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CardName: Unwavering Skeptic Cost: {3}{U} Type: Creature - Elf Wizard Pow/Tgh: 2/4 Rules Text: Defender {T}: Target player puts the top two cards of his or her library into his or her graveyard. Flavour Text: Catharsis is forever out of the reach of the Aonian Council, for doubt is quick to topple their every confidence. Set/Rarity: LibraryPlane Common

Unwavering Skeptic
{3}{u}
 
 C 
Creature – Elf Wizard
Defender
{t}: Target player puts the top two cards of his or her library into his or her graveyard.
Catharsis is forever out of the reach of the Aonian Council, for doubt is quick to topple their every confidence.
2/4
Updated on 03 Sep 2011 by Putnam

Code: CU06

History: [-]

2011-05-11 03:21:48: Putnam created the card Unwavering Skeptic
2011-05-11 03:23:37: Putnam edited Unwavering Skeptic
2011-06-04 17:39:18: Putnam edited Unwavering Skeptic

Similar to Vedalken Entrancer. Gains cheaper activation of the ability and a point of power, but loses the ability to attack.

Thanks for pointing out that card. Now I suspect that this isn't properly costed; losing the ability to attack isn't a meaningful drawback in this case.

Well at least the card concept is in place. I'll tweak the numbers once I get to the play testing stage.

Entrancer wasn't very powerful because the Dimir guild was flush with milling cards. While it was only a side project of one of four guilds in Ravnica, too many good cards that mill would be much too strong in limited, so the power of common millers needed to be carefully watched. While this card is (in my opinion) very good, if this was the only common miller, I'd call it okay. Many players will take one just for a good defender, having no interest in milling the opponent, so the mill player shouldn't be able to stock pile on them (though I could see someone drafting them early, intending to become the mill player if he sees a lot more, or just using it as a good blocker if he doesn't...)

Cool, that's reassuring. This is the only mill common I have planned (offensive mill anyway; I reserve the right to print some self-mill in black).

That said, if I decide to keep Swarm of Monads (and I'm not certain I want to, especially inasmuch as it looks like a couple of them could untap one another ad infinitum after being hermetic studyd) that 'atomistic metaphysic' mechanic can make this more dangerous. Is that cause enough for worry?

Atomistic Metaphysic is a wierd and interesting mechanic. It's also a little broken with any card that says "{0}: Target creature..." which there have been a few of in the past (A popular deck that was called "Life" was full of them). I wouldn't suggest 1CC targeting activations, either...

But, if the card itself doesn't do something that doesn't break the game if tapped infinitely, then it should be fine. Morselhoarder, Sinking Feeling and Power of Fire were all printed in Shadowmoor. When combined, they deal an infinite amount of damage to everything... but they are three subpar cards, otherwise (Sinking Feeling is espescially bad). The Shadowmoor team, at first, fought hard to not make 'broken combos' with the untap ability in block, but eventually realised that broken untap combos are what people will want to do. Why wouldn't they want to give people the tools to make the decks they want to play?

It's a dangerous game... and it mostly involves messing with the numbers. But three card combos in limited are probably fine, assuming they don't consist of first to fifth card picks.

I've adjusted the metaphysic mechanic to prevent infinity combos. Unwavering Skeptic and atomistic metaphysic still synergize, but not enough to be terribly frightening.

Also, M12 spoilers have updated the precedent on this ability: Merfolk Mesmerist. It has Vedalken Entrancer's activation cost, but is costed more efficiently.

On top of that, I've been thinking of changing the Skeptic's ability to 'all graveyards', since that sells the flavour better, and helps out whatever reanimation stuff I plan on fitting into Black. Maybe if I do that, I can add an activation cost without feeling like I'm weakening the card.

2011-09-03 17:44:11: Putnam edited Unwavering Skeptic

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