Vec Commander (was Midfield General)

[Nazdakka]

Midfield General (playtest name)
1W
Creature - Soldier
Vigilance
Whenever ~this~ deals damage, you gain that much life
1/3

What do we think - is this an ok common for limited? It's not good enough for constructed, but this is a rock solid defensive guy.

Current Wording:

Vec Commander
1W
Creature - Soldier
Vigilance
Whenever Vec Commander deals combat damage, you gain that much life.
A good commander is the first into battle and the last to retreat.  A great commander does it with a smile in his heart and a spring in his step.
1/3

Changelog
9/11 - Added combat-damage only clause.
20/11 - Added flavour text and an idea for the name
01/04 - New name.

[parallax]

This guy's great. Not much to say about him, though. Seems balanced compared to Courier Hawk, trading flying for a point of toughness and Spirit Link.

[zeus-online]

Uncommon i think....not common.

/Zeus

[Nazdakka]

Uncommon i think....not common.

/Zeus

Why? Sure he's strong, but too strong for common? Would you take this guy over high-end commons like Pacifism or Master Decoy?

[zeus-online]

No i wouldn't, its just that those abilities combined would probably go on an uncommon unless it was horribly overcosted.

/Zeus

[parallax]

No i wouldn't, its just that those abilities combined would probably go on an uncommon unless it was horribly overcosted.

/Zeus

Mourning Thrull.

I think this is fine.

[jro]

This is also Skyhunter Prowler - flying + Spirit Link - 1cc.  I think a bigger concern than some abstract notion of balance is whether the limited format can handle this.  This card would be a house in any limited format that relies on 2 power 2 drops.  It's not that easy getting a creature with 3 power in limited.  Chances are, you wouldn't be able to productively swing into this guy until turn 5.  And he's always going to be able to swing if you went first and it's your turn 3.

[parallax]

This is also Skyhunter Prowler - flying + Spirit Link - 1cc.  I think a bigger concern than some abstract notion of balance is whether the limited format can handle this.  This card would be a house in any limited format that relies on 2 power 2 drops.  It's not that easy getting a creature with 3 power in limited.  Chances are, you wouldn't be able to productively swing into this guy until turn 5.  And he's always going to be able to swing if you went first and it's your turn 3.

You have a good point here, but that only applies to bear-focused limited environments. It's hard to judge cards that are meant to be limited commons here in the Card Creation Forum as we have no context for the cards. We're focused on individual cards. We can't know what kind of environment the cards would end up in. I've been saying this a lot lately, but this is a development issue. In a limited format with plentiful removal and/or evasion, or one that cares more about Hill Giants or flank Knights, this guy is fine at common. If the format is two-drop--based, then development will move this guy to uncommon or increase the cost to .

[Nazdakka]

This is also Skyhunter Prowler - flying + Spirit Link - 1cc.  I think a bigger concern than some abstract notion of balance is whether the limited format can handle this.  This card would be a house in any limited format that relies on 2 power 2 drops.  It's not that easy getting a creature with 3 power in limited.  Chances are, you wouldn't be able to productively swing into this guy until turn 5.  And he's always going to be able to swing if you went first and it's your turn 3.

You have a good point here, but that only applies to bear-focused limited environments. It's hard to judge cards that are meant to be limited commons here in the Card Creation Forum as we have no context for the cards. We're focused on individual cards. We can't know what kind of environment the cards would end up in. I've been saying this a lot lately, but this is a development issue. In a limited format with plentiful removal and/or evasion, or one that cares more about Hill Giants or flank Knights, this guy is fine at common. If the format is two-drop--based, then development will move this guy to uncommon or increase the cost to .

Absolutely. In a vacuum, this is an excellent defensive creature, but the context will determines how useful that is. In Ravinca block? He'd be all right, but it's a fairly slow format and so most decks will either have answers or better things to do. But in a tempo format defined by Grizzly Bears or Gray Ogres (aka Invasion or Onslaught blocks)? He'd be a house, because he's be just what you need to buy time against an onrushing horde. We can always kill/nerf him in development if he proves a problem as currently written.

[Nazdakka]

Needs a name and flavour text. Anyone?

[Godder]

Limited environments are almost always Bear and Gray Ogre oriented. This guy is a house because he deals damage when attacks and blocks, and Vigilance will see him doing both a lot.

[Anusien]

At 1/3 I wouldn't make him a general.  Lieutenant?  Commander?
A good commander is the first into battle and the last to retreat.  A great commander does it with a smile in his heart and a spring in his step.

[Nazdakka]

Oops, my reply on this got lost when we went back to the backups.

I like the flavour text, especially the way it links in with both Vigilance and Spirit Link, I'm just having trouble with the name. We can't really use 'Midfield General' as a name - it's a soccer reference (a Midfield General is a defensive midfield player who co-ordinates for the defense and supports the players further foward).

How about "Grizzled Sergeant"? Is the idea of a sergeant with "a smile in his heart and a spring in his step" ok, or do we need to give him a promotion?

[Nazdakka]

Clock.

[Matt]

It's not "seargant" that doesn't go with smiles and lightness of boot, but "grizzled."

[Nazdakka]

Loooong bump here, but I just thought about this card and thought I would come back to it. No point making a new thread. All he needed was a name and I think I have one:

Vec Commander
1W
Creature - Soldier
Vigilance
Whenever ~this~ deals combat damage, you gain that much life.
A good leader is the first into battle and the last to retreat.  A meandeck leader does it with a smile in his heart and a spring in his step.
1/3

Are we still OK with this?

[Anusien]

Word filter fun going on?  Other than some minor layout issues (I'm assumign you're gonna replace ~this~ with Vec Command and remove "A meandeck leader", I like it, although I have no idea what a Vec commander is.

[Nazdakka]

I picked a race from Magic history which sounded good. See Vec Townships and the various en-/il-vec. The one problem is that he hasn't got an affiliation (IIRC en-Vec were the  loyalists, il-Vec the rebels), which will look a bit strange. How about Commander en-Vec? Clashes a little with Commander Greven il-Vec, so maybe I need to think again.

[Darkenslight]

What about the name Korvecdal Commander, with a quote by Eladamri:

"Even the greatest of leaders must delegate duties sometimes."
-Eladamri, Lord of Leaves.

[Ephraim]

I picked a race from Magic history which sounded good. See Vec Townships and the various en-/il-vec. The one problem is that he hasn't got an affiliation (IIRC en-Vec were the  loyalists, il-Vec the rebels), which will look a bit strange. How about Commander en-Vec? Clashes a little with Commander Greven il-Vec, so maybe I need to think again.

Is it strictly necessary for him to be a Commander?  There are numerous ranks or titles that you could give him to avoid conflict with Greven, while still maintaining the en-Vec designation.

Trooper en-Vec
Infantry en-Vec
Marshall en-Vec