Created for Challenge # 083

Similar to populate, intended to capture the feel of a swarm of small creatures. I eschewed exponential growth by making it only work on the original creature. In general, I think it's prettier if you get a true copy, not a half-way copy, but I think this is easier to understand and to play with.

Obviously any repeatable-creature creation can be really strong, but the creature you get is weak and you can always do it only once a turn unless you play multiple swarm creatures. I'm not sure -- this is risky, is it too boring to play against an endless stream of 1/1s, or is it ok? You can tweak the activation cost to be more or less than the mana cost if necessary.

You can also have more expensive creatures with other abilities, or splashy rare swarm creatures that make scary things each turn, but 1/1 for is the simplest interpretation.

ETA: It doesn't absolutely have to be restricted to "insect" but Swarmyard suggests it would be 90% insect (ant, bee, wasp, beetle, scorpion, locust, etc), 10% spider, and maybe very occasionally on a small mammal or non-natural species.

Hee. Yes, very nice. This is actually really flavourful for a world in which some settlements are at risk of being completely overrun or devastated by an insect swarm.

Interestingly, the flying version would probably have to cost about or because a horde of fliers is so much stronger than a horde of 1/1 ground creatures.

Thank you! It's growing on me.

I debated what colour flying insects are. White, because colony identity? Blue because flying? Black because creepy-crawly? Red because very small fliers, plus stings? Green because insect? I sort of like green, as green's "once every ten years fliers", Rosewater's opinion notwithstanding, but I don't think that can be correct.

It seems bees are green, wasps are green or black, mosquitos are black, moths are black or white... :)

But yes, it needs to be noticeably more expensive. Maybe a conditional-flying (eg. C: gains flying UEOT) would be a good balance.

and whats the reason to avoid exponential growth? because one a turn doesn't feel swarmlike at all. assemble the legion makes a better swarm than this.

@amuseum: I love exponential growth, but I think the CMC would have to be so high (so it's not broken when it works well) it would be offputting the rest of the time: Assemble the Legion is awesome, but can it work on a common 1-drop?

As it is, I think the cost is a little too low. I'd say "Swarm " would be more appropriate... but Chatter of the Squirrel makes me think this activation should cost , or the base creature needs to cost . Maybe the small common should be a 0/1?

I do like this, and think it's a great idea. I also think it lends well to very powerful, yet simple rares. For example:

Viseroy Bumblebug
­
Creature - Insect
Rare
Swarm
All other insects get +1/+1.
2/2

Oh, also, may I suggest triggering at end of turn, instead of during the upkeep? A few more cards in Magic could really benefit from not forcing a decision before drawing a card. That would, however, cement that this creature's activation should sit in the 3 cost plus range...