Manaleap seems like to could be very powerful. Is the lack of synergy with his other ability intentional?

yeah, i wanted to make it a decision. "should i ramp up or should i let him get bigger?"

Delightful card, with a really interesting decision built in. Starts off pretty small but grows really fast really quickly (by the first time he attacks he's a 7/7!)

I could like a card that creates this kind of intention, and adding seven mana is huge, obviously, but at that point you probably don't need the mana anyway. Maybe try making it smaller (and grow at a smaller rate, too, obviously.)

Also, manaleap could be cool for this or another card, but I don't think it's good as a mechanic.

@Shiny_Umbreon: Red, of all colors, is happy to have an extra 7 mana. It just dumps it into spells.

That said, it doesn't really make that much of a decision. Swing once with the Rage Tyrant, return to hand, blast with Fireball for end of game. Ah well. Maybe Tenebrae will put some crazy Elderazi in the cube or whatnot.

Personally, I think manaleap could make a good mechanic, but not if the creature always added its own casting cost to the mana pool. What would a three cost creature look like? A 1/1 Manaleap for ? It's just too powerful to put on too many creatures. A 2/3 for with manaleap-, would make a serviceable common, though.

I was considering making it add a variable amount of mana, not just the mana cost; is that a good change to the ability? and yes there are some eldrazi in this cube :P

To those who're dubious about manaleap, note that it's pretty close to the ability on Grinning Ignus, by the way. I think it's fine.

Oh, having the added mana not be the mana cost makes it a lot better.

But even if you have some X spell here and there, you would need some serious support for a seven-mana manaleap card. I mean, trying to combo this into a Fireball is pretty expensive when you could just be playing two good seven/eight-mana cards that are okay independently. I could imagine that in a ramp deck that not only gets to seven mana quickly, but also wants to deploy as many expensive cards as possible next turn.

Well; I like him just the way he is. (Ok, now I need to write a children's book; replacing all the cuddly little stuffed bears with aloof dragons. It'll sell like hotcakes.)

Uh, I had a point somewhere.

Oh right. But others would probably prefer him with an ETB ability instead; making it less a tension and more an evoke-like feel - "Use me, or Use me, then use me again!"

Anyhow; for 7 mana, a 6/6 blocker that then attacks for 7, then 9 and then funnels into a giant explosion for the win? That's shiny enough for me.

For future proofing - it would make sense for this to be: ­: Mana leap , just in case you want to use it again later.

You will need to provide quite a few outlets though - I mean, you're giving up a 9/9 flyer to cast a spell; even if it's an eldrazi, why would you DO that?

point taken about the support; i will try to build in as much support as possible.

if i were to go etb ability path, would 5 damage to target creature/player be acceptable?

Compare to Bogardan Hellkite, which is a fine/good card. It's +1/+1 bigger, has flash and divides the damage, it also costs more, but it can't reuse itself.

I'd say 5 damage to target creature or player would be acceptable depending on how much mana the manaleap ability adds in relation to its mana cost. At first sight, around less than the mana cost would be okay. But it would be a matter of testing it.