Wildfire Phoenix

[Marco]

With Bram's Animated Monarch (which is very cool, by the way) and dandan's Return of the Weatherseed Treefolk, I thought I'd post my old returns-from-the-grave creature, this one a red creature. And what red creature returns from the grave the best? The Phoenix.

Wildfire Phoenix
3RRR
Creature -- Phoenix
3/4
Flying
When Wildfire Phoenix is put into a graveyard from play, return it to play under its owner's control at end of turn with one +1/+1 counter on it and Wildfire Phoenix deals 3 damage to you.

Comparable to any other Phoenix in print. Maybe a little stronger, but I think this is what a Phoenix should look like.

[Marco]

Current Wording:

Wildfire Phoenix
3RRR
Creature -- Phoenix
3/4
Flying
When Wildfire Phoenix is put into a graveyard from play, return it to play under its owner's control at end of turn with a +1/+1 counter on it and Wildfire Phoenix deals 3 damage to you.

[Matt]

Looks fine to me. Some flavor text would be nice.

EDIT: Oooh, I have some excellent phoenix-related flavor text I've been saving for like a year! Now I just have to find it...

[Sanity_XIV]

The wording is 'a +1/+1 counter,' 'not one +1/+1 counter.'

I am the secret nitpicker! Arr.

[Marco]

Skeleton Scavengers reads, "with one +1/+1 counter on it". Actually, it reads both "with one +1/+1 counter on it" and "a +1/+1 counter on it". But there are more examples of "a +1/+1 counter" (namely the Arcbound creatures), so change made.

[Ephraim]

This wording seems just a little bit difficult to understand for one reason. When does the Phoenix deal the damage to you -- when it comes back into play or when it goes to the graveyard? One way that you could solve that problem and tone down the power of this card a bit, since you suggested that this was a little bit stronger than other Phoenixes would be this:

Wildfire Phoenix
3RRR
Creature -- Phoenix
3/4
Flying

When Wildfire Phoenix comes into play, it deals 3 damage to you.
When Wildfire Phoenix is put into a graveyard from play, return it to play under its owner's control at end of turn with a +1/1 counter on it.

***

I think this wording is a little bit cleaner and a little bit weaker, since you also take the 3 damage when it comes into play the first time around. One qualm I have with this card is that it seems oddly balanced (not from a gameplay point of view.) In its first life, it's a 3/4 creature. In every subsequent life, it's a 4/5 creature. Or did you intend for it to continuously grow every time it died? I'm not sure how that would be worded, but if that was your intention, this wording doesn't do that.

[Marco]

I can certainly see your point; however, it's pretty clear to me when the damage is dealt. You perform the actions on a card in the order listed (from top to bottom, left to right). On this card, "and Wildfire Phoenix deals 3 damage to you" appears at the end of the sentence, after "When Wildfire Phoenix is put into a graveyard from play", "return it to play under its owner's control at end of turn", and "with a +1/+1 counter on it". You wouldn't put a counter on it before it returned to play, and you wouldn't take 3 damage until it returns to play from the graveyard (if it was put into the graveyard from play).

"When Wildfire Phoenix comes into play, it deals 3 damage to you" is a valid fix (and if there were any power concerns with this card, would make it absolutely fair), but I don't really want to use it on this card. I don't think it's necessary.

Yes, I intended this to be either a 3/4 (when it is first cast) or a 4/5 (when it returns to play from the graveyard). I did not intend for this to continuously grow every time it dies.

[Marco]

Wondering if Matt has found his phoenix-related flavour text...

[Matt]

Well, it's kind of long, so I don't know if it will fit. It's from Neil Gaiman's Sandman comics:

"For the Phoenix, when its time comes to die lays two eggs, one black, one white: From the white egg hatches the Phoenix-bird itself, when its time is come; but what hatches from the black egg no one knows."

[Marco]

I like it, but it is kind of long. And I thought we weren't using pop culture (comic book) literary references?

I made a mock up of this card and the text fills the box rather nicely, there isn't much room for flavour text without using a much smaller font.

24 hour clock on current wording?

[Matt]

May we see the mockup?

Also, it's not a ban on pop culture references per se, it's a ban on things which aren't classy. If you didn't already know, you'd've believed that quote was from the actual 1,001 Nights or similar folklore, so I think it's alright.

[Marco]

Here it is - Wildfire Phoenix

[Matt]

Closed and added.[/color]