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CardName: Albatross Familiar Cost: 1U Type: Creature - Bird Pow/Tgh: 1/1 Rules Text: Flying {4}{U}: Return target permanent you control to its owner’s hand. Flavour Text: “Laugh all you want. My familiar circles my Island for hours at a time, vigilant for the first sign of danger. What exactly does your cat do again?” —Reveka, Wizard Savant Set/Rarity: Homelands Restored Common |
Code: UU03 History: [-] Add your comments: |
Original card.
Theoretically, this flavor is tied into Giant Albatross, which I color shifted in black. I only did that as an afterthought, though (and because the set could use more birds.) Originally, I was going to use the Giant Albatross artwork, but I thought it might confuse people into thinking this is what Giant Albatross became, and I didn't want that. That, and the albatross has a saddle. What a weird 1/1.
Anyhow, I wanted some repeatable bounce for Dark Maze, and it doesn't hurt that the creature bounces Flight of Fancy too. I would have preferred this ability to be a saboteur trigger, but I was afraid of what would happen if a player attacked with both this and Dark Maze, only to have the bird get smacked out of the sky. Good luck convincing that player to attack with his Dark Maze/Familiar combo again.
Oh, another aside. The original idea was to reprint Obelisk of Undoing as a blue enchantment. But I needed a 1/1 bird, and the Obelisk by itself was clearly uncommon material minimum.
To be honest this looks more like an uncommon than a common to me as well.
Hmm. The obelisk is strictly uncommon because it can't do anything on its own, and makes little sense in multiples. This, at least, is 1/1 bird. But I get what you're going for, Alex. Unlimited activation on an ability that isn't obvious to new players.
I agree with you, Alex, but I'm not sure I know how to make repeatable bounce more common (and keep the evasive creature.) Well, okay, the saboteur trigger, but I already mentioned why that isn't appropriate.
I could switch this card and the uncommon Sea Sprite. I'm not sure, however, if blue common really 'works' without a card like this, though. I'm going to have to do some playtesting.
The mechanic you're talking about (enabling Dark Maze to be a repeatable attacker) sounds like it should be a common-plus-uncommon interaction, not common-plus-common. Commons should stand alone for their utility in Limited decks, not just be combo pieces. (I'm all for commons that are combo pieces as well as being useful on their own, of course.) I'd say saboteur-triggered self-bounce is uncommon as well. Any kind of Vedalken Mastermind/Crystal Shard just doesn't seem common to me.
I'd say swap this for some uncommon creature - Sea Sprite seems a fine choice.
Sounds reasonable. Consider done. Also increased toughness by one to separate the two cards a little more.