Echo Collector

[Rando]

Echo Collector
4
Artifact
At the end of your turn, put a Collection counter on Echo Collector.
At the beginning of each player's precombat main phase, that player draws a card and adds 1 to his or her mana pool for each collection counter on Echo Collector.

Echo Collector
4
Artifact
At the end of your turn, put a charge counter on Echo Collector.
At the beginning of each player's precombat main phase, that player adds 1 to his or her mana pool for each charge counter on Echo Collector and then draws a card.
"A spell is never fully discharged. Its power travels and rebounds throughout the multiverse long after it is cast. That residual power can be captured."  -Eliaster, Metaphysical Engineer  

[Kowal]

Wow.  This thing is good.  This thing is really good.  I think this is a little too broken.

[Jacob Orlove]

Did we ever decide whether or not we wanted the cards to increase with the mana?

[Rando]

We had decided to make the drawing stay at 1 card per turn regardless of counters, but I forgot the exact wording we had.

[Jacob Orlove]

How about this:

At the beginning of each player's precombat main phase, that player adds 1 to his or her mana pool for each collection counter on Echo Collector, and then draws a card.

[Rando]

That wording looks perfect.

And now, the cost.

Is (4) too little?  The opponant does get the first use and (4) is already a heafty price for exceleration.  Therefore, in my uneducated opinion, I think the cost is OK as it is.

[Dr. Sylvan]

It's not dangerous as an accelerant at 4, especially since it's like the Howling Mine of tempo (in addition to the actual Howling Mine effect) in the present wording.

[Rando]

I just had a thought for an additional ability...

Remove three counters from ~this~: Draw a card.

What do you guys think?  It would make it a more interesting card, more skill oriented, I feel.  

I also think it's more in flavor for the card's concept.

[Jacob Orlove]

That might be too much text; ask Matt.

[Rando]

I'll go ahead and change it so we can see what it looks like.

Also, what if a "remove X counters: Draw a card" ability replaced the Howling Mine effect all together?

[Matt]

Well if you're going to try and see what the card looks like, you should write it correctly:

Echo Collector
4
Artifact
At the end of your turn, put a charge counter on Echo Collector.
At the beginning of each player's precombat main phase, that player adds 1 to his or her mana pool for each charge counter on Echo Collector, and then draws a card.
Remove 3 charge counters from Echo Collector: Draw a card.
"A spell is never fully discharged. Its power travels and rebounds throughout the multiverse long after it is cast. That residual power can be captured." -Eliaster, Metaphysical Engineer

And yes, that is too much text. To keep all those abilities you'd have to lose the flavor text. 'Collection counters' also sounds really strange, so I changed it to charge counters.

For reference, Abyssal Hellion has about the maximum amount of text a card should have:

Flying
At the beginning of each player's upkeep, that player chooses a target creature he or she controls and sacrifices it.
3BB, remove a creature card in any graveyard from the game: Return Abyssal Hellion from your graveyard to play with a +1/+1 counter on it.

[Rando]

Then I leave it to you all.  Which is better: the flavor text or activated ability?

[Jacob Orlove]

Personally, I'm of the opinion that our master list should have flavor text, even if it won't fit on the card. The mockups can then remove the flavor where necessary.

[Matt]

That only works if the mockup makers know ot leave off FT when it won't fit, and historically they haven't been able to avoid simple things like using "~this~" on mockups.

[Rando]

OK, forget the activated ability.  Unneeded.  I edited the card back to the way it was and changed the counters to charge counters.

I like it the way it is, and at that cost.

[Jacob Orlove]

This looks good.

[Rando]

Clock it...

[Matt]

Closed and added.[/color]