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CardName: Arrowsplit Jailer Cost: {4}{W} Type: Creature - Human Knight Pow/Tgh: 2/5 Rules Text: When Arrowsplit Jailer enters the battlefield, if you control two or more white creatures, you may ransom target creature an opponent controls. (Ransom (Exile it until its owner pays {2} to return it.)) Flavour Text: Set/Rarity: Harrenswich Common |
Code: CW02 History: [-] Add your comments: |
to return it.))
Ransom is a cool idea but you might want to find an easier way to word it.
When CARDNAME ETBs, ransom 2 only if you control two or more other white creatures (Exile target permanent, its controller may pay
to return that creature to the battlefield under their control)
I reccomend putting a number parameter next to the ransom ability so better creatures may ransom targets in the later game for "More money".
I favor the current wording for its use of intervening if-clause - which has special rules meaning and is generally a good idea for intuitive game play.
It also seems weird to add a mana parameter, but remove the card type parameter. It seems quite important to not allow willy-nilly ransom of lands.
I wonder whether the reminder text could be changed to "(Exile <it> until its <controller/owner> pays
to return it.)" Do you only ransom permanents? I seem to recall ransom of cards in hand. It is noteworthy, because cards in exile have no controller and neither have cards in exile.
Intervening if is definitely the way to go. The reminder text could be polished somewhat. "Exile that permanent. Its owner may pay
to etc." You can't actually use target as a noun, except in the specific case of dealing damage to "any target." I've asked Eli, the rules manager, about the validity of "that target," and he says it's too confusing
missing "more" and p/t
After hearing your thoughts, I was convinced that ransoming from zones other than the battlefield would become confusing. While land ransom would be cruel and probably not worth the effort to balance, I figured there would probably at least one card that could ransom planeswalkers, and ransoming artifacts or enchantments shouldn't be off the table. The current reminder text was designed so I could I wouldn't have to write it out every time and just use reminder text from the mechanic section. I avoided "it" because of the fear of unclear antecedents, though I don't know how much Magic cares about those.
using controller instead of owner was a genuine mess up with rules understanding on my part.