Homesteader

[JR]

This is my first ever post, and first attempt at creating a card. Please be gentle:

Homesteader
1G
Creature- Homesteader
1/1
If <CARD NAME> attacks and is not blocked, you may sacrifice <THIS>. If you do, search your library for a land that produces a color that an opponent may produce. Put this card into play tapped.


I was trying to think of white cards last night, and this hit me, but is decidedly green. I think the casting cost is right, and the flavor is good. The wording might be a little wonky, so please offer any help you can in that department. Let me know what you think!

Thanks,
JR.

[Jacob Orlove]

Isn't this much much worse than Sakura-Tribe Elder?

[MrZuccinniHead]

Isn't this much much worse than Sakura-Tribe Elder?

I agree.

[JR]

Wow. Yeah. Looking it at, it really is. The original that I had was:

Homesteader
1G
Creature- Homesteader
1/1
If <CARDNAME> damages an opponent, you may tap a land they control and untap a land you control that produces that same color.

Is that better? Worse? Should I simply give up?

JR.

[Summit]

Why not go with white like you were thinking?

Homesteader
ww
Creture - Cleric
2/2
If you control fewer lands than an opponent you may sacrifice Homesteader
to search your library for a basic land and put it into play tapped  then
shuffle your library.



OR this might be more in color.

Homesteader
w
Creature - Farmer
1/1
If you control fewer lands than an opponent you may sacrifice Homesteader
to search your library for a basic land card.  Reveal that card and put it into
your hand then shuffle your library.



The idea is sound though (creature with land advantage built into it) so don't give up.

[Godder]

The little one of those is so much worse than Weathered Wayfarer, it's not funny. Or maybe it is... Either way, this needs some work.

How about:

<Cardname>
1G
Creature – <type>
2/1
Whenever <Cardname> deals combat damage to a player, you may tap target land that player controls. If you do, at the beginning of your next main phase, add one mana of any type that land could produce.

[LeRoux]

Something along those lines could be doable I think:

Homesteader
WG (GG might be more colorwise, or GG1 maybe)
Creature - Something
2/2
Whenever ~ deals combat damage to a player, you may search your library for a basic land and put it into play tapped.

Don't know if it's rightly costed, it looks pretty good actually. Maybe a little too much or...?

[Godder]

That's been done on Centaur Rootcaster (Judgement), which was a 2/2 for 3G. There's also a Scourge enchant creature (One with Nature) for G that gives it that ability.

[Ephraim]

I see no clear direction for this card. There have been a lot of suggestions, but I'd like to know what JR would really like to be done with this card before we proceed. My first impression, JR, is that your primary interest is in making a creature that enables land searches. A secondary interest may be that the creature is white. If this is, in fact, the case, we should keep in mind the current strength of Sakura-Tribe Elder. It is very strong, so it may not be fair to criticize any suggestion for being weaker than it. We should not, however, make a card that is strictly worse. In some regard, the creature that results should be conditionally stronger than the Elder. If this card is to be white, Land Tax may be a suitable model for the mechanism by which white digs up lands. Taxation is certainly a good, white theme for a land-searching ability. Another possibility would be a creature that allows for equitable land search (although that ability previously belonged to green in Veteran Explorer, it is certainly an ability that may be properly given to white.)

[JR]

Well, after more thought about it, I think that a taxation method is probably the most sensible way to go. Truly, at first I was somewhat inspired and wanted to make a card that was based off the idea of the homesteader: Someone who wanders and finds land when he succeeds in his duty. Truly, the finished product was underwhelming.

After more thought and deliberation, this is the taxation based one I came up with:

<CARD NAME> It shouldn't be homesteader anymore.
1W
Creature- Farmer
1/1
If an opponent controls 2 more lands than you, you may sacrifice <THIS>. If you do so, you may search your library for two basic land cards, reveal them and shuffle your library. Put one in your hand and one into play tapped.


I don't know if this is any better. Let me know.

[Jacob Orlove]

You might want to model it after [card]Tithe[/card].

[Summit]

<CARD NAME> It shouldn't be homesteader anymore.
1W
Creature- Farmer
1/1
If an opponent controls 2 more lands than you, you may sacrifice <THIS>. If you do so, you may search your library for two basic land cards, reveal them and shuffle your library. Put one in your hand and one into play tapped.

This card appears to be closer to something good but still is strictly worse than Tribe Elder.
The creature needs to be both a utility and aggressive.  I also think it needs to be closer to Tithe than the wording above.
How about:

<CARD NAME>
WW
Creature - Farmer
2/2
If you control fewer lands than an opponent you may sacrifice <CARD NAME>
to search your library for a plains card. If you do, reveal that card then shuffle
library.
1WW: Return <CARD NAME> from your graveyard to your hand.


This creature is more aggressive and modled after Eternal Dragon and Tithe.  I also like the cost changed to WW so as to force
this creature into more mono colored decks.  The filtering ability of this card seems to be too strong to leave out the double
colored mana requirement on cost and ability.
Not that I am a big fan of White Weenie, or White Controlish decks, but this would probably see play in those as the Eternal Dragon
Saw play.  Also, by making it closer to tithe and requiring it to be in play before a land can be searched for it is functionally similar to
Tribe Elder but not so much that it makes this card worse than him.

[Jacob Orlove]

Where is the current wording post?

[Summit]

Where is the current wording post?

I didn't start the card idea so I didn't think to include one.  I would like to get a consensus on where this card should be going.
But, as that is part of the creative process I will post a current wording list.  Sorry BTW.  Also, if anyone else who has been suggesting changes to this card would chime in, I wouldn't mind changing the current wording.  For now I am going to put what I suggested yesterday as It was the last post about this creature.

[Summit]

Current Wording:

<Lasting Surveyor>
{W}
Creature - Farmer
2/2
If you control fewer lands than an opponent you may sacrifice Lasting Surveyor
to search your library for a plains card. If you do, reveal that card then shuffle
library.
1WW: Return Lasting Surveyor from your graveyard to your hand.