Reflector

[orgcandman]

An idea I had from a card that was created here a looong time ago. I fleshed it out, but then never actually submitted it.

Here it is, in all its glory:

Reflector 3UURR
Creature - Avatar (0/0)
As Reflector comes into play, choose a player. Reflector comes into play with a number of +1/+1 counters equal to the chosen player's life total.
If the chosen player is dealt damage, remove that many +1/+1 counters from Reflector instead.
If Reflector is dealt damage, the chosen player loses that much life instead.

Current Wording:
Reflector 3UURR
Creature - Avatar (0/0)
As Reflector comes into play, choose a player. Reflector comes into play with a number of +1/+1 counters equal to the chosen player's life total.
If the chosen player would be dealt damage, remove that many +1/+1 counters from Reflector instead.
If Reflector would be dealt damage, the chosen player loses that much life instead.
If Reflector would be put into a graveyard from anywhere, remove it from the game instead.

[Venven]

"If the chosen player is dealt damage..." should read "If the chosen player would be dealt damage..." and same idea for the next line.

I can't help thinking of a shiny, big artifactic Captain America. Have you considered adding in W? It's the colour of avatar's and it nicely completes my Captain America imagery.

It does bug me somewhat that it's possibly a 20/20 that extends your life considerably for 7 mana. Defender makes it less frightening, but there aren't many balanced drawbacks that make a 10+ P/T creature that costs <10 mana printable (Leveller being one.) "As Reflector comes into play, choose an opponent." works and simplifies the card. Flavour is still tricky.

This is a difficult card to balance without using some part of Pacifism.

[Edit]: I just noticed your name! You make organic candles too? Quite the exhilerating hobby it is.

[orgcandman]

My thought was that it is internally balanced by the way it works.

In the case where you choose your opponent:
 - Now this guy basically does have defender. Go ahead and swing with him. Opponent doesn't do anything. When he would be dealt damage by the Reflector, instead, the reflector loses that many +1/+1 counters. Oops. your guy dies as part of sbe's.

In the case where you choose yourself:
  - This becomes illusions of granduer with a different drawback. You can't swing with it, because all it needs is a 1/1 to get in the way, and then the rest of the army swings at you and reduces the reflector to a terrible p/t combination for the cost.

So the case where this guy will immediately win:
- You cannot block this creature
- Your opponent cannot deal 20 dmg to the creature in question. (remember, choose to swing with this while a bunch of dudes are on the other side, and you're looking at a ton of damage comming your way..potentially lethal.)
- You can haste it.

@7 mana for a theoretical 20/20, but more likely a 15/15, this card isn't too bad. Sure, he IS beefy...but the best use scenario for damage, where you put a limited form of "yourself" on the board, is probably gonna be met with opposition.

[andrewpate]

This seems like an insane reanimation target.  It should probably have the Serra Avatar clause.

[orgcandman]

I don't think it's overly powerful as a reanimation target. In fact, you could be reanimating akroma which just beats this. There are loads of other targets much more interesting than this guy to reanimate.

Anyone else think its too powerful?

[parallax]

Why wouldn't a 20/20 be a good reanimation target?

[orgcandman]

because it's not a 20/20.
Lets take extended, which has the fastest way of putting this into play: Life/Death

Case where they choose themself (since if they choose their opponent, they're morons)
Turn 1 - Careful study, dumping this and something else
Turn 2 - 2 mana, lose 7 life. comes in as a 13/13. Opponent craps themself.
Turn 3 - Oops, owned by removal. (Terminate, putrefy, etc..)

Compare with Akroma
Turn 1 - Careful study, dumping this and something else
Turn 2 - 2 mana, lose 8 life. comes in as a 6/6. Opponent craps themself, and takes 6 to the dome with an untapped flying trampling insane creature.
Turn 3 - Oh, wait, my removal doesn't work.

This creature doesn't have trample, which means that a 1/1 gets in the way, dealing one point of damage to the opponent, "ooh big deal" you say. But its relevant. Because then after it has swung the 5 or 6 other creatures swing and reduce it to a 5/5 or 6/6.

It won't win you any racing wars. It'll just stall you to find something.

[parallax]

It comes into play as a 20/20. Then, you lose 7 life. Then, the opponent must drop and block with a creature every turn. They need to play two creatures a turn if they want to attack back. Any removal spell on your part wins you the game. I don't see how a 20/20 on turn two is remotely fair, even with the "drawback" of being blockable.

A creature like this needs some kind of non-reanimate clause.

[Matt]

If this is allowed to be equal to the opponent's life total, it's basically a reanimateable Phage.

[orgcandman]

eh, I can always put in a play from hand clause or reshuffle clause. I just hate having so much rules text.

Is the consensus that it's too good as a reanimation target?

[Nazdakka]

eh, I can always put in a play from hand clause or reshuffle clause. I just hate having so much rules text.

Is the consensus that it's too good as a reanimation target?

I'd say so. Anything with a power >=10 usually gets some drawback which stops it being reanimated.

[nietzsche]

If you make it choose an opponent always, then they can't actually die from this thing, and it jsut makes it a big huge dude to block with, in addition to having the life loss for fun.

It also makes him savage in multiplayer.

The real question is, do we really want a playable 1996 world champion?

[orgcandman]

added a non-reanimation clause

[orgcandman]

24h clock?

[Godder]

The wording should be "if ~this~ would be put into a graveyard from anywhere, remove it from the game instead". Otherwise, it's very interesting.