The Merfolk thing is interesting and obviously born from the environment. It's a good idea to include Merfolk in the list of sea critters, because Merfolk tribal is relevant due to Ixalan-block.
this is also one issue of why I list all these creature types in rules text rather than e. g. using the "batching" implied by the original comment:
> Look at the top five cards of your library. You may reveal a sea monster or Island card from among them and put it into your hand. Put the rest on the bottom of your library in any order. (Kraken, Leviathan, Octopus and Serpent are sea monsters.)
It's a technology we now have since historic, but which will at tims not be used due to the lines being blurry as shown above.
My reason to exclude Merfolk includes two other aspects:
For one, it's actually sensible to have the two alternatives be "land" and "fatty that you get if you already have enough land". Though it certainly is not necessary to do it like that.
For another, while three of these types want to be fatties, I would totally make an Octopus small - and not just by going Kraken Hatchling on them. A real Octopus is quite small. I think Squids are actually more associated with having oversized variants.
Slinn Voda, the Rising Deep & Whelming Wave as well? Slinn sneaked Merfolk in there, which feels a bit like a cop out to me. Instead of suggesting going all in with the fatties, it allows you to fill your lower curve with a tribe like Merfolk and then add the big guys as topping.
Used to be called Radiant's Judgment, but canonically Bruna cared more about Humans than Radiant, Archangel. I really only stuck with the name because the first idea I had was Radiant Judgment and had nothing to with the character.
I actually did the world building already: Wolf of Shepherd's Meadow(Note that I haven't settled on Glen vs. Meadow for the location's name). So did WotC: Watchwolf.
I personally at first assumed that Envoy costs about or like drawing a card/cantrip, but looking at the existing envoys (e. g. Enlistment Officer) that might not be necessary - and as you note this card gets to be at the top end of the power curve for being off-tribe, so I went with (already obsolete) Rib Cage Spider + , which is still more than "half a mana".
One thing to always consider when assuming that this is even equal to a cantrip, that just getting a cantrip out of this is a tribal reward; so e. g. a variant that was more Commune with Dinosaurs and allowed you to get only one card (and no land) would be cost below a cantrip, even as a tribal reward, because even if you play an individual on-tribe card or two you are likely to miss.
You'll notice how I cost the above linked Shepherd's Glen Ranger much closer to a cantrip.
I think hitting more than two cards with this can be considered "the dream" with an outside chance (even in Constructed). I cost them as "likely 0-2 cards drawn" with a pinch of "you already need commitment to get even a reliable 0-1".
I guess I could enforce 0-2 by using a wording like Collected Company. It would feel bad though to turn "the dream" scenario into one of wasted potential.
I like this "Envoy (type)" mechanic. Especially since you seem to be requiring it to be off-type, so it doesn't just devolve to "Draw the next 3 non-land cards"
Although the world building that leads to a shepherd being the envoy of the wolves, rather than, you know, the one that defends the sheep from them, boggles me.
One possible issue - would your set reall have enough differnet wolves, and differnet dinosaurs etc. to be able to support so many different envoys?
I also wonder a bit about the cost, you seem to have envoy costing about half a mana; but it seems like it should be worth more than that, since it might draw you 4 cards. Equally, of course, it might do nothing - but still, I'd think it'd be at least as expensive as cantrip.
Inspired by Plague of the Aetherborn's current rules text:
>"Target player loses 2 life, discards a card and sacrifices a creature with converted mana cost 2 or less"
With flash, I suppose. And if it can give you four-drops on turn two that's not actually bad with 20 life. I don't know how it would play in the slower Commander.
Huh, wow. "All cards can be used as utopia" with a slightly reduced hand size but also if you can drop the ability to put extra lands into play each turn, wow.
...How is hymm of the wilds not just strictly worse than ": "?
Well, it only needs balancing against other conspiracies; not against "not having a second commander" but against "not having a second commander, but having some other mythic conspiracy instead"
I wonder. I don't know about your experience with Dominaria, but as far as I can tell you generally get a chance to pick up some legendaries. Card collation helps.
I imagine this would be drafted in a set that effectively gives you a guaranteed legendary creature (or more) per pack as well.
And that set could use any number of tricks to boost those numbers. The most brute force being nonlegendary commons that can be your commander.
That said this is also an option for an unofficial Constructed Commander variant that allows each player to bring a conspiracy/maybe a vanguard.
I'm really not certain how many drawbacks to pile onto a card that gives you an additional commander would be sufficient.
Seems entirely legit. Feels quite strong; though I wouldn't have thought you'd have much of a chance to get the partnering effect in a draft.
And... actually; if you're drafting this, then you're drafting your commanders. The chances of there even being two legends in reasonably matching colours in the entire draft are pretty low, let alone you getting them. So maybe it's not so desirable after all?
"You may have an additional commander" means you can have up to three commanders with partner, but also e. g. a team up between Horde of Notions and Trenna, Elemental Summoner. In that case only Horde of Notions gets an increased cost.
Any commander with normal "partner" ignores the cost increase entirely (unless it is your only commander for some reason).
That first post was supposed to say Whelming Wave over Undead Slayer. Weird copy-paste error. Will fix.
The Merfolk thing is interesting and obviously born from the environment. It's a good idea to include Merfolk in the list of sea critters, because Merfolk tribal is relevant due to Ixalan-block.
this is also one issue of why I list all these creature types in rules text rather than e. g. using the "batching" implied by the original comment:
> Look at the top five cards of your library. You may reveal a sea monster or Island card from among them and put it into your hand. Put the rest on the bottom of your library in any order. (Kraken, Leviathan, Octopus and Serpent are sea monsters.)
It's a technology we now have since historic, but which will at tims not be used due to the lines being blurry as shown above.
My reason to exclude Merfolk includes two other aspects:
For one, it's actually sensible to have the two alternatives be "land" and "fatty that you get if you already have enough land". Though it certainly is not necessary to do it like that.
For another, while three of these types want to be fatties, I would totally make an Octopus small - and not just by going Kraken Hatchling on them. A real Octopus is quite small. I think Squids are actually more associated with having oversized variants.
Slinn Voda, the Rising Deep & Whelming Wave as well? Slinn sneaked Merfolk in there, which feels a bit like a cop out to me. Instead of suggesting going all in with the fatties, it allows you to fill your lower curve with a tribe like Merfolk and then add the big guys as topping.
Used to be called Radiant's Judgment, but canonically Bruna cared more about Humans than Radiant, Archangel. I really only stuck with the name because the first idea I had was Radiant Judgment and had nothing to with the character.
References: Angelic Edict/Blessed Light/Iona's Judgment, Bruna, the Fading Light
Reference: Commune with the Gods/Commune with Dinosaurs, Quest for Ula's Temple/Whelming Wave
(Kraken, Leviathan, Octopus, Serpent are sea monsters.)
(Fish and Whales are apparently too mundane. They are like sea food. But an Octopus is all weird and squirmy.)
etc.
Reference: Commune with the Gods/Commune with Dinosaurs, Death Baron/Undead Slayer
(Skeletons, Vampires and Zombies are undead.)
(Graveborn, Shades, Spirits and Specters are undead, too?)
etc.
Oh. This is a rat envoy for other rats. Which makes envoy a lot less interesting to me.
Still, it's a nice strong rat lord. Rat-sized, summons more rats. Boring repeatable decks have their place, sometimes, I guess.
References: Relentless Rats/Rat Colony, Sworn Conspirator
Could be keyworded as "Envoy of Rats" but I am not coding that keyword right now, so the ability word stands in for that option.
I actually did the world building already: Wolf of Shepherd's Meadow (Note that I haven't settled on Glen vs. Meadow for the location's name). So did WotC: Watchwolf.
I personally at first assumed that Envoy costs about
or 
like drawing a card/cantrip, but looking at the existing envoys (e. g. Enlistment Officer) that might not be necessary - and as you note this card gets to be at the top end of the power curve for being off-tribe, so I went with (already obsolete) Rib Cage Spider + 
, which is still more than "half a mana".
One thing to always consider when assuming that this is even equal to a cantrip, that just getting a cantrip out of this is a tribal reward; so e. g. a variant that was more Commune with Dinosaurs and allowed you to get only one card (and no land) would be cost below a cantrip, even as a tribal reward, because even if you play an individual on-tribe card or two you are likely to miss.
You'll notice how I cost the above linked Shepherd's Glen Ranger much closer to a cantrip.
I think hitting more than two cards with this can be considered "the dream" with an outside chance (even in Constructed). I cost them as "likely 0-2 cards drawn" with a pinch of "you already need commitment to get even a reliable 0-1".
I guess I could enforce 0-2 by using a wording like Collected Company. It would feel bad though to turn "the dream" scenario into one of wasted potential.
I like this "Envoy (type)" mechanic. Especially since you seem to be requiring it to be off-type, so it doesn't just devolve to "Draw the next 3 non-land cards"
Although the world building that leads to a shepherd being the envoy of the wolves, rather than, you know, the one that defends the sheep from them, boggles me.
One possible issue - would your set reall have enough differnet wolves, and differnet dinosaurs etc. to be able to support so many different envoys?
I also wonder a bit about the cost, you seem to have envoy costing about half a mana; but it seems like it should be worth more than that, since it might draw you 4 cards. Equally, of course, it might do nothing - but still, I'd think it'd be at least as expensive as cantrip.
References:Shepherd's Glen Ranger, Sylvan Messenger
Could be keyworded as "Envoy of Wolves" but I am not coding that keyword right now, so the ability word stands in for that option.
References: Forerunner of the Empire, Enlistment Officer
Could be keyworded as "Envoy of Dinosaurs" but I am not coding that keyword right now, so the ability word stands in for that option.
References: Forerunner of the Coalition, Goblin Ringleader
Could be keyworded as "Envoy of Pirate" but I am not coding that keyword right now, so the ability word stands in for that option.
References: Forerunner of the Heralds, Tidal Courier
Could be keyworded as "Envoy of Merfolk" but I am not coding that keyword right now, so the ability word stands in for that option.
References: Forerunner of the Legion, Grave Defiler
Could be keyworded as "Envoy of Vampires" but I am not coding that keyword right now, so the ability word stands in for that option.
Inspired by Plague of the Aetherborn's current rules text: >"Target player loses 2 life, discards a card and sacrifices a creature with converted mana cost 2 or less"
With flash, I suppose. And if it can give you four-drops on turn two that's not actually bad with 20 life. I don't know how it would play in the slower Commander.
Huh, wow. "All cards can be used as utopia" with a slightly reduced hand size but also if you can drop the ability to put extra lands into play each turn, wow.
...How is hymm of the wilds not just strictly worse than "
: 
"?
So Sovereign's Realm and Hymn of the Wilds? That's a thought.
Well, it only needs balancing against other conspiracies; not against "not having a second commander" but against "not having a second commander, but having some other mythic conspiracy instead"
I wonder. I don't know about your experience with Dominaria, but as far as I can tell you generally get a chance to pick up some legendaries. Card collation helps.
I imagine this would be drafted in a set that effectively gives you a guaranteed legendary creature (or more) per pack as well.
And that set could use any number of tricks to boost those numbers. The most brute force being nonlegendary commons that can be your commander.
That said this is also an option for an unofficial Constructed Commander variant that allows each player to bring a conspiracy/maybe a vanguard.
I'm really not certain how many drawbacks to pile onto a card that gives you an additional commander would be sufficient.
Seems entirely legit. Feels quite strong; though I wouldn't have thought you'd have much of a chance to get the partnering effect in a draft.
And... actually; if you're drafting this, then you're drafting your commanders. The chances of there even being two legends in reasonably matching colours in the entire draft are pretty low, let alone you getting them. So maybe it's not so desirable after all?
"You may have an additional commander" means you can have up to three commanders with partner, but also e. g. a team up between Horde of Notions and Trenna, Elemental Summoner. In that case only Horde of Notions gets an increased cost.
Any commander with normal "partner" ignores the cost increase entirely (unless it is your only commander for some reason).
Published here.
Published here.
"you control" >> "your team controls"?