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CardName: Ula, God of the Deep Cost: 6 Type: Creature - Eldrazi God Pow/Tgh: 6/6 Rules Text: Indestructible. {T}: Tap two target permanents. If you control a God called Mangeni, Blood of the World, exile those permanents instead. Put a card an opponent owns from exile into that player's graveyard: Exile the top card of your library. If it's a colorless Eldrazi, you may cast it this turn. Flavour Text: Set/Rarity: Multiverse Design Challenge None
Ula, God of the Deep
 Indestructible.
 : Tap two target permanents. If you control a God called Mangeni, Blood of the World, exile those permanents instead.
Put a card an opponent owns from exile into that player's graveyard: Exile the top card of your library. If it's a colorless Eldrazi, you may cast it this turn. 6/6
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See Challenge # 155.
OK, there's a lot going on here. How do I translate the eldrazi to Theros? Especially when the phyrexians are there too.
I imagined the eldrazi expressed some of the roles they were mistaken for in Zendikar theology, where memories of Ulamog were understood as the merfolk God Ula or the kor God Mangeni.
I tried to make them feel like natural companions to the Theros gods, but not exactly the same (eg. "enchantment" didn't fit :))
I'd hoped to have more of a "turn on" switch. But it didn't really make sense for it to "become" a creature when Ula wanted to be a creature. So instead it powers up its ability a LOT.
And it needs to tie into Ulamog's exile/process theme, hence the mill-ish ability replacing the devotion trigger.
I wasn't sure on the cost. It was originally cheaper, but I felt like it had to have indestructible, and I wanted cmc/p/t to all be square for the feel, so it went to 6. Maybe I can make Ula and Mangeni's cost and stats add up to Ulamog's 11/10/10 or 10/10/10?
Mangeni will probably have the same "search" ability as they're both similar representations of Ulamog, but a different first ability. Or maybe Mangeni should do tap, and only stern Ula be indestructible?
Unfortunately, now it's wordy but I'm not sure what I can cut. I could make double sided cards (good for Emrakul) but I don't want to unless I have to.
If I do Kozilek, the card may not have indestructible, but count your devotion to
, parsing the theros gods through the lens of a different eldrazi lineage.
Your notes are quite interesting. I think the first ability given is a take on Avatar of Woe-like tap abilities that are believed to clash with their large bodies. Indestructible can block or barrage until you get Mangeni out.
While the turn-on ability is certainly strong, I wonder if it'd just be overkill at that point, assuming Mangeni is a similar power-level. We'd have to see Mangeni to know. There'd probably be common and uncommon exilers, so you could potentially use them to help dig out Mangeni. Fun.
Hm. Good points. Originally this was smaller, but it seemed overpowered to have indestructible, so I upped the cost and size. But you're right, maybe the turn-on is superfluous.
Maybe Ula and Mangeni should be about 4/4, both have the "search" ability. Ula has "indestructible" when you control Mangeni. Mangeni has tap targets, or exile instead when you control Ula?
Or maybe they should have naturally complementary abilities so you can save space by not spelling out "if you control". But that still has to be sea-themed and connected to Ulamog...