Thoughts on creature type?

I like using traditional but not mainstream creature types like Viashino; I envisaged creature types that could (many of them if not all of them) be reconcepted as flying creatures, or at least creatures on flying mounts; I'm not sure if Viashino fits or not.

I'm just tossing it out. I mean, Viashino already look like they're related to dragons. It's not so far a stretch to put wings on them.

I was going to make a list of Aer creatures, but the list was short, so I pulled it. On that short list, though, was Viashino. They look like scions to a greater being to me... granted a greater Red being...

But the Warrior part might be a little off. I'm not sure what to do here. I feel we'll be filling Aer with a lot of Advisors, but that's probably inappropriate for R/B. Maybe Scout? Minion?

Huh, good point. OK, I agree Viashino are a good idea.

Actually, it has been established in magic's backstory that the Viashino are genetically descended from Dragons so I don't see a problem with some that are slightly closer on the genetic slide rule having wings.
That's why they were given their own creature type. It is specifically called out in the flavour text of Viashino Spearhunter.

I would have no problem just having them be regular Viashino, not even Warriors for this set. Its got claws, wings, and scales, I think it can get away at 2/1 for a normal viashino.

On the other hand, I have a strong preference for giving class types to all sentient creatures. I think Icatian Moneychanger should be a Human Merchant. I'm happy with Warriors: if Aer are oppressors then they'll have needed some frontline forces keeping the landbound in their place.

Or warrior heroes to inspire devotion in the masses. I'd be happy with variants, but I think martial types are fine -- Magic will always have martial types, because it's conflict-based.

When you compare this to Chandra's Phoenix, it seems alright, but this card is too powerful. Alara Limited was very powerful and things like Goblin Deathraiders and Sewn-Eye Drake saw plenty of play. Also compare to Skyknight Legionnaire.

­Skyknight Legionnaire was jolly good, but it was one of a theme focused in Boros, one of the four guilds in Ravnica (the first set). The corresponding theme in this set is spread around all five colours. Realistically, most draft decks will be 2-3 colours, so they won't be able to get all the aggressive Aer flyers. So I think it's okay if in a vacuum this is slightly better than Skyknight Legionnaire, because it won't have such strong support for the strategy it naturally lends itself to.

On the other hand, we could dial back and make this a 1/1 flying haste for 2. That'd still be cheaper than flying+haste has been available before. Even at 3 mana, the options are Chandra's Phoenix (rare), Deepcavern Imp (has echo), or Skyknight Legionnaire. So this could still be rather interesting as a little 1-power hasty flying beater.

Can we tack First Strike onto this guy? He looks so sad... I know I'd never pick him out of a pack as he stands unless something really terrible was happening.

Sounds fine. Hobgoblin Dragoon was pretty bad and this is gold. The only other 1/1 flying first strikers are Kjeldoran Skyknight and Wild Aesthir, so I think CD is a fine cost for that. (See also Mourning Thrull / Vault Skirge.)

Why does this have flying?

Haste: Red - 1st / Black - 2nd
First Strike: Red - 1st / Black 3rd
Flying: Red - 4th / Black 3rd

I don't really get why two colors that are either terrible at flying or merely so-so would combine to make a creature with all three of these abilities at Common.

Because of the story/flavor, all multicolor creatures have flying in this set. I don't know how this ended up with three abilities, though.

We got this odd problem where we don't want to make a BR creature that has flying be comparable to other CC flyers, but we don't want to make it out-right unplayable. As it stands right now, its a pretty bad card, only made playable by the fact that BR rarely has a better option in the air. I'm not defending the 3 keywords... I just don't want to see something taken away from him and nothing given back.