Phantasmagoria

[Upinthe]

I sent the PM for Sparkling Sphere, so here is my next crazy card.


Phantasmagoria 1UU
Sorcery

Put target opponent's graveyard on top of his or her library.





Purpose: A card that can be useful, but requires some heavy planning to hurt your opponent.[/i]

Phantasmagoria 1BB
Sorcery

Put target opponent's graveyard on top of his or her library in any order.

A fantastic sequence of haphazardly associative imagery

[Matt]

phan·tas·ma·go·ri·a  

A fantastic sequence of haphazardly associative imagery, as seen in dreams or fever; A constantly changing scene composed of numerous elements.

[GerryMander]

Mebby you should have this put the graveyard on your opponents library in any order or something, or did you want it to go on as is?  

If so, is it the top card goes on first, or last?  This seems kind of confusing if you want it to go on as is.  

Maybe you should shuffle your opp.'s graveyard into his or her library instead...

[walkingdude]

Misinformation, an old black card has this effect and uses the “in any order wording” so I would say go with that.

I’m not sure how powerful this would be, seems fine on face, but it could also be terribly wrong in a deck that could do some quick milling and stack the library with expensive spells and no land. On the other hand, that might be hard enough to do that if you can pull it off you deserve the win.

[Upinthe]

I added the "in any order" part. Since nobody else has said anything, I'm going to go ahead and initiate the 24 hour clock.

[Matt]

This seems rather strong. You're able to screw up enough of the opponent's next draws that you're essentially Time Walking your way to a win. Like, drop a 4/4 and cast this to set five useless cards on top, and you win.

[GerryMander]

why not make this

NAME
{U}
Instant
Choose up to 3 cards in your opponent's graveyard and put them on top of your opponent's library in any order.
Draw a card.

gives them 3 of the crappiest draws possible and you cantrip.  

also, can be played and you don't choose anything.  

also, can't target your graveyard for abuse.

[Bram]

I agree fully with Matt.

Gerrymander: it's still pretty darn strong the way you suggest it. It's almost 'free' (cantrip 'costs' about 1U) and it still rather like playing a Time Stretch. This is offset by the fact that Fetchlands are available and popular in every format, and the fact that it can be darn useless.

Maybe you just have to say '3 cards' instead of 'up to three'. That way, you'd be forced to give me that early Ancestral again three turns from now just to screw me over for the first two turns. See what I mean? It's dead more often like this, and requires more planning.

[GerryMander]

what if it was up to 3 cards of an opponent's choice in any order?

[Jacob Orlove]

Misinformation was generally worthless; I don't think this will be too strong.

[Bram]

Hah! Misinformation. Jacob, you the man That's the first card I've ever heard of that I'd never heard of (so to speak).

Honestly, sometimes I don't immediately know what a card does when someone names it (though I do on most occasions) but I had never even heard of or seen that card (or have forgotten about ot completely afterwards). Fitting name for a card that eluded me for so long, too.

I assume you were talking about Gerrymanders 3-card version when you say it wont be too strong? Or the original one? In case of the former, we're forced to consider whether this is too similar to that elusive Misinformation...

[Jacob Orlove]

Misinformation, an old black card has this effect and uses the “in any order wording” so I would say go with that.

I can't claim credit for the comparison; at least I didn't have to look the card up.

I think both versions are pretty bad. Early game, you'll have a hard time finding more than 3 cards anyway, and in the late game, 3 cards should be enough if the card works. I just don't think it's that powerful an effect. Sealed Fate was never a bomb either, and it was supposed to do the same thing.

[Matt]

Misinformation was bad, but Stunted Growth wasn't. This is somewhere in between - it doesn't affect your opponent's mana like SG, but it can dump a ton more crap on your library. Like, if I've got a threat down, why should I care if your next seven draws are counterspells and land? I'll win the game before you finish drawing out of that hole.

[Jacob Orlove]

Misinformation was bad, but Stunted Growth wasn't. This is somewhere in between - it doesn't affect your opponent's mana like SG, but it can dump a ton more crap on your library. Like, if I've got a threat down, why should I care if your next seven draws are counterspells and land? I'll win the game before you finish drawing out of that hole.

But it's not that easy to get a bunch of land on top (barring a fetch or two, which defeats the purpose), so if they have an answer in-hand to your threat, then they'll get to draw all their counters again. It's really hard to fill your opponent's graveyard with real junk.

[Matt]

Yeah...I was trying to come up with what I thought was a good price for this, and I was going to suggest 3U. But then I figured that was a little high, and almost suggested 1UU...

Anyway, a better question: why should this be blue? I've noticed that we're falling into the same trap Wizards did: every "clever trick" card (like this one) we automatically ascribe to being blue. That's how blue ended up having like 1/3 or more of all the mechanics in Magic; we want to avoid that. Could this be another color? I'm thinking green or black, which goes in line with where this mechanic already lies.

[Jacob Orlove]

Yeah, black or green would be good.

[Ocifer]

I'd lean to black more than green simply based on the name, which would transfer easily as a black card.

[Upinthe]

The card has been changed to black.

This card could use some flavor text...any ideas?

[Bram]

How 'bout the definition? That's not been done a lot.

A fantastic sequence of haphazardly associative imagery, as seen in dreams or fever.

[Upinthe]

That sounds ok I guess. Changes made, 24 hour clock restarted.

[Matt]

Closed and added.[/color]