If this should be in the Create-a-card forum, it can be moved to there, but the cube thread isn't so that is the precedent I am going by.
This thread is for designing cards that you want to see printed in modern, but can also be printed in a standard legal set, so be aware of the power levels.
Perhaps they are cards that are fixed versions of a banned card, a weakened version of a powerful legacy card, something that helps a specific archetype which just isn't there yet, or it can just be a great utility creature or hate bear to combat the current meta.
Anyways, I'll start off:
Stalking Mongoose1G {U}
Creature - Mongoose
Hexproof (this creature can't be the target of spells or abilities your opponents control)
Stalking Mongoose gets +1/+1 for each nonbasic land card your opponents control.
1/1
A budget tarmogoyf who in many cases is even stronger than goyf. This would help bring the price of goofy down and also act as a punisher to players using too many nonbasic lands.
KindlingR {C}
Sorcery
Add RR to your mana pool.
This is the fixed Rite of Flame. Helps power up the storm combo a little bit, as well as helping out the All-in red archetype.
And lastly,
SpellbindUU {C}
Instant
Counter target spell with converted mana cost 3 or less.
A fixed version of counterspell for control decks that can't be played around like mana leak can, but can only hit low costed spells.
That's it for now, what do you players have in mind? What would you like to see in modern?
If this should be in the Create-a-card forum, it can be moved to there, but the cube thread isn't so that is the precedent I am going by.
This thread is for designing cards that you want to see printed in modern, but can also be printed in a standard legal set, so be aware of the power levels.
Perhaps they are cards that are fixed versions of a banned card, a weakened version of a powerful legacy card, something that helps a specific archetype which just isn't there yet, or it can just be a great utility creature or hate bear to combat the current meta.
Anyways, I'll start off:
Stalking Mongoose1G {U}
Creature - Mongoose
Hexproof (this creature can't be the target of spells or abilities your opponents control)
Stalking Mongoose gets +1/+1 for each nonbasic land card your opponents control.
1/1
A budget tarmogoyf who in many cases is even stronger than goyf. This would help bring the price of goofy down and also act as a punisher to players using too many nonbasic lands.
I don't think this would be busted, but I would hate this being printed unless wizards reprinted the allied color fetches. The fact is, if you're playing a very general allied color deck such as UW control, you really have no choice but to play a high volume of nonbasics so that your mana is consistent.
I don't get why people feel it so necessary to punish nonbasic manabases. It's as if people completely forgot blood and tectonic edge exist, and are highly relevant cards in the format.
This is the fixed Rite of Flame. Helps power up the storm combo a little bit, as well as helping out the All-in red archetype.
This is not going to happen. Rite of flame was broken not because of the fact that it became better in multiples, but because it was a 1 cmc ritual that allowed for turn 1 ascensions, or other fast mana that came before opponents had an opportunity to interact with it.
Not giving opponents time to interact with opposing strategies = bad for the game, especially in context of combo decks.
SpellbindUU {C}
Instant
Counter target spell with converted mana cost 3 or less.
A fixed version of counterspell for control decks that can't be played around like mana leak can, but can only hit low costed spells.
That's it for now, what do you players have in mind? What would you like to see in modern?
This seems good to me, and I've been of the opinion something like this would be very fair, yet relevant for the format for quite a while.
For me, I just wish there was better card filtering, specifically for control decks.
Fair Brainstorm
1U - Instant
Draw 2 cards, then put a card from your hand on top of your library.
This would give control the means to play cards like Terminus, and get rid of dead cards in hand via fetches. I really don't think it would be too powerful at 2 mana, and only digging 2 deep. This also would possibly help out delver tempo strategies, but once again, wouldn't make them too powerful that they would dominate with the 2cmc casting cost.
Creature Snare
U - Instant
Counter target creature spell that costs 2 or less.
This would be a viable answer to stuff like deathrite shamans (on the play), or tarmogoyfs/confidants on the draw. It doesn't hit everything either, and it's conditionality makes it possibly just a sideboard card. That being said, it gives blue decks the means to deal with faster creatures without being overpowered.
Fractured Loyalty
BB - Instant
Choose one - Target creature gets -5-5 until end of turn, or remove 5 counters from target permanent.
One thing I hate in this format is how there is almost 0 answer to a turn 2 Liliana of the Veil on the draw without having something like Lingering Souls or Obstinate Baloth in hand. Unless you're a super aggressive deck, t2 liliana is frustrating to deal with and there really is no profitable way to interact with it. This is fitting for black's color pie, and gives the format a strong removal spell that can deal with planeswalkers and creatures at the same time.
Recurring Goblin
1R - Creature - 2/1
Sacrifice Recurring Goblin - deal 1 damage to target creature or player.
Whenever a spell or card an opponent controls causes them to gain life, you may return Recurring goblin to play.
This would be a decent card to deal with the removal and life gain heavy UWR decks that are quite powerful without being format warping. Also plays well in tribal decks like goblins.
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Farce of Will1UU
Instant
If an opponent has cast another spell this turn, you may discard an island rather than pay ~'s mana cost.
Counter target spell unless its controller pays 3
Plains Fetch - Uncommon
Land
Plains Fetch comes into play tapped unless you reveal a white card from your hand.
Sacrifice Plains Fetch: Search your library for a Plains card and put it into play. Then shuffle your library.
With one for each basic land type. This would, at uncommon, make fetches a bit more affordable without necessarily breaking them.
Plains Fetch - Uncommon
Land
Plains Fetch comes into play tapped unless you reveal a white card from your hand.
Sacrifice Plains Fetch: Search your library for a Plains card and put it into play. Then shuffle your library.
With one for each basic land type. This would, at uncommon, make fetches a bit more affordable without necessarily breaking them.
I love this Idea.
This guy is really a thinker. LOL
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Plains Fetch - Uncommon
Land
Plains Fetch comes into play tapped unless you reveal a white card from your hand.
Sacrifice Plains Fetch: Search your library for a Plains card and put it into play. Then shuffle your library.
With one for each basic land type. This would, at uncommon, make fetches a bit more affordable without necessarily breaking them.
I agree that we need some budget fetchland alternatives. Evolving Wilds and the panoramas are just too slow. This was my idea:
Wish Fetch (U)
Land T, sac Wish Fetch: Choose a basic X or Y you own from outside the game and put it onto the battlefield.
Only works with basics, and you have to have lands in your sideboard, but other than that it basically does what you want from fetches: fast and efficient land tutor.
I really like Spellbind (I keep wondering about how good IoK-Clause Counterspell would be) and the one-basic-land-type fetchlands (although I imagine them as exactly like ZEN fetches without the life loss). Without ONS fetches, I'd use the 1BLT fetches in a lot of decks.
I have no clue how good these cards are, but the next time we return to New Phyrexia, I want to see their power level:
Gitaxian Dismissal(P/U)UU
Instant
Counter target spell.
Is Counterspell still broken in Modern if it also cost 2 life (or an additional U) to cast? I'm not sure. It's certainly more unpleasant against aggro, but the life loss is probably negligible against everyone else who isn't on Scapeshift.
Hymn to Sheoldred(P/B)BB
Sorcery
Target player discards two cards at random.
Again, is Hymn to Tourach still too good for Modern if it also cost 2 life (or an additional B) to cast? I'm also not sure. Would Living End start using it as anti-combo hate? ...Shucks, it might.
...OK, we're not in Phyrexia anymore; let's see different Modern experiment cards:
Unfair (Nonexistent mana cost)
Sorcery
(B indicator)
Target player reveals his or her hand. You choose a nonland card from it. That player discards that card.
Flashback B
Unfair looks even better than Thoughtseize. It looks even better than Inquisition of Kozilek. But actually casting this card will be a real conundrum. Will jumping through discard hoops be worth it for this card, or will it just sneak into Madness decks?
ScroptU
Instant
Scry 1, then draw a card.
...Yes, it's Opt v2. I'm desperate enough for better cantrips that I'm willing to play Opt v2 in my combo and possibly other blue decks. Is anyone else willing?
Twiddledee and Twiddledum2GU
Creature - Human Mutant
When ~ enters the battlefield, tap or untap target permanent.
2/4
I keep wanting to shorten my 3-drop and 4-drop speed Twin Pod chain from 3 Pod untaps to 2. Unlocking a 1-drop and 3-drop speed Pod chain is also funky.
Speaking of tweaks to Modern, I have a story to tell.
Before Modern was announced, I loved to play "casual Legacy". We'd play with the Legacy banned list, but you could only play Modern bordered cards. There were exceptions for Future Sight/Timeshifted cards, though. So cards that were reprinted, like Brainstorm, Swords to Plowshares, and Fire//Ice, were legal. It was cheap to play at the time because Modern hadn't been announced yet and Extended was recently neutered, so many cards had dropped in price (looking at you, Vendilion Clique and Thoughtseize).
If they could tweak Modern to include reprints of Legacy legal cards from promo products like Dual Decks/Commander, and stick to the Legacy banned list, I think many more people would enjoy Modern. Not to mention that WotC could then reprint staples in promo products specifically for the format without having to worry about them being introduced into the Standard pool.
A cycle of callbacks to powerful magic cards of old - that require serious color dedication. If you play anything other than the basic lands used to cast those cards, you have to pay extra mana to bring the cards back up to the casting cost that is currently considered fair. But if you are a mono-colored deck, you get to cast them at their old, broken mana costs.
I'm sure there are better examples of cards to choose (the red card here is particularly boring), but I like the concept a lot.
Counterspell v2UU
~ costs 1 more to cast if you control any land other than a basic Island
Counter target spell
Hymn to Tourach v2BB
~ costs 2 more to cast if you control any land other than a basic Swamp.
Target player discards 2 cards at ranom
Balance v2: 1W
~ costs 2 more to cast if you control any land other than a basic Plains.
Each player chooses a number of lands he or she controls equal to the number of lands controlled by the player who controls the fewest, then sacrifices the rest. Players discard cards and sacrifice creatures the same way.
Lightning Bolt v2: R
~ costs 1 more to cast if you control any land other than a basic Mountain.
~ deals 3 damage to target creature or player.
Green Sun's Zenith v2: XG
~ costs 2 more to cast if you control any land other than a basic Forest.
Search your library for a green creature card with converted mana cost X or less, put it onto the battlefield, then shuffle your library. Shuffle ~ into its owner's library.
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It's not your job to win games of Magic where you're mana screwed.
It's your job win every game of Magic where you're not.
Lightning Bolt v2 is busted. The fact is, every other card is already banned and just more expensive versions if there's non-basics. However, Bolt already exists in the format. So you're now just getting an extra 3 Bolts. Sometimes they cost 1 more, but for mono red, they always cost R. The others are maybe a lot more balanced but the Bolt, definitely not. Like, I think Counterspell v2 is fine because it ends up a Cancel most cases and you'd literally have to play Mono U Control to use it (and believe me, I'd try it out). It might actually be broken, who knows.
^ haha, those are soooooo bad. no offense meant. even if you run a mono colored deck, there are enough utility lands that you'll always control some sort of nonbasic.
i've been saying for years now that they missed the boat with phyrexian counterspell. phyrexian blue, blue blue.
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I speak in sarcasm because calling people ******* ******** is not allowed.
@divisionbyzorro, Counterspell v2 and Hymn v2 look balanced enough to me, but Balance v2 may make the Borderpost version of Restore Balance "Combo" a very dangerous deck. That deck can have NO lands on the battlefield very often, and it appreciates a Balance that can't be Remanded profitably.
...Not to mention how playable Balancing Act was back in the day.
Bolt v2 is also a strictly better Searing Spear. Is that dangerous? It might be.
I'm not sure about GSZ v2--if all you have is a basic Forest, you can get Dryad Arbor for G again (it's not where all of GSZ's danger comes from, but it's probably where half of it comes from). Being freaking expensive after you get out the Arbor may compensate, though.
More ideas! (I told ya so) Greater Sight1U
Instant
Draw three cards, then discard two cards.
Affinity Annoys the **** Out of MeWW
Creature--Hatebear
Flying, First Strike
Whenever an artifact enters the battlefield you gain 2 life.
1/3
Repulsar1UU
Instant
When you cast CARDNAME, draw a card.
Return target creature you don’t control to its owners hand.
Think Once or More1U
Instant
Kicker XU (You may pay an additional XU as you cast this spell.)
Draw a card. If CARDNAME was kicked, draw X cards instead.
ImpulsivenessUU
Instant
Look at the top four cards of your library. Put one of those cards into your hand, one of them on top of your library, one of them into your graveyard, then the rest on the bottom of your library in any order.
Stalwart Denial1UU
Instant
Split Second
Counter target instant or sorcery spell. Draw a card.
Draining Edict2B
Sorcery
When you cast CARDNAME, target player sacrifices a creature.
Target opponent loses 2 life and you gain 2 life.
Fixedcaster Mage1RR
Creature
Haste
When CARDNAME enters the battlefield, you may cast target sorcery card in your graveyard this turn. If that card would be put into a graveyard this turn, exile it instead.
3/2
MinisoulWU
Creature
Flash
Protection from black, from red, and from green.
2/2
HaStEofSaintTRaftUUR
Creature
You may have CARDNAME enter the battlefield as a copy of any creature on the battlefield, except it gains haste.
0/0
CRUSHinGInHiBition1GUB
Instant
The next time target opponent would draw a card this turn, instead that player discards a card and you draw a card. (That opponent skips the draw.)
@divisionbyzorro, Counterspell v2 and Hymn v2 look balanced enough to me, but Balance v2 may make the Borderpost version of Restore Balance "Combo" a very dangerous deck. That deck can have NO lands on the battlefield very often, and it appreciates a Balance that can't be Remanded profitably.
...Not to mention how playable Balancing Act was back in the day.
Bolt v2 is also a strictly better Searing Spear. Is that dangerous? It might be.
I'm not sure about GSZ v2--if all you have is a basic Forest, you can get Dryad Arbor for G again (it's not where all of GSZ's danger comes from, but it's probably where half of it comes from). Being freaking expensive after you get out the Arbor may compensate, though.
The only one I put any serious thought into was the new Counterspell. The other stuff I came up with in about 30 seconds to complete the "cycle."
The idea is just to come up with a way to put some of these powerful spells back into the card pool, but force you to warp deck construction around them if you wanted to run them.
Alternately, you could just re-template the spells to use the Imperiosaur clause:
Counterspell v3: UU
Spend only mana produced by basic lands to cast ~.
Counter target spell.
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It's not your job to win games of Magic where you're mana screwed.
It's your job win every game of Magic where you're not.
Unfair looks even better than Thoughtseize. It looks even better than Inquisition of Kozilek. But actually casting this card will be a real conundrum. Will jumping through discard hoops be worth it for this card, or will it just sneak into Madness decks?
More ideas! (I told ya so) Greater Sight1U
Instant
Draw three cards, then discard two cards.
Yes, yes, yes. Take my money!
Mindthresher UBB
Creature-Horror
Haste
When ~ enters the battlefield, target player puts the top 10 cards of his or her library into his or her graveyard
At the beginning of the end step, sacrifice ~
Exile 5 cards from your graceyard: You may cast ~ from your graveyard without paying its mana cost
3/1
A man can dream, right?
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"I am disillusioned enough to know that no man's opinion on any subject is worth a damn unless backed up with enough genuine information to make him really know what he's talking about."
-H. P. Lovecraft
Guide of the Dead
Creature-Human Cleric
Whenever a card is put into a player's graveyard, that player loses 1 life.
0/1
Shattered Sanity :symu::symb:
Instant
Target player puts the top 8 cards of his or her library into his or her graveyard.
Memory Theft :symub::symub:
Sorcery
You may cast target nonland card in an opponent's graveyard this turn. You may pay all colored mana costs of that card with mana of any color.
Planar Bridge
Land
:symtap:, Sacrifice Planar Bridge. Search your library for a basic land card and put it into play. You lose 1 life.
Add me to the list of people who like to see mono-colored be an actual viable thing beyond red burn and lifegain.
Dwarf Prospector - R
Creature - Dwarf
Non-Basic lands enter the battlefield tapped.
1/1
Promised Land
Land T, Pay 1 Life; Search you land for a basic land and put it into play, then shuffle your library
EDIT: I forgot to put in that Promised Land sac's itself as well. It's basically like any fetch land, but for basics only.
Dust Maker - 3
Artifact T: Search your library for a basic land and exile it. Add one mana to your mana pool of the color that land could produce. Shuffle your library.
Things WotC cares about:
-making certain Standard cards can be played in Modern, therefore increasing their value and increasing WotC's profit margin
Things WotC does not care about:
-keeping the ban list as short as possible
-taking chances with an entire format for the benefit of a single card
-catering to play styles that newer players generally don't like and will lose them more players than it will gain
-keeping the meta balanced between archetypes/colors/whatever
-keeping cards on the secondary market cheap (available yes, but not cheap)
-keeping the meta diverse (as long as a single deck doesn't threaten the popularity of the format)
Add me to the list of people who like to see mono-colored be an actual viable thing beyond red burn and lifegain.
Dwarf Prospector - R
Creature - Dwarf
Non-Basic lands enter the battlefield tapped.
1/1
Promised Land
Land T, Pay 1 Life; Search you land for a basic land and put it into play, then shuffle your library
Dust Maker - 3
Artifact T: Search your library for a basic land and exile it. Add one mana to your mana pool of the color that land could produce. Shuffle your library.
Promised Land is incredibly broken, since it doesn't have to sacrifice itself. It allows you to essentially play two lands per turn.
Add me to the list of people who like to see mono-colored be an actual viable thing beyond red burn and lifegain.
Dwarf Prospector - R
Creature - Dwarf
Non-Basic lands enter the battlefield tapped.
1/1
Promised Land
Land T, Pay 1 Life; Search you land for a basic land and put it into play, then shuffle your library
Dust Maker - 3
Artifact T: Search your library for a basic land and exile it. Add one mana to your mana pool of the color that land could produce. Shuffle your library.
Promised land should sacrifice itself
Dust maker can cost 2. Its just a weaker darksteel ingot
Anti-fetch Land
Land
T: add 1
T, exile a land card from an opponent's graveyard: add one mana of any color to your mana pool and gain 1 life.
Dont fetch me dual
Land - mountain forest
Dont fetch me dual cant enter the battlefield from your library.
Green Sun's Zenith v2: :xmana::symg:
~ costs more to cast if you control any land other than a basic Forest.
Search your library for a green creature card with converted mana cost X or less, put it onto the battlefield, then shuffle your library. Shuffle ~ into its owner's library.
I would happily play a mono green mana base and play some of the most powerful creature cards with green in them. Your draw back is really not a draw back for the card or the player.
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If this should be in the Create-a-card forum, it can be moved to there, but the cube thread isn't so that is the precedent I am going by.
This thread is for designing cards that you want to see printed in modern, but can also be printed in a standard legal set, so be aware of the power levels.
Perhaps they are cards that are fixed versions of a banned card, a weakened version of a powerful legacy card, something that helps a specific archetype which just isn't there yet, or it can just be a great utility creature or hate bear to combat the current meta.
Anyways, I'll start off:
Stalking Mongoose 1G {U}
Creature - Mongoose
Hexproof (this creature can't be the target of spells or abilities your opponents control)
Stalking Mongoose gets +1/+1 for each nonbasic land card your opponents control.
1/1
A budget tarmogoyf who in many cases is even stronger than goyf. This would help bring the price of goofy down and also act as a punisher to players using too many nonbasic lands.
Kindling R {C}
Sorcery
Add RR to your mana pool.
This is the fixed Rite of Flame. Helps power up the storm combo a little bit, as well as helping out the All-in red archetype.
And lastly,
Spellbind UU {C}
Instant
Counter target spell with converted mana cost 3 or less.
A fixed version of counterspell for control decks that can't be played around like mana leak can, but can only hit low costed spells.
That's it for now, what do you players have in mind? What would you like to see in modern?
I don't think this would be busted, but I would hate this being printed unless wizards reprinted the allied color fetches. The fact is, if you're playing a very general allied color deck such as UW control, you really have no choice but to play a high volume of nonbasics so that your mana is consistent.
I don't get why people feel it so necessary to punish nonbasic manabases. It's as if people completely forgot blood and tectonic edge exist, and are highly relevant cards in the format.
This is not going to happen. Rite of flame was broken not because of the fact that it became better in multiples, but because it was a 1 cmc ritual that allowed for turn 1 ascensions, or other fast mana that came before opponents had an opportunity to interact with it.
Not giving opponents time to interact with opposing strategies = bad for the game, especially in context of combo decks.
This seems good to me, and I've been of the opinion something like this would be very fair, yet relevant for the format for quite a while.
For me, I just wish there was better card filtering, specifically for control decks.
Fair Brainstorm
1U - Instant
Draw 2 cards, then put a card from your hand on top of your library.
This would give control the means to play cards like Terminus, and get rid of dead cards in hand via fetches. I really don't think it would be too powerful at 2 mana, and only digging 2 deep. This also would possibly help out delver tempo strategies, but once again, wouldn't make them too powerful that they would dominate with the 2cmc casting cost.
Creature Snare
U - Instant
Counter target creature spell that costs 2 or less.
This would be a viable answer to stuff like deathrite shamans (on the play), or tarmogoyfs/confidants on the draw. It doesn't hit everything either, and it's conditionality makes it possibly just a sideboard card. That being said, it gives blue decks the means to deal with faster creatures without being overpowered.
Fractured Loyalty
BB - Instant
Choose one - Target creature gets -5-5 until end of turn, or remove 5 counters from target permanent.
One thing I hate in this format is how there is almost 0 answer to a turn 2 Liliana of the Veil on the draw without having something like Lingering Souls or Obstinate Baloth in hand. Unless you're a super aggressive deck, t2 liliana is frustrating to deal with and there really is no profitable way to interact with it. This is fitting for black's color pie, and gives the format a strong removal spell that can deal with planeswalkers and creatures at the same time.
Recurring Goblin
1R - Creature - 2/1
Sacrifice Recurring Goblin - deal 1 damage to target creature or player.
Whenever a spell or card an opponent controls causes them to gain life, you may return Recurring goblin to play.
This would be a decent card to deal with the removal and life gain heavy UWR decks that are quite powerful without being format warping. Also plays well in tribal decks like goblins.
BB - grave keeper
2/2 death touch
Cards in graveyards cannot be the target of spells or abilities your opponent controls.
Darkbolt B
Instant
Target creature gets -0/-3 until end of turn.
Better Speculation 1U
Instant
Buyback 1
Scry 2.
Farce of Will 1UU
Instant
If an opponent has cast another spell this turn, you may discard an island rather than pay ~'s mana cost.
Counter target spell unless its controller pays 3
Dissipate Doesn't Stop Abrupt Decay 1U
Instant
Exile target spell unless its controller pays 2
Shock Elemental 1RR
Creature--Elemental
When ~ enters the battlefield, it deals 2 damage to target creature or player.
Evoke R
1/1
Through the Mire and Muck GG
Sorcery
Search your library for an Island or Swamp card and put it onto the battlefield. Then shuffle your library.
Stinkhole BR
Sorcery
Destroy target nonbasic land with an activated ability that's not a mana ability.
{more to come}
Thanks to Rivenor for the signature and XenoNinja for the Avi!
Quotes:
Plains Fetch - Uncommon
Land
Plains Fetch comes into play tapped unless you reveal a white card from your hand.
Sacrifice Plains Fetch: Search your library for a Plains card and put it into play. Then shuffle your library.
With one for each basic land type. This would, at uncommon, make fetches a bit more affordable without necessarily breaking them.
Lantern Control
(with videos)
Uc Tron
Netdecking explained
Netdecking explained, Part 2
On speculators and counterfeits
On Interaction
Every single competitive deck in existence is designed to limit the opponent's ability to interact in a meaningful way.
Record number of exclamation points on SCG homepage: 71 (6 January, 2018)
"I don't want to believe, I want to know."
-Carl Sagan
I love this Idea.
This guy is really a thinker. LOL
Thanks to Rivenor for the signature and XenoNinja for the Avi!
Quotes:
I agree that we need some budget fetchland alternatives. Evolving Wilds and the panoramas are just too slow. This was my idea:
Wish Fetch (U)
Land
T, sac Wish Fetch: Choose a basic X or Y you own from outside the game and put it onto the battlefield.
Only works with basics, and you have to have lands in your sideboard, but other than that it basically does what you want from fetches: fast and efficient land tutor.
^This please.
I have no clue how good these cards are, but the next time we return to New Phyrexia, I want to see their power level:
Is Counterspell still broken in Modern if it also cost 2 life (or an additional U) to cast? I'm not sure. It's certainly more unpleasant against aggro, but the life loss is probably negligible against everyone else who isn't on Scapeshift.
Again, is Hymn to Tourach still too good for Modern if it also cost 2 life (or an additional B) to cast? I'm also not sure. Would Living End start using it as anti-combo hate? ...Shucks, it might.
This is more of a fun thought experiment card than anything, and it would probably impact Legacy much harder by countering Jace, the Mind Sculptor. A free counter to Scapeshift, Splinter Twin, Birthing Pod, lots of planeswalkers, Restoration Angel, Gifts Ungiven, Past in Flames, and Cryptic Command may actually be fairly scary, but it's unplayable crud against Zoo, Affinity, Burn, Bogles, Infect, some Geist of Saint Win builds, RG Tron, and more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
...OK, we're not in Phyrexia anymore; let's see different Modern experiment cards:
Unfair looks even better than Thoughtseize. It looks even better than Inquisition of Kozilek. But actually casting this card will be a real conundrum. Will jumping through discard hoops be worth it for this card, or will it just sneak into Madness decks?
...Yes, it's Opt v2. I'm desperate enough for better cantrips that I'm willing to play Opt v2 in my combo and possibly other blue decks. Is anyone else willing?
I keep wanting to shorten my 3-drop and 4-drop speed Twin Pod chain from 3 Pod untaps to 2. Unlocking a 1-drop and 3-drop speed Pod chain is also funky.
Instant
Draw 3 cards, then discard 1 card, each opponent gains 5 life.
A good card advantage spell that Aggro Control can't abuse.
Before Modern was announced, I loved to play "casual Legacy". We'd play with the Legacy banned list, but you could only play Modern bordered cards. There were exceptions for Future Sight/Timeshifted cards, though. So cards that were reprinted, like Brainstorm, Swords to Plowshares, and Fire//Ice, were legal. It was cheap to play at the time because Modern hadn't been announced yet and Extended was recently neutered, so many cards had dropped in price (looking at you, Vendilion Clique and Thoughtseize).
If they could tweak Modern to include reprints of Legacy legal cards from promo products like Dual Decks/Commander, and stick to the Legacy banned list, I think many more people would enjoy Modern. Not to mention that WotC could then reprint staples in promo products specifically for the format without having to worry about them being introduced into the Standard pool.
Lantern Control
(with videos)
Uc Tron
Netdecking explained
Netdecking explained, Part 2
On speculators and counterfeits
On Interaction
Every single competitive deck in existence is designed to limit the opponent's ability to interact in a meaningful way.
Record number of exclamation points on SCG homepage: 71 (6 January, 2018)
"I don't want to believe, I want to know."
-Carl Sagan
I'm sure there are better examples of cards to choose (the red card here is particularly boring), but I like the concept a lot.
It's your job win every game of Magic where you're not.
Grixis Death's Shadow, Jund, UW Tron, Jeskai Control, Storm, Counters Company, Eldrazi Tron, Affinity, Living End, Infect, Merfolk, Dredge, Ad Nauseam, Amulet, Bogles, Eldrazi Tron, Mono U Tron, Lantern, Mardu Pyromancer
i've been saying for years now that they missed the boat with phyrexian counterspell. phyrexian blue, blue blue.
...Not to mention how playable Balancing Act was back in the day.
Bolt v2 is also a strictly better Searing Spear. Is that dangerous? It might be.
I'm not sure about GSZ v2--if all you have is a basic Forest, you can get Dryad Arbor for G again (it's not where all of GSZ's danger comes from, but it's probably where half of it comes from). Being freaking expensive after you get out the Arbor may compensate, though.
Greater Sight 1U
Instant
Draw three cards, then discard two cards.
Affinity Annoys the **** Out of Me WW
Creature--Hatebear
Flying, First Strike
Whenever an artifact enters the battlefield you gain 2 life.
1/3
Repulsar 1UU
Instant
When you cast CARDNAME, draw a card.
Return target creature you don’t control to its owners hand.
Think Once or More 1U
Instant
Kicker XU (You may pay an additional XU as you cast this spell.)
Draw a card. If CARDNAME was kicked, draw X cards instead.
Impulsiveness UU
Instant
Look at the top four cards of your library. Put one of those cards into your hand, one of them on top of your library, one of them into your graveyard, then the rest on the bottom of your library in any order.
Stalwart Denial 1UU
Instant
Split Second
Counter target instant or sorcery spell. Draw a card.
Draining Edict 2B
Sorcery
When you cast CARDNAME, target player sacrifices a creature.
Target opponent loses 2 life and you gain 2 life.
Fixedcaster Mage 1RR
Creature
Haste
When CARDNAME enters the battlefield, you may cast target sorcery card in your graveyard this turn. If that card would be put into a graveyard this turn, exile it instead.
3/2
Minisoul WU
Creature
Flash
Protection from black, from red, and from green.
2/2
HaStEofSaintTRaft UUR
Creature
You may have CARDNAME enter the battlefield as a copy of any creature on the battlefield, except it gains haste.
0/0
CRUSHinGInHiBition 1GUB
Instant
The next time target opponent would draw a card this turn, instead that player discards a card and you draw a card. (That opponent skips the draw.)
Serene Meditation :symgu::symgu::symgu:
Instant
Draw two cards.
Pristine Lens 3
Artifact
1: Add one mana of any color to your mana pool.
Myr Factory
Land
:symtap:: Add 2 to your mana pool. Each opponent puts a 2/2 colorless Construct artifact creature token onto the battlefield.
Thanks to Rivenor for the signature and XenoNinja for the Avi!
Quotes:
The only one I put any serious thought into was the new Counterspell. The other stuff I came up with in about 30 seconds to complete the "cycle."
The idea is just to come up with a way to put some of these powerful spells back into the card pool, but force you to warp deck construction around them if you wanted to run them.
Alternately, you could just re-template the spells to use the Imperiosaur clause:
It's your job win every game of Magic where you're not.
Yes, yes, yes. Take my money!
Mindthresher UBB
Creature-Horror
Haste
When ~ enters the battlefield, target player puts the top 10 cards of his or her library into his or her graveyard
At the beginning of the end step, sacrifice ~
Exile 5 cards from your graceyard: You may cast ~ from your graveyard without paying its mana cost
3/1
A man can dream, right?
"I am disillusioned enough to know that no man's opinion on any subject is worth a damn unless backed up with enough genuine information to make him really know what he's talking about."
-H. P. Lovecraft
Guide of the Dead
Creature-Human Cleric
Whenever a card is put into a player's graveyard, that player loses 1 life.
0/1
Shattered Sanity :symu::symb:
Instant
Target player puts the top 8 cards of his or her library into his or her graveyard.
Memory Theft :symub::symub:
Sorcery
You may cast target nonland card in an opponent's graveyard this turn. You may pay all colored mana costs of that card with mana of any color.
Planar Bridge
Land
:symtap:, Sacrifice Planar Bridge. Search your library for a basic land card and put it into play. You lose 1 life.
Storm Crow is strictly worse than Seacoast Drake.
In that same vein
Temple of Muruganda
Land
T: add 1 to your mana pool
T: Add 2 to your mana pool. Activate this ability only if you control 2 or more basic lands
Also high tide in the correct color
Red Tide R
Sorcery
Until end of turn, when you tap a mountain for mana, that land produces an additional R
Dwarf Prospector - R
Creature - Dwarf
Non-Basic lands enter the battlefield tapped.
1/1
Promised Land
Land
T, Pay 1 Life; Search you land for a basic land and put it into play, then shuffle your library
EDIT: I forgot to put in that Promised Land sac's itself as well. It's basically like any fetch land, but for basics only.
Dust Maker - 3
Artifact
T: Search your library for a basic land and exile it. Add one mana to your mana pool of the color that land could produce. Shuffle your library.
-making certain Standard cards can be played in Modern, therefore increasing their value and increasing WotC's profit margin
Things WotC does not care about:
-keeping the ban list as short as possible
-taking chances with an entire format for the benefit of a single card
-catering to play styles that newer players generally don't like and will lose them more players than it will gain
-keeping the meta balanced between archetypes/colors/whatever
-keeping cards on the secondary market cheap (available yes, but not cheap)
-keeping the meta diverse (as long as a single deck doesn't threaten the popularity of the format)
Promised Land is incredibly broken, since it doesn't have to sacrifice itself. It allows you to essentially play two lands per turn.
Storm Crow is strictly worse than Seacoast Drake.
Promised land should sacrifice itself
Dust maker can cost 2. Its just a weaker darksteel ingot
Anti-fetch Land
Land
T: add 1
T, exile a land card from an opponent's graveyard: add one mana of any color to your mana pool and gain 1 life.
Dont fetch me dual
Land - mountain forest
Dont fetch me dual cant enter the battlefield from your library.
I would happily play a mono green mana base and play some of the most powerful creature cards with green in them. Your draw back is really not a draw back for the card or the player.