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Recent updates to Xianlu: (Generated at 2025-05-01 19:15:37)
Kind of like Pithing Needle, kind of like Nevinrryal's Disk. Not sure about having two board wipes at Mythic (this and Heaven's Arrival), but the uses are kind of different, I guess?
for a colorless nonland permanent board wipe seems about right for the most part, since that's how Oblivion Stone is costed. Not sure about the cost reduction clause (sort of balanced by the cost, sort of balanced by the fact that you can't cast the card until you activate the ability first), especially due to the text space.
I also want this to be an enchantment for flavor and tutor reasons, but it might be a bit too odd and jarring.
Now a creature with the Xanthid Swarm ability.
No longer has vigilance.
activation changed to 
activation. Allows itself to block. 3/6 -> 4/6.
@jmgariepy I mean, that's the tradeoff, right? Choose to either block with the 3/6 or block with the rest of your team that just swung in. I kind of get what you mean regarding gameplay though. I'll try out something that's slightly different.
@Tahazzar, I definitely know what you mean. To be fair though, Masako the Humorless is quite forgettable as well, and there are play issues with tying it to a static ability ("why doesn't this just give everything vigilance?). It's supposed to echo Sentinel of the Eternal Watch in terms of functionality (big, defensive white creature), with hopefully less power than Sentinel did because jesus she was strong. That's my main issue with trying to make common and uncommons memorable - I want to make them memorable by giving them unique abilities, but the most memorable commons and uncommons to me are the extremely powerful ones. What sorts of common/uncommon cards in Wizards-created sets did you find memorable?
Trying a different design that might be a little more play-friendly.
Good point - wording adjusted.
It's somewhat stronger than Scout the Borders (significantly so), and honestly probably closer to green Divination. I might adjust it to
because of that.
Added and/or
My beef is that the Gargantuan doesn't effect itself. I suppose it doesn't for flavor reasons... but it just feels like it's going to be a constant source of frustration for players playing with the card. All my creatures can block now! Well, except for my 3/6, which is probably the creature I want to block with...
If I understand the intent correctly, this requires "and/or" (Pieces of the Puzzle). Actually, given that the cards go into your graveyard anyway, I would have the cards be revealed initially, not looked at.
It's like a mix between Scout the Borders & Gift of the Gargantuan.
I feel like using (wasting) this unique ability on a such random and forgettable uncommon is a crime in itself.
IMO either it should appear in a really cool rare+ card or be tied to some keyword.
Reflavortexting
Ability is similar to Masako the Humorless, except temporary. The major issue with this ability before was its similarity in use with Vigilance. I figure putting it on an activated ability is different enough (in terms of when and how it's used) so that the change is warranted. I'm partly inclined to change this to untap everything similar to Midnight Guard, but I'd like to avoid any reusing tap ability shenanigans with this design.
To go with the monkey/elephant jungle theme the
faction kind of has, I think I'll make the 
faction have an insect theme, because insects are cool, used a lot in Asian mythology, and there aren't enough cool insects in MTG that aren't bite-size. 
faction will get a bit more horn/oni/demon related reflavoring as well.
Creature version of Vampiric Rites. Went through a couple iterations in my head, from smaller Gnawing Zombie to Disciple of Griselbrand among others. Settled on this for now because, like BFZ, the benefits for getting creatures in your graveyard or dying aren't that great (compared to Innistrad), and boards don't get as large (compared to M15). Just wanted a way to activate Bequeath at will to get abilities onto other creatures.
Similar to Akroan Conscriptor or Hijack. Fairly close to Zealous Conscripts I guess, but with less functionality and no haste, so it's probably okay at uncommon.
Yeah, let's adjust that to be less highroll-y. I figure ramping that much isn't needed in this set since a lot of the creatures are fairly cheap, cost-wise.
Adjusted. Now a Gift of the Gargantuan that puts stuff in the grave.
pays -> does
Good point about Prowess 1-drops, I hadn't taken that into account. Depending on the strength of this card, instead of bumping it up to common, I might move flying to an activatable ability for
or 
. Given the lack of beneficial auras and noncreature token makers in this set, I have a feeling that this won't be as insane (esp. without stuff like One with the Wind) as it would in other sets, but it's something I got my eye on. I want this to be a premium one-drop for Blue, but there is a limit if this is first to third pickable over decent uncommons and rares.
Ramp 2 for 3 mana sounds like a deal too good to miss up on. Perhaps too swingy in that it can also whiff completely?
Seems like an uncommon to me. Having prowess on a small, evasive body can be really powerful.
That, and Flying Men+ have traditionally been of uncommon+ rarity:
Jace's Phantasm (common in iconic masters), Siren Stormtamer, Judge's Familiar, Galerider Sliver, Mausoleum Wanderer, etc...
Also, it seems that currently Monastery Swiftspear and Soul-Scar Mage are the only 1-drops with prowess, both of which aren't common.
Though I can see why you might want to have such a powerful card at common to really push these noncreature casting shenanigans.
I like this. I would word it as
> ... pays
. If he or she does, draw a card.
Btw, similar kind of concept can be applied to discard and sacrifice spells as well. Ie. Only Blood Ends Your Nightmares.
> Target opponent sacrifices a creature. Then if that player didn't sacrifice a creature this way, he or she discards two cards.
Personally, I find Reach to be one of the safer keywords to put on an aggressive card, because rather than being purely aggressive, it can be also used as a somewhat subpar blocker for fliers. Given the ubiquity of flying in the set due to Bequeath, I figure a bit more anti-flying cards would serve well. It's not quite as archetype-hosing as Mardu Woe-Reaper and Dragon Hunter were in limited, but a bit more universal in application.
I feel like that of the three 2/1's for
that you mentioned, Soldier of the Pantheon and Mardu Woe-Reaper are probably the most powerful in mono-White decks, due to the lifegain clause. But yeah, this is very much in line of "2/1 for 
with minor upside". I just don't think it's that powerful and most slower decks wouldn't want it anyway.