Final Cards: Part 1

[GerryMander]

I am moving in about a week and a half, and I don't know when the next time I will have the internet will be.  Here is Part 1 of the last two cards that I will try to get finished b4 then.


Blood Bargain

Enchantment
Whenever you lose life, you may draw that many cards.  If you do, Blood Bargain deals X damage to you, where X is the number of cards you drew in this way.
The blade opens more than flesh.


I feel that this is a draw engine that is balanced enough not to get out of hand.  It is reminiscent of Greed, but doesn't carry the mana payment as well.  I feel that this card may be able to be more aggressively costed, because it does nothing on it's own.  Yet, at the same time, Bob exists, and costing this too cheap would make for a pretty stupid deck.

CURRENT WORDING:

Blood Bargain

Enchantment
Whenever a source not named Blood Bargain causes you to lose life, you draw that many cards.  If you do, you lose X life, where X is the number of cards drawn in this way.
The blade opens more than flesh.

[chrissss]

This would be great with nights whisper

I like the card, because as you said, it doesnt do anything on its own.

maybe dropping the CC to 4?

[parallax]

The damage from this card causes you to lose life, triggering it again. This is basically a Yawgmoth's Bargain that triggers off life loss. If you take any damage, you can then draw as many cards as you want, paying 1 life for each card (except you have to draw a multiple of how much life you lost).

[zaltman]

"Life Loss" is different than "Losing Life." When a Bile Urchin hits you you lose one life. When a shock hits you you take two damage, resulting in your life falling below by two points but its not considered life loss. Look at worships wording. "If damage would reduse your life total to below one..." Damage reduses your total but decent cause life loss. Therefore this card is not a degenerate loop. I actually think that this could be lowered to 2BB. If this is going to be an engine it needs specific cards with it. I could see this being used with Blind Hunter and Nights Whisper. What else good cards are there that make you lose life?

[parallax]

Life, Life Total
Life total is a sort of score. Each player starts the game with 20 life. Any increase in a player’s life total is considered to be gaining life. Any decrease in a player’s life total is considered to be losing life.

If your life total decreases, you are losing life.

[Venven]

It's ugly, but you could say: Whenever a source other than ~this~ causes you to lose life, draw that many cards.

[Anusien]

What about requiring a mana cost for the cards as well?

[Venven]

Kind of like an inverse/backwards/reverse/upside-down Well of Lost Dreams.

Since the "and lose X life" effect requires tricky wording, are there other drawbacks that could take it's place that are also in flavour?

[parallax]

Paying mana is a good "drawback" for mass card drawing. See Yawgmoth's Bargain vs. Greed.

[GerryMander]

there, a few more words and now the card isn't crazy stupid.

[Anusien]

I'm still a little uncertain, but I'm not sure if my concerns are justified.  Let me just express my hesitation and ruminate on it.

[GerryMander]

is this ok as is or does this need to be costed at 4?

[parallax]

If this is meant to be a triggered ability it should read "Whenever a source not named Blood Bargain causes you to lose life, you may draw that many cards." Also, I think it should cause life loss, not damage. First, life loss is more black and with the "not named ~this~" clause, it is not recursive. Second, if this deals damage to you, it could be interpreted that the game rules cause you to lose life, not Blood Bargain. I think the overall effect is clearer if it uses life loss.

As for the card itself, it gives me an icky feeling. It makes cards life Infernal Contract and Spoils of the Vault really good. But the kind of decks that want to pay life usually try to end the game quickly so they don't lose to aggro/red decks and therefore are less likely to want to play a 5CC enchantment that does nothing on its own. I think its broken, and I can't figure out how, but that seems to be a good kind of card to have.

[GerryMander]

Lemme show you how Infernal Contract + Blood Bargain = Not a combo

Life: 20

Play Infernal Contract

Life: 10

Blood Bargain Activates

Life: 0


Anywho, just for security purposes, we'll keep this at 3BB.

Changed the wording so now it is all life lose, but in addition, the card drawing is no longer optional.

[GerryMander]

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