NB: If this should be elsewhere, Mods, please feel free to move.
And now for something completely different. I realize that this forum is in general used to create cards which are intended to be a part of some larger TMD type set. However, this seemed the best place to post this. I have created not a card, but rather a guild. This is just for fun, and not with any TMD type set in mind.
With that out of the way, please allow me to introduce the Guild of the Logos. Heraclitus described the Logos as that which always has been, is, and always wil be. All else that exists merely comes into being and departs from being, its creation and destruction regulated and caused by this Logos. Logos means word, as well as wisdom.
So, while the red/blue guild seeks to know all, this guild instead seeks only to know the Logos, which itself is all wisdom. This guild is blue and white – it is equally concerned with worshipping this Logos, and with coming to understand this Logos. If the Logos is understood, one has all wisdom – if the Logos is not understood, then one has no wisdom at all.
The members of this guild are quiet and reflective, prefering to seclude themselves in meditation of the Logos rather than engaging in politics, battle, or trade. The result is that the guild members themselves are neither especially powerful in body, nor opulent in wealth. Most guild members are content to wear simple white robes, and believe that being overly concened with worldly things distracts one from “that which is.�
It is the goal of this guild to find wisdom. Not just knowledge, as the Izzet, but wisdom itself. After all, “much learning does not teach understanding,� as Heraclitus himself has said. In terms of game mechanics, this guild employs few permanents, reflecting their desire to rise about material concerns. This guild lacking a competitive nature for anything other than wisdom is reflected not only in their poor combat ability, but also in the number of symetric cards they have. Victory for this guild comes by transcending their opponents, rising far above them in wisdom.
This works out in a similar manner to how the blue/black guild acheives victory. That guild wins by decking the opponent, which represents driving the opponent mad. This guild wins by removing the opponent’s deck from the game, while at the same time improving the quality of its own deck over the course of a match. This represents the growing disparity in wisdom between the Guild of the Logos and its opponent. However, it is even less well-suited to combat than the Blue/Black guild, with its creatures being almost entirely defensive in nature.
So, let me present some ideas I had for this guild. Again, this is done just for fun, and not intended to be a part of any particular TMD set.
Guild Ability: Illuminate n
When ~this~ is cast, you may put up to n cards in your graveyard on the bottom of your library. Each opponent removes the top n cards of his or her library from the game.
This ability represents the caster slowing growing in wisdom over his or her opponent. The ability is attatched to many cards in the guild, with the idea that even performing other tasks, the members of this guild constantly have their mind on improving their minds. This mechanic works especially well with shuffle effects. One thing to note is that while knowledge may be represented as the cards in one’s hand, wisdom is represented by one’s hand and one’s library – therefore, improving the quality of one’s library through returning cards from the graveyard to one’s library represents one growing in wisdom from one’s past. Also, it is worth noting that this ability is put on the stack when a spell is cast, and not as part of the resolution of the spell.
Now, at least, some card ideas for this guild:
Unheard Whisper
Instant
Illuminate 2
Draw a card.
Hum of the Logos
{W}
Instant
As an additional cost to play Hum of the Logos, remove four cards in your graveyard from the game.
Put 4 1/1 white spirit creature tokens with flying and defender into play.
Logos Initiate
Creature – Wizard
Illuminate 2
1/1
Inspiration of Wisdom
{W}
Creature – Spirit
Illuminate 1
Flying
Spells you cast have Illuminate 1.
2/4
Spiritual Transcendant
{W}
Creature – Human Sage
Illuminate 1
When Spiritual Transcendant comes into play, gain 2 life.
Spiritual Transcendant may block any number of creatures.
3/5
Faith in the Logos
{W}
Instant
Until end of turn, permanents are indestrucable. Until end of turn, players, spells, and permanents may not be the target of spells or abilities.
Given Over to the Logos
{W}
Sorcery
Each player may remove a permanent of his or her choosing from the game.
Will of the Pure Mind
{U}
Instant
Illuminate 2
Counter target spell if you control no nonland permanents.
The Clouds
{W}
Creature – Elemental
Illuminate 4
Flying
Defender
0/4
Guardian of the Temple
Creature – Human Sage
Illuminate 1
Defender
W: Guardian of the Temple loses defender until end of turn.
Remove Guardian of the Temple from the game: Return target nonland permanent to its owner’s hand.
3/3
Above the Will of Man
{W}
Sorcery
Illuminate 3
Remove a nonland, noncreature permanent from the game.
Above the Will of Man cannot be countered, and its mana cost may not be altered.
The Intersection of Faith and Knowledge
Instant
As an additonal cost to cast The Intersection of Faith and Knowledge, remove a land you control from the game.
Draw three cards.
Reflective Elder
{W}{U}
1: Shuffle a permanent you control into its owner’s library.
2/3
Logos Explosion
Instant
Illuminate 3
Return target creature to its owner’s hand. If
{W}{W} was spent to cast Logos Explosion, instead remove that creature from the game.
Blind with Wonder
{W}
Enchantment – Aura
Enchant Creature
Illuminate 2
Enchanted creature cannot attack or block.
If enchanted creature would be put into a graveyard, instead return that creature to play under your control.
Hopes from Beyond
{W}
Enchantment
Whenever a creature is put into an opponent’s graveyard from play, you may put a 1/1 white spirit creature token with flying and defender into play.
Sacrifice a creature: Remove the top card of target opponent’s library from the game.
Outer Peace
{W}
Sorcery
Illuminate 2
Each player gains ten life.
Devotee of the Logos
{W}
Creature – Human Sage
Illuminate 1
Whenever a card would be put into an opponent’s graveyard, instead remove that card from the game.
2/1
Pure Visionary
{W}
Creature – Human Sage
Illuminate 3
As Pure Visionary comes into play, name a nonland card.
Opponents play with their hands face up. Whenever an opponent would draw the named card, instead that card is removed from the game.
Censor of Aporia
Artifact
{tap}: Put target card in a graveyard on the bottom of its owner’s library.
, {tap}, remove Censor of Aporia from the game: Shuffle your library, then draw a card.
Auspcious Dove
{W}
Flying
Illuminate 2
Remove Auspicious Dove from the game: Draw a card.
1/1
Falling before the Logos
{W}{W}
Enchantment
Attacking creatures have -3/-0.
Glitch in the Logos
{U/W}{U/W}{U}
Illuminate 2
Counter target spell.
Gift of the Logos
Instant
For each card in your hand, either remove that card from the game or put that card on top of your library. Then, shuffle your library and draw that many cards.
Wrath of Heraclitus
{W}
Sorcery
Illuminate 1
Each player shuffles all creatures he or she owns into his or her library.
Persistent Mantra
Enchantment
Sacrifice Persistent Mantra: Prevent all damage that a source of your choice would deal this turn. If any damage is prevented in this way, draw a card.
Pondering
{W}
Sorcery
Illuminate 2
Remove up to 2 cards in target opponent’s graveyard from the game.
Shuffle up to 2 cards in your graveyard into your library.
Draw a card.
Come into Being
Sorcery
Reveal the top six cards of your library. An opponent chooses 2. Put the chosen cards into your hand and remove the rest from the game.
Depart from Being
{W}{W}
Sorcery
Illuminate 2
Remove all nonland permanents from the game.
Temple to the Logos
Land
Tap: Add 1 to your mana pool
{U/W}, Tap: Shuffle up to one card from your graveyard into your library.
Logos Guildmage
{U/W}{U/W}
Creature – Human Sage
{W}: Attacking creatures get –/-1 until end of turn.
: Remove the top card of target opponent’s library from the game.
Scribe of Heraclitus
{U}{W}{W}
Legendary Creature – Human Sage
{tap}, Sacrifice Scribe of Heraclitus: Counter target spell.
2/5
Heraclitus
{U}{W}{W}
Legendary Creature – Human Sage
Flying
Heraclitus may block any number of creatures
When Heraclitus comes into play, each opponent removes the top three cards of his or her library from the game.
Remove two cards in your hand from the game: Remove Heraclitus from the game. At end of turn, return Heraclitus to play under owner’s control.
2/6
