"Game, Set, Match"
4/25/7
The last challenge in the Great Designer Search was to submit the 11 common cards from a single color, (along with a land as a part of a cycle.) I thought it would be interesting to see how my commons would stack up.
Blue is a bad choice since it's the exception color in the set. Red has a three creature cycle of Mechanize Men, and would seem a bit shallow. Green, White and Black are all strong candidates. I chose black because it's in my opinion the most exemplar of the set theme. Here's the first article about the last challenge:
http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=mtgcom/designersearch/episode6
And here are my list of Black Commons. Keep in mind I only made a 143 card set, so I can only submit 10 cards.
BLACK
Army of Kings, XB, COM
Creature – Mummy, 0/0
When Army of Kings comes into play, return X target creature cards from your graveyard to your hand, and put X +1/+1 counters on Army of Kings. Spend only black mana on X.
We broke open the tomb in the morning and lost twenty slaves before we were able to seal it again."
- Bab Venture, Spinery crew boss
Brutish Werewolf, 2BB, COM
Creature – Human Wolf Rogue, 5/5
When Brutish Werewolf comes into play, sacrifice it unless you discard an artifact card or creature card.
Brutish Werewolf can't block.
"Never trust a werewolf. The human aspect will try to steal your things and the lupine aspect will try to eat your livestock."
- Pitto Henz, Spinery slayer
Graverobber Imp, 3B, COM
Creature – Imp Rogue, 2/2
Flying
Spite – When Graverobber Imp is sacrificed or destroyed, remove half the cards in target graveyard from the game, rounded up. You gain 1 life for each card removed this way. (Lethal damage destroys a creature.)
Imps find work everywhere - from crows nests to mine work. But there favorite job is desecration.
Greater of Two Evils, 1B, COM
Sorcery – Arcane
Target player reveals his or her hand. Choose a permanent card from it. The player discards that card unless he or she sacrifices a permanent of the same type.
"The greatest evil is forcing the helpless to choose."
- Fir, oracle of the Thicket Commune
Heartstop, 1BB, COM
Instant – Arcane
Destroy target nonartifact creature.
"Close your eyes. Feel each pinprick of life around you. Reach out to the tiny feelings until you find the one you seek. And then squeeze that life until it disappears."
- Sim Freely, Rom slayer
Make into a Memory, 2B, COM
Sorcery
Sacrifice a creature or land. Then, each other player sacrifices a permanent that shares a type with that permanent.
The hidden power station of Iratch was a closely guarded secret. While the slayers concentrated their attention on Spinery and Rom, the Academy Relicas grew fat with success.
Scheming Cohorts, 1B, COM
Creature – Gorgon Advisor, 1/2
Spite – When Scheming Cohorts is sacrificed or destroyed, each player puts the top three cards on his or her library into his or her graveyard. (Lethal damage destroys a creature.)
B, Sacrifice a creature: Until end of turn, damage dealt by Scheming Cohorts is lethal.
Twisted Succubus, 4B, COM
Creature – Spirit, 3/3
Spite – When Twisted Succubus is sacrificed or destroyed, Twisted Succubus deals 2 damage to target creature or player. You gain 2 life. (Lethal damage destroys a creature.)
"Many of the dregclass spend their last few coins on revenge magic. It's a final way to punish those around them, and a commodity I am happy to supply."
- Pitto Henz, Spinery slayer
Hoveltown, COM
Land – Node
(T: Add 1 to your mana pool.)
T: Black creatures you control have "T: Add B to your mana pool. You lose 1 life." until end of turn.
"Nothing is more of an affront to the wonders of the Planes, then that infection that has formed on Rom. Destroying it would do the world a favor."
- Loreen Stanron
**
Plantigor the Fury, 5B, PRERELEASE CARD
Legendary Creature – Demon, 5/5
Flying, trample
Damage dealt by Plantigor the Fury is lethal.
At the beginning of your upkeep, sacrifice Plantigor unless you discard a card.
Whenever a player discards a card, you may destroy target creature if it shares a subtype with the discarded card.
This set is built around each color specializing on a specific card type. Black's focus is Creature and as such, it places a greater focus on the cycle of playing, sacrificing and reanimating it's own creatures. The color's common creatures primarily offer the fodder for that cycle, providing added benefits as they do so, as seen in the Spite ability word. Black also takes advantage of the usual equality of Innocent Blood style effects, as seen in Make into a Memory. Black's creatures are its greatest asset and its common land forces that dynamic. Because of the focus on card types in this set, Black is no longer the strongest removal color and this is demonstrated in Heartstop which is unable hit artifact creatures. The prerelease card represents the color's great manipulation of Creature cards, as seen by the final ability, which is tied to a major color theme as well as the card's upkeep cost.
Discuss in the Conquest thread!