Rainmaker's Whimsy

[Ephraim]

Rainmaker's Whimsy

Enchantment

At the beginning of your upkeep, discard a card then draw a card.

***

I just wanted to create one more enchantment in my Rainmaker cycle. I wanted this one to be something uncommon, rather than something rare, though. I also thought that "Whimsy" sounded pretty cool, so I built the mechanic around the name. It's a subtle variation on cards like Ceta Sanctuary. I think it's a little bit weaker, since it can only actually generate card advantage if your hand is empty at the beginning of your upkeep (note the intentional order of discard then draw.)

[Ephraim]

Current Wording:

Rainmaker's Whimsy
{2}{U}
Enchantment

{1}{U}: Draw two cards then discard a card at random.

[Jacob Orlove]

I think this might be undercosted. It isn't that hard to empty your hand, especially if this lets you ditch some excess land, and then you're just getting a free card every turn. I'd rather see it at 2U.

[stolen]

Even if you don't empty your hand and this gives no true card advantage, it still does allow you to cycle through the deck twice as fast and increase card quality.  Furthermore, with Madness and the recent capabilities of a graveyard to become an active resource, the simple draw-discard takes on a new power.  I concur with Orlove that this needs to have a higher cost, if not another drawback in the text.

[Matt]

This is a lot like Anvil of Bogarden but one-sided.

[Ephraim]

Ah... So it is. Keep this thread open, then, and watch this space. A new ability is forthcoming.

[Ephraim]

How would this work? The ability is like [card]Sailmonger[/card]'s, but this isn't a creature and the ability isn't identical...

Rainmaker's Whimsy
(?)
Enchantment

: Target creature gains flying until end of turn. Each opponent may draw a card. Any player may play this ability.

***

I figure that it would be interesting in draft, mostly as a defense against an opponent's fliers and also as a means of forcing people not to tap out. It sort of has a rhystic feel to it, since it can be counteracted somewhat by an opponent paying to give their own creatures flying.

[Pizzatog]

I like the card above me better, but its too simmetrical. You need something to give you the upper hand. In that sense, Id tweak the mana cost. Id keep the cost at 1U, but make the ability cost 2 or U. That way, youd have at least some advantage, being able to activate it for one with blue mana, while an off colour opponent would have to pay 2.

[Ephraim]

I removed the symmetry of the card. I decided that Pizzatog was right about it being too symmetrical. As it stands right now, it isn't tremendously good, but since when have I ever been all that picky about my cards being great? It's probably the uncommon that I was looking for, so...

Any objections?

[Jacob Orlove]

I really don't like this. Letting opponents draw a card is a huge drawback, in exchange for which you get an activated Levitation.

[Ephraim]

Do you dislike it because it is a (bad card?) or because it is a (bad card that shouldn't be made?) If it's just because of the former, recall that we have to fill out the common and uncommon registers of our set(s) too -- and they don't have to be filled with good cards.

[Jacob Orlove]

It's just a card that does something several other cards do, only much, much worse, like Ember Shot or Chimney Imp. We don't have to make good cards, but I'd like to at least avoid the obviously terrible ones.

[Ephraim]

Cards that do the same things as other, existing cards are staples of block design, though. Obviously, this is worse than Levitation or Wonder. On the other hand, maybe one of the goals of the set in which this card appears could be to have flying be a lower powered ability than it normally is. Furthermore, there is finite design space extant in Magic. It might be possible to create new design space, but an enchantment that gives creatures flying probably isn't going to do that. As such, any new card in that design space is going to be better than, worse than, or approximately equal to any other card in the design space. There is no reason why such a card shouldn't be the worst card yet to exist in that design space.

[Jacob Orlove]

Cards that do the same things as other, existing cards are staples of block design, though.

Sure. But making commons or uncommons that are literally unplayable in any format is something that wizards tries to avoid.

Obviously, this is worse than Levitation or Wonder. On the other hand, maybe one of the goals of the set in which this card appears could be to have flying be a lower powered ability than it normally is.

The did a set like that already, called Ice Age. That set had a card similar to yours: [card]Arnjlots Ascent[/card]. Except yours has a ridiculous drawback, instead of just dying after a while.

Furthermore, there is finite design space extant in Magic. It might be possible to create new design space, but an enchantment that gives creatures flying probably isn't going to do that. As such, any new card in that design space is going to be better than, worse than, or approximately equal to any other card in the design space. There is no reason why such a card shouldn't be the worst card yet to exist in that design space.

There's a big difference between being the worst card yet in a given role, and being an utter waste of paper.

I'd be fine with your card if the drawback was less severe, but as it is, I just can't approve. The current version would easily make it into the 100 worst cards of all time, and it might even crack the top 10.

[TheWellknownBrownie]

You could improve it vastly by forcing the opponent to draw a card. Then it becomes an alternate late game kill condition. Still bad, but with a potential use in Limited.

[MrZuccinniHead]

lol j||<3 sounds like Simon on american idol, but he's right.  This is pretty bad.  You usually make great cards, too.

[Ephraim]

I'm going out on a limb with the next propossal. Randomness typically is not a part of blue, but at the moment, it's the only way I can think of to really capture the flavour of "whimsy." The card to compare this to, I think, is Treasure Trove. It's much cheaper to cast and to use, but the random aspect could significantly impact the quality of cards in hand. The only real precedent for cards with an ability like this are Control of the Court and Goblin Lore -- both soon to be legal in Vintage, but nonetheless from sets that are not necessarily definitive in their mechanic assignments.

Rainmaker's Whimsy

Enchantment

: Draw two cards then discard a card at random.

[MrZuccinniHead]

i like this better

[Jacob Orlove]

Would this be better or worse if the random discard was part of the cost?

[Ephraim]

Worse. That would mean you can't activate it with an empty hand. If the random discard is still part of the effect, but occurs prior to drawing the cards, then it would be better, since it could yield two cards. Not only that, but if you like the cards in your hand, then you have less reason to be activating this in the first place.

[Jacob Orlove]

I was just comparing this to Compulsion, which is discard, then draw. It's fine as is, though.

[Ephraim]

It's true that it would be more in line with Compulsion, but I don't want it to feel like a cycler. Also, having it as part of the effect, as noted, makes it slightly better. Since it costs more than Compulsion to cast and has a generally worse effect, I figure giving it a few, subtle improvements can't hurt anything.

24 Hour Clock.

[Jacob Orlove]

24 Hour Clock.

You still have the old version in the current wording.

[Ephraim]

Damn, you're fast. I realized that just a couple of seconds after I initiated the clock and fixed it.

[Matt]

Closed and added.[/color]