Cycle of "Vandal" creatures

[keys]

Duskwalker Dryad
Uncommon
BG
Creature - Zombie Dryad
Fear

Whenever ~this~ deals combat damage to a player, put two target cards in that player's graveyard on the bottom of his or her library in any order.

2/1




Renegade Knight
Uncommon
WR
Creature - Human Barbarian Knight
Haste

Whenever ~this~ deals combat damage to a player, destroy target artifact or enchantment with converted mana cost two or less that player controls.

2/2





Harvest Sprite
Rare
UG
Creature - Faerie Druid
Flying

Whenever ~this~ deals combat damage to a player, tap target land that player controls and it doesn't untap during its controller's next untap step.  If you do, add 1 mana of any color that land can produce to your mana pool at the beginning of your next main phase.  (If that land produces no colored mana, add 1 to your mana pool instead.)

1/1





Harvest Sprite Version II
Rare
UG
Creature - Faerie Fungus
Flying

Whenever ~this~ deals combat damage to a player, put a spore counter on target land that player controls.

Remove three spore counters from target land: tap that land and put a 1/1 blue and green Saproling creature token with Flying into play.

2/1





Hotsprings Wildcat
Rare
UR
Creature - Cat Illusion
First strike

Whenever ~this~ deals combat damage to a player, you may turn target non-token creature with converted mana cost two or less that player controls face down.  It's a 2/2 creature.

2/1





Soul Curate
Rare
BW
Creature - Human Cleric Spirit
Shadow

Whenever ~this~ deals combat damage to a player, you may return target creature card with converted mana cost 2 or less from that player's graveyard to play under your control.  If you do, you lose 2 life.

2/1





It all staryed with Duskwalker Dryad, which inspired me to create the whole enemy color cycle of "Vandal" creatures (named after Goblin Vandal).  I really spent a lot of time to get the flavor of these guys just right in regards to Name/Color/Creature Type, and I think they turned out really well.  Maybe I'll get to do allied color Vandals next.

The creatures themselves are efficient and the abilities are useful yet also unique, which can be devastating against (hence, reactive, so not broken) certain decks.  I specifically designed these cards with the Vintage and Legacy formats in mind, and each ability is particularly effective against one or more popular archtypes-- see if you can find all the uses 

Let me know what you think.

[asmoranomardicodais]

The RU one needs some sort of evasion. If they have any creatures at all, then they'll block, so you'll never get to use this guys ability, which is sad, since it'sa cool ability.

[keys]

Well, I would argue that First strike is a form of evasion because it prevents chump blockers.  Also, I thought it was clever that 2 power and First strike makes him a "morph hunter" so to speak.  I think this fits with the flavor of a Wildcat, a predatory animal.  Plus, a lot of cats in Magic have had First strike, and it's essentially a red ability.  And the morph ability is essentially blue, but also flavorful because it suggests that the cat uses surprise to incapacitate its enemies.

I also dabbled with Untargetability for this creature, which might be a more straightforward type of evasion, but it just didn't fit with the intended ability.

[parallax]

Actually, I think the Wildcat is the best one. First Strike will prevent it from being blocked in many cases. It is a sort of pseudo-evasion. Untargetability, however, is not an evasion ability no matter how you look at it.

The Wildcat should be worded:
Whenever ~this~ deals combat damage to a player, you may turn target non-token creature that player controls face down. It's a 2/2 creature.

I have power-level concerns with most of the other cards. Two-power evasive creatures for two mana with saboteur abilities are much too strong. The Dryad is essentially three power for two mana with evasion. The Knight is fine power-wise, but both his abilities feel red. The Sprite is just too strong. Returning lands to someone's hand is never a minor ability. The Curate is too strong as well as shadow might as well say unblockable. I think the evasion abilities are too strong on these types of cards.

[President Skroob]

Hotsprings Wildcat
Rare
UR
Creature - Cat Illusion
First strike

Whenever ~this~ deals combat damage to a player, you may turn target non-token creature that player controls face down.

2/1

Do you think a phrase should be added to allow creatures without a morph cost to be unmorphed? Something like, "That creature gains a Morph cost equal to its casting cost." It could probably be worded better than that.

Other than that, I am a fan, and I also think that this kitty is the pick of the litter.

[keys]

The Wildcat's drawback is that he's pretty much SOL against any creature with toughness greater than 3 (Nimble Mongoose, Rotting Giant, Serra Avenger, Serendib Efreet, etc.) that doesn't mind playing defense.  However, he can still hold off creatures like Darksteel Collosus, because if they swing, the Wildcast can counterattack during the next turn and flip them.  Then, who's the hunter and who's the prey?  Of course in the DSC scenario, "morph cost equal to its casting cost" would be quite funny.

But the real strength (and intended purpose) is being able to force a player to come up with answers if he or she wants to keep small utility creatures like Goblin Welder, Meddling Mage, Dark Confidant, or Xantid Swarm from getting flipped.  It just makes it interesting that they become vanilla 2/2s.  I might amend it to say "you may turn target non-token creature with converted mana cost 2 or less that player controls face down," if I decide the ability is too strong.

[Toad]

All these are pretty nice. I would turn the BG Zombie into a 0/2 to balance his damage ability, but Im unsure about this.

Cards from the same cycle should have the same rarity.

[keys]

The Wildcat should be worded:
Whenever ~this~ deals combat damage to a player, you may turn target non-token creature that player controls face down. It's a 2/2 creature.

Done

I have power-level concerns with most of the other cards. Two-power evasive creatures for two mana with saboteur abilities are much too strong. The Dryad is essentially three power for two mana with evasion.

By comparison, Jotun Grunt is essentially a 4/4 for two, and it doesn't require two different off color mana.  At least with the Grunt you can fuel him yourself, so the Dryad is much more metagame dependent.  So, I think it's fair.

The Knight is fine power-wise, but both his abilities feel red.

Hmmm.  You have a point.  Should the ability RFG or shuffle into library instead of destroy?

The Sprite is just too strong. Returning lands to someone's hand is never a minor ability.

*Nonbasic lands. There's a big difference.  On turn three, you could play Back to Basics, Blood Moon or Crucible of Worlds, and are those cards overpowered?  The flavor/ability is modeled after Plow Under.  I could add "unless that player pays 2" to the end of the ability if it is, indeed, too powerful.

The Curate is too strong as well as shadow might as well say unblockable. I think the evasion abilities are too strong on these types of cards.

Remember you're putting into play the opponent's creatures, not your own.  This was important to avoid Squee like discard situations or infinately recuring Children of Korlis.  Really, this guy is only good against Zoo and possibly Survival.  Do you think he's better than Goblin Lackey?  I certainly don't. EDIT: I've completed the Reanimate ability by including life loss.

Remember that they still die to the most basic forms of removal: StP, Lightning Bolt, Pyroclasm, Darkblast.  Plus, the double mana requirement makes them very specific, and can't easily be splashed for.

Cards from the same cycle should have the same rarity.

Okay.  For some reason I thought the multicolor creature cycle in Invasion didn't.

EDIT:  I've done a LOT of balancing.  You decide if I've nerfed them too much.

[parallax]

With the changes, I like all the cards except Harvest Sprite. I don't think the word non-basic carries as much weight as people seem to think. Very few decks in Standard right now play more than two or three basic lands. Ravnica is partly to blame for this, but still. I think an Unsummon effect would be better on that card.

[Toad]

I really like all them except the land bouncer. Even with the 2 mana clause it is still very strong for a 1/1 for 2 with Evasion. It is basically a double Rishadan Port that costs you no tempo and deals 1 damage per turn.

[keys]

Okay, the first new version is Rishadan Port/Tangle + Mana Drain/Harvester Druid.  Version 2 is Rishadan Port/Tangle + Gaea's Skyfolk + Thallid.


Edit: I just realized that the new Time Spiral common called Mana Skimmer is exactly the same thing as the updated Harvest Sprite...

Now I'm stumped.