My 315 Card Magic Fan Expansion - Fires of Heaven!

[misterorange]

After a LONG wait (Version 1.0 was released in June 2004!), Fires of Heaven is back!

There are a TON of changes to each color and almost each and every card. The biggies:

• A brand new "Fires of Heaven Block" website
• White has a new mechanic and lost "Unblockability"
• Blue lost its insane card draw
• Red was balanced and many cards changed
• Green was reworked with new creature abilities and mana costs
• Black saw several changes in abilities and spells
• Multiple artifacts were redesigned and re-costed
• Best of all: Only one file to download and run to start playing!

It's time to open up those opinions! With a MUCH simpler installation process (just Five Steps), this is a much more accessible expansion. I'd love to hear what you guys think.

Also - See a sneak preview of the 2nd set in the Fires of Heaven block, Broken Borders, at the Fires of Heaven Block page!

Note: I did not record the artists of each piece of artwork. I'm sorry

Thanks!

[LSK]

I'd rather see the set here, so I can criticize you harshly AND have everyone else know what I'm talking about. Please post some cards here.

[LSK]

Okay, I went to the site and looked over the mechanics.

Recursion should be a strictly green ability, as it is functionally similar to regeneration and the creatures that had it in reality, the Penumbra ones, were all green.

Blink is a really weird ability. I don't think it should be keyworded. Also, the instant and sorcery spells with Blink are way too powerful, because removing a card from the game when it's going to be in the graveyard anyways doesn't matter in the majority of decks.

Training was actually submitted to the CKE(check my signature) under the name of Armor, but was rejected because it's essentially the same as adding 1 toughness. Similar to Rampage, it won't do much most of the time. In fact, Gendai Training, the aura that gives Training 1 for 2W, is much worse than Holy Strength.

Regarding your marquee cards:

Mana Break is extremely good; it taps all their creatures, so you can easily play this then attack for the win. There's probably other reasons why this is too good too.

Dire Decisions needs wording help. The flavor text is horrible. The image makes no sense. At worst, it's a Lava Axe.

Coldstone Rockjumper - You made this a rare? There's a 4/2 for 1RR that's almost the same, but you pay 1RR instead of sacrificing a mountain. I think your card is extremely weak.

Forbidden Shrine - This is essentially a Meddling Mage that any deck can play. This is too good, because part of Meddling Mage's drawback was his 2 colors and the fact that he was a creature.

[PlanesJaywalker]

Wow, I see that you've put a lot of effort in your set, that's good Anyway:

Training - The way you word it now, it seems that all combat damage would be reduced, not just the ones that is dealt to the creature with training. I suppose you meant:

Training X (Whenever combat damage would be dealt to this creature, reduce that damage by X.)

Brosan - The haste-gaining part doesn't really make sense to me, I think it would make more sense if it gets haste when an opponent controls a Mountain because (1) haste is red and (2) white's other enemy color is red.

Cast Out - Strictly worse than Aura Blast.

Divine Protection - Rather expensive. Protecting a single creature would cost , I don't this would cost more than .

Garnered Treaty - This ability has been of artifacts, but I guess it makes sense in white. Perhaps cost .

Gen'dai Conqueror - Hm.... he doesn't look that legendary at all, at least he should be more 'trained' than other soldiers

Gen'dai Djinn - Weak. It can't attack for two turns.

Gen'dai Order - Looks weak... it could be an Aura, even then I guess it should give Training 2.

Gen'dai Scout - Could cost W.

Haunting Echo - Name similar to Haunting Echoes. Also very weak, when compared to say Blinding Beam.

Hayzan - I'd limit the ability to once a turn, if not I'd just skip my next billion untap steps and kill you the next turn.

Marzan Council - Wording:

At the beginning of your upkeep, sacrifice Marzan Council unless you sacrifice a creature.

Marzan Messenger - Could cost 2W.

Misstep - Already a card name.

Pearl Knight - Seems weaker than the color knights, this could be a 2/2.

Recursion - Feels green.

Blind Sight - Strictly worse than Infiltrate.

Cognitive Intuition - Terribly weak, for 5 mana I could draw 4 cards. This could cost 2U.

Joondai Dragon - Could be 3/4.

Joondai Guardian - Feels red.

Joondai Negotiations - Sweet.

Lost and Found - Considering that you can save your own permanents, this seems uncommon.

Tressan Mindmeld - Er... Brainstorm?

Bloodletting - That's one disturbing picture...

Curse of Durak - It's worse than any targeted removal, it could cost

Dire Decisions - One of the very few times when I agree with LSK...

Durak's Order - Rather weak.... I'd rather spend one more mana to play Mind Rot.

False Move - Wording: "Destroy target creature unless its controller pays X life."

Nurok's Prayer - Wait.... we have quite a lot of targeted removal in black, no?

Viper's Kiss - Wording: "Pay 2 life:..."

Coldstone Rockjumper - Feels blue.

Coldstone Viashino - Slightly worse than Viashino Sandscout.

Dragon Flame - Worse than Firebreathing.

Dwarven Zealot - Superior to Akki Rockspeaker.

Nagrock Berserker - Ball Lightning wasn't THAT overpowered..... this is just bad.

Nagrock Dragon - It's not like activating it many times in a turn has some use...

Nagrock Might - I don't see in any case where it would be better than Crushing Pain.

Scorn of the Dragon Eye - Could cost . Compare to Screaming Fury.

Tortured Existence - So before I can make some use out of this, I'd have to let two of my creatures die, than I still have to take 2 more damage? I'd take away the 'deals damage to you' part and lower the cost to .

Battle Grounds - Bad.... Primal Rage gives your creatures trample for half the price and no drawback.

Farsight - Strictly worse than Web.

Granook Archer - Isn't this white?

Patrimony - Overcosted.

Shentar - "While ~ is in play" not needed. The ability won't exist if she isn't in play.

Skulking Lizard - Black.

Blessed Destruction - Hardly better than Divine Offering.

Kerra - Is she legendary?

Dragon's Eye - Wording: "... and draw that many cards."

Forbidden Shrine - You mean, 'Name a card'?

Gen'dai Armory - I wonder what do those charge counters do....

Shifting Sea - Not much need for the drawback actually, it's balanced as it is.

[misterorange]

Thanks a ton guys, I really appreciate this kind of feedback.

A few things to note: I don't think I can improve the wording on Dire Decisions. The art isn't amazing, but I like it. The flavor text has changed for the next revision. If you have an improved wording, I'd love to hear it. I know it's a Lava Axe, but it's a lava axe for Black, an important distinction.

Whenever you say a card is "strictly worse than", it's 9/10 times meant to be. Tressan Mindmeld -is- supposed to be a bad Brainstorm, because Brainstorm is too powerful at just U. Blind Sight is the only spell changed to match its previous incarnation. Battle Grounds was improved based on previous cards, but only done so because I was unaware of the Stronghold equivalent.

All others (such as Cast Out, Farsight) were bad on purpose. Bad cards must exist. I make many cards with this in mind, as they are necessary demons of design. All cards can't be incredible, because drafting and sealed would be a mess.

Here are the current release notes for Fires of Heaven v1.5 (Still Currently In Development):

FIRES OF HEAVEN - V1.5 OFFICIAL RELEASE NOTES (IN DEVELOPMENT)
-------------------------------------------------
Training has been reworded. Official Rules Text is now "All combat damage dealt to this creature from each source is reduced by 1."

Brosan - Mountains trigger haste, not Swamps

Divine Protection - Now 3W

Gen'dai Conquerer - Now Training 1

Gen'dai Djinn - Doesn't come into play tapped

Haunting Echo - Now "Haunting Visage", Also 2W

Hayzan - Limited to once per turn, but I need to know: Can you skip your next billion untap steps? I thought you could only skip your "next" untap turn step -once-.

Marzan Council - Fixed wording

Misstep - Now Dangerous Misstep

Blind Sight - Now just U

Cognitive Intuition - Now 3U

Joondai Dragon - Now 3/3

Tressan Mindmeld - Now 1U (I -know- its Brainstorm)

Dire Decisions - Fixed flavor. Wording should be fine (but if it isn't let's hear the right one!)

Durak's Order- Now just B. Could be too strong.

False Move - Fixed wording.

Unmarked Grave - Redesigned, much stronger! A creature-based persecute.

Dragon's Flame - Recosted, improved.

Dwarven Zealot - Now 2R

Nagrock Beserker - Loses 'Sac at end of turn' -- Possibly too strong.

Nagrock Dragon - Removed useless "once per turn" wording

Scorn of Dragon's Eye - Now 3R.

Tortured Existence - Just 2RR and doesn't deal damage to you.

Battle Grounds - Now gives +1/+0 as well.

Blessed Destruction - Now just RW

Kerra - Legendary

Fa'an, Joondai Council - Legendary (as he always supposed to have been)

Forbidden Shrine - Fixed wording (to mesh with Meddling Mage)

Gen'dai Armory - Fixed wording (to account for counters)

Shifting Sea - Removed unneeded drawback

===================================

Here's the new Unmarked Grave:

[Nex3]

I'm too lazy to look over the entire set, but if you post a few (one to six) cards at a time, I'll critique those.

And it's "his or her," not "their."

Finally, I'm going ahead and adding this to the Custom Set list.

[Musteval]

Ancient Protector should be an artifact CREATURE, and probably should only affect other creatures you control (may not be necessary, but better safe than sorry.). Also, I'm not sure, but it may cause an infinite loop when you have two. *thinks about Krark's Thumb + Mirror Gallery* Maybe not. Meh.

For reference,

Ancient Protector -
Artifact
Damage that would be dealt to creatures you control is dealt to Ancient Protector instead.
The Marzan believed their ancient gods watched over them, and when danger came their faith was rewarded.
1/5
Uncommon
#261/315

[misterorange]

Originally Posted by Musteval

Ancient Protector should be an artifact CREATURE, and probably should only affect other creatures you control (may not be necessary, but better safe than sorry.). Also, I'm not sure, but it may cause an infinite loop when you have two. *thinks about Krark's Thumb + Mirror Gallery* Maybe not. Meh.

For reference,

Ancient Protector -
Artifact
Damage that would be dealt to creatures you control is dealt to Ancient Protector instead.
The Marzan believed their ancient gods watched over them, and when danger came their faith was rewarded.
1/5
Uncommon
#261/315

Thanks Musteval, this will be updated in the next version