I'd like to point out how much closer this design is to Sign of the Cross, which no one would bat an eye at if printed.
I'm not going to ask anyone to click the link but I will explain. Only reap could link a thread where everyone condems a card as unprintable and claim no one would bat an eye if it was printed.
This is a level of cognitive dissonance that is down right impressive.
If the casting was legal then there would be no problem Boromir doesn't have any restriction on its sacrifice ability. So whether via a Hideaway mechanic or simply giving it flash via a Vedalken Orrery or similar card. Once Boromir is on the battlefield, unless some other card restricts the use of his ability he can sacrifice the same turn he enters play.
While interesting at first glance. Both just seem too busy to be made.
Unrestricted returning a permanent to hand from the graveyard already only costs 2. So whatever restriction is pushing it down to 1 has to be fairly benign or it becomes too limiting.
The value of a soft counter that gives you benefit if it fails to counter is a neat concept but there's a reason this hasn't been done in 30 years and it's not because no one thought of it. It applies pressure in a way that that is only feels bad.
You can copy the ability but it won't amount to much. The ability only creates the Marit Lage token if it sacrifices the dark depths. So copies, or more correctly the original, won't have a dark depths to sacrifice. So no token.
The only thing this brings to mind is "why?" Why this color? Why does it eat these tokens? Why does it make those tokens? Why does it Regenerate?
Usually, such a workhorse card would use flavor to justify/answer these questions. But I don't see a link other than the technical upgrade of blood being looting to clue being straight draw.
Edit: deleted incorrect answer based on incorrect reading of card.
Yes, if you respond to the Eye trigger with Stifle or Voidslime it will be eaten by the storm and recast as part of the Eye package allowing you and any future spell to stifle or Voidslime an effect. In such an event the original spell will resolve as normal.
Hold on, this is a free spell polymorph? That works with X spells!?! Flat out no.
When I thought this only worked on the opponent's spells it felt like a strange but interesting card. As a piece to a combo the first set of text kills any chance to see print.
Let's assume you give this a proper casting cost. Maybe XU and look at the the top X? Anyway, why empower X spells like this? That's the only real concern I have with it. As you mentioned. If you turn a Ponder into a Crackle with Power you're dealing 15 damage to upto 15 targets. While this is the most absurd example there aren't any reasonable ones.
I am not sure that he was supposed to be able to divide damage, but that might have got tacked on at the last moment impulsively. I think it was just supposed to be one concentrated fist of death, or dark hadou, reflected back at a single source.
That would make it much more reasonable. It still needs red, or if you stretch white. As those are the colors of retaliation.
That is a deceptively complex ability. However, that would only mean it's pushed to mythic. The only change this card needs is a shift into partial red as that is where such a retaliation ability resides.
Undying and this particular cost for ward are both very powerful. It's pushing the boundaries on power level but possibly falls within bounds.
The existence of the ability Abu Ja'far means that blocking and blocked by use LKI and aren't subject to the fact that dying(leaving the battlefield) has stopped the creature from being in combat. So the gomazoa works if it's removed from the battlefield in response to its ability.
Yeah but then you'd be paying 3 per trigger, 2 for cracking the Food token to gain 3 life and 1 to get an additional effect which seems less efficient IMO.
Did you play standard with Trail? Paying 3 to get the effect almost never happened. It was an option when nothing else was available but creating and sacrificing food is way too easy.
Also, paying 3 to gain 3 life and draw a card isn't a bad deal.
Ok, all of your deus ex abilities are awful for three simple reasons. They stem from a misguided understanding of the game that makes you believe you need insane amounts of card flow. They happen as a cast trigger due to a misguided understanding of the game that makes you remove interaction from the game. And third. You do not compensate for the cost of such an effect. As in most of your cards are appropriately costed for their effect; then have a deus ex stapled on. While every deus ex ability is worth its own card and upwards of 4 mana.
This is a level of cognitive dissonance that is down right impressive.
Unrestricted returning a permanent to hand from the graveyard already only costs 2. So whatever restriction is pushing it down to 1 has to be fairly benign or it becomes too limiting.
The value of a soft counter that gives you benefit if it fails to counter is a neat concept but there's a reason this hasn't been done in 30 years and it's not because no one thought of it. It applies pressure in a way that that is only feels bad.
Usually, such a workhorse card would use flavor to justify/answer these questions. But I don't see a link other than the technical upgrade of blood being looting to clue being straight draw.
Will edit to have correct answer.
Yes, if you respond to the Eye trigger with Stifle or Voidslime it will be eaten by the storm and recast as part of the Eye package allowing you and any future spell to stifle or Voidslime an effect. In such an event the original spell will resolve as normal.
When I thought this only worked on the opponent's spells it felt like a strange but interesting card. As a piece to a combo the first set of text kills any chance to see print.
Let's assume you give this a proper casting cost. Maybe XU and look at the the top X? Anyway, why empower X spells like this? That's the only real concern I have with it. As you mentioned. If you turn a Ponder into a Crackle with Power you're dealing 15 damage to upto 15 targets. While this is the most absurd example there aren't any reasonable ones.
Undying and this particular cost for ward are both very powerful. It's pushing the boundaries on power level but possibly falls within bounds.
Also, paying 3 to gain 3 life and draw a card isn't a bad deal.