This is the first set of my homebrew block “Upheaval”…no idea if I’ll ever get to finishing the other two (Aftermath and Renewal). I had another thread dedicated to the set, but it’s a bit old now, and also rather cluttered with musings, renders, and outdated information. I’ve got a little bit over a hundred cards designed already – some with artwork and renders, others text-only. What I need is help…if anyone’s willing to help evaluate existing cards, or design new ones, it’d be very much appreciated…it’ll take forever to do it on my own, even assuming I can come up with enough ideas.
Setting/Plotline:
The primary conflict of Cataclysm is a massive war between the “real world” and the “shadow world” (I need a better name for this place), the barrier between them accidentally breached by a greedy mage. This ‘shadow world’, essentially, is a sort of mirror universe inhabited by people’s dreams, fears, and nightmares. It’s a brutal, survival-of-the-fittest environment, with stronger dreams preying on weaker ones, consuming them and their power. The strongest of the shadow denizens can influence the real world on their own though sleeping or dreaming people, forcing themselves into people’s dreams to maintain their place in the status quo. At the top of the food chain is a creature called Netheriax the Uncarnate – once someone’s ultimate nightmare, now so powerful that it sustains itself without need for real dreamers. The only thing that every inhabitant of the netherworld has in common is their hatred for the “real world” and its residents, whom they are dependent on for their existence.
Fast-forward a bit, and meet Ferian Taysir, the chief Proctor of the Valdenos Arcanist Academy (more on the Academy and its Dominion later). Researching the details of countermagic and magical disruptions, he develops a theory that countered spells and absorbed magic is not simply gone, but instead shunted into an alternate plane of pure undiluted mana. This would be the ultimate power source, making a mage capable of tapping into it literally omnipotent, and so Taysir decides to try and do so. He fails, but manages to open a direct portal to the Netherworld…bad things ensue, of course. Specifically, the eternally furious shadow denizens promptly seize their end of the portal and rip it wide open, warping Taysir’s spell back on himself and permanently breeching the division between the two worlds. Ferian Taysir is left a broken, half-alive spirit creature, and countless monsters and living nightmares are flooding into the world, intent on remaking it in their own image forever, with the Uncarnate at their head. Now, the various factions of the world are struggling to fight back the shadowy onslaught, despite barely trusting each other to begin with.
I’m aware of the similarities to Kamigawa, which is why I’m trying to emphasize the dream/nightmare elements as opposed to the existing setting’s animistic spirit/Japanese mythology feel.
The Factions
BLUE – The Valdenos Dominion
Most of the territory claimed by the Valdenos Dominion is open water - the GreatOcean has no major landmasses apart from Hyborial, but is dotted with hundreds of smaller islands of various sizes. The fishermen and sailors who live on the islands are mostly independent, but they are ruled from above by the flying fortress-Academy of Valdenos, to whom they give food and supplies when it passes by. In return, their sons and daughters are occasionally accepted as students at the school, where they learn powerful magics that make their villages' lives much easier once they return. Spells taught at the ValdenosAcademy focus on manipulating the flows of magic itself - amplifying them, altering their path, or even stifling them outright. They are masters at predicting the outcome of future events, and capable of sometimes altering the course of those same events before they happen.
The Dominion and its airborne capital are nearly as old as Salvanar - indeed, they were once part of it. During the reign of Cayliss IV, a group of the kingdom's most powerful mages had been conducting a project scrying on the now-mythical Cayliss I and his followers, and produced a most disturbing hypothesis. According to them, the acclaimed prophet who had convinced Cayliss Ironheart to embark on his conquering crusade was a fraud and a charlatan, lacking any connection to the gods at all. The clergy of the Twins were outraged by the suggestion; unfortunately for the mages, they were also more closely connected with the royal powers, and they convinced Cayliss IV and his advisors that this was intolerable. The mages' theories were heresy at best, and treason at worst, so they were given the choice to go into voluntary exile or be executed. Intending to humiliate the defeated mages, the priests declared that they could settle anywhere they wished, so long as it could not be seen from Salvanar soil. This seemed to limit them to an exile on one of the larger, insignificant islands or to flee into the Khardathan Empire and certain death at the hands of the Empire’s xenophobic residents. Instead, they chose to remain in their gargantuan academy in the heart of Solav - and with one mighty spell from the entire staff and student body, tore it and the stone around it free from the ground. Driving it with magic, they left the shocked and defeated clergy to deal with the colossal crater left behind in their capital city, flying east to the open oceans where they could research in peace.
When Ferian Taysir’s spell goes awry, the Dominion is shattered. The Academy itself is twisted and deformed, almost totally absorbed inside the expanding portal to the Netherworld. Countless experiments and spells-in-progress are set loose to roam, spreading havoc wherever they go. Most of the highest-ranked mages are killed by the disaster, with the survivors fleeing to the hidden citadel of Hakaj to regroup and try to fight back. Of all the factions, the Valdenos survivors are the weakest, disorganized and scattered across the vast ocean they used to rule.
WHITE – The Kingdom of Salvanar
The Kingdom of Salvanar dominates most of the continent that is not part of Khardath, excepting only a few minor polities and the western coastline that belongs to the Valdenos Dominion. Its people are farmers, traders, and nomads, spread across the open plains and sandy deserts of central and southern Anathalia. At its heart sits the massive walled city of Solav, home of the Ivory Throne, King Cayliss XIV, and his loyal Order of the Shining Star. Protection and healing spells make up the magical arsenal for the priests and mages sworn to worship the goddess Alatha, while the adherents of her twin brother Althon take pride in their martial skill and battle magic. Together, the Twin Gods are the sole recognized religion of Salvanar, and worshipped by all but a small fragment of its citizenry.
Similar to Khardath, though much younger, Salvanar was not always one unified nation. In its prehistory, the plains were broken up into a disparate patchwork of feuding tribes and warlords, constantly battling each other and the Khardathi apes of the north. All that changed when a simple, nameless pilgrim appeared in the feasting hall of the warlord Cayliss Ironheart one day. He claimed to be a prophet, chosen by the Twin Gods, and offering blessings of victory if Cayliss began a crusade in their name to unite the plains under one banner. Out of pragmatism as much as piety, Cayliss did so - and became his own first convert, for it seemed true that his army could not lose. Within the space of a century, nearly the entire continent save Khardath was his to command, and he returned to rule as King Cayliss I from the palace and city where his humble log fortress had once stood. He took a daughter of the most powerful desert nomad chieftain as his wife to cement southern loyalties, produced an heir and several younger children...then vanished one day into thin air without a trace. This almost caused a civil war, but his widow had all of her missing husband's courage combined with the fiery spirit of her own people, keeping Salvanar intact through sheer fury and force of will as her son's regent until he came of age as King Cayliss II. There were still casualties, most notably the rogue mages who split from Salvanar and left to form the Valdenos Dominion, but overall, the nation-state has remained steady and successful since then.
Said stability is the only thing that maintains the kingdom when the Shadow War begins – its citizenry trust their leaders by long tradition and force of habit not to fail them, and so far, it has worked well. The holy magic of the Twins’ clergy proves to be an exceptionally effective weapon against the shadow creatures, and the forces of Salvanar soon take the lead in battling the otherwordly invaders. They are aided by benevolent spirits sneaking through the portal in the wake of the breach, memories and echoes of heroes from Salvanar’s legends. But at the same time, rot festers in the form of awakening cells of the Cult of the Nether, undermining local stability and paving the way for total collapse.
RED – The Eternal Empire of Kardath
The Khardathan Empire lies to the far north of Anathalia's main continent, a harsh mountainous region that stretches deep into the arctic circle. Its primary residents are a race of man-sized sentient apes with a proud and warlike demeanor. They live in small, self-sufficient villages amidst the many valleys and slopes of the mountains, though all of them pay allegiance and a yearly tribute to the Mountainlord. The mountaintops and ridges are dotted and crisscrossed with army outpost and watchtowers - some active, some long abandoned, reminders of how Khardath's history was written and signed in blood. Khardathan magic, for its part, is both angrily aggressive and defensive-minded, rooted in the earth and snow of its users' homeland. Khardathan shamans release its fury upon their enemies and any intruders who would dare trespass on Khardathan territory. They have a strong tradition of ancestor worship, along with prayers and offerings given to local spirits of earth and fire. On occasion, either or both can be persuaded to manifest in support of their devotees and descendants.
Countless centuries ago, a shaman by the name of Karong was the first to begin uniting the scattered independent clans into a single entity - first one, then two, then more, one valley and village at a time. By the time he was old, Karong had sculpted himself a small dominion of fifteen adjacent valleys, and declared himself the first Mountainlord of Khardath. From the mighty and forbidding IcepeakCastle, his successors took up that mantle, expanding the borders of Khardath right down to the foothills on the edge of the lowland plains, and up to where the mountains gave way to sheets of sheer ice and temperatures even an ape could not withstand. The expansion was slow, stretching over hundreds of years, but also relentless - it is a point of pride for any Khardathan that they never surrender ground in a war, and have never been successfully invaded by any outside foe. Indeed, it is their martial traditions that drive most of Khardathan culture, with only the army of Salvanar preventing the expansionistic apes from unleashing their legions upon the lowland plains.
(Un)fortunately, it takes more than a pending invasion by an infinite army of nightmarish monsters to shake the Empire’s institutional pride in victory. They are used to their hostile borders driving away most foes, and so underestimate the dangers of an enemy that moves unrestricted by anything so merely physical as mountains and snow. They ready for war, but as usual, it is a defensive war, intended to merely preserve their borders as they have for ages, and let the lowland savages fend for themselves. In full swing, the imperial legions would be a force to be reckoned with, but even with impending doom, Salvanar’s own armies stand ready to repel any incursion from the north – for if the ape-men begin to march across the plains, who knows where they will stop?
GREEN – Hyborial Isle
Even more isolationist than Kardath, if it were possible, are the peace-loving inhabitants of the massive subtropical island Hyborial, on the opposite edge of the GreatOcean from Salvanar’s western coastline. The elves dwelling there care absolutely nothing for the world outside the island that they have cultivated for centuries, turning it into a paradise of life and prosperity. Their magic is that of life and growth, energizing the island’s natural environment and staving off even the worst of ill effects and sicknesses. They are not actively hostile towards outsiders, merely indifferent. A handful of Valdenos trade ship stop at Hyborial occasionally, exchanging a portion of the elves’ bounty of crops for finished products and raw materials unobtainable in the jungles, but no resident of Hyborial has left the island itself in the world’s collective memory. Very little is known of their society or apparently collectively decided governmental structure.
This introverted attitude evaporates when the Breaching occurs. Peace-loving, but also pragmatic, the druids of Hyborial are all too aware of what will eventually happen to them if the rest of the world falls beneath the power of shadow. The sheer vitality imbued into the island’s very soil holds back the worst of the dark forces, but too many plants and animals have already been corrupted. But Hyborial has been cut off from the other nations of the world too long; their expertise in restoration and regeneration would be invaluable to cure the damage caused by the nether armies, but no one has thought to ask their aid, and they themselves have lost the art of diplomacy to the point of seeming as dangerous an invader as the shadows.
BLACK – Cult of the Nether
Not all humans in the world are opposed to the Netherworld invasion. Netheriax and its minions never anticipated Ferian Taysir’s rash experiment, but all the same, they have been sowing the seeds for their eventual revenge against the waking world since the beginning of time. The Cult of the Nether is rooted into hundreds of towns and cities, men and women from all walks of life seduced by whispering voices in their dreams, promising power and wealth unimaginable in exchange for their aid during the promised uprising. In some cases, entire families are co-opted by the shadows, their oaths of servitude passed down from grandfather to father to son to grandson.
Now, with the Uncarnate’s hordes on the march, the Cult’s members know their time has come at last. The whispers in their heads are louder than ever, and audible when they are both sleeping and awake. They commit acts of sabotage, theft, and murder to undermine the stability of Salvanar and weaken its ability to resist the shadow armada. The Cult is weaker in Kardath, and virtually unknown on Hyborial, but in both places, the few members it possesses do the same, aiming to disrupt attempts to take action against the shadows, or send aid to the besieged Salvanar.
Cataclysm By The Numbers:
Total Projected Cards: 300 Division by Color: 50 W, 50 B, 50 G, 50 R, 50 U, 25 Artifact, 5 Lands, 20 Basic Lands) Division by Rarity: 115 Common, 85 Uncommon, 85 Rare, 20 BasicLand
The Removed from Game zone is my primary untapped (J) design resource. Via the Memory mechanic, cards removed from the game will still have an influence on the game state.
New Mechanics:
Memory and Ethereal
Memory is a new supertype, like Snow or Legendary. It appears on cards representing entities and concepts from the aforementioned “shadow realm”, both benevolent and hostile. Any memory card always also bears the keyword Ethereal (whenever this card would be put into a graveyard from anywhere, instead reveal it, then remove it from the game). This is indicative of the spell’s temporary, ephemeral nature – once it leaves the world, it’s gone forever – almost.
Examples:
Harmonic Study 3UU Memory Sorcery Ethereal (If this card would be put into a graveyard from anywhere, instead reveal it, then remove it from the game.) Scry 1, then draw a card, then Scry 1, then draw a card, then Scry 1, then draw a card. Repeated verbatim for countless centuries, the rote lessons of the Academy imbued themselves into the very stones that gave it shape.
Venerable Ascetic 1WW Creature – Human Cleric T: Prevent the next 2 damage that would be dealt to target creature or player. If you own a white memory that’s removed from the game, prevent the next 3 damage that would be dealt to target creature or player instead. 1/2
Revenge Revenge is best likened to a “reverse kicker”. Certain creatures and other cards will have a Revenge cost that can be paid when it goes into the graveyard or is removed from the game, with an additional bonus effect if you pay the Revenge cost.
Example:
Kardathan Firemage 3R Creature – Ape Shaman Revenge 1R (When this card is put into a graveyard from play or removed from the game, you may pay 1R) When Kardathan Firemage’s revenge cost is paid, it deals 3 damage to target creature or player. 3/1
Returning non-Vanilla Mechanics:
Universal: Vanishing, Shadow. Both of these are quite evocative of the interaction between the ‘shadow world’ and the ‘real world’, and the things that only exist partially in one, the other, or both.
White: Absorb, Lifelink. White has lots of damage prevention and lifegain.
Red: Vigilance. Yes, it’s normally a French vanilla keyword, but it doesn’t usually show up in Red. Here, Vigilance represents the Kardathan Empire’s violent distrust of outsiders and their constant warlike attitude. In Cataclysm, red benefits from the Vengeance-style effects that would normally be attributed to White, but usually requiring the creature to have successfully dealt damage to you or otherwise harmed you or your creatures first; Kardathan shaman magic is most deadly when used on Kardathan soil.
Green: Green doesn’t have any unusual keywords, though it possesses many of the usual green traits like trampling fatties, regeneration, and mana acceleration.
Black: Deathtouch. Shadow is most prevalent in black, and Black also has a strong milling subtheme attached to many of its cards.
Blue: Fateseal and Scry. Blue likes library manipulation.
A text spoiler of my current creations will be appearing shortly.
Acaleph 3UU Creature – Beast (U) Flying 4/3 Born in a dream, alive as a nightmare.
Apprentice Scribe U (C)
Creature - Human Wizard
Revenge U (When this card is put into a graveyard from play or removed from the game, you may pay U.)
When Apprentice Scribe's revenge cost is paid, draw a card.
1/1
Brain Trader 1UU (U)
Creature - Mutant
When Brain Trader deals combat damage to an opponent, you may pay X. If you do, gain control of target permanent with converted mana cost X. That permanent's owner gains control of Brain Trader.
1/1
Call to Mind 5U (C) Sorcery Draw a card for each card target player drew this turn.
Chaotic Residue 2U (C)
Enchantment - Aura
Enchant Creature
At the beginning of each player's upkeep, enchanted creature gains that player's choice of flying, first strike, or shroud until end of turn.
Ferian Tasir, Lost Proctor 4UUU (R) Legendary Memory Creature – Wizard Shadow, ethereal (If this card would be put into a graveyard from anywhere, instead reveal it, then remove it from the game.) Whenever a player would draw a card, you may look at the top card of that player’s library, then put it on the top or bottom of their library instead. Then, that player puts the top card of their library into their hand. Whenever Ferian Taisr, Lost Proctor deals combat damage to a player, you may draw a card. 3/4
Fragmented Futures U (C) Sorcery Look at the top card and bottom card of target player’s library, then put one on the top and one on the bottom of that player’s library. What use is a prophecy without a subject or prediction?
Glimpse of Eternities 2U (U) Instant Buyback 1UU Fateseal X, where X is target spell’s converted mana cost.
Hakaj Archivist 2U (C) UUT: Counter target memory spell. 1/3 “The past is illusion, a figment created to explain the workings of the present.” - Dayphin, chief librarian of Hakaj
Hakaj Spellguards 3UU (R) Legendary Creature – Human Wizard Whenever you successfully counter a spell, you may return target permanent to its owner’s hand. 2UUT, discard two cards from your hand: Counter target spell. 2/5
Harmonic Study 3UU (U) Memory Sorcery Ethereal (If this card would be put into a graveyard from anywhere, instead reveal it, then remove it from the game.) Scry 1, then draw a card, then Scry 1, then draw a card, then Scry 1, then draw a card. Repeated verbatim for countless centuries, the rote lessons of the Academy imbued themselves into the very stones that gave it shape.
Innovate X1U (U) Instant Spend only blue mana on X. Counter target spell with converted mana cost X or less. Reveal the top X cards of your library, then put one of them in your hand and the rest on the bottom of your library in any order.
Intangible Instructor 2UU (U) Memory Creature – Spirit Flying, Ethereal (If this card would be put into a graveyard from anywhere, instead reveal it, then remove it from the game.) 2/3 Absent-minded, absent-bodied.
Kismetite UUU (U)
Creature - Mutant
Flash
When Kismetite comes into play, choose a number. U: Reveal the top card of target player's library. If that card's converted mana cost is equal to the number chosen for Kismetite, put a +1/+1 counter on Kismetite. Play this ability no more than once each turn.
2/3
Phantasmic Reversal [mana3U[/mana] (R)
Sorcery
Memory permanents are no longer memory and lose Ethereal.
Non-memory permanents become memory and gain Ethereal.
These effects occure simultaneously and do not end at end of turn.
Plasmagneto 1U (C) Creature – Elemental Whenever a spell or ability is put on the stack, if that spell or ability could target Plasmagneto, it must target Plasmagneto. 1/2 Free of both life and captivity, it swallows errant magic with an unceasing hunger.
Random Transposition 1U (C) Sorcery Return target permanent to its owner’s hand, then reveal the top card of its owner’s library. If a card revealed in this way shares a type with the returned permanent, that card’s owner may put it into play.
Reality Ripple 2UU (U) Sorcery Put target permanent on top of its owner’s library. If you own a blue Memory card that’s been removed from the game, this card has flash.
Recurrent Research 1U (C) Instant Draw a card. At the beginning of your upkeep, if Recurrent Research is in your graveyard, return target permanent to its owner’s hand. If you do, remove Recurrent Research from the game.
Rite of Visions 4U (U) Enchantment Whenever you, a card you own, or a spell you control becomes the target of a spell or ability, tap or untap target permanent.
Truths of the Forgotten 2UU (U) Memory Sorcery Ethereal (If this card would be put into a graveyard from anywhere, instead reveal it, then remove it from the game.) Scry X, where X is one plus the number of memory cards you own removed from the game, then draw two cards. Their knowledge remains to enlighten the curious.
Unravel 2UU (U) Instant Remove target spell from the game. “I can’t hold it together! I’m looosing coooooonnntttrrroolll..........”
Wandering Anomaly UU (C) Creature – Elemental Shadow, shroud, ethereal (If this card would be put into a graveyard from anywhere, instead reveal it, then remove it from the game.)
Antecedent Ward 3W (U) Memory Enchantment – Aura Ethereal (If this card would be put into a graveyard from anywhere, instead reveal it, then remove it from the game.) Enchant target creature. When enchanted creature is put into a graveyard from play, put a token into play under its owner’s control that's a copy of the enchanted creature except that it is white.
Blessings of the Forgotten 2WW (U) Memory Sorcery Ethereal (If this card would be put into a graveyard from anywhere, instead reveal it, then remove it from the game.) Gain X life, where X is two plus twice the number of memory cards you own removed from the game. Their gifts remain to heal the worthy.
Ephemeral Barrier WW (C) Creature - Wall Absorb 1, Defender, Flash Ephemeral Barrier can block creatures with shadow as though they did not have shadow. 2/4
Guardian of the Vault 3WW (R) Memory Creature – Human Wizard Ethereal (If this card would be put into a graveyard from anywhere, instead reveal it, then remove it from the game.) All creatures, creature cards, and creature spells are memory and gain Ethereal as long as Guardian of the Vault remains in play. 1/5
King Cayliss I, Warden of Ages 4WWW (R) Legendary Memory Creature - Soldier First strike, lifelink, ethereal (If this card would be put into a graveyard from anywhere, instead reveal it, then remove it from the game.) <SPanStylE=">"font-family:TimESNEWRoman">"><fontSizE=">"">">T</ont></Pan>: You may play target instant or sorcery removed from the game as though it were in your hand this turn. If you do, put that spell on the bottom of its owner’s library once it leaves the stack. 5/5
Knight of the Vault 3W (U) Creature – Spirit Knight Flanking, Protection from memory 3/3
Illuminate X1W (U) Instant Spend only white mana on X. The next X damage that would be dealt to target creature is dealt to target creature instead. You gain X life.
Indecision 2W (C)
Enchantment
Creatures with vigilance get +0/+1 and gain "this creature cannot attack unless you pay 2".
Leap of Faith 1W (C) Instant Target attacking creature gains +1/+0 and your choice of either flying or first strike until end of turn.
Open The Vault 1WW (U) Memory Instant Ethereal (If this card would be put into a graveyard from anywhere, instead reveal it, then remove it from the game.) Until end of turn, all cards removed from the game become memory. Until end of turn, all cards, spells, and permanents have Ethereal.
Prehistoric Albatross 5W (C) Creature – Bird Flying, Protection from green 5/5 Extinct ten thousand years before the Breaching, they now ply the skies in search of prey far younger than them.
Relentless Exorcist 3W (U)
Creature - Human Cleric
Relentless Exorcist is unblockable if the defending player controls a memory permanent.
Relentless Exorcist gets -1/-1 for each memory permanent you control.
3/3
Resounding Recovery 1W (C) Instant Prevent the next 3 damage that would be dealt to target creature or player. At the beginning of your upkeep, if Resounding Recovery is in your graveyard, gain 3 life. If you do, remove Resounding Recovery from the game.
Rite of Vitality 4W (U) Enchantment Whenever you, a card you own, or a spell you control becomes the target of a spell or ability, put a shield counter on Rite of Vitality. Remove a shield counter from Rite of Vitality: Prevent the next 1 damage that would dealt to target creature or player this turn.
Seal The Borders X1WW (R) Enchantment Seal The Borders comes into play with X shield counters on it. At the beginning of your upkeep, you may sacrifice Seal The Borders. Creatures you control without flying cannot attack or block. Whenever you would be dealt combat damage, prevent that damage and remove a shield counter from Seal The Borders.
Spectral Vanguard 3W (C) Memory Creature- Spirit Soldier Ethereal 3/4 When their nightmares awoke to torment them, they called on their dreams to protect them.
Storytelling W (C) Enchantment Whenever a memory spell is played, you may pay 1. If you do, gain 1 life.
Tireless Defender 1W (C) Memory Creature – Spirit Ethereal (If this card would be put into a graveyard from anywhere, instead reveal it, then remove it from the game.) Whenever Tireless Defender deals or is dealt combat damage, you gain 1 life. 1/1
Trapped in Myth 1W (C) Memory Enchantment - Aura Ethereal, Vanishing 4 Enchant Creature When Trapped in Myth has no time counters on it, remove enchanted creature from the game.
Valiant Defense WW (C) Instant All damage that would be dealt to target creature you control is dealt to another target creature you control instead. Draw a card.
Venerable Ascetic 1WW (U) Creature – Human Cleric T: Prevent the next 2 damage that would be dealt to target creature or player. If you own a white memory that’s removed from the game, prevent the next 3 damage that would be dealt to target creature or player instead. 1/2
Wardens of the Shining Star 3WW (R) Legendary Creature – Human Knight Flanking, Absorb 3 T: The next 3 damage that would be dealt to target creature you control is dealt to Wardens of the Shining Star instead. T: The next 3 damage that would be dealt to Wardens of the Shining Star is dealt to another target creature you control instead. 3/3
RED (21)
Anger of the Forgotten 2RR (U) Memory Sorcery Ethereal (If this card would be put into a graveyard from anywhere, instead reveal it, then remove it from the game.) Deal X damage divided as you like amongst any number of target creatures or players, where X is 1 plus the number of memory cards you own removed from the game. Their hatred remains to punish the wicked.
Blazing Revenant 5R (U) Memory Creature – Spirit Haste, ethereal (If this card would be put into a graveyard from anywhere, instead reveal it, then remove it from the game.), Revenge 0 (you pay pay 0 as this card leaves play). 1R: Blazing Revenant gets +1/+0 until end of turn. When you pay Blazing Revenant’s Revenge cost, it deals damage equal to its power to target creature. 4/2
Blood For Blood 1RRR (R)
Enchantment
Whenever a noncreature permanent you control is put into a graveyard from play or removed from the game, target player sacrices a noncreature permanent they control.
Border Sentry 1R (C) Creature – Ape Scout Creatures with mountainwalk attacking you may be blocked as though they did not have mountainwalk. 1/1
Cinderstorm 3RR (R) Sorcery Deal 3 damage to each creature. Each creature damaged in this way deals 1 damage to its controller.
Emberling 1R (C) Memory Creature – Elemental Haste, ethereal (If this card would be put into a graveyard from anywhere, instead reveal it, then remove it from the game.)
Eradicating Avalanche 4R (U) Instant Deal 5 damage to all creatures that dealt combat damage this turn. “For the last time, you maggots have got to stop making SO MUCH NOISE!” - last words of countless generals invading Kardathian territory.
Hide-Carved Wyrm 4RR (R) Creature – Dragon Flying 1R: Hide-Carved Wyrm gets +1/0 until end of turn. Whenever Hide-Carved Wyrm is dealt damage by a spell or ability, it deals 1 damage to that spell or ability’s owner. 4/6 Every scale bears a rune, every dragon a saga.
Hussars of Icepeak Castle 3RR (R) Legendary Creature – Ape Warrior Hussars of Icepeak Castle can block any number of creatures. If Hussars of Icepeak Castle blocks or is blocked by two different creatures, it gets +1/+1 and first strike until end of turn. If Hussars of Icepeak Castle blocks or is blocked by three or more different creatures, it gets +2/+2 and double strike until end of turn. 4/4
Icepeak Legionnaire 3R (U)
Creature - Ape Warrior
Trample
Whenever you are dealt damage, put a +1/+1 counter on Icepeak Legionnaire.
2/2
Immolate XRR (U) Sorcery Spend only red mana to pay X. Immolate deals X damage to target creature and X damage to that creature's controller.
Impulsiveness 2R (C)
Enchantment
Creatures with haste get +1/+0 and cannot block.
Kardathan Firemage 3R (U) Creature – Ape Shaman Revenge 1R (When this card is put into a graveyard from play or removed from the game, you may pay 1R) When Kardathan Firemage’s revenge cost is paid, it deals 3 damage to target creature or player. 3/1
Kardathan Sentinel 2R (C) Creature – Ape Warrior First Strike, Vigilance 1/3 No one enters Kardath without the sentinel’s knowledge. Few go far without the sentinels’ blessing.
Kardathan Talespinner 3R (C) Creature – Ape Shaman When Kardathan Talespinner comes into play, if you own a red Memory card that’s removed from the game, Kardathan Talespinner deals 2 damage to each creature you don’t control. 3/2
Mountainlord Karong 4RRR (R) Legendary Memory Creature – Shaman Haste, ethereal (If this card would be put into a graveyard from anywhere, instead reveal it, then remove it from the game.) Whenever a creature you control is dealt damage from a spell or ability, Mountainlord Karong deals that much damage to target creature. Whenever you are dealt damage from a spell or ability, Mountainlord Karong deals that much damage to target player. 4/5
Rejection R (C) Instant Return target creature that dealt combat damage this turn to its owner’s hand. “Begone, invader! Your like shall not defile Kardathian snow any longer.” - Mountainlord Karong
Resonating Wrath 1R (C) Instant Deal 2 damage to target creature. At the beginning of your upkeep, if Resonating Wrath is in your graveyard, deal 2 damage to target player. If you do, remove Resonating Wrath from the game.
Rite of Vengeance 4R (U) Enchantment Whenever you, a card you own, or a spell you control becomes the target of a spell or ability, Rite of Vengeance deals 1 damage to target creature or player.
Unbound Anger 1RR (U) Sorcery As an additional cost to play Unbound Anger, sacrifice a creature. Target creature gets +X/+0 until end of turn, where X is the sacrificed creature's power.
Undermine 1RR (U)
Sorcery
Destroy target non-Mountain land. Undermine deals 2 damage to a creature that land's owner controls.
GREEN (18)
Ageless Behemoth 5GG (U) Memory Creature - Beast Vanishing 3, Ethereal (If this card would be put into a graveyard from anywhere, instead reveal it, then remove it from the game.) When Ageless Behemoth would leave play, if it had no time counters on it, instead remove it from the game with two time counters on it. Suspend 4 — 2GG 7/6
Entangling Vines 2GG (U) Enchantment Whenever a creature becomes tapped, you may pay 1. If you do, put a vine counter on Entangling Vines. Remove a vine counter from Entangling Vines: Target creature gets -1/-0 until end of turn.
Gardener of Hope 3G (C) Creature – Elf Druid Whenever a land comes into play under your control, add one mana to your mana pool of any color that land could produce. 1/3
Grovebound Watcher 2G (U) Memory Creature – Dryad Spirit Ethereal (If this card would be put into a graveyard from anywhere, instead reveal it, then remove it from the game.) As long as you own a green Memory card that’s removed from the game, Grovebound Watcher gets +1/+1 and has “ GG,T: Regenerate this creature”. 2/3
Hyborial Coast-Guard 1GG (C) Creature – Elf Warrior Protection from Blue 2/2 Tireless and efficient, the coast-guards patrol their island’s watery borders on watch for any unwanted visitors.
Innervate X1G (U)
Instant
Target creature gets +X/+X until end of turn. Put X 1/1 green Saproling tokens into play under your control.
Jungle Sage 1GG (U) Creature – Elf Druid Revenge GG (When this card is put into a graveyard from play or removed from the game, you may pay GG). When Jungle Sage’s revenge cost is paid, put 2 +1/+1 counters divided as you like amongst any number of target creatures.
Manasurge G (C) Sorcery Add G to your mana pool, then add G to your mana pool for each other spell played this turn. Nothing is wasted on Hyborial; even excess mana scraps are painstakingly collected till they can fuel a useful spell.
Mistyreed Vanguard 3G (U) Creature – Beast Flying G, Return Mistyreed Vanguard to its owner’s hand: Target attacking creature deals no combat damage this turn. 3/3 Naturally cautious, the grifferines of Hyborial make excellent scouts when paired with a rider to teach them what to fear.
Patchwork Restoration 2G (C) Memory Enchantment Vanishing 5, Ethereal (If this card would be put into a graveyard from anywhere, instead reveal it, then remove it from the game.) At end of turn, you gain 2 life.
Prowling Growler 2GG (C) Creature – Beast 4/4 Some things never change as time goes by - such as the cycle of predator and prey.
Rabid Wolverine GG
Creature - Beast
3/2 Only in a dream could something this small be that hungry.
Repeated Renewal 1G (C) Instant Regenerate target creature. At the beginning of your upkeep, if Repeated Renewal is in your graveyard, put two +1/+1 counters on target creature. If you do, remove Repeated Renewal from the game.
Rite of Vigor 4G (U) Enchantment Whenever you, a card you own, or a spell you control becomes the target of a spell or ability, you gain 2 life.
Sylvan Echo G (C)
Memory Creature - Spirit
Ethereal (If this card would be put into a graveyard from anywhere, remove it from the game instead.)
0/2
Spirit-Council of Hyborial 4GGG (R) Legendary Memory Creature - Druid Vigilance, ethereal (If this card would be put into a graveyard from anywhere, instead reveal it, then remove it from the game.) Spirit-Council of Hyborial comes into play with seven +1/+1 counters on it. If Spirit-Council of Hyborial would be destroyed, instead remove a +1/+1 counter and all damage from it. If you can’t, remove Spirit-Council of Hyborial from the game. 0/0
Spirit-Council Attendants 3GG (R) Legendary Creature – Elf Druid Whenever Spirit-Council Attendants is dealt combat damage, add G to your mana pool for each point of damage dealt to it. This mana doesn’t cause mana burn. Until end of turn, this mana doesn’t empty from your mana pool as phases end. Whenever a nonland sourse adds any amount of mana to your mana pool, you may gain that much life. 1/6
Strength of the Forgotten 2GG (U) Memory Sorcery Ethereal (If this card would be put into a graveyard from anywhere, instead reveal it, then remove it from the game.) Place X +1/+1 counters divided as you like amongst any number of target creatures, where X is one plus the number of Memory cards you own removed from the game. Their power remains to bolster the courageous.
BLACK (24)
Chosen of Netheriax 3BB (R) Legendary Creature – Skeleton Assassin Fear Whenever Chosen of Netheriax deals combat damage, put a -1/-1 counter on target creature. Whenever a player discards a card, you may put the top card of target player’s library into their graveyard. 3/2
Cursed Heirloom 1B (U)
Enchantment - Aura
Enchant Creature
Whenever enchanted creature is put into a graveyard from play or removed from the game, attach Cursed Heirloom to target creature. 1B: Enchanted creature get -1/-1 until end of turn.
Curses of the Forgotten 2BB (U) Memory Sorcery Ethereal (If this card would be put into a graveyard from anywhere, instead reveal it, then remove it from the game.) Target player puts the top X cards of their library into their graveyard, where X is one plus the number of Memory cards you own removed from the game. Their loathing remains to corrupt the impure.
Danse Macabre 6BB (R) Memory Sorcery Ethereal (If this card would be put into a graveyard from anywhere, instead reveal it, then remove it from the game.) Kicker 3B Return a total of X creature cards from one or more graveyards to play under your control, where X is the amount of combat damage dealt to all players this turn. If you paid the kicker cost, Danse Macabre has flash, and X is equal to the amount of combat damage dealt to all creatures and players this turn instead.
Dark Sun 2BB (R) Enchantment At the beginning of your upkeep, creatures you control get +1/+0 until end of turn. At the beginning of each opponent’s upkeep, creatures you don’t control get -1/-0 until end of turn. All that is good and natural cowers under the baleful glare of Anathalia’s new shadowy sun.
Eidolic Assassin 4B (U) Memory Creature – Spirit Fear, Ethereal (If this card would be put into a graveyard from anywhere, instead reveal it, then remove it from the game.) 3/4
Forlorn Shade 1B (C) Memory Creature – Shade Shadow, Ethereal (If this card would be put into a graveyard from anywhere, instead reveal it, then remove it from the game.) B: Forlorn Shade gets +1/+1 until end of turn. At end of turn, if this ability has been used three or more times, sacrifice Forlorn Shade. 0/1 They will stop at nothing in pursuit of their foes, even if it costs them their soul.
Harbinger of Lethe 3BB (R) Creature – Specter Flying Whenever Harbinger of Lethe deals combat damage to a player, that player discards a card from their hand. Whenever an opponent discards one or more cards, put a +1/+1 counter on Harbinger of Lethe. 2/2 Its touch removes all memories, including that of its own existence.
Iniquitous Substitution 3BBB (R) Sorcery Destroy target non-black creature, then put a creature token into play under your control that is a copy of the destroyed creature except that it is black.
Intoxicate X1B (U)
Instant
Target creature gets -X/-X until end of turn. That creature's controller removes the top X cards of their library from the game.
Netheriax the Uncarnate 4BBB (R) Legendary Memory Creature – Horror Flying, ethereal (If this card would be put into a graveyard from anywhere, instead reveal it, then remove it from the game.) Whenever Netheriax the Uncarnate deals combat damage to a creature, remove that creature from the game. Whenever Netheriax the Uncarnate deals combat damage to a player, choose a card at random from that player’s hand and remove it from the game. Whenever a card is removed from the game, target player loses 1 life. 6/5
Nethertouched Acolyte 3B (U) Creature – Human Rogue T: Target Memory creature gets +2/+1 until end of turn. T, sacrifice Nethertouched Acolyte: Target Memory creature gets +4/+2 until end of turn. 2/2
Oblivion’s Attendant 3BB (R) Creature – Human Wizard All cards and permanents with Ethereal lose Ethereal as long as Oblivion’s Attendant is in play. All cards, spells, and permanents with the Memory supertype lose that supertype as long as Oblivion’s Attendant is in play. When Oblivion’s Attendant leaves play, remove all cards with Ethereal in all graveyards from the game. 1/5
Paranoia B (C) Instant Target creature gains protection from spells and permanents its owner controls until end of turn. Trust nobody and nothing. Trust yourself least of all.
Retainer of Dusk 1B (C)
Creature - Human Assassin
Revenge 2B (When this card is put into a graveyard from play or removed from the game, you may pay 2B.)
Retainer of Dusk can't block.
When Retainer of Dusk's revenge cost is paid, destroy target non-black creature.
2/1
Reverberating Rot 1B (C) Instant Target player discards a card. At the beginning of your upkeep, if Reverberating Rot is in your graveyard, target player puts the top two cards of their library into their graveyard. If you do, remove Reverberating Rot from the game.
Rite of Vice 4B (U) Enchantment Whenever you, a card you own, or a spell you control becomes the target of a spell or ability, target opponent puts the top card of their library into their graveyard.
Shadowrift B (C) Enchantment Whenever a memory spell is played, you may pay 1. If you do, target player loses 1 life.
Skulking Cultist 2R (U) Creature – Human Rogue Skulking Cultist comes into play with a disguise counter on it. When Skulking Cultist becomes the target of a spell or ability, remove a disguise counter from it. If you do, change the target of that spell or ability to another legal target of your choice. The spell or ability’s owner remains unchanged. 2/1
Touch of Netheriax 2BB (U) Memory Instant Ethereal (If this card would be put into a graveyard from anywhere, instead reveal it, then remove it from the game.) Remove target creature from the game. Its controller loses 1 life. “Your existence...never was...” - Netheriax the Uncarnate
Umbral Oracle 3B (U) Creature – Spirit Cleric TBB: Target player reveals a card from their hand and the top card of their library. Choose one card revealed in this way and discard it. If you own a black Memory card that’s removed from the game, discard all cards revealed in this way instead. 2/2
Unbound Voidwraith BB (U) Memory Creature – Wraith Vanishing 6, Ethereal (If this card would be put into a graveyard from anywhere, instead reveal it, then remove it from the game.) Unbound Voidwraith gets -1/-1 for each time counter on it. 7/7 As they draw near to the void, their power to take you with them grows stronger.
Wraithling BB (C) Creature – Zombie Deathtouch, First Strike 0/1 Some of the most dangerous shadow creatures are those that look the most harmless at first glance.
MULTICOLOR (3)
Discognant Dispersal XUB (U) Instant Counter target spell unless its controller pays X. If they do, the spell’s controller loses X life.
Oathsworn Armada 3WBB (R) Legendary Memory Creature – Skeleton Ethereal (If this card would be put into a graveyard from anywhere, instead reveal it, then remove it from the game.) Oathbound Armada gets +1/+1 for each Memory card removed from the game. 3/3 They took an vow to serve the crown of Salvanar - but no one predicted that the crown would be stolen.
Split Personality 2UR (U) Enchantment - Aura Enchant Creature Enchanted creature has haste. At the beginning of each player’s upkeep, that player gains control of enchanted creature and untaps it. When Split Personality leaves play, enchanted creature’s owner gains control of it.
ARTIFACT (9)
Depleted Power Cell 3 (U) Artifact TXX: Put X charge counters on Depleted Power Cell. T, remove X charge counters from Depleted Power Cell: Add X to your mana pool.
Emblem of Might 4 (U) Memory Artifact Ethereal (If this card would be put into a graveyard from anywhere, instead reveal it, then remove it from the game.) During your upkeep, if Emblem of Might has four or more charge counters on it, sacrifice it. Whenever a green permanent leaves play, put a charge counter on Emblem of Might. When Emblem of Might leaves play, put a +1/+1 counter on target creature for each charge counter on it.
Emblem of Insight 4 (U) Memory Artifact Ethereal (If this card would be put into a graveyard from anywhere, instead reveal it, then remove it from the game.) During your upkeep, if Emblem of Insight has four or more charge counters on it, sacrifice it. Whenever a blue permanent leaves play, put a charge counter on Emblem of Insight. When Emblem of Insight leaves play, target player draws a card for each charge counter on it.
Emblem of Fury 4 (U) Memory Artifact Ethereal (If this card would be put into a graveyard from anywhere, instead reveal it, then remove it from the game.) During your upkeep, if Emblem of Fury has four or more charge counters on it, sacrifice it. Whenever a red permanent leaves play, put a charge counter on Emblem of Fury. When Emblem of Fury leaves play, it deals 1 damage to target creature or player for each charge counter on it.
Emblem of Essence 4 (U) Memory Artifact Ethereal (If this card would be put into a graveyard from anywhere, instead reveal it, then remove it from the game.) During your upkeep, if Emblem of Essence has four or more charge counters on it, sacrifice it. Whenever a white permanent leaves play, put a charge counter on Emblem of Essence. When Emblem of Essence leaves play, target player gains 2 life for each charge counter on it.
Emblem of Despair 4 (U) Memory Artifact Ethereal (If this card would be put into a graveyard from anywhere, instead reveal it, then remove it from the game.) During your upkeep, if Emblem of Despair has four or more charge counters on it, sacrifice it. Whenever a black permanent leaves play, put a charge counter on Emblem of Despair. When Emblem of Despair leaves play, target player discards a card for each charge counter on it.
Epoch Golem 3 (C) Artifact Creature – Golem Epoch Golem gets +1/+0 for each color among Memory cards you own that are removed from the game. Epoch Golem gets +0/+1 for each type among Memory cards you own that are removed from the game (The card types are artifact, creature, enchantment, instant, planeswalker, sorcery, and tribal). 1/1
Mask of the Nether 1 (C) Artifact – Equipment 2: Equipped creature gets -1/-1 and shadow until end of turn. Equip 2
Panacea Oil 2 Artifact Costs you pay as part of triggered abilities cost 1 less. This cannot reduce the cost of any such ability to less than 1.
Timeworn Textbook 4 (U) Artifact Sacrifice Timeworn Textbook: Draw two cards, then remove a card in your hand from the game. Sacrifice Timeworn Textbook: Scry 3, then draw three cards, then remove two cards in your hand from the game. Play this ability only if you own a Memory card with converted mana cost of 4 or more that’s removed from the game.
Vault of Epochs 6 (R) Legendary Memory Artifact Ethereal (If this card would be put into a graveyard from anywhere, instead reveal it, then remove it from the game.) Vault of Epochs doesn’t untap during your untap step. T: Target Memory spell cannot be countered by spells or abilities. T: Target Memory creature is unblockable until end of turn. Discard a Memory card or sacrifice a Memory: Untap Vault of Epochs. Play this ability only once each turn.
LAND (5)
Alcazar, Bastion of the Stalwart (R) Legendary Land Alcazar, Bastion of the Stalwart comes into play tapped. When this card comes into play, sacrifice it unless you sacrifice a Plains you control. T: Add WW to your mana pool. WT: Prevent the next 1 damage that would be dealt to target creature or player. If there are more white Memory cards than any other color of Memory card removed from the game, prevent the next 2 damage dealt instead.
Hakaj, Isolate Academy (R) Legendary Land Hakaj, Isolate Academy comes into play tapped. When this card comes into play, sacrifice it unless you sacrifice an Island you control. T: Add UU to your mana pool. UT: Fateseal 1 (look at the top 1 cards of target player’s library, then put those cards back on the top of bottom of their library in any order). If there are more blue Memory cards than any other color of Memory card removed from the game, Fateseal 2 instead.
Iverian, Sanctum of Solitude (R) Legendary Land Iverian, Sanctum of Solitude comes into play tapped. When this card comes into play, sacrifice it unless you sacrifice an Island you control. T: Add GG to your mana pool. GT: Gain 1 life. If there are more green Memory cards than any other color of Memory card removed from the game, gain 2 life instead.
Nihilos, Citadel of Oblivion (R) Legendary Land Nihilos, Citadel of Oblivion comes into play tapped. When this card comes into play, sacrifice it unless you sacrifice a Swamp you control. T: Add BB to your mana pool. BT: Target creature gets -1/-1 until end of turn. If there are more black Memory cards than any other color of Memory card removed from the game, that creature gets -2/-2 until end of turn instead.
Shambala, Kardathan Refuge (R) Legendary Land Shambala, Kardathan Refuge comes into play tapped. When this card comes into play, sacrifice it unless you sacrifice a Mountain you control. T: Add RR to your mana pool. TR: Deal 1 damage to target player. If there are more red Memory cards than any other color Memory card removed from the game, deal 2 damage to target player instead.
1) Supertpes and card types aren't capitalized. Subtypes are, though.
2) Furthermore, supertypes are always treated as adjectives. For example, Ronom Hulk has "protection from snow," not "protection from snows," and another card (which I can't recall) has the phrase "is snow." So, if memory is a supertype, then you'd have "protection from memory," and "is memory."
Oh, and ethereal doesn't need the reveal clause, since RFG'd cards are face up unless specified otherwise.
Ethereal (If this card would be put into a graveyard from anywhere, remove it from the game instead.)
Anyway, that's just a small cosmetic/technical fix. On to actual cards:
Land cycle -- Okay. You can say "If [color] is the most common color among memory cards removed from the game..." (like Mahamoti Djinn for example).
Discognant Dispersal -- Aside from a word that doesn't exist, you can just say "Counter target spell unless its controller pays and X life."
colored-token-copy cycle -- "Put a token into play that's a copy of that creature except that it is [color]."
Ancient Behemoth -- That's a LOT of abilities, and will make for unprintable levels of reminder text. Otherwise it's okay, but still.
Border Sentry -- Losing abilities... not as good as "as though" effects. "Creatures with mountainwalk attacking you may be blocked as though they didn't have mountainwalk."
Immolate -- Cool. "Spend only red mana on X." It would be interesting to see a cycle of "one for you, one for me" X spells a la Consume Soul.
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It looks odd, but rules compatibility > visual attractiveness...I'll remove the capitals of memory and the reveal clause of ethereal.
All the other cards are easy cosmetic fixes as well -though for Discognant Dispersal...since when has a word not existing stopped it from appearing on a Magic card?
On Ageless Behemoth, I can easily drop trample if you think it's too cluttered...that was just sort of thrown on there, and might actually be overpowered.
I can see a loose cycle being built around Immolate actually, with two related effects...
Black - -X/-X to a target creature and target player mills X?
White - Prevent X damage or give +0/+X?
I dunno. The way it's worded (I hope), it has the vulnerability of fizzling completely if one or both of its targets become illegal before resolution.
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It looks odd, but rules compatibility > visual attractiveness...I'll remove the capitals of memory and the reveal clause of ethereal.
All the other cards are easy cosmetic fixes as well -though for Discognant Dispersal...since when has a word not existing stopped it from appearing on a Magic card?
On Ageless Behemoth, I can easily drop trample if you think it's too cluttered...that was just sort of thrown on there, and might actually be overpowered.
I can see a loose cycle being built around Immolate actually, with two related effects...
Black - -X/-X to a target creature and target player mills X?
White - Prevent X damage or give +0/+X?
I dunno. The way it's worded (I hope), it has the vulnerability of fizzling completely if one or both of its targets become illegal before resolution.
Yeah, the cycle I was thinking of would include Immolate and Consume Spirit (yeah Consume Soul isn't an actual card), so...
Illuminate :xmana::1mana::symw:
Instant (U)
Spend only white mana on X.
Prevent the next X damage that would be dealt to target creature or player this turn. You gain X life.
Innovate :xmana::1mana::symu:
Instant (U)
Spend only blue mana on X.
Counter target spell with converted mana cost X. Reveal the top X cards of your library, then put one of them into your hand and the rest on the bottom of your library.
Inotxicate :xmana::1mana::symb:
Sorcery (U)
Spend only black mana on X.
CARDNAME deals X damage to target creature or player and you gain X life.
Immolate :xmana::1mana::symr:
Sorcery
CARDNAME deals X damage to target creature and X damage to that creature's controller.
Irradicate* :xmana::1mana::symg: -- For each of X creatures, put a +1/+1 counter on that creature, or put a 1/1 green Saproling creature token into play under your control.
*Definition: To root deeply. [Dictionary.com]
Because of Consume Spirit's power level, I bet you could probably reduce the cost of Immolate thusly.
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Hm - the only odd bit is the White and Black versions having the same secondary effect, gaining life, and the Black and Red versions having the same primary effect of dealing damage.
Intoxicate could be changed to giving its target creature -X/-X, or maybe putting X -1/-1 counters on the creature, and either milling X or removing X cards from the opponent's library...maybe make them discard X cards?
Irradicate maybe a areal word, but I think it's a bit too close to the real Eradicate. Howbout Invigorate instead?
EDIT: On another note - would there be good reason to reprint the Wishes in this set? I hadn't thought about it till now, but it'd give some credit to a rather maligned cycle.
Valros - Should the glyphstone adopt the cycle you suggested, the white version is blatantly weak, and has been proven to be ineffective a couple of times. I would much rather have this card be strengthened a bit. Here would be my suggestions:
Illuminate :xmana::1mana::symw:
Instant (U)
Spend only white mana on X.
The next X damage that would be dealt to target creature is dealt to target creature instead.
I feel that alone fits with the "one for me, one for you" idea here. It isn't 2 clauses, but this is a much better card.
Illuminate :xmana::1mana::symw:
Instant (U)
Spend only white mana on X.
Put a +1/+1 counter on X target creatures. Tap X creatures and remove them from combat. Those creatures don't untap as normal during their controller's next untap step.
Arguas: I like that variant of Illuminate, redirecting damage. It fits in very well with White's ideals in the set - I already have a couple of cards working that angle in a more defensive manner (Valiant Defense and Wardens of the Shining Star), so it won't look out of place. Plus, it helps break up the monotony of the cycle a bit.
Glurman: Hm..."Reverial" is a neat phrase - makes me itch to use it on a card, actually. What's the root word of that?
All three of you are on the Contributors list now, and there's plenty of space on the "Design Team" if that sounds more prestigious.
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"Reverie"- a state of dreamy meditation or fanciful musing.
I actually have a card in my set like that:
Tangible ReverieU
Instant
Choose a card you own from outside the game and shuffle it into your library. Remove Tangible Reverie from the game.
Draw a card.
How bout Phantasmic Realm and the Waking Realm? The former is inhabited by more than just dreams, so it's a bit more inclusive.
Also, I'm starting to assign rarities to the existing cards and new creations based on the folllowing scale that I pulled out of my butt. Each card gets ranked from 1-5 based on Power, Efficiency, and Complexity. More powerful and complex cards get more points on those scales, while cheaper or easier-to-cast cards get more points on Efficiency (i.e, a :2mana::symg: would score higher than a :3mana::symg::symg::symg:). Once each card is scored, it'll be judged into Common, Uncommon, or Rare based on the total points. This could take a while.
All Done. I've edited in the rarities to my text spoiler, but here they are again if you don't want to read all the way through, sorted by color and rarity. Reference the text spoiler for the actual card texts.
Blue:
3 Rares - Ferian Taysir, Lost Proctor; Hakaj Spellguards;
10 Uncommons - Acaleph; Glimpse of Eternities; Harmonic Study; Innovate; Intangible Instructor; Random Transposition; Reality Ripple; Rite of Visions; Truths of the Forgotten; Unravel;
6 Commons - Call to Mind; Fragmented Futures; Hakaj Archivist; Plasmagneto; Recurrent Research; Wandering Anomaly
White:
3 Rares - Guardian of the Vault; King Cayliss I, Warden of Ages; Wardens of the Shining Star
7 Uncommons - Antecedent Ward; Blessings of the Forgotten; Illuminate; Knight of the Vault; Open the Vault; Rite of Vitality; Venerable Ascetic
9 Commons - Alcazar Footman; Ephemeral Barrier; Leap of Faith; Prehistoric Albatross; Resounding Recovery; Spectral Vanguard; Tireless Defender; Trapped in Myth; Valiant Defense;
1 Rares - Vault of Epochs
6 Uncommons - Depleted Power Cell; Emblem of Despair; Emblem of Essence; Emblem of Fury; Emblem of Insight; Emblem of Might
3 Commons - Epoch Golem; Mask of the Nether; Timeworn Textbook
Lands
5 Rares - Alcazar, Bastion of the Stalwart; Hakaj, Isolate Academy; Iverian, Sanctum of Solitude; Nihilos, Citadel of Oblivion; Shambala, Kardathan Refuge
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Icepeak Legionnaire 3R (U)
Creature - Ape Warrior
Trample
Whenever you are dealt damage, put a +1/+1 counter on Icepeak Legionnaire.
2/2
Relentless Exorcist 3W (U)
Creature - Human Cleric
Relentless Exorcist is unblockable if the defending player controls a memory permanent.
Relentless Exorcist gets -1/-1 for each memory permanent you control.
3/3
Phantasmic Reversal 3U (R)
Sorcery
Memory permanents are no longer memory and lose Ethereal.
Non-memory permanents become memory and gain Ethereal.
These effects occure simultaneously and do not end at end of turn.
Brain Trader 1UU (U)
Creature - Mutant
When Brain Trader deals combat damage to an opponent, you may pay X. If you do, gain control of target permanent with converted mana cost X. That permanent's owner gains control of Brain Trader.
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And more, a couple of cheap enchantments to flesh out the "Care About Memory" theme, and a stall-type card that might or might not be worth playing.
Storytelling W (C)
Enchantment
Whenever a memory spell is played, you may pay 1. If you do, gain 1 life.
Shadowrift B (C)
Enchantment
Whenever a memory spell is played, you may pay 1. If you do, target player loses 1 life.
Seal The Borders X1WW (R)
Enchantment
Seal The Borders comes into play with X shield counters on it. At the beginning of your upkeep, you may sacrifice Seal The Borders. Creatures you control without flying cannot attack or block. Whenever you would be dealt combat damage, prevent that damage and remove a shield counter from Seal The Borders.
What I currently need is BLUE CREATURES - I'm quite low on non-legendary Blues. Blue creatures would be refugees from the destroyed Valdenos Academy (both students/teachers and escaped experiments of all sorts) or dreams/nightmares/mythical beasts that would be at home in the oceans...if it's an experiment or test subject, it's fair game for any sort of wacky mechanic that wouldn't fit into another color's area of expertise, so go nuts please!
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Blood For Blood 1RRR
Enchantment
Whenever a noncreature permanent you control is put into a graveyard from play or removed from the game, target player sacrices a noncreature permanent they control.
[b]A red, non-creature version of Grave Pact. It fits well with red's Vengeance-like subtheme, despite being a potential dead card in many red-based decks.
Undermine 1RR
Sorcery
Destroy target non-Mountain land. Undermine deals 2 damage to a creature that land's owner controls.
Chaotic Residue 2U
Enchantment - Aura
Enchant Creature
At the beginning of each player's upkeep, enchanted creature gains that player's choice of flying, first strike, or shroud until end of turn.
[b]A slightly unpredictable aura - I'm not sure if it's valuable or not, because your opponent will always choose the least beneficial option during their turn.[/b]
Kismetite UUU
Creature - Mutant
Flash
When Kismetite comes into play, choose a number.
[mana]U: Reveal the top card of target player's library. If that card's converted mana cost is equal to the number chosen for Kismetite, put a +1/+1 counter on Kismetite. Play this ability no more than once each turn.
2/3
[b]Synergizes with Fateseal and Scry both, hopefully not too well.[/b]
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Well, here's the breakdown of that, by color and the total: BLUE:
Memory: 5 Cares about memory: 3 (+1 memory) Unrelated to memory: 15
WHITE: Memory: 8
Cares about memory: 4
Unrelated to memory: 10
RED: Memory: 4
Cares about memory: 1 Unrelated to memory: 16
GREEN: Memory: 6 Cares about memory: 0 (+1 memory) Unrelated to memory: 12
BLACK: Memory: 7 Cares about memory: 5 Unrelated to memory: 10
MULTICOLOR/ARTIFACT/LAND: Memory: 6 Cares about memory: 7 (+2 memory) Unrelated to memory: 4
TOTAL: Memory: 36 Cares about memory: 20 (+4 memory) Unrelated to memory: 63
So I have a ration of a little less than 1-2 on memories to non-memories, and about 1-3 for cards that care about memories versus cards that don't. I'll probably go compare to Kamigawa and its Arcane, but I'll need to remember that Arcane has no effect on the gamestate unless you use a card that cares about Arcane spells, where Memory influences the gamestate completely on its own by going RFG. I haven't figured out whether to consider that an advantage or a drawback yet...as a drawback, memories become underpriced in block, as an advantage, they become overpriced out of block.
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Okay, analysis complete - I examined Arcane through the Kamigawa block, then did a comparison against Snow in the Ice Age/Alliances/Coldsnap block.
Ice Age Block and the Snow Supertype: ICE AGE
5 Snow cards (all lands) 27 non-Snow cards that care about Snow 341 cards unrelated to Snow
ALLIANCES
0 Snow cards 4 non-Snow cards that care about Snow 140 cards unrelated to Snow
COLDSNAP 46 Snow cards 11 non-snow lands that care about Snow (+29 Snow cards that care about Snow) 98 cards unrelated to Snow.
Kamigawa Block and the Arcane Subtype: CHAMPIONS 44 Arcane cards 24 non-Arcane cards that care about Arcane (+16 Arcane cards that care about Arcane) 223 cards unrelated to Arcane
BETRAYERS 27 Arcane cards 20 non-Arcane cards that care about Arcane (+9 Arcane cards that care about Arcane) 118 cards unrelated to Arcane
CHAMPIONS 22 Arcane cards 14 non- Arcane cards that care about Arcane (+4 Arcane cards that care about Arcane) 129 cards unrelated to Arcane
I'm not sure where to go with the data though...Ice Age has a much lower ratio of snow-related cards to non-snow related cards, but almost all of Kamigawa's cards that care about Arcane are Splice onto Arcane or triggered abilities off playing Arcane spells. Neither Arcane nor Snow have any effect whatsoever if you don't have a "cares about arcane/snow" in your deck, whereas Memory will (and be less attractive to black decks, because they can't be as easily retrieved/reanimated), and a number of my "cares about Memory" cards track Memories even after they've been played.
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Out of 300 cards, I'm going to have roughly 50 memories - give it a strong presence in the set without being overpowering.
Out of those same 300 cards, I think I'll go with the same number of 50 for cards that interact with memory, possibly with overlap on the actual memories.
That leaves 200 cards to design that couldn't care less about memories...quite a bit to work on. Here's two, a matched pair of enchantments:
Impulsiveness 2R (C)
Enchantment
Creatures with haste get +1/+0 and must attack each turn if able.
Indecision 2W (C)
Enchantment
Creatures with vigilance get +0/+1 and gain defender.
Partially buff enchantments, partially enemy color-hosers (Vigilance is more Red than White in this set, and White will have more Haste than Red will).
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Indecision is supposed to be a vigilance hater. It might be too strong though....perhaps "cannot attack unless its opponent pays 2 or somesuch?
For Indecisiveness, would you think "cannot block" be more a drawback than "must attack"? It's a better mirror to the enforced defender, and removes the ability for a player with early hasters to save them for chumping after the early turns.
I was bored and randomly started making MSpaint-art for your cards...
Some of them already have artwork I swiped from the intarnets, but go right ahead. Acaleph, for example, is actually named after the piece of artwork I used for it, a gigantic flying jellyfish.
Anyway, some comments:
While I really like Acaleph (it's probably the name), I couldn't help myself wondering, why you make something that's worse than Air Elemental.
Well, not everything has to powercreep :). Acaleph is actually one of the earliest cards I made, before I started doing cross-comparisons with existing cards. It's weaker than Air Elemental, but Air Elemental is also an uncommon to Acaleph's common rarity...perhaps a drop in cost to 4U is in order?
Call to Mind should probably have a higher rarity, because it encourages to build around it - maybe even with a lower cost. Also "has drawn" rather than "drew".
Good point, it is a real Johnny card. Would it be better as an uncommon or a rare?
Chaotic Residue's first strike doesn't feel blue - maybe something not keyworded or simply +1/+1 or +0/+4? Also it could be a cantrip at that cost.
I'll definitely make it a cantrip, so it has an immediate benefit. First Strike may not be blue, but I don't know what to replace it with that fits the idea of the card...if it's something relatively weak compared to the others, the opponent will always choose that one and basically make the enchantment do nothing during their turn.
For Ferian Tasir "If a player would draw a card, look at the top card of that player’s library instead, you may put it on the top or bottom of his or her library. Then that player draws a card." probably is a better wording.
I specifically avoided that wording because it sets up an infinite loop. The next time a player tries to draw, you Fateseal them for 1, but then they try to draw the card that's now on top, and you're required to Fateseal again, and it never stops. With the "put the card into hand" wording, the ability only triggers once for each card they try to draw.
Is the minor difference between Harmonic Study and "Scry 3, then draw three cards." really worth it?
Well, it is different, because the Scry interrupts each draw. With Scry 3, draw 3, you get cards A/B/C, or D, or E, or F. With Scry 1/draw 1 x3, it's card A or B, then C or D, then E or F. It may not be a significant difference, but the card as it is has a really tasty flavor.
I think it would be more interesting if the upgraded version of Venerable Ascetic's ability were able to redirect 2 damage instead.
That's actually a very interesting idea - but would it be too powerful at that point?
Flavorwise I'm not sure, why Hakaj Spellguards are legendary. Also: "2UU, T, Discard two cards: *foo*"
It goes with the rest of the cycle - along with the Hussars of Icepeak Castle, the Spirit-Council Attendants, the Chosen of Netheriax, and the Wardens of the Shining Star. They're each elite orders of warriors related to their color's signature legendary creature - there's only one group of Spellguards, there's only one group of Hussars, etc.
Nice job on the worldbuilding as well.
Thanks.
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Acaleph down to 4U, Call to Mind raised to Uncommon, and if you're right about the replacement effects not looping on themselves (sounds logical with Thought Reflection), then I can simply the wording on Ferian Taysir as well. For Chaotic Residue, a simple +2/+2 till EoT seems like the best route to take to replace first strike...that gives you one evasion ability, one protection ability (saves you from unexpected combat tricks at least), and one offensive pump ability.
Here's a few more cards from yesterday's musings - you can open the spoiler and read them now, or wait till you reach them in the main spoiler - though at least one of them is blue (Apprentice Scribe).
Apprentice Scribe U (C)
Creature - Human Wizard
Revenge U (When this card is put into a graveyard from play or removed from the game, you may pay U.)
When Apprentice Scribe's revenge cost is paid, draw a card.
1/1
Cursed Heirloom 1B (U)
Enchantment - Aura
Enchant Creature
Whenever enchanted creature is put into a graveyard from play or removed from the game, attach Cursed Heirloom to target creature. 1B: Enchanted creature get -1/-1 until end of turn.
Retainer of Dusk 1B (C)
Creature - Human Assassin
Revenge 2B (When this card is put into a graveyard from play or removed from the game, you may pay 2B.)
Retainer of Dusk can't block.
When Retainer of Dusk's revenge cost is paid, destroy target non-black creature.
2/1
Panacea Oil 2 (C)
Artifact
Costs you pay as part of triggered abilities cost 1 less. This cannot reduce the cost of any such ability to less than 1.
(This one I need to figure out the proper wording for...it's intended to smooth Revenge costs, but it'll also work for effects like Searing Meditation, as an example of a cost that's part of a triggered ability. The second clause is to cut off infinite loops and avoid negating effects that only require you to pay 1 or 2 to begin with, like said Searing Meditation.)
I've also copied Indecision and Impulsiveness into the main spoiler, after modifying Indecision so that it instead makes Vigilance creatures unable to attack unless they pay 2, like a personal Ghostly Prison., and Impulsiveness so Hasters cannot block instead of forcing them to attack.
On Revenge... I assume it's removed from the game from play. I have no idea how to make it sound better, so maybe:
(When this is put into a graveyard or removed from the game, if it was in play, you may pay [cost].)
Cursed Heirloom -- "...return CARDNAME from your graveyard to play attached to target creature." The original version doesn't do anything because SBEs put the unattached Heirloom into the graveyard before the ability can trigger. (Or, if it does, the graveyard-to-play clause is clearer.)
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Okay, new card idea that will need some fine-tuning:
Hunger for Glory1R
Enchantment - Aura
Enchant Creature
Enchanted creature gains +1/+0 and must attack each turn if able.
Enchanted creature has "Whenever this creature attacks, prevent all damage that would be dealt by other creatures you control this turn." "Hold your fire - let him reach our walls unhindered. His failure to breach them alone will hollow the hearts of those who stayed behind to watch."
It's intended to be a multiuse card - it can help boost one fattie you have if that's all you're swinging with, or tie down an opponent's swarm if you've lost board advantage. I think the effect and flavor is suitably Red to get by...opinions?
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I need opinions from anyone who's helped before, or wants to help, on what might be a fairly major issue for the set.
Before I excused myself from the other RFG-themed thread, it was pointed out that a RFG mechanic (his Forgotten supertype, my Memory supertype) was extremely parasitic and didn't work very well with other sets. Now, Memory is here to stay, it's too heavily rooted into the theme - but Memory by itself doesn't really do much, it just sends the card RFG (technically, Memory does absolutely nothing, it's the Ethereal keyword on all memories that does the RFGing). The parasitic function is in the cards that care about Memories, like the Forgotten sorcery cycle, or the legendary land cycle.
The ultimate question is, would make such cards be too powerful if I opened them up to be triggered by any card in the RFG zone of the requirements, not just Memories? For example, Anger of the Forgotten would deal damage equal to the number of cards RFG, and Nihilos, Citadel of Oblivion would tap for -2/-2 if Black was the most common color among cards RFG. It'd help with the parasitic function, but RFG isn't a terribly common mechanic in other sets anyways, so I don't know if it'll help enough.
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Setting/Plotline:
The primary conflict of Cataclysm is a massive war between the “real world” and the “shadow world” (I need a better name for this place), the barrier between them accidentally breached by a greedy mage. This ‘shadow world’, essentially, is a sort of mirror universe inhabited by people’s dreams, fears, and nightmares. It’s a brutal, survival-of-the-fittest environment, with stronger dreams preying on weaker ones, consuming them and their power. The strongest of the shadow denizens can influence the real world on their own though sleeping or dreaming people, forcing themselves into people’s dreams to maintain their place in the status quo. At the top of the food chain is a creature called Netheriax the Uncarnate – once someone’s ultimate nightmare, now so powerful that it sustains itself without need for real dreamers. The only thing that every inhabitant of the netherworld has in common is their hatred for the “real world” and its residents, whom they are dependent on for their existence.
Fast-forward a bit, and meet Ferian Taysir, the chief Proctor of the Valdenos Arcanist Academy (more on the Academy and its Dominion later). Researching the details of countermagic and magical disruptions, he develops a theory that countered spells and absorbed magic is not simply gone, but instead shunted into an alternate plane of pure undiluted mana. This would be the ultimate power source, making a mage capable of tapping into it literally omnipotent, and so Taysir decides to try and do so. He fails, but manages to open a direct portal to the Netherworld…bad things ensue, of course. Specifically, the eternally furious shadow denizens promptly seize their end of the portal and rip it wide open, warping Taysir’s spell back on himself and permanently breeching the division between the two worlds. Ferian Taysir is left a broken, half-alive spirit creature, and countless monsters and living nightmares are flooding into the world, intent on remaking it in their own image forever, with the Uncarnate at their head. Now, the various factions of the world are struggling to fight back the shadowy onslaught, despite barely trusting each other to begin with.
I’m aware of the similarities to Kamigawa, which is why I’m trying to emphasize the dream/nightmare elements as opposed to the existing setting’s animistic spirit/Japanese mythology feel.
The Factions
BLUE – The Valdenos Dominion
Most of the territory claimed by the Valdenos Dominion is open water - the GreatOcean has no major landmasses apart from Hyborial, but is dotted with hundreds of smaller islands of various sizes. The fishermen and sailors who live on the islands are mostly independent, but they are ruled from above by the flying fortress-Academy of Valdenos, to whom they give food and supplies when it passes by. In return, their sons and daughters are occasionally accepted as students at the school, where they learn powerful magics that make their villages' lives much easier once they return. Spells taught at the ValdenosAcademy focus on manipulating the flows of magic itself - amplifying them, altering their path, or even stifling them outright. They are masters at predicting the outcome of future events, and capable of sometimes altering the course of those same events before they happen.
The Dominion and its airborne capital are nearly as old as Salvanar - indeed, they were once part of it. During the reign of Cayliss IV, a group of the kingdom's most powerful mages had been conducting a project scrying on the now-mythical Cayliss I and his followers, and produced a most disturbing hypothesis. According to them, the acclaimed prophet who had convinced Cayliss Ironheart to embark on his conquering crusade was a fraud and a charlatan, lacking any connection to the gods at all. The clergy of the Twins were outraged by the suggestion; unfortunately for the mages, they were also more closely connected with the royal powers, and they convinced Cayliss IV and his advisors that this was intolerable. The mages' theories were heresy at best, and treason at worst, so they were given the choice to go into voluntary exile or be executed. Intending to humiliate the defeated mages, the priests declared that they could settle anywhere they wished, so long as it could not be seen from Salvanar soil. This seemed to limit them to an exile on one of the larger, insignificant islands or to flee into the Khardathan Empire and certain death at the hands of the Empire’s xenophobic residents. Instead, they chose to remain in their gargantuan academy in the heart of Solav - and with one mighty spell from the entire staff and student body, tore it and the stone around it free from the ground. Driving it with magic, they left the shocked and defeated clergy to deal with the colossal crater left behind in their capital city, flying east to the open oceans where they could research in peace.
When Ferian Taysir’s spell goes awry, the Dominion is shattered. The Academy itself is twisted and deformed, almost totally absorbed inside the expanding portal to the Netherworld. Countless experiments and spells-in-progress are set loose to roam, spreading havoc wherever they go. Most of the highest-ranked mages are killed by the disaster, with the survivors fleeing to the hidden citadel of Hakaj to regroup and try to fight back. Of all the factions, the Valdenos survivors are the weakest, disorganized and scattered across the vast ocean they used to rule.
WHITE – The Kingdom of Salvanar
The Kingdom of Salvanar dominates most of the continent that is not part of Khardath, excepting only a few minor polities and the western coastline that belongs to the Valdenos Dominion. Its people are farmers, traders, and nomads, spread across the open plains and sandy deserts of central and southern Anathalia. At its heart sits the massive walled city of Solav, home of the Ivory Throne, King Cayliss XIV, and his loyal Order of the Shining Star. Protection and healing spells make up the magical arsenal for the priests and mages sworn to worship the goddess Alatha, while the adherents of her twin brother Althon take pride in their martial skill and battle magic. Together, the Twin Gods are the sole recognized religion of Salvanar, and worshipped by all but a small fragment of its citizenry.
Similar to Khardath, though much younger, Salvanar was not always one unified nation. In its prehistory, the plains were broken up into a disparate patchwork of feuding tribes and warlords, constantly battling each other and the Khardathi apes of the north. All that changed when a simple, nameless pilgrim appeared in the feasting hall of the warlord Cayliss Ironheart one day. He claimed to be a prophet, chosen by the Twin Gods, and offering blessings of victory if Cayliss began a crusade in their name to unite the plains under one banner. Out of pragmatism as much as piety, Cayliss did so - and became his own first convert, for it seemed true that his army could not lose. Within the space of a century, nearly the entire continent save Khardath was his to command, and he returned to rule as King Cayliss I from the palace and city where his humble log fortress had once stood. He took a daughter of the most powerful desert nomad chieftain as his wife to cement southern loyalties, produced an heir and several younger children...then vanished one day into thin air without a trace. This almost caused a civil war, but his widow had all of her missing husband's courage combined with the fiery spirit of her own people, keeping Salvanar intact through sheer fury and force of will as her son's regent until he came of age as King Cayliss II. There were still casualties, most notably the rogue mages who split from Salvanar and left to form the Valdenos Dominion, but overall, the nation-state has remained steady and successful since then.
Said stability is the only thing that maintains the kingdom when the Shadow War begins – its citizenry trust their leaders by long tradition and force of habit not to fail them, and so far, it has worked well. The holy magic of the Twins’ clergy proves to be an exceptionally effective weapon against the shadow creatures, and the forces of Salvanar soon take the lead in battling the otherwordly invaders. They are aided by benevolent spirits sneaking through the portal in the wake of the breach, memories and echoes of heroes from Salvanar’s legends. But at the same time, rot festers in the form of awakening cells of the Cult of the Nether, undermining local stability and paving the way for total collapse.
RED – The Eternal Empire of Kardath
The Khardathan Empire lies to the far north of Anathalia's main continent, a harsh mountainous region that stretches deep into the arctic circle. Its primary residents are a race of man-sized sentient apes with a proud and warlike demeanor. They live in small, self-sufficient villages amidst the many valleys and slopes of the mountains, though all of them pay allegiance and a yearly tribute to the Mountainlord. The mountaintops and ridges are dotted and crisscrossed with army outpost and watchtowers - some active, some long abandoned, reminders of how Khardath's history was written and signed in blood. Khardathan magic, for its part, is both angrily aggressive and defensive-minded, rooted in the earth and snow of its users' homeland. Khardathan shamans release its fury upon their enemies and any intruders who would dare trespass on Khardathan territory. They have a strong tradition of ancestor worship, along with prayers and offerings given to local spirits of earth and fire. On occasion, either or both can be persuaded to manifest in support of their devotees and descendants.
Countless centuries ago, a shaman by the name of Karong was the first to begin uniting the scattered independent clans into a single entity - first one, then two, then more, one valley and village at a time. By the time he was old, Karong had sculpted himself a small dominion of fifteen adjacent valleys, and declared himself the first Mountainlord of Khardath. From the mighty and forbidding IcepeakCastle, his successors took up that mantle, expanding the borders of Khardath right down to the foothills on the edge of the lowland plains, and up to where the mountains gave way to sheets of sheer ice and temperatures even an ape could not withstand. The expansion was slow, stretching over hundreds of years, but also relentless - it is a point of pride for any Khardathan that they never surrender ground in a war, and have never been successfully invaded by any outside foe. Indeed, it is their martial traditions that drive most of Khardathan culture, with only the army of Salvanar preventing the expansionistic apes from unleashing their legions upon the lowland plains.
(Un)fortunately, it takes more than a pending invasion by an infinite army of nightmarish monsters to shake the Empire’s institutional pride in victory. They are used to their hostile borders driving away most foes, and so underestimate the dangers of an enemy that moves unrestricted by anything so merely physical as mountains and snow. They ready for war, but as usual, it is a defensive war, intended to merely preserve their borders as they have for ages, and let the lowland savages fend for themselves. In full swing, the imperial legions would be a force to be reckoned with, but even with impending doom, Salvanar’s own armies stand ready to repel any incursion from the north – for if the ape-men begin to march across the plains, who knows where they will stop?
GREEN – Hyborial Isle
Even more isolationist than Kardath, if it were possible, are the peace-loving inhabitants of the massive subtropical island Hyborial, on the opposite edge of the GreatOcean from Salvanar’s western coastline. The elves dwelling there care absolutely nothing for the world outside the island that they have cultivated for centuries, turning it into a paradise of life and prosperity. Their magic is that of life and growth, energizing the island’s natural environment and staving off even the worst of ill effects and sicknesses. They are not actively hostile towards outsiders, merely indifferent. A handful of Valdenos trade ship stop at Hyborial occasionally, exchanging a portion of the elves’ bounty of crops for finished products and raw materials unobtainable in the jungles, but no resident of Hyborial has left the island itself in the world’s collective memory. Very little is known of their society or apparently collectively decided governmental structure.
This introverted attitude evaporates when the Breaching occurs. Peace-loving, but also pragmatic, the druids of Hyborial are all too aware of what will eventually happen to them if the rest of the world falls beneath the power of shadow. The sheer vitality imbued into the island’s very soil holds back the worst of the dark forces, but too many plants and animals have already been corrupted. But Hyborial has been cut off from the other nations of the world too long; their expertise in restoration and regeneration would be invaluable to cure the damage caused by the nether armies, but no one has thought to ask their aid, and they themselves have lost the art of diplomacy to the point of seeming as dangerous an invader as the shadows.
BLACK – Cult of the Nether
Not all humans in the world are opposed to the Netherworld invasion. Netheriax and its minions never anticipated Ferian Taysir’s rash experiment, but all the same, they have been sowing the seeds for their eventual revenge against the waking world since the beginning of time. The Cult of the Nether is rooted into hundreds of towns and cities, men and women from all walks of life seduced by whispering voices in their dreams, promising power and wealth unimaginable in exchange for their aid during the promised uprising. In some cases, entire families are co-opted by the shadows, their oaths of servitude passed down from grandfather to father to son to grandson.
Now, with the Uncarnate’s hordes on the march, the Cult’s members know their time has come at last. The whispers in their heads are louder than ever, and audible when they are both sleeping and awake. They commit acts of sabotage, theft, and murder to undermine the stability of Salvanar and weaken its ability to resist the shadow armada. The Cult is weaker in Kardath, and virtually unknown on Hyborial, but in both places, the few members it possesses do the same, aiming to disrupt attempts to take action against the shadows, or send aid to the besieged Salvanar.
Cataclysm By The Numbers:
Total Projected Cards: 300
Division by Color: 50 W, 50 B, 50 G, 50 R, 50 U, 25 Artifact, 5 Lands, 20 Basic Lands)
Division by Rarity: 115 Common, 85 Uncommon, 85 Rare, 20 BasicLand
Lead Designer: Me (The_Glyphstone)
Contributors/Other Designers: Arguas2617, Valros, glurman
Theme:
The Removed from Game zone is my primary untapped (J) design resource. Via the Memory mechanic, cards removed from the game will still have an influence on the game state.
New Mechanics:
Memory and Ethereal
Memory is a new supertype, like Snow or Legendary. It appears on cards representing entities and concepts from the aforementioned “shadow realm”, both benevolent and hostile. Any memory card always also bears the keyword Ethereal (whenever this card would be put into a graveyard from anywhere, instead reveal it, then remove it from the game). This is indicative of the spell’s temporary, ephemeral nature – once it leaves the world, it’s gone forever – almost.
Examples:
Revenge
Revenge is best likened to a “reverse kicker”. Certain creatures and other cards will have a Revenge cost that can be paid when it goes into the graveyard or is removed from the game, with an additional bonus effect if you pay the Revenge cost.
Example:
Returning non-Vanilla Mechanics:
Universal: Vanishing, Shadow. Both of these are quite evocative of the interaction between the ‘shadow world’ and the ‘real world’, and the things that only exist partially in one, the other, or both.
White: Absorb, Lifelink. White has lots of damage prevention and lifegain.
Red: Vigilance. Yes, it’s normally a French vanilla keyword, but it doesn’t usually show up in Red. Here, Vigilance represents the Kardathan Empire’s violent distrust of outsiders and their constant warlike attitude. In Cataclysm, red benefits from the Vengeance-style effects that would normally be attributed to White, but usually requiring the creature to have successfully dealt damage to you or otherwise harmed you or your creatures first; Kardathan shaman magic is most deadly when used on Kardathan soil.
Green: Green doesn’t have any unusual keywords, though it possesses many of the usual green traits like trampling fatties, regeneration, and mana acceleration.
Black: Deathtouch. Shadow is most prevalent in black, and Black also has a strong milling subtheme attached to many of its cards.
Blue: Fateseal and Scry. Blue likes library manipulation.
A text spoiler of my current creations will be appearing shortly.
Acaleph 3UU
Creature – Beast (U)
Flying
4/3
Born in a dream, alive as a nightmare.
Apprentice Scribe U (C)
Creature - Human Wizard
Revenge U (When this card is put into a graveyard from play or removed from the game, you may pay U.)
When Apprentice Scribe's revenge cost is paid, draw a card.
1/1
Brain Trader 1UU (U)
Creature - Mutant
When Brain Trader deals combat damage to an opponent, you may pay X. If you do, gain control of target permanent with converted mana cost X. That permanent's owner gains control of Brain Trader.
1/1
Call to Mind 5U (C)
Sorcery
Draw a card for each card target player drew this turn.
Chaotic Residue 2U (C)
Enchantment - Aura
Enchant Creature
At the beginning of each player's upkeep, enchanted creature gains that player's choice of flying, first strike, or shroud until end of turn.
Ferian Tasir, Lost Proctor 4UUU (R)
Legendary Memory Creature – Wizard
Shadow, ethereal (If this card would be put into a graveyard from anywhere, instead reveal it, then remove it from the game.)
Whenever a player would draw a card, you may look at the top card of that player’s library, then put it on the top or bottom of their library instead. Then, that player puts the top card of their library into their hand.
Whenever Ferian Taisr, Lost Proctor deals combat damage to a player, you may draw a card.
3/4
Fragmented Futures U (C)
Sorcery
Look at the top card and bottom card of target player’s library, then put one on the top and one on the bottom of that player’s library.
What use is a prophecy without a subject or prediction?
Glimpse of Eternities 2U (U)
Instant
Buyback 1UU
Fateseal X, where X is target spell’s converted mana cost.
Hakaj Archivist 2U (C)
UUT: Counter target memory spell.
1/3
“The past is illusion, a figment created to explain the workings of the present.” - Dayphin, chief librarian of Hakaj
Hakaj Spellguards 3UU (R)
Legendary Creature – Human Wizard
Whenever you successfully counter a spell, you may return target permanent to its owner’s hand.
2UUT, discard two cards from your hand: Counter target spell.
2/5
Harmonic Study 3UU (U)
Memory Sorcery
Ethereal (If this card would be put into a graveyard from anywhere, instead reveal it, then remove it from the game.)
Scry 1, then draw a card, then Scry 1, then draw a card, then Scry 1, then draw a card.
Repeated verbatim for countless centuries, the rote lessons of the Academy imbued themselves into the very stones that gave it shape.
Innovate X1U (U)
Instant
Spend only blue mana on X.
Counter target spell with converted mana cost X or less. Reveal the top X cards of your library, then put one of them in your hand and the rest on the bottom of your library in any order.
Intangible Instructor 2UU (U)
Memory Creature – Spirit
Flying, Ethereal (If this card would be put into a graveyard from anywhere, instead reveal it, then remove it from the game.)
2/3
Absent-minded, absent-bodied.
Kismetite UUU (U)
Creature - Mutant
Flash
When Kismetite comes into play, choose a number.
U: Reveal the top card of target player's library. If that card's converted mana cost is equal to the number chosen for Kismetite, put a +1/+1 counter on Kismetite. Play this ability no more than once each turn.
2/3
Phantasmic Reversal [mana3U[/mana] (R)
Sorcery
Memory permanents are no longer memory and lose Ethereal.
Non-memory permanents become memory and gain Ethereal.
These effects occure simultaneously and do not end at end of turn.
Plasmagneto 1U (C)
Creature – Elemental
Whenever a spell or ability is put on the stack, if that spell or ability could target Plasmagneto, it must target Plasmagneto.
1/2
Free of both life and captivity, it swallows errant magic with an unceasing hunger.
Random Transposition 1U (C)
Sorcery
Return target permanent to its owner’s hand, then reveal the top card of its owner’s library. If a card revealed in this way shares a type with the returned permanent, that card’s owner may put it into play.
Reality Ripple 2UU (U)
Sorcery
Put target permanent on top of its owner’s library.
If you own a blue Memory card that’s been removed from the game, this card has flash.
Recurrent Research 1U (C)
Instant
Draw a card.
At the beginning of your upkeep, if Recurrent Research is in your graveyard, return target permanent to its owner’s hand. If you do, remove Recurrent Research from the game.
Rite of Visions 4U (U)
Enchantment
Whenever you, a card you own, or a spell you control becomes the target of a spell or ability, tap or untap target permanent.
Truths of the Forgotten 2UU (U)
Memory Sorcery
Ethereal (If this card would be put into a graveyard from anywhere, instead reveal it, then remove it from the game.)
Scry X, where X is one plus the number of memory cards you own removed from the game, then draw two cards.
Their knowledge remains to enlighten the curious.
Tsumani Coiler 6UU (U)
Memory Creature - Serpent
Ethereal, Islandwalk, Shroud
7/7
Unravel 2UU (U)
Instant
Remove target spell from the game.
“I can’t hold it together! I’m looosing coooooonnntttrrroolll..........”
Wandering Anomaly UU (C)
Creature – Elemental
Shadow, shroud, ethereal (If this card would be put into a graveyard from anywhere, instead reveal it, then remove it from the game.)
WHITE (22)
Alcazar Footman 2W (C)
Creature – Human Soldier
Absorb 1, Lifelink
1/1
Antecedent Ward 3W (U)
Memory Enchantment – Aura
Ethereal (If this card would be put into a graveyard from anywhere, instead reveal it, then remove it from the game.)
Enchant target creature.
When enchanted creature is put into a graveyard from play, put a token into play under its owner’s control that's a copy of the enchanted creature except that it is white.
Blessings of the Forgotten 2WW (U)
Memory Sorcery
Ethereal (If this card would be put into a graveyard from anywhere, instead reveal it, then remove it from the game.)
Gain X life, where X is two plus twice the number of memory cards you own removed from the game.
Their gifts remain to heal the worthy.
Ephemeral Barrier WW (C)
Creature - Wall
Absorb 1, Defender, Flash
Ephemeral Barrier can block creatures with shadow as though they did not have shadow.
2/4
Guardian of the Vault 3WW (R)
Memory Creature – Human Wizard
Ethereal (If this card would be put into a graveyard from anywhere, instead reveal it, then remove it from the game.)
All creatures, creature cards, and creature spells are memory and gain Ethereal as long as Guardian of the Vault remains in play.
1/5
King Cayliss I, Warden of Ages 4WWW (R)
Legendary Memory Creature - Soldier
First strike, lifelink, ethereal (If this card would be put into a graveyard from anywhere, instead reveal it, then remove it from the game.)
<SPanStylE=">"font-family:TimESNEWRoman">"><fontSizE=">"">">T</ont></Pan>: You may play target instant or sorcery removed from the game as though it were in your hand this turn. If you do, put that spell on the bottom of its owner’s library once it leaves the stack.
5/5
Knight of the Vault 3W (U)
Creature – Spirit Knight
Flanking, Protection from memory
3/3
Illuminate X1W (U)
Instant
Spend only white mana on X.
The next X damage that would be dealt to target creature is dealt to target creature instead. You gain X life.
Indecision 2W (C)
Enchantment
Creatures with vigilance get +0/+1 and gain "this creature cannot attack unless you pay 2".
Leap of Faith 1W (C)
Instant
Target attacking creature gains +1/+0 and your choice of either flying or first strike until end of turn.
Open The Vault 1WW (U)
Memory Instant
Ethereal (If this card would be put into a graveyard from anywhere, instead reveal it, then remove it from the game.)
Until end of turn, all cards removed from the game become memory.
Until end of turn, all cards, spells, and permanents have Ethereal.
Prehistoric Albatross 5W (C)
Creature – Bird
Flying, Protection from green
5/5
Extinct ten thousand years before the Breaching, they now ply the skies in search of prey far younger than them.
Relentless Exorcist 3W (U)
Creature - Human Cleric
Relentless Exorcist is unblockable if the defending player controls a memory permanent.
Relentless Exorcist gets -1/-1 for each memory permanent you control.
3/3
Resounding Recovery 1W (C)
Instant
Prevent the next 3 damage that would be dealt to target creature or player.
At the beginning of your upkeep, if Resounding Recovery is in your graveyard, gain 3 life. If you do, remove Resounding Recovery from the game.
Rite of Vitality 4W (U)
Enchantment
Whenever you, a card you own, or a spell you control becomes the target of a spell or ability, put a shield counter on Rite of Vitality.
Remove a shield counter from Rite of Vitality: Prevent the next 1 damage that would dealt to target creature or player this turn.
Seal The Borders X1WW (R)
Enchantment
Seal The Borders comes into play with X shield counters on it.
At the beginning of your upkeep, you may sacrifice Seal The Borders.
Creatures you control without flying cannot attack or block.
Whenever you would be dealt combat damage, prevent that damage and remove a shield counter from Seal The Borders.
Spectral Vanguard 3W (C)
Memory Creature- Spirit Soldier
Ethereal
3/4
When their nightmares awoke to torment them, they called on their dreams to protect them.
Storytelling W (C)
Enchantment
Whenever a memory spell is played, you may pay 1. If you do, gain 1 life.
Tireless Defender 1W (C)
Memory Creature – Spirit
Ethereal (If this card would be put into a graveyard from anywhere, instead reveal it, then remove it from the game.)
Whenever Tireless Defender deals or is dealt combat damage, you gain 1 life.
1/1
Trapped in Myth 1W (C)
Memory Enchantment - Aura
Ethereal, Vanishing 4
Enchant Creature
When Trapped in Myth has no time counters on it, remove enchanted creature from the game.
Valiant Defense WW (C)
Instant
All damage that would be dealt to target creature you control is dealt to another target creature you control instead.
Draw a card.
Venerable Ascetic 1WW (U)
Creature – Human Cleric
T: Prevent the next 2 damage that would be dealt to target creature or player. If you own a white memory that’s removed from the game, prevent the next 3 damage that would be dealt to target creature or player instead.
1/2
Wardens of the Shining Star 3WW (R)
Legendary Creature – Human Knight
Flanking, Absorb 3
T: The next 3 damage that would be dealt to target creature you control is dealt to Wardens of the Shining Star instead.
T: The next 3 damage that would be dealt to Wardens of the Shining Star is dealt to another target creature you control instead.
3/3
RED (21)
Anger of the Forgotten 2RR (U)
Memory Sorcery
Ethereal (If this card would be put into a graveyard from anywhere, instead reveal it, then remove it from the game.)
Deal X damage divided as you like amongst any number of target creatures or players, where X is 1 plus the number of memory cards you own removed from the game.
Their hatred remains to punish the wicked.
Blazing Revenant 5R (U)
Memory Creature – Spirit
Haste, ethereal (If this card would be put into a graveyard from anywhere, instead reveal it, then remove it from the game.), Revenge 0 (you pay pay 0 as this card leaves play).
1R: Blazing Revenant gets +1/+0 until end of turn.
When you pay Blazing Revenant’s Revenge cost, it deals damage equal to its power to target creature.
4/2
Blood For Blood 1RRR (R)
Enchantment
Whenever a noncreature permanent you control is put into a graveyard from play or removed from the game, target player sacrices a noncreature permanent they control.
Border Sentry 1R (C)
Creature – Ape Scout
Creatures with mountainwalk attacking you may be blocked as though they did not have mountainwalk.
1/1
Cinderstorm 3RR (R)
Sorcery
Deal 3 damage to each creature. Each creature damaged in this way deals 1 damage to its controller.
Emberling 1R (C)
Memory Creature – Elemental
Haste, ethereal (If this card would be put into a graveyard from anywhere, instead reveal it, then remove it from the game.)
Eradicating Avalanche 4R (U)
Instant
Deal 5 damage to all creatures that dealt combat damage this turn.
“For the last time, you maggots have got to stop making SO MUCH NOISE!”
- last words of countless generals invading Kardathian territory.
Hide-Carved Wyrm 4RR (R)
Creature – Dragon
Flying
1R: Hide-Carved Wyrm gets +1/0 until end of turn.
Whenever Hide-Carved Wyrm is dealt damage by a spell or ability, it deals 1 damage to that spell or ability’s owner.
4/6
Every scale bears a rune, every dragon a saga.
Hussars of Icepeak Castle 3RR (R)
Legendary Creature – Ape Warrior
Hussars of Icepeak Castle can block any number of creatures.
If Hussars of Icepeak Castle blocks or is blocked by two different creatures, it gets +1/+1 and first strike until end of turn.
If Hussars of Icepeak Castle blocks or is blocked by three or more different creatures, it gets +2/+2 and double strike until end of turn.
4/4
Icepeak Legionnaire 3R (U)
Creature - Ape Warrior
Trample
Whenever you are dealt damage, put a +1/+1 counter on Icepeak Legionnaire.
2/2
Immolate XRR (U)
Sorcery
Spend only red mana to pay X.
Immolate deals X damage to target creature and X damage to that creature's controller.
Impulsiveness 2R (C)
Enchantment
Creatures with haste get +1/+0 and cannot block.
Kardathan Dragoons 4R (U)
Creature – Ape Knight
Flanking, Mountainwalk
3/3
Kardathan Firemage 3R (U)
Creature – Ape Shaman
Revenge 1R (When this card is put into a graveyard from play or removed from the game, you may pay 1R)
When Kardathan Firemage’s revenge cost is paid, it deals 3 damage to target creature or player.
3/1
Kardathan Sentinel 2R (C)
Creature – Ape Warrior
First Strike, Vigilance
1/3
No one enters Kardath without the sentinel’s knowledge. Few go far without the sentinels’ blessing.
Kardathan Talespinner 3R (C)
Creature – Ape Shaman
When Kardathan Talespinner comes into play, if you own a red Memory card that’s removed from the game, Kardathan Talespinner deals 2 damage to each creature you don’t control.
3/2
Mountainlord Karong 4RRR (R)
Legendary Memory Creature – Shaman
Haste, ethereal (If this card would be put into a graveyard from anywhere, instead reveal it, then remove it from the game.)
Whenever a creature you control is dealt damage from a spell or ability, Mountainlord Karong deals that much damage to target creature.
Whenever you are dealt damage from a spell or ability, Mountainlord Karong deals that much damage to target player.
4/5
Rejection R (C)
Instant
Return target creature that dealt combat damage this turn to its owner’s hand.
“Begone, invader! Your like shall not defile Kardathian snow any longer.” - Mountainlord Karong
Resonating Wrath 1R (C)
Instant
Deal 2 damage to target creature.
At the beginning of your upkeep, if Resonating Wrath is in your graveyard, deal 2 damage to target player. If you do, remove Resonating Wrath from the game.
Rite of Vengeance 4R (U)
Enchantment
Whenever you, a card you own, or a spell you control becomes the target of a spell or ability, Rite of Vengeance deals 1 damage to target creature or player.
Unbound Anger 1RR (U)
Sorcery
As an additional cost to play Unbound Anger, sacrifice a creature.
Target creature gets +X/+0 until end of turn, where X is the sacrificed creature's power.
Undermine 1RR (U)
Sorcery
Destroy target non-Mountain land. Undermine deals 2 damage to a creature that land's owner controls.
GREEN (18)
Ageless Behemoth 5GG (U)
Memory Creature - Beast
Vanishing 3, Ethereal (If this card would be put into a graveyard from anywhere, instead reveal it, then remove it from the game.)
When Ageless Behemoth would leave play, if it had no time counters on it, instead remove it from the game with two time counters on it.
Suspend 4 — 2GG
7/6
Entangling Vines 2GG (U)
Enchantment
Whenever a creature becomes tapped, you may pay 1. If you do, put a vine counter on Entangling Vines.
Remove a vine counter from Entangling Vines: Target creature gets -1/-0 until end of turn.
Gardener of Hope 3G (C)
Creature – Elf Druid
Whenever a land comes into play under your control, add one mana to your mana pool of any color that land could produce.
1/3
Grovebound Watcher 2G (U)
Memory Creature – Dryad Spirit
Ethereal (If this card would be put into a graveyard from anywhere, instead reveal it, then remove it from the game.)
As long as you own a green Memory card that’s removed from the game, Grovebound Watcher gets +1/+1 and has “ GG,T: Regenerate this creature”.
2/3
Hyborial Coast-Guard 1GG (C)
Creature – Elf Warrior
Protection from Blue
2/2
Tireless and efficient, the coast-guards patrol their island’s watery borders on watch for any unwanted visitors.
Innervate X1G (U)
Instant
Target creature gets +X/+X until end of turn. Put X 1/1 green Saproling tokens into play under your control.
Jungle Sage 1GG (U)
Creature – Elf Druid
Revenge GG (When this card is put into a graveyard from play or removed from the game, you may pay GG).
When Jungle Sage’s revenge cost is paid, put 2 +1/+1 counters divided as you like amongst any number of target creatures.
Manasurge G (C)
Sorcery
Add G to your mana pool, then add G to your mana pool for each other spell played this turn.
Nothing is wasted on Hyborial; even excess mana scraps are painstakingly collected till they can fuel a useful spell.
Mistyreed Vanguard 3G (U)
Creature – Beast
Flying
G, Return Mistyreed Vanguard to its owner’s hand: Target attacking creature deals no combat damage this turn.
3/3
Naturally cautious, the grifferines of Hyborial make excellent scouts when paired with a rider to teach them what to fear.
Patchwork Restoration 2G (C)
Memory Enchantment
Vanishing 5, Ethereal (If this card would be put into a graveyard from anywhere, instead reveal it, then remove it from the game.)
At end of turn, you gain 2 life.
Prowling Growler 2GG (C)
Creature – Beast
4/4
Some things never change as time goes by - such as the cycle of predator and prey.
Rabid Wolverine GG
Creature - Beast
3/2
Only in a dream could something this small be that hungry.
Repeated Renewal 1G (C)
Instant
Regenerate target creature.
At the beginning of your upkeep, if Repeated Renewal is in your graveyard, put two +1/+1 counters on target creature. If you do, remove Repeated Renewal from the game.
Rite of Vigor 4G (U)
Enchantment
Whenever you, a card you own, or a spell you control becomes the target of a spell or ability, you gain 2 life.
Sylvan Echo G (C)
Memory Creature - Spirit
Ethereal (If this card would be put into a graveyard from anywhere, remove it from the game instead.)
0/2
Spirit-Council of Hyborial 4GGG (R)
Legendary Memory Creature - Druid
Vigilance, ethereal (If this card would be put into a graveyard from anywhere, instead reveal it, then remove it from the game.)
Spirit-Council of Hyborial comes into play with seven +1/+1 counters on it.
If Spirit-Council of Hyborial would be destroyed, instead remove a +1/+1 counter and all damage from it. If you can’t, remove Spirit-Council of Hyborial from the game.
0/0
Spirit-Council Attendants 3GG (R)
Legendary Creature – Elf Druid
Whenever Spirit-Council Attendants is dealt combat damage, add G to your mana pool for each point of damage dealt to it. This mana doesn’t cause mana burn. Until end of turn, this mana doesn’t empty from your mana pool as phases end.
Whenever a nonland sourse adds any amount of mana to your mana pool, you may gain that much life.
1/6
Strength of the Forgotten 2GG (U)
Memory Sorcery
Ethereal (If this card would be put into a graveyard from anywhere, instead reveal it, then remove it from the game.)
Place X +1/+1 counters divided as you like amongst any number of target creatures, where X is one plus the number of Memory cards you own removed from the game.
Their power remains to bolster the courageous.
BLACK (24)
Chosen of Netheriax 3BB (R)
Legendary Creature – Skeleton Assassin
Fear
Whenever Chosen of Netheriax deals combat damage, put a -1/-1 counter on target creature.
Whenever a player discards a card, you may put the top card of target player’s library into their graveyard.
3/2
Cursed Heirloom 1B (U)
Enchantment - Aura
Enchant Creature
Whenever enchanted creature is put into a graveyard from play or removed from the game, attach Cursed Heirloom to target creature.
1B: Enchanted creature get -1/-1 until end of turn.
Curses of the Forgotten 2BB (U)
Memory Sorcery
Ethereal (If this card would be put into a graveyard from anywhere, instead reveal it, then remove it from the game.)
Target player puts the top X cards of their library into their graveyard, where X is one plus the number of Memory cards you own removed from the game.
Their loathing remains to corrupt the impure.
Danse Macabre 6BB (R)
Memory Sorcery
Ethereal (If this card would be put into a graveyard from anywhere, instead reveal it, then remove it from the game.)
Kicker 3B
Return a total of X creature cards from one or more graveyards to play under your control, where X is the amount of combat damage dealt to all players this turn.
If you paid the kicker cost, Danse Macabre has flash, and X is equal to the amount of combat damage dealt to all creatures and players this turn instead.
Dark Sun 2BB (R)
Enchantment
At the beginning of your upkeep, creatures you control get +1/+0 until end of turn.
At the beginning of each opponent’s upkeep, creatures you don’t control get -1/-0 until end of turn.
All that is good and natural cowers under the baleful glare of Anathalia’s new shadowy sun.
Discorporate 2B (U)
Instant
Destroy target non-land, non-Memory permanent.
Eidolic Assassin 4B (U)
Memory Creature – Spirit
Fear, Ethereal (If this card would be put into a graveyard from anywhere, instead reveal it, then remove it from the game.)
3/4
Forlorn Shade 1B (C)
Memory Creature – Shade
Shadow, Ethereal (If this card would be put into a graveyard from anywhere, instead reveal it, then remove it from the game.)
B: Forlorn Shade gets +1/+1 until end of turn. At end of turn, if this ability has been used three or more times, sacrifice Forlorn Shade.
0/1
They will stop at nothing in pursuit of their foes, even if it costs them their soul.
Harbinger of Lethe 3BB (R)
Creature – Specter
Flying
Whenever Harbinger of Lethe deals combat damage to a player, that player discards a card from their hand.
Whenever an opponent discards one or more cards, put a +1/+1 counter on Harbinger of Lethe.
2/2
Its touch removes all memories, including that of its own existence.
Iniquitous Substitution 3BBB (R)
Sorcery
Destroy target non-black creature, then put a creature token into play under your control that is a copy of the destroyed creature except that it is black.
Intoxicate X1B (U)
Instant
Target creature gets -X/-X until end of turn. That creature's controller removes the top X cards of their library from the game.
Netheriax the Uncarnate 4BBB (R)
Legendary Memory Creature – Horror
Flying, ethereal (If this card would be put into a graveyard from anywhere, instead reveal it, then remove it from the game.)
Whenever Netheriax the Uncarnate deals combat damage to a creature, remove that creature from the game.
Whenever Netheriax the Uncarnate deals combat damage to a player, choose a card at random from that player’s hand and remove it from the game.
Whenever a card is removed from the game, target player loses 1 life.
6/5
Nethertouched Acolyte 3B (U)
Creature – Human Rogue
T: Target Memory creature gets +2/+1 until end of turn.
T, sacrifice Nethertouched Acolyte: Target Memory creature gets +4/+2 until end of turn.
2/2
Oblivion’s Attendant 3BB (R)
Creature – Human Wizard
All cards and permanents with Ethereal lose Ethereal as long as Oblivion’s Attendant is in play.
All cards, spells, and permanents with the Memory supertype lose that supertype as long as Oblivion’s Attendant is in play.
When Oblivion’s Attendant leaves play, remove all cards with Ethereal in all graveyards from the game.
1/5
Paranoia B (C)
Instant
Target creature gains protection from spells and permanents its owner controls until end of turn.
Trust nobody and nothing. Trust yourself least of all.
Retainer of Dusk 1B (C)
Creature - Human Assassin
Revenge 2B (When this card is put into a graveyard from play or removed from the game, you may pay 2B.)
Retainer of Dusk can't block.
When Retainer of Dusk's revenge cost is paid, destroy target non-black creature.
2/1
Reverberating Rot 1B (C)
Instant
Target player discards a card.
At the beginning of your upkeep, if Reverberating Rot is in your graveyard, target player puts the top two cards of their library into their graveyard. If you do, remove Reverberating Rot from the game.
Rite of Vice 4B (U)
Enchantment
Whenever you, a card you own, or a spell you control becomes the target of a spell or ability, target opponent puts the top card of their library into their graveyard.
Shadowrift B (C)
Enchantment
Whenever a memory spell is played, you may pay 1. If you do, target player loses 1 life.
Skulking Cultist 2R (U)
Creature – Human Rogue
Skulking Cultist comes into play with a disguise counter on it.
When Skulking Cultist becomes the target of a spell or ability, remove a disguise counter from it. If you do, change the target of that spell or ability to another legal target of your choice. The spell or ability’s owner remains unchanged.
2/1
Touch of Netheriax 2BB (U)
Memory Instant
Ethereal (If this card would be put into a graveyard from anywhere, instead reveal it, then remove it from the game.)
Remove target creature from the game. Its controller loses 1 life.
“Your existence...never was...” - Netheriax the Uncarnate
Umbral Oracle 3B (U)
Creature – Spirit Cleric
TBB: Target player reveals a card from their hand and the top card of their library. Choose one card revealed in this way and discard it. If you own a black Memory card that’s removed from the game, discard all cards revealed in this way instead.
2/2
Unbound Voidwraith BB (U)
Memory Creature – Wraith
Vanishing 6, Ethereal (If this card would be put into a graveyard from anywhere, instead reveal it, then remove it from the game.)
Unbound Voidwraith gets -1/-1 for each time counter on it.
7/7
As they draw near to the void, their power to take you with them grows stronger.
Wraithling BB (C)
Creature – Zombie
Deathtouch, First Strike
0/1
Some of the most dangerous shadow creatures are those that look the most harmless at first glance.
MULTICOLOR (3)
Discognant Dispersal XUB (U)
Instant
Counter target spell unless its controller pays X. If they do, the spell’s controller loses X life.
Oathsworn Armada 3WBB (R)
Legendary Memory Creature – Skeleton
Ethereal (If this card would be put into a graveyard from anywhere, instead reveal it, then remove it from the game.)
Oathbound Armada gets +1/+1 for each Memory card removed from the game.
3/3
They took an vow to serve the crown of Salvanar - but no one predicted that the crown would be stolen.
Split Personality 2UR (U)
Enchantment - Aura
Enchant Creature
Enchanted creature has haste.
At the beginning of each player’s upkeep, that player gains control of enchanted creature and untaps it.
When Split Personality leaves play, enchanted creature’s owner gains control of it.
ARTIFACT (9)
Depleted Power Cell 3 (U)
Artifact
TXX: Put X charge counters on Depleted Power Cell.
T, remove X charge counters from Depleted Power Cell: Add X to your mana pool.
Emblem of Might 4 (U)
Memory Artifact
Ethereal (If this card would be put into a graveyard from anywhere, instead reveal it, then remove it from the game.)
During your upkeep, if Emblem of Might has four or more charge counters on it, sacrifice it.
Whenever a green permanent leaves play, put a charge counter on Emblem of Might.
When Emblem of Might leaves play, put a +1/+1 counter on target creature for each charge counter on it.
Emblem of Insight 4 (U)
Memory Artifact
Ethereal (If this card would be put into a graveyard from anywhere, instead reveal it, then remove it from the game.)
During your upkeep, if Emblem of Insight has four or more charge counters on it, sacrifice it.
Whenever a blue permanent leaves play, put a charge counter on Emblem of Insight.
When Emblem of Insight leaves play, target player draws a card for each charge counter on it.
Emblem of Fury 4 (U)
Memory Artifact
Ethereal (If this card would be put into a graveyard from anywhere, instead reveal it, then remove it from the game.)
During your upkeep, if Emblem of Fury has four or more charge counters on it, sacrifice it.
Whenever a red permanent leaves play, put a charge counter on Emblem of Fury.
When Emblem of Fury leaves play, it deals 1 damage to target creature or player for each charge counter on it.
Emblem of Essence 4 (U)
Memory Artifact
Ethereal (If this card would be put into a graveyard from anywhere, instead reveal it, then remove it from the game.)
During your upkeep, if Emblem of Essence has four or more charge counters on it, sacrifice it.
Whenever a white permanent leaves play, put a charge counter on Emblem of Essence.
When Emblem of Essence leaves play, target player gains 2 life for each charge counter on it.
Emblem of Despair 4 (U)
Memory Artifact
Ethereal (If this card would be put into a graveyard from anywhere, instead reveal it, then remove it from the game.)
During your upkeep, if Emblem of Despair has four or more charge counters on it, sacrifice it.
Whenever a black permanent leaves play, put a charge counter on Emblem of Despair.
When Emblem of Despair leaves play, target player discards a card for each charge counter on it.
Epoch Golem 3 (C)
Artifact Creature – Golem
Epoch Golem gets +1/+0 for each color among Memory cards you own that are removed from the game.
Epoch Golem gets +0/+1 for each type among Memory cards you own that are removed from the game (The card types are artifact, creature, enchantment, instant, planeswalker, sorcery, and tribal).
1/1
Mask of the Nether 1 (C)
Artifact – Equipment
2: Equipped creature gets -1/-1 and shadow until end of turn.
Equip 2
Panacea Oil 2
Artifact
Costs you pay as part of triggered abilities cost 1 less. This cannot reduce the cost of any such ability to less than 1.
Timeworn Textbook 4 (U)
Artifact
Sacrifice Timeworn Textbook: Draw two cards, then remove a card in your hand from the game.
Sacrifice Timeworn Textbook: Scry 3, then draw three cards, then remove two cards in your hand from the game. Play this ability only if you own a Memory card with converted mana cost of 4 or more that’s removed from the game.
Vault of Epochs 6 (R)
Legendary Memory Artifact
Ethereal (If this card would be put into a graveyard from anywhere, instead reveal it, then remove it from the game.)
Vault of Epochs doesn’t untap during your untap step.
T: Target Memory spell cannot be countered by spells or abilities.
T: Target Memory creature is unblockable until end of turn.
Discard a Memory card or sacrifice a Memory: Untap Vault of Epochs. Play this ability only once each turn.
LAND (5)
Alcazar, Bastion of the Stalwart (R)
Legendary Land
Alcazar, Bastion of the Stalwart comes into play tapped.
When this card comes into play, sacrifice it unless you sacrifice a Plains you control.
T: Add WW to your mana pool.
WT: Prevent the next 1 damage that would be dealt to target creature or player. If there are more white Memory cards than any other color of Memory card removed from the game, prevent the next 2 damage dealt instead.
Hakaj, Isolate Academy (R)
Legendary Land
Hakaj, Isolate Academy comes into play tapped.
When this card comes into play, sacrifice it unless you sacrifice an Island you control.
T: Add UU to your mana pool.
UT: Fateseal 1 (look at the top 1 cards of target player’s library, then put those cards back on the top of bottom of their library in any order). If there are more blue Memory cards than any other color of Memory card removed from the game, Fateseal 2 instead.
Iverian, Sanctum of Solitude (R)
Legendary Land
Iverian, Sanctum of Solitude comes into play tapped.
When this card comes into play, sacrifice it unless you sacrifice an Island you control.
T: Add GG to your mana pool.
GT: Gain 1 life. If there are more green Memory cards than any other color of Memory card removed from the game, gain 2 life instead.
Nihilos, Citadel of Oblivion (R)
Legendary Land
Nihilos, Citadel of Oblivion comes into play tapped.
When this card comes into play, sacrifice it unless you sacrifice a Swamp you control.
T: Add BB to your mana pool.
BT: Target creature gets -1/-1 until end of turn. If there are more black Memory cards than any other color of Memory card removed from the game, that creature gets -2/-2 until end of turn instead.
Shambala, Kardathan Refuge (R)
Legendary Land
Shambala, Kardathan Refuge comes into play tapped.
When this card comes into play, sacrifice it unless you sacrifice a Mountain you control.
T: Add RR to your mana pool.
TR: Deal 1 damage to target player. If there are more red Memory cards than any other color Memory card removed from the game, deal 2 damage to target player instead.
1) Supertpes and card types aren't capitalized. Subtypes are, though.
2) Furthermore, supertypes are always treated as adjectives. For example, Ronom Hulk has "protection from snow," not "protection from snows," and another card (which I can't recall) has the phrase "is snow." So, if memory is a supertype, then you'd have "protection from memory," and "is memory."
Oh, and ethereal doesn't need the reveal clause, since RFG'd cards are face up unless specified otherwise.
Ethereal (If this card would be put into a graveyard from anywhere, remove it from the game instead.)
Anyway, that's just a small cosmetic/technical fix. On to actual cards:
Land cycle -- Okay. You can say "If [color] is the most common color among memory cards removed from the game..." (like Mahamoti Djinn for example).
Discognant Dispersal -- Aside from a word that doesn't exist, you can just say "Counter target spell unless its controller pays and X life."
colored-token-copy cycle -- "Put a token into play that's a copy of that creature except that it is [color]."
Ancient Behemoth -- That's a LOT of abilities, and will make for unprintable levels of reminder text. Otherwise it's okay, but still.
Border Sentry -- Losing abilities... not as good as "as though" effects. "Creatures with mountainwalk attacking you may be blocked as though they didn't have mountainwalk."
Immolate -- Cool. "Spend only red mana on X." It would be interesting to see a cycle of "one for you, one for me" X spells a la Consume Soul.
Very Well Then I Contradict Myself.
All the other cards are easy cosmetic fixes as well -though for Discognant Dispersal...since when has a word not existing stopped it from appearing on a Magic card?
On Ageless Behemoth, I can easily drop trample if you think it's too cluttered...that was just sort of thrown on there, and might actually be overpowered.
I can see a loose cycle being built around Immolate actually, with two related effects...
Black - -X/-X to a target creature and target player mills X?
White - Prevent X damage or give +0/+X?
I dunno. The way it's worded (I hope), it has the vulnerability of fizzling completely if one or both of its targets become illegal before resolution.
Yeah, the cycle I was thinking of would include Immolate and Consume Spirit (yeah Consume Soul isn't an actual card), so...
Illuminate :xmana::1mana::symw:
Instant (U)
Spend only white mana on X.
Prevent the next X damage that would be dealt to target creature or player this turn. You gain X life.
Innovate :xmana::1mana::symu:
Instant (U)
Spend only blue mana on X.
Counter target spell with converted mana cost X. Reveal the top X cards of your library, then put one of them into your hand and the rest on the bottom of your library.
Inotxicate :xmana::1mana::symb:
Sorcery (U)
Spend only black mana on X.
CARDNAME deals X damage to target creature or player and you gain X life.
Immolate :xmana::1mana::symr:
Sorcery
CARDNAME deals X damage to target creature and X damage to that creature's controller.
Irradicate* :xmana::1mana::symg: -- For each of X creatures, put a +1/+1 counter on that creature, or put a 1/1 green Saproling creature token into play under your control.
*Definition: To root deeply. [Dictionary.com]
Because of Consume Spirit's power level, I bet you could probably reduce the cost of Immolate thusly.
Very Well Then I Contradict Myself.
Intoxicate could be changed to giving its target creature -X/-X, or maybe putting X -1/-1 counters on the creature, and either milling X or removing X cards from the opponent's library...maybe make them discard X cards?
Irradicate maybe a areal word, but I think it's a bit too close to the real Eradicate. Howbout Invigorate instead?
EDIT: On another note - would there be good reason to reprint the Wishes in this set? I hadn't thought about it till now, but it'd give some credit to a rather maligned cycle.
Illuminate :xmana::1mana::symw:
Instant (U)
Spend only white mana on X.
The next X damage that would be dealt to target creature is dealt to target creature instead.
I feel that alone fits with the "one for me, one for you" idea here. It isn't 2 clauses, but this is a much better card.
Illuminate :xmana::1mana::symw:
Instant (U)
Spend only white mana on X.
Put a +1/+1 counter on X target creatures. Tap X creatures and remove them from combat. Those creatures don't untap as normal during their controller's next untap step.
Also, Invigorate is taken I suggest Innervate!
Former R&D Development Team W leader
For your information, it's pronounced Argh + was.
Proud Co-Founder of
Magic Coffeehouse!
Come in, sit down, relax, get to know somebody!
How about the Reverial realm and the waking realm?
Glurman: Hm..."Reverial" is a neat phrase - makes me itch to use it on a card, actually. What's the root word of that?
All three of you are on the Contributors list now, and there's plenty of space on the "Design Team" if that sounds more prestigious.
I actually have a card in my set like that:
Tangible Reverie U
Instant
Choose a card you own from outside the game and shuffle it into your library. Remove Tangible Reverie from the game.
Draw a card.
Also, I'm starting to assign rarities to the existing cards and new creations based on the folllowing scale that I pulled out of my butt. Each card gets ranked from 1-5 based on Power, Efficiency, and Complexity. More powerful and complex cards get more points on those scales, while cheaper or easier-to-cast cards get more points on Efficiency (i.e, a :2mana::symg: would score higher than a :3mana::symg::symg::symg:). Once each card is scored, it'll be judged into Common, Uncommon, or Rare based on the total points. This could take a while.
__________________________________________________________________
All Done. I've edited in the rarities to my text spoiler, but here they are again if you don't want to read all the way through, sorted by color and rarity. Reference the text spoiler for the actual card texts.
Blue:
3 Rares - Ferian Taysir, Lost Proctor; Hakaj Spellguards;
10 Uncommons - Acaleph; Glimpse of Eternities; Harmonic Study; Innovate; Intangible Instructor; Random Transposition; Reality Ripple; Rite of Visions; Truths of the Forgotten; Unravel;
6 Commons - Call to Mind; Fragmented Futures; Hakaj Archivist; Plasmagneto; Recurrent Research; Wandering Anomaly
White:
3 Rares - Guardian of the Vault; King Cayliss I, Warden of Ages; Wardens of the Shining Star
7 Uncommons - Antecedent Ward; Blessings of the Forgotten; Illuminate; Knight of the Vault; Open the Vault; Rite of Vitality; Venerable Ascetic
9 Commons - Alcazar Footman; Ephemeral Barrier; Leap of Faith; Prehistoric Albatross; Resounding Recovery; Spectral Vanguard; Tireless Defender; Trapped in Myth; Valiant Defense;
Red:
3 Rares - Hide-Carved Wyrm; Hussars of Icepeak Castle; Mountainlord Karong
9 Uncommons - Anger of the Forgotten; Blazing Revenant; Cinderstorm; Eradicating Avalanche; Immolate; Kardathan Dragoons; Kardathan Firemage; Rite of Vengeance; Unbound Anger
6 Commons - Border Sentry; Emberling; Kardathan Sentinel; Kardathan Talespinner; Rejection; Resonating Wrath;
Green:
2 Rares - Spirit-Council of Hyborial; Spirit-Council Attendants;
7 Uncommons - Ageless Behemoth; Entangling Vines; Innervate; Jungle Sage; Mistyreed Vanguard; Rite of Vigor; Strength of the Forgotten;
7 Commons - Gardener of Hope; Grovebound Watcher; Hyborial Coast-Guard; Manasurge; Patchwork Restoration; Prowling Growler; Repeated Renewal;
Black
7 Rares - Chosen of Netheriax; Danse Macabre; Dark Sun; Harbinger of Lethe; Iniquitous Substitution; Netheriax the Uncarnate; Oblivion's Attendant
10 Uncommons - Curses of the Forgotten; Discorporate; Eidolic Assassin; Intoxicate; Nethertouched Acolyte; Rite of Vice; Skulking Cultist; Touch of Netheriax; Umbral Oracle; Unbound Voidwraith
4 Commons - Forlorn Shade; Paranoia; Reverberating Rot; Wraithling
Multicolor
1Rares - Oathsworn Armada
2 Uncommons -Discognant Dispersal; Split Personality
0 Commons -
Artifacts
1 Rares - Vault of Epochs
6 Uncommons - Depleted Power Cell; Emblem of Despair; Emblem of Essence; Emblem of Fury; Emblem of Insight; Emblem of Might
3 Commons - Epoch Golem; Mask of the Nether; Timeworn Textbook
Lands
5 Rares - Alcazar, Bastion of the Stalwart; Hakaj, Isolate Academy; Iverian, Sanctum of Solitude; Nihilos, Citadel of Oblivion; Shambala, Kardathan Refuge
Forest Spirit G (C)
Memory Creature - Spirit
0/2
Icepeak Legionnaire 3R (U)
Creature - Ape Warrior
Trample
Whenever you are dealt damage, put a +1/+1 counter on Icepeak Legionnaire.
2/2
Relentless Exorcist 3W (U)
Creature - Human Cleric
Relentless Exorcist is unblockable if the defending player controls a memory permanent.
Relentless Exorcist gets -1/-1 for each memory permanent you control.
3/3
Phantasmic Reversal 3U (R)
Sorcery
Memory permanents are no longer memory and lose Ethereal.
Non-memory permanents become memory and gain Ethereal.
These effects occure simultaneously and do not end at end of turn.
Brain Trader 1UU (U)
Creature - Mutant
When Brain Trader deals combat damage to an opponent, you may pay X. If you do, gain control of target permanent with converted mana cost X. That permanent's owner gains control of Brain Trader.
Storytelling W (C)
Enchantment
Whenever a memory spell is played, you may pay 1. If you do, gain 1 life.
Shadowrift B (C)
Enchantment
Whenever a memory spell is played, you may pay 1. If you do, target player loses 1 life.
Seal The Borders X1WW (R)
Enchantment
Seal The Borders comes into play with X shield counters on it.
At the beginning of your upkeep, you may sacrifice Seal The Borders.
Creatures you control without flying cannot attack or block.
Whenever you would be dealt combat damage, prevent that damage and remove a shield counter from Seal The Borders.
What I currently need is BLUE CREATURES - I'm quite low on non-legendary Blues. Blue creatures would be refugees from the destroyed Valdenos Academy (both students/teachers and escaped experiments of all sorts) or dreams/nightmares/mythical beasts that would be at home in the oceans...if it's an experiment or test subject, it's fair game for any sort of wacky mechanic that wouldn't fit into another color's area of expertise, so go nuts please!
Boring set/concept? Or is it just the sheer volume of things I've already created that keeps people from commenting on them?
Tsumani Coiler 6UU
Memory Creature - Serpent
Ethereal, Islandwalk, Shroud
7/7
[b]Because blue always has a near-unplayable fattie.[/b]
Rabid Wolverine GG
Creature - Beast
3/2
[i]Only in a dream could something this small be that hungry.[/i]
[b]I'm a bit uncertain about the cost of this guy...he's weaker than 1GG and" target="blank">Trained Armodon[/i] at 1GG and Nessian Courser at 2G, but possibly better than the equally priced Elvish Warrior also at GG.[/b]
Blood For Blood 1RRR
Enchantment
Whenever a noncreature permanent you control is put into a graveyard from play or removed from the game, target player sacrices a noncreature permanent they control.
[b]A red, non-creature version of Grave Pact. It fits well with red's Vengeance-like subtheme, despite being a potential dead card in many red-based decks.
Undermine 1RR
Sorcery
Destroy target non-Mountain land. Undermine deals 2 damage to a creature that land's owner controls.
[b]Better than Stone Rain, worse than Poison The Well.
Chaotic Residue 2U
Enchantment - Aura
Enchant Creature
At the beginning of each player's upkeep, enchanted creature gains that player's choice of flying, first strike, or shroud until end of turn.
[b]A slightly unpredictable aura - I'm not sure if it's valuable or not, because your opponent will always choose the least beneficial option during their turn.[/b]
Kismetite UUU
Creature - Mutant
Flash
When Kismetite comes into play, choose a number.
[mana]U: Reveal the top card of target player's library. If that card's converted mana cost is equal to the number chosen for Kismetite, put a +1/+1 counter on Kismetite. Play this ability no more than once each turn.
2/3
[b]Synergizes with Fateseal and Scry both, hopefully not too well.[/b]
BLUE:
Memory: 5
Cares about memory: 3 (+1 memory)
Unrelated to memory: 15
WHITE:
Memory: 8
Cares about memory: 4
Unrelated to memory: 10
RED:
Memory: 4
Cares about memory: 1
Unrelated to memory: 16
GREEN:
Memory: 6
Cares about memory: 0 (+1 memory)
Unrelated to memory: 12
BLACK:
Memory: 7
Cares about memory: 5
Unrelated to memory: 10
MULTICOLOR/ARTIFACT/LAND:
Memory: 6
Cares about memory: 7 (+2 memory)
Unrelated to memory: 4
TOTAL:
Memory: 36
Cares about memory: 20 (+4 memory)
Unrelated to memory: 63
So I have a ration of a little less than 1-2 on memories to non-memories, and about 1-3 for cards that care about memories versus cards that don't. I'll probably go compare to Kamigawa and its Arcane, but I'll need to remember that Arcane has no effect on the gamestate unless you use a card that cares about Arcane spells, where Memory influences the gamestate completely on its own by going RFG. I haven't figured out whether to consider that an advantage or a drawback yet...as a drawback, memories become underpriced in block, as an advantage, they become overpriced out of block.
Ice Age Block and the Snow Supertype:
ICE AGE
5 Snow cards (all lands)
27 non-Snow cards that care about Snow
341 cards unrelated to Snow
ALLIANCES
0 Snow cards
4 non-Snow cards that care about Snow
140 cards unrelated to Snow
COLDSNAP
46 Snow cards
11 non-snow lands that care about Snow (+29 Snow cards that care about Snow)
98 cards unrelated to Snow.
Kamigawa Block and the Arcane Subtype:
CHAMPIONS
44 Arcane cards
24 non-Arcane cards that care about Arcane (+16 Arcane cards that care about Arcane)
223 cards unrelated to Arcane
BETRAYERS
27 Arcane cards
20 non-Arcane cards that care about Arcane (+9 Arcane cards that care about Arcane)
118 cards unrelated to Arcane
CHAMPIONS
22 Arcane cards
14 non- Arcane cards that care about Arcane (+4 Arcane cards that care about Arcane)
129 cards unrelated to Arcane
I'm not sure where to go with the data though...Ice Age has a much lower ratio of snow-related cards to non-snow related cards, but almost all of Kamigawa's cards that care about Arcane are Splice onto Arcane or triggered abilities off playing Arcane spells. Neither Arcane nor Snow have any effect whatsoever if you don't have a "cares about arcane/snow" in your deck, whereas Memory will (and be less attractive to black decks, because they can't be as easily retrieved/reanimated), and a number of my "cares about Memory" cards track Memories even after they've been played.
Out of 300 cards, I'm going to have roughly 50 memories - give it a strong presence in the set without being overpowering.
Out of those same 300 cards, I think I'll go with the same number of 50 for cards that interact with memory, possibly with overlap on the actual memories.
That leaves 200 cards to design that couldn't care less about memories...quite a bit to work on. Here's two, a matched pair of enchantments:
Impulsiveness 2R (C)
Enchantment
Creatures with haste get +1/+0 and must attack each turn if able.
Indecision 2W (C)
Enchantment
Creatures with vigilance get +0/+1 and gain defender.
Partially buff enchantments, partially enemy color-hosers (Vigilance is more Red than White in this set, and White will have more Haste than Red will).
Indecision is a massive hater on Vigilance.
Butcher of Words.
Made by Spiderboy4
For Indecisiveness, would you think "cannot block" be more a drawback than "must attack"? It's a better mirror to the enforced defender, and removes the ability for a player with early hasters to save them for chumping after the early turns.
Some of them already have artwork I swiped from the intarnets, but go right ahead. Acaleph, for example, is actually named after the piece of artwork I used for it, a gigantic flying jellyfish.
Anyway, some comments:
While I really like Acaleph (it's probably the name), I couldn't help myself wondering, why you make something that's worse than Air Elemental.
Well, not everything has to powercreep :). Acaleph is actually one of the earliest cards I made, before I started doing cross-comparisons with existing cards. It's weaker than Air Elemental, but Air Elemental is also an uncommon to Acaleph's common rarity...perhaps a drop in cost to 4U is in order?
Good point, it is a real Johnny card. Would it be better as an uncommon or a rare?
I'll definitely make it a cantrip, so it has an immediate benefit. First Strike may not be blue, but I don't know what to replace it with that fits the idea of the card...if it's something relatively weak compared to the others, the opponent will always choose that one and basically make the enchantment do nothing during their turn.
I specifically avoided that wording because it sets up an infinite loop. The next time a player tries to draw, you Fateseal them for 1, but then they try to draw the card that's now on top, and you're required to Fateseal again, and it never stops. With the "put the card into hand" wording, the ability only triggers once for each card they try to draw.
Well, it is different, because the Scry interrupts each draw. With Scry 3, draw 3, you get cards A/B/C, or D, or E, or F. With Scry 1/draw 1 x3, it's card A or B, then C or D, then E or F. It may not be a significant difference, but the card as it is has a really tasty flavor.
That's actually a very interesting idea - but would it be too powerful at that point?
It goes with the rest of the cycle - along with the Hussars of Icepeak Castle, the Spirit-Council Attendants, the Chosen of Netheriax, and the Wardens of the Shining Star. They're each elite orders of warriors related to their color's signature legendary creature - there's only one group of Spellguards, there's only one group of Hussars, etc.
Thanks.
Here's a few more cards from yesterday's musings - you can open the spoiler and read them now, or wait till you reach them in the main spoiler - though at least one of them is blue (Apprentice Scribe).
Apprentice Scribe U (C)
Creature - Human Wizard
Revenge U (When this card is put into a graveyard from play or removed from the game, you may pay U.)
When Apprentice Scribe's revenge cost is paid, draw a card.
1/1
Cursed Heirloom 1B (U)
Enchantment - Aura
Enchant Creature
Whenever enchanted creature is put into a graveyard from play or removed from the game, attach Cursed Heirloom to target creature.
1B: Enchanted creature get -1/-1 until end of turn.
Retainer of Dusk 1B (C)
Creature - Human Assassin
Revenge 2B (When this card is put into a graveyard from play or removed from the game, you may pay 2B.)
Retainer of Dusk can't block.
When Retainer of Dusk's revenge cost is paid, destroy target non-black creature.
2/1
Panacea Oil 2 (C)
Artifact
Costs you pay as part of triggered abilities cost 1 less. This cannot reduce the cost of any such ability to less than 1.
(This one I need to figure out the proper wording for...it's intended to smooth Revenge costs, but it'll also work for effects like Searing Meditation, as an example of a cost that's part of a triggered ability. The second clause is to cut off infinite loops and avoid negating effects that only require you to pay 1 or 2 to begin with, like said Searing Meditation.)
I've also copied Indecision and Impulsiveness into the main spoiler, after modifying Indecision so that it instead makes Vigilance creatures unable to attack unless they pay 2, like a personal Ghostly Prison., and Impulsiveness so Hasters cannot block instead of forcing them to attack.
(When this is put into a graveyard or removed from the game, if it was in play, you may pay [cost].)
Cursed Heirloom -- "...return CARDNAME from your graveyard to play attached to target creature." The original version doesn't do anything because SBEs put the unattached Heirloom into the graveyard before the ability can trigger. (Or, if it does, the graveyard-to-play clause is clearer.)
Very Well Then I Contradict Myself.
Hunger for Glory 1R
Enchantment - Aura
Enchant Creature
Enchanted creature gains +1/+0 and must attack each turn if able.
Enchanted creature has "Whenever this creature attacks, prevent all damage that would be dealt by other creatures you control this turn."
"Hold your fire - let him reach our walls unhindered. His failure to breach them alone will hollow the hearts of those who stayed behind to watch."
It's intended to be a multiuse card - it can help boost one fattie you have if that's all you're swinging with, or tie down an opponent's swarm if you've lost board advantage. I think the effect and flavor is suitably Red to get by...opinions?
Before I excused myself from the other RFG-themed thread, it was pointed out that a RFG mechanic (his Forgotten supertype, my Memory supertype) was extremely parasitic and didn't work very well with other sets. Now, Memory is here to stay, it's too heavily rooted into the theme - but Memory by itself doesn't really do much, it just sends the card RFG (technically, Memory does absolutely nothing, it's the Ethereal keyword on all memories that does the RFGing). The parasitic function is in the cards that care about Memories, like the Forgotten sorcery cycle, or the legendary land cycle.
The ultimate question is, would make such cards be too powerful if I opened them up to be triggered by any card in the RFG zone of the requirements, not just Memories? For example, Anger of the Forgotten would deal damage equal to the number of cards RFG, and Nihilos, Citadel of Oblivion would tap for -2/-2 if Black was the most common color among cards RFG. It'd help with the parasitic function, but RFG isn't a terribly common mechanic in other sets anyways, so I don't know if it'll help enough.