[Cycle] Memory Flood

[parallax]

I have an unnatural fixation on alternate-casting-cost cycles. Force of Will, Foil, Daze, Thwart, Submerge . . .

Memory Flood

Instant
You may return an Island from your graveyard to your hand rather than pay ~this~'s mana cost.
Counter target spell unless its controller pays .

Devouring Dregs

Sorcery
You may return a Swamp from your graveyard to your hand rather than pay ~this~'s mana cost.
Destroy target non-black creature. Lose life equal to its toughness.

Ancient Trees

Creature -- Treefolk
2/3
You may return a Forest from your graveyard to your hand rather than pay ~this~'s mana cost.

Trench Defenses

Enchantment
You may return a Plains from your graveyard to your hand rather than pay ~this~'s mana cost.
Untapped creatures you control get +0/+2.

Collapsing Cave

Sorcery
You may return a Mountain from your graveyard to your hand rather than pay ~this~'s mana cost.
~This~ deals 3 damage to target creature.

Obviously, the hard part is getting a land into your graveyard in the first place. Is that too easy to justify these cards' power level? They can be made weaker quite easily.

Memory Flood

Instant
You may return an Island from your graveyard to your hand rather than pay ~this~'s mana cost.
Return target non-land permanent to its owner's hand.

Devouring Dregs

Sorcery
You may return a Swamp from your graveyard to your hand rather than pay ~this~'s mana cost.
Destroy target non-black creature. Lose life equal to its toughness.

Ancient Trees

Creature -- Treefolk
2/3
You may return a Forest from your graveyard to your hand rather than pay ~this~'s mana cost.

Trench Defenses

Enchantment
You may return a Plains from your graveyard to your hand rather than pay ~this~'s mana cost.
Creatures can't attack you unless their controller pays for each creature attacking you. (This cost is paid as attackers are declared.)

Tectonic Shift

Sorcery
You may return a Mountain from your graveyard to your hand rather than pay ~this~'s mana cost.
~This~ deals 1 damage to each creature.

[zeus-online]

These are really interesting! I like them, the white one sucks, maybe change it to protection? or abeyance?

/Zeus

[asi]

The blue and red one are way too good. Blue has infinite options to discard islands, and free counters (even non-hard-counters) belong to the best thing blue can hope to get. Red has fireblast (and lots of weaker cards requiring land-sacrifice) and the card already has a good effect on its own. Returning a land is not really a drawback, because in a deck that can abuse this (it doesn't have to be built around it) it is simply cardadvantage AND cost reduction. White and Black could have better effects, if you seriously weaken the red and blue ones.

[andrewpate]

Returning a land in this way is, in fact, a drawback.  See Harvest Wurm.

I do not think that any of these is overpowered.  Three mana for 3 points of Sorcery-speed damage to a creature with an alternate casting cost compares favorably to Volcanic Hammer, which is considered to be on the weak side despite also hitting players.  The blue one also seems fine, given that Daze is not overpowered, is far easier to set up, and has a lower cost to hardcast, all of that being worth an extra colorless in countering power.

The white one should definitely be much stronger.  Veteran Armorer has shown us the relevance of that effect, but I would like white to have something proactive in one of these cycles once in a while, as opposed to protection tricks, lifegain, etc. all the time.  I would suggest a prison-piece enchantment, an Abeyance effect, or a removal spell of some kind.

[parallax]

I'm willing to completely change many of these effects. I just came up with the first ones I could think of. The power levels are all up for debate as well.

Memory Flood is especially good after a Compulsive Research, but dead until turn three in most decks. I still can see it being too strong. It could alternately have a Memory Lapse or Remand type effect: "Counter target spell unless its controller pays . If that spell is countered this way, put it on top of its owner's library."

The black one could stay creature removal or become discard.

Ancient Trees is stronger than Harvest Wurm, I think, but just as hard to play. It comboes well with Rogue Elephant, but is nearly useless without other discard outlets. Maybe it would be good in madness, but then it's on par with Basking Rootwalla.

I changed Trench Defenses to a mini-Ghostly Prison effect, which is much more interesting.

The red one can change to any number of things. I think it would be broken if it could hit players. On second thought, I'm so tired of red getting damage spells in these cycles. Is there anything better than artifact removal that this could be? I'd use LD but then Raze and Crack the Earth break the card badly.

All of these combo well with other ACC cards, but don't do much on their own. Still, it's a hard drawback to balance because it can actually benefit you once you meet the requirements.

If you would like to see white get the proactive card in a cycle, see my last cycle: Barkhide Armor, where white gets the creature instead of green. Incidentally, these cycles have enormous synergy.

[Matt]

The red one could be Tremor?

I like these, but not so much the blue one. Like red and damage, I am tired of blue getting a counter in its cycle.

[parallax]

Blue is bounce.

Red is Tremor.

This should fix some of the power issues as well.

Is the possibility to bounce a land for free to good? Should it say "non-land permanent"?

[Matt]

Yes, free land bounce is too good. In fact, Wizards very consciously doesn't allow any more than one good land-bouncing spell at a time in Standard (usually Boomerang).

[parallax]

It's free but it can't be easily cast until turn three (off Compulsive Research). I fixed it either way because there's definitely too much potential for abuse.

[Matt]

You coudl make it Hoodwink.

[Anusien]

Yes, free land bounce is too good. In fact, Wizards very consciously doesn't allow any more than one good land-bouncing spell at a time in Standard (usually Boomerang).

Eye of Nowhere?

[Harlequin]

They are neat cards, but I don't really like the white one for flavor reasons. In terms of Flavor the Green one - makes sense, the Blue and Black ones - Forgivable.

The white card:
 
Trench Defenses
Enchantment
You may return a Plains from your graveyard to your hand rather than pay ~this~'s mana cost.
Creatures (without flying?) can't attack you unless their controller pays 1 for each creature attacking you. (This cost is paid as attackers are declared.)

Ok the effect makes sense, I dig some Trenches in my fields, and it wards off attackers, to have them push through takes more effort.  I just don't see how at the end of a day of digging holes ... I end up revitalizing the plains.

May I suggest:

Northern Winds
Instant
You may return a Plains from your graveyard to your hand rather than pay ~this~'s mana cost.
Creatures with flying may not attack you this turn.
Until end of turn, Creatures can not attack you unless their controller pays 2 for each creature attacking you.

Flavor Wise, you have a turn of artic winds that prevent your opponent from launching thier forces into combat, at the end of the night the winds have swept clean territory that can be cultivated.


The red one probably just needs a new name.  Like ... Techtonic Shift, or Rock Burst or something that could end up with something that would eventually become a mountian.

[parallax]

How about:

Take Up Farming

Instant
You may return a Plains from your graveyard to your hand rather than pay ~this~'s mana cost.
Remove target attacking or blocking creature from the game.