I have been running this on Arena since IKO dropped, and boy, howdy does it have some insane series of triggers if/when the curve lines up. I was originally running the Baby Godzilla Symbiote, but I removed it when I started self-milling myself into losses. It honestly doesn't need more card advantage, on top of Squid and Season of Growth.
Does anyone have any inclusions/advice on things to tinker around with to push this higher into Ranked? I grinded my way to Gold 1 with it, but it seems im getting unlucky vs removal heavy opponents that can turn off my Mutated Voltron with stuff like Banishing Light/ECD or Extinction Event. Gemrazer is already on my list for additions, but I don't know what I would swap out for it.
Match ups are pretty good vs a lot of the current meta decks. I can out-race Mono Red with a good draw, or flat out stall them with Gnarr tokens.
Fires decks I can usually beat the Time Wipe/Shatter, if they stumble on land drops, or dont see their sweeper, but they also tend to have stuff like ECD or Tef that can prove an issue, but if I get Gnarr rolling, I can pile them with Tokens before they draw their win-cons. BG has tons of removal, and is honestly the biggest issue, but even if they Instant kill my base when I cast mutate guys, I still get the original for next turn. My most difficult match up is actually Mono-White, as sometimes I just cant beat the growth of their Pridemates, or they draw every Banishing Light/Glass Casket and I just cant keep anything in play.
+1: Put a Name counter on target permanent. For as long as that permanent has any Name counters on it, its name is Francis.
+1: Destroy target permanent named Frances. Put a number of loyalty counters on ~ equal to that permanents converted mana cost.
0: Until your next turn, if ~ would die, instead exile it. At the beginning of your next turn, return ~ to the battlefield under your control at his starting loyalty.
-11: You get an Emblem with "As long as you control a Chimichanga, you can't lose the game, and your opponents can't win the game." Then create three colorless Chimichanga tokens with "0, Sacrifice Chimichanaga: draw 3 cards."
3
The problem with Mox(en) isn't so much the actual Mox(en) themselves, its the other cards in constructed alongside them. There isn't anything inherently anything OP about having 2+ mana on turn 1, but its when youre able to ramp into bigger things not meant to be on the table until later in the game, or go wide right away, like with OG Affinity and Chrome Mox.
Would the Mox Opal have been as strong as it was if it was printed in a set without that many artifacts to fuel metalcraft?
Would Mox Amber even be playable if there weren't many playable Legends to fuel it?
A Mox can seem super strong on its own, but then be totally useless in its format because of a lack of synergy.
I think the best way to push awakened lands aside from making obvious cost reductions is having a lot of land recursion from your graveyard for when they (likely) die.
One of the first things I made was a "Manland Lord" who makes them Indestructible. Doesn't keep bounce/exile effects from happening, but it works for some amount of defense. Also, I don't plan on actually creating any kill spells/removal that just automatically kills manlands, but maybe something that undoes the Vivify effect, returning it to just being a land.
I don't intend to use both, my intention was to "push" the original Awaken into a more universal mechanic, which is what Vivify ends up doing. I just want cards that do a thing then make a Manland, or have etb/triggered effects whenever a manland gets made, etc. "Whenever you Vivify, draw a card" "Land creatures you control have Trample" "Whenever ~ etb, Vivify 2 for each land you control" etc.
I might have the solution to using Awaken on permanents, or causing effects like the Awaken Enchantment not working with current wording.
Mechanic: Vivify <number> (Put <number> +1/+1 counters or target land you control that's not a creature. That land becomes a 0/0 Elemental creature with haste. It's still a land.)
So, for the cards ive tried earlier--
Awaken Enchantment3RG
Enchantment [R]
At the beginning of your upkeep, reveal the top card of your library. If it is a non-land card, put it into your hand. If it is a land card, you may put it onto the battlefield then Vivify 3. (Put three +1/+1 counters on target land that's not a creature. It's a 0/0 Elemental creature with Haste. It's still a land.)
Awaken Mystic Snake1UUG
Instant [M]
Counter target spell, then Vivify 2. (Put two +1/+1 counters on target land that's not a creature. It's a 0/0 Elemental creature with Haste. It's still a land.)
Would I need to create a new mechanic similar to Manifest vs Morph, to use on permanents that have alternate uses like I am trying to do?
Also, how would you try and implement a "Mass Awaken" effect that doesn't end up putting all the counters on a single land.
Example--"For each land you control, Awaken 3." Currently doesn't work with regular Awaken wording, since it would just put multiple Awaken triggers on the stack, and you could slam all the counters on a single land, I want this to be an effect similar to Sylvan Awakening that makes all your lands into 3/3 dudes.
Making a custom 2 set block where the very life-force of "Mana" is actively rebelling/turning against people who use it to much, or too greedily, and decided upon Awaken as a good keyword to make a return for an overarching use across multiple sets, but is there anyway to use it that it hasn't already been used?
Maybe things that have triggers based on casting a spell via Awaken costs? Or maybe cards similar to old school Evoke cards that sort of suck, but are intended to be used with the Awaken cost?
Random ideas:
Awaken Lord URG
Creature - Elemental [R]
Land Creatures you control get +1/+1 and are Indestructible.
2/2
Awaken Enchantment 3RG
Enchantment [R]
At the beginning of your upkeep, reveal the top card of your library. If it is a non-land card, put it into your hand. If it is a land card, you may put it onto the battlefield then Awaken 3.
How a card that is an "attempt to dethrone Goyf" may be "minor break"?
Also, you need only 4 mana to survive Bolt, as you can blink or halfpump this creature.
Also, also, why does this creature have not one, not two, but three abilities that are mainly to protect it? Regenerate is basically strictly worse than blink.
Completely forgot about the half-pump letting it survive stuff when I said that.
The multiple modes of protection were also sort of a rushed mistake on my part, I was just throwing down an ability for each color and that's what I landed on at the time. Will probably get changed by the time I move on with the mechanic.
EDIT - The only 'balanced' alternative to an entirely new keyword I can think of would be something like Chroma, Sunburst, or Domain being a core mechanic to the entire block. Something built around "colors spent/land types in play" matters.
If I went this route, I would likely change 'Chromaling' to a very pushed Cromat ith abilities similar to Zacama, Primal Calamity but for each color.
Gatewatch United WWUUBBRRGG
Legendary Planeswalker
Whenever ~ etb, you may search your library for any number of Planeswalker cards with different names and exile them with an Oath counter on them. ~ has all Loyalty abilities of cards you own with Oath counters on them. ~ etb with a number of loyalty counters on it equal to the number of exiled cards with Oath counters you own.
0: Put a card you own in Exile with an Oath counter on it onto the battlefield.
3 Everquill Phoenix
4 Essence Symbiote
4 Migratory Greathorn
1 Auspicious Starrix
3 Trumpeting Gnarr
2 Parcelbeast
2 Illuna, Apex of Wishes
4 Mysterious Egg
4 Paradise Druid
3 Season of Growth
1 Mountain
4 Island
4 Forest
4 Steam Vents
4 Stomping Ground
4 Ketria Triome
4 Breeding Pool
I have been running this on Arena since IKO dropped, and boy, howdy does it have some insane series of triggers if/when the curve lines up. I was originally running the Baby Godzilla Symbiote, but I removed it when I started self-milling myself into losses. It honestly doesn't need more card advantage, on top of Squid and Season of Growth.
Does anyone have any inclusions/advice on things to tinker around with to push this higher into Ranked? I grinded my way to Gold 1 with it, but it seems im getting unlucky vs removal heavy opponents that can turn off my Mutated Voltron with stuff like Banishing Light/ECD or Extinction Event. Gemrazer is already on my list for additions, but I don't know what I would swap out for it.
Match ups are pretty good vs a lot of the current meta decks. I can out-race Mono Red with a good draw, or flat out stall them with Gnarr tokens.
Fires decks I can usually beat the Time Wipe/Shatter, if they stumble on land drops, or dont see their sweeper, but they also tend to have stuff like ECD or Tef that can prove an issue, but if I get Gnarr rolling, I can pile them with Tokens before they draw their win-cons. BG has tons of removal, and is honestly the biggest issue, but even if they Instant kill my base when I cast mutate guys, I still get the original for next turn. My most difficult match up is actually Mono-White, as sometimes I just cant beat the growth of their Pridemates, or they draw every Banishing Light/Glass Casket and I just cant keep anything in play.
Legendary Sorcery
Exile all permanents you don't control.
Legendary Planeswalker - Deadpool
+1: Put a Name counter on target permanent. For as long as that permanent has any Name counters on it, its name is Francis.
+1: Destroy target permanent named Frances. Put a number of loyalty counters on ~ equal to that permanents converted mana cost.
0: Until your next turn, if ~ would die, instead exile it. At the beginning of your next turn, return ~ to the battlefield under your control at his starting loyalty.
-11: You get an Emblem with "As long as you control a Chimichanga, you can't lose the game, and your opponents can't win the game." Then create three colorless Chimichanga tokens with "0, Sacrifice Chimichanaga: draw 3 cards."
3
Creature - Plant Zombie
Trample, Haste
You may cast ~ from your graveyard or from exile.
4/4
Next - Bosh, Iron Golem
Climb - This creatures cant be blocked except by other creatures with Climb.
Maybe even with a variant of Reach to allow blocking by non-Climbers, maybe something like Archery or Ranged?
Would the Mox Opal have been as strong as it was if it was printed in a set without that many artifacts to fuel metalcraft?
Would Mox Amber even be playable if there weren't many playable Legends to fuel it?
A Mox can seem super strong on its own, but then be totally useless in its format because of a lack of synergy.
One of the first things I made was a "Manland Lord" who makes them Indestructible. Doesn't keep bounce/exile effects from happening, but it works for some amount of defense. Also, I don't plan on actually creating any kill spells/removal that just automatically kills manlands, but maybe something that undoes the Vivify effect, returning it to just being a land.
Mechanic: Vivify <number> (Put <number> +1/+1 counters or target land you control that's not a creature. That land becomes a 0/0 Elemental creature with haste. It's still a land.)
So, for the cards ive tried earlier--
Awaken Enchantment 3RG
Enchantment [R]
At the beginning of your upkeep, reveal the top card of your library. If it is a non-land card, put it into your hand. If it is a land card, you may put it onto the battlefield then Vivify 3. (Put three +1/+1 counters on target land that's not a creature. It's a 0/0 Elemental creature with Haste. It's still a land.)
Awaken Mystic Snake 1UUG
Instant [M]
Counter target spell, then Vivify 2. (Put two +1/+1 counters on target land that's not a creature. It's a 0/0 Elemental creature with Haste. It's still a land.)
Also, how would you try and implement a "Mass Awaken" effect that doesn't end up putting all the counters on a single land.
Example--"For each land you control, Awaken 3." Currently doesn't work with regular Awaken wording, since it would just put multiple Awaken triggers on the stack, and you could slam all the counters on a single land, I want this to be an effect similar to Sylvan Awakening that makes all your lands into 3/3 dudes.
Making a custom 2 set block where the very life-force of "Mana" is actively rebelling/turning against people who use it to much, or too greedily, and decided upon Awaken as a good keyword to make a return for an overarching use across multiple sets, but is there anyway to use it that it hasn't already been used?
Maybe things that have triggers based on casting a spell via Awaken costs? Or maybe cards similar to old school Evoke cards that sort of suck, but are intended to be used with the Awaken cost?
Random ideas:
Awaken Lord URG
Creature - Elemental [R]
Land Creatures you control get +1/+1 and are Indestructible.
2/2
Awaken Enchantment 3RG
Enchantment [R]
At the beginning of your upkeep, reveal the top card of your library. If it is a non-land card, put it into your hand. If it is a land card, you may put it onto the battlefield then Awaken 3.
Awaken Mystic Snake
Instant [M]
~ is green and blue.
Counter target spell.
Awaken 2--UUG.
My take on it:
Mox Quartz 0
Legendary Artifact
Whenever ~ etb, you gain E. (An Energy counter.)
T, Pay E: Add one mana of any color.
1, T: You gain E.
Completely forgot about the half-pump letting it survive stuff when I said that.
The multiple modes of protection were also sort of a rushed mistake on my part, I was just throwing down an ability for each color and that's what I landed on at the time. Will probably get changed by the time I move on with the mechanic.
EDIT - The only 'balanced' alternative to an entirely new keyword I can think of would be something like Chroma, Sunburst, or Domain being a core mechanic to the entire block. Something built around "colors spent/land types in play" matters.
If I went this route, I would likely change 'Chromaling' to a very pushed Cromat ith abilities similar to Zacama, Primal Calamity but for each color.
Legendary Planeswalker
Whenever ~ etb, you may search your library for any number of Planeswalker cards with different names and exile them with an Oath counter on them. ~ has all Loyalty abilities of cards you own with Oath counters on them. ~ etb with a number of loyalty counters on it equal to the number of exiled cards with Oath counters you own.
0: Put a card you own in Exile with an Oath counter on it onto the battlefield.