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As some of you may know from the IRC channel, for quite some time, I have been working on a Touhou set for Magic: the Gathering, made in the little program Magic Set Editor.
It's not actually done yet.
The whole set, so to speak, isn't getting a "release" just yet - but I told myself when Double Dealing Character came out:
"Self, once you have made cards for the Double Dealing Character characters, it's time to do a preview release teaser thing for it."
That preview release teaser thing is this topic.
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So. As noted in the title of the topic, I have chosen to dub the set Legends of an Eastern Wonderland, abbreviated to LEW. The set symbol is, unsurprisingly, the kanji for east. Had I thought of it when I started making it, I would have split it into three sets to give it a proper block format, but as it is right now, I can't find any good way to make that happen - the three sets, in that case, would have been named Legends of an Eastern Wonderland, Forgotten Dreamscape and Conflict of Faith. Roughly, LEW would have been primarily EoSD up to and including PoFV, FD would have been mostly PC98 and Conflict of Faith would have been MoF onwards.
Anyway.
Today we're going to take a look at the core mechanics of the set. As Touhou is about a lot of named characters, every named character is, as appropriate for Magic, a Legendary Creature. With the recent update to the Legend rule (for those of you who have missed this, the Legend rule now only comes into play on your side of the battlefield, so while you can only have one instance of the same named Legendary Creature or Planeswalker, any of your opponents can also have one), this makes it slightly less bad, but as it's Touhou, one of the design ideas was to have fewer but stronger creatures to use. Each colour has, however, one non-legendary creature, just because.
The three new keywords that a lot of the set is based around is what could be called the "spell trio" of keywords - things that come into play for nearly all card types. Let's go through them in the order they were conceived.
Casting your spells
First up was the simple Spellcard mechanic, which goes on every single instant and sorcery in the set. It simply reads "Spellcard <number>", and is an alternate casting cost - the full reminder text for the mechanic is "You may discard <number> card(s) instead of paying this card?s mana cost. If you do, exile it as it resolves."
As an example card, I have chosen Land Sign "Three Sacred Treasures":
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Land Sign Three Sacred Treasures.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Land Sign Three Sacred Treasures.png)
(All images are clickable for the full size image, images in this thread are 75% size because they're too big otherwise. Yes, spell names are going to get even sillier. I use the pre-8th Edition style card template, purely because I prefer it to the modern design.)
What Spellcard lets you do is twofold: First, it lets you play spells that are vastly off-colour if you so wish, and it also lets you cast more spells even though you have to discard cards to do it. That's not where it ends - but more on it will come later. Instead, let's move over to creatures.
Buffing your dudes
Early in the design of the set, I was using random non-evergreen keywords on various characters for no other reason than that I thought they fit. I gave Kyouko Echo, Yuugi Rampage, and various other stuff I've thankfully forgotten. This wasn't good design, and eventually a keyword was crafted that not only gave me some opportunities to redesign away a lot of those one-offs, the creation of this keyword I've since come to view as the pivotal moment when the set really started coming together. Since Touhous should have a magic field around them to power them up, Spell circle was made. Okay, specifically, it's not a keyword but an ability word, and it's to do with auras. The general wording is "Spell circle ? [effect] if enchanted with two or more auras." There's some variations on how it's worded to make it make sense with the ability.
Have Rengeteki as an example:
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Rengeteki.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Rengeteki.png)
(Yes, fan nicknames have been used. You may look at me disapprovingly for this.)
In regular Magic, it would often be considered too much of a risk to enchant a single creature with multiple auras. I'm trying to balance this set with itself, and, well, I'm trying to make the Spell circle effects attractive enough for people to actually want to use them. A thing I haven't done yet, however, that is desperately needed to push Spell circle more, is create enough auras to make it feasible. That is, however, the next part of the plan. Speaking of auras...
Synergizing your effects
I'm not sure where I came up with this, but I realized that if I want auras to be good, I should do something more with them. Enter Spellbind, the mechanic to tie Spellcard and Spell circle together. Invoked as "Spellbind <cost>", it reads "Whenever you cast a spell by paying its spellcard cost, you may cast this aura from your graveyard for <cost>."
Here demonstrated with the lovely little Poison Sign "Poison Breath":
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Poison Sign Poison Breath.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Poison Sign Poison Breath.png)
(this originally used Poisonous and oh god let me forget)
So, if you have the mana for a Spellbind in your hand, but you also want to cast a spell you have, but not enough mana to cast both, you can cast the spell with Spellcard, discard the aura, and pay its Spellbind cost to play it from the graveyard where it now is. Currently, the cost of Spellbind is standardized to be two mana higher than the regular casting cost of the aura. I'm not sure if this is proper, and I'm very open to suggestions about it.
Oh yeah, suggestions.
That's one of the reasons I'm posting this topic. I want, in this supposedly final part of the design process as I consider myself to hve the primary mechanics of the set and colours all locked down, feedback and suggestions to really tie it together. A thing I freely admit to being terrible at is costing cards so feel free to jump on me immediately if you see any of that. Also mistakes in wording.
Now, another central theme of the set is one you might have noticed on Rengeteki up there. Her type - Youkai Demon. Almost all creatures in the set have the supertype Human or Youkai. While this was originally meant to have more of an impact on the card design than it ended up having in its current form, it's not going anywhere.
There's a handful of non-evergreen keywords that have been reused for this set, but there's way fewer of them than there was in the early "throw mechanics at the wall and see what sticks" design process. A few new creature types have been introduced, and a few that used to be actual types in Magic but no longer are have been reclaimed.
But more on all of that stuff when we get to it. Tune in tomorrow when we take a look at the white keyword and planeswalker (feel free to theorize who it is! I'm not going to reply either positively or negatively to any guesses, but if you get it right you can feel smart), introduce the cycles of the set and take a look at a handful of other notable white cards!
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HMM.. This is a rather interesting idea or it is to me as a magic player, how many cards will be in the entire thing or how many do you plan for there to be?
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It's impossible for me to say how many cards I've planned for it to be, at one point during the design cycle I intended for it to have as many cards as a large Magic set, but that idea is long dead. As you can see from the numbers, there's currently 258 cards in it, though that includes basic lands, each type having two different pictures. While I've made cards for all characters, as long as there's spellcards left to make cards of, I have potential to make more instants, sorceries and auras (even that's not completely accurate as I've "made up" some spellcards, though that's generally just coming up with appropriate names for things from PC98), and there's a host of things I can make more artifacts from.
With the amount of auras I know I need to make and the amount of spells I'm probably going to want to make, I can see this pushing 300 cards easily in the end.
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I see, well your ideas for it look good for me, i messed around a little in magic set editor, but never got anywhere but making cards that were fun to look at but were really dickish to use.
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Here's some input, as someone who plays magic.
I have chosen Land Sign "Three Sacred Treasures":
This card is really strong. It needs to be at least Mythic if that is the case. It is pretty much a 0 to cast drop 2 cards to draw 3 cards. You are getting a free cycle 3 cards. This card is on the same power level as Black Lotus, Time Walk, and the like.
Have Rengeteki as an example:
For this card, if you want to encourage Spell Circle, you should drop the requirement to 1 aura. The effect is mediocre and having 2 auras is very tough on a creature. But since this card is a common, that is fine. Just don't expect this creature to ever have auras on her.
Here demonstrated with the lovely little Poison Sign "Poison Breath":
Mana cost is prohibitive with mediocre effects. It is already fairly tough casting the Spell card and to force the player to cast the spell card and aura at the same time is harsh. For comparison, think of it like this, if you were to cast "Three Sacred Treasures" and "Poison Breath", that is 9 mana. Of course, this is just because of the cards shown right now, if there were lower cost Spell card cards, then that may more sense.
You can make the weaker aura effects have Spell Bind 1, for +1 mana cost. This aura should be 1B(1 colorless 1 black) or just (B) for the effect. You can do something like Spell Bind <number> and that is the increase in cost. For this card, it should just be +1 to cost. So, 2B or 1B, depending on how you want the card's original cost, to cast from grave with Spell Card.
For comparison, Rancor, G(1 green), +2/+0 aura that gives trample and returns to hand if it goes to graveyard from play. Just note that weak auras will never be played. Stuff like Holy Strength(+1/+2), Holy Armor(+0/+X I think), they never see the light of day, because they are crap.
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Starxsword: I appreciate your input and will consider things! Reducing the cost of Spellbind is very likely going to be a thing that'll happen, I'm even considering simply making Spellbind be "Whenever you cast a spell by paying its spellcard cost, you may cast this aura from your graveyard." Note that rarities on cards have rarely been given a ton of thought, and as this set is pretty much never going to be played in a format where they actually matter, I'm not sure how much it'll matter. Land Sign was born early in the design process through the suggestion of an IRC friend who's an avid Magic player, but getting multiple differing opinions on the same card is not a bad thing! Keep it coming. Note, also, that I'm not trying to balance this set with the rest of Magic, I'm mostly trying to balance it with regards to itself.
Anyway.
Yesterday, I introduced the set. Today, we start getting into the finer details of it all - one colour at a time. So let's follow the colour wheel we all know and love!
White - the colour of purity
Today, we're going to look at the White design of the set. In Magic, white represents mostly good, but sometimes it's good going to far. It's lifegain, protection, vigilance, exiling, pacifying. So how do we apply this to Touhou? Well, not very hard. While Rengeteki above was made up, it's a simple demonstration.
Might as well get it over with
Unsurprisingly, the primary hero of the Touhou Project is a white creature. So, without further ado, feast your eyes upon the Magic rendition of Reimu Hakurei:
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Reimu Hakurei.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Reimu Hakurei.png)
Yep, that's Fantasy Heaven. Having the possibility to make Reimu into something really strong just felt right.
Staying alive
For this set, I ended up designing one primary keyword for each colour, each one also extending slightly into one other colour. The white one is, at this point in time, probably the most underutilized one, as only a total of 8 cards have anything to do with it at all. It was one of the earliest conceived, and started out as something else - at first, it was called Revive, and would make creatures with it bounce back to the battlefield even from the graveyard. This was eventually realized to be completely stupid, and was reworked into Immortal - and I'm sure you can see where this is going. Making use of the classic Regenerate ability, it reads "If this creature would be dealt damage, regenerate it."
Who better to demonstrate it than the Eientei duo:
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Kaguya Houraisan.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Kaguya Houraisan.png)(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Eirin Yagokoro.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Eirin Yagokoro.png)
Lunarians are considered Human for this set, as they simply are humans from the moon. Now, I said that each keyword stretched somewhat into a second colour. Somewhat unsurprisingly, given who else is immortal and what colour she has to be, Immortal also moves into the territory of red, and I'm sure you know who comes next:
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Fujiwara no Mokou.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Fujiwara no Mokou.png)
While red creatures can have Immortal, it can't be given to other creatures via red. White, however, doesn't have that problem, and can make Immortal things of any colour. One person in particular can make things of any colour but white Immortal:
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Seiga Kaku.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Seiga Kaku.png)
With what has been said about auras eaerlier, of course there's a simple Immortal-granting aura, courtesy of Eirin:
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Revival Game of Life.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Revival Game of Life.png)
There's two cards having to do with Immortal we won't look at right now. One more, however, is coming right up...
Not only Legends
So, almost every creature in the set is Legendary. But, as previously mentioned, there's exceptions. One non-Legendary, shall I say, "core creature" for each colour exists, and the white one gets in on the Immortal action.
Here's a cute little Sunflower Fairy:
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Sunflower Fairy.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Sunflower Fairy.png)
What you might notice is that she's not flying. At one part of the design process, she were, but in the end I wanted to standardize them to be 1/1 creatures for C with one ability.
Everybody loves cycles
The "core creatures" I'm not sure I want to call a cycle, but there's no fewer than six proper cycles going on here - but only four of them are monocoloured spells or creatures, so the last two will be a surprise for later. And while we're talking about fairies, why not move right onto the first creature cycle, the fairy cycle. Five flying 1/1 creatures for 1C, that for 2C and an untap do things to annoy people, as Touhou fairies are wont to do.
The white fairy, obviously, is Sunny Milk:
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Sunny Milk.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Sunny Milk.png)
The next creature cycle is what I call the pseudo-spellshaper cycle. For those of you who wondered what would became of the other shrine maiden, here's good news for you!
Resident Good Girl is of course white, Sanae Kochiya:
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Sanae Kochiya.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Sanae Kochiya.png)
Now, they wouldn't be spellshapers if they didn't have spells to shape, so...
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Miracle Miracle Fruit.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Miracle Miracle Fruit.png)
If this looks familiar to you, there's a reason for that - it's Indestructible Aura (http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=2858).
Continuing on with the cycles, this next one went through a bit of a redesign. Originally, the five of them used different mechanics to invoke the second ability they all have, a returning ability that's one of my favourite Magic abilities. The cycle in question I am calling the wizard instants.
First off we have what originally used Chroma, Earth Sign "Rage Trilithon":
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Earth Sign Rage Trilithon.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Earth Sign Rage Trilithon.png)
That's right, proliferation! Them being Tribal and Wizard will be revisited later, but this is them - instants for CC, Spellcard 1, doing something colour-appropriate and letting you proliferate if you Spellcard cast them. It's also the first instance of how I've had to align elements to the colours, but earth being white isn't the weirdest one. Given that three of the others are pretty obvious, I'm sure you can see what that one is!
The fourth and final cycle for today introduces not only the first card of its cycle, but also the first card of its particular type we're going to see - the global enchantments. Or, as they're apparently called now, "non-Aura enchantments". The cycle is the divine treasure cycle, so we're going to see a certain someone again.
The white one is unsurprisingly Divine Treasure "Life Spring Infinity":
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Divine Treasure Life Spring Infinity.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Divine Treasure Life Spring Infinity.png)
So, five divine treasures, enchantments that all have you pick a colour during your upkeep that'll last until your next upkeep and causing colour-appropriate effects when colour-appropriate things happen during that time.
The thing no white can be without
If there's one creature type that's never going to disappear from the white part of Magic, it's the Angels. So, of course, they're featured here as well, on two cards: One old character and one new character, with some proper power for being angels.
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Sariel.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Sariel.png)(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Tenshi Hinanawi.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Tenshi Hinanawi.png)
(actually, Sariel might be overcosted. Huh.)
Walking the plains planes
So, one thing I'll readily admit: I like Planeswalkers. I like them perhaps a bit too much. Each colour has one and it doesn't end there, but I'm going to let you disapprove of that later. First, we're going to introduce the white Planeswalker of Touhou. For Planeswalkers, there's not a ton of options for each colour, and white has perhaps the least possible amount to pick from. But, for full surprise, I'm putting the link in a spoiler. So you can ponder it for a little first.
Done?
Good.
INTRODUCING: The Saintly White Planeswalker - Byakuren Hijiri (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Byakuren Hijiri.png)
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/.png) (I have no idea why that one period is hanging like that there's no space there)
White. And fitting.
And that's all for today! Well, going to show off one more card as today's parting gift.
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Unzan.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Unzan.png)
Bro Fist.
Tomorrow: Time Magic! Counterspells! Control! And everything else that's blue.
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...Do you know how crazy imba the humble Sunflower Fairy is?
I know there are cards that go Bury and Exile, and you can kill it with a -1/-1 counter, but the last time there was a 1/1 "Immortal" of this level at only 1 casting cost, we had Mother of Runes (T: target critter gains protection from chosen color). And the Sunflower, aside from the fact that its ability only benefits itself, is a lot more resiliant than the MOR. It doesn't even need to tap. <_<'
(For reference, Green and Black cheap regenerators either cost 2 and/or require you to pay in blood or mana. )
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What achicken said.
A 1cmc 1/1 that doesn't die (unless exiled) is insanely powerful and is a great candidate for auras.
Also Rage Trilithon is really powerful. It's like silence, but better imo because you can discard a spellbind, then cast that spellbind to enchant a creature you control with something like Game of Life.
This set is hella powerful.
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This seems like a really cool idea, and I do like it, so I would ask that you don't take the following criticisms too badly :x
I'll give you a card-by-card breakdown of my impressions:
Land Sign: Three Sacred Treasure
This card is absurdly powerful. I know playing off colour is what you wanted, but as long as you don't mind this card being a minimum of three in every single deck...the mana cost is reasonable, but the Spellcard cost is just way too good.
Rengeteki
I...suppose it's alright, for a one drop. Don't expect anyone to actually try putting auras on her though.
Poison Sign: Poison Breath
Ok, I can appreciate this card. However Spellbind I find is pretty expensive. The effect is pretty good for its cost of BB, but 2BB? That's pushing it. (Now, if it gave infect, I could see myself playing this card for 4.) I like what you tried to do here though, and I'll talk more about my opinion on your keywords at the end.
Reimu Hakurei
I don't know why protection from black. It seems like Protection from Youkai is more appropriate, but depending on how you built the set, that might be too overpowered...maybe protection from black is okay after all. Orb counters, okay. The ability they grant is kind of depressing though. Unless you're set is drowning in proliferate, this is going to be a really hard ability to activate, and a rather meh ability that takes seven turns to pull off each time is just not worth it imo. I would probably change this to "As long as this card has 7 or more orb counters on it, it gets +7/+7 and Shroud." That ability is considerably stronger, which I think is appropriate considering the effort it takes to activate it. My instinct also tells me to make this 2W and make her a 2/2, but take from that what you will.
Kaguya Houraisan
As this card is, I probably wouldn't play it. It's effect is too hard to activate, and its P/T too low to motivate me to play it without trying for her ability. I also really dislike the Immortal keyword, but I'll talk about that later, as I will talk about Spell Circle.
Eirin Yagokoro
This is a much better card than Kaguya. In fact, I could see this making a rare slot in a normal magic set without that immortal ability. With it, it is just too influential on the battlefield. I just don't think it's a justified amount of power. Hopefully I"ll have coherent thoughts by the end of this post as to what I think should be done to Immortal, that might make these cards more balanced.
Fujiwara no Mokou
Eh. More Immortal and Spell Circle hate, don't mind me. I'd probably change her to a 3/1 Haste for 2R and then rework her other abilities to fit, but that's just a design choice, not really a valid criticism of the present card!
Seiga Kaku
I don't know why this card is white. I would 100% have rolled Black for Seiga, and made her more like a reanimator than an immortal-giver. Also more Immortal hate. I bet you're really looking forward to when I actually talk about that ability, huh?
Revival: Game of Life
You're probably getting tired of me saying this, so I'll stop for now. Again though, Spellbind cost is prohibitively high, consider retooling it somehow/reducing the cost.
Sunflower Fairy
This card is absurdly strong. More Immortal hate.
Sunny Milk
I...actually don't mind this card. The ability cost is a little high, but that's probably appropriate. My only concern would be with the fact that as soon as your opponent has a flyer with 2 toughness, you suddenly can't use her ability anymore. Shucks.
Sanae Kochiya
Another strange colour choice imo. Sanae has a very blue feel to me, though I could see her in green as well. Naturally, her ability would need to change to match her new colour.
Miracle: Miracle Fruit
Okay. I find it hard to believe I'd ever cast it by it's Spell Card cost, but I suppose it would be nice to have in a pinch. I would probably make this cost 1W though, just because preventing damage it takes without preventing damage it deals can turn the flow of an entire game by itself.
Earth Sign: Rage Trilithon
This feels like a very blue spell to me. I would probably change it to 'creatures can't attack' or something if you wanted to keep it in white, but it's not that big a deal.
Divine Treasure "Life Spring of Infinity"
First, I would change this card's name to Divine Treasure: Spring of Life. Other then that, it's alright, but I feel like it's effect would be underutilized in almost every situation it's played in. Maybe bump the cost to 3WW and make the effect something like 'creatures of the chosen colour you control gain lifelink' would be much more appealing.
Sariel
Kinda pricy, but pretty good, so I suppose that's okay. I would make her 6/4 for 4WW though.
Tenshi Hinanawi
Depending on how you've built the set, protection from Youkai has the potential to be way too strong. Otherwise, I'd make her a 4/5. Just imo.
Byakuren Hijiri
I don't like planeswalkers. Like, I really don't like planeswalkers, but I will do my best to give this card a fair shot. Basically, I think it's +1 is too good, and its -2 isn't good enough. I would probably rework her abilities something like this, just for use as a reference:
+1 - Target creature gets +0/+10 until end of turn.
-2 - Creatures you control get protection from the colour of your choice until end of turn.
-7 - You get an emblem with "Prevent all damage to creatures you control."
Unzan
Well. Okay. I'd go 4W and make him a 5/3 though.
Okay that's it for card-specific opinions, let's take a look at abilities.
Spell Card
This has the potential to be really strong, and as is the case with Three Sacred Treasures, makes otherwise okay cards brokenly overpowered. That being said, despite being 'free' manawise, the cost is still pretty hefty, and unless you have a lot of hand-filling effects it won't take you very far if you try to rely on it. All in all, thumbs up!
Spell Circle
Not good enough. I understand you were trying to encourage the use of Auras, but what this really does is artificially bump the cost of some creatures up without giving them meaningful effects in return, in exchange for making a few other cards way too strong - assuming you've given anyone a Spell Circle ability that matters. Kaguya's is alright, but I still wouldn't expect it to come into effect more than once in...5 to 10 matches. Honestly, this needs to be relaxed somewhat if you want it to see relevant play. I would probably do something like, 'If this creature is enchanted, X.' Alternatively, you could do something interesting like 'If you control 2 or more auras, X.' That way you still need two auras, adding a bit of an obstacle, but suddenly once you have it everything activates. I personally like the second option, but both of them are a lot more palatable than the current.
Spell Bind
This is an okay ability, but the cost is prohibitively high. I would probably make the spellbind cost actually cheaper than the CC, and then change the effect so that you play Spell Bind cards as they are discarded for a Spell Card, rather than arbitrarily from the grave at any time when you play unrelated spell cards. It makes it dangerously close to Madness as an ability, but I think it's forgiveable. Also, I don't know the set obviously, but if you haven't I would consider making cards that get bonus effects when you Spellbind them. It can change a card with Spellbind from being a set-filler to being a powerful staple depending on the effects you give.
Immortal
....oh boy. I've said this before, and I'll say it again. I absolutely hate this ability. It is almost exactly just indestructible, the only difference being your creature gets tapped whenever it would die. Oh, and depending on your regenerate-blocking in the set, it might be a little bit easier to get around. Either way, in my opinion it adds too much of a layer of ridiculously unnecessary power to cards that have it. Again, I can't say too much about the overall set since I haven't seen it, but let me use an example with standard magic. Imagine I'm playing white, green, or red. Suddenly, my opponent plays Eirin. Even if I destroy all their lands by some miracle in order to stop them from ever activating her ability, there is still virtually zero ways for me to ever deal with her. I'll have a 5/4 breathing down my neck for the rest of the game, no matter how many times I blow it up, because she's decided she doesn't want to die. Okay, I can dig into an oblivion ring maybe, or some other exile card from white. I can't think of a single red card that actually deals with Immortal, which means any answers are probably going to be very niche and hard to justify being in the deck at all, let alone in enough volume to deal with it. Green? I guess my only recourse is to trample over it. I sure hope they don't play more than one of them though, especially since Eirin alone can probably race me to end-game.
Basically, it's a ridiculously strong, no-penalty ability that can only be dealt with by a vanishingly small number of answer cards. No, you won't win the game instantly from playing Eirin or Kaguya, but it'll be pretty hard to lose. Even just that sunflower fairy is going to basically thwart any attempt to inflict damage that doesn't fly or trample. Killing them once to tap them so you can attack through is not a sustainable strategy either - they have a LOT more free regenerates than you have kill spells to tap them with. Yes, I understand this ability isn't so overpowerdly broken as I make it sound, and it's not like there is never any way to ever deal with cards that have it. Yes, I realize indestructible, which is the same thing but better, already exists. But there is a reason indestructible is a rare ability, and is rarely couple with any other form of ability.
I would definitely tone this ability way down if I were you. Change it to like, "When this creature dies, you may pay 2C. If you do, return it to the battlefield under your control at the beginning of your next upkeep. It gains haste until end of turn." Where C is it's colour obviously. Another option, if you still wanted Sunflower Fairy to not be awful, is to make the immortal cost the same as the CC, but then cards like Eirin and Kaguya will never come back.
Another option is to do something like the following: "Whenever this creature would die, put a death counter on it. Then, you may pay 2/1C/whatever for each death counter on it. If you do, regenerate it. If you do not, exile it instead of putting it into it's owner's graveyard." This makes killing the creature repeatedly actually net some returns for the player who has to fight against it, and also will make the player who owns the card think twice before just going 'oh okay I'll just let it die' thanks to the fact there are no reanimation options for them.
I might have more comments about this later, and the rest of the set in general (especially as you post new cards!), but for now I have to go to school, so I'll leave this here for today. All in all, I like the concept, and with a little work I think this has the potential to become a lot of fun. Try not to let my criticisms get you too down, especially since most are rooted entirely in my opinions, though admittedly opinions formed from playing magic for 10 years.
Anyways, keep up the good work!
Edit: Fixed some grammar lol
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Earth Sign: Rage Trilithon
This feels like a very blue spell to me. I would probably change it to 'creatures can't attack' or something if you wanted to keep it in white, but it's not that big a deal.
Preventing players from casting spells is actually white: http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=370578 (http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=370578).
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Preventing players from casting spells is actually white: http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=370578 (http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=370578).
Yeah, I suppose I should have elaborated on that further. I don't mean that it's 'not a white ability,' as it...is...a white ability (see also Orim's Chant and I'm sure a plethora of other cards), but all in all it's the kind of trickery I'm used to seeing in blue. Blocking opponent's actions is something that blue and white like to share, but doing so via paying alternate costs while your mana is all tapped and then proliferating as a bonus seems much more blue than white to me.
That being said, there's no problem leaving it the way it is. That's just my gut feeling on the card!
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Trust me, the colour pie is mostly strongly adhered to. I learned to not blatantly break it after we, a number of years back on another forum, did a draft with custom cards we had made.
Anyway.
Sunflower Fairy insanely broken as it is, got it. It's no longer Immortal but Flying. On that note, any cards that have already been posted and gets updated won't be reuploaded during this preview. Any spell names are directly copied from the English translations of the names on the wiki, the majority of them from Grimoire of Marisa.
It's highly unlikely any characters will change colours. Especially those that are part of a cycle. Seiga... I can see why she'd be considered black, but except for Yoshika, the whole Taoist crew has landed in white. White is still the most underrepresented colour cardwise and black is second only to blue for most represented, so I have a hard time justifying moving characters away from it, especially to black. Seiga was made before she in-story broke with the rest of the gang, but even so. I originally tried hard to make something with her ability to go through walls, but there was literally no way of doing that that wasn't both retarded and would put her in another colour. Sanae is the only character of the Moriya posse that's white, but she's a shrine maiden. Eh. She's white enough.
If the set is hella powerful, that's fine. While, of course, everyone including myself are going to compare it in power to what already exists in Magic, I've tried to design with the intent that cards from this set will really only ever be played together with and against cards from this set. So what seems overpowered now might seem less overpowered in comparison to the rest of the set, assuming I've hit generally the same level of overpowered in all colours. This does not mean I don't want comments based on comparing it to what already exists. Quite the opposite, I want all possible kinds of comments you lot might have on every card that I post. That's, y'know, why I posted it here.
Now, about that comment about Poison Breath giving infect... Infect was, once upon a time, a keyword I used in the set. Wither as well. They were both designed (together with Poisonous because seriously fuck Poisonous) away when I decided I'd follow the actual Magic design rule of not having +1/+1 and -1/-1 counters in the same set, and what I had done with +1/+1 counters I liked better than what I had done with -1/-1 counters. Thus, this set does not feature -1/-1 counters. There's other ways to weaken creatures, but they're rarely permanent.
Speaking of counters, as for proliferation... while doing it is kind of prohibitive, once you have four mana and one orb on Reimu, you can probably get it active in... two turns, with the right cards. Maybe she should enter the battlefield with one counter. With the right setup, even though it's mostly an utterly retarded setup, you could then get it active the turn after she comes into play. I'll admit, though, that Reimu was an early designed card. She might actually be in need of a general reworking. She does have that ability to float out of reality and be untouchable, so maybe she should have Spell circle - Reimu Hakurei has protection from everything if enchanted with two or more auras. Or maybe she shouldn't.
And then there's Immortal.
It's a strong ability and I'm not sure if there's currently enough ways in the set to deal with it. Searching for "exile" in MSE is annoying because it finds every card with Spellcard as well, and every card with two of the OTHER upcoming new mechanics that also involve exile. Perhaps a fix, if it's too powerful, could be to change it to only come into effect on combat damage, or only during your turn/only during not your turn.
And then there's Spellbind!
The prevailing opinion seems to be that Spellbind is way too prohibitively expensive as it is. I don't disagree. This probably comes from my current cost standardization of it. So, there's some options here. Either simply make it so that you can cast it for its regular cost when you Spellcard cast something, or work different costs for different auras, or let you spellbind automatically when discarding them to Spellcard cast something. Perhaps tie it to colours, so if you discard an aura of a colour to Spellcard cast a spell sharing a colour with it, you may for free enchant it to a creature also sharing a colour with it. I don't know how I'd word that in a sane way, though. I like Spellbind, but I'm not married to the current workings of it. Spell circle... I really like as a concept. The set at the moment does not have nearly enough auras to justify it, but that's going to change. It currently exists on 32 cards, more might get it. It could probably get more useful roundaboutedly by simply making Spellbind better, so you'd actually want to do the dance of Spellcarding something so you can Spellbind another aura onto something to activate its Spell circle.
So, Byakuren. An ability too strong and an ability too weak? Actually, that may be me wording it wrong. The intention of the first ability is to give protection from one colour. Perhaps that really does need to read "the color of your choice" - I had in my mind that "protection from any color" was distinct from "protection from all colors".
Whelp.
Miracle Fruit is W since it's practically a reprint of Indestructible Aura that's also W. And if it's going to change, so is Sanae's ability since the entire point of the card was to make a spell to duplicate the effect caused by using her spellshaper thing.
So that was a series of disjoined comments I should probably follow up on once I'm not tired as shit.
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Kenny, were you the one who designed the set at http://forums.mtgsalvation.com/showthread.php?t=282458? (username kilvoctu)?
And then there's Immortal.
It's a strong ability and I'm not sure if there's currently enough ways in the set to deal with it. Searching for "exile" in MSE is annoying because it finds every card with Spellcard as well, and every card with two of the OTHER upcoming new mechanics that also involve exile. Perhaps a fix, if it's too powerful, could be to change it to only come into effect on combat damage, or only during your turn/only during not your turn.
To me, Immortal is just a reworded Regenerate. The equivalent ability is 0: Regenerate.
Balancing it is simple. Give it an activation cost. If you want, add a Tap requirement so it can only be used once (because regenerating naturally taps the creature). And, bump the casting cost, so perhaps the humble Sunflower Fairly costs WW or 1W.
Regenerate is an unusual ability in White (it's prevalent in Green and Black) but personally I don't pay attention to which abilities belong to which color.
I've seen a hell lot worse (Indestructable, "Cannot be the target of spells or abilities"), mitigated by the fact that the casting cost is more than 1, or they have the keyword Legend.
PS:
If your goal is "interesting effects", then there are other alternatives like "if this card would be sent to the graveyard from play, instead return it to owner's hand/shuffle into deck". This ability is still rather strong, but mitigated by the fact that its easier to bypass that effect.
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Also Rage Trilithon is really powerful. It's like silence, but better imo because you can discard a spellbind, then cast that spellbind to enchant a creature you control with something like Game of Life.
Uh, no. Rage Trilithon is not as powerful as you would believe. This card can't be used to counter, nor can it stop instants or flash.
I can't think of a single red card that actually deals with Immortal, which means any answers are probably going to be very niche and hard to justify being in the deck at all, let alone in enough volume to deal with it.
Incinerate to name at least one, and there are a bunch. It won't deal with 4 toughness, but you get the idea. I am of the opinion that it really depends on the set. I would like Kaguya and Mokou to be Immortal, because that is their trait. Probably not the other characters though. Indestructible, a better trait can be found on "creatures" of similar casting cost, so I am fine as it is.
I rather see Kaguya have split second over flash though. And her abilities, if she has any, should also be split second. So, she can't be interrupted.
I do agree that Seiga should not be white. Blue or Black, but not white. There are other Touhous that fit much better than Seiga.
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achicken: No. This is my first and only Touhou Magic set, apart from three cards I made for that aforementioned custom draft (which were Unzan, like this Unzan except it could block, Unnamed Giant Catfish, which I've forgotten what it did, and Keine, a flip card. This set's Keine is... different.)
Immortal is a variation on regenerate, and giving it an activation cost makes it literally regenerate. It's supposed to be a regenerate variant, because that's how their immortality works (okay, strictly put, they straight up revive after being killed and regeneration under the current rules never has the creature touch the graveyard, but...). There are ways to deal with Immortal in the set, and since it only triggers on damage, things that say "destroy" goes through it - so, theoretically, you could Dreadbore (http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=270354) any of them for two mana. Does it still need a fix? Rather than complicate it with death counters and activation costs and whatnot, I'd rather simply make it "combat damage" rather than "damage", but that might make it too weak.
Thing that should probably be mentioned is that by and large, I slightly prioritize flavour over mechanics. Apparently everyone disagrees with me that Seiga is white when it comes to that, but white isn't necessarily good. I'm not sure what Seiga would do in other colours and at this point in time I really don't want to un-white something that's white. We'll see what happens once I have the set more filled up with things so white doesn't have the least amount of cards.
Split second on Kaguya rather than Flash... I don't know. Kaguya has manipulation of the instantenous, so letting her give the capability of having everything be, well, instants, seems like it fits better to me. Split second appears with other flavours in the set and we'll see some of that later today.
On that note, flavour text thing: As you may or may not have noticed by now, flavour text on creatures are mostly quotes said by characters that aren't the character the card represents. I try to go for descriptive quotes, and I'll freely admit I don't always succeed. Sometimes I make up flavour text.
Anyway.
While I found a good quote for Kasen in the first chapter of WaHH, it's a sad truth that I rarely actually read the print works. Therefore, if anyone has any good suggestions for quotes to use as flavour text on Watatsuki no Toyohime, Watatsuki no Yorihime and Kosuzu Motoori, feel free to post them here.
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Immortal is a variation on regenerate, and giving it an activation cost makes it literally regenerate. It's supposed to be a regenerate variant, because that's how their immortality works (okay, strictly put, they straight up revive after being killed and regeneration under the current rules never has the creature touch the graveyard, but...). There are ways to deal with Immortal in the set, and since it only triggers on damage, things that say "destroy" goes through it - so, theoretically, you could Dreadbore any of them for two mana. Does it still need a fix? Rather than complicate it with death counters and activation costs and whatnot, I'd rather simply make it "combat damage" rather than "damage", but that might make it too weak.
Immortal itself doesn't need a fix, just as much as Indestructable doesn't.
But... I think may be undervaluing Immortal in your builds. It's not game breakingly powerful, just too useful for the value you seem to have assigned it. Keep that in mind when you're constructing cards. Here I have no issues with Kaggy, Eirin and Mokou receiving Immortal (except for Eirin not having taken the Elixir...), just with the Fairy.
Dream Thrush, 2 mana for 1/1 flying with a neat special, is considered uncommonly good because of its special. The special isn't game breaking, it just has unintended side effects that prove useful to Blue.
PS:
- It's fine to attach a name to a known mechanic (done for "Doesn't tap to attack" and "Can attack the turn it enters play").
- It's fine to change the name of a known mechanic (done for the Three Kingdoms amatuer expansion. Flying is Horseback in that. Except horseback isn't flying, so shenanigans if you're trying to use R3K cards in the standard sets)
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Well then. Today we move into the coloSURPRISE
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Kogasa Tatara.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Kogasa Tatara.png)
Goddamnit Kogasa go away
But indeed.
Blue - the colour of deceit
Also known as "the colour of bullshit". In Magic, blue is about, well, magic, but certain specific breeds of magic. Gaining knowledge. Stopping the magic of others. Taking control of things. In Touhou, there's a LOT to be done with this.
As promised
Time Magic!
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Sakuyas World.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Sakuyas World.png)(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Maid Secret Skill Killing Doll.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Maid Secret Skill Killing Doll.png)
Counterspells!
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Ancient Duper.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Ancient Duper.png)(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Winter Sign Flower Wither Away.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Winter Sign Flower Wither Away.png)
(Ancient Duper's nickname is "better than Cancel")
Control!
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Ichirin Kumoi.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Ichirin Kumoi.png)(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Kana Anaberal.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Kana Anaberal.png)
And everything else that's blue.
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Vision Sign Nazrin Pendulum.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Vision Sign Nazrin Pendulum.png)(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Maribel Hearn.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Maribel Hearn.png)
Spellcasting for great justice
This card serves both to introduce the, so to speak, "main" blue character and the blue keyword - Declare. A bit of a variant on Imprint and Cipher, it goes on creatures and reads "T, exile an instant or sorcery card from your hand: Whenever this creature attacks or blocks, you may cast a copy of the exiled card as if it were in your hand. Declare only as a sorcery." So it's the first straight up trying to Magic-ify an existing Touhou gameplay mechanic ability.
So, just as scheduled, Sakuya Izayoi:
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Sakuya Izayoi.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Sakuya Izayoi.png)
Some other notable declarers:
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Nitori Kawashiro.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Nitori Kawashiro.png)(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Satori Komeiji.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Satori Komeiji.png)(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Yumemi Okazaki.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Yumemi Okazaki.png)
(idk about the cost of Yumemi's ability)
As previously mentioned, the keywords extend into another colour. For Declare, it goes into green, here demonstrated by someone... unexpected.
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Rin Satsuki.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Rin Satsuki.png)
Like a shooting star
Core creature? Core creature.
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Star Fry.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Star Fry.png)
Back to the cycles
Alright. We have regular business to attend to.
First of all, surprising exactly noone at all, the blue representant for the fairies is Cirno:
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Cirno.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Cirno.png)
(she originally was a bit different, but was modified to fit the rest of the fairies better. Once upon a time she also had a picture that made her look badass and I'm sure you understand why that was changed)
Our spellshaper is someone who I'm pretty sure everyone agrees is blue... but I'm guessing most of you was actually guessing she'd be the blue Planeswalker.
Guess again, because our blue spellshaper is Yukari Yakumo:
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Yukari Yakumo.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Yukari Yakumo.png)
With, of course, a spell to shape:
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Bounded Field Mesh of Light and Dark.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Bounded Field Mesh of Light and Dark.png)
(it's Redirect (http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=290288))
Furthermore, the blue wizard instant:
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Water Sign Princess Undine.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Water Sign Princess Undine.png)
(EVEN MORE COUNTERSPELLS)
And a blue divine treasure:
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Divine Treasure Buddhist Diamond.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Divine Treasure Buddhist Diamond.png)
A scholarly lot
Card drawing and the like is a thing you do when you're blue. So here's a trio of characters that I just like the blueness of.
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Hieda no Akyuu.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Hieda no Akyuu.png)(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Kosuzu Motoori.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Kosuzu Motoori.png)(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Rinnosuke Morichika.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Rinnosuke Morichikapng)
Hell, have a mouse as well.
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Nazrin.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Nazrin.png)
Plane and simple
Well, with Yukari no longer an option, there's not a lot of characters left that would do as a blue planeswalker. So this one is probably no great surprise either.
But take a guess anyway.
Alright, that's enough time.
INTRODUCING: The Venerable Blue Planeswalker - Kanako Yasaka (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Kanako Yasaka.png)
Yep.
I didn't post any blue auras because I'm going to look over Spellbind first.
And I think that's all we need to see of blue for noSURPRISE
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Kogasa Tatara.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Kogasa Tatara.png)
Getting real tired of your shit, Kogasa.
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There are ways to deal with Immortal in the set, and since it only triggers on damage...
Well, I clearly need to learn to read, because that is no where near as bad as I had thought it was.
In that case, I'll just reiterate what achicken said: It's fine to give things immortal, just realize that even with the restriction of only triggering on damage, it is a very strong ability. That needs to be reflected in the cost. You've already changed the sunflower fairy, and that was the really big issue, so no more problems there.
Considering you've said you are planning on putting Spellcard on every instant and sorcery, I suspect there is going to be some sort of dismember equivalent in the set, ie a black kill spell that goes in every deck whether it's black or not. I'm not sure how that makes me feel, but I feel like it will go a long way to making Immortal less than a problem if it only triggers off of damage.
Incinerate to name at least one, and there are a bunch.
See, I used to play a fair amount of red when M12 was standard, so missing something like this makes me feel rather silly. Clearly I'm just not very good at this whole feedback thing.
Fake EDIT: WHOA UPDATE WHILE TYPING here let me give more terrible feedback.
I actually have mostly good things to say this time. I think the ability you've given for Sakuya's time magic is pretty creative, and I actually really like it, though I'm not 100% sure how much I'd use it. I think the biggest issue with it is Sakuya's World - this effectively reads 'You may pay U as you play any instant or sorcery. If you don't, delay it until your next upkeep.' This is actually quite painful for blue, who relies on Instants for much of their pull in a game. I think it would actually be a really strong and very viable card if you bumped up the cost, and then had it's effects apply to opponent's spells instead of yours.
Killing doll has...a couple options. I would probably opt to reduce the cost a little bit (2U + Spellcard 1) on the grounds that it only delays the spell, not really hard countering it. Alternatively have it hard counter the spell.
Ancient Duper is pretty cool, but it kind of obsoletes Winter Sign before I even got to reading it. I'd reduce the spellcard cost of Winter Sign to 1 to keep it a viable choice.
I don't really understand the motivation behind Ichirin and Kana's abilities, but that's not really a problem with the cards lol. I would however make Ichirin a 3/2 for 2UU and Kana stay where she is for 2U. As it is, they aren't that bad though, I just feel like having Ichirin a bit beefier makes sense!
Nazrin Pendulum is fine, though I don't like the mana cost. I don't know if I'd be able to justify reducing it though lol. Reading Maribel was a pretty funny experience for me: "Wow, that is a pretty strong effect, I could definitely see myself playing this...wait why am I exiling my enchantments all of the sudden? Oh. Maybe I'm supposed to use her effect on enemy enchantments..." Regardless, having the exile thing as a may effect is definitely a must.
Sakuya, hmm. She has a pretty cool ability, though I would touch up the wording to say "...and put X time counters on them" rather than "with X time counters" just because I got confused reading it the first time xD Otherwise, I think the ability is a biiiit strong for her cost, so I'd probably bump her up to 3UU to balance it a bit, especially considering her P/T.
Declare is an interesting mechanic, and in the span of reading your post I went from thinking it was way too strong to thinking it might be a bit underpowered. I think right now I like where it is though. I feel like, as an ability, it really shines on the low-costs like Nitori, so I'd keep that in mind when costing cards - the stronger their own effects are, and the higher their mana costs, the less likely they are to ever use declare - within reason, of course. Though ironically none of the blue instants/sorceries you've posted would be any good at all with Declare except Nazrin Pendulum and damn would I love a declared Nazrin Pendulum.
I'd reduce Yumemi's ability cost to just U. Doesn't need to be that expensive. Reference: http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=338452 except that Yumemi is a little more fragile because she's a creature.
Star Fry? I approve.
That's all I have time for now, I'll be back to make comments on the rest of these cards later. All in all I like this reveal so far!
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Cards:
Oh I LOVE Kogasa. She should Surprise only 1 tho. Or make her 1/1 so she can keep her 2 surprises.
Also, Cirno can afford to add the "Tap target creature..." in front of her ability. I don't actually care if it makes her slightly Stronger, because she deserves it. :3
ZA WARULDO: If you want, I suggest making its ability to apply to both players. The cost for adding and removing time counters, make it 1 instead of B, and add a rule saying "you can only pay for your own spells" - something like that. But see my abilities section.
Vision Sign's "Entwine" should be called Kicker. (That's what it is.)
Akyuu: :3
Please exile hand Face Up or her ability won't work. :3
Abilities:
You need to explain the Suspend mechanic. It potentially has problems with instant and sorcery targets (which the other card resolves, but not WARULDO), and it's technically not an advantage at all for the caster. Blue cannot afford to have a mana cost increase to make its counterspells more predictable.
Declare: This ability is too powerful as written and genuinely broken. Once attached, you can now cast a card for NO ADDITIONAL COST after the first payment by a simple attack or block action. When making abilities, think of the worst case scenario, eg Nitori can Time Warp/Walk every turn for 0, Satori can 'Ggedon every turn for 0, etc. I suggest you clone the Isochron Scepter ability instead, even if it allowed instants to be cast at the speed of instants, its a hell lot more balanced because you still have to pay for the spell after you copy it.
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Sakuya's World was one of those cards that was born of flavour over mechanics, because it just felt so right to have it and once designed I figured "I'm sure someone will figure out how to pull some shenanigans with this". You could use it to stack up a whole bunch of spells to go off at the same time or something. It also lets you pseudo-flash sorceries during your opponent's turn by suspending one during your turn and removing its time counter during someone else's turn, if you have any good reason to do that.
Perhaps a simple "you may" would be a significant improvement.
Akyuu's ability originally just read "Return target exiled card you own to your hand." I changed it because of Kosuzu's ability. I've always assumed that cards that don't specify if they're exiled face up or down are considered face up, but maybe this isn't the case?
Vision Sign's "Entwine" should be called Kicker.
Nope. Entwine (http://wiki.mtgsalvation.com/article/Entwine) and Kicker (http://wiki.mtgsalvation.com/article/Kicker) are different things.
You need to explain the Suspend mechanic. It potentially has problems with instant and sorcery targets (which the other card resolves, but not WARULDO), and it's technically not an advantage at all for the caster. Blue cannot afford to have a mana cost increase to make its counterspells more predictable.
I generally don't include reminder text for abilities that already exist. Do people really not know how Suspend (http://wiki.mtgsalvation.com/article/Suspend) works? Granted, it's almost always been an alternate casting cost rather than like I'm using it here, but...
Declare: This ability is too powerful as written and genuinely broken. You are now casting a card for NO ADDITIONAL COST after the first payment by a simple attack or block action. When making abilities, think of the worst case scenario, eg Nitori can Time Warp/Walk every turn for 0, Satori can 'Ggedon every turn for 0, etc. I suggest you clone the Isochron Scepter ability instead, even if it allowed instants to be cast at the speed of instants, its a hell lot more balanced because you still have to pay for the spell after you copy it.
Nope, you've misread Declare. It allows you to cast a copy of the exiled spell as if it were in your hand - it does not let you cast a copy for free. You still have to pay the mana or spellcard cost to actually cast the copy.
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Akyuu's ability originally just read "Return target exiled card you own to your hand." I changed it because of Kosuzu's ability. I've always assumed that cards that don't specify if they're exiled face up or down are considered face up, but maybe this isn't the case?
Actually I don't know.
Technically yes, because all abilities that exile require you to show the card. My goal here was to make sure the pile of stuff Akyuu throws doesn't get mixed in with the other stuff not exiled by Akyuu.
Of course if you want Akyuu to touch all cards you've exiled over the game, ignore this. :3
Nope, you've misread Declare. It allows you to cast a copy of the exiled spell as if it were in your hand - it does not let you cast a copy for free. You still have to pay the mana or spellcard cost to actually cast the copy.
Ah. Ok then, the ability is fine.
My bad for misinterpreting the "as though it were in your hand" keywords. Came across Psychic Theft with the same keywords and yes it does imply the need to pay the CC. DOH. >_<
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Of course if you want Akyuu to touch all cards you've exiled over the game, ignore this.
"could remember anything after seeing or hearing it once"
So, yeah, it was intentional. My only issue is that now that Declare (and another thing we'll see later) exists, it might get... weird.
Sakuya's ability and Killing Doll can be good counter-counters given their Split second speed, as if you'd use any of them to exile away a counterspell, they'd have no legal targets when returning to the battlefield and thus fizzle. So there's that.
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I saw Ancient Duper and I just had to post. The card is literally better than Force of Will. That's enough to make me ignore the rest of the posts along the way. Prioritizing flavour is nice but it doesn't make a playable set.
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Is Force of Will even considered broken these days? It's not even restricted in Vintage or Legacy...
Ancient Duper was actually designed without prioritizing flavour. I needed a standard blue counterspell, so I hit up Grimoire of Marisa to find a fitting spell card to use for it. Even then, when I say that I've been slightly prioritizing flavour, I mean that I consider myself somewhat better at flavour than mechanics, but I've still done all I can to keep the set properly playable. Getting the cards, mechanics and overall set balanced is why I'm posting this set here and has previously had people I've been playing a bunch of Magic with on LackeyCCG over in another IRC channel look over cards. Land Sign was actually created after a suggestion of a guy who's, if I recall, an actual Magic judge once he learned of the Spellcard mechanic.
I've bumped the Spellcard cost of it up to 3 for now, but it'll be closerly looked at later.
Winter Sign has been lowered to Spellcard 1 which it should have been from the beginning - I think it was Spellcard 2 as a remains from a time when it was a very different card - and Yumemi's ability is now U. The jury is out on making Ichirin and Cirno slightly more powerful.
Ichirin is controlling creatures because it was close enough to how she's in command of Unzan, and Kana is controlling lands because she's a poltergeist and they do shit like that.
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Okay I'm back for more!
Cirno
Yeah, let her tap people too. You're already paying 3 for the effect, you might as well actually....get an effect!
I chuckled a bit when I saw Yukari typed as a Deity. Other then that, her and Mesh of Light and Dark seem pretty good to me. Just having Yukari on the field would put a lot of pressure on someone, especially if they are playing control. Maybe bump her cost up to 3UU. I realize that her activation cost is pretty hefty though, so it's not like a do-or-die change.
Princess Undine makes a good match with Winter Sign. I'm looking forward to seeing what we're going to be proliferating though!
Buddhist Diamond is alright. I want to suggest that you let it proc off of creature spells as well, but then it feels kind of overkill since its half an Urabrask for 2 mana. Then I realize that Urabrask costs 4, so it's...half an urabrask for half of urabrask's mana cost...hmm....In conclusion, I think it would be alright, because you have to choose between exploiting your spells or your opponents, and your opponent knows well in advance which is going to be happening.
Akyu...I'm pretty sure any card exiled is face up, unless a card effect specifically tells you to exile it face down. With that note aside, her, Kosuzu, and Rinnosuke look fine to me.
Nazrin is interesting, but suffers from the same Spell Circle problem as everyone else. That being said, scry 2 for free every turn is pretty good...
Kanako is...not so fine, imo. Her +1 is okay, I think it can stay as it is. Her -X is way too harsh. Considering some of the minus abilities on planeswalkers nowadays, I think you can just say "-2: Move an aura to another permanent of the same type." If you're worried it makes it too easy to steal auras from someone, then specify that it only can attach auras to another permanent of the same type with the same controller.
The -8 is, in all honesty, really bad. Without counting proliferate and mana acceleration, the earliest you could possibly activate this ability is turn 7. At that point, taking two lands is not going to change a whole lot of anything. As a planeswalker ultimate, it really needs to change the game. To compare, here are the other (mono)blue planeswalker ultimates:
-Mill target player for 20
-Any number of players draw 20 cards.
-Search each players library for a nonland card and play it for free.
-Exile target player's library, then shuffle their hand into their library.
-Artifacts you control become 5/5 Artifact Creatures until end of turn.
Now, none of these start at 6 loyalty and end at 8, but all but one of them also cost less than 5. The comparison might not be particularly fair, being that it's slightly easier to ultimate Kanako then the other guys, barring Tezzeret who makes living artifacts, so you don't need that kind of power, but you definitely need something that makes a stronger impact than just taking two lands.
If you want something controlly, something like "You get an emblem with 'whenever an opponent casts a spell, it's controller may discard a card. If they do not, counter that spell.'" If you want something that involves lands, "You get an emblem with 'whenever an opponent plays a spell, that player may spend 1 for each coloured mana symbol in it's cost. If they don't, counter that spell.'" If you want something that literally deals with lands, "You get an emblem with 'whenever an opponent taps a land for mana, that land doesn't untap during it's controller's next untap step.'"
Those are just some random ideas. Try and find some inspiration and give her an ultimate that will consistently change the game: Planeswalkers very rarely get to use their ultimates, so when they do, it should have a huge impact.
EDIT: ugh salvaging, cause it posted a chunk of this before I was ready for it to. Bear with me for a second lol.
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Due to A Thing I'm doing with every other creature in the set that's a Deity, which I can't do with Yukari because she's part of the cycle, I'm considering re-typing her to Horror. It's not really anything important, though.
Kanako is the planeswalker I'm the least satisifed at the moment so yeah there was probably going to be reworking anyway. I definitely want her to be able to steal auras, so I'll make that a -2, and the ultimate... yeah, I'll come up with something. Not sure if aiming for Jace power is the way to go though. :V
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FOW and Ancient Duper:
FOW is only allowed in Legacy because Legacy has OTK combos present.
To be honest the proposed Discard 3 effect is hard to pay up (even considering Blue). You could make it cost the same as FOW. But...methinks you can get away with making Ancient Duper cost 2UU, because paying Discard 2 (if strict and not payable by an empty hand, like Null Brooch's is...) is harder than paying Discard 1 and 1 life. (Exile doesn't matter, I've never seen anyone "purposely a FOW from the graveyard" anyway.)
Cirno:
Her ability costs too much for what it gives at the moment. Is this par for the course for a Legend? (Then again, Common Legends aren't very, uh, Common.)
I only requested an additional Tap effect, but even after, you probably can get away by lowering its cost to 1U. OR you can go "Tap target creature. As long as Cirno remains tapped..." Edit: and "You may choose not to untap Cirno during your untap phase." to make the ability worth the cost of 2U.
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I'm still having a hard time believing that a Cancel that can also be activated by biting well into your current options is even close to the card advantage often gained by use of Force of Will. Discarding 2 immediately comes off as an effect to use sparingly, and like the initial post goes, it may be simply a better Cancel.
...Unless you're running revival.
Also, yeah, after thinking about it, keep Flower Wither Away at 1U.
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As Magic players and Wizards learned after Necropotence, one card is worth more than one life point. So discard 2 is a higher cost than discard 1 + pay 1 life. But you probably wouldn't hardcast Force of Will very often, whereas Ancient Duper is simply a Cancel when hardcast. I... don't know. And even then you can stop Ancient Duper with a Princess Undine for one card less. Keep the opinions about it coming.
Cirno got her tapping things, but I don't want to add more to her since she's in a cycle of fairies (thing I've realized: Wizards always spells it "Faerie" rather than Fairy. I should probably do too). Wait with any big suggestions about those until you've seen all five.
Also, it was Land Sign I bumped to Spellcard 3, not Ancient Duper.
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Split second on Kaguya rather than Flash... I don't know. Kaguya has manipulation of the instantenous, so letting her give the capability of having everything be, well, instants, seems like it fits better to me. Split second appears with other flavours in the set and we'll see some of that later today.
Yes, I know. Flash seems more like something that someone fast would do, not someone instant can do, if you get what I mean. That's why I am unsure about Flash. But Split Second does make her weaker than if she has Flash or gives Flash, at least with what you currently give her. Kaguya's time manipulation abilities are pretty much a stronger version of Sakuya's, which has Split Second.
Immortal is a variation on regenerate, and giving it an activation cost makes it literally regenerate.
There's also a variant option, if you want to try. There is like 1 creature I know of that has this skill. If the creature is sent from field to grave, Suspend it and put 1 or 2 time counters on it. That is one other way I can think of for Immortal if you want an alternate method.
This way, Fairies can have a timer of 3, while Kaguya and Mokou has a timer of 1 or 2.
Sakuya's World
One comment here. This card hard counters all of your X spells, setting X to 0, not quite sure if that is your intention.
So, just as scheduled, Sakuya Izayoi:
For that kind of power/toughness and ability, she is too strong. (UU1) to use, counter anything is too much. It may not actually counter, but that is essentially what it does, at Split Second too.
Declare
This mechanic is too strong. I would add a cost to it. We'll see with what other Instants or Sorceries you have. Right now, there isn't much to Declare, but I can see too many potentially devastating combos. In Standard magic, it would be Declaring Bolt, Giant Growth, Boomerang, etc.
Kosuzu
She's like a very weak Merfolk Looter. Pretty much unuseable.
See, I used to play a fair amount of red when M12 was standard, so missing something like this makes me feel rather silly. Clearly I'm just not very good at this whole feedback thing.
It is probably because Immortal, at first glance sounds Overpowered, which I agree, it does sound overpowered.
I saw Ancient Duper and I just had to post. The card is literally better than Force of Will. That's enough to make me ignore the rest of the posts along the way. Prioritizing flavour is nice but it doesn't make a playable set.
It is not. Force of Will is -2 cards and 1 life for Counter. Ancient Duper is -3 cards for Counter. It is, however, a stronger version of Foil.
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Flash seems more like something that someone fast would do, not someone instant can do, if you get what I mean.
I've... mostly flavoured it the other way around, actually.
One comment here. This card hard counters all of your X spells, setting X to 0, not quite sure if that is your intention.
On the one hand, I didn't think of that at all. On the other hand, you probably wouldn't run it together with X spells. On the third hand, it doesn't play well with counters. Back to the second hand, if you run this, you probably have a plan.
It's an odd card, which was definitely the intention.
This mechanic is too strong.
So current opinons on Declare are "perhaps even underpowered", "fine" and "too strong". Awesome.
She's like a very weak Merfolk Looter. Pretty much unuseable.
How is she anything at all like a Merfolk Looter?
Also, next preview post is coming later today, of course.
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My everything hurts
Post late for all the wrong reasons
But enough of that, time to go that thing they say you never go back from.
Black - the colour of death
Black has always been one of my most favourite Magic colours. There's so muh fun to be had with it! The colour of death, decay and general evil. In Touhou, there's a bunch of nice things you can do with that. There's however a problem with my black design, and the reason for why I can't deal with it in the obvious way will be revealed at a later date, so expect some irrationality in this one.
Death and all that
Out of all the characters that can be black I think this is the one most people would be thinking of.
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Yuyuko Saigyouji.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Yuyuko Saigyouji.png)
I'm not sure she's strong enough, though. Thinking of making it so that as long as she's on the battlefield, other creatures can't regenerate. Anyway, she brings spells, and both of the following were actually made today. First, as requested:
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Deadly Butterfly Eternal Sleep in Dreamland.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Deadly Butterfly Eternal Sleep in Dreamland.png)
This next one I made on a whim and I'm not sure it's actually what it should be yet:
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Resurrection Butterfly.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Resurrection Butterfly.png)
And now for someone completely different
Here's another card that I'm not sure is 100% designed done yet, but I saw the picture on Danboory when looking for pictures of the characters and I instantly knew I had to make a card with it - gonna stick a background on it, though, since it's a transparent png:
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Bewitched Sword Shining Needle Sword.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Bewitched Sword Shining Needle Sword.png)
Let's get to it. Boo.
Alright, black keyword time. This one took a bit of inspiration from Haunt (http://wiki.mtgsalvation.com/article/Haunt), and as opposed to yesterday, this to a hilarious extent isn't a Touhou gameplay mechanic I've made a keyword of. I tried to think of something black to do with it, but instead I ended up going back and taking a word I had made a mechanic for early in the set, never got satisfied with, scrapped and well the only thing that actually remains of that time is the name of it because it's something completely different now. The word is Curse, it's again something that goes on creatures and it reads "During your upkeep, you may exile this creature from your hand cursing target creature you don't control. When the cursed creature dies, you may cast this creature from exile by paying its mana cost. If you do, put the cursed creature onto the battlefield under your control."
Presentator is the character I constantly say is more properly characterized as creepy rather than cute, Koishi Komeiji:
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Koishi Komeiji.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Koishi Komeiji.png)
And here's some other cursers, just because.
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Noroiko.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Noroiko.png)(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Chen Yakumo.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Chen Yakumo.png)(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Sekibanki.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Sekibanki.png)
As I mentioned, it was themed like Haunt. So I don't think there's any surprise when I say this one goes into white as well, currently only featured on two white creatures:
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Kikuri.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Kikuri.png)(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Soga no Tojiko.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Soga no Tojiko.png)
And... the OTHER one
Welcome to a mechanic that's been a constant headache to me. It started out as a thing that I wanted because I loved to have a keyword with that name, and frankly, I'm somewhat surprised Wizards hasn't made it happen yet. However, I'm now at a point where I don't want it anymore because it actually doesn't really fit the set mechanics as such - it's a pure black keyword, not one of the five, and it's a thorn in my side. As for why I can't get rid of it, well, you'll see that in a later preview, but know that the lack of it, right now, would leave a glaring hole. It's called Reaper, and originally, was a keyword that, when a creature with it killed another creature, have the dead creature land in YOUR graveyard rather than the creature's owner. This would have been a fucking rules nightmare, so it was redesigned to something I can't even remember, and then redesigned again so now it makes it so that when a Reaper kills a creature, it exiles it and all auras attached to it. I don't like this version either, but nevertheless...
Have someone to show it off:
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Rin Kaenbyou.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Rin Kaenbyou.png)
And for good measure, someone with all of it:
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Elly.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Elly.png)
The less said about Reaper at this point in time, probably the better - we'll tackle the reason it's still A Thing when we get to that particular card. It's not one of today's cards. It's not even one of this week's cards. Anyway, moving on...
A GHOST
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Licking Ghost.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Licking Ghost.png)
GODDAMNIT I SAID MOVING ON.
Actually, question: Would it be fine to put Curse on this dude instead?
Alright, cycling time
Ah, finally time for something I know. Such as a fairy. The obvious black fairy:
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Luna Child.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Luna Child.png)
Black rapes your mind, so a fitting spellshaper:
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Reisen Undongein Inaba.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Reisen Undongein Inaba.png)
And her spell:
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Wave Sign Mind Shaker.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Wave Sign Mind Shaker.png)
Previous shaped spells have been functional reprints + Spellcard, this one's no different - it's the classic, Mind Rot (http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=370711).
Here's where things start getting weird-ish, because this spell had to be entirely redesigned once I designed away all -1/-1 counters of the set, and I'm not entirely sure I've hit the right notes here. But the wizard instant:
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Metal Sign Metal Fatigue.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Metal Sign Metal Fatigue.png)
So let's instead move on to... another card that had to be redesigned for the same reasons. Damnit.
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Divine Treasure Brilliant Dragon Bullet.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Divine Treasure Brilliant Dragon Bullet.png)
I just noticed the mana cost of this one hasn't been modified since it was redesigned. I really don't think it should cost this much now. Suggestions? 1BB?
Black is the new black
Just some samples.
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Rumia.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Rumia.png)(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Yoshika Miyako.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Yoshika Miyako.png)(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Deadly Toxin Poisonous Moths Dance in the Dark.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Deadly Toxin Poisonous Moths Dance in the Dark.png)
Oh, right, trying out new things for Spellbind. Expect to see different Spellbind workings tomorrow.
Plane't black (I immediately regret that pun)
So. Black Touhous strong enough to be planeswalkers? It's clearly not Yuyuko, so... it's gotta be... her right?
Right?
Right?
Wrong.
INTRODUCING: (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Shinki the God of Makai.png)The Unforgiving Black Planeswalker - Shinki, the God of Makai
[/url]
(considering dropping that "the", actually)
Well - that's actually going to be all for today. No card to end on. No bonuses. Nothing extra.
Nothing.
Which is fitting for black.
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I feel as proud about guessing today's colour was going to be black as I feel proud that I guessed who today's planeswalker was going to be!
Yuyuko
Uhh...hmm. I don't really know what to say here. Human typing was an interesting choice. I think she's honestly plenty strong for her mana cost. If you wanted to add the regeneration-blocking effect, then I think you'll need to trade it for either lifelink or deathtouch - otherwise I think she just has too much stuff going on for a 5 drop.
Deadly Butterfly
Lol. I'm satisfied.
Resurrection Butterfly
I feel like this card would be better off as a one-shot reanimate rather than an enchantment. As it is, I feel like its almost...nichey. Which is odd, because the effect is plenty strong. I suppose the problem is that once you play it, you're kind of railroading yourself and forcing the game into a race for both players. But that's not necessarily a bad thing, I suppose. (I also can't stop thinking of this card with wurmcoil engine xD)
Bewitched Sword
I feel the 'cannot attack or block' part is kind of unnecessary. In fact, I'd probably take that and the upkeep effect out, as well as the kickback from the tap effect. I also feel like this card would work better as an artifact...but there's nothing stopping this card from coexisting with an artifact based on the Needle, so that's not so much of a problem lol.
Basically, as it is, I feel like the card is trying to do too much. I think cutting it down and simplifying it will not only make it more palatable as a card in general, it will also give it enough strength as a card to make it competitively viable.
Koishi Komeiji
Her (non-curse) effect is ridiculously strong. I'd change her power and toughness to something like...2/5? and then bring her up to a cost of 4BB~5BB. Dropping a card like this will completely cripple your opponent. If they happen to have no cards in hand, they have literally nothing they can do to stop her. If they do have cards in hand and don't give up immediately, they literally can't afford to play their hand until they draw an answer for her, or they will eventually drop down to zero cards and be sunk. Another option that would make her a lot more balanced would to make her effect both players. As she is right now though, she is way too strong.
As for your other three black cursers...I feel like Noroiko is actually going to be unexpectedly overpowered. Chen's Spell Circle ability seems a little weak considering Spell Circle's requirements, and Sekibanki seems fine.
Kikuri is pretty funny, but Soga is ridiculous. For two mana, she becomes effectively an unstoppable attacker and an unstoppable blocker? Maybe if you made it purely passive, and then made it exile her and the other creature, it would be okay. Or at least make the effect only trigger on damage, instead of blocking. As it is now, she could practically win games by herself - as a common two drop. And that doesn't even include the fact that she has curse! With a CMC of only 2, she'd be just as strong as Noroiko, except that when she hits the table she not only steals their creature, she becomes an unstoppable attacker! Better hope you aren't playing green if your opponent is playing white! Or even worse, that your opponent is prepared and can give her hexproof.
Yes, she can be dealt with. She only has one toughness, so pretty much any kill spell or damage-dealing spell will fry her. But the kind of overwhelming advantage she affords you for the lowly cost of 2 mana a turn is not the kind of thing that should be happening on two drops.
Rin Kaenbyou
Umm...I obviously can't give you much advice on fixing Reaper if I don't know what the actual problem is, but for now I'll just comment as if it's not there. This card is pretty cute, and actually not bad as far as power goes - except you get one fairy and then Rin dies cause she's only got 2 toughness. The wording on her token-spewing is a little awkward, I would probably change it to "Whenever a creature dealt combat damage by Rin is exiled, put a 1/1 Black Zombie Fairy creature token with Intimidate into play under your control."
Elly
I'm not sure why she has curse, but otherwise she's alright.
Ghost
It would definitely not be fine to put curse on this guy instead. Adding one black mana to any kill spell to take control of the creature after it dies is not kosher in any way, shape, or form. (Also, grammar error in the flavour text. Should be "Even if the ghosts don't have any ill will...")
Luna
At least let her give -1/-1, she has to risk her life by attacking to get tapped in the first place, and then you sink three mana into it! That's a pretty hefty cost for only -1 toughness.
Reisen
Koishi's best friend. I assume Koishi isn't going to stay as she is, so there's no point in talking about how overpowered the two are together. You might want to bump her cost up to 3B though. 3 for a 3/3 is pretty strong already, even as a vanilla creature.
Mind Shaker
Whoa, feels like a toned down (and simultaneously buffed...?) version of Delirium Skeins. Seems fine to me though.
Metal Fatigue
Tapping is kind of strange in black. I'd change it to give -2/-2 or something instead. Much more useful and much more black's style.
Brilliant Dragon Bullet
I feel like this card is either going to spark hilarious chain reactions or do nothing at all. Definitely drop the cost to 1BB. I would also change the effect to trigger off of discarding cards of the appropriate colour, rather than dying. This creates some cool synergies (hi Spellcard) and, though I have no idea if it would even be an issue, stop the card from being a hard counter to decks that rely on 1 toughness creatures.
Shades are great.
Is it intentional that Yoshika has to target the sacrificed creature? This is kind of an odd, barely-worth-making distinction, but it would be a nightmare scenario if she were somehow to come across a pro-black ally. Also, as much as I realize what you were doing with the effect, I feel like it makes a bit more sense to have her sacrifice herself to save Seiga someone else, since she's someone's pawn and all. Also I'd bump her up to 3B cause see Reisen.
Deadly Toxin
I don't like cards with delayed damage like this, but that's a personal problem more than it is a design problem. Regenerate blocking is a nice and probably very relevant effect. I feel like if it were me, I would probably have made it either give the creature -1/-1, -0/-2, or just make it so the creatures controller takes the damage instead of the creature itself. Obviously if it was being dealt to the player, it should only happen during their upkeep though.
Shinki
Ah, I was so pleased to see Shinki here. Definitely drop the 'the.' Also wow annihilator. My only advice here would be to tweak the numbers to like...+2/-3/-10. Maybe have her start at 6. Just my two cents!
Now, about keywords...where to begin...how about from the beginning?
Curse
This is a really strong effect to be in black, tempered somewhat by the fact you'll always need to keep mana open for it. In the end, the creature itself becomes effectively irrelevant though - what I really care about is stealing their creature, not actually getting mine back after the curse procs. This is why Noroiko and Soga are too strong, in my opinion. They only tie up 2 mana, and can effectively steal things that are way stronger than they are. There's very little risk involved in using them - if you miss the curse proc because the creature bounces/exiles/whatever, you've lost your card, sure, but you aren't really behind any mana, aside from choking yourself waiting for that curse to go off.
Basically, you need to be careful that you cost the creatures with curse appropriately. This is why having a 1drop with curse is absolutely not allowed. You might also want consider not giving you the curse-creature back, so when you pay the cost you only get the creature you cursed, not the original card. While it doesn't help at all with cards like Noroiko, it does make the effect a little more balanced in general.
Reaper
Uhhh....once again, since you won't tell me why this effect needs to be here, all I can do is guess. If the only issue is that you need a way to exile cards from the graveyard, I'd just change it so you exile a card from their graveyard whenever you deal combat damage to your opponent. Otherwise, not much here to say until we figure out what this glaring hole you speak of is!
So in conclusion.
Koishi needs some fixing.
Soga needs some fixing.
Be careful with Curse on low CMC creatures.
Aside from those, most of the stuff is relatively minor tweaks.
Looking forward to the next few reveals! As well as getting to see some artifacts and multicolour cards!
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I'm not sure how much pride you can take in remembering the "official" order of the colours. :V
Yuyuko is human, because I decided that ghosts that were... well, dead humans, would be Human Spirits. Stuff like poltergeists and tsukumogamis are instead Youkai Spirit. Youkais are still the vast majority of creatures, so I typed as Human anything I could get away with typing Human. As of this post, there's about three times as many Youkai as there are Humans.
I think my favourite suggestion on Koishi is to make that "Whenever a player draws a card, he or she discards a card".
Noroiko, Chen and Soga have had their casting costs increased by one, and Soga's ability being insane... is entirely a result of me wording it wrong, because I'm fairly sure the idea was that she'd still take damage from the attacker or blocker as well. So what'd that be - "WW: Until end of turn, exile all creatures that are dealt damage by or deals damage to Soga no Tojiko."? That... sounds wrong to me, but I should be in bed an hour ago so I don't trust myself too much at the moment.
Yoshika is also a result of weird wording, I made her and then didn't really pay much attention to how that was worded or how it SHOULD be worded. Changing that wording for now, gonna consider if I'll change her further.
Ghost grammar: I copied that passage directly from the wiki's translation of the PMiSS article on ghosts (http://en.touhouwiki.net/wiki/Perfect_Memento_in_Strict_Sense/Ghost), so don't blame me. :V
Rin's fairy tokens are the case I think I mentioned where I opted for Fear over Intimidate, because it felt like it fit better with the flavour. While it's not 100% functionally identical in an arena where there's ways to change the colour of creatures, there's nothing of that in the set... yet... as far as I can remember.
Oh, wow, Reisen being 2B is a "misprint" I didn't notice until now - she's supposed to be 2CC like Sanae and Yukari.
Deadly Toxin: is "At the beginning of enchanted creature?s upkeep, its controller takes 2 damage." the correct wording for that?
Needle aura will go through some changes.
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Cards:
Doofy Ghost thematically shouldn't have Reaper. Curse is... too valuable to assign to it without tweaking (despite the disadvantages its a Control Magic for B 0.o) I suggest copying the Nether Shadow ability, targetting it to creature type Ghost or even Doofy Ghost itself so it can still be a 1CC 1/1.
Personally, a Black Koishi Komeiji is an unusual representation. I always did think she was Blue. Then again, I never read Koishi Komeiji's Heartthrobbing Adventure. <_<' Thematically I'd give her a low-upkeep Echo and Shroud, 1 disadvantage and 1 advantage that will pay for each other.
EDIT: Also another thematic question: why does Chen have Curse? Is she capable of resurrection or control even as an EX Midboss? If you do remove Curse from Chen make sure to buff her Spell Circle, lower her CC. Her P/T is fine as it is.
Abilities:
Curse:
Interesting delayed control ability that depends on your ability to off a target creature. Wording should be "If target creature is sent to the graveyard from play...", to avoid confusion with Exile-upon-kill effects. That said,
Curse as it is currently written is too strrong, especially so if the ability belongs to a 1CC or 2CC creature. Not only is it a cheaper Control Magic (For comparison, Control Magic is 4CC.), the creature with the curse ability COMES BACK INTO PLAY!
I suggest "...you may pay the converted mana cost of the cursed creature in B to instead put it into play under your control", so not only does the curse ability *not come back*, the caster has to pay its fair share to control the opponent's creature.
Reaper
I suppose it doesn't matter even considering the great things you can do with Exile in this set, but I'm not too sure I want to Exile All The Things - just the creature. The Auras (and Equips) can go into the grave.
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Noroiko, Chen and Soga have had their casting costs increased by one, and Soga's ability being insane... is entirely a result of me wording it wrong, because I'm fairly sure the idea was that she'd still take damage from the attacker or blocker as well. So what'd that be - "WW: Until end of turn, exile all creatures that are dealt damage by or deals damage to Soga no Tojiko."? That... sounds wrong to me, but I should be in bed an hour ago so I don't trust myself too much at the moment.
"Until end of turn, whenever Soga deals combat damage to a creature, exile that creature." If you want to absolutely make sure everyone fighting her always vanishes, "Until end of turn, whenever a creature blocks or becomes blocked by Soga, exile that creature at end of combat."
Ghost grammar: I copied that passage directly from the wiki's translation of the PMiSS article on ghosts, so don't blame me :V
Fixed that for you :V
Deadly Toxin: is "At the beginning of enchanted creature?s upkeep, its controller takes 2 damage." the correct wording for that?
"Enchanted creature has, 'At the beginning of your upkeep, this creature deals 2 damage to you'" is how I'd word it. Just so it's clear where the damage is coming from.
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Just throwing out ideas for Curse tweaking that would still lets you get the cursing creature out: The cursed creature has to be sacrificed at the beginning of your next end step after the ability triggers, or you have to kill the creature before your next upkeep after cursing it to get it.
Licking Ghost is probably just going to get Deathtouch instead because look at how well that fits the flavour text - "if you?re touched by one of the dead, before you know it you?ll be beckoned by death."
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Just throwing out ideas for Curse tweaking that would still lets you get the cursing creature out: The cursed creature has to be sacrificed at the beginning of your next end step after the ability triggers, or you have to kill the creature before your next upkeep after cursing it to get it.
Sacrificing the creature during your next endstep/upkeep is a good compromise. If you pick upkeep, I suggest you give the cursed creature haste so it can at least attack once, if nothing else.
If you want to put a clock on how long you have to kill the creature, I'd make curse activate on the creature holding curse dying rather than exiling it from your hand. So, if you trade in combat, you get their creature for one turn. Soga would need a bit of a rework with this one, since exiling them kind of blocks the curse at that point...but I think it could be made to work. You'd also probably want to put a timer on the cursed creature still - permanently stealing is a really strong effect so you need to be careful with that.
So one possibility: "When this creature dies, it curses target creature an opponent controls. If the cursed creature dies before the second end step since it was cursed, return it to play under your control. It gains haste and 'If this creature didn't come into play this turn, sacrifice it at the end of your turn.'"
Licking Ghost is probably just going to get Deathtouch instead because look at how well that fits the flavour text - "if you’re touched by one of the dead, before you know it you’ll be beckoned by death."
AHHH TYPHOID RATS AGAIN
Sounds acceptable to me.
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Sacrificing it during your next upkeep would mean you could do pretty much nothing with it if you kill the cursed creature during the opponent's turn, so it'll be your next end step. And it still has to gain haste so you can do something with it if you kill it during your turn. So, yeah, currently tweaked Curse reads "During your upkeep, you may exile this creature from your hand cursing target creature you don't control. When the cursed creature dies, you may cast this creature from exile by paying its mana cost. If you do, put the cursed creature onto the battlefield under your control. It gains haste until end of turn. At the beginning of your next end step, sacrifice it."
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How is she anything at all like a Merfolk Looter?
Her first ability, allows her to remove the top card face-down from game. Then, at end step, it comes back. Her other ability lets her look at the top card, meaning she can use it to look at the top card, then, choose whether to remove it or not. This essentially allows her to draw the "next card".
In either case, unlike a Merfolk looter she won't be able to look more than 1 card in, so her ability is worse off.
@Resurrection Butterfly:
This card seems weak. It is an enchantment at (3BB), forces you to discard your hand and skips your draw phase and you have to sacrifice a creature during upkeep. All for an effect that allows you to play from grave? I don't think it is worth it at all.
Skipping your draw phase is already a very harsh penalty and being enchantment means it can be disenchanted.
@Reaper Whenever a creature is destroyed by lethal combat damage from this creature, exile that creature and all auras enchanting it instead of placing them in a graveyard.
From reading Reaper, it seems like it will conflict with any replacement effects for graveyard interaction.
@Divine Treasure 'Brilliant Dragon Bullet':
1BB sounds good. It isn't all that amazing.
@Rumia: She sucks. She's like a bad shade.
@Curse:
That sounds okay. If it is one turn, it isn't too bad.
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Are we even talking about the same Merfolk Looter (http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=220179)? Kosuzu can, if you have any reason to, delay the drawing of a card. Merfolk Looter gets you acard at the cost of a card, which... isn't the same thing.
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Yesterday's was late, so have today's early as compensation.
One thing will be somewhat open because I realized that as written, the keyword mechanic was without doubt overcosted. I've done a quick change/fix, but I'm still not sure. Anyway!
Red - the colour of destruction
(I'm starting to regret I didn't use anything starting with b for white, but idk what on b you could use for white, and I have no idea what I'd use for green either, so, eh)
Red is very fun to Touhou-ize. Especially because LASERS.
Expect lasers.
Not lasers
Buuuut we're starting somewhere else. With some red dudes. Or dudettes, as the case may be. If not for the fact I'm not actually sure what her card is going to do yet, I would have posted my favourite Touhou here. Instead...
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Suika Ibuki.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Suika Ibuki.png)(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Yuugi Hoshiguma.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Yuugi Hoshiguma.png)
...let's just get drunk and trash every fucking thing. Suika is a red version of an artifact creature I forgot the name of.
Given their names, I don't think anyone's especially surprised that two certain sisters are featured in this colour.
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Remilia Scarlet.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Remilia Scarlet.png)(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Flandre Scarlet.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Flandre Scarlet.png)
Sometimes it's not enough to destroy thins one permanent at a time, though. Sometimes...
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Utsuho Reiuji.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Utsuho Reiuji.png)
...you just need to nuke everything.
Alright, lasers. First, bombs.
The red keyword is the only one of the five that doesn't go on creatures. Instead, it goes on spells, and it's a Touhou mechanic - Deathbomb. Originally, it read "Whenever a creature you control dies, you may cast this spell by paying both its mana and spellcard cost. If you do, return that creature to the battlefield tapped. Then exile this spell." But I figured that noone would ever actually use that, so it currently requires another creature to doo the saving bomb, as per IN - so it reads "Whenever a creature you control dies, you may cast this spell and tap an untapped creature you control. If you do, return that creature to the battlefield tapped. Then exile this spell." Still not sure about it. A thing I realized when scrolling through the preview for this post is that the current wording might actually imply the wrong creature. Oops. You see what I tried to do with it, so we'll sort out the wording later because I'm not reuploading all those images now. Anyway:
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Magic Space Asteroid Belt.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Magic Space Asteroid Belt.png)
Okay, that's not lasers. Neither is this, but it's cooler.
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Divine Spear Spear the Gungnir.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Divine Spear Spear the Gungnir.png)
This, though? Lasers.
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Arcane Sign Double Spark.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Arcane Sign Double Spark.png)
Pure unmitigated destruction.
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Taboo Laevateinn.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Taboo Laevateinn.png)
Remaining alternatives for keyword extension are black and blue, and as this has everything to do with spellcasting, it's of course blue. Right now, there's not a lot of blue spells with it, and one I'd rather not want to include in a larger update such as this, so you'lhave to make do with this:
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Freeze Sign Perfect Freeze.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Freeze Sign Perfect Freeze.png)
Now you see it
Now you still see it
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Evil Eye.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Evil Eye.png)
Okay, let's calm down and do what we're used to
It's a fairy.
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Star Sapphire.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Star Sapphire.png)
It's a spellshaper.
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Shou Toramaru.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Shou Toramaru.png)
And her spell.
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Jeweled Pagoda Radiant Treasure.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Jeweled Pagoda Radiant Treasure.png)
It's mostly Metallic Mastery (http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=213812). Maybe it actually needs to be full on Metallic Mastery to be worth using.
It's a wizard instant.
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Fire Sign Agni Shrine.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Fire Sign Agni Shrine.png)
It's a divine treasure - the first divine treasure I made, actually. And I'm pretty sure Agni Shrine was the first of the wizard instants made, before it got turned into the cycle.
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Divine Treasure Salamander Shield.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Divine Treasure Salamander Shield.png)
Rebirth
As mentioned, I'm trying out new Spellbind versions. So here's an aura I'm pleased with in general to show today's variant off, but I'm unsure of the wording. On Spellbind,not the aura.
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Possessed by Phoenix.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Possessed by Phoenix.png)
And, well, one more that I uploaded.
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Oni Sign Red Oni Blue Oni.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Oni Sign Red Oni Blue Oni.png)
I'm running out of jokes on "plane" and I still need to do one tomorrow
In light of yesterday there's probably no big surprise here, but even so.
Let's do this as we always have.
Like this.
INTRODUCING: The Vengeful Red Planeswalker - Mima, Vengeful Ghost (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Mima Vengeful Ghost.png)
(for extra redundancy)
Oh, and that ultimate?
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Galaxy Sign Twilight Spark.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Galaxy Sign Twilight Spark.png)
It has a flavr.
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Cards:
Suika: You probably want her to be creature type Oni, or generate Ogre tokens (not Oni). I'd like her to generate and absorb Ogre tokens and not create a new creature type, even if you think Oni and Ogres are 2 different things.
Taboo-Laevateinn: Remember mentioning Necropotence? It's possible to End Turn OHKO if you manage to draw 3 Laevateinns after spending 19 life (total spellcard discard: 12). Not advisable to try that against instant direct damage, but there you go. :3
I'm frankly surprised to find Luna Child Star Sapphire >_< in red - expected her to be something of a White with the ability to have target creature ignore Shroud or other similar unblockable effects. But ah well.
Abilities:
Deathbomb: Can you tap the creature that's dying to fuel a deathbomb?
I like that the red direct damage spells are deceptively expensive (and are simply clones of other red spells with Spellcard and Deathbomb tacked on them), and require you to play half-Draw in order to get the most out of the color.
Edit: That said, I am kind of iffy that if you purpose build a draw deck to get at the Burn Spellcards you can kill someone for 0 mana. <_<
What I don't really like is Twilight Spark rendering Double Spark irrelevant unless you need another burn spell desperately. <_<'
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There's actually not supposed to be a new creature type involved there, but the card doesn't actually say anything about it. I've made an Oni token, which I should have posted, and it's "printed" with Creature - Ogre. I guess it actually needs to say "Ogre creature token named Oni". Or just straight up make them Ogre tokens. Since Suika's offshoots are, well, the same thing as Suika.
You mean Star Sapphire. Who is red because... she was the only remaining of those five fairies fairy when the other four had gotten their more or less obvious colours. So, yeah.
Deathbomb: No, you can't tap the dying creature. I need to rewrite the ability so the wording makes sense anyway.
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Deathbomb: No, you can't tap the dying creature. I need to rewrite the ability so the wording makes sense anyway.
Actually, I think you should tap the dying creature. In fact, I recommend you *must* so you can't save a creature that's already tapped for any reason, and you can't have another creature save the dying creature.
In return for making this ability extremely situational, prevent all damage to the creature. (No graveyard effects here.)
Deathbomb (If target creature you control will receive lethal damage, you may instead tap it and pay <this card's casting cost, or any other cost>. If you do, prevent all damage to the creature, and play this spell as if it were cast from your hand).
Of course, the way I word it here can be bypassed with things like Terror.
You may add the words "...as an Instant" so you can use Sorcery cards in a deathbomb, but this is an optional thing.
That said, the reason why I recommend you strictly use the dying critter is for thematic stuff. Touhou isn't a "2P game" (well except for IN) and nobody bombs to save another person. <_<'
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Suika
Pentavusssss....it took me a while to figure out what was going on here, but it's pretty cute.
Yuugi
I'd change her cost to 2RRR. Make sure you're dedicated to red if you want to play 5/5 tramples for 5.
Remilia
I literally read this card and said 'whoa' out loud. I can see flavourwise why you gave her this ability, but I'm not confident it's a good idea mechanically. That is an admittedly high cost for a red card though, so I'm not 100% confident about writing it off. I would probably add a mana cost to the ability...maybe 2RR? Just to give it a little bit more that.
Flandre
Uuhh opposite problem. She already costs seven, which is not an easy pill to swallow for red, so I don't think there's too much need to associate a cost to her ability.
References:
http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=244677
http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=270448
http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=3311
I think the best comparison here is Avatar of Woe. And unless there's a billion artifacts in the set, I don't think having that on the list makes too much of a difference. With her high casting cost and, compared to her CMC mediocre toughness, I think she's pretty good where she stands with that change. I would also consider changing flying to trample because 6 flying is ouch.
Utsuho
Ah, Utsuho. You're like some twisted mix between Obliterate and Decree of Annihilation- wait no, that's not a mix, that's just decree of annihilation. Except for 5 mana instead of 10 (ignoring her own CMC). Anyways, same comment here as with Flandre - six power on a flyer is whoa - so I'd probably jump her to 3RRR, maybe even 4RRR. Otherwise, her ability to reset the board is pretty valuable, as I haven't seen any other cards that can do that yet. I would consider making her ability miss lands, just because land destruction is stupid, but it probably matches her flavour better as it is now. If she's going to hit lands, I'd also have her hit hands as well - it's a pretty big advantage to be able to float mana, pop her ability, and then play any sort of creature afterwards. Sure, with a 5 mana cost, you probably won't get to float much, but even a one or two drop can make a significant impact - especially if supported by spellbind and spellcard.
Asteroid Belt
Okay.
Gungnir
I'd probably cost this at 3RR.
Double Spark
Okay. I would consider dropping it to 3RR and Spell Card 3.
Laevateinn
Honestly, for this cost, I would make it hit all creatures and all players. Probably would also drop it to six damage in that case so you accidentally kill yourself a little less often. As it is, I feel like it's just a really expensive way to hit an opponent for 8, and that's boring!
Perfect Freeze
For 1UU? I'd make this tap all permanents. Make that freeze perfect. If you want it to stay as an opponent-targetting-spell, bump up the cost a little bit. As it is right now, I pay three during their upkeep to force them to skip a turn and be completely open to my attacks the next turn. As a reference: http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=253582
This card only hits their creatures, and costs 4 to do so. As Perfect Freeze is, I feel it needs to be a lot more expensive - somewhere in the realm of 6 CMC - for it to be fair, but I feel like that's kind of the opposite of what you intended with the card, hence my suggestion to make it perfect freeze.
Evil Eye
Turn 1 haste is always fun.
Star Sapphire
How is she ever going to get tapped before combat to use this? My gut is to change her so that she stops them from attacking instead, but that's not a very red ability.
Shou and her Spell
Unless you have a considerable number of artifact creatures - which I suspect there will be maybe 2? - I don't think you need to bother with the untapping thing. Haste is irrelevant unless its also a creature as well.
Agni Shrine
Drop the damage on this to 3 to bring it more in line with other burn spells, ie Volcanic Hammer, Incinerate, Searing Spear. 2 for 4 damage is quite a good deal, and in this case I think its too good of a deal.
Salamander Shield
Reword it so that Salamander Shield is the source of the damage.
Possessed by Phoenix
Okay, this is immediately the first thing I thought when reviewing these cards and I got to around where Evil Eye is.
Turn One, I'm first.
Play mountain, tap, evil eye.
Enter combat, swing. No blocks? Sounds good.
Spellcard Laevateinn, spellbind three copies of Possessed by Phoenix. On to game 2.
In all seriousness, I don't think this is that much of an issue thanks to Ancient Duper, Flower Wither Away, Deadly Butterfly, and who knows how many other Spellcards that can atleast stall you out one turn. Plus the unlikelihood of drawing those as six of your seven opening cards. But something to keep in mind :P (Also, completely unintentionally, my proposed change to Laevateinn completely nullifies this problem 8D)
Red Oni Blue Oni
I like it.
Mima
I would drop her cost to 2RR. And I would reword her second ability to "X target creatures can't block this turn."
Twilight Spark
....huh. achicken already mentioned this (try saying that out loud, it's pretty entertaining), but this card basically eliminates the need to ever use double spark. I would either drop the damage (to like...3) or increase the cost to 6RR.
New Spellbind
I approve of this. As long as the things with spellbind aren't too impactful, I feel like it's a really interesting ability that encourages both the use of Spellcard and Spellcircle. The restriction on colours is gonig to make it a little thorny for multicolour decks, but that's probably a good thing.
Deathbomb
Honestly, I'm not a big fan. I see what you were trying to do, and flavorwise I find it's fine, but mechanically it feels very much not red to me. What I would recommend is that you scrap the whole idea of saving creatures from it, and add a deathbomb cost to each card with deathbomb. Then, when a creature you control dies, you can play the card for it's deathbomb cost instead of it's mana cost, which will hopefully be significantly cheaper. You can then also make cards that will have bonus effects when you deathbomb them.
Basically, trying to save your creatures isn't a very Red mentality in my mind, whereas turning them effectively into suicide bombers is about as red as it gets. Just my two cents!
I'm awfully sleep deprived as I write this, so I'll probably go have a nap and come back to reread through it to make sure I didn't miss anything glaringly obvious.
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I... think that a "whenever" condition on a sorcery lets you cast it even if the condition happens during an opponent's turn. I'm also thinking I also want Deathbomb to actually be useable to prevent destroy effects.
...which would make it just another Regenerate variant. Huh. I'll consider what to do with it, but I'm working at a con all weekend (tomorrow is when I try to defend my title as Swedish master of PoFW), so nothing big is going to happen before then.
Also, since i just now saw your earlier edit, Chen has Curse because... well, Black Cat of Bad Omens. "Bad omen" is close enough for me. Sekibanki or Koishi aren't straight up "cursing" people either, but I felt the spirit of the effect still fit them. Cards I didn't post for a reason but also are black Cursers you'll see later are of course the resident curse gods, Hina and Mishaguji (the two of them were the reason I tried a Curse keyword early in the set design).
Twilight posted while I was typing this, I'll respond to that another time.
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I will have to agree with the sentiment that Double Spark and/or Twilight Spark need retooling, because the former is, as currently presented, horribly inferior to the other despite having the exact same costs as instant spells. I don't see too many situations based on what you've shown where the ability to distribute 6-7 damage to one creature, and ping another for the remaining points has more impact on the board state than 5 to the dome, then 5 to everything on the opposing side of the field. From what I see in this thread that's practically a board wipe unless every critter on the field has a butt injection or pro-Red attached. Twilight Spark seems like way too much value for 4 and 2 Red. I am seeing it as an overpowered Chandra's Fury-, same gimmick, blast the face then the field without targeting the creatures, it costs only 1 less and does only 4 to the face and 1 to each creature. For only one more red Twilight is doing 1 more direct damage, and a whopping 4 more to every creature.
Maybe if Double Spark could target the player as one of the two targets that might make it scarier. Like, Cinder Storm was 7 to a creature or to the dome for 6 and Red as sorcery; Explosive Impact was 5 to a creature or player for 4 and a Red at instant speed.
Going back a bit for Black, did I miss an explanation for what purpose reaper was supposed to play? Before with the older spellbind mechanic, reaper seemed like the perfect answer to that- since the enchantments could possibly be yanked and recast from the grave, and pitched in there in the first place as sac outlets for the spellcard mechanic. Reaper's effect of saying "Nope, that sucker is exiled" shuts down those shenanigans if you get too reckless with attacking and blocking thinking you can always yank it out later of the bin later if budgeted for. It in general seems to just be the way to shut up any sort of bin harvesting shenanigans, which seems kind of ironic since that's normally Black's hat to begin with thanks to things like Unburial Rites, Grave Scrabbler, Disturbed Burial, Grave Betrayal, Corpse Hauler, the Scavenge mechanic, etc. But with what appears to be new rules for how spellbind works, this seems like an almost entirely obsolete mechanic.
But take me with a grain of salt, I am no expert at assessing value of effect vs its CMC, nor am I all that good at the game anyway.
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I... think that a "whenever" condition on a sorcery lets you cast it even if the condition happens during an opponent's turn. I'm also thinking I also want Deathbomb to actually be useable to prevent destroy effects.
...which would make it just another Regenerate variant. Huh. I'll consider what to do with it, but I'm working at a con all weekend (tomorrow is when I try to defend my title as Swedish master of PoFW), so nothing big is going to happen before then.
Heh, if you want it to do something like that, there is only 1 option.
Deathbomb (If target creature you control will be exiled or sent to the graveyard from play, you may instead tap it and pay <this card's casting cost, or any other cost>. If you do, target creature phases out until end of turn, and play this spell as if it were cast from your hand. Play this ability as an Instant).
Now the creature can survive anything just for an instant. It can even survive being sacrificed by its own player, causing the sacrifice effect to fizzle :3
I would like to use "Exile until end of turn" because nobody uses Phasing anymore, but I don't know if the tapped state is saved when you Exile.
I will have to agree with the sentiment that Double Spark and/or Twilight Spark need retooling, because the former is, as currently presented, horribly inferior to the other despite having the exact same costs as instant spells.
Well there's one suggestion I might have, but it requires retooling the card completely. This set is lacking in X-cost cards. :3
Double Spark
Sorcery XXR
Spellcard X (You may discard up to X cards instead of paying for this card's mana cost. If you do, Exile Double Spark after it resolves).
If you play this card by paying its spellcard cost, X is equal to the number of cards discarded.
Deal X damage to 2 target creatures or players. (You cannot target the same creature or player twice.)
This is a slightly weaker X direct damage variant that still allows you to pump it for an arbitrary amount of damage, except its more difficult to get upwards of 10 unless you have a mana engine.
It's not likely you can drop more than 6 cards to use this as a spellcard.
Almost all X spells are Sorceries so I changed it accordingly. (Besides, if it were an Instant it could potentially become a Necropotence OHKO. >_>)
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Are we even talking about the same Merfolk Looter? Kosuzu can, if you have any reason to, delay the drawing of a card. Merfolk Looter gets you acard at the cost of a card, which... isn't the same thing.
It is similar. A Merfolk Looter allows you to go through your deck, which Kosuzu can sort of do, but only once. Kind of like Sensei's Divining Top, but much much weaker.
From looking at her ability, she is just an expensive 1/1. Her delaying that card may also cause it to be permanently removed from the game, which it is possible what you want to do.
Also, about Soga, could you explain a flavor reason why Soga exiles creatures blocking her?
@Suika: She looks like the Pentavus. Good high powered card.
@Remilia and Flandre: They seem a bit on the weak side.
@Utsuho: I suggest taking out her ability to destroy Enchantments. Red can almost never destroy enchantments. I believe Red only has 1 card that can get rid of enchantment. That is Apocalypse. Well, also Blue Elemental Blast, but that card hoses all blue cards.
@New Spellbind mechanic: This one seems like it can have potential, good mechanic. Watch how you design your enchantments, otherwise, there will be quite a bit of one to two turn kills using red.
@Deathbomb: Bomb sound like it is a red thing, but I am unsure if you want to do creature recovery for red. That isn't what red does. I like Achicken's suggestion. As Red resurrecting seems odd.
I... think that a "whenever" condition on a sorcery lets you cast it even if the condition happens during an opponent's turn. I'm also thinking I also want Deathbomb to actually be useable to prevent destroy effects.
...which would make it just another Regenerate variant. Huh. I'll consider what to do with it, but I'm working at a con all weekend (tomorrow is when I try to defend my title as Swedish master of PoFW), so nothing big is going to happen before then.
One suggestion for Deathbomb. Change Deathbomb to If an untapped creature would be destroyed. Tap that creature and it is not destroyed. Remove all damage from it.. The way I am wording it, it won't target, so it can hit Shroud. As this is Deathbomb and not Regenerate, it will bypass cannot be regenerated clause.
You can think of similar game wording, depending on how you want what kind of flavor you want for Deathbomb.
Now the creature can survive anything just for an instant. It can even survive being sacrificed by its own player, causing the sacrifice effect to fizzle :3
I would like to use "Exile until end of turn" because nobody uses Phasing anymore, but I don't know if the tapped state is saved when you Exile.
Tap state is not saved. That creature that comes in is treated as a new creature.
Phasing will keep the tapped state. It is the only mechanic that causes removal and keeps the creature in its current state. Auras also stay with the phased creature. It will also not trigger come into play effects.
Almost all X spells are Sorceries so I changed it accordingly. (Besides, if it were an Instant it could potentially become a Necropotence OHKO. >_>)
For comparison, look at Comet Storm (http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=247539).
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My favourite suggestion for Deathbomb so far is to make it be an alternate cost you can cast the spell with when one of your creatures die, and thereby opening up the possibility for the spell to do something different when it's cast as a deathbomb. It also solves a problem I had with a blue spell I want to have deathbomb on but was kind of weird pre-change, and allows me to tack Deathbomb onto some other blue spells that would otherwise have made no sense to have it on.
A thing with the new Spellbind I've realized is that while it makes the spell mechanic synergy more attractive, it also means that the multicoloured and more powerful auras would be easier to use - so perhaps Spellbind shouldn't go on all auras. I also thought that maybe some spells shouldn't have Spellcard, but on the other hand, that probably gets balanced by every spell HAVING spellcard, so that's... probably remaining.
Green is coming later today, and the keyword will come in two or three variants because I'm mildly unsure about it, but one of those is pretty surely overpowered without another adjustment.
Longer comments about everything else is coming later in general. But I'm not going to have Utsuho not blow up all permanents. Fun thing I realized, though - curse a creature, float mana, pop Utsuho, cast the curse creature, and you now the only thing on the battlefield is two creatures, one with haste that could be any other creature in the game. And, well, I guess you could always have things indestructible, but even so. That's not as fun of a combo. :V
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Still no time for longer comments - but here's today's preview. In you haven't already guessed today's planeswalker, shame on you.
Green - the colour of strength
Green is really mostly about hitting things really hard. And making things more powerful. We can Touhou that. We can Touhou that really hard.
Imagery
First up a card I'm insanely pleased with the picture for because it flows so perfectly with the card border:
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Parsee Mizuhashi.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Parsee Mizuhashi.png)
Parsee has also been the inspiration for a lot of green spells.
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Envy Green-Eyed Invisible Monster.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Envy Green-Eyed Invisible Monster.png)(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Grandfather Cherry Blossom Shiros Ashes.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Grandfather Cherry Blossom Shiros Ashes.png)(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Tongue-Cut Sparrow Large Box and Small Box.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Tongue-Cut Sparrow Large Box and Small Box.png)
Power up
Alright, keyword time. This one is a Touhou gameplay mechanic, and comes in three vesions here. I'll post the same card with all three versions of it, and for the rest of the post I'll be using the "middle" version. Word is Focus, obviously goes on creatures, invoked as Focus X - <cost> and reads "Whenever this creature attacks, you may pay <cost> to give it +X/<what comes here is the point of discussion> until end of turn."
The person who demonstrates it also wants to say "can't touch this" (na na nana, nana, nana):
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Kasen Ibaraki3.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Kasen Ibaraki3.png)(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Kasen Ibaraki.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Kasen Ibaraki.png)(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Kasen Ibaraki2.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Kasen Ibaraki2.png)
Another pair of focusers, including someone I'm sure you all have wanted to see and who also reminds us of the blue keyword:
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Kagerou Imaizumi.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Kagerou Imaizumi.png)(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Youmu Konpaku.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Youmu Konpaku.png)
Speaking of keywords of other colours and people you all want to see, by process of elimination, we know that this one goes into black. So.
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Marisa Kirisame.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Marisa Kirisame.png)
Some specific cards
First, something that can become hilarious:
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Mamizou Futatsuiwa.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Mamizou Futatsuiwa.png)
Something I'm not sure of:
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Shinmyoumaru Sukuna.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Shinmyoumaru Sukuna.png)
Something I'm very sure of, except for maybe the cost:
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Great Oni Missing Purple Power.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Great Oni Missing Purple Power.png)
And some more, and this time I remembered to include the token.
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Wriggle Nightbug.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Wriggle Nightbug.png)(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Firefly Sign Little Bug Storm.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Firefly Sign Little Bug Storm.png)(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Insect.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Insect.png)
(did I mention I use the modern style creature tokens? Because I do. Because the old creature tokens are ugly as sin.)
Okay but what about
Yeah, yeah, here's a nonlegendary. This was actually the very first nonlegendary creature made for the set, and originally it was, if I recall, a 0/1 defender with reach that tapped for G. It became something else when I decided to make the rest.
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Lotus.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Lotus.png)
And the regulars
Faeries!
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Daiyousei.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Daiyousei.png)
Spellshapers!
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Keine Kamishirasawa Hakutaku.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Keine Kamishirasawa Hakutaku.png)
Spellshapers' spells!
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Reincarnation Returning-Bridge Ichijo.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Reincarnation Returning-Bridge Ichijo.png)
(Regrowth (http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=373408)!)
Wizard instants!
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Wood Sign Sylphae Horn.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Wood Sign Sylphae Horn.png)
...huh, that previous spell is kind of strictly better than this except for in very niche cases. It should probably be made into something else. Maybe it should return the land to the battlefield instead.
Divine treasures!
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Divine Treasure Hourai Jewel.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Divine Treasure Hourai Jewel.png)
Planely obvious
Those of you who couldn't guess this one, go sit in the corner and think over your life.
Because seriously.
There's only one possible option for this one. Ever.
INRODUCING: The Powerful Green Planeswalker - Yuuka Kazami (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Yuuka Kazami.png)
Pow.
Well - that's previews for all the colours. But we're not anywhere done yet. I know what comes tomorrow. You don't. But I would say there's three possible things it COULD be, so you have a 33% chance of expecting the right thing.
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Critters:
Youmu - is a candidate for the Reaper ability. Well why not.
Mamizou - Fun! But what happens if another Changeling enters play?
Abilities:
Focus: ...as it is, it sounds like a fancy name for "pumping". There's nothing to prevent me, frex, from paying an extra 3G to give ver.1 Kasen another +3/+3. If its meant to be like that, there's a reason why this mechanic was never given a keyword. There's too many variables to change.
(The second being that "3G: +3/+X until end of turn. Play this ability only when attacking". Is much shorter than the keyword text. :3
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I'm not doing anything with Reaper until we've gone over the thing that might allow me to axe it.
According to MTGsalvation Wiki's list of creature types, she would get +224/+224. And then I've introduced some new creature types, so it would be slighhtly more. There is a nonzero chance for this to occur within the set. Perhaps i should change her to get +1/+0 instead, but that's not as hilarious.
Focus was meant to only be useable once, per attack. The original version of it was the +X/-X one, since Focusing in Touhou makes you slower, though ingame that's a GOOD thing becuase it makes it easier to dodge.
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Late to the party about deathbomb. Instead of saving the creature, for the same costing process just allow the dying creature to deal 1 damage to target creature or player. This is way more in line with the colour pie and fulfills the other function of deathbombing.
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Parsee
I would highly recommend changing her Spell Circle effect to read "Permanents named Parsee Mizuhashi ignore the Legendary Rule when Parsee is enchanted with two or more auras." This makes it so once one has Spell Circle active, you can play as many copies of her as you want. Otherwise, you can only play one Parsee without Circle active at a time. If that's intended, okay, but that's not the impression I got of where you were trying to go from reading the card.
Parsee's Spells
Looking at all of these, I feel like you could take all of Parsee's influenced cards, switch all the green mana symbols to black mana symbols, and it would still be perfectly in colour and closer to reality in flavour. But I know you don't like switching colours of things, so I won't say too much about it lol.
Kasen
Change the emphasis in her flavour text to unitalicized instead of bold. Bold looks kind of out of place in my opinion. I'm not a big fan of focus, but otherwise the card is fine. 5 for a 5/5 ascetic though...that's running it a bit light. Depending on how you end up dealing with focus, you may want to up her cost a bit,
Kagerou
I would switch her CMC and Focus cost. Being forced to attack every turn is a pretty harsh penalty, so I think you can drop the cost of her a bit - in exchange, bumping from 3 to 5 is rather significant, and if you are going to be attacking with her every turn, I feel it should require a bit more dedication to keep her online than most other Focus cards. I realize focus seems to be XC in cost, but it's still something to consider if you don't mind messing with it.
Youmu
DECLARE FOCUS SPELLCIRCLE.
So many effects, so little time. I would put Spellcircle at the bottom of the ability list. Just a thought.
Marisa
I could have sworn Marisa was going to be a red card. Otherwise, I'm not sure she needs intimidate.
Mamizou
This could, indeed become hilarious. Especially if you have a fling equivalent in the set. However, I feel like the mana cost offsets the benefits of her abilities quite nicely. Not sure she really needs declare though.
Sukuna
I'm....not really sure what to say here. I feel like she doesn't need hexproof and that you can probably increase the cost of her ability to GGG. Or change it to +3/+0 and trample. I'd still take off hexproof though.
Missing Purple Power
This card should clearly be purple (http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Article.aspx?x=mtgcom/feature/386), not green.
...but seriously, I'd make it cost 3GG.
Wriggle and Co.
Oh geez. Those insect tokens are...something vicious. I feel like Little Bug Storm would get out of control really fast. I would probably split it so Little Bug Storm always makes 3/1s (or maybe 2/1s) and only the tokens made by Wriggle herself have * for attack. The more cards you have that deal with insect tokens, the more highly I recommend making the * attack a thing unique to Wriggle.
Keine
I'd make her 3GG. Her effect is really strong, a lot stronger than Regrowth simply because it's a constantly reusable ability - you need to draw more regrowths to abuse them, but Keine just asks you to draw more cards. Returning Bridge Ichijo is fine as it is.
Sylphae Horn
Honestly I'd make it search your deck for a basic land and put it in your hand/into play. I don't know how much mana ramp you have in the set, but this is a card that I feel would do that job very well.
Hourai Jewel
I feel like this card is not really useable. There are some very limited circumstances where it'll make a big deal, but generally I don't think it'll be consistent enough to be reliable. Plus, unlike the other 4 treasures, it doesn't give you any sort of benefit for naming your opponent's colours unless you happen to have instants to cast in your hand, in which case...you're probably just going to leave the appropriate mana open. I'm not sure what I can recommend to change it to, but the first thing that comes to mind is have it proc off of creatures only, and create 0/1 saprolings or something. In that case, I'd bump it's cost to 3GG.
Yuuka
I expected Suwako, tbh. I would change her abilities around slightly. First, I'd make her 0 do two 1/1s, and I'd make them plants. I'd then change it to a -2.
With that change, I'd change her +1 to add G for each Plant you control. Leaving it at +1 is fine. Lastly, I'd change her -8 to say "You get an emblem with 'creatures you control get +1/+1 for each Plant you control.'" Just play up the plant theme, and let her ultimate hit all creatures in exchange for only checking plants for the X number.
Focus....I agree with achicken, to some extent. It doesn't really feel unique enough to be worth printing as a specific ability. If you want to try and encapsulate slowing down and getting stronger, I would do something like...
Focus X - XG (If this creature has no +1/+1 counters on it and is untapped, put X +1/+1 counters on it and tap it. It doesn't untap during your next untap step.)
or
Focus X - XG (If this creature has no +1/+1 counters on it and is untapped, put X +1/+1 counters on it and tap it. Play only as a sorcery.)
One forces you to use the ability during your turn, the other forces you to use it at the end of your opponent's turn. Both function effectively the same way - take your creature out of commission for one of your turns and one of your opponents turns to get a big buff afterwards. It's kind of gambly, but I feel like it really captures that feeling of slowing down and making sure you perform at top capacity. It also saves you from having to constantly dump mana into it.
Furthermore, it opens up a number of design options. For starters, you can throw effects on them that activate when they have +1/+1 counters on it. Secondly, you can make creatures that have focus, and then eat their +1/+1 counters for a specific effect. Here are some arbitrary examples (not necessarily recommendations, just examples to show you what I mean)
Kasen - 2GG
Focus 3 - 3G
As long as Kasen has at least one +1/+1 counter on her, she gains Hexproof.
3/3
Marisa - 1R
Focus 3 - 3R
Remove a +1/+1 counter from Marisa: Deal 1 damage to target creature.
2/1
This would, of course, probably force you to remodel every single card with Focus in terms of focus number and cost, P/T, and mana cost, but I feel like it has a lot more to add to the set flavourwise and effectwise than the current iterations.
What's coming up...I expect to see some artifacts and some multicolour cards, but that only constitutes two possible previews. I suppose the third could be lands? Well, I shall wait warmly. Shaping up quite well so far!
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Well there's one suggestion I might have, but it requires retooling the card completely. This set is lacking in X-cost cards. :3
Double Spark
Sorcery XXR
Spellcard X (You may discard up to X cards instead of paying for this card's mana cost. If you do, Exile Double Spark after it resolves).
If you play this card by paying its spellcard cost, X is equal to the number of cards discarded.
Deal X damage to 2 target creatures or players. (You cannot target the same creature or player twice.)
This is a slightly weaker X direct damage variant that still allows you to pump it for an arbitrary amount of damage, except its more difficult to get upwards of 10 unless you have a mana engine.
It's not likely you can drop more than 6 cards to use this as a spellcard.
Almost all X spells are Sorceries so I changed it accordingly. (Besides, if it were an Instant it could potentially become a Necropotence OHKO. >_>)
I like that idea a lot. I always did feel X damage for X effect spells have nice versatility, especially with stuff that's got just slightly too big of a butt to kill with cheap burn. But I wonder if XX in the cost would make it just as undesirable compared to Twilight even with the potential for pumping. Presuming Twilight were to be unchanged, since the analysis can't go anywhere without such a presumption- to even do 3 to the player and a creature would cost more than a Twilight, without the convenience of instant speed. And to make it equivalent in damage for 2 targets, it would have 11 CMC. If you have the raw mana, or the ramp to blow 11, why would you ever spend it on that when Twilight offers the same and lets you use that extra mana for some better 5 drop? Obviously X spells aren't the most efficient impacts since that's kind of the trade off for their variable nature, but XXR for 2 targets feels like way too much waste and certainly not worth pitching your hand for.
But then again, XXR makes me think Bonfire of the Damned, which at least hit all creatures of the target player and had a Miracle cost of only XR. I think I'm really just comparing your proposed effect to that, which probably isn't the best course of action, but that is also the only XXR cost card I can think of that was considered legit really good not laughably impractical or just plain horribly costed. Thinking about it more, would Twilight be better as an XXR sorcery with X as damage to target player and all creatures under its control, with Double being a 4RR instant for maybe 4 damage to 2 target players or creatures, with those targets only being able to be targeted once each? Maybe that fits the image of Twilight being the field nuke better? I can see that working well when the opponent has 2 or more creatures out, since even casting for 2 damage in that context would result in 6+ total dealt for 5 CMC; 3 damage would be 9+ damage total for 7 CMC. The total damage dealt will increase faster than the CMC will.
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Anyway, the green stuff. Smells like good old reliable green to me, hexproof bastards, ramp, pumps, token pooping, etc. I was always fond of token army shenanigans with ways to pump them, despite their vulnerability to easy blow outs from things that target multiples based on type or name. Because shenanigans are funny- like letting Assemble the Legion exist for more than 3 or 4 turns. So I am liking Wriggle's mechanic and I think it's also the first X/X creature you've shown unless I missed one earlier in the thread. Not quite sure why the pump abilities needed a keyword beyond trying to cram more Touhou into keywords- if you intend for them to only be able to be activated once when attacking, it's a simple matter of adding express wording the ability only can be done once per attack step.
I also think Sukuna needs reworking since GG and Tap for +3/+3 and trample to target creature feels too cheap with her as a 4 drop with Hexproof while Missing Purple Power right under it is also a 4 drop for only 2 more to the power and butt. You get her down, never swing with her, and have a Giant Growth + Trample on a very affordable GG length stick. I am not sure what that ability needs or her stats and cost need for adequate adjusting but something I think should give. The ability seems to be what's great for her, but when she's never going to be swinging in, especially with a 1 butt, unless it's completely clear, so that hexproof shuts out a lot of ways to deal with her unless you've prepared still unrevealed ways to deal damage or debuff things without targeting them. Compare to Kasen, who is clearly going to want to be swinging- hexproof protects her from traditional removal options, but she can still get eaten through combat tricks. However, I might also not be adequately accounting for your intent to basically have no normal creatures beyond these single "1/1 for 1"'s in each color- her abilities may be fine in of themselves and she might just need to be a pinch slower to get out on the field through a higher cost.
I kinda addressed MPP already, but in general I think Missing Purple Power could afford to be maybe 1GGG or 3GG even- it's a slightly stronger Titanic Growth, so slightly more expensive and pickier about is color cost.
Parsee I am not sure works out as you want her to. Stack auras on her to remove that one's legendary status, and unless you do that she's got to be solo for that +3/+3 Trample. Even if you did meet that condition, you'd need a third critter as a bounce target and then you are stuck with only them on your field if you want them to stay 5/5 w/Trample. of course this cycle can be repeated, but that sounds like a lot of impractical effort to just get a couple of 5/5s. Maybe she is better off just having as that passive working like the Brothers Yamazaki, where it was straight up an exception carved out of legend rule and you could have 2 of him max on the field, and each creature named Brothers Yamazki gained +2/+2 with Haste. In this context, with the new legend rule, one could have two Parsees out, get some bonus you want, like the current +3/+3 and Trample (her cost would probably need to be adjusted higher in this context but set that aside for the moment) and that still maintains the clone attack pattern flavor she most frequently identified with but in a more useable light (I am pretty sure it's safe to ignore trying to add this flavor for Flandre as an exception to the legend rule, 4 of her with no strings attached is a bit much). The spell circle ability then actually represents something potentially scary with allowing room for a third Parsee to appear, gain the named benefit, and nobody explodes. As it is now, she looks like a 2/2 for 3 with a self targeted bounce because the other effects look too impractical to actively try to use and are mostly likely just going to result in you have two identical 2/2's with a self-bounce on summoning.
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Just a quick word on Twilight's Yuuka comment - I used 0/1 Plants and 1/1 Saprolings because both of those are tokens that already exist in Magic.
Focus will be thought over, perhaps replaced with something else. Con ends today, so I'll probably collect and reply to all specific comments I want to reply to later tonight. Might be before the next update, it'll be a short one.
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@Focus: The Middle or Left focus looks fine. However, I suggest that you limit the ability to once per turn.
@Youmu: Youmu being in Green is kind of weird. I always thought she would be either Black or White. I know she is a gardener, but she is the gardener of the Netherworld.
Hourai Jewel
I feel like this card is not really useable. There are some very limited circumstances where it'll make a big deal, but generally I don't think it'll be consistent enough to be reliable.
I kind of depends on what is available in the set. For example, with what we have seen. You cast Hourai Jewel on turn 3. On turn 5, you can cast Firefly Sign "Little Bug Storm" and have 3 mana left to do something else. Or you can cast Yuuka, create 2 tokens, and you will also have 3 mana. Next turn, you can either create 2 tokens for extra mana or do something else. This enchantment seems like a comboish enchantment to me. It also has potential to infinite.
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Obviously X spells aren't the most efficient impacts since that's kind of the trade off for their variable nature, but XXR for 2 targets feels like way too much waste and certainly not worth pitching your hand for.
Well the XXR cost is only for flavr. :3
The option also exists to remove the target restriction, so you can deal X damage TWICE to a single target. This turns the spell into a standard Fireball, with a restriction on how damage is divided and the number of targets max. Also has the side effect of making the Spellcard effect more useful, potentially 12 damage with a standard hand of 7 cards (X=6 *2 attacks). If you have an engine tho, OHKO on 20 life is 11 cards, assuming the tweaked Double Spark is already in your hand.
By the way, it's actually quite easy - not trivially easy, but as easy as Marisa's proverbial Laser, to get 11+ cards in your hand by turn 2. (I made that "deceptively expensive" quip for that reason. :3)
Focus was meant to only be useable once, per attack. The original version of it was the +X/-X one, since Focusing in Touhou makes you slower, though ingame that's a GOOD thing becuase it makes it easier to dodge.
Well if its once a turn, make sure you add that specific "Play this ability only once a turn" at the end of the rules text. MTG assumes that you can play the ability as many times as you want if you don't have it and there's no tap requirement.
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Well if its once a turn, make sure you add that specific "Play this ability only once a turn" at the end of the rules text. MTG assumes that you can play the ability as many times as you want if you don't have it and there's no tap requirement.
Not needed at all. The focus ability reads in the first example "Whenever this creature attacks, you may pay 3G to give it +3/+3 until end of turn." The mana payment is a part of a triggered ability, so you can only pump once per attack.
The wording is off though. Should be: "Whenever this creature attacks, you may pay 3G. If you do, this creature gets +3/+3 until end of turn."
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So, what's not happening today: Comments for everything, because thile the con is over, we're going out for sushi in three hours.
What is happening today: The next preview category.
Artifacts - not really a colour
Yeah, we're going artifacts. There's not a lot of them in the set at this point, really, only fifteen, so we're going to look at most or all of them today. Twilight mentioned on the last page that he that there'd be about two artifact creatures in the set.
Let's just say he was way off
The current amount of artifact creatures in the set, an amount that's kind of unlikely to change, is seven. So let's start with the obvious one.
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Medicine Melancholy.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Medicine Melancholy.png)
So. Not sure she should have the keyword, actually.
Medicine might be the most well known, but she's far from the first artifact creature of Touhou. For most of them, we have to back to PC98. Like these two, coming from the same source:
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Ruukoto.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Ruukoto.png)(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Mimi.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Mimi.png)
And then we can go even further backand find... well, one of the more boring cards in the set that is going to get a complete redesign, I think:
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Five Magic Stones.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Five Magic Stones.png)
As you might notice here and in the previous one, artifact creatues aren't always as legendary as their coloured counterparts. This next fellow, however, is:
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Evil Eye Sigma.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Evil eye Sigma.png)
And, well, while we're on the heavy hitters, back to Windows. Both from one game, actually.
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Goliath Doll.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Goliath Doll.png)(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Hisou Tensoku.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Hisou Tensoku.png)
Take a look, it's a book
This here is actually the only card in the set with this type, just a straight up nonlegendary noncreature artifact. Maybe it should be legendary, though.
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/The Grimoire of Marisa.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/The Grimoire of Marisa.png)
Miiiight be undercosted.
Wield it
So, it's not only auras that can be used to strengthen creatures. There's also equipment! There will eventually be more pieces of equipment, I know the Miracle Mallet will get a card, and then there's some others. But, first up:
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Sword of Hisou.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Sword of Hisou.png)
And one I'm not completely sure of:
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Sorcerers Sutra Scroll.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Sorcerers Sutra Scroll.png)
And one I'm sure of, except for costs.
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Flower Tank.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Flower Tank.png)
Equipping the ground
So, a card type that doesn't quite exist in Magic yet is fortifications. There's one. So this set has 300% more fortifications than there are in Magic proper.
First up:
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Keystone.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Keystone.png)
Second up:
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Hokora.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Hokora.png)
...wait. What's that, now?
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Donation Box.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Donation Box.png)
Shrines, huh?
And the big one
Well...
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Hakurei Yin-Yang.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Hakurei Yin-Yang.png)
...I'm sure it's nothing to worry about.
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By the way, it's actually quite easy - not trivially easy, but as easy as Marisa's proverbial Laser, to get 11+ cards in your hand by turn 2. (I made that "deceptively expensive" quip for that reason. :3)
Outside of Necropotence, I see no way of getting 11 cards on turn 2.
Medicine might be the most well known, but she's far from the first artifact creature of Touhou. For most of them, we have to back to PC98. Like these two, coming from the same source:
Not anymore, Kokoro is pretty well known.
@Goliath: For Goliath, I think Vanishing or Fading or something similar makes more sense. It isn't like she gets any weaker as the timer runs out, it is just that she blows up once the timer runs out.
@Sword of Hisou: In a flavor perspective, I think this should be Legendary and Indestructable. Of course, the issue arises in that most Touhous carry legendary items.
@Flower Tank: I think that should be a living artifact.
@Donation Box: This card is not very good. This looks like a bad version of Darksteel Ingot or any card that just straight up gives mana.
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Edit: Cards:
I don't have a problem with any of these artifacts, except for one.
The Keystone's ability is redundant. You might was well NOT fortify the land and have the Keystone sacrifice itself.
The alternative is to make the keystone's fortify ability sacrifice the fortified land instead.
@Goliath: For Goliath, I think Vanishing or Fading or something similar makes more sense. It isn't like she gets any weaker as the timer runs out, it is just that she blows up once the timer runs out.
Goliath Doll: 3/3 Trample.
Each turn, put a +1/+1 counter on Goliath Doll.
If Goliath Doll's power or toughness exceeds 10, Destroy Goliath Doll at end of turn.
:3
Outside of Necropotence, I see no way of getting 11 cards on turn 2.
Turn 1, island, done.
Turn 2, draw, island. Cast Ideas Unbound (Sorcery). As it resolves you can cast Gush (Instant, but you cast it after tapping for mana) by paying alternate casting cost (bounce 2 islands). You now have (sorry) 11 cards in your hand (well, until end of turn) and nothing in play. Both Ideas Unbound and Gush are Commons.
This works because Ideas Unbound does not require you to discard anything until end of turn.
It's stupid to do this in other sets, but direct damage Spellcards in this set make this strategy very tempting.
Necropotence is just an easier way of doing it.
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I see, you meant including bouncing your own lands? I wasn't thinking of that, but you are right, there are many ways to reach 11 cards if that is all you are thinking of doing.
Land Tax, Ancestral Recall, etc. Gush might be a common, but it is strong enough to be in the banned list.
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Twilight mentioned on the last page that he that there'd be about two artifact creatures in the set.
I lay soundly defeated orz
Medicine Melancholy
The way her ability is worded right now, it won't actually be useful at all when she's attacking. Try "When Medicine blocks or becomes blocked, target attacking or blocking creature gets -1/-1 until end of turn." This means that if they don't block her, the effect doesn't trigger, but the other wording triggered the effect before blockers were declared, so there would be no legal targets at the time.
If you wanted her to debuff someone regardless whether she is blocked or not, try "When Medicine attacks or blocks, you may have target creature get -1/-1 until end of turn." This can hit non-com creatures, but it allows the effect to trigger regardless of what happens during combat itself.
Ruukoto
Interesting. I'm not the biggest fan of untap effects though.
Mimi
I would probably give her more than one toughness if she's going to blow up at the end of the turn anyways.
Five Magic Stones
Redesign seems like a good idea lol.
Evil Eye Sigma
I feel like this needs something, though I couldn't tell you what it is. Maybe some sort of drawback just to add some flavour to the card. Like, "...can't attack or block unless you control another creature." Or, "...can't attack or block unless another creature you control is attacking or blocking." That lets you slash the cost, while keeping the stats high. So you could do something like:
Evil Eye Sigma - (4)
Flying, Trample
Evil Eye Sigma can't attack or block unless another creature you control is attacking or blocking.
6/6
Not really necessary changes from a design perspective, but I think something like that would add a lot more fun and flavour to the card, rather than just being a big fatty that crushes people.
Goliath Doll
I like the idea of Fading/Vanishing on this instead of gradually weakening. Alternatively, you could skip it all, and do something silly like: "Whenever Goliath doll attacks or blocks, flip a coin. If you lose the flip, put a glitch counter on it. When Goliath Doll has 3 or more glitch counters on it, sacrifice it."
Hisou Tensoku
I like this one.
Grimoire of Marisa
I would change this to "3, T: Search your library for an instant or sorcery card and exile it. Until end of turn, you may play the exiled card as if it was in your hand." This cuts a bit of the rather high power that tutoring every turn gets you, but still gives you a rather impressive effect. And then, if you really wanted to make it strong, you play Akyuu with it to remove the until end of turn restriction. (Naturally, once you play the card, it goes from exile to your graveyard to stop infinitely spamming the spell)
Sword if Hisou
"All creatures blocking equipped creature get -1/-1 until end of turn." I am definitely in support of making this legendary - it is very strong, especially for its cost, and having more than one at a time could be devastating.
Sutra Scroll
Uhm, I feel like I would approach this in a different way. Rather than declare, I'd change it's effect to something like:
T: Imprint - Exile an instant or sorcery card from your hand. The exiled card is imprinted on this one.
Equipped creature has "Whenever this creature attacks or blocks, you may play a copy of the imprinted card as if it was in your hand."
Not sure how good of an idea it is to add imprint though if it's going to be the only one in the set!
Flower Tank
I would change this to: "Equipped creature gets +5/+5, has trample, and loses all other abilities." And then I would cost it at CMC 4 Equip 4.
Keystone
I would change it to:
"Fortified land is indestructible.
3, T, Sacrifice Keystone: Destroy target land. Play this ability only if Keystone is fortifying a land you control."
Hokora
I don't understand what the point of this card is at all. Unless there's a slew of cards involving shrines we haven't seen yet that justifies spending 4 to play it, 2 to equip, then another 1 every turn thereafter, I can't imagine anyone ever playing this card as it is now.
Donation Box
I feel like flavourwise this could have been a sweet Staff of Domination (http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=50162) lookalike. As it is now, it...doesn't really do much of anything. I'd honestly rather just draw a land than draw this, unless I was using a bunch of shrines and was running a 5 colour deck and there were virtually no mana fixing options available.
Yin Yang
You know what I would do? I'd change the proliferate effect to "Tap an untapped shrine you control: Untap Hakurei Ying-Yang." Either way, looks pretty cool.
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I haven't actually considered the other tsukumogamis to be artifact creatures. Huh.
Goliath Doll used to have Fading, but that ran into the issue of me not wanting to have one-off keywords that just appear on one card. Sword of Hisou originally had Flanking, but was changed for the same reasons. Don't want to use Living Weapon for the same. Noone's driving Flower Tank when you put it onto the battlefield. Then you can equip Evil Eye Sigma or Goliath Doll or Hisou Tensoku with it for gattai action. :V
You're right about Donation Box. So the second ability is now "If fortified land is a Shrine, it gets "1, T: Draw a card."" Make a donation, get a fortune!
TWILIGHT NINJAPOSTING WHILE I WAS TYPING AGAIN
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There was actually supposed to be another update today, not with many new cards, but kind of a reflection of the last week. It didn't happen because school, then I was doing things with actual Magic cards because I bought some guild boosters and a fat pack today. My guild decks are powering up.
But updates will continue this week. Tuesday to Saturday will thematically follow the same colours as the last week, and start introducing the multicoloured cards. We'll also be taking second looks at redesigned cards.
This all supposing that University doesn't eat ALL of my time.
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Okay, let's try this.
Revisiting white
Of all the things I posted, white and all that came with it (well, aside from Land Sign) seemed to get the harshest response. Immortal was seen as an overpowered keyword, though it was in part through a misreading. Since then, more regeneration blockers have entered the set, and so Immortal is probably nothing to worry about anymore. It's still kind of underutilized, it's supposed to go into red as well, but only one red card actually has it and red spells can't grant it. I'm having a hard time finding more red creatures that could get it, though... but it's probably going to stay as it is now.
Many people didn't think Seiga fit in white, and that Soga was too powerful. Seiga I still wantt to keep in white, colour changes are unlikely at this point in time. Soga has been modified, so she no longer exiles everything she touches before she deals damage. As for why she exiles things? Because fuck you that's why Because I didn't come up with much to do with her. She throws lightning, so she could technically be put in red, but all in all she's a fairly forgettable character. Curse fits her like a glove, though.
And while we're on the topic of the taoists, there's two of them I haven't posted yet. And they're in the colour we're talking about, so:
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Mononobe no Futo.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Mononobe no Futo.png)(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Toyosatomimi no Miko.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Toyosatomimi no Miko.png)
Someone else I didn't post yet, but that becomes slightly interesting given the green update, is... well...
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Keine Kamishirasawa.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Keine Kamishirasawa.png)
That reminds us of the spellshaper cycle. So, it's time to introduce the first of a mini-cycle here.
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Merlin Prismriver.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Merlin Prismriver.png)
Merlin also got to be on a separate spell on her own, something her sisters so far haven't managed to accomplish:
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Trumpet Ghost Ghost Clifford.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Trumpet Ghost Ghost Clifford.png)
Last of the new white cards for today is an aura that is special for several reasons, including that it currently no longer has Spellbind. I'm not sure if i should put it back.
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Star Sword Apologetics.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Star Sword Apologetics.png)
Like that one song
Okay, story time. As I mentioned once before, it doesn't end with just one Planeswalker per colour (you can look at me disapprovingly about that after this update). Originally, however, it WAS meant to end with that. What happened was that I once opened up a separate set in Magic Set Editor, and for no real reason, made five Planeswalkers. A sort of "what if" Planeswalkers, based on the ones from this set. Alternate versions of them.
So, yes, each already featured Planeswalker has a second Planeswalker card - with a second colour added, to represent slightly different versions of them. Two of them could be considered "future" versions of the characters, whereas three are "past" versions.
First up is a future one.
So it's Byakuren. Originally saintly white. And sure, her motives are still white.
Her methods?
Not so much.
She's sought out another sort of power and became Byakuren, Fanatic Monk (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Byakuren Fanatic Monk.png). (actually that +1 is pretty shitty. Going to do something else with it.)
So that's the rest of today's theme
Not fanaticism, but the colours. Four more cards with the colour combo of black and white. Starting with one that I'm not entirely sure if I'm pleased with, and i'll also let you look at it for a while to figure out what problem there is with it. I found it earlier, but decided I'll post it as it is because it's pretty funny.
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Eiki Shiki Yamaxanadu.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Eiki Shiki Yamaxanadu.png)
Our dear judge also recently got to inspire a nice little spell.
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Judgement Guilty or Not Guilty.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Judgement Guilty or Not Guilty.png)
Someone who was mentioned a few posts earlier, as a possible atifact creature. As I said, I didn't consider tsukumogamis to be artifact creature Only Medicine since she is a doll originally, and thus a construct. The rest of them have just become Youkai Spirits, as such:
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Hata no Kokoro.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Hata no Kokoro.png)
For our final card in this preview, we're returning to Byakuren. And... someone else. it might be overcosted, and it's an aura that lost Spellbind because powerful multicoloured auras being freely castable through Spellcard casting would get... iffy.
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Great Magic Devils Recitation.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Great Magic Devils Recitation.png)
Byakuren being possessed/controlled by Shinki was my original idea for flavouring a WB Byakuren - but since Shinki exists as a Planeswalker as well, it seemed weird. Instead, I made this aura that included the effects of both their ultimates.
So that's all for today. Kind of.
Extra stage - We design a card
So, let me tell you about a card I made. It used to be a blue card, that could be cast for either U or 2. It was an aura, a cheap aura, without much of an effect, existing mainly to fuel Spell circle. Well, it's not needed anymore, but the card isn't completely axed. It used to be a Wizard Aura - but now I've decided to, essentially, make it the sixth member of the Wizard Instants. As a colorless spell!
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Moon Sign Silent Selene.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Moon Sign Silent Selene.png)
Only problem: I haven't the foggiest what's it's going to actually do. So that's where I'm turning to you for ideas! What could a colourless spell with this cost actually do, to be in line with the other five?
And that is all for today.
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Two card with functional errors detected.
Star Sword Apologetics
"to your hand" should be changed to "to its owner's hand" as "your" always refers to the controller, which in Magic isn't always the same player as the owner.
Eiki Shiki, Yamaxanadu
Affinity only reduces colorless mana required to cast a spell, and since she only costs colored mana, it doesn't work. It could probably be changed to "Eiki Shiki, Yamaxanadu costs W/B less to cast for each Shrine you control." Also, why does the card have the multicolor frame when it's hybrid?
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I don't have a lot of time, so I'll just write some quick comments now and come back for a full review later.
First, @JmLyan
MSE doesn't allow old-framed cards to be hybrid, so multi-colour was the only real choice. (Don't ask me how he even did it with Byakuren, I just assume it's a seperate template since I don't even have one for old-styled planeswalkers.)
Keine is too strong. I'd rather she exiled something (once) as she came into play (effectively making her a Fiend Hunter). Popping something out of play every turn is a bit too much for me.
lol @ affinity.
Silent Selene:
"Select up to three cards from any graveyards and exile them."
"Each player discards the top three cards of their deck."
"Target creature loses all abilities until end of turn."
"Counter target triggered or activated non-mana ability. If an ability is countered, that ability's source loses all abilities until end of turn."
I'll be back to make more comments later!
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Cards:
Byakuen (Plainswalker): Well that +1 would be useful in my old Pebbles deck, but then again by the time I'm gaining infinite life off that ability I'm already dealing infinite damage to an opponent. <_< What about "Prevent all damage to target creature"? (JESUS SAVES)
Shiki Eiki: Yeah, Affinity doesn't do anything. (1 colourless less can NOT be subtracted, it is not the same as B/W). Also, her second ability should read "...you may have Shikieki deal 1 damage to all players", since unlike her first ability there's no difference between the poor target player and everyone else.
Silent Selene: I suggest Boomerang effect (return target permanent to owner's hand), because every set needs the honors. T'would be a nice version too, because this time any color can use it.
Others:
Red does have regenerators so I don't see issues having red immortals. <_<
If you're still thinking about Reaper, there's the option of cloning the Skullcrack Effect:
Reaper (Whenever this creature attacks, players can't gain life this turn, and damage can't be prevented this turn)
Disregard if you've already decided to do away with that ability.
You can make Keine (Human)/Keine (Beast) one of those silly Split Cards. And she won't be the only one. Lily White/Lily Black is also a potential candidate.
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MSE doesn't allow old-framed cards to be hybrid, so multi-colour was the only real choice. (Don't ask me how he even did it with Byakuren, I just assume it's a seperate template since I don't even have one for old-styled planeswalkers.)
The old style MSE template does allow hybrid card frames. Since Magic Set Editor is a lot about flexibility, there are many things unique to the modern frame that MSE allows to be used with the old, like hybrid frame, flip cards and planeswalkers.
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I can do pretty much anything I want with frames, I have templates up the wazoo. Shiki got gold because I figured it fit better than hybrid, but I'm gonna try some hybrid frames too. Also, her second ability indeed makes a difference with the target: First, target player takes 1 damage. Then, each player takes 1 damage. So the targeted player takes 2 damage, whereas everybody else takes 1 damage. The Affinity thing was indeed the mistake I had already spotted but decided to post anyway because it was funny (currently, the comment field for that card in MSE reads "Affinity for Shrines. On a creature with only coloured mana in her casting cost. GRATE JOB KENNY").
Oh, and that's the thing I mentioned earlier when talking about Yukari's creatyre type. At the moment, every creature in the set except for Yukari that's typed Deity has Affinity for Shrines. Since Theros straight up introduced the God creature type, though, maybe I'll re-type all Deitys except for Yukari to God and make Yukari a Horror instead. Though the types of gods here - Hina, Mishaguji, Letty, the Akis, Suwako - aren't quite gods on the same level as the actual God creatures. Well, maybe Suwako. i would say that I'd be alluding more and more to shrines as this week unfolds, but as apart from some more deitys, there's nothing left until the reveal.
LAPTOP BATTERY DYING TTYL
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The old style MSE template does allow hybrid card frames. Since Magic Set Editor is a lot about flexibility, there are many things unique to the modern frame that MSE allows to be used with the old, like hybrid frame, flip cards and planeswalkers.
Welp, guess mine is out of date then, cause I went into MSE to try it and it had the option greyed out for me. My bad!
Futo
If only she had prored and problack, then she'd be double an Auriok Champion.
But don't do that. She's fine.
Miko
Interesting. I'd make her 3WW though.
White Keine
Already mentioned this, but I'd change her to exile one on entrance rather than the excessively unnecessary power she has right now.
Merlin
I'd change it to "At the beginning of each turn, each player gains 1 life." Then I'd probably drop her cost to 1W.
Trumpet Ghost
Wow strong card.
Star Sword Apologetics
Uhh, was this supposed to be put on your creature or their creature? Because it turns whoever is on it into a perfect blocker, so I'm not sure who I'd rather play it on.
Also yes, reword this to "...return Star Sword Apologetics to its owner's hand." Also I notice the old spellbind rules, is that just a lack of updating or are you still trying to decide what to do with it?
Byakuren 2
That +2 is way too good. I would expect something like that to be around -3. Also her +1 is no good, so I'd rework her in the following way:
+1: Byakuren deals X damage to target creature and you gain X life, where X is the number of Youkai you control.
-3: Return target Youkai from your graveyard to the battlefield.
-7: You gain an emblem with "Whenever a creature dies, you gain life equal to it's toughness."
Added some oomph to her ult because frankly, I'm going to be too busy picking up dead youkais and pinging people for lots to worry about ulting with her. I originally had it so that you could hit players with her +1 as well, but that would be pretty overpowered too.
Shiki
I'd reword her ping to "Whenever a creature an opponent controls dies, it's controller loses 2 life and all other players lose 1 life." Makes the ability more transparent, wording becomes more relatable to her other ability, and the damage can no longer be prevented. I'd also make her a 4/4.
Guilty or Not Guilty
Dammit, Gatherer is down when I want to look something up for this. I think the correct wording is "Target creature is indestructible until end of turn," but I'll have to wait til Gatherer comes back up to make sure :(
Kokoro
Uhh...I like what you were doing with this card (lol cromat), but I feel like if you're going to go there, you need to go all in.
So I'd make her cost something retarded like (W/U)(U/B)(B/R)(R/G)(G/W), then drop Curse and give her an ability for WW and BB (lifelink and deathtouch?). Then make her a 4/6 to make up for the retarded cost.
Devil's Recitation
I was really looking forward to seeing what this card would turn out to be. Let me say something though: there is NO SUCH THING as overcosted Annihilator. Also flavour text correction: "Did she seek out this power herself, or was she only used as the vessel for it?" Keeping spellbind off of it was probably a good idea, unless you want to retool spellbind so that you can only attach it to a creature that shares all of it's colours. That way you could also, say, play a blue spell discarding a white aura, and spellbind that white aura to a creature as long as it was both blue and white. Up to you though!
Moon Sign
You can just scroll up a bit to see my ideas on this one :)
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Okay, back home, where half of my netbook charger has been lying all day because I thought I had put it in my backpack when I hadn't.
So, a thing I said I was going to do was go through all old comments on cards and reply to them. While I'm sort of still going to do that, I'm not going to do it in one long post, but I'll try to adress as many of them as possible during the proper colour revisit post.
I had more things to say but I forgot them because I'm tired as shit.
Goddamnit Twilight stop ninjatyping
Since you mentioned retarded mana costs, well...
I take no responsibility for any physical harm that may be incurred from viewing this image (http://kenny.next-era.net/wtfmana.png) (that one's probably changing but at the moment I'm too amused to not leave it as this)
...Star Sword Apologetics has the old Spellbind because I actually had saved that card image back with the other white cards a week ago and uploaded it today without thinking about it, not even noticing it when I previewed the post. The current version of it has no Spellbind at all. That card is a perfect example of me designing a card without having any idea of what sort of utility it could actually have, and it pleases me when that happens.
Indestructible was recently keyworded to being a quality that a permanent has rather than being something a permanent is. Meaning that before, cards would say "CARDNAME is indestructible", whereas now they just say "Indestructible". Compare the printed and Oracle text of Darksteel Forge (http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=48072) for making other things indestructible.
While I still want comments on everything, Merlin working like she does makes more sense next to Lunasa and Lyrica and the card with the absolutely longest name in the whole set (53 goddamned characters including spaces).
Also, achicken: I had a split creature in the set once upon a time. It was Shingyoku. It was axed and made into something else because the way split cards work make it really fucking weird for them to be creatures. A Keine I made for an old custom set of 45 cards (she was one of three Touhous in that one) was a flip card. In the current state of Magic, she (and Shingyoku) would best be represented with a double-sided card. But this set has no split cards, no flip cards and no double-sided cards.
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@Keine: I'm not sure how I feel about exile and it returning to hand instead of coming back into play.
@Byakuren, Fanatic Monk: Woah, that +2 is pretty crazy.
@Tsukumogami: All Tsukumogamis were orginally an object. Medicine, a Doll. Kogasa, an umbrella. Kokoro, 66 masks. Whether they are colored or not isn't too important, but it makes sense for them to be artifacts.
@Silent Selene: Deal 5 damage to target multicolor creature.
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School is taking up more of my free time than usual. This'll be a reasonably short one.
Revisiting blue
The blue cards I posted were met with interesting responses. Ancient Duper is a strong counterspell. Sakuya's World has gone through a revision that involves something else, and won't be reposted yet. Declare was called "possibly underpowered", "fine" and "overpowered", so I'm still not sure what power level it's actually on, and it hasn't been revised any yet.
There won't be a lot of new blue cards here. But there's a few I wanted to post. First, a spell from one of our previous blues.
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Recollection Terrible Souvenir.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Recollection Terrible Souvenir.png)
Then an aura from someone I haven't posted yet because I'm not really pleased with how she's turned out yet.
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Harbor Sign Eternally Anchored Ghost Ship.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Harbor Sign Eternally Anchored Ghost Ship.png)
Then someone and her aura.
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Iku Nagae.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Iku Nagae.png)(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Thorn Sign Thundercloud Stickleback.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Thorn Sign Thundercloud Stickleback.png)
Not really sure about having Absorb on it, since it's the only use of Absorb in the set. Even so.
And, well, one of the most obvious blue creatures to ever grace Touhou.
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Wakasagihime.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Wakasagihime.png)
Less of a theme, but something new
Yesterday saw a bunch of black and white, but blue doesn't really have anything it's been coupled with a lot more than anything else. But we'll start with two godly being.
What I said about the alternate Planeswalkers being three past and two future yesterday wasn't entirely accurate, because today's is more of a straight up alternate from the same time. It's just someone who's... taking a more hands-on approach to things.
As such, introducing the second colour for Moriya, I present to you Kanako, Avatar of Mountains and Lakes (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Kanako Avatar of Mountains and Lakes.png).
The best part about that card? I had made her blue/red before I found out that one of her actual character titles was "Avatar of Mountains and Lakes". So that came together beautifully.
Anyway, Blue Kanako hasn't been given a new ultimate yet, as I'm still pondering what I want her to do for that.
So. Given that I consider Moriya's colours to be blue and red, it should come to no surprise that the other god of Moriya is those colours too. But speaking of that.
After the stuff about Shiki yesterday, I got to thinking. I first just put on her card that she cost B/W less to cast for each Shrine you controlled, but I wanted the affinity for Shrines thing the gods of the set had going to be thematically unified.
So I went and made a keyword.
It started as Faithbound, became Faithbond, turned into Landbound and eventually returned to just Faithbound, since it was stupid to do for other kinds of lands. It's a take on Affinity but for (with one exception) coloured mana, with a less stupid version of half of the for good reason much reviled Landhome mechanic from Magic's days of yore. Rather than ramble on any more about it, I'll just let you see one of the few cards that currently have it, because I'm still not sure it's actually a good idea:
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Suwako Moriya.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Suwako Moriya.png)
So that's how it works. You can cast the creature even if you have no shrines, and it doesn't go poof until your next upkeep if you don't. Also, I went ahead and did the Deity -> God creature type conversion, landing Yukari as Horror instead. Only creatures with the type God will have Faithbound. Also, if the keyword is deemed an idea decent enough to stay, I'm not sure of the name, but at the moment the only other alternative I've been able to think of is Faithsworn. Ideas are welcome, but I want it to be something with "faith", and preferably start with it.
I realize you might not be able to fully form your opinions on the keyword until you know how the Shrines actually work, but, yeah.
So that's pretty much it for today. Well, except for one card that in retrospect I should probably have posted yesterday, not today. So, let's round off today with the only WU card in the set as of this writing.
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Rika.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Rika.png)
Now this one is weird because if Faithbound becomes a thing it'll be the only card in the set with straight up Affinity. Whelp.
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Both the posted auras are ridiculously undercosted.
Eternally Anchored Ghost Ship
Claustrophobia is similar to this one, except it costs one colorless more and only prevents it from untapping during its controller's untap step. So this aura almost completely disables a creature for one less. And it has spellbind on top of its already low cost.
Thundercloud Stickleback
Absorb 5 is a lot, it makes the enchanted creature practically immune to almost any damage, and on top of that the aura gives totem armor. For only 3 mana and with spellbind. It also seems out of color with blue damage prevention.
The faithbound should also probably only go on hybrid creatures, as "costs U/R less" would most likely only reduce actual U/R mana costs and not either U or R. Although it might work with "costs U or R less", hard to say as that mechanic is untouched by wizards.
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Before Faithbound was keyworded, I indeed had Suwako say "costs U or R less for each Shrine you control", but I figured that an U/R mana symbol means "U or R". MTG Salvation agrees with me in that hybrid mana symbol is to textually be read as "<colour> or <other colour>", though the way I'm using it here isn't a way it's ever been used in.
As you cast a spell or activate an activated ability with hybrid mana symbols in its cost, you choose which color of mana you will spend for each hybrid mana symbol. You do this at the same time you would choose modes or choose a value for an X in a mana cost.
I... think that would mean that the way I'm using it in Faithbound on Suwako works as intended.
It's invoked with "Faithbound <mana>", so monocoloured gods have Faithbound (will have, at any rate, if it's going to remain a thing) for only the colour they are.
Good point on the auras, they've not been touched since the Spellbind revision. Harbor Sign should probably have been costed higher in its initial design anyway, I don't know why it was ever only UU. Thundercloud Stickleback should be redesigned since now Absorb is one of those one-off keyword uses that bother me.
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@Kanako, Avatar of Mountains and Lakes: +3 is too strong. 0 has redundancy. Indestructible won't prevent her from dying. You need "Prevent all damage that would be dealt to her this turn."
Thundercloud Stickleback
Absorb 5 is a lot, it makes the enchanted creature practically immune to almost any damage, and on top of that the aura gives totem armor. For only 3 mana and with spellbind. It also seems out of color with blue damage prevention.
While I agree it is strange, it isn't like they never had damage prevention. Refer to Gaseous Form (http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=26641) and Energy Field (http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=10421). Lore-wise, their prevention is in terms of "illusion". So, their prevention is more of a all or nothing deal, which Absorb doesn't do. Absorb 5 won't stop a creature from dying to Blashphemous Act or often times Chain Reaction.
For 3 to cast, Absorb 5 isn't too big of a deal. Indestructibility (http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=370673), a 3W Aura gives Indestructible, but isn't considered to be very good.
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While I agree it is strange, it isn't like they never had damage prevention. Refer to Gaseous Form (http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=26641) and Energy Field (http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=10421). Lore-wise, their prevention is in terms of "illusion". So, their prevention is more of a all or nothing deal, which Absorb doesn't do. Absorb 5 won't stop a creature from dying to Blashphemous Act or often times Chain Reaction.
Then again, if you go back long enough, every color has had pretty much every kind of effect. The color pie was very undefined during the early stages of the game.
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This is late. Like, really late. School happened. I'm also going to bet that Twilight is going to ninjapost before I'm done typing this.
Revisiting black
Black was fun. If I remember correctly, which I might not do because I'm writing this while tired, it got a good enough reception. Curse was deemed powerful, and went through a minor change that for me still kept it the way I wanted it. Reaper... is still where it is before and we're going to actually tackle that on Sunday.
First, cards. First, Faithbound. Or Faithsworn, depending on what I'm going to name it. And still wondering if there's anything better to name it. So, gods.
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Hina Kagiyama.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Hina Kagiyama.png)(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Mishaguji.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Mishaguji.png)
I am... not satisfied with Mishaguji.
Also a spell that I intended to post in the original black post, but forgot about.
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Response Youkai Polygraph.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Response Youkai Polygraph.png)
And then, a card based on what might very well be my favourite Magic card ever. In regular Magic, the effect has been printed on a creature with a name including the name of the original card. Here? I've of course put it on an aura.
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Miasma Sign Filled Miasma.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Miasma Sign Filled Miasma.png)
Next in out mini-cycle is of course featured here.
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Lunasa Prismriver.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Lunasa Prismriver.png)
And... I really don't have a lot of cards to post today. Have these two for no reason.
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Death Price Price of Life.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Death Price Price of Life.png)(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Recovery Heal By Desire.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Recovery Heal By Desire.png)
And well...
I don't have a lot of multicoloured ones to post either. Let's start in the obvious place.
The pure black Planeswalker was Shinki, the unforgiving ruler of a flourishing and powerful Makai. But it wasn't always that kind of place.
Hell, it wasn't always a place.
Someone had to make it a place. And that someone was her, too. What did she make it out of?
Mostly death. Because she was Shinki, Creator of Makai (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Shinki Creator of Makai.png).
(I'm calling that ultimate super-Scavenge)
This next card I wasn't even sure if I'd post, because it has that one keyword on it. But it's B/G, and fits better to post now than on this week's green day. There's another that's coming at that time, though.
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Saigyou Ayakashi.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Saigyou Ayakashi.png)
It's also the only creature in the set that has a picture that's directly from one of the games (but not the only card).
And... there's actually only one more card I can even post now, given its colours.
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Tewi Inaba.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Tewi Inaba.png)
This was kind of a weak update. But this whole day has been kind of an off day for me. Tomorrow is... probably going to be better.
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This next card I wasn't even sure if I'd post, because it has that one keyword on it. But it's B/G, and fits better to post now than on this week's green day. There's another that's coming at that time, though.
If you ever decide to get rid of Reaper, the alternative is "Saigyou Ayakashi loses defender...".
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Then again, if you go back long enough, every color has had pretty much every kind of effect. The color pie was very undefined during the early stages of the game.
Even in the early stages, the color chart wasn't all that undefined. The definition also changed over time, as we see in White and Green.
White used to be the color to kill both artifacts and enchantments and Green used to be the color to kill only enchantments, while Red is the color to kill artifacts. The reasoning is likely because White is "pure" and therefore can destroy artifacts and enchantments.
I'm guessing when they switch the Green, their reasoning is similar, Green is "natural" and therefore can destroy artifacts and enchantments.
Blue doesn't prevent damage in the sense of preventing damage. I have already explained it. It prevents damage in the sense that it is an illusion. Which is why I mentioned blue's damage prevention style is really all or nothing deal.
For example, more recent cards, Fog Bank (http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=376339) and Guard Gomazoa (http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=376360). These creatures have the ability of prevent all combat damage to it.
@Recovery "heal by desire": This seems like a bad card.
@Shinki, Creator of Makai: The -3 seems kind of weak.
@Tewi: She's kind of expensive for a 1/1. Kind of like a very bad Hypno.
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Huh, still no Twilight.
Shinki, Creator of Makai's second ability now is -X: Target creature gains Annihilator X until end of turn. Is that fine? :V
Anyway.
Revisiting red
Red had issues. Deathbomb was... less than stellar. Some of the spells could have been made stupid. Some things really were stupid.
Well, some things have changed.
Here's a list of short replies to all the comments I felt warranted a reply:
Twilight Spark has been modified, more on that later.
Yuugi has more red in her mana cost now.
Flandre now just straight up destroys shit. She's still flying because vampires are flying.
Utsuho now wipes everything including hands. Starxsword suggested for her to not hit enchantments since red doesn't hit enchantments, but having Utsuho do something that is't nuking the entire goddamned battlefield to oblivion is not going to be an option. :V
Star Sapphire... I'm not actually sure about. I don't want to make her deal direct damage, because that doesn't really fit the "annoy" part.
Agni Shrine is still at 4 damage since it only hits creatures and not players.
And what about Deathbomb? We'll get to that.
NOW CARDS.
First up.
Let's go PC98 with someone I was going to post last time but didn't.
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/YuugenMagan.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/YuugenMagan.png)
Another card that was uploaded at that time but never posted is this one.
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Subterranean Sun.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Subterranean Sun.png)
Land destruction is stupid, but...
Anyway, back to the PC98s. Someone mention looters?
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Ellen.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Ellen.png)
And now I can post this.
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Ritual Sign Orreries Sun.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Ritual Sign Orreries Sun.png)
Maybe that should lose Spellbind.
Now.
In this set, I've tried to be as accurate as possible with creature types. I've introduced a few, but not gone stupid with it.
There's exactly one creature in the set that has a creature type that is a bit of a joke.
This is that creature.
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Hong Meiling.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Hong Meiling.png)
One more aura and one more creature before we go onto some of the real meat of today's update. Aura:
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Everlasting Phoenixs Tail.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Everlasting Phoenixs Tail.png)
And the creature will segway nicely into the multicoloureds, because here's the last member of the mini-cycle.
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Lyrica Prismriver.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Lyrica Prismriver.png)
So, multicolour?
Yeah.
Incoming really fucking long card name.
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Great Funeral Concert Ghostly Wheel Concerto Grosso.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Great Funeral Concert Ghostly Wheel Concerto Grosso.png)
And how nice that those three colours are there because we'll be touching upon both of them in the rest of this update. First, let's get to a very special planeswalker.
This is one of those I consider a past version of a character. The version is - well, mostly fanon. And it's a dear piece of fanon to me because I spent some time Mapping Mima's Past (if anyone remembers THAT).
So, here she is, either shortly before her death or shortly after it. Before she became vengeful. While she was still Mima, last of the Honest Men (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Mima last of the Honest Men.png). She's a somewhat atypical planeswalker, given what I've posted before. Maybe she can even afford to cost 1RW.
Speaking of red-whites and PC98, here's someones I had problems flavouring, really. It used to have morph to represent the third state too, but, eh.
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Shingyoku.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Shingyoku.png)
I'd post this tomorrow for thematical hilariousness, but it fits better today as today is a day when I actually touch upon one of its colours and the other two have already been posted this week.
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Nue Houjuu.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Nue Houjuu.png)
There. We're done, right?
I wish.
There's finally still the matter of deathbomb and I realize the card I'm about to post uses a weird wording. Basically, what I've done with Deathbomb is make it an alternate cost that you can pay to cast the spell whenever a creature dies, thus giving the spell a different effect. At the moment, it's usually taking the shape of "cheaper cost for a more pinpointed effect".
But you probably understand what I mean, at least.
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Darkness Starlight Breaker.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Darkness Starlight Breaker.png)
Actually in a world where Deadly Butterfly exists this needs to be Spellcard 3 and maybe cost 3BR.
Twilight will have posted when I hit preview, won't he.
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Well the old Deathbomb wasn't less than stellar, it's just that it used an effect that wasn't usual to Red. Personally tho, I don't care about the color pie. <_<'
I'm not sure about the new Deathbomb tho, Starlight Breaker (....wait what she has that?!) is probably the only card which has an alternate, situational ability that retroactively gives a weaker effect that's technically a separate card altogether, tho I accept that its for balance reasons.
LOL at China channeling the Shivan Dragon.
PS: Star Sapphire - yeah, I wouldn't like her dealing direct damage, that's Sunny's (or Lily White/Black's) schtick. May I suggest "Target creature ignores 'Cannot be blocked by' and 'cannot be blocked except by' effects until end of turn"? I think that's chaotic enough to end up in red, and after all, Star is the walking motion detector... (no, not Volrath's one...)
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That would make Star practically worthless because there's literally nothing in the set with any ability like that. I'm not sure what red really can do to be mildly annoying that can involve an untap effect.
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Huh, still no Twilight.
I've been a bit tied up with something, lol.
I feel like this is going to be a big post.
Terrible Souvenir
Change text to "Put a copy of that creature onto the battlefield with the name "[XXX]." Sacrifice it at the end of the turn." This dodges all the shenanigans with the legendary rule, plus it stops someone from using the effect more than once a turn (which imo is a good limit to have).
Eternally Anchored Ghost Ship
I'd change it to 2UU, and then reword it to "doesn't untap during its controller's untap step."
Iku
I feel like she doesn't need the totem armor thing.
Thundercloud Stickleback
This definitely doesn't need the totem armor thing. I'd also drop absorb to like...3.
Wakasagihime
I guess she's okay. I would have expected more of a 'can't attack unless defending player controls an island,' but that's not generally an effect that works out very well on low cost creatures.
Kanako 2
Someone already mentioned it, but you need to make her 0 effect prevent all damage to her. Being indestructible won't quite cut it.
Suwako
I would reword faithbound to "...one less U or R" just for the sake of transparency. My gut also says she should either be a 3/5 or a 5/3, but you can ignore that if you want lol.
Rika
Mycosynth Golem suddenly looks much cuter. I'd change her spellcircle effect to "Artifacts you control are indestructible," since it makes much more sense than immortal does for artifacts. I would then also probably raise her cost to 4WU, and her P/T to 3/2.
Hina
Okay, though I feel like even with Faithbound, she's a bit too expensive for her P/T. Probably evens out since she has curse.
Mishaguji
I'd make it BBBBB, change its P/T to 6/3, and remove Curse. Or, bump it to 3BBBB, make it a 7/4, still lose curse, and give it "Whenever this creature deals damage to a player, that player sacrifices a land."
Youkai Polygraph
I'd drop it to 1BB and Spellcard 1, and then add "You lose 1 life for each card put into a graveyard this way."
Filled Miasma
Seems fine.
Lunasa
Okay.
Price of Life
Wow, it's like...a good version of soulshift. I'd change it to "...another target card with CMC equal to..." just to specify its not giving your creature a second life. I'd also consider changing it to a sorcery, and making it "Sacrifice a creature. Exile another card with converted mana cost equal to the sacrificed creature's from your graveyard. Until end of turn, you may play the exiled card without paying its mana cost as if it was in your hand."
Heal By Desire
I would change this to an enchantment. Then I would change its effect to "Whenever a creature would be put into a graveyard from play, exile it instead. If you do, you gain 1 life."
Creator of Makai
The -X change was a good one. I'd make her +1 do deathtouch and lifelink (green has lifelink sometimes, right?) -6 is fine.
Saigyou Ayakashi
I feel like it's Spell Circle should be...much more impactful. Maybe make it cost 2BBGG, and then make its spell circle effect "At the beginning of your upkeep, return a creature card from your graveyard to your hand."
Tewi
I'd change her spell circle effect to making her unblockable. Otherwise, she's just never going to get in. Alternatively, make her base effect unblockable, and her spell circle effect leeches a card (they discard 1, you draw 1).
Yuugen Magen
Is...half the card supposed to be censored?
Subterranean Sun
...I have no idea why this card is expensive. I agree that land destruction is stupid, but I don't think it warrants being double the cost of a stone rain >.>
In a desperate bid to remove possible land destruction from the set, here is my proposed alternative effect for the card:
Subterranean Sun - 4RR
Enchantment
At the beginning of each player's discard step, tap all creatures that player controls that didn't attack this turn.
2RR, Sacrifice Subterranean Sun: Subterranean Sun deals 5 damage to all tapped creatures. Play this ability only during the end step.
A dangerous card to play, but it has the potential to go boom and kill lots of stuff. Just like Utsuho :V
Ellen
Cool.
Orreries Sun
I would simplify this card a bit. Drop the cost to 2RR, remove the first strike, and change the second ability to "Whenever enchanted creature blocks or becomes blocked, it deals damage equal to its power to each creature blocked or blocking it. Prevent all combat damage dealt by enchanted creature this turn." Basically, neutralizes trample for an effect much stronger than first strike.
Meiling
I'd make her a 3/2 for 2RR, and then make her Spell Circle ability +3/+4. Also lol dragon.
Phoenix's Tail
I'd change the second effect to "Enchanted creature has RR, T, Sacrifice this creature: it deals damage to target craeture equal to its power."
Lyrica
Something about this card doesn't sit well with me. I feel like she shouldn't hit players, but if she doesn't, then she's not different enough from Lunasa. Hmm.
Great Funeral Concert
I would change the functionality slightly. I'd take out the sacrifice effect, and then rewrite the other effects to say: "[C: do X]. Play this ability only if you control a [C] creature."
Mima 2
'Last' needs to be capitalized. Otherwise, her -2 seems...odd to me. I'd probably change it to "Prevent all damage dealt to target creature this turn. It deals damage equal to its power to target creature."
Shingyoku
I might change the ability costs to WW and RR, but otherwise seems fine. I might actually reword it to "CC: do X and Shingyoku loses all other abilities until end of turn." (It also loses this ability until end of turn.)
Nue
I would change hexproof to Shroud. Then I'd probably make her changeling thing really gimmicky, like "Nue Houjuu has all creature types except for those that belong to creatures currently in play." Not sure its a good idea though lol.
Starlight Breaker
I think its cost is fine how it is. I would just change the deathbomb formatting slightly so it looks like:
Deathbomb BR - Instead, destroy target creature that dealt damage this turn. (When a creature you control dies, you may play this card for its Deathbomb cost. If you do, you use the spell's Deathbomb effect instead of using the spell's normal effect.)
Regarding star sapphire...not very red, but it would be very canon if her effect made her blink. I'm kind of stuck as to a good effect for her as well lol.
Okay that was like three updates in one post. Have fun reading through all of that (bahahaha).
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...what the hell, apparently only half of the YuugenMagan picture uploaded. The filesize of the uploaded one is indeed wrong. Reuploaded.
I think Nue used to have Shroud once, but I changed it to Hexproof because... well, Hexproof has replaced Shroud in Magic. The last time Shroud was printed on anything was in Mirrodin Besieged, and that was nearly three years ago. So I don't use Shroud, only Hexproof. (figure out why me saying this is funny. No, it's not because I use some keywords that are even older, because keywords only meant for a specific set not being printed in a long time is something different from an evergreen not being printed in a long time)
Mishaguji I kind of really want to have curse since... it's a god of curses. Hm.
Green has never had lifelink on its own. A search on Gatherer turns up exactly two monocoloured green cards that can get lifelink, but both are reliant on other colours to do so: Cliffrunner Behemoth (http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=159612) requires you to control a white permanent, and Stonefare Crocodile (http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=265398) requires black mana to activate lifelink. Everything else green that has lifelink is also white.
Land destruction, stupid as it is, should... probably stay in the set to some degree if only for fucking with Shrines, but we'll get back to that when I actually unveil what the Shrines do.
New Mima's -2 is kind of odd. This version of Mima is kind of an odd planeswalker in general and that's what I want her to be. I could actually make it even odder by having her give the creature immortal rather than indestructible before fighting. Speaking of which, Rika gives things immortal because I wanted more use out of immortal. In my head, the flavour is that she fixes the artifact creatures when they get hurt.
Faithbound... to make it say "X or Y" rather than X/Y I'd have to remove the automagic rules text and rewrite the whole thing manually. Since there's no hybrid mana in the casting cost I really can't see people not understanding how that one's supposed to work, anyway. The part that bothers me with Suwako is that I'd like to have her on combat damage do either a blue effect, a red effect or a blue/red effect, rather than the current one red or one blue or one blue effect. I'll hit up Izzet for inspiration. (did I ever mention how much I fucking love Return to Ravnica)
I gave Wakasagihime Islandbound during the few hours that Faithbound was Landbound, then realized Landbound for basic lands was retarded.
Price of Life is proabably staying an aura because this set needs more auras, not less. That effect you proposed could probably be made into another card, however. Like... Exchange "Unvalued Life, Valued Life". Yeah. That name needs to be a card where you exchange the life of one for the life of another. While that would probably be even slightly more flavourfitting as a switch life totals with target opponent, that's not gonna happen. Heal By Desire, on the other hand, is probably better changed.
I also noticed that the black auras I posted were with an older version of spellbind, and the red ones as well, though red only is one revision behind the current one. The blue auras have the current wording, so just to clear that up, Spellbind currently reads "Whenever you discard this aura by paying a spellcard cost to cast a spell, you may attach it to target creature sharing a color with both."
By the way, wording/ruling question: Does exiled cards still count as being controlled by you so I can refer to "exiled permanents you control", or does that need to be "exiled permanents you own"?
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To quote a (rather old) card, Dimensional Breach:
"Exile all permanents. For as long as any of those cards remain exiled, at the beginning of each player's upkeep, that player returns one of the exiled cards he or she owns to the battlefield."
So that would lead me to believe you need to refer to the cards as owned, not controlled.
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Ellen's ability doesn't really fit red. Red card draw usually comes in the from of either:
Discard first, then draw.
or
Draw first, then discard at random.
The key element to red card drawing is that it is risky and unreliable, a looter with better stats in red allows red to have much better draws, which red typically is the worst color at doing.
Changing the order to discard first, then draw would fit far better in red, and random discard would fit Ellen's nature of forgetting a lot of stuff.
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I think to warrant the 2 power, you could even make it discard at random first then draw.
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@Subterranean Sun: The idea is sound, but how in the world will you be able to destroy "target untapped land"? This looks like its going to always fizzle.
@Concert: Seems kind of weak, considering casting cost and the requirement of having 3 creatures.
"Whenever enchanted creature blocks or becomes blocked, it deals damage equal to its power to each creature blocked or blocking it. Prevent all combat damage dealt by enchanted creature this turn." Basically, neutralizes trample for an effect much stronger than first strike.
Just a note, prevent all damage doesn't neutralize trample.
I would change hexproof to Shroud.
I think in Magic the Gathering, they are getting rid Shroud. So, future creatures don't have Shroud, just Hexproof.
Star Sapphire: Give her an ability similar to Norin the Wary, but better. If Star Sapphire blocks or is blocked, exile her until end of turn. If a spell is played, exile her until end of turn.
By the way, wording/ruling question: Does exiled cards still count as being controlled by you so I can refer to "exiled permanents you control", or does that need to be "exiled permanents you own"?
I am unsure, there's Suspend, but is that controlled by you? In either case though, it should not matter. When an exiled permanent returns to play, it always returns as a new card and all previous affiliations it may have is gone.
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I think to warrant the 2 power, you could even make it discard at random first then draw.
When it comes to random discard, discarding after drawing is a bit worse since you might discard the card you just drew, making calculating the risk harder. Just making it ordinary discard followed by draw should be fine as its offensive stats make it a decent early game attacker forcing you to choose between damage or card filtering.
Just a note, prevent all damage doesn't neutralize trample.
Preventing all combat damage does neutralize trample, If it only prevented damage it would deal to creatures then trample would still work as far as i know.
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I got some cards today.
Anyway!
Revisiting green
Green was... somewhat of a mess, mostly due to Focus. Anything with Focus has gone largely untouched because I'm still pondering what I want to do with it, and one of my ideas is replacing it altogether with a mechanic involving +1/+1 counters, essentially flavoured to be the power up items in Touhou. We shall see.
COMMENTS TO THINGS THAT NEEDED COMMENTS.
Parsee now makes every Parsee unlegendary when she's Spell circled.
Sukuna isn't changed yet but will probably be.
Wriggle's Insects... are still unchanged. I kind of want insects to be as strong as the size of the swarm, but weak toughness-wise - and I've posted three cards so far that can deal 1 untargeted damage to all creatures and players, so that would wipe out all insects. idk.
Sylphae Horn now is a land-fetch.
Hourai Jewel might be revised. We'll see.
Yuuka... I've still not done anything with. Huh. I thought I had.
CARDS BECAUSE CARDS.
While we're talking about gods and faithbound, have two and a spell from one of them:
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Shizuha Aki.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Shizuha Aki.png)(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Minoriko Aki.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Minoriko Aki.png)(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Bumper Crop Promise of the Wheat God.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Bumper Crop Promise of the Wheat God.png)
This next creature is one who... probably shouldn't really have Faithbound because she's not really that type.
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Letty Whiterock.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Letty Whiterock.png)
See, she was originally typed Deity. And I could have gotten away with that, she could be considered a winter deity. Then I re-typed Deity to God... and that doesn't really seem to fit her. I should probably just make her an Elemental.
These two weres supposed to be posted in the original green post, but I forgot about them.
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Renko Usami.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Renko Usami.png)(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Kisume.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Kisume.png)
And while we're on the topic of things with high defense:
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Genjii.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Genjii.png)
And while we're on the topic of reach! I didn't remember until just now that she has Focus, so yeah, just don't think about that right now.
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Yamame Kurodani.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Yamame Kurodani.png)(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Spider Cave Spiders Nest.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Spider Cave Spiders Nest.png)
And while we're on the topic of auras (let's see how long I can do this):
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Scourge God Mishaguji.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Scourge God Mishaguji.png)(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Tiger Sign Hungry Tiger.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Tiger Sign Hungry Tiger.png)(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Flowery Sign Colorful Light Lotus Flower Palm.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Flowery Sign Colorful Light Lotus Flower Palm.png)
And while we're on the topic of, uh... actually I think that's all the green cards we had today. So let's move on to the multicoloureds of which there'll not be many.
Starting with the one whose colours I'm sure you've guessed by now. It was actually by complete coincidence the alternate planeswalker colours and the keyword colours turned out the same - W/B for Byakuren and Curse, U/R for Kanako and Deathbomb, B/G for Shinki and Focus (or whatever the hell it's going to become), R/W for Mima and Immortal, and G/U for Yuuka and Declare.
This Yuuka is a PC98 Yuuka, I originally called her Yuuka, the Sleeper, changed her to Yuuka, Beauty of Everlasting Darkness when I found that character title for her, and changed THAT to something else when it was too long for a thing.
Honestly, though, I'm not entirely pleased with this one yet, and she might go through a bit of a redesign.
But either way, I present to you Yuuka, Maiden of Dreams (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Yuuka Maiden of Dreams.png).
So - emblems. That long title did not cooperate with the emblem. Because, you know, emblems have card representations now. So, here's all of them:
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Emblem Byakuren Hijiri.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Emblem Byakuren Hijiri.png)(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Emblem Byakuren Fanatic Monk.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Emblem Byakuren Fanatic Monk.png)(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Emblem Yuuka Kazami.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Emblem Yuuka Kazami.png)(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Emblem Yuuka Maiden of Dreams.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Emblem Yuuka Maiden of Dreams.png)
Alright, let's multicolour.
While we're on the topic of Yuuka...
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Phantasm Vengeful Flowering.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Phantasm Vengeful Flowering.png)
And that's the only card with those colours for today. There's... actually not a lot in this section. One more creature. Who also still has Focus. Ah well.
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Youki Konpaku.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Youki Konpaku.png)
And then, only one more card. As I said initially, if I had thought of it earlier, I would have designed this set as a proper block, with three sets. The first of those sets would have been named Legends of an Eastern Wonderland.
Why do I mention that?
Well, I half consider this to be the "promo card" for that first set if that had been a thing, which is why this version of it is foiled and mythic.
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Five Elements Philosophers Stone.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Five Elements Philosophers Stone.png)
So, that's all the colours revisited. Nearly nothing has happened with the artifacts, so we're not going to see an artifacts revisited.
So there's only one thing left.
Tomorrow, we do three things.
First, we look at lands.
Then, the Shrines will be revealed.
And then, we finally deal with Reaper.
Until then.
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Preventing all combat damage does neutralize trample, If it only prevented damage it would deal to creatures then trample would still work as far as i know.
Haha, I misread the statement. You are right. Preventing all combat damage neutralizes trample. I read it as "prevent all combat damage dealt to enchanted creature". Which won't stop an opposing creature from trampling over the enchanted creature, providing the opposing creature has enough Power.
@Focus: An idea for focus, I think someone mentioned something similar before.
Focus 3 - Once per turn, use this ability before your combat phase. This creature cannot attack this turn. +0/+3 until your next turn. During your next turn, this creature gets +3/+3 until end of turn.
Will comment on other cards later.
EDIT: Comments on cards:
@Renko Usami: She seems kind of weak. Either raise her power/toughness or make it so that she puts a land into play tapped. Spell Circle would allow her to put any 2 lands into play tapped.
@Genji: I suggest lowering Genji's mana cost by 1. Or increase his toughness by 1 to 2.
@Phantasm "Vengeful Flowering": This card seems kind of weak for its casting cost. The +x/+x is likely going to be about +4/+4. The fight ability is pretty good.
@Five Elements "Philosopher's Stone": For the casting cost and upkeep, this card is unimpressive. How about, whenever an Instant or Sorcery is casted, you may copy it and choose new targets for it.
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I admit to being very unsure about the upkeep cost of Philosopher's Stone and am considering just axing that, keeping the rest of the card the same.
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Okay. Let's do this.
But before lands, let's look at one other card because of reasons.
Promotional!
I said that Philosopher's Stone was the promo card for Legends of an Eastern Wonderland. Well, here's the promo card for Forgotten Dreamscape.
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Dragon.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Dragon.png)
Landing it safely
So, lands. Lands are the most important cards in all of Magic because without them, you can't really do anything. So of course I've made some lands.
First, just to be inclusive, I made basic lands. Two of each.
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Plains1.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Plains1.png)(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Plains2.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Plains2.png)
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Island1.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Island1.png)(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Island2.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Island2.png)
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Swamp1.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Swamp1.png)(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Swamp2.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Swamp2.png)
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Mountain1.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Mountain1.png)(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Mountain2.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Mountain2.png)
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Forest1.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Forest1.png)(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Forest2.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Forest2.png)
Duality
Early in the set design, I made a legendary land cycle. It consisted, in order of colours, of Heaven, Misty Lake, Netherworld, Youkai Mountain and Forest of Magic. They all read "Whenever <colour-appropriate thing>, add C to your mana pool." This was kind of dumb. They became something else even dumber before I just decided to kill them entirely and make something else instead.
Dual lands!
They're a new kind of taplands and they can all do something more. Here we go, in alphabetical order:
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Eientei.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Eientei.png)(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Forest of Magic.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Forest of Magic.png)(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Garden of the Sun.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Garden of the Sun.png)
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Hakugyokurou.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Hakugyokurou.png)(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Makai.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Makai.png)(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Misty Lake.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Misty Lake.png)
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Netherworld.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Netherworld.png)(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Scarlet Devil Mansion.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Scarlet Devil Mansion.png)(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Youkai Mountain.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Youkai Mountain.png)
Well, that's nine. And you might understand where this is going.
Because this is the tenth.
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/River Sanzu.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/River Sanzu.png)
This single card is the only reason Reaper still exists. Because I can literally not find anything else to give it. First/double strike are white and red. Shroud isn't a thing anymore. Protection from is white. Indestructible is white. Reach is green.
There's nothing and that's why I'm reaching out to you lot to help me kill Reaper once and for all. What can I have this card give creatures, appropriate to black and blue, that wouldn't be a one-off?
Gah.
Shrines for the maidens
So, the Reaper problem was the first of today's big things. The second is the long-awaited reveal of the Shrines.
I used to have lands called Hakurei Shrine and Moriya Shrine. They were completely different things, Hakurei Shrine was dumb and Moriya Shrine I was never satisfied with.
So I came up with something else. A cycle of Legendary Lands. Shrines. High-maintenance lands with capabilities for greatness if you could feed them.
So, in the appropriate colour order...
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Hakurei Shrine.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Hakurei Shrine.png)(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Myouren Temple.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Myouren Temple.png)(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Hall of Dreams Great Mausoleum.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Hall of Dreams Great Mausoleum.png)(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Moriya Shrine.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Moriya Shrine.png)(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Palace of the Earth Spirits.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Palace of the Earth Spirits.png)
(for those of you wondering what we were going to be proliferating, this is a large part of your answer.)
And that's them.
In the hypothetical block setup, the Shrines would have been the big thing in Conflict of Faith.
Even the Conflict of Faith promo card has to do with Shrines.
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Great Hakurei Barrier.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Great Hakurei Barrier.png)
And that's the lands. I do have another land card bearing the name of Gensokyo, but it's currently blank, and what it originally did was dumb. Great Hakurei Barrier essentially turned into something closer to what I had wanted Gensokyo to be, so I might just axe Gensokyo entirely.
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And so concludes the second week of previews. What happens now?
Updates are no longer going to come daily. Once I'm done with designing two that you haven't seen yet (sort of), I'm going to do a post about the cycles of the set, introducing a character who's been conspiciously absent from this thread so far. I'll read through the thread a few times, taking notes about cards and doing small changes. Keywords will be revisited when I have enough to revisit them with, and in the meantime, I might post random cards I'm looking for opinions on. The set and the thread are far from done, but with fourteen updates in two weeks, you've seen the majority of the cards. I've appreciated all the opinions I've gotten, and I've taken essentially all of them to heart.
Until then.
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/.png)
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Woah, I never thought I'd see Tolarian Academy again, in a lighter form. Mind the existing cards that go "you may untap up to X lands".
Like the unique nonbasics.
Sanzu can use Undying, since you are playing with +1/+1 counters in this set. (The result could make Sanzu quite coveted tho... but you already have a land which grants Immortal and another which grants Hexproof, so why not.)
Persist is another option although that would mean you now have -1/-1 and +1/+1 counters in the same set.
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Some notes about the dual lands.
If a land has an activated ability besides providing mana or fetching lands, then it either produces colorless or produces one color but enters the battlefield tapped. Dual lands with actives is a bit too much flexibility.
Putting the same cost on all ten actives is rather unbalancing. For 3 mana, you can get an ability as good as immortal, deathtouch or hexproof, or the horribly niche and situational reaper ability.
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Shizuha
I feel like it would make more sense if she was destroying lands in some way, a la Reap and Sow. So I would do something like, "Sacrifice Shizuha, destroy target land. That land's controller searches their library for up to one basic land card and puts it into play tapped."
Minoriko
I feel like she should involve putting lands into play somehow, but seeing as how she matches with her spell, I'll let it slide.
Bumper Crop
I'd make it cost G. Since, you know, Dark Ritual.
Letty
Yeah, Letty isn't a god in any sense of the word. Definitely closer to an elemental. Or you could look at the card that represents the exact race that she is (http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=84712), but thats kind of got block-style restrictions behind its creature types. I think Spirit or Elemental are the best ways to go. Incarnation is another possibility.
Renko
Okay. I'd probably at least make her a 2/2.
Kisume
Green? Really? Well...okay, I suppose she's fine.
Genji
I think 1/4 for 2G would be a more worthwhile setup. And I think you can give him flying, since, you know, his whole purpose for existing is that he's a flying turtle. Also another one where I'm curious as to why its green.
Yamame
I guess we'll have to wait and see what focus does.
Cave Spider's Nest
I'd probably opt for -1/-0 or -2/-0 rather than subtracting toughness only. Not only is only subtracting toughness...kind of weird, but I also don't think it makes much logical sense if this is supposed to be representative of a spider web. (Why do I keep trying to spell spider as 'spirer' @_@)
Scourge God
Cool.
Tiger Sign
Oh. I see how it is.
Flowery Sign
I...feel like this card needs to enchant a land rather than a creature. Paying three mana to make one of your creatures into a mana slave seems rather weak to me :(
Yuuka 2
"...you may reveal it and put it onto the battlefield tapped" is a better wording.
Also, drawing a card for yourself is generally restricted to minus effects on planeswalkers. Something to keep in mind if you plan on going ahead with the redesign.
If I was doing a redesign, I'd probably jump on the dreams aspect, making something messy like this:
+1: Exile target nonland permanent. Return it to play under its owner's control at the end of the turn.
-3: Put a nonland permanent from your hand into play. It gains haste. Return it to your hand at the end of the turn.
-9: You get an emblem with "During your upkeep, you may choose one: Exile target nonland permanent an opponent controls, or put a permanent from your hand into play. It gains haste."
I feel like its a bit strong, but its an idea for you to work with if you feel like a redesign.
Vengeful Flowering.
Hmm...I feel like this card is either going to fall really flat, or you'll be playing insects and it'll be way too strong. I might do something like "Enchanted creature gets +1/+0 for each mountain you control. Enchanted creature gets +0/+1 for each forest you control." A much more reliable, and much harder to abuse, effect, though in the end it'll probably have a significantly lower impact. I'd change the cost to 2RG for that effect.
And the second ability should be "Enchanted creature has 'T: This creature fights target creature.'"
Youki
Waiting for focus update....
Philosopher's Stone
I would take off the upkeep cost and the proliferate effect, to be completely honest.
Dragon
I'm just gonna say I hate annihilator with a burning passion and move on.
Dual Lands
Ho boy. I'm just going to talk about these all at once because yeah.
First, I'd change River Sanzu to Sanzu River, so that it matches with typical English word order. Secondly, I'd switch reaper to unblockable because reaper is just...not worth it. As far as why unblockable, I feel like blue's penchant for unblockableness and general trickery along with blacks penchant for fear and intimidate make it a technically appropriate ability. You might not like this considering Makai, but I'll get to that...right now.
I think Intimidate isn't worth it, considering the other possible abilities. So I'm going to recommend this: Remove Intimidate from Makai. Move Deathtouch from Netherworld to Makai. Give Netherworld Regenerate. To fix the overlap that causes, change Eientei to give First Strike (which is a much more technically appropriate ability, because two mana to give a creature immortal is a bit...:x).
As far as balance, I agree with JmLyan. They are a bit over the top as far as utility goes when it comes to lands, so I'd recommend one of the following:
-Make them add colourless, and add a new cycle of dual lands that are just plain dual lands.
-Force you to sacrifice one of the appropriate basic lands when they come into play.
Also, making them come into play untapped as long as you played spells of the appropriate colours...is virtually useless. In 90% of cases, this means you will have to play two spells just to get an untapped land. If you still have the mana to play spells after that, to make use of your now untapped land, I feel like you are probably doing something wrong. I feel like you might as well just make the lands come into play tapped and not clutter the card with meaningless effects.
Shrines
Reword the removal to say "Whenever [this card] untaps,...." That'll make it sound nicer. Also, I know it doesn't fit flavourwise, but I'd just make them all use faith counters instead of going half and half. It already doesn't make sense flavourwise for lands like the Palace of the Earth Spirits to be shrines, so I wouldn't add convoluting details like spirit counters just because.
Great Hakurei Barrier
Sounds fine. I might consider renaming it to Great Hakurei Border, just because that sounds nicer to me, but it's not a big deal.
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I costed Bumper Crop 1G rather than G to encourage it be cast with Spellcard rather than mana, but maybe it's got too expensive of a Spellcard cost for that. Minoriko's ability is because she's a god of harvest - so you reap what you planted and get resources in return.
Genjii is green because it made sense to me for a turtle to be green. He has reach rather than flying because green things generally don't fly, they destroy things that do fly. Hence reach being a green thing. Kisume is green because... I don't even remember why she was green initially, but I'm sure I had my reasons. Green and red are tied for least amount of creatures (21), and if I were to change Kisume to anything it'd be black, but black already has the highest amount of creatures (26). Black in general is kind of over-represented with 43 cards at this time of writing, with blue and red having 39, green 38 and white 37. So nothing's moving TO black, but I did make two new black spells based on Komachi spellcards the other day (Komachi herself never got posted because she has reaper - hell, reaper as a keyword was invented for Komachi - and now I'm not sure what to do with her. I'll think of somthing.), so that didn't help.
Flavouring Dragon like an Eldrazi just felt right. Hell, my card notes for that one used to just read "ELDRAGONZI".
While playing spells before lands to get them into play untapped would in regular Magic not happen often, in this set there's Spellcard. And... I'm not sure if Spellbinding an aura would count as casting it. Though that's colour-locked now so you'd still only have one colour covered like that. So, well... you could do something like spellcard Starlight Breaker, by discarding and spellbinding Orreries Sun and Filled Miasma off of it, and then you could get Makai into play untapped without having spent any mana beforehand to already play three spells. Silly spell synergy is a theme of the set, anyway, and encouraging the use of it is always good.
Unblockable, or as it's called now, can't be blocked since Wizards decided it was definitely not a keyword, is very blue, so like that, it'd fit. But just because of the reason that's it's not a keyword but a separate quality given to the creature (kind of the opposite of what happened with indestructible) Deathtouch is one of those perfect fits as it's a black and green ability (the half-fits would be Garden of the Sun since vigilance is only white, Makai since intimidate is only black, and Scarlet Devil Mansion since haste is only red. Well, and Sanzu, since reaper is only black, but...). Immortal felt like it fit Eientei so well. Regenerate... is a rule mess, and I'm fairly sure it can't fit in the wording "gains <ability> until end of turn" - it'd have to be "regenerate target creature". I really did want to use immortal on more things, but maybe it's too powerful an ability to actually be on a buffland.
Really, I might just drop the buffing entirely and make them taplands, keeping the spell thing. That'd at least solve my Sanzu problem. And once Reaper is off Sanzu, I'm killing that keyword once and for all. I still like it as a keyword, but it's not a keyword for a Touhou set.
If I were to make the lands not give coloured mana and keep the buffing, they'd become different lands entirely and then I wouldn't be so colour-locked with them as I am here. There's not a ton of places that can actually be used.
Palace of the Earth Spirits was a bit of a stretch, but there was literally nothing else that could be properly used as a green shrine. Anyway, they all use faith now. I was already considering changing that, anyway, especially since Faithbound became a thing. But I'm still not sure Faithbound should be a thing because there's not enough gods in the set to really give it that oomph I would want it to have. At the moment, eight creatures are using it, that will become seven if/when I take it off Letty. And really I think I'll type them back to Deity. the gods in Theros are bigtime gods, not the kind of lesser kami the gods of Gensokyo would be. Maybe I'll have Faithbound go slightly beyond Deities, too. (then again, there's only three creatures with straight up Immortal... that keyword really turned into a mess)
Okay yeah I need sleep.
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Dragon needs to either be nerfed or be more expensive to cast, or both. Between its Faithbound {1} and a bunch of "add [mana] to your mana pool for every X" you have, I can see the 10-cost being shrunk easily and if you draw shrines you'd be able to play it pretty early for your opp to be able to deal with the annihilator 3.
Also, some of the abilities your lands grant are considerably superior to others, in particular intimidate and deathtouch. Intimidate is basically unblockable against the right decks, and having the threat of instant deathtouch lying around kind of discourages people from blocking with big creatures or multiples creatures ever. This would mean you can have 3 1/1s and your opp can have 1 10/10 and you can still swing with 2 each turn and your opponent will not dare do anything because you can just up and loldeathtouch.
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I think Intimidate isn't worth it, considering the other possible abilities.
Also, some of the abilities your lands grant are considerably superior to others, in particular intimidate
I think I'll just let the two of you fight this one out.
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lol.
By "not worth it," I mean in comparison to unblockable. Intimidate as an ability is perfectly fine, just with a minor caveat of...not really unblockable but getting there.
Comparing intimidate to the other abilities you had listed (deathtouch? immortal? hexproof?) I felt like unblockable made a better fit.
On second thought, you might want to also consider raising the cost of the tap effect to 1(C1)(C2). If you weed out the...not useful effects, I think this is a better representation of effect:cost.
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Anyway, even with Shrines, Dragon's not that easy to cast. Even if you manage to play a shrine on each of your five first turns, to get the 5 mana you'd need to cast Dragon at that point, you would also have had to cast a spell of the appropriate colour (well, and/or proliferate. Spellcarding wizard instants are a good way to gather faith, apparently.) after playing a Shrine every turn. If you've managed that, you might deserve to have a dragon on turn five (and then hope someone doesn't throw a Starlight Breaker or Deadly Butterfly at it).
I reread this post after posting it and it contains at least one sentence where I confuse myself. I'm going to read it again in the morning.
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I haven't encountered hexproof much, so don't know exactly how good it is, at least against non-red decks. The land that gives immortal for one turn is only slightly better than regenerate (since while it triggers off damage even if not lethal, but AFAIK doesn't trigger off removal alone), and it costs 2 mana + 1 land, so I'd say the cost for immortal is reasonable.
Also, now that I think of it, reaper looks kind of situation; not all decks rely on their creatures/aura going to the graveyard. Maybe you should add something extra like a +1/+0 boost to make it relevant in other situations? Though I guess power boosts don't fit blue/black very well.
And how about making Genji 3-cost instead? He's essentially a 1/6 wall with reach and without defender, and it's unlikely for people to use him offensively. Many 3-cost walls can do better.
Cut by Kenny: Not really. You can cast multicolored spells also, and I don't see why a shrine-centric deck wouldn't have some of the proliferate Patch instants in them. And just because decks with control/removal can deal with the dragon on turn ~6 doesn't mean other decks that focus on other things can. As soon as you let that dragon swing boom three permanents woosh. And you're likely losing another to block as well.
Or you can just go the easy way out and toss out the Great Hakurei Border early :V
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This single card is the only reason Reaper still exists. Because I can literally not find anything else to give it. First/double strike are white and red. Shroud isn't a thing anymore. Protection from is white. Indestructible is white. Reach is green.
There's nothing and that's why I'm reaching out to you lot to help me kill Reaper once and for all. What can I have this card give creatures, appropriate to black and blue, that wouldn't be a one-off?
Maybe Wither?
Here are some ideas on how to change the Reaper effect:
Reaper (Damage dealt by this creature cannot be prevented).
OR Reaper (If this creature would deal lethal damage, exile that creature).
@Great Hakurei Barrier: Just speaking strictly from Touhou lore. What does faith have anything to do with the Greath Hakurei Barrier?
Dragon needs to either be nerfed or be more expensive to cast, or both. Between its Faithbound {1} and a bunch of "add [mana] to your mana pool for every X" you have, I can see the 10-cost being shrunk easily and if you draw shrines you'd be able to play it pretty early for your opp to be able to deal with the annihilator 3.
I rather see how it actually plays out. At 10 to cast, this cost is equivalent to Kozilek (http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=193632). Kozilek is 12/12 with Annihilator 4. He also allows you to draw 4 cards if you cast it.
From what I am seeing, I don't see a problem with the Dragon.
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What part of "No -1/-1 counters" do you people not understand.
Anyway yeah you know what I went ahead and did it.
Makai now gives First strike. Pure black had things with natural First strike as recently as Innistrad, and Rakdos had some First strikers in RtR, so it's fine colourwise. I assume Double strike might be too strong.
So Sanzu now makes it so a creature can't be blocked. It's not the most elegant solution with regards to wording, as I would prefer for it to be worded "gains <thing> until end of turn", but Wizards definitely made unblockable not be worded like that, so...
Also, the buffs now cost {X}{X/Y}{Y} rather than {X}{Y} to use. The spell thing remains.
That means that Reaper is dead, long live the Reaper.
Strictly speaking, the Hakurei Barrier doesn't rely on faith, but the idea was that faith is what empowers the shrines, and the shrines are what stabilize the border. Yeah, yeah, it's only the Hakurei Shrine, and it was destroyed in SWR without anything bad happening to the border, but if you read my fanfiction but I'm taking a few liberties. I'm sure I could think up some story involving Magic lore, with Gensokyo as a plane in the multiverse.
OR SOMETHING.
Speaking of double strike, have a card. I'll probably post random cards in most of my posts in this thread now that the big previews are, with the exceptions of a few megaposts once the things that are supposed to be in them are done designes, over.
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Soul Sign Pain of Two Worlds.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Soul Sign Pain of Two Worlds.png)
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Shrines
Reword the removal to say "Whenever [this card] untaps,...." That'll make it sound nicer.
The correct wording for that would be "Whenever [this card] becomes untapped,..."
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You know, I think you can get away with this for Shrines.
<this shrine name>
Legendary Land - Shrine
During your upkeep, if you have no Faith counters on <this shrine name>, Sacrifice it.
Whenever <this shrine name's> owner casts a <color> spell, put a Faith counter on <this shrine name>.
T: If there are faith counters on <this shrine name>, add 1 <color> mana for each Faith counter on <this shrine name>, then remove a Faith counter from <this shrine name>.
I dunno, I kinda find it somewhat backwards to to use the only Faith counter you have to untap the land and end up with nothing anyway. With this suggestion the Shrine can come into play untapped, but still unusable.
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Focus is being experimented with. It's now being retooled into increased power and toughness at the cost of speed. And now that Reaper is finally dead I can post this card that has in my opinion one of the best images in the set.
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Komachi Onozuka1.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Komachi Onozuka1.png)(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Komachi Onozuka2.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Komachi Onozuka2.png)
(don't focus (see what I did there) too much at the cost of it, it's also being experimented with. But opinions on if it should be a static cost depending on the size of the buff or differ from creature to creature depending on what else they have are welcome.)
I considered a variant where Focus would be an ability word rather than an action keword where creatures would get some buffs from having +1/+1 counters on them, but since Spell circle exists I felt I would have too much overlap there.
And while I'm posting Komachi, have some Komachi spells:
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Exchange Unvalued Life Valued Life.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Exchange Unvalued Life Valued Life.png)(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Malice Sign Regretful Bound Spirits.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Malice Sign Regretful Bound Spirits.png)(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Poor Fate Your Days Are Numbered.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Poor Fate Your Days Are Numbered.png)
Also, Kanako got a new ultimate.
(http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Kanako Yasaka2.png) (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/Kanako Yasaka2.png)
I originally had it only be permanents, but I changed my mind.
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The disadvantage you added (won't untap next turn) makes Focus a bit too weak. This is even if you make Focus non-situational (i.e can be activated anytime) and unlimited (not just once/turn).
How about this template:
Focus X<color>: <This creature> gains +X/+0 and Absorb X until end of turn. If <this creature> receives damage this turn, bury it. Play this ability only once a turn.
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Bonus content!
A thing I started making once as a companion to the core Touhou set was some Touhou Archenemy schemes. While that project has largely been abandoned, I still like to think that, regardless of the effects, the visuals and names of these cards ended up really well.
So I might as well show some of them off. Not thumbnailed because there's no point in viewing any of these in anything but full size.
So, in alphabetical order (don't pay too much attention to what they do):
A Thin Vine (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/scheme/A Thin Vine.png)
Controlled Fate (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/scheme/Controlled Fate.png)
Creation of History (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/scheme/Creation of History.png)
Destruction of Anything (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/scheme/Destruction of Anything.png) (I am infinitely pleased with the picture I found for THIS one)
Five Impossible Requests (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/scheme/Five Impossible Requests.png)
Manipulation of Boundaries (http://kenny.next-era.net/lew/scheme/Manipulation of Boundaries.png)
If I ever were to pick up this thing again, it'd be after the core set could be considered complete.
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Have you considered Islandwalk and/or Swampwalk for River Sanzu's effect? Unblockable seems like a bit much, and Blue and Black are arguably the biggest Landwalk colors. The flavor doesn't really work as far as I know, but neither does unblockable.
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@Focus: With Focus' new penalty, I would lower the cost to activate it by 1 mana or 2 mana.
One issue I see with this new text is it makes focus favor offensive playing.
@Game text: Should you not use the word "cast" instead of "play"?
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Focus favouring offensive playing is not a bad thing.
Also yes, Exchange should have cast. I don't know how I missed that.
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Isn't Komachi's first ability basically combat-only deathtouch? Was the wording intentional?
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It is not exactly Deathtouch. Deathtouch allows regeneration, this does not.
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The main difference (apart from the added "can't be regenerated) is that if a creature has deathtouch, 1 damage is always considered lethal damage regardless of the blocking creature's toughness. If for example, a 2/2 with deathtouch is blocked by two 1/3s, it can assign 1 damage to the first and 1 to the other, while if it had Komachi's ability, it had to assign 2 damage to the first blocker so the other one survives.
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Komachi's ability will still kill all creatures she deals combat damage to, and you can divide the damage however you want. Combat damage is always divided as you choose, unless your creature has trample and you are trying to assign it to a player.
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Komachi's ability will still kill all creatures she deals combat damage to, and you can divide the damage however you want. Combat damage is always divided as you choose, unless your creature has trample and you are trying to assign it to a player.
If two or more creatures block the same creature, the controller of the attacking creature chooses the order to deal damage to them, and the attacking must deal lethal damage to the first blocker in the order before any damage will be dealt to the second and so on. This means if komachi is blocked by two 1/5s, she must first deal lethal (5) damage to one of the blockers before dealing damage to the other, she cannot split it and deal 2 damage to each. That is only possible with deathtouch, as 1 damage from a source with deathtouch is considered lethal. Splitting damage however you want was only possible before the m10 rules change.
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Clearly the solution is to bring back banding :V
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Welp, just looked up the rule and it seems I'm wrong.
You'd think one might learn these things after 10+ years of playing the game, but apparently not >.> I was always under the impression you had full control of how you divided your combat damage. I still feel you SHOULD have full control, but I guess thats an argument for Wizards, not this thread lol.
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The main difference (apart from the added "can't be regenerated) is that if a creature has deathtouch, 1 damage is always considered lethal damage regardless of the blocking creature's toughness. If for example, a 2/2 with deathtouch is blocked by two 1/3s, it can assign 1 damage to the first and 1 to the other, while if it had Komachi's ability, it had to assign 2 damage to the first blocker so the other one survives.
It matters more if Komachi has trample. As her ability is very similar to Deathtouch.
Komachi's ability will still kill all creatures she deals combat damage to, and you can divide the damage however you want. Combat damage is always divided as you choose, unless your creature has trample and you are trying to assign it to a player.
It hasn't been like this for a while. With the new combat damage rules, the attacker chooses priority, let's say Komachi attacks and Akyuu and Reimu blocks. The controller of Komachi chooses Akyuu, then Reimu in that order. Then, damage is dealt, until lethal damage is given, then it will automatically go to the next creature. Note: damage is dealt automatically, there is no damage assignment.
I still feel you SHOULD have full control, but I guess thats an argument for Wizards, not this thread lol.
For the most part, it should make no difference to a regular player. The difference being really choosing priority of the creatures blocking. It kind of nerfs sorceries that you can do after battle. Like if Attacker A(3/3) attacks, and is triple blocked by creatured B(1/3), C(1/3), and D(1/3). Attacker A can deal 1 damage to B, C, and D. Then, after combat, play Pyroclasm to kill all of them. New rules won't allow this.
Clearly the solution is to bring back banding
I don't even know how banding works with these new rules. I'm sure its mentioned in the rules book or something.
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banding works
I'll take "phrases never uttered by anyone" for a hundred. (the current Oracle wording and comprehensive rules text on banding is an absolute clusterfuck (http://wiki.mtgsalvation.com/article/Banding))
If you're wondering where the updates have gone, they're, uh, still being worked on. While I wanted to save it until a cycle megapost, I do have one I might post soon enough for some comments. Focus and Deathbomb are still in limbo.
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Looks like I forgot how the M10 combat damage rulings work. It seems like the attacking player can assign combat damage. However, they need to assign lethal combat damage according to the priority of the creatures they have chosen, before moving on to the next on.
It also seems like trample allows you to assign damage however you want ignoring the order of creatures you need to assign combat damage to. This is sometimes useful as it avoids some combat tricks the defender may pull. You normally choose priority, say 2/2 first, then 1/1. Let's say they play Fortify giving all their creatures +0/+2. You will still have to assign 3 damage to the 2/4 causing both the 2/4 and the 1/3 to live. But if it has trample, it can just assign all 3 damage to the 1/3. This rarely happens, but hey.
As for banding, it isn't too bad after reading up on it with the new rules changed. Pretty much nothing changed pre-m10 and post-m10. It is like a bad and more complicated version of Defensive Formation (http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=5588).
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It also seems like trample allows you to assign damage however you want ignoring the order of creatures you need to assign combat damage to. This is sometimes useful as it avoids some combat tricks the defender may pull. You normally choose priority, say 2/2 first, then 1/1. Let's say they play Fortify giving all their creatures +0/+2. You will still have to assign 3 damage to the 2/4 causing both the 2/4 and the 1/3 to live. But if it has trample, it can just assign all 3 damage to the 1/3. This rarely happens, but hey.
There is nothing in the comprehensive rules that states that trample is an exception to the rule of assigning lethal damage to the first blocker before being able to deal damage to the second, and I've never heard of anything like that either.
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I may be mistaken in my interpretation, but please take a look at this.
702.17b The controller of an attacking creature with trample first assigns damage to the creature(s) blocking it. Once all those blocking creatures are assigned lethal damage, any remaining damage is assigned as its controller chooses among those blocking creatures and the player or planeswalker the creature is attacking. When checking for assigned lethal damage, take into account damage already marked on the creature and damage from other creatures that's being assigned during the same combat damage step, but not any abilities or effects that might change the amount of damage that's actually dealt. The attacking creature's controller need not assign lethal damage to all those blocking creatures but in that case can't assign any damage to the player or planeswalker it's attacking.
By this, it seems to imply that you need not assign lethal damage to your first blocker choice and instead can assign lethal damage to your second blocker choice. This only happens in rare examples, when they use a combat trick, like the one I provided.
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I may be mistaken in my interpretation, but please take a look at this.
702.17b The controller of an attacking creature with trample first assigns damage to the creature(s) blocking it. Once all those blocking creatures are assigned lethal damage, any remaining damage is assigned as its controller chooses among those blocking creatures and the player or planeswalker the creature is attacking. When checking for assigned lethal damage, take into account damage already marked on the creature and damage from other creatures that's being assigned during the same combat damage step, but not any abilities or effects that might change the amount of damage that's actually dealt. The attacking creature's controller need not assign lethal damage to all those blocking creatures but in that case can't assign any damage to the player or planeswalker it's attacking.
By this, it seems to imply that you need not assign lethal damage to your first blocker choice and instead can assign lethal damage to your second blocker choice. This only happens in rare examples, when they use a combat trick, like the one I provided.
You misinterpret that last sentence. It basically means that if you don't assign lethal damage to all blockers you won't get to damage the attacked player/planeswalker. It doesn't say anywhere in that paragraph that you can assign combat damage freely among blockers. Don't really know why the last sentence of the paragraph is worded as it is, but I assume it implies that you could assign all damage to the first blocker, even if it is more than lethal.
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You could always do that, even without trample rules. This is also why Banding and that card, Defensive Formation, can counter Trample, as you can assign all damage to the 1/1 blocking a 10/10 trample.
As you said, you could be right and I may be interpreting it wrong.