Bloodthirsty Troll

[Ephraim]

Bloodthirsty Troll
{G}
Creature -- Troll

Pay 2 life: Regenerate Bloodthirsty Troll.
3/3

***

I know I've got a tendency to create cards that are probably of rare calibre. It's more fun, but sets need commons and uncommons, too. Here's something that I hope is solidly uncommon. It's better than a whole slew of commons and hopefully worse than Anurid Brushhopper.

[Ephraim]

Current Wording

Bloodthirsty Troll
{1}{B}{G}
Creature -- Troll

Pay 3 life: Regenerate Bloodthirsty Troll.

In the lean days of winter, some trolls go mad with hunger, finding savour even in the flesh of other trolls.
3/3

[stijndon]

Wow, like, that's one good troll. At first I thought that it was too good, but then I remembered Ebonroot Treefolk, which is 3/3 for 1BG and can pump for BG. That's about equally good, and was uncommon.

Regeneration is perhaps stronger than the unwieldy pump, especially when it can be activated freely. But upping it to three life becomes too expensive, perhaps. And adding mana destroys the flavour. And discarding cards is weak.

So I would say: it's a strong, strong creature; and it's good! Well done

[Matt]

I think three life would not be out of the question, since this comes down early enough to really kick the snot out of every other turn-three play.

[Ephraim]

I can up it to 3 life, if you guys really think it's necessary, but I used Trained Armodon as my model. That's a 3/3 for {G}{G}. This requires two colours of mana, which allows for a noticable power increase. Is the argument then that paying 2 life for regeneration is stronger than an effect that is merely "noticable?"

[Aether]

I would say two life is okay since the ability only saves the creature once.  Otherwise, it is a strong and fine card.

[Matt]

The thing is, a 3/3 really doesn't need that much saving.

[Ephraim]

I don't know about that. Now that I think about it, an even better example than Trained Armodon comes to mind. Albino Troll. That's a 3/3 troll and I know from experience that it's worth having regeneration even on a 3/3.

[Matt]

Yeah, but this is free regeneration, which means you get to keep crapping out creatures instead of holding mana open. Think of your Albino Troll decks - they probably had a lot of life points sitting around doing nothing productive, right?

[Ephraim]

You make a very good point. We'll up that cost to 3 life and call it a day. I'll try to think up some flavour text now. This hardly calls for a poem though, so I'll take help, if y'all please.

[skecreatoR]

When the search for prey fails, it turns to its own kin.

The regeneration part..

[stijndon]

I think two life is still okay.

When it kicks the snot out of CotH tokens, then the tokens just race the Troll instead, aight?

And I compared this to Ebonroot Treefolk, or Ebonskin or Ebonbark or Ebonethenedifferentiationaldu ct Treefolk, or whatever. It costs the same, but that one pumped. So that one blocks this one, costing mana. But that will cost the Troll-controller life, which is a fair trade-off.

I think two life is still okay.

But I'm fine with three. It'll still be good.

Two would be nicer, though.

[Ephraim]

I think the point that was made though was that you can't safely tap out with Ebony Treefolk or Albino Troll, because then you risk somebody bolting it. Even though there's a steep life-loss penalty with this, you don't lose any tempo for playing it. In fact, in many ways it's better for your tempo still because you can comfortably play it on your third turn, instead of waiting until your fourth turn (when you'd have enough mana to play and regenerate Albino Troll) or your fifth turn (when you'd have enough mana to play and pump Ebony Treefolk.)

If there's still a contingent who wants the cost of regeneration lowered to 2 life again, I may do so and also lower the toughness to 2. Then, it bears a strong resemblance to Troll Ascetic without the rude untargetability.

[Zelc]

Another idea:

Make the regeneration cost 4 life and add the option to sacrifice 1(+?) creatures for the regen cost.  Then, decrease the toughness to 2 or 1.  That could be extremely flavorful, considering the suggested flavor text.

[Ephraim]

It's an interesting idea, Zelc, but it complicates the card. Even if you look at my stronger stuff, the wordings are very clean and elegant. Adding a second regeneration condition clutters the card (in a way that I think it unnecessary)

Flavour text, inspired by skecreatoR: In the lean days of winter, some trolls go mad with hunger, finding savour even in the flesh of other trolls.

[stijndon]

Well, make it three life then. It will be worse than brushhopper, then.

Not that that matters much, since brushhopper is just plain good.

[Ephraim]

24 Hour Clock

[Matt]

Closed and addec.