[Aztec] Bloodletting

[stolen]

Bloodletting
1G
Enchantment
2, pay 2 life: remove a poison counter from yourself.  Any player may use this ability.


I was looking at Venatog and started thinking of other ways to remove poison counters.  Sucking the poison out is one way this is done (although, to my knowledge, it's not recommended).  It's a simple and flavourful way to exchange 2 life for the removal of a poison counter, which is about what it's worth, I would imagine.  I added the mana cost so that it still takes some resources, so that there is some opportunity cost to removing counters rather than simply making it so that 19 poison counters are necessary to kill a player.  (Edit: Added "once per turn" and sorcery speed so that even a player with a lot of mana and not a lot to spend it on can still only remove the counters slowly.  Sorcery speed goes a step further to make it once every two turns, and prevents players from saving up the mana for other things and only choosing to spend it EOT.)

I'm not completely sure what color this should be.  I originally went with White, because of it's medicinal flavor, but I thought Green might be a bit more appropriate here because of the slightly more feral nature of the medicine (where using herbs more sophisticated medical devices might be in White's domain).

I also thought to make this useful to all payers, because it seems more universal--a technique rather than a spell reliant on a particular enchantment.


CURRENT WORDING:

Bloodletting
{1}{G}
Enchantment
{2}, pay 2 life:  Remove a poison counter from yourself.  Any player may play this ability.

Changes:
1) Added "once per turn" clause (me)
2) Added sorcery speed (me)
3) Repealed changes 1 and 2 (Orlove)
4) Wording (Matt)
5) Wording (Orlove)
6) Wording

[stolen]

Wow, found this on the second page, posted a month ago today and with no replies.

So, bump.

[Jacob Orlove]

This is ridiculously bad. It should probably be 1 mana to activate, with no other drawbacks.

[Nazdakka]

This is ridiculously bad. It should probably be 1 mana to activate, with no other drawbacks.

True, but if we want to push the poison theme, we don't want to make removing counters too easy.

[Jacob Orlove]

Oh, I meant leave the 2 life cost on there, but cut the sorcery speed and one-use limits.

[stolen]

I'll try removing those two conditions, see how it looks.

Edit: quick wording question: is it "any play may use..." or "any player may play this ability"?  I can't think of another card off-hand that I can template this on.

[Jacob Orlove]

It should be play.

[stolen]

Eh...

24-HOUR CLOCK

[Nova442]

Doesn't the "you" or "yourself" on a card refer to the owner of the card, typically?  That might cause confusion at the least.  How about:

2, pay 2 life:  Remove a poison counter from target player.  Any player may play this ability.

That makes it somewhat stronger as it counters the poison yourself for benefit type cards.  Something to consider, at least.

[stolen]

I would prefer that each player can only remove counters from him/herself.  Can I get a second opinion on whether this wording works?

[Jacob Orlove]

You could always reword it to:

2, sacrifice a poison counter: lose 2 life. Any player may play this ability.

[Matt]

So it's a global, mana intensive Leeches?

[stolen]

Why yes, yes it is.

Will change to Orlove's wording.  Kinda weird, but it works.  Can you really sacrifice poison counters?

[Matt]

I kind of meant that in a disparaging way but I guess if the set's built around it it might avoid being horrible.

[Nova442]

I know that the current wording won't work, the "sacrifice a poison counter" because I read in the comprehensive rules that:

A player can't sacrifice something that isn't a permanent


I am looking at an alternate wording and the comp rules though.  I even toyed with the idea of making it based on the active player, but then I realized sorcery speed does the trick.

[Kowal]

Why is removing the poison a cost?  Shouldn't that be the result of the bloodletting?

[stolen]

I kind of meant that in a disparaging way

I know.  I was just being dismissive.

To Kowal's concern, I agree, but if you read the earlier comments, there was a rules concern about who "you/yourself" is when the player activating the ability is different from the controller of the card.

If the player using the ability is "you" (which makes logistical sense, but might not work in the rules), then I will change it back so that the poison counter removal is the effect.

[Nova442]

I fired off an e-mail to the judges on this one.  Things are actually looking better for the original wording now, when I found that the controller of the activated ability is the player playing it.  This is opposed to triggered abilities, which are controlled by the permanent's controller, even if it's the opponent who has to make all the choices (smokestack + tangle wire, anyone?).

[stolen]

Great, thanks.  I'll change the wording back.

[Nova442]

I'm just sorry I muddied the waters on a rules question that wasn't relevant   Looks like the card is done now, though.  Good job people.

[stolen]

Don't worry about it.  Now we know for future cards.

My last clock was interrupted, so here it is again:

24-HOUR CLOCK

[Matt]

Closed and added.[/color]