Tome Of Many Locks

[Bram]

In my eternal quest for useless cards, I wanted to make a card that is ridiculously underpriced in both mana cost and activation, but has the drawback of doing nothing much on its own. It's designed to be slightly better than Jayemdaye once you have Galvanic Key on the board (it would be a mana cost of 4 spread out over 2 cards, with an activation cost of 3 instead of 4).

Tome of Many Locks - 2
Artifact
Tome of Many comes into play tapped.
Tome of Many doesn't untap during your untap step.
T: Draw a card
When the Thran fabricated the Tome's intricate locking system, they deliberately omitted the key.

Some notes:

- Comboes with Mind Over Matter (a restricted card) to filter your entire deck.

- Comboes with Voltaic Key (restricted) to draw a card each turn for 1 or with Galvanic Key for 3.

- Nice tricks with Trickster Mage, (slight) card advantage with cantrip twiddle effects like Twitch or splicing Psychic Puppetry, or get a free card each turn with Aphetto Alchemist.


Current wording:

Tome of Many Locks - 2
Artifact
Tome of Many Locks comes into play tapped.
Tome of Many Locks doesn't untap during your untap step.
T: Draw a card
The Thran knew the best way to secure a lock is to never design a key.

[edit] Now the text box actually refers to the card's name...
[edit] Used Matt's flavor text suggestion.

[Jacob Orlove]

Looks good to me.

[Marco]

I like it.

[Nibble]

In my eternal quest for useless cards, I wanted to make a card that is ridiculously underpriced in both mana cost and activation, but has the drawback of doing nothing much on its own.

I actually wanted to do this too, and tried to design a creature with 0 toughness. I never really got anywhere with it, though.


As for this card, I like it, but does it really need CIPT? for sorcery-speed cycling seems fair, and makes it not completely worthless in limited.

[Ephraim]

I'm going to protest. This card screams "build a ridiculous combo around me" simply because it isn't any good for anything else. Furthermore, if I can't make a card that's useless on its own, then neither can you. ^_~ I tried to create a Magpie variant a while ago that drew cards when it dealt damage, but which had zero power and it got shot down quickly.

[Nova442]

I think that it might be ok, if you have an ability in your deck to untap for 1 mana it can be a card per turn.  It's only degenerate with cards that allow untapping for free multiple times per turn.  It has legitimate uses besides combo, even though they can be weak.  Honestly I'd rather see this come into play untapped too, but that sort of defeats the "this card is useless on its own".

[Godder]

What if it had something like:
2, discard a card: Untap ~this~

There's nothing wrong with engines, as long as they aren't broken...

[Nova442]

Isn't that card called Compulsion?

[Bram]

I think that it might be ok, if you have an ability in your deck to untap for 1 mana it can be a card per turn.

Yes, that would be either Aphetto Alchemist or Voltaic Key. Compare it to Phyrexian Arena I think the drawback of havig to rely on a two card combo (where in one case one of the cards is restricted) kind of offsets the benefit of not having to pay 1 life. I'd say it's decidedly worse than Phyrexian Arena, which is hardly played in itself.

Honestly I'd rather see this come into play untapped too, but that sort of defeats the "this card is useless on its own".

Not only that, but I think it might be too strong that way. It would be a cantrip in itself, for a mere 2 mana (the cost of, say, cycling and ithe implicit cost of most cantrip effects as in: if effect X costs U, we'll make it cost 2U if it cantrips). It would immediately replace itself and just sit around waiting for a mini-combo piece. Additionally, it completely ruins the intent of the name and flavor text

Furthermore, if I can't make a card that's useless on its own, then neither can you. ^_~ I tried to create a Magpie variant a while ago that drew cards when it dealt damage, but which had zero power and it got shot down quickly.

I seem to recall that. I'm not sure if and how I commented on that, but I'm sure you realise that is a weak arument at best

This card screams "build a ridiculous combo around me" simply because it isn't any good for anything else.

I highly doubt a ridiculous combo can be made with this. There simply aren't that many permanent untap effects in the game.

[Matt]

Mind Over Matter comes to...mind.

Also:

I actually wanted to do this too, and tried to design a creature with 0 toughness. I never really got anywhere with it, though.

Check out a white card we made called Silent Majority.

Also:, I think this flavor text would be a little more punchy:
"The Threan realized that the surest way to secure a lock is to never design a key."
or something like that. It's the same idea as yours, but highlights the idea that a lock with no key is the hardest to open.

this also has an amusing interaction with that white Aztec card that toggles CIPT.

[asmoranomardicodais]

I could make a pretty mean affinity deck that used this and clock of omens. Not that a two card recycle is all that broken, but just saying.

[Bram]

Mind Over Matter comes to...mind.

Yeah, I already mentioned that in my original post. While it is most definitely good with MoMa in that you can filter your whole library (note how it doesn't create card advantage in itself, however) I doubt it's a problem. We're talking about a two card combo here that doesn't immediately win the game and of which one part is a 2UUUU costing restricted enchantment. To put it otherwise: if you have MoMa out, you should damn well be winning anyway. Note that MoMa + a random Quicksilver Dagger'ed critter does the same thing while actually reducing your opponent's life total

Also:, I think this flavor text would be a little more punchy:
"The Threan realized that the surest way to secure a lock is to never design a key."
or something like that. It's the same idea as yours, but highlights the idea that a lock with no key is the hardest to open.

Brilliant. I was looking for a way to fit in the whole 'you can easily design a non-hackable system as long as you don't mind being ab;e to access it yourself' thing but I couldn't find the room. Your suggestion convays the same idea as mine does, plus what I just mentioned. Consider it changed.

this also has an amusing interaction with that white Aztec card that toggles CIPT.

Nahuatl, Words That Empower. Now who designed that, I wonder?

I could make a pretty mean affinity deck that used this and clock of omens.

Heh. I kind of missed that one, I guess. Yeah, that could be decent. Clock plus 3 different artifacts means two extra cards per turn. Possibly feasable. Good idea!

[Bram]

OK, clock.

[Bram]

Closed and added.