Encased Idol

[technogeek5000]

Encased Idol
 
Legendary Artifact

First strike, trample, vigilance, whenever Encased Idol deals combat damage to a player you gain that much life.

Obviously this card does nothing at first. The artifact has 4 different abilities but it cant use them because it is not a creature. So to make it a creature you have to use cards like animate artifact or march of the machines. When you do you have a creature that's power and toughness are equal to it casting cost. So if you do make it a creature you have a 2/2 first strike, trample, vigilance, whenever Encased Idol deals combat damage to a player you gain that much life, legendary creature. If i make the mana cost higher then the creature would just get stronger so changing that to balance it wont work. I tried to make it more balanced by giving it legendary. Tell me if you think this card is over powered, under powered, or just right.

Encased Idol
 
Artifact

First strike, trample, vigilance, whenever Encased Idol deals combat damage to a player you gain that much life.

[The Atog Lord]

Sets need junk rares, and this seems a good candidate to be sold off for fifteen cents.
Not overpowered, and still unique. It is a bad card, but again, sets need bad cards.

[Matt]

I like this! Why is it legendary? And can we get rid of Spirit Link for some other keyword ability, like flying?

[parallax]

Definitely lose the spirit link and legendary, maybe give it flying. (And haste and pro red and black and make it cost )

I think you should make this cost at least so you're actually getting a decent body out of it. It's a two card combo that costs at least four more mana to make a creature, so you can push the power level quite a bit. You can tweak the power to casting cost ratio by: giving it double strike; giving it a pump ability ": ~this~ gets +1/+1 until end of turn."; or a static ability "~This~ gets +2/+2 as long as it's a creature."

[Darkenslight]

Just make it a 0/1 and you'll be fine.

[parallax]

Just make it a 0/1 and you'll be fine.

You appear to have missed the point. This isn't meant to be a creature. It's an artifact that wants to be turned into a creature.

I think it should be worded "~this~ gets first strike, trample, vigilance (and +2/+2) as long as it's a creature." to prevent confusion. Otherwise, people would think it's some kind of printing error or typo and call customer service and email Ask Wizards asking what its power and toughness are supposed to be. Also, it's kind of icky to have a non-creature artifact with those abilities. It doesn't break the rules or cause any problems, per se, but it makes me feel dirty.

[Liam-K]

Is there some interesting way to make enchant creatures activate this?  Or is that too thran golem?

[Matt]

I think it should be worded "~this~ gets first strike, trample, vigilance (and +2/+2) as long as it's a creature." to prevent confusion. Otherwise, people would think it's some kind of printing error or typo and call customer service and email Ask Wizards asking what its power and toughness are supposed to be.

Oh yeah, good call.

And you want to talk about cards that look like they're printed wrong but aren't? We once made a cycle of mana artifacts with Morph!

[technogeek5000]

Hmm i guess spirit link should get removed... I was thinking instead of giving it provoke or double strike instead of first strike. I don't want to give it flying because then its first strike and trample would be void if opponent has no flying creatures.

I think it should be worded "~this~ gets first strike, trample, vigilance (and +2/+2) as long as it's a creature." to prevent confusion.

hmm this card i kinda wanted to be thought provoking... you know to help new players think of combos. Maybe I should put in parenthesis: (Encased Idol cannot attack, block, or be affected by spells or abilities that effect or target creatures unless Encased Idol is a creature) If you all don't think this is a good idea then i will do what parralax suggested.

[asi]

Encased Idol
 
Artifact

First strike, trample, vigilance, whenever Encased Idol deals combat damage to a player you gain that much life.

This makes me really want that darn Spirit Link ability keyworded. i already use it keyworded on my cards (I call it "Spirit Link". TV has destroyed my creativity. Wait, what do you mean by "that's from a Simpsons episode"?).

Also, the card is really nice. Reminds me of Earth Surge, it just doesn't suck so hard.

[Anusien]

I like this! Why is it legendary? And can we get rid of Spirit Link for some other keyword ability, like flying?

I agree on just about all counts.  You could make this legendary, but since it's a fairly mundane artifact, I'd rather not.  Plus, this gets awesome in multiples (since March turns two or three on at once).  I agree, how does an artifact spirit link?

<Needs a Better Name> - 2
Artifact
This gets +2/+2 and has flying, first strike, trample and vigilance as long as it's a creature.

[parallax]

Djinn in a Bottle or Bottled Djinn.

[Matt]

I don't think it needs to pump itself (which is kind of weird when you think about it). I like how it reads with all keyword abilities.