Soradyne Laboratories v1.2: Cardlist | Visual spoiler | Export | Booster | Comments | Search | Recent activity
Mechanics | Skeleton

CardName: The Reclusive Dr. Broadmoor Cost: 3BG Type: Planeswalker - Callimus Pow/Tgh: /4 Rules Text: [+1] Sacrifice a creature, then put two 2/2 black and green Mycolid creature tokens onto the battlefield. [-3] Target player returns any number of creature cards from their graveyard to their hand. [-7] Put any number of creature cards from your hand into play, then destroy up to that many target creatures. Flavour Text: Set/Rarity: Soradyne Laboratories v1.2 Mythic

The Reclusive Dr. Broadmoor
{3}{b}{g}
 
 M 
Planeswalker – Callimus
+1 Sacrifice a creature, then put two 2/2 black and green Mycolid creature tokens onto the battlefield.
-3 Target player returns any number of creature cards from their graveyard to their hand.
-7 Put any number of creature cards from your hand into play, then destroy up to that many target creatures.
4
Updated on 28 May 2012 by SFletcher

Code: MZ07

Active?: true

History: [-]

2011-07-19 19:46:25: SFletcher created the card The Reclusive Dr. Broadmoor
2011-07-19 19:50:40: SFletcher edited The Reclusive Dr. Broadmoor
2011-07-20 01:36:12: SFletcher edited The Reclusive Dr. Broadmoor

The first thing that sticks out about this design is that you had to give the plus ability an awkward templating in order for it to work on an empty board.

Secondly, there isn't a single PW design that doesn't provide two options upon casting, though some require some set-up for that second (or third) ability to be useable. Nonetheless, I don't think this is an area of "innovation" you want to excel at.

It's definitely the right idea to start from iconic spells in the colors of the character, and Consume Strength is one of the more logical for BG. My first suggestion would be to move your plus ability into the middle slot and develop a new plus that doesn't require fiddly templating. And then come up with an ultimate that's a bit flashier than Tooth & Nail & Nekrataal.

2011-07-20 04:39:05: SFletcher edited The Reclusive Dr. Broadmoor

Your first two point made a lot of sense, and I've reworked the first two abilities to make the whole package run smoother.

I generally disagree with your third point though; Garruk debuted with Overrun as an "ultimate". Chandra had a really big Flame Wave. Tooth and Nail plus Nekrataal seems like a pretty flashy, game-swinging hammer to drop. Just in case it isn't though, I've opted to let it go completely uncorked.

I'm suspicious though that opening the gates that wide takes the card from "fun" to "completely unfair", which is in my opinion unacceptable. Testing will tell.

The +2 currently seems a bit too strong for a +2. It could be fine as a +1 though. The -3 is a terrifyingly powerful ability, but it is costing -3 on a 4-mana planeswalker... I might prefer it if it was -3 on a 5-mana planeswalker.

The ultimate is appropriate for an ultimate. Silly, extremely powerful, splashy, likely but not completely guaranteed to win the game: perfect.

I think the mockup would look better without the blank lines between the abilities.

RE: "Flashy Ultimates" - When designing PWs, my rule of thumb is to compare my designs against expansion PWs, as that is effectively what any amateur set intends to mimic.

The values on the current build will take some massaging, but it reads much cleaner and more exciting. If you were to consider aiming for a 5cc build, you might want to consider removing the targeting from the first ability and just have it give "opponent's creatures -1/-1".

My thought with the targeted first ability was that it became a more political ability in an EDH/Commander setting. I'd originally considered an "all opponents" wording, but felt this made for a more interesting play decision.

2011-07-20 15:48:18: SFletcher edited The Reclusive Dr. Broadmoor

This is really, really good.

@SFletcher - That's a good line of thought, though you should keep in mind that the player controlling the PW is often declaring "I'm now the prime target". Of course, it could be said that adding political emphasis will help diminish that need to see the PW dead at all costs.

2012-03-28 16:10:59: SFletcher edited The Reclusive Dr. Broadmoor
2012-03-28 16:45:17: SFletcher moved the card The Reclusive Dr. Broadmoor from Soradyne Laboratories into Soradyne Laboratories v1.2
2012-03-28 16:45:45: SFletcher edited The Reclusive Dr. Broadmoor

As a suggestion for distinguishing it from other PWs and to adjust power level, I think it'd be neat if the + ability were just:

+1: Add {b} or {g} to your mana pool for each creature card in your graveyard.

Your current plus-ability is very powerful, as it's removal AND ramp AND increases loyalty. This build is like every Innistrad PW smushed into one vicious machine of card advantage. Plus, it wouldn't hurt to try and cut back on text wherever possible.

Ooooh! I like that angle a lot, and it actually works really well for him in terms of his story too. A slight tweak, and...

2012-03-28 17:38:55: SFletcher edited The Reclusive Dr. Broadmoor

Hmmm, I think you've now gone in an overly conservative direction. The first two abilities are directed towards entirely different objectives, though you would hope the player has enough creatures in their deck that the +-ability feeds the other. But neither does much to the board, nor are they especially enticing.

2012-03-28 20:12:16: SFletcher edited The Reclusive Dr. Broadmoor

Hmm. Readjusted.

That's the spirit!

That's...whoa. That ultimate is an autowin and the first ability is probably insane.

Going from 4 mana to 9 mana on turn 5 may be a little much and with a +3 loyalty, it's going to be nearly impossible to kill.

This brings up a critical point: how many effects in Soradyne can deal with planeswalkers? I count only one other mention of the card type in the set so far: Siphoning Sootcloud.

That's probably a mistake: repeating the issues of Zendikar block and Jace 2: the FU, is definitely unwise.

At the very least, I think this is on the right track. Numbers and abilities can be massaged, but conceptually and stylistically this looks appropriate.

Some simple fiddlings:

Loyalty - 3
+2 - Look at top 4 cards, you may put a land card from among them onto the battlefield, rest into your graveyard.
-3 - You may return target card from your graveyard to your hand.
-7 - Original Tooth & Nail + Nekrataal thing.

No matter, things just need to be tested, and it's better to start with something exciting and pull it back, as most developmental problems seem to happen when they start with a mundane thing and rush to make it into something exciting. (i.e. Umezawa's Jitte, etc...)

I like the general vibe on Houlding's model. The second ability casts a slightly wider net than I'd like to play to with Broadmoor, but that's a small item in the big picture.

2012-03-28 23:30:22: SFletcher edited The Reclusive Dr. Broadmoor
2012-03-29 00:34:12: SFletcher edited The Reclusive Dr. Broadmoor

I think this new version ought to work.

The first ability is solid, but not outright busted. Even if you play him with no critters on the board, you get your two creatures on the first turn he comes in, and after that you only net one vanilla bear. I think that for a four-mana mythic, two bears is a pretty fair bare minimum. It also helps feed te second ability.

I've adjusted ability 2 to be able to target any player. It has a nice diplomacy element, and does great things in 2HG play. It also plays to his story well—more on that in a second.

The third ability is, I think, fine as it is and has been. Yes, it's really close to an auto-win. Several of the Planeswalker "ultimate" abilities are like that, and I don't really see a problem there. Dan, I know you generally dislike the inherent way Planeswalkers draw all the focus of the game once they hit, but they're a huge hook for sets and the game as a whole now.

I think that in this case we've got a guy who plays a very interesting role in the greater story (even if it's not apparent yet) without being a central player. Callimus Broadmoor is the former brains and heart behind Soradyne Laboratories. He walked away from his job there shortly after the Day of Silence, and nobody's quite sure why. It's probable that very few people in Debronia even realize he's become a Planeswalker—I think there's a good opportunity for some Fezzit/Dyble quotes in the flavor text referencing the fact that the common people rarely recognize a Planeswalker until they make it obvious. Which in itself has some nice, fat, long-term ramifications.

(Hint: There's another hidden Planeswalker manipulating conspiracies here, but that wouldn't be revealed until set three, "Terminus".)

Broadmoor has become something of a Yoda-hermit, popping up now and then, doing little more than watching things from the sidelines. We'll learn that he's got quite the fascination with the hunt for a cure to Tarkot's Cross, but more for the notion of it's bio/magical implications than for any feelings towards its victims. Once or twice he'll steer other primary players towards key bits of information he knows (see ability #2), but he's not himself gunning towards any agenda. He's become a scholar interested in cycles of growth and decay, and not much else.

Looking to D47, where we get stories of current and past running almost side-by-side, I'd like to feature a "young" Callimus Broadmoor just as he's reaching his decision to leave the Soradyne Corporation. His involvement with the secret weapon project has effectively heightened his scientific awareness and enlightened him to the point of his spark kicking in. He goes from brilliant technomancer to Planeswalker in what is probably the most gradual and methodical of Planeswalker origin stories—Planeswalker Buddha.

As such, I see his D47 card as a legendary blue wizard with three {t} abilities, the third of which sacs him and searches for The Reclusive Dr. Broadmoor. Seems like another really cool hook to me, and it functions mechanically in a way that perfectly matches his story. He literally transitions from a researcher and inventor to someone who's only real interest is the very basis of life-and-death struggles.

2012-03-29 11:35:51: SFletcher edited The Reclusive Dr. Broadmoor

Might want to start thinking about the D47 card now then. From a color theme, there is nothing to link a mono-U card to a GB card and linking abilities of a mono-U card into a GB one is no small challenge.

This could effect what the GB version looks like-or should look like. Easiest path is to make the D47 Dr. UB but there might be another. Regardless: if that's the direction then it's good to chew on it now.

2012-05-28 15:43:21: SFletcher edited The Reclusive Dr. Broadmoor

Add your comments:


(formatting help)
Enter mana symbols like this: {2}{U}{U/R}{PR}, {T} becomes {2}{u}{u/r}{pr}, {t}
You can use Markdown such as _italic_, **bold**, ## headings ##
Link to [[[Official Magic card]]] or (((Card in Multiverse)))
Include [[image of official card]] or ((image or mockup of card in Multiverse))
Make hyperlinks like this: [text to show](destination url)
How much damage does this card deal? Searing Wind
(Signed-in users don't get captchas and can edit their comments)