Conversation Between DonRoyale and Cirrus
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  1. Cirrus
    February 27th, 2011 11:05 PM
    Cirrus
    You should have enough cards to fill out the mechanic in the set, then. It also seems to be a fairly balanced mechanic (not overpowered, since the creature has to land a hit on you in the first place, and some things ... you don't want to be hit by them even once). The keyword could probably be changed, though (Analyze brings up pictures of ... Deep Analysis, opposite Red on the color wheel). At the moment I feel like Lock On (or something like that) seems to be the type of word you want, but Lock On is too blunt and I have no other ideas as of right now. I'll report back if I think of something.

    If you ever add the cannon in I feel like it should cost only 2. : x
  2. DonRoyale
    February 27th, 2011 10:24 PM
    DonRoyale
    The flavor of Analyze is machines that acquire a target to hunt down and destroy. The "red" artifacts of the set are aggressive war machines that become more aggressive once they've found a target.

    A creature example:

    Rannar, Rathus Designator - 2RR
    Legendary Creature - Human Rogue (M)
    Haste
    Analyze
    Creatures with crosshair counters on them can't block.
    R: ~ deals 1 damage to target creature with a crosshair counter on it.
    4/3

    I'll make up a noncreature example on the spot:

    Crosshair Cannon - 3
    Artifact (C)
    Analyze
    T: ~ deals 1 damage to target creature or player with a crosshair counter on it.
  3. Cirrus
    February 27th, 2011 10:02 PM
    Cirrus
    Design space isn't too huge for counter-based things in general, I think; you either count the presence of counters or... count the number of counters. You should be good for 10-20 cards at least, however. I am actually a little confused as to which kinds of cards would have Analyze ... Could I have a permanent that utilizes crosshair counters?
  4. DonRoyale
    February 27th, 2011 9:37 PM
    DonRoyale
    So I changed things around. Machinate has been replaced by Proliferate as the blue ability, and red's ability is now:

    Analyze (word pending) (Whenever you're dealt combat damage by a creature, that creature gets a crosshair counter. Whenever this {creature/permanent} deals damage to a player, that player gets a crosshair counter.)

    I'm messing around with interactions (the mythic is a 2/1 that has every ability under the sun and gets +1/+0 for each crosshair counter when it attacks), but design space for it is somewhat shallow at first glance. Thoughts?
  5. Cirrus
    February 23rd, 2011 8:31 PM
    Cirrus
    Protocol seems more White than Red, really... sharing abilities across the board is more of a white thing, community and so on, tribal lords not withstanding. Are all of the creatures of the block artifacts? If so, Machinate seems slightly redundant, and would probably be suited to simply being on an individual card (that places machinery/wire counters on things, perhaps?) - unless, of course, you're trying to manipulate your opponent's creatures, in which case it seems fine (very blue... manipulative), though I think the mana cost for the process of Machination could be lowered to 2 (so you aren't too mana-stretched early game).

    Drain seems a bit underpowered, but my opinion of it could change when I see the cards involved. It seems pretty black, though, and it should be pretty fine if the Drain cards are powerful enough / there is incentive for sacrificing so many creatures at once.
  6. DonRoyale
    February 23rd, 2011 12:24 PM
    DonRoyale
    So I'm trying to make an artifact block, with three color-aligned mechanics.

    For black, I have:
    Drain {X} (Each creature you sacrifice while casting this spell reduces its cost by {X}. When this [creature/permanent] enters the battlefield, put X drain counters on it, where X is the number of creatures it drained.)

    I think I have enough design space for that. It's the blue and red abilities I'm worried about:

    Machinate (3: Put a wire counter on target creature. That creature is an artifact in addition to its other types as long as it has a wire counter.)
    -the cards would have interactions either when they machinate something or how many wire counters are there, etc.-

    Protocol (When this creature attacks, it gains all the abilities of each other attacking artifact creature.)
    -Most of the protocol creatures are utility low-drops with haste and another ability, but this is the ability I'm having the most trouble with, since I don't know the best way to go about making a red artifact ability.-

    Could I have your input here? D:
  7. DonRoyale
    January 10th, 2011 4:42 PM
    DonRoyale
    LOL I haven't tested it, actually. Taking it for its first test run tomorrow. Kinda stoked, actually.
  8. DonRoyale
    January 10th, 2011 2:59 PM
    DonRoyale
    I just made the sickest EDH deck. You gotta see it.
  9. DonRoyale
    December 12th, 2010 1:19 AM
    DonRoyale
  10. DonRoyale
    December 11th, 2010 10:20 AM
    DonRoyale
    That same FNM, I stumbled on drawing a third land when my hand was Titan, Trap, Trap. He Slimes me on the next turn, but I end up drawing into two more mana sources, one of them a Treespeaker. He Leaks it. I Trap into Slime, killing his Copperline Gorge. I then Trap again (so I didn't get blown out by Mindbreak Trap) into Titan, and resolve a second Titan the turn after. We drew, however; I got him to two life on turn 4 of post-time 5 turns. I was rather disappointed that his Frost Titan kept me locked down pretty hardcore, and he kept countering all my ways to kill it / keep it in check (my own Frost Titan, Volition Reins, etc.) Least I kept him on 5 lands and 0 red sources (Edged all his Raging Ravines =D)

    I love that deck. A lot of people were wondering where the Genesis Waves were, and I told people I don't need them D:
  11. Cirrus
    December 11th, 2010 8:46 AM
    Cirrus
    What!

    That is ridiculous.

    I've been mostly playing Limited and EDH lately (Commander?), so I haven't played much of constructed at the moment... but winning after shipping to 4 is extremely difficult.

    Especially against Valakut Ramp that killed all your mana sources.
  12. DonRoyale
    December 11th, 2010 7:51 AM
    DonRoyale
    I have to share this with you, it's simply too epic.

    I was playing my UG Ramp deck against Valakut. I had a stable 7 of 3 lands and 4 ramp spells, but I had no threats to ramp into. Unimpressed, I shipped it.

    My 6 was a Terastodon, 4 lands, and like an Overgrown Battlement. Again, shipped.

    My 5 was double Primeval Titan, Wurmcoil Engine, Volition Reins, Island. I was close to conceding at this point, but him mulliganing to 5 meant I could ship without it totally breaking my back.

    Joraga Treespeaker. Misty Rainforest. 2x Overgrown Battlement. Keep.
    Draw Spreading Seas on my first draw step on the play.
    Hit an Island the turn after. Level Treespeaker, play Battlement.

    He sticks Ratchet Bomb and I'm convinced I have to slowroll Spreading Seas. (He's on 1 or 0 green with burdles in hand.) I cast another Battlement, hoping to clock him by drawing into a threat. He draws Pyroclasm to handle the Treespeaker. I draw no 6-drop, and pass the turn. He charges, then blows up the Bomb, leaving me with 2-3 lands. He starts finding green sources. I shut them off with Spreading Seas.

    He plays his first Valakut, only to have it Edged. He's stuck on 0 green lands after the third Spreading Seas hits, but he manages to duck under it by having that green source be Evolving Wilds, using it to cast a Battlement.

    Eventually, I stick Primeval Titan, tutor double Tectonic Edge. He draws, reveals Terastodon and Trap, and extends the hand.

    I felt like I'd just won a Pro Tour, I swear to God. Best. Game. Ever.
  13. Cirrus
    December 1st, 2010 7:10 PM
    Cirrus
    Aha! I didn't notice. : D
  14. DonRoyale
    December 1st, 2010 6:28 PM
    DonRoyale
    Nice post count.
  15. Cirrus
    November 17th, 2010 4:46 AM
    Cirrus
    Well, if it's RRR at 3 mana, I don't see too much of a problem; it's not strictly better than Volcanic Fallout because it costs R instead of 1, as well as being counterable, and it's not strictly better than Flames of the Blood hand because it costs RR instead of 2 (almost like just a Flame Javelin to the face); and it should still fit into RDW decks.