I'm bad with names, but...

[TheUprisal]

It's been a long time since I've appeared anywhere on this forum (school and work does that to you) but here I am, I had this idea...purely from flavor.  I hate white;  I hate white weenie, I hate endless amounts of global creature destruction, but I digress.

White can exercise evil as fascism, as I remember someone saying.  Wish I could remember the quote...

Without further ado:

Imperial Commander  (name is random, as I said I suck at them)

2WW
When Imperial Commander comes into play, name a color.
T: Destroy target creature of the named color. (Templating sounds a tad off...)
2/2

This may be on par with Royal Assassin, but I didn't want to create a psuedo-mirrored creature.

It's racist against everyone and it isn't shy about it.  What do you think?

[Matt]

Reminds me of Northern Palladin, so there's precedent for this guy. It's a little undercosted though, especially compared to Voice of All, which was a decent card.

What if this was more like Chromatic Armor? Each time you kill a guy, the next costs more?

As ~this~ comes into play, choose a color.
, : Destroy target creature of the chosen color, then put a kill counter on ~this~. X is the number of kill counters on ~this~.

[TheUprisal]

Im not too keen on the idea of a counter...how about..

T, Tap an untapped nontoken creature you control:  Destroy target creature of the chosen color

This could balance it out, and I say nontoken because leading an attack in war requires a cost of actual men, not sending your dog out or anything.  Or a robot. 

Maybe make him legendary as well, as he is the "leader" ?

[Matt]

Legendary sounds good.

[Mindstab_Thrull]

{Somename Thatguy}, Imperial Commander
Legendary Creature - Human Soldier
2WW
As ~ comes into play, choose a colour.
Tap, Tap an untapped nontoken creature you control: Destroy target creature of the chosen colour.
2/2

'As' seems more appropriate, and less likely to cause any rules confusion Yes I know the rules say otherwise but if two people don't know the rules properly.. especially in a casual game.. it's safer that way

So it looks like another attempt at remaking Hand of Justice (For reference: HoJ from Fallen Empires, 5W for 2/6 Avatar, T, Tap three untapped white creatures you control: Destroy target creature.) Or, as it's been suggested, compare it to Northern Paladin (2WW for 3/3 Paladin, WW, T: Destroy target black permanent.). If you're comparing it to that, you lose +1/+1 for the choice of colour, and trade WW for tapping a nontoken and targetting only a creature - and this is Legendary now. As the Northern Paladin made it into 7th, I presume they consider it pretty balanced, since it was lost after 4th.

I suggest that if this is to be nonlegendary and on par with the Paladins, that it come up as this:
WW2 cost for 3/3 instead of for 2/2
Activation ability should cost tapping it and perhaps tapping two other creatures, or sacrificing a creature. In other words, either one of:
  Tap, Tap two untapped nontoken creatures you control: Destroy target creature of the chosen colour.
  Tap, Sacrifice an untapped nontoken creature you control: Destroy target creature of the chosen colour.
Making this card legendary, I'd leave the size at 3/3 and drop the activation to where it was (tapping it and another creature).

[Ephraim]

A while back, I think we created a few "Magistrate" creatures and I think that this card would be absolutely awesome with that creature type.  Also, while your arguments are sound, remember that not every card needs to push the boundaries of what is printable.  This card may be mediocre in constructed, but it may still be awesome in limited, which is cool too.  Your reference to Hand of Justice intrigues me.  I really think that tapping untapped white creatures is a fantastic cost for white activated abilities, since it highlights how white uses collective force to bring about a greater effect than one creature could alone.

Here is what I would do with this card:

Marius Jute, Imperial Praetor
{W}{W}
Legendary Creature -- Human Magistrate
2/2

As Marius Jute, Imperial Praetor comes into play, choose a color.
, tap an untapped white creature you control: Destroy target creature of the chosen color.

[Mindstab_Thrull]

In that case, as per the end of my previous post, I think he should be a 3/3, and he should be good to go.

[Ephraim]

In that case, as per the end of my previous post, I think he should be a 3/3, and he should be good to go.

I disagree.  The bigger the numbers are on a creature like this, the more it detracts from the creature's ability, because you're more tempted to take the creature into combat. I would also like to reiterate my statement that it isn't always necessary to push the power level of a card.  Could this be a 3/3?  Probably.  Does that mean there's anything wrong with making it a 2/2?  Absolutely not!

[Mindstab_Thrull]

So why shouldn't he be good for combat? If you want him as a 2/2, then I suggest removing the Legendary status. That should be enough to compensate. A Legendary creature should be more powerful than a nonlegendary version one way or another. Perhaps with such a 'low' removal cost (tapping two creatures - itself and another), that would be enough.

[Ephraim]

So why shouldn't he be good for combat? If you want him as a 2/2, then I suggest removing the Legendary status. That should be enough to compensate. A Legendary creature should be more powerful than a nonlegendary version one way or another.

This isn't true.  A legendary creature need only be unique from a flavour standpoint.  Furthermore, legendary creatures with interesting abilities are frequently less powerful than creatures without such abilities.  Dosan the Falling Leaf is weaker in combat than Branchsnap Lorian.  Kataki, the War's Wage is weaker in combat than White Knight.  So, no, a legendary creature shouldn't necessarily be more powerful than a nonlegendary version.

If you're comparing to Hand of Justice, consider that you need half as many creatures and paying 2 fewer mana to play this and the weaker combat stats are put into perspective.

[TheUprisal]

I find this interesting, because when this idea struck me, I immediately thought of the Paladins and completely forgot about Hand of Justice.

I also was watching Schindler's List - lawl.

This guy doesn't want to go into combat unless its absolutely necessary - he's a leader that sits behind his flanks and smokes cigars while his dorks go and die for him.

I know this guy can be quite mediocre, as previously stated, but I didn't want to wreck faces that badly.  And from what the discussion is, it seems as though...it's good to go?