Martial Arts Strikes

[Ephraim]

This is a pseudo-cycle of cards. I figure there ought to be at least one of each colour. The idea here is that each card represents a strike or a technique executed by one or more creatures to yield the given effect. The blue one and the white one are the prototypes of the theme. I would actually prefer if no effort was made to put these in the same set. Some of these are definitely more interesting than others. Furthermore, the white one in particular could be devastating in a block with lots of like creature types.

Strike of Flowing Water
{U}
Sorcery

As an additional cost to cast Strike of Flowing Water, tap an untapped blue creature you control.
Tap any number of target creatures. Creatures don't untap during target players next untap step.


Revanche Technique
{W}{W}
Instant

As an additional cost to cast Revanche Technique, tap any number of untapped creatures you control that share a creature type.
Deal damage equal to the total power of the tapped creatures divided as you choose among any number of target attacking or blocking creatures.


Bite of the Recluse
{B}
Sorcery

As an additional cost to cast Bite of the Recluse, tap an untapped black creature you control.
Destroy any number of target creatures that were dealt damage this turn.


Lightning Technique
{R}
Sorcery

As an additional cost to cast Lightning Technique, tap any number of creatures you control that have haste.
Deal damage equal to the total power of the tapped creatures to target creature or player.


Willow Strike
{G}{G}
Sorcery

As an additional cost to play Willow Strike, tap an untapped green creature you control.
Destroy any number of target artifact creatures.

[Ephraim]

Current Wording:

Strike of Flowing Water
{2}{U}{U}
Sorcery

As an additional cost to cast Strike of Flowing Water, tap an untapped blue creature you control.
Tap any number of target creatures. Creatures don't untap during target players next untap step.


Revanche Technique
{2}{W}{W}
Instant

As an additional cost to cast Revanche Technique, tap any number of untapped creatures you control that share a creature type.
Deal damage equal to the total power of the tapped creatures divided as you choose among any number of target attacking or blocking creatures.


Bite of the Recluse
{2}{B}{B}
Sorcery

As an additional cost to cast Bite of the Recluse, tap an untapped black creature you control.
Destroy any number of target creatures that were dealt damage this turn.


Lightning Technique
{2}{R}{R}
Sorcery

As an additional cost to cast Lightning Technique, tap any number of untapped creatures you control that have haste.
Deal damage equal to the total power of the tapped creatures to target creature or player.


Willow Strike
{2}{G}{G}
Sorcery

As an additional cost to play Willow Strike, tap an untapped green creature you control.
Destroy any number of target artifact creatures.

[Matt]

SHould the red one require untapped creatures?

I like these a lot.

[dandan]

I like the concept but each of the colours already has far more efficient and less conditional ways of getting the above effects.
Taking the White one as an example, I can pay 4 mana and do 3 damage to attacking creatures (Hail of arrows). I don't need any creatures. Or cast Wing Shards. I accept that you have added the ability to use it when attacking, although you need a creature or two to stay at home meaning this is very conditional.

I think these can be safely powered up a little, I suggest taking out the conditions

Strike of Flowing Water
{U}
Sorcery
As an additional cost to cast Strike of Flowing Water, tap an untapped creature you control.
Tap any number of target creatures. Creatures don't untap during target players next untap step.

Revanche Technique
{W}{W}
Instant
As an additional cost to cast Revanche Technique, tap any number of untapped creatures you control.
Deal damage equal to the total power of the tapped creatures divided as you choose among any number of target attacking or blocking creatures.

Bite of the Recluse
{B}
Sorcery
As an additional cost to cast Bite of the Recluse, tap an untapped creature you control.
Destroy any number of target creatures that were dealt damage this turn.

Lightning Technique
{R}
Sorcery
As an additional cost to cast Lightning Technique, tap any number of untapped creatures you control.
Deal damage equal to the total power of the tapped creatures to target creature or player.

Willow Strike
{G}{G}
Sorcery
As an additional cost to play Willow Strike, tap an untapped creature you control.
Destroy any number of target artifact creatures.

Taking the Red one as an example. If I have 5 power of creatures, I'll damn well attack with them. If I want a Lava Axe I'll cast one. Even without the Haste restriction, I think this is pretty weak. With it, it is terrible.

Of course it is fine to make weak cards for flavour reasons......

[Guardian]

Dandan, the red one you sugegsted seems powerful as it's easy to deal a lot of damage to the opponent without fear of the opponent blocking them. Haste may be a harsh restriction, but it makes the power level seems fair. And the haste thing fits with the lightning in thename.

[dandan]

If I'm playing a deck that can generate RR and I have more than 4 points of power in creatures out, a direct damage spell is there to burn out the opponent after I attack or remove blockers before I attack. This is how direct damage has always been used. A burn spell that stops (some of) your creatures attacking had better give me some serious bang for bucks or it would never see the light of day.

How often have you ever Hasty creatures with a total of 4 power or more?
How often didn't you want to attack with them?
How often would you have been better off using Lightning Technique than Lightning Blast, Magma Burst, Solar Blast, Violent Eruption or even good old Shock?

Even taking out the Haste requirement it is still (IMHO) a weak card. Conditional burn has seldom found favour (unless you count Black Vise)

[Ephraim]

I don't think that these need to be powered up to be interesting. The red one shouts "Build a haste deck around me!" which is kind of neat. Since the white one lets you block some of an opponent's creatures then tap your blockers to do double duty, it absolutely needs to have some sort of restriction on which creatures it can use. The other three are adequate in power, as-is and are more interesting than if they didn't care about colour. The only concession toward power I might be willing to make would be having these cost 3C instead of 2CC, if other people think that they could stand a minor power upgrade.

[Nibble]

Am I the only one who thinks the blue strike is way too damn good, particularly in limited? You tap your weakest creature to let all your other creatures get two full swings in, with no counterattack in between.

[Ephraim]

The blue one is very good, but compare it to Blinding Beam. It costs more — tapping a creature plus it costs 2CC instead of 3C. It is also less versatile, since Blinding Beam has two modes which can be useful on their own without entwining them. It is also a sorcery, instead of an instant. Given those three things, I think that the increased power level is reasonable.

[dandan]

I have no objections to these cards at all. I merely pointed out the low power level.

Despite this, as these cards are about flavour, these cards are about the flavours of each colour and so IMHO not be easily splashable. The double coloured CCs are a feature to me rather than a drawback. This also limits the effect of the Blue one on Limited, making it good rather than very good in that format.

[Ephraim]

24 Hour Clock

[Bram]

Closed and added.