This feels overly complex for a common. There's also very little reason for this to not just be unblockable all the time.

The idea was clearly to avoid the problem that Invisible Stalker was.

It's true this is basically always unblockable, but I like the mirrored abilities even if they're a little cute.

I like that there is now a corner case where Strength of Ages Past can just hose this card. Hooray for card interactions.

Should this be "Brass City Bureaucrat" instead of Aristocrat?

The Brass City is full of high society folk, so I think it's fine showing more dimensions to the city than bureaucracy.

Aristocrat is great. As long as he doesn't act aggressively he enjoys diplomatic immunity, but if he attacks you get to take him out with a removal spell. I really like him as is. With the right art and flavor text he'll make a perfect common, although maybe a 1/1 might be more fair.

Is giving your opponents creatures vigilance going to be a thing?

No.

Then why not just "Is unblockable"; why the "When tapped" rider?

The "tapped" rider turns off the hexproof part on top while turning on "unblockable". "Can't be blocked" is the new wording for unblockable.

@Vitenka Having a tapped and untapped condition makes it aesthetically pleasing through symmetry. Mechanically it rarely matters.

Fair enough. It reads more clunkily to me than just plain "Can't be blocked" but I can see the symmetry now you point it out.

One of Comicalflop's suggestions in the creative thread was to change this to "Sky Pirate" replacing unblockable with flying and shrinking it to a 1/1 for . Since one of the things we've been wanting to do is get more of the Splinter into the set it seems like an ideal change.

I actually wanted it to stay as 2/2. I remember flavor wise that people liked Aristocrats as being 'untouchable' until they attack; similarly, when Pirates are in hiding they can't be found, and when they attack they lose that cover and start flying on their airships. 2U for Common that can't be blocked is pushing it, and there's a lot of artwork for Steampunk Pirates on skyships. Voila, perfect solution.

I'm not sure I like the flavor change considering we have at least one other pirate card, but no other aristocrat cards.

I could see this being changed to flying.

Also, I'd just like to point out that Tromokratis, the new leviathan from Born of the Gods, basically has this ability. Good job us!

I have Aristocrats in the artwork of some of the blue spells. I can probably squeeze in an Aristocrat into a different card at some point too. However, 2U at common for a 2/2 that can't be blocked is too powerful, and Pirates in their skyships fly better than Aristocrats do.

I have probably plenty of Aristocrat artwork that can be featured in future sets, if that's a concern.

Is the name "Sky Pirates" too generic? Because that feels like a better name. :p

But I was really attached to "Some Pirates" :P