Archester: Frontier of Steam - DESIGN IS DONE! Starting Development - (Post 3821)

[the humanity]

Originally Posted by MOON-E

You should really download Magic Set Editor. (Unless you're on a mac) it's got good quality and a lot of different features.

on a mac. I used to have MSE on my home computer.

[Raptor1210]

Black Uncommons

Spoiler:

==============================
UB01 – Creature, Splinter
UB02 – (Artifact) Creature, Splinter,
UB03 – Creature, Group
UB04 – (Artifact) Creature, Group,
UB05 – Creature, Group
UB06 – Creature, Group
UB07 – Sorcery,
UB08 – Sorcery
UB09 – Instant, , (Cycle)
==============================
UB01 – Creature, Splinter
Macabre Taxidermist
Creature - Human Artificer
When ~ enters the battlefield, you may put target creature card from your graveyard onto the battlefield. That creature an artifact in addition to it's other types.
2/2

Necrotech Prodigies
four dead men lay before a shovel wielding young blue collar man. There is a cart behind him, with a high class young woman pulling it.
Focus: The look of love on their faces
Creature- Human Artificer
Whenever you sacrifice a nontoken permanent, put a 1/1 black zombie token onto the battlefield.
Their lust for knowledge is as forbidden as their love.
2/2

Clock Hunter
Creature - Human Rogue
When ~ enters the battlefield, you may destroy target creature. If you do, put all counters from that creature on ~.
"The elves see a marvel of nature. I see cogs ripe for the taking."
1/1
==============================
UB02 – (Artifact) Creature, Splinter,
Desert Gearbones 2.0
Artifact Creature - Skeleton Construct [Uncommon]
: Return ~ from your graveyard to your hand.
2/1

Hostile Worker
Artifact Creature - Assembly-Worker
Intimidate
Steam-powered-When ~ enters the battlefield, sacrifice a creature unless only colorless mana was spent to cast ~.
"They may be a bit messy but they're quite good for taking out rebellious workers"
-Manufactory owner
2/2

Spring Scavenger
Artifact Creature - Zombie Construct
Whenever another artifact creature dies, put a +1/+1 counter on ~.
A twisted mockery of clockwork beasts, it lurks in the marshes waiting for their cogs to fail.
2/1
==============================
UB03 – Creature, Group
Corrupt Inspector
Creature - Human Advisor [Uncommon]
When ~ enters the battlefield, target player discards two cards unless that player discards a land card.
It's easy. Just sign on the line.
2/2

Corrupt Inspector 2.0
Creature - Human Advisor [Uncommon]
When ~ enters the battlefield, target player sacrifices two permanents unless that player sacrifices a land.
It's easy. Just sign on the line.
2/2

Corporate Elite
Creature - Human Advisor (U)
Intimidate
Protection from white
In the Iron City, one learns quickly that the laws to not apply to everyone.
2/2

Corporate Elite II
Creature - Human Advisor [Uncommon]
Protection from white and from green
~ deals combat damage after creatures blocking or blocked by it.
In the Iron City, one learns quickly that everyone changes the rules and the rules do not apply to everyone.
2/2

Cruel Gunner
A weathered looking woman specks of red on his jacket stands in a dark Iron City alleyway at night over a body, holding an ingenious steam gun.
Focus: the smirk peering out from under the brim of her hat.
Creature - Human Warrior
First Strike, Deathtouch, Lifelink
2/1
==============================
UB04 – (Artifact) Creature, Group,
Corporate Elite 2.0
Creature - Human Advisor [Uncommon]
Intimidate
: Becomes the color of your choice until end of turn.
In the Iron City, one learns quickly that the laws do not apply to everyone.
2/1

Steamdealer 2.0
Creature - Human Advisor Shaman [Uncommon]
At the beginning of your precombat main phase, you lose 1 life and add to your mana pool.
2/2

Francium Carrier
A laughing crazy man runs into a busy street carrying a strange rock towards a fountain.
Focus: the rock
Creature- Human
When Francium Carrier dies, all creatures get -1/-1 until end of turn.
Just a touch of water.
1/1
==============================
UB05 – Creature, Group
Hitmen
Creature - Human Assassin (U)
When ~ enters the battlefield, destroy target creature.
"There are two kinds of people in my world: the ones that get the job done, and their targets."
--Tecksa Rend, defacto gangleader of the Mavericks
2/2

Coldheart Extortionist
A man carries a traveler's bag out of a house. There are bloodstains on the windows.
Focus: the bag.
Creature- Human Rogue
Whenever a player sacrifices a creature, you may pay . If you do, put a +1/+1 counter on Coldheart Extortionist.
"Your mother died? How tragic..."
0/1

Kettle of Vultures
Creature - Bird
Flying
Whenever another creature dies, each opponent loses 1 life and you gain 1 life.
4/3
==============================
UB06 – Creature, Group
Maverick Overseer
Creature-Human Spellslinger
, , Discard a card: Destroy target creature. If an artifact card was discarded in this way, that creature can't be regenerated.
3/3

Maverick Overseer 2.0
Creature-Human Spellslinger
, Discard a card: Untap target Spellslinger. If an artifact card was discarded, untap each other Spellslinger you control.
2/2

Snake Oil Salesman
Creature - Human Spellslinger
, , Discard a card: Each opponent discards a card. If you discarded an artifact card this way, each opponent loses life equal to the converted mana cost of the card he or she discarded. Activate this ability only at any time you could cast a sorcery.
Those who purchase rainwater as pricey "medicine" are the lucky ones.
1/1

Maverick Enforcer
In the foreground the back of a man in a long black overcoat and cowboy hat, past him we say an emaciated cowboy with purple or black smoke rising from him.
Creature - Human Spellslinger
, , Discard a card: Target creature gets -2/-2 until end of turn. If an artifact was discarded this way gain 2 life.
2/2
==============================
UB07 – Enchantment OR Sorcery OR Instant,
Reconstruct the Corpse
Sorcery [Uncommon]
Return target artifact creature card from a graveyard to the battlefield under your control. It gains haste. Exile it at end of turn.
Steam-powered--If only colorless mana was spent to cast ~, return target creature card from a graveyard to the battlefield under your control instead. It gains haste. Exile it at end of turn.

Reconstruct the Corpse II
Sorcery
Return up to one target artifact creature card from a graveyard to the battlefield under your control. It gains haste. Exile it at the end of turn.
Steam-powered -- If only colorless mana was spent to cast ~, return target creature card from a graveyard to the battlefield instead. It gains haste. Exile it at the end of turn.

Brawl in the Boiler Room
Sorcery [Uncommon]
Target creature fights another target creature. The controller of each creature that survives that fight may have target player of his or her choice discard a card.
: Target creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn. Any player may activate this ability, but only while ~ is on the stack.

Hymnal Box
a dark rusty music box is open on a shelf of trinkets. The figure is a perfectly made representation of an elvish dancer in ebony.
Focus: the rust looks a lot like bloodstains.
Artifact
Steam Powered- if only colorless mana was spent to cast Hymnal Box, it enters the battlefield with a charge counter on it.
At the beginning of your upkeep, target opponent may pay . Otherwise he discards 2 cards, then you draw a card for each charge counter on Hymnal Box and sacrifice Hymnal Box.
The song is beautiful but the meaning painful.
==============================
UB08 – Enchantment OR Sorcery OR Instant
Dredge the Flats
Sorcery [Uncommon]
Target player reveals the top five cards of his or her library, puts all land cards revealed this way into his or her graveyard, then shuffles his or her library.

Backroom Dealings
Enchantment
Whenever you discard a card, target player loses 1 life and you gain 1 life.

Smog
Instant [Uncommon]
Until end of turn, if a player taps a land for mana, it produces colorless mana instead of any other type.

Smogfire
A man lies on a factory floor, green flames licking around his limp body. Other workers are struggling to fix a machine near him, which is spurting smog and throwing bits of green fire.
Focus: The machine
Sorcery
As an additional cost to playing Smogfire, exile the top ten cards of your library.
Deal 3 damage to target creature or player.

Mana Pollution
Smokestacks from a factory throwing smog into a huge cloud.
Focus: the cloud.
Enchantment
At the beginning of your upkeep, sacrifice a permanent. If you do, add to your mana pool.
A factory may not put mana waste into moving waters or storage containers. The sky is the safest location for any mana waste, as it will quickly disperse and enrich the soil with mana once again.-Iron City Pollution Laws Article 2, Lines 1-2

Traitor in the Ranks
Instant
Put a 2/2 black Human Rogue creature token onto the battlefield under target player's control. It has "Other creatures you control get -1/-1."

"Accidental" Oil Spill
Sorcery
Destroy target non-basic land, that lands controller discards a card for each land card in their graveyard.
"Of course, the Council will make sure you're compensated in full for ALL your losses." - Andony Carnigig

Cheating at Cards
A hand holding 5 poker cards, all of them Aces.
Sorcery
Until end of turn, whenever you discard a card due to a creature's ability you may exile it instead. At end of turn return all cards exiled this way to your hand.

Three-card Monty
Sorcery (U)
Target opponent chooses two cards in his or her hand, then reveals the rest. You choose a nonland card from it. That player discards one of the chosen cards at random.
==============================
UB09 – Sorcery OR Instant, , (Cycle)
Black Card
Instant [Uncommon]
Return target creature card from your graveyard to the battlefield. That creature has haste. Sacrifice that creature at the beginning of the next end step.

Sabotage
Instant [Uncommon]
Creatures target opponent controls get -2/-2 until the end of the turn.
Steam-Powered- If only colorless mana was spent to cast ~, that player loses 3 life and you gain 3 life.
"Defense mechanisms disabled. Destroy at will."

Steam Drain
Sorcery
Target player loses 3 life and you gain 3 life.
==============================

[the humanity]

Hymnal Box
a dark rusty music box is open on a shelf of trinkets. The figure is a perfectly made representation of an elvish dancer in ebony.
Focus: the rust looks a lot like bloodstains.
Artifact
Steam Powered- if only colorless mana was spent to cast Hymnal Box, it enters the battlefield with a charge counter on it.
At the beginning of your upkeep, target opponent may pay 1. Otherwise he discards 2 cards, then you draw a card for each charge counter on Hymnal Box and sacrifice Hymnal Box.
The song is beautiful but the meaning painful.

[ryzorz]

Originally Posted by Raptor1210

UB01 – Creature, Splinter
Macabre Taxidermist
Creature - Human Artificer
When ~ enters the battlefield, you may put target creature card from your graveyard onto the battlefield. That creature an artifact in addition to it's other types.
2/2

Karmic Guide & Phyrexian Delver: This effect is rare on a creature, and that this is pretty undercosted.

Originally Posted by Raptor1210

Cruel Gunner
A weathered looking woman specks of red on his jacket stands in a dark Iron City alleyway at night over a body, holding an ingenious steam gun.
Focus: the smirk peering out from under the brim of her hat.
Creature - Human Warrior
First Strike, Deathtouch, Lifelink
2/1

Vampire Nighthawk was bad enough in limited. With deathtouch, -0/-2 and losing flying isn't really equivalent to flying. Would be alright as a rare with +0/+1.

Originally Posted by Raptor1210

Steamdealer 2.0
Creature - Human Advisor Shaman [Uncommon]
At the beginning of your precombat main phase, you lose 1 life and add to your mana pool.
2/2

This is the one, right? I'd rather see the lose 1 life part bleed into red than the add into black.

Smog
Instant [Uncommon]
Until end of turn, if a player taps a land for mana, it produces colorless mana instead of any other type.

Doesn't blue have this as a positive effect, for all players?

Originally Posted by Raptor1210

Mana Pollution
Smokestacks from a factory throwing smog into a huge cloud.
Focus: the cloud.
Enchantment
At the beginning of your upkeep, sacrifice a permanent. If you do, add to your mana pool.
A factory may not put mana waste into moving waters or storage containers. The sky is the safest location for any mana waste, as it will quickly disperse and enrich the soil with mana once again.-Iron City Pollution Laws Article 2, Lines 1-2

This is red.

[MOON-E]

We bled rituals back into black for this set, though always with some kind of trade off (as opposed to the red kind which is usually free. Yes Infernal Plunge exists.)

[ryzorz]

Rituals are never free: they always cost a card. Steamdealer doesn't really have a cost, and Mana Pollution's permanent sacrifice really feels more red than black.
The timing of Pollution's ability makes it a little useless (also a red kind of thing to do.)

[MOON-E]

Yeah i don't like those designs very much either, i was mostly just explaining why they showed up as they did, as opposed to what you would expect out side of this block

[MOON-E]

In other news, Archester is by far the largest thread in the set subforum. Sweet!

[LnGrrrR]

This set may be a really good set to show some "good" black/red guys as well as "bad" black/red guys. Lots of people who wanted a better life went out west to try their hand, so maybe we could do an "Oil tycoon/Railroad baron" kind of card.

[Subbak]

I think there is too much intimidate in the black uncommons proposals so far. It plays badly with artifact creatures, which we have in spades. Together, original Mirrodin block and Scars block had a grand total of 8 creatures with Intimidate of fear, plus one creature which could potentially gain it (Death-Mask duplicant) and a Intimidate-granting equipment.
In Scars block, all such cards performed a main function very different from "being a creature with evasion" : reanimation, very relevant damage trigger, mass evasion granting.
I'm not saying Intimidate has no place in this block, just that it is worse than usual.

Some cards :

UB01
Clock Hunter
Creature - Human Rogue
When ~ enters the battlefield, you may destroy target creature. If you do, put all counters from that creature on ~.
"The elves see a marvel of nature. I see cogs ripe for the taking."
1/1

UB02
Spring Scavenger
Artifact Creature - Zombie Construct
Whenever another artifact creature dies, put a +1/+1 counter on ~.
A twisted mockery of clockwork beasts, it lurks in the marshes waiting for their cogs to fail.
2/1

UB05
Kettle of Vultures
Creature - Bird
Flying
Whenever another creature dies, each opponent loses 1 life and you gain 1 life.
4/3

UB06
Snake Oil Salesman
Creature - Human Spellslinger
, , Discard a card: Each opponent discards a card. If you discarded an artifact card this way, each opponent loses life equal to the converted mana cost of the card he or she discarded. Activate this ability only at any time you could cast a sorcery.
Those who purchase rainwater as pricey "medicine" are the lucky ones.
1/1

re: specific cards, neither Reconstruct the Corpse nor Brawl in the Boiler Room work as intended.
In the first case, it's because you have to select an artifact creature target even if you want the steam-powered bonus. It's easily fixed :

Reconstruct the Corpse
Sorcery
Return up to one target artifact creature card from a graveyard to the battlefield under your control. It gains haste. Exile it at the end of turn.
Steam-powered -- If only colorless mana was spent to cast ~, return target creature card from a graveyard to the battlefield instead. It gains haste. Exile it at the end of turn.

However, Brawl in the Boiler Room has the problem that the creatures don't die until SBA are checked, i.e. until after the resolution of the spell. I don't see a clean way to make this card work.

[l00ke00]

A few Ideas.

Maverick Enforcer:

Maverick Enforcer
In the foreground the back of a man in a long black overcoat and cowboy hat, past him we say an emaciated cowboy with purple or black smoke rising from him.
Creature - Human Spellslinger
T, Discard a card: Target creature gets -2/-2 until end of turn. If an artifact was discarded this way gain 2 life.
2/2

I've also made a Marshall Enforcer for Red but I'll save him for then I suppose. He could go to 3/2 to make him spikey if we want.

"Accidental Oil Spill:

"Accidental" Oil Spill
Sorcery
Destroy target non-basic land, that lands controller discards a card for each land card in their graveyard.
"Of course, the Council will make sure you're compensated in full for ALL your losses." - Andony Carnigig

Cheating at Cards:

Cheating at Cards
A hand holding 5 poker cards, all of them Aces.
Sorcery
Until end of turn, whenever you discard a card due to a creature's ability you may exile it instead. At end of turn return all cards exiled this way to your hand.

I really love the flavor of a dirty card trick in a card game with cowboys in it. I'm not so sure how much I like my actual design here, I just wanted a Black card that worked well with spellslingers and felt like cheating.

[Subbak]

Originally Posted by l00ke00

Cheating at Cards
A hand holding 5 poker cards, all of them Aces.
Sorcery
Until end of turn, whenever you discard a card due to a creature's ability you may exile it instead. At end of turn return all cards exiled this way to your hand.

I really love the flavor of a dirty card trick in a card game with cowboys in it. I'm not so sure how much I like my actual design here, I just wanted a Black card that worked well with spellslingers and felt like cheating.[/SPOILER]

I can't state how much I love this idea! Though I'm not sure why there is a creature clause.

[the humanity]

Originally Posted by Subbak

I can't state how much I love this idea! Though I'm not sure why there is a creature clause.

make it an instant with no creature clause. Also this idea is awesome.

[l00ke00]

Yea, you guys are right, I was making it to limited to it's exact purpose of enabling spellslingers, if we do it this way it also works as anti-discard.

[ryzorz]

So like Pure Intentions? Pretty chaff card if you ask me. The spellslingers are already really good limited creatures; if you insist on having a card to power them up further, something less blunt would be nice:

Contested Trinket
Artifact
At the beginning of your upkeep, you may return ~ from your graveyard to your hand.
something about how people keep digging this thing out of graveyards.