Undead Cycle

[Marco]

This idea has been germinating for a long time. It started when I saw Dwarven Undead in a D&D Fiend Folio or Monster Manual. Dwarven Undead started out as an unimpressive Drowned knock off:

Dwarven Undead
1R
Creature -- Zombie Dwarf
1/1
B: Regenerate Dwarven Undead

My first attempt at Elvish Undead (later Yavimaya Undead when I decided to associate all elves I created with Yavimaya) was much more interesting:

Elvish Undead
BB
Creature -- Zombie Elf
2/1
Forestwalk
Whenever Elvish Undead attacks, the defending player may sacrifice a Forest. If that player does, prevent all combat damage that would be dealt by Elvish Undead this turn.

This one reminds me of Mtenda Lion.

I toyed with the following for Dwarven Undead:

Dwarven Undead
BB
Creature -- Zombie Dwarf
2/1
Mountainwalk
At end of turn, if Dwarven Undead is in your graveyard with a land card directly above it, you may return Dwarven Undead to play.

(I also considered "At end of turn, if Dwarven Undead is in your graveyard with a Mountain card directly above it, you may return Dwarven Undead to play"; however, both versions were considerably more powerful than (and different from) Elvish Undead. These, of course, are reminiscent of Krovikan Horror.)

Going back to my Elvish Undead template, I came up with this:

Dwarven Undead
BB
Creature -- Zombie Dwarf
2/1
Mountainwalk
Whenever Dwarven Undead attacks, the defending player may discard a Mountain card. If that player does, prevent all combat damage that would be dealt by Dwarven Undead this turn.

Not as harsh a cost as Elvish Undead; however, black and red are not enemies like black and green are.

Next came Merfolk Undead:

Merfolk Undead
BB
Creature -- Merfolk Zombie
2/1
Islandwalk
Whenever Merfolk Undead attacks, the defending player may return an Island he or she controls to its owner's hand. If that player does, prevent all combat damage that would be dealt by Merfolk Undead this turn.

Also not as harsh a cost as Elvish Undead (same logic as above). I also considered the harsher:

Merfolk Undead
BB
Creature -- Merfolk Zombie
2/1
Islandwalk
Whenever Merfolk Undead attacks, the defending player may tap all lands he or she controls. If that player does, prevent all combat damage that would be dealt by Merfolk Undead this turn.

I haven't come up with a white card to complete the cycle yet (of course, there is no black card as a Zombie Undead would be redundant). What do you think? I like Elvish Undead the best, I'm not sure I can come up with a fourth variation on the theme for a white card...

Edit: If you're thinking, "what's up with the landwalking?" I've decided that landwalking will be a major theme of the set I'm developing, so expect to see more of it from me...

[Marco]

Current Wording:

Dwarven Undead
BB
Creature -- Zombie Dwarf
2/1
Mountainwalk
Whenever Dwarven Undead attacks, the defending player may discard a Mountain card. If that player does, prevent all combat damage that would be dealt by Dwarven Undead this turn.

Elvish Undead
BB
Creature -- Zombie Elf
2/1
Forestwalk
Whenever Elvish Undead attacks, the defending player may sacrifice a Forest. If that player does, prevent all combat damage that would be dealt by Elvish Undead this turn.

Merfolk Undead
BB
Creature -- Merfolk Zombie
2/1
Islandwalk
Whenever Merfolk Undead attacks, the defending player may return an Island he or she controls to its owner’s hand. If that player does, prevent all combat damage that would be dealt by Merfolk Undead this turn.

[Ephraim]

I think that it is vaguely themely for a black creature to have forestwalk. I don't think that it is themely for it to have mountainwalk or islandwalk, though. On the other hand, I think that the Krovikan Horror-esque version of the Dwarven Undead was extremely cool. Instead of making these a cycle, could you possibly just make them three separate cards connected only by the undead theme (and maybe a land-oriented theme as well) but give them totally different sorts of abilities?

[Marco]

I could do that. Do you think the Krovikan Horror-esque version of Dwarven Undead should have Mountainwalk? Remember that while these are black creatures, they were also once a Dwarf, Elf, and Merfolk (like Balthor the Defiled was once Balthor the Stout), so I think the landwalking fits.

Dwarven Undead
BB
Creature -- Zombie Dwarf
2/1
Mountainwalk
At end of turn, if Dwarven Undead is in your graveyard with a land/Mountain card directly above it, you may return Dwarven Undead to play.

I also think this is extremely cool because it is buried under the land/Mountain and rises from the dead. But, how will I justify a Zombie Dwarf being so much more powerful than a Zombie Elf when an Elf is so much more powerful than a Dwarf (arguably, if I am to believe most literature on Elves being magical, immortal creatures)...?

I have mock ups for these that I will post soon.

[Ephraim]

No, I don't think he should have mountainwalk. As I said, I don't think it's themely for a black creature to bludgeon its allies. You mentioned that you felt the ability was leaps and bounds beyond the green card, so it wouldn't hurt for this not to have mountainwalk.

I am still unsure of what kind of ability the merfolk should have.

[Marco]

Here are the mock ups:

Dwarven Undead
Merfolk Undead
Yavimaya Undead 1
Yavimaya Undead 2 (Alternate Art)

[Marco]

Bump.

[Ephraim]

I'm just brainstorming, so that these can have three totally different land-related abilities. Could the blue one be "Whenenver this deals combat damage to a player, you may return target Island that player controls to its owner's hand."

[Marco]

It's worthy of consideration.

Dwarven Undead
BB
Creature -- Zombie Dwarf
2/1
At end of turn, if Dwarven Undead is in your graveyard with a Mountain card directly above it, you may return Dwarven Undead to play.

Elvish Undead
BB
Creature -- Zombie Elf
2/1
Forestwalk
Whenever Elvish Undead attacks, the defending player may sacrifice a Forest. If that player does, prevent all combat damage that would be dealt by Elvish Undead this turn.

Merfolk Undead
BB
Creature -- Merfolk Zombie
2/1
Whenever Merfolk Undead deals combat damage to a player, you may return target Island that player controls to its owner's hand.

(Isn't that bludgeoning its ally?)

[Ephraim]

Yeah. You're right. I was trying to think of a blue-esque ability when I thought of that, rather than considering my previous objection about black bludgeoning its allies. I think maybe I just need to withdraw my objections and have the original cycle restored. When I thought about it further, the red one has a problem as well. Wizards doesn't print cards anymore that require you to keep track of the order of the graveyard.

[Matt]

Yeah, graveyard order cards are a big problem for organized play issues.

[Marco]

I think maybe I just need to withdraw my objections and have the original cycle restored.

Yay! Any thoughts on a white card, or should I leave it as a three card cycle?

[Marco]

I can't think of anything relevant I could do to a Plains other than discard, sacrifice, or return it, so I think I'll leave this as a three card cycle.

24 hour clock.

[Nibble]

RFG? White likes to RFG. Probably too similar to sacrifice, though.

[Matt]

Closed and added.[/color]