[Cycle] Barkhide Armor

[parallax]

Barkhide Armor

Enchantment -- Aura
Enchant creature
You may play ~this~ any time you could play an instant if you sacrifice a forest rather than pay its mana cost.
Enchanted creature gets +2/+2.

I wanted to make a free pump spell that required the sacrifice of a forest. Not sure if that's enough to justify a permanent +2/+2 or if this should just be an instant, but I think the wording on this is interesting enough for a cycle. How much pump is a sacrificed forest worth? Permanent or temporary?

I've decided to make this a cycle. I think it's a very interesting mechanic that can apply to a wide variety of cards.


Outland Refugees

Creature -- Human Townsfolk
2/1
You may play ~this~ any time you could play an instant if you sacrifice a plains rather than pay its mana cost.


Delving Deep

Sorcery
You may play ~this~ any time you could play an instant if you sacrifice a island rather than pay its mana cost.
Draw two cards, then discard two cards.


Soul Dredge

Sorcery
You may play ~this~ any time you could play an instant if you sacrifice a swamp rather than pay its mana cost.
Target player loses 2 life and you gain 2 life.


Falling Rocks

Sorcery
You may play ~this~ any time you could play an instant if you sacrifice a mountain rather than pay its mana cost.
~this~ deals 2 damage to target creature.


Barkhide Armor

Enchantment -- Aura
You may play ~this~ any time you could play an instant if you sacrifice a forest rather than pay its mana cost.
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature gets +2/+2.

[chrissss]

a free +2/+2 for a forest isnt that bad. you can still tap the mana for something, and then sac it.

I like the card.

[parallax]

Now it's a cycle. I think Mired Thought and Deep Secrets need the most work. These need flavor text so badly.

[zeus-online]

Hmm i think the black one needs changing:
1) Its instant speed discard, wizards dont like this.
2) The effect is pretty bad for the cost imo.

Maybe a free vicious hunger or something instead?

/Zeus

[chrissss]

failing rocks is too powerfull imo. 0 mana 2 damage, fireblast was so good, because of the 0 mana 4 damage, but it was 6 to play, so it wasnt that broken, and if it got countered you lost 2 lands and a card. here its just 2.

Black discard is never instant. I think there is only one instant black discard in the whole of magic.
These cards are good with crucible of worlds, which is a plus.

[andrewpate]

Instant-speed discard is rare, but not completely unheard of.  The one card you were probably thinking of is Funeral Charm, but there are others.  Greel, Mind Raker has this ability, which is counterbalanced by the fact the he costs his controller 2 cards with each activation.  Tsabo's Decree also does this, albeit in a narrower manner.  Others include the group containing cards like Insidious Bookworms, Mindslicer, and Screeching Buzzard, all of which require only a sacrifice outlet.  Interestingly, Stop That from Unhinged also forces an instant-speed discard.

All that said, cards with instant-speed discard do tend to be, in addition to very unusual, either narrow or unwieldy.  This card is neither, so I would normally recommend making it sorcery-speed.  Note that an occasional card has been given a different speed in other cycles (Cunning Wish) and mechanics (Ghost-Lit Stalker).  Unfortunately, this cycle obviously does not lend itself to that, so I would recommend something other than discard.

[parallax]

Mired Thought: Instant speed discard is generally frowned upon, yes. Both Funeral Charm and Necrogen Spellbomb already allow instant-speed discard, and this card is worse than both of those. Notice both of those cards also fit into a cycle. I don't think Mired Thought would cause problems, especially as it can't be imprinted on Scepter and it's actually a horrible card. Sure, someone will build an annoying "make you discard during your draw step every turn" deck, but it won't be any less awkward than Chittering Rats, Aether Vial and Skull Collector. The point of this cycle is to make cards that get more interesting at instant speed. Mired Thought fits that criterion. Is it worth losing a swamp to make your opponent discard his topdeck? Your opponent could even bluff like he's excited to draw his card so you will make him discard the worthless land he drew. I do understand the no-instant-speed-discard rule, and the other alternative is a Drain Life for two. My only problem with that is it's very similar to Falling Rocks. That's one of the difficulties of cycles, is that both the red and black cards usually want to be some sort of removal or damage spell, but you want each spell to be unique. If anyone can suggest a good black mechanic for this cycle that's not similar to Falling Rocks, I'll use it.

Falling Rocks: Fireblast was good because it was four damage for one card. According to Mike Flores's Philosophy of Fire, damage per card is more important than damage per mana. Fireblast would still be strong if it cost two mana. Falling Rocks is technically a free Shock, but it hurts your development if you use it on a creature. Still, if it feels too strong, it can be limited to creatures without flying.

Deep Secrets: I'm not sure if card drawing is appropriate here. It reminds me of Gush. Should this be some kind of bounce effect?

I'm worried that having too many free combat tricks will create problems in limited. No matter what color(s) your opponent is playing, you have to worry about tricks. Gather Courage was at least easier to read (untapped green creature). It's one thing if you only have to worry about tapped out green decks (or red decks, or etc.), but if any deck could have a trick (tapped out or not), it could be harrowing. The problem is that the mechanic is just screaming to be put on combat tricks (cards that are good as sorceries but much better as instants), but limited can't handle too many nearly unreadable tricks. Is a free trick in each color too much?

[chrissss]

I am not complaining about falling rocks, I would love the card, It would go in my sligh decks so I can get third turn kills again. Others might not like it.

I R A RED MAGE.

 

mired thought could give a creature -1/-1 or something.

[zeus-online]

Free vicious hunger...

Vicious hunger - BB
Sorcery
Vicious Hunger deals 2 damage to target creature and you gain 2 life.

Only hits creatures, so its worse then that free shock thing....maybe make the red one only hit players?

I dont think the blue one is overly powerful, reminds me off two broken cards: Gush and Frantic search, yet it dosnt really have the problems which these cards had, gush was too powerful because of the free CA, and combined with effects which lead you replay the lands it was stupid. Frantic search was too good cause its like a blue ritual or something, it MAKES mana in most decks that used it.

/Zeus

[Matt]

The black one could be a 2 point soul feast.

[parallax]

2 point Soul Feast/Vicious Hunger/Drain Life it is, then. Changed Falling Rocks to creatures only to distance the two cards. Now, there is also a definite "two" theme throughout the cycle, which is kind of cool. Is the blue one okay as is? I'm reminded of a certain cycle from Alpha where blue got card drawing and it was a little busted. That was a "three" cycle though. Seems like it could be really strong in Ichorid/Reanimator strategies. First turn Akromas anyone? Also, I need a new name for the black one.

[Anusien]

I agree with the blue one; a free filtering spell has the potential to be rather nuts.  I'd rather see bounce, or make it slightly worse (draw 2 discard 3?)

[parallax]

OK. The white, red, and green ones seem balanced to me. They also have a good flavor behind them. The Refugees are joining your cause after their homes (the plains) are destroyed. The Rocks fall, killing a creature but destroying part of the mountain. A tree needs to be destroyed to make the Armor. It should be noted that, flavor-wise, destroying or sacrificing a land doesn't mean the entire terrain is destroyed, just the magical link to it the wizard creates. That explains why the entire mountain doesn't have to fall, and the armor isn't made from the bark of an entire forest.

The black card needs a new name. Hopefully it would represent how the swamp is being used to drain an opponent's life.

The blue one probably needs a new mechanic. Is there any way to work the "two" into a bounce spell without making it too narrow? It's unfortunate the blue one can't be a counterspell. Quicken, anyone? It will probably need a new name as well.

[asi]

The black card needs a new name. Hopefully it would represent how the swamp is being used to drain an opponent's life.

I like Mind Sludge's flavor text, so maybe "Into the Swamp"? I don't know whether it fits, but I like it.

[parallax]

The black card needs a new name. Hopefully it would represent how the swamp is being used to drain an opponent's life.

I like Mind Sludge's flavor text, so maybe "Into the Swamp"? I don't know whether it fits, but I like it.

That's why "Mired" Thought worked so well as the discard spell.

Is there a word for what happens when you get stuck in a bog or something? A word that doesn't sound blue?

[Darkenslight]

How about 'Spirit Loss' or 'Dragged into Depths' for the black card in the cycle?

[parallax]

24h clock.