Remember Devon Rule's Utopia set from the Great Designer Search 2? Well, Viathic is a redoing of that set, mostly borrowing the city theme and gold counters (though in a different way).
Storyline and Flavor
Setting
Viathic is a city that stretches across the whole plane, along with some uninhabited spots, though rare.
Storyline
In the first set, a shaman named Orodan is rallying for the destruction of city-based Viathic amid political intrigue between the city's government.
Mechanics
Gold Counters
Gold counters is the major mechanic in Viathic, appearing in all colors. However, unlike Devon's set, Gold counters don't represent anything, instead appearing in several cards in the set.
For example:
Hired Assassination1B
Instant
As an additional cost to cast Hired Assassination, pay a gold counter.
Destroy target creature.
Ambush X
Ambush is the next mechanic, appearing in all five colors, but mostly in BWG. Ambush reads:
Ambush X (As long as a creature is attacking you or a planeswalker you control, you may cast ~ for its ambush cost. If you do, return it to its owner's hand at the beginning of the next end step.)
If anyone has any ideas for mechanics that would be easily grokkable and flavorful, please post them here!
The Cards
White [0/40]
Blue [0/40]
Black [17/40]
BloodlettingBB
Instant (C)
Target creature gets -2/-2 until end of turn. Tap that creature.
Bounty MarkB
Enchantment - Aura (C)
Enchant creature
When enchanted creature dies, you gain a gold counter.
Bribe the Guards1B
Sorcery (C)
As an additional cost to cast Bribe the Guards, pay a gold counter.
Tap up to two target creatures. Those creatures don't untap during their controller's next untap step.
Hired Assassination1B
Instant (C)
As an additional cost to cast Hired Assassination, pay a gold counter.
Destroy target creature.
Hired GravediggingB
Sorcery (C)
As an additional cost to cast Hired Gravedigging, pay a gold counter.
Return up to two target creature cards from your graveyard to your hand.
Hired Spy1B
Creature - Human Mercenary (C)
As an additional cost to cast Hired Spy, pay a gold counter.
Whenever Hired Spy deals combat damage to a player, that player discards a card.
2/2
Loot the Hoard4B
Sorcery (C)
You gain two gold counters.
PickpocketB
Sorcery (C)
Target player discards a card and loses a gold counter.
Pickpocketing Thief2B
Creature - Human Rogue (C)
Whenever Pickpocketing Thief deals combat damage to a player, that player loses a gold counter. You gain gold counters equal to the amount of gold counters lost this way.
2/1
Slaughterhouse WorkerB
Creature - Human (C) T: Sacrifice a creature: You gain a gold counter.
1/1
Tainted SlashB
Instant (C)
Target creature gains deathtouch until end of turn.
Uiat Goldleecher4B
Creature - Vampire Thug (C)
When Uiat Goldleecher enters the battlefield, target player loses a gold counter and you gain a gold counter.
3/3
Uiat Guard5B
Creature - Ogre Thug (C)
4/5
Uiat Rider1B
Creature - Goblin Thug (C)
First strike
2/1
Ur-Alley Bat2B
Creature - Bat (C)
Flying
When Ur-Alley Bat dies, draw a card.
2/1
Ur-Alley Lurkers2B
Creature - Human Rogue (C)
Ambush B(As long as a creature is attacking you or a planeswalker you control, you may cast this card for its ambush cost. If you do, return it to its owner's hand at the beginning of the next end step.)
3/1
Ur-Alley Soul1BB
Creature - Spirit (C)
Defender
Ambush - discard a card. (As long as a creature is attacking you or a planeswalker you control, you may cast this card for its ambush cost. If you do, return it to its owner's hand at the beginning of the next end step.)
0/5
Red [0/40]
Green [0/40]
Artifacts and Lands [20/40]
The Five Basic Lands, 4 for each color
Bulletin
8/14/11 Check out the black commons!
8/13/11 Don't have time to add the rest of the black commons; see them tomorrow or later today.
Gold counters - So, these don't do anything, you're just making players do something completely arbitrary to get them so that other spells can work? I'd rather they did something by themselves, to make the cards that provide them actually worthwhile on their own. You should aim to have very few cards which cannot function by themselves. I think Devon Rule's counter idea was better, and if you change to that you could work it into your cards like so:
Hired Assassination 1B
Instant
Target creature gets -2/-2 until end of turn.
If you spent a gold counter to cast ~, destroy that creature. Pay the assassin well, lest the victim survive to implicate you in the deed.
Ambush - Two issues here. Firstly, the ability is defensive, so why not appear in the more defensive colours of GWU? Secondly, you can't have a triggered ability from a hidden zone (i.e. hand). You should reword it to this:
Ambush X(As long as a creature is attacking you or a Planeswalker you control, you may cast ~ for its ambush cost. If you do, return it to its owner's hand at the beginning of the next end step.)
Private Mod Note
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Gaymer
Custom Card / Set Reviewer
When reviewing custom cards / sets, I look for (a) flavour, (b) function, and (c) cohesiveness, generally through a risk focus.
Viridiancircle - Thanks for replying. Let me run down your suggestions.
Gold counters - you're right - the big problem, for me, with Devon Rule's gold counters is that they align way too closely with Eldrazi Spawn and it lets color produce colorless mana, something that some colors should not have access to.
I like your idea of Hired Assassination, but to me it feels like some alternate form of kicker (Rosewater was right). I'll wait until enough people chime about it.
Ambush - should I spread it across all colors? The name and flavor feels black though.
Re. gold counters, fair comment. Just came up with some kind of innovation on the spot. Maybe it could appear primarily in BRG with the occasional card in WU. Any colour could potentially use this mechanic, just you would have to be careful about how readily some can get it.
I like that both your mechanics indicate a city in which crime flourishes. People/groups hiding indoors, paranoid, lying in wait for a thief of mercenary to come in. Shadowy figures hiding behind corners, waiting to mug the next passer-by. Politicians and hired thugs being bribed and blackmailed to do others' bidding, civilians being bribed or threatened to stay quiet. The idea of mercenaries immediately jumps to mind. Masques revival / improvement, mayhap?
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Gaymer
Custom Card / Set Reviewer
When reviewing custom cards / sets, I look for (a) flavour, (b) function, and (c) cohesiveness, generally through a risk focus.
Hmm, good idea. I'll splash ambush across all colors, possibly focusing on WBG. Intriguing. I plan, however, to have small numbers of ambush at common, maybe only one at blue and red. I might shift Ur-Alley Soul to white for that same reason.
As for mercenaries... Hmm. I already have a few mercenary - themed cards, but they work like Hired Assassination rather than Masques - style. I might blend the two together.
As for my mechanics - thanks! I borrowed Ambush from the Custom Keyword Encyclopedia, while Gold Counters came from Rule.
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Curse PremiumRemember Devon Rule's Utopia set from the Great Designer Search 2? Well, Viathic is a redoing of that set, mostly borrowing the city theme and gold counters (though in a different way).
Storyline and Flavor
Setting
Storyline
Mechanics
Gold Counters
Gold counters is the major mechanic in Viathic, appearing in all colors. However, unlike Devon's set, Gold counters don't represent anything, instead appearing in several cards in the set.
For example:
Hired Assassination 1B
Instant
As an additional cost to cast Hired Assassination, pay a gold counter.
Destroy target creature.
Ambush X
Ambush is the next mechanic, appearing in all five colors, but mostly in BWG. Ambush reads:
Ambush X (As long as a creature is attacking you or a planeswalker you control, you may cast ~ for its ambush cost. If you do, return it to its owner's hand at the beginning of the next end step.)
If anyone has any ideas for mechanics that would be easily grokkable and flavorful, please post them here!
The Cards
White [0/40]
Blue [0/40]
Black [17/40]
Bloodletting BB
Instant (C)
Target creature gets -2/-2 until end of turn. Tap that creature.
Bounty Mark B
Enchantment - Aura (C)
Enchant creature
When enchanted creature dies, you gain a gold counter.
Bribe the Guards 1B
Sorcery (C)
As an additional cost to cast Bribe the Guards, pay a gold counter.
Tap up to two target creatures. Those creatures don't untap during their controller's next untap step.
Hired Assassination 1B
Instant (C)
As an additional cost to cast Hired Assassination, pay a gold counter.
Destroy target creature.
Hired Gravedigging B
Sorcery (C)
As an additional cost to cast Hired Gravedigging, pay a gold counter.
Return up to two target creature cards from your graveyard to your hand.
Hired Spy 1B
Creature - Human Mercenary (C)
As an additional cost to cast Hired Spy, pay a gold counter.
Whenever Hired Spy deals combat damage to a player, that player discards a card.
2/2
Loot the Hoard 4B
Sorcery (C)
You gain two gold counters.
Pickpocket B
Sorcery (C)
Target player discards a card and loses a gold counter.
Pickpocketing Thief 2B
Creature - Human Rogue (C)
Whenever Pickpocketing Thief deals combat damage to a player, that player loses a gold counter. You gain gold counters equal to the amount of gold counters lost this way.
2/1
Slaughterhouse Worker B
Creature - Human (C)
T: Sacrifice a creature: You gain a gold counter.
1/1
Tainted Slash B
Instant (C)
Target creature gains deathtouch until end of turn.
Uiat Goldleecher 4B
Creature - Vampire Thug (C)
When Uiat Goldleecher enters the battlefield, target player loses a gold counter and you gain a gold counter.
3/3
Uiat Guard 5B
Creature - Ogre Thug (C)
4/5
Uiat Rider 1B
Creature - Goblin Thug (C)
First strike
2/1
Ur-Alley Bat 2B
Creature - Bat (C)
Flying
When Ur-Alley Bat dies, draw a card.
2/1
Ur-Alley Lurkers 2B
Creature - Human Rogue (C)
Ambush B(As long as a creature is attacking you or a planeswalker you control, you may cast this card for its ambush cost. If you do, return it to its owner's hand at the beginning of the next end step.)
3/1
Ur-Alley Soul 1BB
Creature - Spirit (C)
Defender
Ambush - discard a card. (As long as a creature is attacking you or a planeswalker you control, you may cast this card for its ambush cost. If you do, return it to its owner's hand at the beginning of the next end step.)
0/5
Red [0/40]
Green [0/40]
Artifacts and Lands [20/40]
The Five Basic Lands, 4 for each color
Bulletin
8/14/11 Check out the black commons!
8/13/11 Don't have time to add the rest of the black commons; see them tomorrow or later today.
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Curse PremiumHired Assassination
1B
Instant
Target creature gets -2/-2 until end of turn.
If you spent a gold counter to cast ~, destroy that creature.
Pay the assassin well, lest the victim survive to implicate you in the deed.
Ambush - Two issues here. Firstly, the ability is defensive, so why not appear in the more defensive colours of GWU? Secondly, you can't have a triggered ability from a hidden zone (i.e. hand). You should reword it to this:
Ambush X (As long as a creature is attacking you or a Planeswalker you control, you may cast ~ for its ambush cost. If you do, return it to its owner's hand at the beginning of the next end step.)
Custom Card / Set Reviewer
When reviewing custom cards / sets, I look for (a) flavour, (b) function, and (c) cohesiveness, generally through a risk focus.
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Curse PremiumGold counters - you're right - the big problem, for me, with Devon Rule's gold counters is that they align way too closely with Eldrazi Spawn and it lets color produce colorless mana, something that some colors should not have access to.
I like your idea of Hired Assassination, but to me it feels like some alternate form of kicker (Rosewater was right). I'll wait until enough people chime about it.
Ambush - should I spread it across all colors? The name and flavor feels black though.
Thanks for your criticisms!
Re. gold counters, fair comment. Just came up with some kind of innovation on the spot. Maybe it could appear primarily in BRG with the occasional card in WU. Any colour could potentially use this mechanic, just you would have to be careful about how readily some can get it.
I like that both your mechanics indicate a city in which crime flourishes. People/groups hiding indoors, paranoid, lying in wait for a thief of mercenary to come in. Shadowy figures hiding behind corners, waiting to mug the next passer-by. Politicians and hired thugs being bribed and blackmailed to do others' bidding, civilians being bribed or threatened to stay quiet. The idea of mercenaries immediately jumps to mind. Masques revival / improvement, mayhap?
Custom Card / Set Reviewer
When reviewing custom cards / sets, I look for (a) flavour, (b) function, and (c) cohesiveness, generally through a risk focus.
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View User Profile
-
View Posts
-
Send Message
Curse PremiumAs for mercenaries... Hmm. I already have a few mercenary - themed cards, but they work like Hired Assassination rather than Masques - style. I might blend the two together.
As for my mechanics - thanks! I borrowed Ambush from the Custom Keyword Encyclopedia, while Gold Counters came from Rule.