategy in choosing what card to discard. Discarding a card with a single color gives you 2 choices, and discarding multicolored, 3 choices. There's more choices with more colors, but a single color narrows the selection. You may want to go for a single color if you really need Lifelink, or removal, or a black rune with deathtouch, etc.

With this change, you don't need to learn a treaty on each specialized creature. And you don't feel too bad about not knowing all the options, instead you feel like you discover new things with each activation.

IIW: finally complete

[Ulka]

Companion was a mistake.

The Slithering Horror1UGB
Legendary Creature - Octopus Ooze Horror
Companion - Your starting deck must contain 20 lands or less. (If this card is your chosen companion, you may put it into your hand from outside the game for {3} any time you could cast a sorcery. This ability only functions in limited games.)
Deathtouch
When The Slithering Horror dies, return up to three target land cards from your graveyard to play tapped.
Discard a land card: Target player discards a card. Activate this ability only as a sorcery.
2/4

IIW: Return to Fiora

[chetoos]

Kroxa, Titan of Death's Hunger RB
*Kroxa's text goes here*
Escape rrbb, exile 4 cards from your graveyard
6/6

Escape card costs are lowered across the board by 1 or 2, always even, and escaped cards now have "when this card is put into a graveyard from play, exile a number of cards equal to half its escape cost." Creatures are given an "escape" counter to aid memory issues. This prevents easier looping of escape creatures/spells, by requiring more exiling.

IIW: The wolves are at the door.

[lookingupanddown]

Lurrus of the Dream-Den 2.0 2(w/b)(w/b)
Legendary Creature - Cat Nightmare
Companion — Each nonland permanent in your starting deck has the same mana value. (If this card is your chosen companion, you may put it into your hand from outside the game by skipping your draw step.)
Lifelink
4, : Return target permanent from your graveyard to the battlefield if it shares a mana value with the most common mana value among all cards in your graveyard.
2/2

Vizier of the Locust 2UU
Creature - Zombie Wizard
Flying
When Vizier of the Locust enters the battlefield, if you drew two or more cards this turn, amass Zombie 1. (Put two +1/+1 counters on a Zombie Army you control. If you don't control one, create a 0/0 black Zombie Army creature token first.)
2/2

IIW: ally-color partners (regular partner, not partner with)

[void_nothing]

@Cythare it may be time

[Megiddo]

i think he's busy today (turns out magic tournaments exist again) but perhaps tonight or tomorrow morning

so… time for more entries

[Mergatroid_Jones]

Litigator Sphinx 3UW
Creature- Sphinx (R)
Flash, flying
When Litigator Sphinx enters the battlefield, counter up to one target spell.
Addendum-- When Litigator Sphinx enters the battlefield, if you cast it during your main phase, draw 2 cards.
2/5

Life Sentence 1W
Enchantment (U)
Flash
When Life Sentence enters the battlefield, exile target creature with mana value 3 or less until Life Sentence leaves the battlefield.
Addendum-- If you cast this spell during your main phase, instead exile target artifact, creature, enchantment, or planeswalker with mana value 3 or less until Life Sentence leaves the battlefield.


IIW: Try your best to make addendum even remotely interesting.

[Megiddo]

I say more entries but I don't really have much. ninjacaterpie got the mechanic I would have picked. alchemy mechanics I'm going to discount for the purposes of this exercise (or else juancu would have gotten my pick there). I found Cleave to be kinda ??? but it's fine, if dumb.

maybe I'll think of something.

[Sporegorger_Dragon]

My least favorite mechanic is actually foretell, but I'm not sure how popular it is in its current state...

Three Steps Ahead
2{U}{U}
Instant (U)
Draw three cards, then discard three cards unless this spell was forethought.
Forethought 3{U}{U} (During your turn, you may pay {2} and exile this card from your hand face up. Cast it on a later turn for its forethought cost.)


Brilliant Strategy
4{U}{U}
Sorcery (R)
Take an extra turn after this one. If this spell was forethought, create two 1/1 blue Homunculus creature tokens with skulk. Exile Brilliant Strategy.
Forethought 5{U}{U}{U} (During your turn, you may pay {2} and exile this card from your hand face up. Cast it on a later turn for its forethought cost.)


IIW: Blood tokens from non-Vampire creatures