Ramsj of Baghdad

[BruiZar]

Ramsj of Baghdad
Instant
Draw a card. Ramsj of Baghdad can only be played if you have exactly seven cards in hand.
Cycling: Skip your next turn (Skip your next turn, Discard this card: Draw two cards, then discard three cards.)
Madness  (If you discard this card, you may play it for its madness cost instead of putting it into your graveyard.)
Jandor found himself lost in time reading scrolls in the book markets of Baghdad. He traded the secrets of Alexandria from a poor sopher for mutton, quinces, cheese, date rolls and wine.

[The Atog Lord]

I'm a bit confused. Why does cycling result in drawing 2 and discarding 3, instead of just drawing a card?

[BruiZar]

This card is inspired by Library of Alexandria and Bazaar of Baghdad. I tried to create a utility card with a mana-less cycling cost.

Elements I used to create the card:
1 turn activation of bazaar
1 turn activation of library
Skip a turn (Chronatog, reverse timewalk)
I made the card blue because of the draw and the fact that magus of the bazaar was printed blue as well. Blue has cards such as careful study and mental notes. Obsessive Search is a blue madness card draw effect.

Elements I used to create the flavor of the card:
Flavortext of Jandor's Saddlebags
Jandor skips a turn as he reverse time-walks himself reading scrolls and losing track of time.
Jandor ripping of a scrub in baghdad, something that happens to newer players a lot (Jandor gave a craw wurm, a giant growth, a water elemental and a for a mox)
Madness and cycle both represent the fact that the scrolls are discarded in some scrubby back alley of baghdad
*For those that do not know, a ramsj is an overstock sale for books that are discounted at really high rates.

As far as casting cost goes, I think 3 is prohibitive enough to print this card due to the seven card requirement. The biggest problem with this card is the fact that anything using dredge will abuse this to oblivion. The turn-skip draw back is the only free cycle cost I could think of that is significant enough to compensate for the bazaar activation (even though you may very well be dead in vintage before the turn ends..)

I think that this card could see inclusion in many different decks (Yawgmoth's Will, Welder, Force of Will, Ichorid) and is probably much too overpowered for any serious considerations.

I was thinking that maybe the LoA activation should be the free cycle and the normal effect should be the bazaar activation (requiring blue mana).

Do you have any suggestions or feedback for this card?

[BruiZar]

The Atog Lord: I'm not sure if rules-wise it's allowed to change the effect of the cycling. I know plainscycling tutors cards and that has different reminder text, so I thought I was at liberty to change that reminder text on this card a bit as well.

I'm starting to think it's much more logical to have a free cycle (which already just draws a single card) with a limitation of only being able to cycle it with 7 cards in hand and just adding a madness bazaar activation. The deck madness plays bazaar of baghdad as well so that may well be a much better design

edit: I recreated the card to make the LoA effect cycled:

[Anusien]

If you're doing anything with cycling other than "M, Discard ~this~: Draw a card." you need a new ability.

so U, Discard ~this~: Draw two cards, then discard three cards.  Draw a card.


Seems a wee bit good to me.  This is in that class of cards that is never fair, merely abusive or worthless.

[BruiZar]

What about the second version?
The seven card limitation prevents you from a turn 1 land, cycle, madness-bazaar. The blue mana cost prevent you from discarding and paying its madness cost turn 1.

Swamp, Putrid Imp, discard Ramsj, no blue mana...
Bazaar, activate bazaar, discard Ramsj, no blue mana..
So turn 1 it's usually just a street wraith, unless I'm missing something.

I'm not sure how this card is worthless or abusive. I initially designed a card that I really missed in threshold & madness, but it fits in many other decks as well (Anything with Will, tinker, ichorid, bazaars, welders, threshold or madness), so it can't be useless. Do you think the second version is too abusive to ever see printing?

[Anusien]

What about the second version?
The seven card limitation prevents you from a turn 1 land, cycle, madness-bazaar. The blue mana cost prevent you from discarding and paying its madness cost turn 1.

On the draw, it's the best Careful Study ever.  Uncounterable and 3 cards.  I don't think it's the kind of card that is fair.  You either break it or you don't, and just discarding it is a bit easy.

[orgcandman]

I don't see how this is uncounterable?  The only thing that's uncounterable is 1 draw. Rest is played with madness.

Also, should the "~ can only be cycled if you have exactly seven cards in hand" be on it's own line?

For sure this is an engine enabler.

[Anusien]

You're right.  It's still patently ridiculous in a lot of cases.