Bit by Bit

This is a Magic: the Gathering blog. I do custom set design, visiting a new world every season or so. I've recently added links to world descriptions below, so check that out. Suggestions are welcome, I love hearing from you all. My inbox is always open.

[welcometo--world]

I was looking through custom mechanics on Tumblr and I came across your Formless mechanic! I run a custom card design blog for about 2 years now and I got to say it's pretty neat!

Hey, thanks! You must have been digging pretty far, you’re the first ask I’ve gotten in years, probably because I haven’t posted in years (or for that matter, played Magic in… almost a year?) I still think it’s a great game and hope to one day get back into designing cards and worldbuilding, but for now I’ve gotta keep getting my ass handed to me by undergrad. I haven’t been paying any attention to the new Great Designer Search at all, but three years ago I would’ve been paying attention to nothing else :D

To anyone who’s still following me: go check out follower-of-liliana!

[bestcustommtg]

Made LuxTheOmnicaster on the Custom Magic Card Reddit.

The reason I’m featuring this here is because of this new symbol which I think is a really interesting idea. On reddit it was stated that the symbol is supposed to combine two mechanics effects together, which I think is really neat (and it works great for this card in specific as well). My main concern is that it seems like it would end up very inconsistent, and some combinations of mechanics might have many possible effects.

[magicarasa]

It’s a neat curiosity but ultimately very impractical. Maybe it could see use in a Time Spiral-inspired supplemental product but beyond that it’s both very confusing and not as useful as one might think.

That said, big points for thinking outside the box like this and hitting on something that players really enjoy. It’s definitely a solid attempt.

[welcometo--world]

I love this design! Might post some of my own attempts at making this “union” mechanic work later this week.

[whymtgcardsmith]

Cause spellbook was always a bit TOOOO OP, ya know?

[oreotiger]

How is this different from “your maximum hand size is eight?” I know there is a difference, but I’m trying to think of a scenario where it matters.

[welcometo--world]

If your opponent plays cards that reduce your maximum hand size (like that one rat from kamigawa) they would still reduce it from seven. So you might get weird scenarios where your max size is 5, so you discard at 6 and 7, BUT NOT 8, and then you discard at 9, 10, etc.

[markrosewater]

I just read a real estate listing for a "3BR townhouse" as though it were a mana cost.

I’m not sure I’d be comfortable living in a Rakdos townhouse. : )

[hedron-crawler]

sounds kinda expensive as well

[flavoracle]

Rakdos Townhouse Land

Rakdos Townhouse enters the battlefield tapped. [T]: Add R or B to your mana pool. 3BR, [T], sacrifice Rakdos Townhouse: Deal 3 damage to each creature and player.

“Rakdos Housewarming Party” is just a Ravnican euphemism for “arson.”

[shorewall-deactivated20190319]

Nice!

[twilightovervenus]

Izzet Apartment Land Izzet Apartment enters the battlefield tapped. (T): Add R or U to your mana pool 3RU, (T), Sacrifice Izzet Apartment: discard a card at random, then draw two cards.

“After a couple noise complaints and explosions, I finally found my pen!” -Zil, Izzet Guildmage

[flavoracle]

Aaaaaand now I want to see a whole cycle of these “Ravnican Real Estate” lands with all ten guilds accounted for. (I blame @ace-trainer-adam.) 

WHO WANTS TO DESIGN THE NEXT ONE?! 

[niv-mon]

Azorious Estate Azorious Estate enters the battlefield tapped (T): Add W or U to your mana pool 3WU(T), Sacrifice Azorious Estate, return up to 2 target nonland permanents to their owners hand. 

“Izzet scientists have learned to respect the ‘keep off of grass’ sign, but only after several long lectures and writ-ups from local officials”

[kideon]

Dimir Backalley Land

Dimir Backalley enters the battlefield tapped. [T]: Add U or B to your mana pool.  3UB, [T]: Target player puts the top 6 cards of his or her library into his or her graveyard.

“It’s often preached by locals to steer clear of dark lit alleyways but none of them exactly remembers why.”

[welcometo--world]

These designs deserve some solid art, but I haven’t the time, so instead it gets mediocre art.

[imakethecard]

Loosely inspired by Filigree Sages and Etherwrought Page.

Should maybe be Mythic for Limited’s sake, I dunno.

[welcometo--world]

This card is a cool design, but seems extremely good, I’d call it broken.

Contrast with Obelisk of Alara. Although it has five modes instead of three, the converted mana cost is higher, each ability costs more to activate, the white ability still gains less life, the blue ability doesn’t net any cards, and the black ability isn’t a strong clock works in multiplayer. And it’s still a playable and splashy rare.

You brought up Etherwrought Page as an inspiration, which is a solidly playable card that only gains 2 life, causes each opponent to lose 1, and again, has no mode to gain card advantage. It is guaranteed to happen each turn, rather than having to activate it, but lets be honest the card you made is guaranteed to happen each turn, because who the heck wouldn’t draw two cards for one blue?

Would maybe be fairer if it worked on an upkeep trigger so you only get the choice once per turn, otherwise it’s too easy to abuse Voltaic Key (or Galvanic Key, or Aphetto Alchemist, or even the aforementioned Filigree Sages) and draw four extra cards every turn for 1UU mana. Or have a 9 life swing every turn for 1WB.

Should definitely at least be a mythic, imo

[oldtumblhurgoyf]

Assign All Existing Mechanics to One of the Guilds

this is an entirely pointless and farcical exercise.

all the same, Dimir get Ninjutsu and Morph

take it from there, tumblrinos

[mosey-that-ass-in-a-circle]

Gruul gets Landfall

Simic gets Proliferate

Izzet gets Surge, Storm and Affinity for Artifacts

Boros gets Banding ;)

[flavoracle]

I assume we’re talking non-evergreen mechanics, right?

Selesnya gets Evoke.

[dude1818]

Azorius get constellation

Dimir get prowl

Rakdos get raid

Gruul get ferocious

Selesnya get awaken

Orhzov get persist

Izzet get phasing

Golgari get gravestorm

Boros get flanking

Simic get bestow

[welcometo--world]

Azorius gets Suspend

Izzet gets Splice

Golgari gets Offering

Selesnya gets Totem Armor

Boros gets Miracle

Simic gets Manifest

Orzhov gets Level Up

[affinityforanime]

I’m going to pipe in and disagree with some people before posting my own suggestions.

@dude1818 To me, Prowl feels more like a Gruul mechanic and Raid feels more like a Boros mechanic.

@welcometo–world Level up does not at all feel Orzhov to me. Level up feels either Boros because of military training or Simic because they’re all about improving things with science. Also, Offering feels Orzhov to me, not Golgari.

Now for my suggestions.

Azorius gets Absorb because it matches their controlling, delaying play style.

Dimir gets Shadow because they’re sneaky and don’t generally interact with other guilds in direct confrontations.

Rakdos gets Frenzy because they like attacking and they’re crazy.

Gruul gets Devour because “Meat and eggs. We eat!”

Selesnya gets Cascade because I couldn’t think of anything better (maybe Bolster or Outlast would be more fitting, but I don’t like those keywords).

Orzhov gets Exploit because that’s what the Church of Deals does to people.

Golgari gets Unearth because they like the graveyard.

Simic gets Monstrosity because they like +1/+1 counters and making mutants.

Izzet gets Ripple because they like shenanigans.

Boros gets Battle cry because they’re the army.

For anyone else who wants to offer suggestions, here’s a list of every Magic the Gathering keyword.

[welcometo--world]

Offering does feel much more white than green, good call there. As for my Level Up reasoning, if I recall black and white are the colors that have the most "cares about legendary" effects, and it seemed like a good flavor overlap. Green could work too since it's about growth and big creatures, but those big creatures are almost never human, and Level Up, I think, was only on humanoid heroes.

[oldtumblhurgoyf]

Assign All Existing Mechanics to One of the Guilds

this is an entirely pointless and farcical exercise.

all the same, Dimir get Ninjutsu and Morph

take it from there, tumblrinos

[mosey-that-ass-in-a-circle]

Gruul gets Landfall

Simic gets Proliferate

Izzet gets Surge, Storm and Affinity for Artifacts

Boros gets Banding ;)

[flavoracle]

I assume we’re talking non-evergreen mechanics, right?

Selesnya gets Evoke.

[dude1818]

Azorius get constellation

Dimir get prowl

Rakdos get raid

Gruul get ferocious

Selesnya get awaken

Orhzov get persist

Izzet get phasing

Golgari get gravestorm

Boros get flanking

Simic get bestow

[welcometo--world]

Azorius gets Suspend

Izzet gets Splice

Golgari gets Offering

Selesnya gets Totem Armor

Boros gets Miracle

Simic gets Manifest

Orzhov gets Level Up

[markrosewater]

Every time you refer to Kaladesh as steampunk, I am saddened because it means we'll never see a real steampunk plane (i.e. one inspired by Victorian England, or at least 19th century Western Europe and U.S). Steampunk with an India-based culture (as seen in the architecture and clothing) makes as much sense as gothic horror in a Japan-based culture. There's a reason Innistrad looks German and not Japanese, why did you not apply the same logic to Kaladesh?

My take away from this question was - ooh, Japanese gothic horror sounds cool.

Part of inventing worlds is putting our spin on them.

[welcometo--world]

I'm totally with maro on this one. The world has more than enough media set in Victorian England.

[welcometo--world]

The cards keep getting stronger as I finish our the rares of the set, today we have some nice splashy designs and some cards that just keep coming back to you.

Dirgesinger is heavily inspired by Batterskull, one of only a handful of mythic equipment. The art is of a flute weapon from a game that I have never played, because I figured with a somewhat ambiguous name and effect, it really needed art. There’s no solid art of Tayuya’s flute either (a character from Naruto, of all places), which the effect was actually inspired by. She uses her song to control and summon demons, whose eyes she can see through, hence, some graveyard stuff, some vigilance and some deathtouch.

On Golbah, I try to go easy on any sort of repeated removal, so I decided to limit the effect to just when creatures are cast, giving it kind of a Cradle to Grave feel, but a little less wordy. Plus it means that the first part mirrors the second part, they both care when spells are still on the stack or being cast, and I didn’t want to make the second part “when creatures enter the battlefield” because I didn’t think it would trigger often enough. I consider it a bend, but not a break of what black can do.

[welcometo--world]

Some more rare designs from the final spoilers of Quariem block!

Really unsure how to cost the former, the effect is strong, so I figured it better deal a lot of damage to compensate, I really wanted to use the “deal with the devil” feel” that black gets. I also liked the idea that if your life total is too low you can target yourself in a pinch.

Second card isn’t pushed nearly as far. It’s instant speed, sure, but it hasn’t got anything on Overrun, especially because you have to be losing for it to be most effective, but it synergizes with the Vioshino tribe’s “self-destructive” theme.

[welcometo--world]

I’m on Summer break, which means I can start posting again, yay!

Quariem is virtually almost done, so I just have a few rares left to design and post and then I’ll do some editing and then I’ll upload the set in full and add it to the tabs on the side of the blog.

First card is land destruction, but is carefully costed so it can’t be cast too early. Second card is a take on cards like Perplexing Chimera.

[cynazure]

A central hub, community space, and cheat sheet for designers of custom Magic: the Gathering cards.

I spent this weekend putting together this website for all of us who design cards and need to be reminded of the little things. It consolidates information from all around the internet on our beloved hobby in a single easy-to-digest page. Frankly, I’m really bloody proud of it. My favourite feature is the set size calculator. It allows you to put in the size of your set and outputs average rarity and CMC ratios; it’s pretty cool. There’s also links to dozens of must-read articles, tables for evergreen mechanics, and reminders on good practice in wording. The aim is to make this a comprehensive reference on everything Custom Magic, so if you think there’s anything I’ve missed out or anything you want me to highlight in the Community section, please let me know!

[imakethecard]

Followers, if you haven’t seen this, you’re missing out.

[welcometo--world]

A Design Challenge for Pedants

What do all of these cards have in common? One of them is new to you, one I think I’ve posted before a long time ago, and one is a reprint from Ravnica block.

In my nearly two years of custom card designing I have never used “his or her” instead favoring the singular they. It’s in common parlance, I use it when I go to magic tournaments and I’m reading cards to opponents and no one ever questions it. I have been corrected many times, and informed about how ambiguous this can be, but during these nearly two years and fourish completed sets, I’ve never found a case where it is so confusing or ambiguous that I felt “he or she” was a necessary choice over “they.” What’s better, I find that it usually improves cards, making them less wordy, allowing for larger font size, and making already complicated designs easier to parse.

To submit to this challenge, I would like you to submit two cards, each with the same design, but one exclusively using “his or her” as the singular 3rd person pronoun of choice, and one using “their.” You are welcome to make these cards as ambiguous as possible, within reason, for example, a card that has one effect targeting one player and another effect targeting a group (but not all) of players. I am just dying to see these niche situations people are complaining about.

Happy designing! I’ll be posting all submissions (unless you ask not to be posted) on the blog. There will be two winners, one which has succeeded in being the most ambiguous, and one being what I deem to be the coolest design. Each will have their cards added to the next set I release, along with a promo for their blog in the flavortext.

[loreleywrites]

I would recommend shooting this messenger. A lot. (Source)

[welcometo--world]

I am always intrigued by cards who are their own answer, because it has been my longstanding belief that they contribute to bad formats. This is part of the reason why so many people hate Mental Misstep, it costs 1 and it only counters spells that cost 1. This card incentivizes your opponents to run one-drops, which are usually bad, because they'll maybe attack for one turn and then be unable to trade. But when this one becomes an evasive 2/2 for one, it might be worth playing them prevent your opponent's from transforming. But I'm guessing there aren't a ton of other good one-drops. We'll see (assuming this is competitive viable, maybe it's not) if the mirror-match is especially prevalent.

[loreleywrites]

on the incredibly off chance it IS Marit Lage how do you think it would work/creative would pull it off? (yes yes, i know it's most likely emrakul, hypothetically how would you think it the block/flavor would go if it was Marit Lage)

It wouldn’t work. R&D would have to explain who Marit Lage is, why she’s not like the Eldrazi, how she escaped her icy prison on Dominaria, how Nahiri and Runo know about her, decide what she actually does mechanically, and insert her into a narrative that is already involving a totally different set of Lovecraftian horrors.

Or, you know, it’s just Emrakul, the Eldrazi we’ve been familiar with in this new age of storytelling.

[dragongirltitties]

boy am I glad he’s frozen in there and that we’re out here.

[welcometo--world]

How dare they make Shadows over Innistrad #gay. Now I have to pay attention.