Less Ancient Tomb

[Wagner]

Ok, obviously, Ancient Tomb is plenty strong and would not be reprinted, but I'm trying to see how close we could go without it being broken.

I'm thinking along the lines of.

Tiny Tomb
Tiny Tomb comes into the battlefield tapped.
Tap: Add 2 mana to your mana pool, Tine Tomb does 1 damage to you and doesn't untap in your next untap phase.

This is obviously slower, would it still be playable or too good, or just not good enough. I would be tempted to remove the CIPT clause, but I think it just makes it stupid good then.

[Delha]

I think this falls on the safe side, but probably wouldn't be Vintage playable. Without ETBT, I imagine it would be superior to City of Traitors in mosts lists that run it.

[Ten-Ten]

Ok, obviously, Ancient Tomb is plenty strong and would not be reprinted, but I'm trying to see how close we could go without it being broken.

I'm thinking along the lines of.

Tiny Tomb
Tiny Tomb comes into the battlefield tapped.
Tap: Add 2 mana to your mana pool, Tine Tomb does 1 damage to you and doesn't untap in your next untap phase.

This is obviously slower, would it still be playable or too good, or just not good enough. I would be tempted to remove the CIPT clause, but I think it just makes it stupid good then.

What about for an un-set?
Removing the CIPT,
 
instead:

Tiny Tomb of Doom
 tap: add 11/2 mana to mana pool, tiny tomb of doom deals 1/2point of damage to you.
At end of turn sacrifice Tiny Tomb of Doom by ripping it in four pieces. each piece is a copy of Tiny Tomb of Doom.

Seriously though, Ilike it 
 i would say your original version is good but instead of "doesn't untap in your next untap phase" it should be "doesn't untap during your untap phase. You may exile a card of any color from your hand to untap Tiny Tomb."
That way it doesn't compete with City of Traitors, I don't think.

[Wagner]

You may exile a card of any color from your hand to untap Tiny Tomb.

I'm not sure what this is for. If you need it to be a colored card, it's much worse in colorless decks than probably want this card the most.

[Delha]

You may exile a card of any color from your hand to untap Tiny Tomb.

I'm not sure what this is for. If you need it to be a colored card, it's much worse in colorless decks than probably want this card the most.

Agreed. I like the "pitch to untap", but would make it just "exile a card" rather than demanding a colored card. Assuming it's built this way, I'd change the ETBT clause to be "ETBT unless you exile a card".

Hrm... Alternately, I suppose you could build it as always providing 2 mana for 1 pain, no untap restriction, but replacing the ETBT with a one-land Lotus Vale requirement. That makes it play well with City of Traitors, meaning it would more likely to edge out Ancient Tomb if anything. This ETB requirement might even be harsh enough to make the mana ability painless.

[Cruel Ultimatum]

Hrm... Alternately, I suppose you could build it as always providing 2 mana for 1 pain, no untap restriction, but replacing the ETBT with a one-land Lotus Vale requirement. That makes it play well with City of Traitors, meaning it would more likely to edge out Ancient Tomb if anything. This ETB requirement might even be harsh enough to make the mana ability painless.

Isn't this just worse then the karoo cycle from ravnica?

[Delha]

Hrm... Alternately, I suppose you could build it as always providing 2 mana for 1 pain, no untap restriction, but replacing the ETBT with a one-land Lotus Vale requirement. That makes it play well with City of Traitors, meaning it would more likely to edge out Ancient Tomb if anything. This ETB requirement might even be harsh enough to make the mana ability painless.

Isn't this just worse then the karoo cycle from ravnica?

Yeah, I'd forgotten those. You're definitely right.

[Darkenslight]

Hrm... Alternately, I suppose you could build it as always providing 2 mana for 1 pain, no untap restriction, but replacing the ETBT with a one-land Lotus Vale requirement. That makes it play well with City of Traitors, meaning it would more likely to edge out Ancient Tomb if anything. This ETB requirement might even be harsh enough to make the mana ability painless.

Isn't this just worse then the karoo cycle from ravnica?

Then you could possibly make it produce two of any combination of colors and have it sac a land and ETBT.