Random Generator gave me Shivan Hellkite and an Island which color shifted the Hellkite blue. Tough. I didn't really want to make the activated ability just another ability. There really should be something acting like direct damage there.

Eventually, I stumbled upon the idea of making the Hellkite an illusion, using a similar principle to the punisher mechanic on cards like Browbeat. The idea is that blue is able to break the color pie because what's happening is not really real. You just think there's a giant dragon spouting gouts of flame.

Does that work? I don't know. I figured it was better to raise it up the flagpole and see how other people reacted to it, rather than bury it, though.

I do not believe that this belongs in blue. Giving something a drawback doesn't allow it to break the pie in this fashion.

Also needs a P/T. (5/5 I assume? That's also too big for a blue fatty, 4/5 perhaps?) And yeah, even going back to the good old Prodigal Sorcerer blue never got the machine-gun version.

Now, if you could find some way to make the damage illusuory too? I'd suggest something like the rider "If a creature would die from this, instead return it to its owners hand" - making it like the similar red "Exile it" ability, but now more blueish.

Oh, whoops, yes, 5/5. I figure if Phantasmal Dragon can be a 5/5 flyer for 4, then this is 'fair' at 6. I'm not a big fan of breaking the rules, then severely overcosting the card so that it doesn't see play. Either be bold or delete it from the file.

I like what you're on to Vitenka. I'm not sure how to do it without including a lot of words, though. "If another creature dealt damage by ~ would die this turn, instead exile it. When ~ leaves the battlefield, return all creatures exiled in this manner." Would be kind of funny. But that feels like a W/U card, really. And this 'challenge' is for a straight blue card.

Maybe I'll take another stab at this. I like the sentiment, but even having created the card myself, I got to agree with Link. It's tough, though. Hellkite is petty much asking me to make a very red ability not red. I don't think I can get anything out of it that isn't questionable.

you already took the dragon form from hellkite. you don't have to copy the activated ability verbatim. instead of damage it could be tap target creature.

maybe a keyword for a new type of damage ala infect. like if phantom damage is dealt to a creature, instead tap it and it doesnt untap next turn. if it's dealt to a player, that players mills that many carde instead.

That is an excellent idea, amuseum. Switching over to 'damage deals mill', and changing the damage to only affect players. Also shaved off a colorless, because, sure, why not?

Blue very much did get machine-gun ping - just enchant Prodigal Sorcerer (Thornwind Faeries, Rootwater Hunter, Zuran Spellcaster, Mawcor...) with Pemmin's Aura (Freed from the Real) - or enchant Horseshoe Crab (Blizzard Elemental, Morphling, Vigilant Drake, Vigean Graftmage...) with Psionic Gift (Hermetic Study, Viridian Longbow...).

I liked the original take on a blue Shivan Hellkite. Well... I like it given the precedent of Phantasmal Bear and Phantasmal Dragon. I'm not especially keen on that precedent actually... it's a bit reminiscent of "black can do anything if it's a way to win", "blue can do anything if it's got an easily circumvented drawback" (Lord of the Unreal). But anyway.