U/B Wizard

[Stijn]

Random Wizard
UB1
Creature -- Wizard
T, Pay 2 life, Remove a instant or sorcery card in a graveyard from the game: Search your library for a card with the same name as the removed card and put it into your hand.
0/1


Yes, maybe it is way overpowered, but I really like the mechanic.

Aspects that make this card less dangerous:

It is 0/1, so it can`t survive combat or burn.
The effect costs 2 life, meaning that you can`t use it over and over again.
It doesnt really work with restricted cards (unless your opponent plays them obviously)
It can`t slip under a Drain as easily as a welder.
Too slow for combo.
You need cards in your graveyard, meaning that it won`t really do anything in the early game.

Aspects that make this card dangerous:

Virtually doubles every card you play(remove fow, find fow).

This effect alone makes this card very dangerous, because you can keep on FoWing, Duressing, Thirsting etc. It seems to me that once you activate this card, you get an overwhelming cardadvantage.

Obviously this card needs a better name, and I think the wording can be shortened. It may be possible that I have to raise the cost of the effect. Any ideas\improvements\comments?

P.S : Please note that this is my first post on the Card creation forum, so don`t be too harsh :P




Current wording :

Mortimancer
{1}{B}{B}
Creature -- Wizard
1/1


{T}, {B}: Remove target instant or sorcery card in a graveyard from the game. Search your library for a card with the same name as the removed card, reveal it, and put it into your hand. Then shuffle your library.

[Ephraim]

I like this idea, but I am not sure why this has to be blue at all. (Maybe because it only gets instants and sorceries?) Graveyard hate, searching, and life payments are all traditionally associated with black. It would probably be appropriate to make the removal of a card in a graveyard part of the effect and make it target. That reduces the power of this effect a little bit. If it needs further reduction, increasing the cost to {2}{B}{B} or putting the card on top of the library instead of in your hand would both be appropriate. Either weakening could be accompanied by an increase in the creature's power to 1 (which may not be inappropriate anyhow.)

My take on this card is this:

Mortimancer
{2}{B}{B}
Creature -- Wizard
1/1

{T}, Pay two life: Remove target instant or sorcery card in a graveyard from the game. Search your library for a card with the same name as the removed card and put it into your hand. Then shuffle your library.

[Stijn]

I guess you are right, this card feels kinda black. Targeting should be fine, because you can still remove the card with a Wretch/Purge, which weakens this card a bit. It also gets hosed by ground seal now.

I don`t like to put the card on top of my library, I prefer to get the card in my hand as an effect.

New card :

Mortimancer
{1}{B}{B}
Creature -- Wizard
1/1


{T}, Pay two life: Remove target instant or sorcery card in a graveyard from the game. Search your library for a card with the same name as the removed card and put it into your hand. Then shuffle your library.

[Marco]

Nice. The ability reminds me of Holistic Wisdom.

[Nova442]

I'm a little worried that we're giving out free regrowth's with this card.  If we want to push the power level to the limit this is the way to go.  Otherwise the more conservative vamp tutor suggestion is also good.

[Sanity_XIV]

Shouldn't there be a 'reveal the card' clause so your opponent knows you're not cheating? These generally appear when you have to search for specific cards/card types. I think so, anyways.

[Ephraim]

Yes/No, Nova. While we are permitting a limited form of Regrowth, note that the real power of Regrowth shows up when it's combined with restricted cards, with which this can do nothing. Of course, Eternal Witness sees play in a variety of formats, which testifies to the power of any Regrowth ability, but Witness also capitalizes on the fact that you can run fewer copies of a card and still get multiple uses out of it. This requires you to run more copies of a card.

[Jacob Orlove]

Shouldn't there be a 'reveal the card' clause so your opponent knows you're not cheating? These generally appear when you have to search for specific cards/card types. I think so, anyways.

That's correct.

On the power level issues, I think this needs a mana activation, even if it's just B or 1B. Otherwise, it becomes too easy to fetch out all four copies of something absurd like Plow Under, or to seriously abuse Gifts Ungiven. Also, the 2 life cost isn't actually a huge burden, because he can get you extra copies of Joyous Respite or the like.

[Stijn]

The reveal clause is added.

I`m not really sure about the activation cost, maybe lifeloss isn`t a real burden. I`ll make it for now.

Any other suggestions or ideas for a name?

[Toad]

This card looks really and to me. The Green cost mirrors Hollistic Wisdom and the Black part mirrors Vampiric Tutor and the graveyard removal.
I do agree with Jacob about the need to put a small activation cost on this. looks fine.

It could also be a Black creature with a Green activation cost, or vice-versa.

[Stijn]

I have troubles with the colors of this card, and the color of the activation cost.

Aspects that make this card black :

1. Graveyard removal.
2. The lifepaying (which can be altered)

Blue :

1. Instants/Sorceries.
2. Tutoring

Green :

1. Kind of a Hollistic Wisdom effect.
2. `Regrowth`effect.


I agree that this card feels mostly black, but I`m not sure about the other color it should have. {G}{1} looks fine, but so does {U}{1} .

Help me out!

[Nova442]

I think you could almost pick any of those color combinations.  To me it's u/b since it's limited to instant/sorcery.  If it was all cards I'd go b/g or just b.  And with a real activation cost my power concerns are put to rest  Like I said my concern was the free card advantage.  As soon as you pick a color or color combination I think it's finished.

[TheWellknownBrownie]

I think if it remains Mono-black it needs a life loss attached to it. Rather than two life, which seems somewhat arbitrary, I think paying life equal to the converted casting cost of the removed card would be appropriate.

[LordHomerCat]

The 2 life thing seems like it would go better with a vampiric tutor effect (same life cost and all, a bit of symmetry), while life equal to CMC would probably be a bit better if it went into hand (for things like plow under, FOW, etc.) since thats a nasty ability.

[Dnine]

How about Knowledge Channeler or Arcane Channeler since a channeler is a median in which information is passed from the dead to the living.

[Jacob Orlove]

How about Knowledge Channeler or Arcane Channeler since a channeler is a median in which information is passed from the dead to the living.

Mortimancer is better, because mortimancy translates roughly to "knowledge from death".

[Stijn]

I agree that the name Mortimancer is very flavorfull, but I don`t like it. It reminds me of Mortivore, a name that I always hated.

I don`t think there should be flavor text on this card, as the ability is taking enough space already.

Any better names out there?

[TheWellknownBrownie]

Ashen Sage?