When Tidal Courier enters the battlefield, reveal the top four cards of your library. Put all Merfolk cards revealed this way into your hand and the rest on the bottom of your library in any order.
At the beginning of your upkeep, return a permanent you control to its owner's hand.
[4/4]
I wouldn't mind it if Merfolk tribal amounted to a Tier 2 deck in the DOM-XI-CtG metagame, but I'm mostly putting these cards in as general-purpose / kitchen table kind of stuff. I don't want a super-aggressive Fish archetype or anything.
[EDIT 1]: Made a whole bunch of power-level upgrades.
[EDIT 2]: Decreased the cost of Bulwark Patrol from 3U to 2U.
[EDIT 3]: Added a scary Port-Lock activated ability to Sea Sculptor, then took it away.
I assume you're not gonna (re)print any of the classical lords?
Nope. Admiral of the Trenches is going to be the only Merfolk-specific lord in the format.
Part of the challenge here is that I know that Merfolk Ninjas are a significant part of Call to Glory block, and I don't want to have to balance this tribe around a very powerful lord like Master of the Pearl Trident. I want the CtG Merfolk Ninjas to be playable on their own terms. The Admiral is intended to work on a totally different axis. It's still compatible with the Merfolk Ninjas, it's just not really optimized for them.
If there's a way to break that pairing, I want people to have to figure it out for themselves, at least.
If by "general badness" you mean "I feel bad when this card is in my Limited deck," I still feel that way about every card here other than Looter, Effluxion Mage, and possibly Admiral of the Trenches. Maybe Cache Raiders could be a high pick if there's a good blue/x ETB archetype along the lines of Roaring Primadox.
If by "general badness" you mean "I feel bad when this card is in my Limited deck," I still feel that way about every card here other than Looter, Effluxion Mage, and possibly Admiral of the Trenches. Maybe Cache Raiders could be a high pick if there's a good blue/x ETB archetype along the lines of Roaring Primadox.
Fair. I made upgrades to Bulwark Patrol and Sea Sculptor. The former will probably improve its Limited standing. The latter probably won't, but it might make up for that in Constructed applications. (Might.)
It feels strange to have Sea Sculptor in a set with zero natural islandwalkers. Could Gifted Schoolmate have islandwalk? It gains a lot more applications as an unblockable sideboard card in a Limited deck, as well as being fodder for the casual Merfolk Tribal deck.
I really like the change to Bulwark Patrol's cmc, as the Merfolk tribe was getting rather cloggy at the 4 spot.
The new Sea Sculptor is just begging to go infinite with a land that makes 3+ mana.
It feels strange to have Sea Sculptor in a set with zero natural islandwalkers. Could Gifted Schoolmate have islandwalk? It gains a lot more applications as an unblockable sideboard card in a Limited deck, as well as being fodder for the casual Merfolk Tribal deck.
I think there will be some natural Islandwalkers, they just won't be Merfolk. I have a couple reasons for that. The first is that I try to veer away from building decks for people as a designer. If it's pretty clear to me that there are six cards that work together in perfect synchronicity but don't have a lot of applications outside of that combination, I'm going to break up that linearity and let players discover the combinations themselves.
The other reason is, again, Call to Glory block. There's going to be a landwalk subtheme in the block, and I expect that a landwalk deck (weird, right?) might actually be a viable thing. I don't want that to necessarily be the same deck as the Merfolk deck. Sea Sculptor could work in either.
I really like the change to Bulwark Patrol's cmc, as the Merfolk tribe was getting rather cloggy at the 4 spot.
Yeah, I like it better there, too. I didn't set out to redesign Nivix Cyclops, but it looks more and more like it with every iteration. But hey, one keys off instants and sorceries, one off of Merfolk, and the numbers are different in either case.
The new Sea Sculptor is just begging to go infinite with a land that makes 3+ mana.
Yeah... it's giving me the jitters. My first pass at the ability gave activated for ":1mana:, :symtap::", but I really want a Coral Merfolk in the set (that is, a 2-mana Merfolk that can attack for 2 damage) and I didn't want to take this guy out of the combat game. But yeah, this has "danger" written all over it.
Yeah... it's giving me the jitters. My first pass at the ability gave activated for ":1mana:, :symtap::", but I really want a Coral Merfolk in the set (that is, a 2-mana Merfolk that can attack for 2 damage) and I didn't want to take this guy out of the combat game. But yeah, this has "danger" written all over it.
You could just return it to the original version, accept that blue's going to have two uncommon creatures that suck in Limited, and make up for it elsewhere in power level. The activated ability is a lot scarier in Constructed than in Limited anyway.
Gifted Schoolmate - Between this and the Admiral, it looks like you started to put in a tapping Merfolk theme like Lorwyn, but then gave up on it. There should either be some more ways of tapping Merfolk other than attacking, or less. I think this should also be a type like Soldier that makes sense when you attack with it to trigger it.
Sea Sculptor - Fine. It could also be when it attacks/becomes tapped and last only until end of turn.
Admiral of the Trenches
- As we know from Invisible Stalker, unblockable and untargetable are very annoying combinations. This takes mana to activate, but still might be too easy.
- The second ability doesn't feel like a blue ability. It would be more fitting on a Soldier, an Elf, a Zombie, or even a Goblin before putting it on a Merfolk. Maybe merge the abilities into one so you can't cheaply make one giant unblockable Merfolk, and you can't make the Admiral unblockable by himself.
1U, Tap an untapped Merfolk you control: Target Merfolk creature gets +1/+1 and gains hexproof and islandwalk until end of turn.
Effluxion Mage - Might be too good of a combat trick for a common, or maybe blue needs a good combat trick at common.
Bulwark Patrol - Like the Admiral, this doesn't feel like a blue ability. Outside of a cycle with a card like Windrider Eel, which was to fill out landfall with some simple common designs, I don't thin blue would get a card like this. It could be changed to 1/4 and made into another Aquamoeba variant. Maybe dropping defender so it can still attack unswitched, and maybe changing the trigger so it works with any Merfolk entering to broaden the interactions.
Whenever a Merfolk enters the battlefield under your control, you may switch CARDNAME's power and toughness until end of turn.
Cache Raiders - Odd reprint choice. Which does this set want: tapping Merfolk for abilities, or bouncing Merfolk for repeated enter triggers. For a core set there is probably only room for one. Take the others and convert them over. Gifted Schoolmate could be an enter trigger. Admiral of the Trenches could bounce a Merfolk as the cost (that would be able to protect two creatures you control from removal, so it would need to be tested to see if it isn't too annoying).
Which does this set want: tapping Merfolk for abilities, or bouncing Merfolk for repeated enter triggers. For a core set there is probably only room for one.
Let me address that, because I think it answers most of your other questions.
While the Core Set needs to be draftable, I don't agree that the Core Set really needs to present a unified thematic front. My philosophy is that it's meant to round out the Standard environment, so it's totally acceptable for it to feel somewhat "incomplete." I don't necessarily WANT any archetypes to emerge independently from Eleventh Edition.
That may seem contradictory at first - here I am pushing Merfolk tribal, a well-defined archetype if there ever was one - but what I'm really saying here is that Eleventh Edition is providing the tools to make Merfolk tribal possible within Standard. 3/7ths of the Merfolk tribal equation is going to be defined by the Ningyo in Call to Glory block, and the other 3/7ths is yet-to-be-determined for Dominaria block.
So, basically, I'm trying to put in interesting, thematically ambiguous Merfolk in Eleventh Edition so that I can drop the missing puzzle pieces into DOM and CtG blocks.
Creature — Merfolk Rogue [C]
:symtap:: Draw a card, then discard a card.
[1/1]
Creature — Merfolk [U]
When Tidal Courier enters the battlefield, reveal the top four cards of your library. Put all Merfolk cards revealed this way into your hand and the rest on the bottom of your library in any order.
3U: Tidal Courier gains flying until end of turn.
[1/2]
Creature — Merfolk [R]
Whenever Saprazzan Heir becomes blocked, you may draw three cards.
[1/1]
And some new stuff:
Creature — Merfolk [C]
Whenever Gifted Schoolmate becomes tapped, you may untap target creature not named Gifted Schoolmate.
[1/1]
Creature — Merfolk Wizard [U]
When Sea Sculptor enters the battlefield, target land becomes an Island in addition to its other types until Sea Sculptor leaves the battlefield.
[2/1]
Creature — Merfolk Soldier [R]
1U: Target Merfolk creature gains islandwalk and hexproof until end of turn.
Tap an untapped Merfolk you control: Target Merfolk creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn.
[3/2]
Creature — Merfolk Wizard [C]
Flash (You may cast this spell any time you could cast an instant.)
When Effluxion Mage enters the battlefield, target creature gets -2/-0 until end of turn.
[2/2]
Creature — Merfolk Soldier [C]
Defender (This creature can't attack.)
Whenever you cast a Merfolk spell, Bulwark Patrol gets +2/+2 until end of turn and can attack this turn as though it didn't have defender.
[2/3]
Creature — Merfolk Rogue [U]
At the beginning of your upkeep, return a permanent you control to its owner's hand.
[4/4]
I wouldn't mind it if Merfolk tribal amounted to a Tier 2 deck in the DOM-XI-CtG metagame, but I'm mostly putting these cards in as general-purpose / kitchen table kind of stuff. I don't want a super-aggressive Fish archetype or anything.
[EDIT 1]: Made a whole bunch of power-level upgrades.
[EDIT 2]: Decreased the cost of Bulwark Patrol from 3U to 2U.
[EDIT 3]: Added a scary Port-Lock activated ability to Sea Sculptor, then took it away.
Any takers this time?
Nope. Admiral of the Trenches is going to be the only Merfolk-specific lord in the format.
Part of the challenge here is that I know that Merfolk Ninjas are a significant part of Call to Glory block, and I don't want to have to balance this tribe around a very powerful lord like Master of the Pearl Trident. I want the CtG Merfolk Ninjas to be playable on their own terms. The Admiral is intended to work on a totally different axis. It's still compatible with the Merfolk Ninjas, it's just not really optimized for them.
If there's a way to break that pairing, I want people to have to figure it out for themselves, at least.
Avatar by Numotflame96 of Maelstrom Graphics
Sig banner thanks to DarkNightCavalier of Heroes of the Plane Studios!
Fair. I made upgrades to Bulwark Patrol and Sea Sculptor. The former will probably improve its Limited standing. The latter probably won't, but it might make up for that in Constructed applications. (Might.)
I really like the change to Bulwark Patrol's cmc, as the Merfolk tribe was getting rather cloggy at the 4 spot.
The new Sea Sculptor is just begging to go infinite with a land that makes 3+ mana.
Avatar by Numotflame96 of Maelstrom Graphics
Sig banner thanks to DarkNightCavalier of Heroes of the Plane Studios!
I think there will be some natural Islandwalkers, they just won't be Merfolk. I have a couple reasons for that. The first is that I try to veer away from building decks for people as a designer. If it's pretty clear to me that there are six cards that work together in perfect synchronicity but don't have a lot of applications outside of that combination, I'm going to break up that linearity and let players discover the combinations themselves.
The other reason is, again, Call to Glory block. There's going to be a landwalk subtheme in the block, and I expect that a landwalk deck (weird, right?) might actually be a viable thing. I don't want that to necessarily be the same deck as the Merfolk deck. Sea Sculptor could work in either.
Yeah, I like it better there, too. I didn't set out to redesign Nivix Cyclops, but it looks more and more like it with every iteration. But hey, one keys off instants and sorceries, one off of Merfolk, and the numbers are different in either case.
And Nivix Cyclops is a nice design, so whatevs.
Yeah... it's giving me the jitters. My first pass at the ability gave activated for ":1mana:, :symtap::", but I really want a Coral Merfolk in the set (that is, a 2-mana Merfolk that can attack for 2 damage) and I didn't want to take this guy out of the combat game. But yeah, this has "danger" written all over it.
You could just return it to the original version, accept that blue's going to have two uncommon creatures that suck in Limited, and make up for it elsewhere in power level. The activated ability is a lot scarier in Constructed than in Limited anyway.
Avatar by Numotflame96 of Maelstrom Graphics
Sig banner thanks to DarkNightCavalier of Heroes of the Plane Studios!
Sea Sculptor - Fine. It could also be when it attacks/becomes tapped and last only until end of turn.
Admiral of the Trenches
- As we know from Invisible Stalker, unblockable and untargetable are very annoying combinations. This takes mana to activate, but still might be too easy.
- The second ability doesn't feel like a blue ability. It would be more fitting on a Soldier, an Elf, a Zombie, or even a Goblin before putting it on a Merfolk. Maybe merge the abilities into one so you can't cheaply make one giant unblockable Merfolk, and you can't make the Admiral unblockable by himself.
Effluxion Mage - Might be too good of a combat trick for a common, or maybe blue needs a good combat trick at common.
Bulwark Patrol - Like the Admiral, this doesn't feel like a blue ability. Outside of a cycle with a card like Windrider Eel, which was to fill out landfall with some simple common designs, I don't thin blue would get a card like this. It could be changed to 1/4 and made into another Aquamoeba variant. Maybe dropping defender so it can still attack unswitched, and maybe changing the trigger so it works with any Merfolk entering to broaden the interactions.
Cache Raiders - Odd reprint choice. Which does this set want: tapping Merfolk for abilities, or bouncing Merfolk for repeated enter triggers. For a core set there is probably only room for one. Take the others and convert them over. Gifted Schoolmate could be an enter trigger. Admiral of the Trenches could bounce a Merfolk as the cost (that would be able to protect two creatures you control from removal, so it would need to be tested to see if it isn't too annoying).
Let me address that, because I think it answers most of your other questions.
While the Core Set needs to be draftable, I don't agree that the Core Set really needs to present a unified thematic front. My philosophy is that it's meant to round out the Standard environment, so it's totally acceptable for it to feel somewhat "incomplete." I don't necessarily WANT any archetypes to emerge independently from Eleventh Edition.
That may seem contradictory at first - here I am pushing Merfolk tribal, a well-defined archetype if there ever was one - but what I'm really saying here is that Eleventh Edition is providing the tools to make Merfolk tribal possible within Standard. 3/7ths of the Merfolk tribal equation is going to be defined by the Ningyo in Call to Glory block, and the other 3/7ths is yet-to-be-determined for Dominaria block.
So, basically, I'm trying to put in interesting, thematically ambiguous Merfolk in Eleventh Edition so that I can drop the missing puzzle pieces into DOM and CtG blocks.