Vampire Hexmage for me. This sends a pretty clear signal that black is taken. If we take a nonblack card, there will be Vampire Hexmage and Nimana Sell-Sword left in the pack, sending a wrong signal.
The only thing I don't like about this is that we've already decided our main color after two picks. We won't be able to play the Hexmage and the Nighthawk with black as a splash color.
However, I don't see the point in taking Territorial Baloth. We passed a Baloth Woodcrasher, remember? We should probably stay out of green.
I have to disagree with you on Vampire's Bite. Usually, you don't play it without Kicker, but when you kick it, you can turn a 2 life swing into a 10 life swing (2/1 -> 5/1 lifelink). You'll win most damage races where both players have a lot of evasion. It won me a game at the PR I should have lost.
Also, Highland Berserker is decent with many other Allies. Whenever you play another Ally, all Allies gain first strike until EOT. This really helped one game, especially combined with the hasty Tuktuk Grunts. You wouldn't want to play it if you don't have at least 3-4 other Allies, though.
I played sealed and did well with a BR deck. (Went 4-1)
The first booster I opened had Sorin Markov, so I knew I'd want to play black.
I was lucky enough to pull Gatekeeper of Malakir, Vampire Nighthawk, Guul Draz Specter, Mind Sludge and some more solid commons, so black was going to be my main color.
My secondary color would be red mostly because I had quite a lot of burn there.
Sorin obviously won some games single-handedly, as well as Mind Sludge, Guul Draz Specter or the combination of those. A Mind Sludge turn 5 for 4 can be DEVASTATING.
Some cards I wasn't sure about but that did really well:
Explorer's Scope: You'll always want to play one of those. It puts the lands directly into play, so you'll draw more gas. AND it accelerates and triggers landfall. This helped me finding Sorin more often and might have won me a game thanks to this.
Bladetusk Boar: Okay, I knew it was strong, but it was VERY strong. Intimidate is much stronger than flying against most decks and combined with a flyer or Surrakar Marauder, it just took games.
Guul Draz Vampire: I thought she might be win more, but sometimes, I won games by Burst Lightninging an opponent from 14 to 10 and then attacking for the win in one or two turns. These games might have taken much longer without her.
Vampire's Bite: I was unsure if I should play it because of its card disadvantage. But it won me a game as a topdeck which I would have lost otherwise. It just wins damage races, especially if a lot of evasion is involved. Also, it can be used to deal with an opponent's big creatures if you don't draw a removal.
I liked the many different things you could do with pretty much the same design, but I see what you mean in "missing the point of hybrid". I thought that 2-3 different cards in one card was pretty cool, but the more I think of it, the less it is, since in most decks, you'll only be playing one half, anyway.
So the best you can get out of this design are probably the cards like Banish and Acidic Earth: A drawback if you use only one color, with an effect that is undercosted if not on a multicolored card. I see how all similar designs that have been printed reward the caster for having spent both colors.
I'll probably make a whole cycle out of them, then.
I'll probably redesign the and cards, but I'll keep the general concept of Doomfire because I like how the "+2/-1" can work differently. I'd like to hear other opinions about this one.
However, I don't think that a multicolored card has to be better than a card with heavy color commitment in the main color of an effect. So, a :symu::symu::symu::symu: card may be the better card drawer than the :symu::symu::symb::symb: card. But I like your idea with the instant that draws two - although the blue part might be slightly too powerful compared to Careful Consideration. I'll see what I can do
Thank you for your comments. I guess whether hybrid needs to be "fits either color perfectly" or may be a bit like split cards is about how you personally like it.
My opinion: Hybrid, at it's core, are cards that fit either color perfectly. However, once you start exploring a mechanic more deeply, you'll see what other things you can do with it.
What I like about my cards is that you can play them in three ways:
- As a multicolored card
- As a card of color A
- As a card of color B
Every choice nets a different result.
Also thanks for the more specific comments. I'll overthink the balancing, you're right that they I've been rather careful. But the one is completely fine, I think, since it's an instant.
About the Algae: The green part may be a little worse since the effect that's not really green anyway. Maybe I'll make a whole new card of it, it's the one I like the least out of these six.
About Doomfire: The "+2/-1" and then "1 damage" is probably what makes this card feel a little strange. You might miss at first glance that this will kill all creatures with 2 toughness. Or is it something else that bothered you?
About Dark Knowledge: Discard one for all blue doesn't work since that would make it better if you pay one :symb:. However, it should be at it's best if you pay only :symu:.
I like Delve as a keyword and I hope they'll bring it back (from the future...).
Your card seems fine and probably not as broken as the real Moxen. But it still is a strong card, as it color fixes and might be of some use in combo decks. Still, it might be a bit overpowered. Wizards would have to playtest this a long time before they print it.
I really like hybrid, and there's still a lot of unused design space about it. I made this cycle of uncommon cards, which I like because the design used seems similar but is actually varying a lot between the cards:
(I made a ten card cycle, but I'm only showing the six cards I like the most. If you'd like to see the others, please write so. )
Dark Knowledge :symub::symub::symub::symub:
Sorcery
Draw three cards.
If only was spent to play Dark Knowledge, untap up to three target islands.
If only was spent to play Dark Knowledge, you lose three life.
If you use only :symu:, you'll get an advantage since blue is very good at drawing cards. If you use only :symb:, you'll get a drawback since black only draws cards at the cost of life.
(edit: Changed balancing, making it stronger)
Wave of Vitality :symgw::symgw::symgw::symgw:
Instant
Creatures you control get +2/+2 until end of turn.
If only was spent to play Wave of Vitality, creatures you control gain trample until end of turn.
If only was spent to play Wave of Vitality, creatures you control gain lifelink until end of turn.
Here, you get an advantage in both cases. This card is good in a monocolored deck, but in a deck that can frequently get 4 mana of one color, it's much more versatile - and gives +2/+2 at least.
Banish :symbw::symbw:
Instant
Exile target creature.
If only was spent to play Banish, its controller puts a 1/1 white Spirit creature token with flying into play.
If only was spent to play Banish, you lose life equal to that creature's toughness.
This card might be a bit too strong, but I made it to show the following: If you use only one color here, you'll end up with a color-specific drawback. However, for :symw::symb:, you get the effect "Exile target creature" without a drawback.(P.S. : I refuse to use the term "battlefield".)
Doomfire :symrb::symrb::symrb:
Sorcery
All creatures get +2/-1 until end of turn.
If only was spent to play Doomfire, all creatures gain fear until end of turn.
If only was spent to play Doomfire, Doomfire deals 1 damage to each creature.
This card again plays differently, changing its functionality depending on which colors you spent. It's a pseudo-pyroclasm for :symr::symr::symr: (and still allows you to push extra damage through), but it's a finishing blow for :symb::symb::symb: (but still not too powerful in aggro because creatures with 1 toughness die).
Entwining Algae :symug::symug::symug:
Instant
Tap all creatures without flying.
If only was spent to play Entwining Algae, untap all creatures you control.
If only was spent to play Entwining Algae, creatures your opponents control don’t untap during their controller’s next untap step.
Again, it's an advantage-advantage card that is good in monocolored, but more versatile in :symug:. Also, the two parts play quite differently.
Acidic Earth :symgb::symgb:
Sorcery
Destroy target nonbasic land.
If only was spent to play Acidic Earth, that land’s controller may search his or her library for a basic land card, put it into play tapped, then shuffle his or her library.
If only was spent to play Acidic Earth, you lose 4 life.
It's another drawback-drawback card with only :symg::symb: allowing you to destroy a nonbasic land without drawback. The more interesting part: The green drawback also makes the card more versatile, allowing you to search for the basic of your tertiary color if you really need it, for example. (Again, this card might be a bit too powerful)
I hope you liked this. Hybrid really is one of my favorite mechanics and I hope they'll bring it back often, in various forms...maybe with designs like these, which are really versatile, as I think.
I don't want this thread to die, so I'll push it up again.
You had some very interesting ideas. We'll probably see the whole spell target changing and maybe copying in the :symur:-cards, but maybe not on the :symur::symur::symur: one, which should be rather simple. It MIGHT be a pinger, but I don't think so. I just think they'll avoid blue pingers...and also, these are all cards (in the cycle of Shadowmoor) with just very good stats and some abilities (also negative ones). But they were creatures made for combat.
However, I'm not quite sure about the unblockable. I know it could theoretically be in flavor for red, but it just doesn't feel right. They also already use unblockability in blue-black.
If I were to make the cards or to guess, my cards would look like this after reading the whole thread:
:symrw::symrw::symrw:
First Strike
4/1
This one still seems pretty balanced to me. Strong, as every part of the cycle is, acting like a 4/4 in combat, but with the drawback of having only one toughness, which is more or less as relevant as =Ashenmoor Gouger]can't block. Maybe it's a bit weaker, especially in limited, with Scar around.
:symwb::symwb::symwb:
Flying, Lifelink
2/3
Adding a point of toughness seems okay if it gets an irrelevant creature type.
I like it more with higher regneration costs but 3/2 since that might make it constructed viable. As a 2/3, it would be a limited only card.
:symug::symug::symug:
Shroud, Islandwalk
3/3
Shroud on the one seems like a good idea, but I'm not sure about the flash since Plumeveil already uses it. Okay, there's flying more often in the cycle, too, but Flash isn't as common as flying so they might want to use it only once.
:symur::symur::symur:
I'm still not sure on this one, I wrote above what I think about your ideas.
i think for UG one is better shroud or flash.. or both
for UR i have no idea too.. i will see this thread to know with what will come other users
You're right, I forgot about Shroud being a :symug:-Ability. I'm not sure if they will make that much green flash anymore, though. I know MaRo said Flash was still green, but I think it's not THAT much in green's flavor (I know, fast creatures and all...but for this flavor, haste is used better!).
Maybe just a 3/3 Shroud...I think Islandwalk works actually quite well in :symug:, though. I wouldn't be surprised to see it.
Crush :1mana::symrw:
Instant
Target attacking or blocking creature you control deals 5 damage to another target attacking or blocking creature.
Still powerful, but much more situational.
Now make this guy playable:
Cursed Zombie :symb::symb::symb: Creature - Zombie
Fear
At the beginning of your upkeep, you lose 3 life.
Whenever Cursed Zombie attacks or blocks, sacrifice a permanent. 1/1
I thought a bit about how the HHH-Cycle could be continued in Eventide. I originally wanted to post this in speculation, but I'd like a discussion about these cards specifically, how you think they are balanced and all, which abilities they could have and what you think the :symur::symur::symur: could be since I couldn't come up with an elegant card for this combination.
I'll also use this thread to post more enemy-hybrid cards I come up with.
I don't have names and creature types yet since I don't know which tribes they should get.
Red-White :symrw::symrw::symrw:
First Strike
4/1
First strike is both a red and a white ability, and both red and white get cards with much more power than toughness.
This is a strong card at 3 mana because it acts in combat like a 4/4. However, I don't think it's too strong since one toughness means every burn will kill it. It's still at the very top of the power level.
Black-White :symbw::symbw::symbw:
Flying, Lifelink
2/2
Flying is an obvious overlap between white and black, but Lifelink, while not often used, is also black. Mourning Thrull shows this hybrid combination.
This might seem a bit weak at first, but combined to Wasp Lancer, it isn't. Lifelink and Evasion is a strong combination after all. White might get ever more efficient creatures, but black shouldn't, I think.
Green-Black :symgb::symgb::symgb:
Deathtouch : Regenerate ~.
2/3
Deathtouch and Regeneration aren't only both green and black, they also play well together. This is definitely a first pick for limited, but in constructed, it might be a bit weaker than the other parts of the cycle.
Green-Blue :symug::symug::symug:
Islandwalk
3/3
I didn't find much overlap between green and blue, but Islandwalk fits: Blue gets islandwalk because it has sea monsters, green gets Islandwalk because it's the enemy of blue.
Blue-Red :symur::symur::symur:
???
I wasn't yet able to come up with something for this combination. Do you have some cool ideas? It seems like this might be the most difficult combination, just like was in Shadowmoor.
Silkbind Faerie is incredible. And it is UW. Hm... This creature alone can turn the tide of limited. I wouldn't be surprised to see it in constructed. I don't know what deck it would be in, but it can be devastating if left alone.
It's a very powerful limited creature that has even more potential to be unlocked by some tap-enchantments. When it's on the ground, it essentially does THREE things - one damage to the opponent if he has no flyers to block, it blocks a 2-power-creature AND it taps down a creature. That's great.
That said, it probably won't see constructed play because it really shines only in creature combat. In limited, there's so much more creature combat than in constructed. You don't want to play an agressive deck and play a 1/3 for 3, and for control, you should have better options that don't consume 2 every round.
If something's a limited bomb, that doesn't always mean that it's constructed playable...because limited just works differen than constructed.
The only thing I don't like about this is that we've already decided our main color after two picks. We won't be able to play the Hexmage and the Nighthawk with black as a splash color.
However, I don't see the point in taking Territorial Baloth. We passed a Baloth Woodcrasher, remember? We should probably stay out of green.
Also, Highland Berserker is decent with many other Allies. Whenever you play another Ally, all Allies gain first strike until EOT. This really helped one game, especially combined with the hasty Tuktuk Grunts. You wouldn't want to play it if you don't have at least 3-4 other Allies, though.
The first booster I opened had Sorin Markov, so I knew I'd want to play black.
I was lucky enough to pull Gatekeeper of Malakir, Vampire Nighthawk, Guul Draz Specter, Mind Sludge and some more solid commons, so black was going to be my main color.
My secondary color would be red mostly because I had quite a lot of burn there.
Sorin obviously won some games single-handedly, as well as Mind Sludge, Guul Draz Specter or the combination of those. A Mind Sludge turn 5 for 4 can be DEVASTATING.
Some cards I wasn't sure about but that did really well:
Explorer's Scope: You'll always want to play one of those. It puts the lands directly into play, so you'll draw more gas. AND it accelerates and triggers landfall. This helped me finding Sorin more often and might have won me a game thanks to this.
Bladetusk Boar: Okay, I knew it was strong, but it was VERY strong. Intimidate is much stronger than flying against most decks and combined with a flyer or Surrakar Marauder, it just took games.
Guul Draz Vampire: I thought she might be win more, but sometimes, I won games by Burst Lightninging an opponent from 14 to 10 and then attacking for the win in one or two turns. These games might have taken much longer without her.
Vampire's Bite: I was unsure if I should play it because of its card disadvantage. But it won me a game as a topdeck which I would have lost otherwise. It just wins damage races, especially if a lot of evasion is involved. Also, it can be used to deal with an opponent's big creatures if you don't draw a removal.
So the best you can get out of this design are probably the cards like Banish and Acidic Earth: A drawback if you use only one color, with an effect that is undercosted if not on a multicolored card. I see how all similar designs that have been printed reward the caster for having spent both colors.
I'll probably make a whole cycle out of them, then.
However, I don't think that a multicolored card has to be better than a card with heavy color commitment in the main color of an effect. So, a :symu::symu::symu::symu: card may be the better card drawer than the :symu::symu::symb::symb: card. But I like your idea with the instant that draws two - although the blue part might be slightly too powerful compared to Careful Consideration. I'll see what I can do
Instant
Counter target spell with converted mana cost 3 or less. That spell's controller may draw a card.
My opinion: Hybrid, at it's core, are cards that fit either color perfectly. However, once you start exploring a mechanic more deeply, you'll see what other things you can do with it.
What I like about my cards is that you can play them in three ways:
- As a multicolored card
- As a card of color A
- As a card of color B
Every choice nets a different result.
Also thanks for the more specific comments. I'll overthink the balancing, you're right that they I've been rather careful. But the
About the Algae: The green part may be a little worse since the effect that's not really green anyway. Maybe I'll make a whole new card of it, it's the one I like the least out of these six.
About Doomfire: The "+2/-1" and then "1 damage" is probably what makes this card feel a little strange. You might miss at first glance that this will kill all creatures with 2 toughness. Or is it something else that bothered you?
About Dark Knowledge: Discard one for all blue doesn't work since that would make it better if you pay one :symb:. However, it should be at it's best if you pay only :symu:.
I like Delve as a keyword and I hope they'll bring it back (from the future...).
Your card seems fine and probably not as broken as the real Moxen. But it still is a strong card, as it color fixes and might be of some use in combo decks. Still, it might be a bit overpowered. Wizards would have to playtest this a long time before they print it.
(I made a ten card cycle, but I'm only showing the six cards I like the most. If you'd like to see the others, please write so. )
Dark Knowledge :symub::symub::symub::symub:
Sorcery
Draw three cards.
If only
If only
If you use only :symu:, you'll get an advantage since blue is very good at drawing cards. If you use only :symb:, you'll get a drawback since black only draws cards at the cost of life.
(edit: Changed balancing, making it stronger)
Wave of Vitality :symgw::symgw::symgw::symgw:
Instant
Creatures you control get +2/+2 until end of turn.
If only
If only
Here, you get an advantage in both cases. This card is good in a monocolored deck, but in a
Banish :symbw::symbw:
Instant
Exile target creature.
If only
If only
This card might be a bit too strong, but I made it to show the following: If you use only one color here, you'll end up with a color-specific drawback. However, for :symw::symb:, you get the effect "Exile target creature" without a drawback. (P.S. : I refuse to use the term "battlefield".)
Doomfire :symrb::symrb::symrb:
Sorcery
All creatures get +2/-1 until end of turn.
If only
If only
This card again plays differently, changing its functionality depending on which colors you spent. It's a pseudo-pyroclasm for :symr::symr::symr: (and still allows you to push extra damage through), but it's a finishing blow for :symb::symb::symb: (but still not too powerful in aggro because creatures with 1 toughness die).
Entwining Algae :symug::symug::symug:
Instant
Tap all creatures without flying.
If only
If only
Again, it's an advantage-advantage card that is good in monocolored, but more versatile in :symug:. Also, the two parts play quite differently.
Acidic Earth :symgb::symgb:
Sorcery
Destroy target nonbasic land.
If only
If only
It's another drawback-drawback card with only :symg::symb: allowing you to destroy a nonbasic land without drawback. The more interesting part: The green drawback also makes the card more versatile, allowing you to search for the basic of your tertiary color if you really need it, for example. (Again, this card might be a bit too powerful)
I hope you liked this. Hybrid really is one of my favorite mechanics and I hope they'll bring it back often, in various forms...maybe with designs like these, which are really versatile, as I think.
You had some very interesting ideas. We'll probably see the whole spell target changing and maybe copying in the :symur:-cards, but maybe not on the :symur::symur::symur: one, which should be rather simple. It MIGHT be a pinger, but I don't think so. I just think they'll avoid blue pingers...and also, these are all cards (in the cycle of Shadowmoor) with just very good stats and some abilities (also negative ones). But they were creatures made for combat.
However, I'm not quite sure about the unblockable. I know it could theoretically be in flavor for red, but it just doesn't feel right. They also already use unblockability in blue-black.
If I were to make the cards or to guess, my cards would look like this after reading the whole thread:
:symrw::symrw::symrw:
First Strike
4/1
This one still seems pretty balanced to me. Strong, as every part of the cycle is, acting like a 4/4 in combat, but with the drawback of having only one toughness, which is more or less as relevant as =Ashenmoor Gouger]can't block. Maybe it's a bit weaker, especially in limited, with Scar around.
:symwb::symwb::symwb:
Flying, Lifelink
2/3
Adding a point of toughness seems okay if it gets an irrelevant creature type.
:symgb::symgb::symgb:
Deathtouch
:symgb::symgb: : Regenerate ~.
3/2
I like it more with higher regneration costs but 3/2 since that might make it constructed viable. As a 2/3, it would be a limited only card.
:symug::symug::symug:
Shroud, Islandwalk
3/3
Shroud on the
:symur::symur::symur:
I'm still not sure on this one, I wrote above what I think about your ideas.
You're right, I forgot about Shroud being a :symug:-Ability. I'm not sure if they will make that much green flash anymore, though. I know MaRo said Flash was still green, but I think it's not THAT much in green's flavor (I know, fast creatures and all...but for this flavor, haste is used better!).
Maybe just a 3/3 Shroud...I think Islandwalk works actually quite well in :symug:, though. I wouldn't be surprised to see it.
Instant
Target attacking or blocking creature you control deals 5 damage to another target attacking or blocking creature.
Still powerful, but much more situational.
Now make this guy playable:
Cursed Zombie :symb::symb::symb:
Creature - Zombie
Fear
At the beginning of your upkeep, you lose 3 life.
Whenever Cursed Zombie attacks or blocks, sacrifice a permanent.
1/1
I'll also use this thread to post more enemy-hybrid cards I come up with.
I don't have names and creature types yet since I don't know which tribes they should get.
Red-White :symrw::symrw::symrw:
First Strike
4/1
First strike is both a red and a white ability, and both red and white get cards with much more power than toughness.
This is a strong card at 3 mana because it acts in combat like a 4/4. However, I don't think it's too strong since one toughness means every burn will kill it. It's still at the very top of the power level.
Black-White :symbw::symbw::symbw:
Flying, Lifelink
2/2
Flying is an obvious overlap between white and black, but Lifelink, while not often used, is also black. Mourning Thrull shows this hybrid combination.
This might seem a bit weak at first, but combined to Wasp Lancer, it isn't. Lifelink and Evasion is a strong combination after all. White might get ever more efficient creatures, but black shouldn't, I think.
Green-Black :symgb::symgb::symgb:
Deathtouch
2/3
Deathtouch and Regeneration aren't only both green and black, they also play well together. This is definitely a first pick for limited, but in constructed, it might be a bit weaker than the other parts of the cycle.
Green-Blue :symug::symug::symug:
Islandwalk
3/3
I didn't find much overlap between green and blue, but Islandwalk fits: Blue gets islandwalk because it has sea monsters, green gets Islandwalk because it's the enemy of blue.
Blue-Red :symur::symur::symur:
???
I wasn't yet able to come up with something for this combination. Do you have some cool ideas? It seems like this might be the most difficult combination, just like
It's a very powerful limited creature that has even more potential to be unlocked by some tap-enchantments. When it's on the ground, it essentially does THREE things - one damage to the opponent if he has no flyers to block, it blocks a 2-power-creature AND it taps down a creature. That's great.
That said, it probably won't see constructed play because it really shines only in creature combat. In limited, there's so much more creature combat than in constructed. You don't want to play an agressive deck and play a 1/3 for 3, and for control, you should have better options that don't consume 2 every round.
If something's a limited bomb, that doesn't always mean that it's constructed playable...because limited just works differen than constructed.