I feel that this is a very elegant way of using ki counters... much quicker to grokk than the Brinkwalkers. It is somewhat generic, so in order to really deserve the keyword you're going to need to push it a lot. (Otherwise it could just be a theme without a keyword.)
Order of the Falling Leaf reminds me of Walking Atlas (Or a mana elf version of it).
Fine commons, but do remember that they have enough lines of text to be considered complex. Be sure you include boring limited (read: vanilla/french vanilla) cards too.
Acquiring a ki counter also doesn't feel very difficult, either. If there was more tension to acquiring one, it'd be more interesting.
Maybe it could be whenever they attack or block, and they survive combat? If you decide to use this, go with the wording:
"Ki strike — At end of combat, if ~ attacked or blocked this combat, put a ki counter on it."
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I feel that this is a very elegant way of using ki counters... much quicker to grokk than the Brinkwalkers. It is somewhat generic, so in order to really deserve the keyword you're going to need to push it a lot.
Thanks!
I'm probably going to re-design the Brinkwalkers so they work with this mechanic. I'm pretty sure I already know how that's going to go down.
@TurboJustice: I like the suggestion about adding more tension. I do worry that your wording change complicates the ki strike mechanic a bit... and I do like the simplicity of it as it stands. I've thought of a few other ways that I can add that tension. When I post the revised Brinkwalkers, I think you'll be satisfied with the risk / reward tension. (Hint: "remove two.") Nevermind, I'll just post them:
Uba Brinkwalker1W
Creature - Hag Monk [U]
Ki strike — Whenever Uba Brinkwalker attacks or blocks, put a ki counter on it.
Remove two ki counters from Uba Brinkwalker: Uba Brinkwalker becomes a 4/4 Spirit with lifelink until end of turn.
[1/3]
Ningyo Brinkwalker3U
Creature - Merfolk Monk [U]
Ki strike — Whenever Ningyo Brinkwalker attacks or blocks, put a ki counter on it.
Remove two ki counters from Ningyo Brinkwalker: Ningyo Brinkwalker becomes a 7/3 Spirit until end of turn.
[1/5]
Nezumi Brinkwalker1B
Creature - Rat Monk [U]
Ki strike — Whenever Nezumi Brinkwalker attacks or blocks, put a ki counter on it.
Remove two ki counters from Nezumi Brinkwalker: Nezumi Brinkwalker becomes a 1/5 Spirit with deathtouch until end of turn.
[2/1]
Akki Brinkwalker2R
Creature - Goblin Monk [U]
Ki strike — Whenever Akki Brinkwalker attacks or blocks, put a ki counter on it.
Remove two ki counters from Akki Brinkwalker: Akki Brinkwalker becomes a 5/1 Spirit with first strike until end of turn.
[2/2]
Orochi Brinkwalker2G
Creature - Snake Monk [U]
Ki strike — Whenever Orochi Brinkwalker attacks or blocks, put a ki counter on it.
Remove two ki counters from Orochi Brinkwalker: Orochi Brinkwalker becomes a 6/6 Spirit with trample until end of turn.
These guys don't seem a tad too easy to activate? All they need to do is survive one combat phase to become effectively unblockable in the midgame. The Esper ones will probably have the easiest time of it, since 3cmc is when midrange decks start hitting their stride, and there aren't a lot of 5-power creatures at 4cmc, letting the blue one get through if the opponent can't double block.
Known as Inanimate at Goblin Artisans, and TyrRev at /r/custommagic!
Lead Tesla, a community set designed by everyone and led by me, over at Goblin Artisans. Index of articles here!
I think these are a really great new implementation of the Brinkwalkers. I'm not entirely sure about the density of weird new mechanics in CtG, but the ki-strike mechanic is super rad.
What do your vanillas and French vanillas look like? I think it'd be instructive to see, like, a whole tribe gathered in one place to examine it holistically.
What do your vanillas and French vanillas look like? I think it'd be instructive to see, like, a whole tribe gathered in one place to examine it holistically.
It's a fine question. Those are probably going to be the last things I design, because they're going to be pretty easy to just slot into whatever holes I need them to fill.
Mostly, I think you're going to see most of the vanillas / French vanillas fall into two camps: Spirits, and generic fauna, like Apes, Spiders, Tanuki, etc. (all the latter which were all more-or-less absent from the first Kamigawa block.) There may be an occasional "humanoid race" vanilla / French vanilla, but for the most part those races are going to be tied to one or more block mechanics. Demons (intimidate) and Hags (protection) are the only tribes I can think of that I am planning to tie to a specific evergreen combat ability. So, you may see some French vanillas in those two tribes.
Ki strike is officially the last named set mechanic that I'm doing for Call to Glory. If I get any other big ideas, they're going to have to wait, or they're going to have to come at the expense of cutting one of the existing keyword / abiity word mechanics.
Two combat phases, if we're counting both yours and your opponent's turn. If you get through unblocked once with this guy, and swing again, the counter is on the creature before the opponent can make blocking decisions, so if they block with something that is smaller than the powered-up Spirit version, you can remove the two counters right away for free value.
Oh, I see. My bad entirely - I forgot it wasn't sorcery speed.
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Two combat phases, if we're counting both yours and your opponent's turn. If you get through unblocked once with this guy, and swing again, the counter is on the creature before the opponent can make blocking decisions, so if they block with something that is smaller than the powered-up Spirit version, you can remove the two counters right away for free value.
<-- Yes.
I do agree that these guys (the Brinkwalkers) are probably a little jacked up, on average. Even really jacked up, in a couple cases. Assuming I want to keep the mana costs / powers / toughnesses / keywords / two ki counter removals the same (I kind of do,) how would you recommend tweaking the P/T of the Spirit-transformation abilities of each of these five? What's a fair and playable P/T for each one?
If one of them has to be "the good one," which one would you pick?
I do agree that these guys (the Brinkwalkers) are probably a little jacked up, on average. Even really jacked up, in a couple cases. Assuming I want to keep the mana costs / powers / toughnesses / keywords / two ki counter removals the same (I kind of do,) how would you recommend tweaking the P/T of the Spirit-transformation abilities of each of these five? What's a fair and playable P/T for each one?
If one of them has to be "the good one," which one would you pick?
Likewise with "the bad one."
These are the kinds of questions that I find are best answered via playtesting. Numbers can be tweaked during testing, concepts can't.
Creature - Human Monk [C]
Ki strike — Whenever Order of the Falling Leaf attacks or blocks, put a ki counter on it.
Remove a ki counter from Order of the Falling Leaf: Put a land card from your hand onto the battlefield.
[1/2]
Creature - Human Monk [C]
Ki strike — Whenever Furious Reikenden attacks or blocks, put a ki counter on it.
Remove a ki counter from Furious Reikenden: Furious Reikenden deals 1 damage to target creature.
[1/1]
Creature - Human Monk [C]
Ki strike — Whenever Meditating Budoka attacks or blocks, put a ki counter on it.
Remove a ki counter from Meditating Budoka: Draw a card, then discard a card.
[2/2]
Planning on pushing a whole lot of this one.
Order of the Falling Leaf reminds me of Walking Atlas (Or a mana elf version of it).
Furious Reikenden reminds me of Ashmouth Hound and Somberwald Vigilante.
Meditating Budoka reminds me of Soratami Cloudskater (more than Merfolk Looter).
Fine commons, but do remember that they have enough lines of text to be considered complex. Be sure you include boring limited (read: vanilla/french vanilla) cards too.
Acquiring a ki counter also doesn't feel very difficult, either. If there was more tension to acquiring one, it'd be more interesting.
Maybe it could be whenever they attack or block, and they survive combat? If you decide to use this, go with the wording:
"Ki strike — At end of combat, if ~ attacked or blocked this combat, put a ki counter on it."
Lead Tesla, a community set designed by everyone and led by me, over at Goblin Artisans. Index of articles here!
Thanks!
I'm probably going to re-design the Brinkwalkers so they work with this mechanic. I'm pretty sure I already know how that's going to go down.
@TurboJustice: I like the suggestion about adding more tension. I do worry that your wording change complicates the ki strike mechanic a bit... and I do like the simplicity of it as it stands. I've thought of a few other ways that I can add that tension.
When I post the revised Brinkwalkers, I think you'll be satisfied with the risk / reward tension. (Hint: "remove two.")Nevermind, I'll just post them:Creature - Hag Monk [U]
Ki strike — Whenever Uba Brinkwalker attacks or blocks, put a ki counter on it.
Remove two ki counters from Uba Brinkwalker: Uba Brinkwalker becomes a 4/4 Spirit with lifelink until end of turn.
[1/3]
Creature - Merfolk Monk [U]
Ki strike — Whenever Ningyo Brinkwalker attacks or blocks, put a ki counter on it.
Remove two ki counters from Ningyo Brinkwalker: Ningyo Brinkwalker becomes a 7/3 Spirit until end of turn.
[1/5]
Creature - Rat Monk [U]
Ki strike — Whenever Nezumi Brinkwalker attacks or blocks, put a ki counter on it.
Remove two ki counters from Nezumi Brinkwalker: Nezumi Brinkwalker becomes a 1/5 Spirit with deathtouch until end of turn.
[2/1]
Creature - Goblin Monk [U]
Ki strike — Whenever Akki Brinkwalker attacks or blocks, put a ki counter on it.
Remove two ki counters from Akki Brinkwalker: Akki Brinkwalker becomes a 5/1 Spirit with first strike until end of turn.
[2/2]
Creature - Snake Monk [U]
Ki strike — Whenever Orochi Brinkwalker attacks or blocks, put a ki counter on it.
Remove two ki counters from Orochi Brinkwalker: Orochi Brinkwalker becomes a 6/6 Spirit with trample until end of turn.
[3/2]
Avatar by Numotflame96 of Maelstrom Graphics
Sig banner thanks to DarkNightCavalier of Heroes of the Plane Studios!
Lead Tesla, a community set designed by everyone and led by me, over at Goblin Artisans. Index of articles here!
What do your vanillas and French vanillas look like? I think it'd be instructive to see, like, a whole tribe gathered in one place to examine it holistically.
It's a fine question. Those are probably going to be the last things I design, because they're going to be pretty easy to just slot into whatever holes I need them to fill.
Mostly, I think you're going to see most of the vanillas / French vanillas fall into two camps: Spirits, and generic fauna, like Apes, Spiders, Tanuki, etc. (all the latter which were all more-or-less absent from the first Kamigawa block.) There may be an occasional "humanoid race" vanilla / French vanilla, but for the most part those races are going to be tied to one or more block mechanics. Demons (intimidate) and Hags (protection) are the only tribes I can think of that I am planning to tie to a specific evergreen combat ability. So, you may see some French vanillas in those two tribes.
Ki strike is officially the last named set mechanic that I'm doing for Call to Glory. If I get any other big ideas, they're going to have to wait, or they're going to have to come at the expense of cutting one of the existing keyword / abiity word mechanics.
Two combat phases, if we're counting both yours and your opponent's turn. If you get through unblocked once with this guy, and swing again, the counter is on the creature before the opponent can make blocking decisions, so if they block with something that is smaller than the powered-up Spirit version, you can remove the two counters right away for free value.
Avatar by Numotflame96 of Maelstrom Graphics
Sig banner thanks to DarkNightCavalier of Heroes of the Plane Studios!
Lead Tesla, a community set designed by everyone and led by me, over at Goblin Artisans. Index of articles here!
<-- Yes.
I do agree that these guys (the Brinkwalkers) are probably a little jacked up, on average. Even really jacked up, in a couple cases. Assuming I want to keep the mana costs / powers / toughnesses / keywords / two ki counter removals the same (I kind of do,) how would you recommend tweaking the P/T of the Spirit-transformation abilities of each of these five? What's a fair and playable P/T for each one?
If one of them has to be "the good one," which one would you pick?
Likewise with "the bad one."
These are the kinds of questions that I find are best answered via playtesting. Numbers can be tweaked during testing, concepts can't.
I definitely agree with that statement.
I'm not gonna mess with the designs.
I figured if people wanted to give me ballpark expectations for "fair," I'd listen to those. But playtesting will be the ultimate decider.