Puzzle Box

[technogeek5000]

Puzzle Box


Artifact Creature
Defender

you may repay puzzle box's mana cost (play only as a sorcery).

If you payed green in puzzle box's mana cost put a 1/1 squirrel creature token into play. If you payed blue in puzzle box's mana cost draw a card. If you payed red in puzzle box's mana cost, puzzle box deals 2 damage to target creature or player. If you payed black in puzzle box's mana cost target opponent loses 1 life and you gain 1 life.

0/3

This card deeper explores hybrid mana. You can pay any 3 combinations of mana without white so it can go in a decent amount of decks. The different types of mana you, the different effects you get from the card. Also this card allows you to repay its mana cost so you can get those effects again or if your playing cards like city of brass you can get completely different effects. This card can basically be your nifty little toolbox. please tell me if it is under or over powered... or if it is just right.

Current Wording:
Puzzle Box
 
Artifact

If you payed green in Puzzle Box's mana cost put a 1/1 squirrel creature token into play. If you payed blue in Puzzle Box's mana cost draw a card. If you payed red in Puzzle Box's mana cost, Puzzle Box deals 2 damage to target creature. If you payed black in Puzzle Box's mana cost you may put target creature in your graveyard to your hand. If you payed white in Puzzle Box's mana cost then you may gain 2 life.

0: return puzzle box to its owners hand.

[nietzsche]

Why would a puzzle box be a creature?  why not just make it an artifact with "(weirdo mana cost) tap: ability."  And then something like for every green you played, blah, for every black you played, blah, etc.

[Matt]

First off, 'paid' not 'payed'.

Second, I would not even begin to wonder about the power level until I understood what this does! It's way too complex (in fact I would not be surprised to learn it won't fit on an actual card, especially after we reword the abilities to proper Magic grammar).

Third, the red and black abilities seem to overlap a little much.

Fourth, why exactly does white not get invited to the party?

[Shmn]

First of all, 6 mana is a lot for an artifact (or anything, really). It would probably not see any play unless it was 5 or less. The cost to use the ability is also quite high, and the mechanic awkward. I don't think it should be a creature either - it's a box!

But I've drafted two alternate versions of what it could be like:

Puzzle Box
5
Artifact
T: Roll a 6-sided die:
1: Sacrifice Puzzle Box
2: You gain 3 life
3: Puzzle Box deals 2 damage to target creature or player
4: Draw a card
5: Put a 1/1 green rabbit creature token into play under your control
6: Each player sacrifices a permanent
If you don't know what you want, your wish will be granted -Box inscription

Puzzle Box
5
Artifact
GGG: Put a 1/1 green rabbit creature token into play under your control
RRR: Puzzle Box deals 2 damage to target creature or player
BBB: Each player sacrifices a permanent
WWW: You gain 3 life
"One puzzle you can put together in a thousand different ways."

[netherspirit]

How about something like:

Puzzle Box
5
Artifact
If you paid G in Puzzle Box's mana cost, put a 1/1 squirrel creature token into play. If you paid U in Puzzle Box's mana cost draw a card. If you paid R in Puzzle Box's mana cost, Puzzle Box deals 2 damage to target creature. If you paid B in Puzzle Box's mana cost target opponent loses 1 life and you gain 1 life.
0: Return Puzzle Box to its owners hand, play this ability only as a sorcery.

I changed the red ability because as Matt said the red and black were too similar.

Fourth, why exactly does white not get invited to the party?

Matt, does it really need to be any more complicated?

[Matt]

Wait, this is an artifact too? A colored artifact is bad juju.

[technogeek5000]

hmm your right i guess... transguild courrier deserved much more play then it got, (which was about 0 percent in all decks) because of combos like blessing and might of nephilim which makes it ridiculously strong.

I like the netherspirit's wording better then mine, im thinking about adding white: If you used white to pay Puzzle Box's mana cost then you gain 2 life. tell me what you think.

also i will make puzzle box not a creature.

[Matt]

If it's not a creature I think it's safe to drop Defender.

I like how this is turning out. Self-bouncing is a cool ability.

[technogeek5000]

lol oops i fogot to take that out lol

[Anusien]

This needs a flavor overhaul.  Puzzle Box is too generic for something this able (full of ability )
At any rate, yes, it needs a white ability, which means the black ability probably needs to change to raise dead or giving a creature fear until end of turn.

I have this feeling the power level is fine, but I'm still struggling to evaluate it.