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Recent updates to Multiverse Design Challenge: (Generated at 2025-08-26 00:53:58)
Oops, I think I changed my mind and it got stranded halfway between. Yes, it's supposed to be "this turn". I had in mind that was less oppressive to weenie decks because they could play several creatures at once and have only one of them get shot. But maybe it's simpler without it.
Is the
meant to be "this turn"? Why not just have it be a static ability, like evil graft?
Hm. Good points. Originally this was smaller, but it seemed overpowered to have indestructible, so I upped the cost and size. But you're right, maybe the turn-on is superfluous.
Maybe Ula and Mangeni should be about 4/4, both have the "search" ability. Ula has "indestructible" when you control Mangeni. Mangeni has tap targets, or exile instead when you control Ula?
Or maybe they should have naturally complementary abilities so you can save space by not spelling out "if you control". But that still has to be sea-themed and connected to Ulamog...
Loos like bushido infect? It does nerf infect (it was pushed back to 6 on the storm scale after having been lower), but the two different values is a little confusing as you say.
Thank you!
Yeah, it's true, there's no reason not to have static or activated abilities as well as triggered-off-gain ones. In fact, that's mostly a balance issue, is it best with abilities which need an odyssey trigger to activate, or ones that can always activate but scale with counters, or some of each.
The flavour is supposed to be a Daedalus reference, which would be clear if there's art. But it's not really connected to the card, except that I expected many of the odyssey creatures to have a "band of heroes" theme.
Interesting versatility. Grant some key card in your deck infect, or put infect onto an opponent's creature when you might need to. It'd be really nasty against token decks maybe.
I really Odyssey as it is, though having cards that cared about the number of odyssey counters as well would allow even further design space.
I think between attacking and dealing combat damage would be dependent on the power-level of the cards that cared about odyssey counters as well as the frequency of creatures with odyssey. Between triggering flavor pulls me towards triggering of "this creature," )i could be wrong. I've never been keen on the Greek myths, but they always felt focused on a central protagonist rather than a collective group) but that I feel the mechanic in its present state really wants synergy between creature, and seems more appealing, at least to me.
But what is Aerial Hero piloting? Wax wings?
See Challenge # 155.
I was thinking what infect variant might come, and thought of one appropriate to a plane where gorgons live. So there's always a poison or -1/-1 counter, but usually exactly one even on larger creatures. But some creatures can have a larger figure.
Obviously that's confusing with two different values. Is there a better way of lining them up without just doing infect again?
See Challenge # 155.
Brainstorming more "everything bad in greek myth".
Obviously this probably wouldn't actually be workable because it's a drawback mechanic and those are generally unwanted or unfun.
But, look, a drawback Timmy might be ok with? :)
Cursed Shore-skulker with "cursed" Infected Gorgon with "baleful", an infect variant
And obviously the intention is to have a variety of creatures with the mechanic, simple designs, more complicated designs, etc.
Ariel Hero showing off a draft of the Odyssey mechanic.
See Challenge # 155.
I started looking at the set from the other side, what would the resistance look like? What greek themes could be explored. One big one was epic journeys, so I tried to capture that feel.
This mechanic has evolved a bit like experience counters, or luck counters, or GA Tesla mechanics like access the machine. Or a little bit like Alex's decadence. But it would need to iterate further.
The idea is that you get at most one new counter per turn. And an effect that (usually) slowly scales up with the number of counters. But counters are on you, not creatures, so having multiple creatures helps even if they're not on the board at the same time, because you get a bigger effect. But having multiple triggers at the same time is obviously even more great.
ETA: The trigger is currently combat damage on all creatures, but that does make for a reasonable variety, in that some can be good at triggering odyssey, where others can have more powerful effects, but less ability to trigger them repeatedly.
Possible alternatives:
Allow multiple creatures to accumulate multiple counters at once.
Currently, the trigger is always damage. You could have a different versions with a different trigger for gaining a counter.
Instead of an "each time" effect, it could be a "when you reach ten". Although right now I'm liking the flavour of "each time".
The effect could not trigger on gaining a counter, either being repeatable effect (tap or "at the beginning of..."), or only triggering of this creature.
It could trigger off attacking instead of combat damage.
Forbidden Urn
See Challenge # 155 and the pandora's box.
Eater of Planes
See Challenge # 155.
The other thing that occurred to me in an eldrazi/phyrexian showdown is what happens when they're applied to each other. Something generally horrific, anyway.
I'm not sure about this, but it's an attempt to capture the "wow" aspect of whatever that matchup would produce, coming as clearly from both traditions as possible.
Titanomachia This challenge turned out really interesting!
See Challenge # 155 and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Titanomachy
I though eldrazi AND phyrexians represented some sort of world-ending showdown, so I wondered what greek stories had an apocalypse in. And I don't know about a future apocalypse, but given the name "eldrazi titans" the name titanomachia (war of the titans) fit so well I had to do it.
I considered a few implementations, trying to capture the "wow" factor without being explicitly "win the game". One cost XXXXXXXXXX and searched up X cards :) I wasn't sure what a fair cost for that was; is 10 fair if you give up the "cast" trigger?
Another was "any number of cards with total cmc x"
I also considered some that depended on already having eldrazi out (eg. each deals damage equal to power to target cr or pl).
I wasn't sure what the cost should be. The version limited by number could probably just be "any creature card", and you put the most powerful. The "any number" version probably wants some limit so it actually focuses on the titans, and not just a crowd of small-mid colored-mana-cost eldrazi.
But then, should it say "legendary eldrazi"? or "colorless creatures with cmc 10 or more" so it's more modular?
Hm. I've almost talked myself back into going to the "XXXXXXXXXX Sorcery. Search X creature cards OTB" version.
I don't know why, but the flicker ability is scaring me, though exile removal probably in the block would probably be costed accordingly. Now with Path to Exile, then it could be real nasty in the right deck.
Nice design and strong flavor, but the first abilitiy feels entirely black. The original idea you suggest would probably adhere to the color pie more.
Your notes are quite interesting. I think the first ability given is a take on Avatar of Woe-like tap abilities that are believed to clash with their large bodies. Indestructible can block or barrage until you get Mangeni out.
While the turn-on ability is certainly strong, I wonder if it'd just be overkill at that point, assuming Mangeni is a similar power-level. We'd have to see Mangeni to know. There'd probably be common and uncommon exilers, so you could potentially use them to help dig out Mangeni. Fun.
Nice. Kinda expect it to be Devoid if it's Eldrazi-themed. Great reference, and yes, I think it's okay for the same reason processors were.
Seems like a natural Phyrexianisation of the Agent of the Fates to me. This soups up all your Disfigure and Dead Weight, as well as giving a powerful alternate mode to all your Necrobite and Mark of the Vampire. And it makes your kill spells uncounterable and lets them work on indestructible creatures, or even those with activated or triggered hexproof (though not permanent hexproof).
Given that the effect isn't a huge upgrade to what a lot of your kill spells would do, I think 1BB would be fair, which would also let you put this in a two-colour deck to get good use out of Chilling Grasp etc.
Oh... That reminds me, of course: there are spells with "any number of targets" like Sway of Illusion and Cauldron Haze. This is pretty strong with those. But... so was Horobi, Death's Wail. This is actually quite like Horobi: obviously all-upside as is the fashion these days, and quite a lot stronger, but doesn't hose opposing equipment or pump spells.
See Challenge # 155 and Rescue from the Underworld.
Is there an existing eldrazi that returns a creature from opponent-exile? Oblivion Sower returns lands. The same logic seems to hold, that this doesn't undo exile as "remove forever" because you can't do it to your creatures. But it's closer than they've come before.
I removed the slow-blink and self-exile. I guess that's ok, I'm not sure?
Ordeal of the Hunted and Rescue from the Outerworld
See Challenge # 155 and Ordeal of Nylea
I'm not sure this is quite right for the cycle. I originally imagined the phyrexian ordeals being non-auras counting something like "whenever a creature an opponent controls dies". But the mirror of using -1/-1 counters in an infect block just seem too irresistible.
I'm not sure about the trigger. I tried a couple of different variants. The effect is so much bigger than the original aura, it should be harder to make happen. So the controller can just not attack with this.
But they still might get unlucky (eg. if you can do infect damage to it somehow).