Homelands Restored: Recent Activity
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Recent updates to Homelands Restored: (Generated at 2024-05-20 04:44:01)
Homelands Restored: Cardlist | Visual spoiler | Export | Booster | Comments | Search | Recent activity |
Skeleton |
Recent updates to Homelands Restored: (Generated at 2024-05-20 04:44:01)
Original Card: Deathgrip
See also: Lifeforce.
I redesigned these two cards because they had new flavor text in Fifth Edition that tied them to the Homelands mythos. This is probably the biggest stretch in the set, and I thought about not going here, considering how anachronistic these two cards are, and how much they'd need to be changed to be 'modern' again. But I figured I might as well do it anyway.
Since there was no perfect way to update the abilities correctly, I tried to take a clue from the flavor. The Baron is saying that each new tree is heaped on the death of many trees before it. The Autumn Willow is saying the same thing... She just sees that as a success.
Orginal Card: Lifeforce
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Re-wrote ability to both no longer counter spells in green, and no longer penalize black decks specifically.
See also: Deathgrip.Well, sets you up to win next turn, at least. Assuming you have more cards in your library than the opponent has life total.
Or alternatively gives you infinite mana every turn.
Original Card. Had a tough time with Onatah... nothing really jumped out at me, so I was forced to find a mechanic that just worked well with Anaba Shaman. I like this, but I'm kind of bothered how good this is with a single Rain of Embers in large multiplayer games.
Oh, also, the flavor text is a swipe at Irini Sengir's flavor text on Anaba Shaman. Not the one autocard pulls up. This one: "The Shamans? Ha They are mere craven cows not capable of true magic."
Oh, one more thought. I guess this and Doubling Season go infinite?
An alternative for the card, talked about on Taysir and Daria. This time, Taysir and Daria copy themselves in the ultimate. A couple thoughts:
I like how this does a few marginal small things, then really ramps those things up in the Ultimate. I don't, however, like how the first ability is just 'tack 5 abilities together'. It feels like card design 101. I can't argue with the fact that it gets the job done, though.
I was rather pleased with myself when I realized that the black ability could be 'discard a card'. I still think that's kind of cute.
Mm. That's kind of where I started from. Originally, I was going to copy the card 4 times, then give an emblem that said "the Planeswalker uniqueness rule (or whatever it's called) doesn't apply." (which would be an extra bonus with other Planeswalkers. One of the problems with that, however, is that I couldn't guarantee that 5 planeswalkers would be on the field. I assume most people would be willing to suicide their walker for 4 copies, as opposed to waiting to get five...
Just checking number of words:
"Gain an emblem that says "The Planeswalker rule does not apply." Put four token copies of this planeswalker on the battlefield with five loyalty counters on it."
Turns out it's 6 words shorter and takes up one less line of space. Pity, though. The current ultimate works well with the group hug +1. The cloning one doesn't. Hmm..
THERE'S A MINOTAUR PLANESWALKER? How did I not know that?
And I like the idea here, but agree it's hard. Maybe instead have a mono planeswalker with a middle ability "copy this but it's a different colour. plansewalker uniqueness rule doesn't apply"?
Oh, and yes, that artwork is of Merlin. Art was tough... it was either this or Raistlin and some random girl, but that seemed like a dead giveaway to anybody who's seen Raistlin. At least this art isn't obvious if you never saw it before.
I am really not looking forward to finding art for Kristina and Sandruu...
Original Card
Five color Planeswalkers are hard. I'm still working on this, but I figured I'd put up what I came up with for the night, then return to it tomorrow.
For those who don't know: Taysir was at one point considered to be the most powerful Planeswalker known (before the Wizards revision granting that status to Urza.) Originally from Rabiah of Arabian Nights, when Rabiah split into 1,001 pieces, he was only replicated 4 times, each a different color. Eventually, the five planeswalkers absorbed each other and they traveled the multivese having all kinds of adventures that Wizards pretends didn't happen.
In the Homelands story, Taysir comes to Ulgrotha, but his beloved Kristina of the Woods fell in love with the Minotaur Planeswalker Sandruu. Taysir went mad and killed Sandruu. Then Feroz killed Taysir. Then Serra and Feroz left Ulgrotha in despair.
Later, he resurrected himself (because a broadsword to the head isn't going to keep Taysir down), and he took on a disciple in Daria. They leave, and end up in the Invasion plot.
Anyhow, like I said, WUBRG planeswalkers are hard to wrap one's head around. I tried playing with the "Made of 5 Planeswalkers" concept. I know G,W, and/or U planeswalkers shouldn't be forcing a loss of life... but I needed something short that could end the game quickly. Besides... they all come from Taysir, and that guy could cast any spell. At least, that's what I'm running with.
Still don't know what to do with the +1, though. Originally, the first thing I thought of was to make Taysir/Daria a big group hug and start off with "Each player draws two cards and gains 3 life." But it felt too GUW. Now that I think of it, though, it might make a good balance to that last ability. Hmmm...
Alright, dropped to 'Exile X, choose one' and added before blocking restriction. The card ended up a little better for control decks, and little more challenging for rush decks to take advantage of. Oh well. Looks like a decent card, though.
Alternatively, I guess this could not sacrifice, Exile X, then choose one. Not what I was going for, but would make for a solid card.
@Dude: Mmm, true. They shouldn't be unblockable. Highlighting for later change.
@Alex: I want this to be explosive, but I agree. Whiffs are annoying. Maybe I can rewrite this so you don't have to sacrifice it unless you like the cards that were exiled (Kind of Like Petals of Insight). It would start becoming a strong way to mill someone... but at , I don't think that's a problem.
Oh, and if your opponent has an army, but elects to only swing with one creature because this is active, then it's kind of doing its job. Admittedly, that's not very exciting. But the exciting mode is on the attack anyway.
Whoops, missed the "your turn" part. A general timing restriction would probably clean up the template, though.
You can't use this to attack on another player's turn - the last clause says they only enter attacking if it's your turn.
This is a bit hard to balance. It probably does need to be able this expensive, because putting multiple things OTB attacking for free is very strong, but it's a pity it's so unpredictable.
It's a bit less good on defence, because people can see it coming, and choose to only attack with one or two creatures.
I wonder if rather than sacrifice, it could be something like ", : Exile the top card of target player's library. If it's a creature card, you may put it onto the battlefield under your control. If it's your declare attackers step, it enters the battlefield tapped and attacking."
(It's probably a bad idea to get free attackers /after/ the opponent has had any chance to declare blockers.)
You should only be able to activate this during your declare attack step. Right now, you can get bonus attackers after blocks have been declared, or worse, attack on an opponent's turn. That's too wonky.