I am thinking about upgrading my original Coalition Relic to a foil one from M25. Has anyone been fortunate enough to see one in person yet or, at least, have an opinion? The new art looks great.
Spin the Bottle1WR
Instant (R)
Choose target blocking creature at random.
If that creature and the creature it's blocking have the same converted mana cost, both gain lifelink until end of turn and return Spin the Bottle to its owner's hand. Otherwise, Spin the Bottle deals 3 damage to both creatures.
Drossel, Master CraftsmanWU
Legendary Creature - Human Artificer (R)
Whenever a player casts a spell, that player creates a colorless Toy artifact token. (Toys have no rules text.)
As long as a player has the most Toys, that player can't lose the game and that player's opponents can't win the game. He who dies with the most toys, well, doesn't die.
2/2
After years of resistance, my group is ready to add DFCs to the cube. I've got Avacyn, the 4 non-Chandra Origins flipwalkers, Huntmaster, and Garruk Relentless as likely includes for a 400-card powered cube. Anything I'm missing? Any strong opinions against the ones I've mentioned? I see that Huntmaster in fewer lists than I remember, so maybe he's been eclipsed.
My opponent takes control of my creature with Turn Against (or Threaten, even, if it's his turn). It resolves. I then cast Turn Against on the same creature -- I steal it back at instant speed. At the end of the turn, do I get to keep my creature? I think the answer is I don't: I lose control of the creature at the end of the turn, and my opponent controls the creature indefinitely thereafter.
"Haste" feels like an important clue. It suggests a possibility -- that the card transforms immediately upon entering the battlefield or that it enters the battlefield transformed. (You don't need "haste" in most cases if the card can transform after being on the battlefield for many turns. I admit that Ormendahl, Profane Prince says otherwise, and so "haste" here may exist just to help increase power level.) In other words, that the transform condition has to exist when the card enters the battlefield, not that the condition can be met sometime after the card enters the battlefield. (Compare Autumnal Gloom, which checks for the transform condition at end of turn.) I like the idea of alternative casting costs -- like madness -- as part of the transform condition. If you pay the alternate cost, you get the back face instead of the front face. Could be delirium too: if you have delirium when this enters the battlefield, transform it.
From a design perspective, this opens up DFCs in a nice way. Instead of DFCs representing just growth or change, they also can represent a choice for the player. "Play this as a red creature easily, or hold it for a harder, special time and play it as an Eldrazi ooze."
Someone mentioned exiling and re-entering transformed like the Origins walkers. That's a valid possibility, although mechanically, nothing about the back face requires re-entry (whereas the Origins walkers wouldn't get their counters if they simply transformed). Maybe it returns to the battlefield transformed immediately after dying; consider Loyal Cathar but with haste.
Algal Bloom1G
Sorcery - Uncommon
Until end of turn, whenever a land is tapped for mana of any type that was spent to cast Algal Bloom, that land's controller adds one additional mana of that type to his or her mana pool.
Flashback BB With the right mixture of food, water, and dirt, algae can put out more than they take in.
Zombie Illusionist4BB
Creature - Zombie Wizard (R)
When Zombie Illusionist enters the battlefield, put a 2/2 black Zombie creature token onto the battlefield. XU: Exile target creature card from a graveyard with converted mana cost X or less. Other Zombie creatures you control become a copy of that card until end of turn.
3/3
Master Bootlegger1UR
Creature - Human Pirate (R)
Creatures you control can't be blocked by Soldiers. Shiv - At the beginning of each opponent's upkeep, if Master Bootlegger is tapped, it deals 1 damage to that player and up to one target creature he or she controls. Tap that creature. After the blockade was lifted, many rum runners applied their evasive talents to deadlier pursuits.
3/2
Treaty-bound Skycaptain1RWU
Creature - Human Soldier [M]
Flash
Flying Battalion -- Whenever Treaty-bound Skycaptain and at least two other creatures attack, detain up to X target creatures your opponents control, where X is the number of attacking creatures with flying. The swift justice of the Ravnican air force owes its existence to the Guildpact and the compacts the Azorius and Boros ratified to assure their mutual protection.
3/4
Seething Ogre3RG
Creature - Ogre [R]
Enrage 1 (Whenever this creature is dealt damage, if it's not enraged, put one +1/+1 counter on it and it becomes enraged.)
As long as Seething Ogre is enraged, it has double strike and trample and attacks each turn if able.
3/3
How do you all think this stacks up against Venser, Shaper Savant?
Instant (R)
Choose target blocking creature at random.
If that creature and the creature it's blocking have the same converted mana cost, both gain lifelink until end of turn and return Spin the Bottle to its owner's hand. Otherwise, Spin the Bottle deals 3 damage to both creatures.
Legendary Creature - Human Artificer (R)
Whenever a player casts a spell, that player creates a colorless Toy artifact token. (Toys have no rules text.)
As long as a player has the most Toys, that player can't lose the game and that player's opponents can't win the game.
He who dies with the most toys, well, doesn't die.
2/2
My thoughts exactly.
From a design perspective, this opens up DFCs in a nice way. Instead of DFCs representing just growth or change, they also can represent a choice for the player. "Play this as a red creature easily, or hold it for a harder, special time and play it as an Eldrazi ooze."
Someone mentioned exiling and re-entering transformed like the Origins walkers. That's a valid possibility, although mechanically, nothing about the back face requires re-entry (whereas the Origins walkers wouldn't get their counters if they simply transformed). Maybe it returns to the battlefield transformed immediately after dying; consider Loyal Cathar but with haste.
Sorcery - Uncommon
Until end of turn, whenever a land is tapped for mana of any type that was spent to cast Algal Bloom, that land's controller adds one additional mana of that type to his or her mana pool.
Flashback BB
With the right mixture of food, water, and dirt, algae can put out more than they take in.
Creature - Zombie Wizard (R)
When Zombie Illusionist enters the battlefield, put a 2/2 black Zombie creature token onto the battlefield.
XU: Exile target creature card from a graveyard with converted mana cost X or less. Other Zombie creatures you control become a copy of that card until end of turn.
3/3
Hissing Quagmire
Needle Spires
Wandering Fumarole
Swaps
Oath of Nissa <-- Life from the Loam
Sylvan Advocate <-- ?
Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet <-- Brutal Hordechief
Reflector Mage <-- Sphinx's Revelation
Bootleg: illegal liquor. Rum runner: a bootlegger. Shiv: small or makeshift bladed weapon.
Master Bootlegger 1UR
Creature - Human Pirate (R)
Creatures you control can't be blocked by Soldiers.
Shiv - At the beginning of each opponent's upkeep, if Master Bootlegger is tapped, it deals 1 damage to that player and up to one target creature he or she controls. Tap that creature.
After the blockade was lifted, many rum runners applied their evasive talents to deadlier pursuits.
3/2
Creature - Human Soldier [M]
Flash
Flying
Battalion -- Whenever Treaty-bound Skycaptain and at least two other creatures attack, detain up to X target creatures your opponents control, where X is the number of attacking creatures with flying.
The swift justice of the Ravnican air force owes its existence to the Guildpact and the compacts the Azorius and Boros ratified to assure their mutual protection.
3/4
Inspirations: 1 2 3 4
Seething Ogre 3RG
Creature - Ogre [R]
Enrage 1 (Whenever this creature is dealt damage, if it's not enraged, put one +1/+1 counter on it and it becomes enraged.)
As long as Seething Ogre is enraged, it has double strike and trample and attacks each turn if able.
3/3