See Challenge # 110.

When I first started playing magic I was very confused by permanents with discard effects -- I hadn't yet internalised that "discard" meant "from hand" not "from play". Now that's second nature to me, even though other games use "discard" for any method of getting rid of stuff.

There have been surprisingly few lands with spell-like effects. I guess because it really makes them into spells with landcycling rather than lands. So I tried to find a cycle of five effects which are small, and mostly utility non-combat, so it's more like a bonus on the land than the primary point of the card, and less likely anyone will want to counter them and be disappointed they can't.

In fact, I'm also disappointed "manacost, discard from hand" counts as an ability not a spell, I wish it could be templated so it was clearly casting, which is what it feels like. Then it would be easier to remember, anything that's cast by a card leaving your hand is a spell, and anything with no card isn't (except copies of cards).

So I looked around for five small effects I liked but were too small even for 1 mana. They have often shown up as a cantrip, or a phyrexian-one-mana-card. I hoped to find ones that were weak rather than narrow, so they wouldn't feel completely wasted if you didn't have a specific use for them, but you would usually only want them if you had a specific use in mind.

I wasn't sure about making these activated on "discard from hand" not "ETB" or "sacrifice". My logic was that discard from hand gives a choice, but the effect is small enough most people will instinctively do the right thing of using the effect only if they don't want the land. I'm worried about ETB lands being held until people think they can "use" them which is usually wrong, and lands with a sacrifice effect needing to be costed very expensively because you can get the benefit of the land AND the spell.

Personally, I like these. I approve of lands that offer you extra versatility. They do remind me of Tiago Chan's Denying Channel, though, which was a land with a similar (albeit more powerful) effect.

Thank you! Oh yes, I'd forgotten about denying channel. This is very similar space. I think the problem there is that the effect is strong enough competitive players would actively want it in their deck, whereas either "land" or "gain three life" they don't normally want except that they have to. But even so, you could increase the cost a bit more, it would be a shame if "gain three life" had to cost 1W, but it would probably be fine, whereas "counter target spell" might have to cost 6 or 8 to be balanced...

Yeah, I like this. The effects are indeed weak enough to make them not normally worth saving unless you don't need the land.

Are they meant to both ETBT and tap for colourless?

Thank you!

­Are they meant to both ETBT and tap for colourless?

Oops, maybe not, unless they need to be powered down more. Although it might be better if it gives reason for people to get them only when they really want them, and not just through them in as an extra. But "ETB tapped; " is really unusual, it should normally be one or the other, but I'm not sure which is better without playtesting.

I don't like the etb tapped with these guys. Mostly, because I can imagine someone holding this for far too long, then deciding they don't need it after all, only to not be able to use the mana until next turn... so maybe they don't play it after all. But next turn, they still don't need it...

It seems to me that the 'one land per turn' limit already restriction enough with these cards (in other words, the more you hold in your hand, the more it stunts your growth.) I don't really think you need the one turn pause as well. Otherwise, I like the cards. I do like the choice to edge closer to the spellbombs than the alara capsules.