My King of Crusaders is pretty simple. I’ve always felt it would be more interesting for other factions to have unique terrain effects like Shadow Creep. Of all the factions, Lyonar has the most direct healing, and Zeal is their unique Keyword. Thus, Sanctuary tiles were born. The more damage the King does, the more tiles he creates, and the harder it becomes for your opponent to ping down your minions.
Fan Card Design Hub: Discussion (+Card Design Contest Discussion)
1 Like
Yeah, you are able to edit your design until the 15th.
3 Likes
Grrr… I’m really torn on what to do with my card.
I like the dynamic it creates, with the enemy wanting to leave it at 1 or 2 hp so they get the spell back and the player wanting to prevent it.
This creates situations where the player needing to contemplate how the enemy can counterplay in a way never before, except against Sunset Paragon or Zen’rui, maybe. Like, buffing it’s health to 5 (post-effect) versus Vanar is bad, because the opponent can just cryogenisis it, but the player will want to it’s health for more 1st wish value.
Or against Songhai, they will want to have an 1st wish in hand first to prevent the phoenix fire punish. Though that’s already happening now with other cards.
The enemy can also feel clever when they sundrop elixir + Zir’ran BBS it and getting a BBS card while killing it for free (card wise).
But the card is so punishable and the text might be too complex, the effect might also be too weak and the card needs to be played for the situation above to happen and for the card’s existence justified…
And I’m not sure what to do with it.
Buffing it’s health might not even be a buff, as it will be easier to punish. Nerfing it’s self damage to 1 is unacceptable as infinitting 1st wishes is too stupid. Removing the self damage or enemy’s spell proccing it kills large portion of the card’s nuance (also again, 1st wish.).
For now, I will change it to a 2/3, Archayst & Dervish. But it might be too much for 1 card, with it being not only having a complex effect, and not 1 but 2 subtypes to interact with.
Right, what deck would you build if this card is in the game right now?
Seems ok in aggro, with 1st wish it’s an immediate Void Hunter, with 2nd wish it’s a 4 mana upgraded silver tongue corsair, with cosmic flash it’s a bad shield master. It might be too versatile. Or I might be second guessing to much. Edit: Never mind, that’s garbage. It’s a 2/4 now. Should have had some tea or something.
1 Like
Forced synergy - when an effect is significant dependent on another to function - is typically very unhealthy in any design. You have at least 2, maybe 3, examples of it:
- Wraithling target
- Darkfire Sacrifice use
- Last Turn
To preserve your idea for a minion, I offer the following
-
If this minion was summoned with a reduced cost gain +1/+1 and Celerity.
-
Add a Darkfire Sacrifice to your action bar. Minions summoned with a reduced cost gain +1/+1 and Celerity.
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Add a Bloodmoon Sacrifice to your action bar.
Bloodmoon Sacrfice: Destroy a friendly minion. The next minion you summon costs 2 less and gains +1/+1 and Celerity.
4 Likes
Hey all, I am really enjoying thinking of all this design.
Looking for some feedback regarding a concept:
Forlorn Gravedigger
Abyssian, (Minion/Spell/Artifact)
“Summon the most recent non-token minion on the space it died on with 1 health.”
[details=Version 1, Minion]
Forlorn Gravedigger
Abyssian, Minion
4 Mana (4/1)
Opening Gambit: Select a tile and summon the most recent non-token minion that died on that tile with 1 health.[/details]
[details=Version 2, Battle Pet]
Dig
Abyssian, Battle Pet
5 Mana (2/5)
Moves to the nearest, unoccupied space that a non-token minion died on and summons it with 1 health once.[/details]
[details=Version 3, Spell]
Forlorn Exhumation
Abyssian, Spell
3 Mana
Select a space and summon the most recent non-token minion that died on that space with 1 health. Draw a card.[/details]
[details=Version 4, Artifact]
Forlorn Tears
Abyssian, Artifact
4 Mana
When your General moves, summon the last non-token minion that died on the space your General is standing on nearby. It has 1 health.[/details]
- Version 1
- Version 2
- Version 3
- Version 4
0 voters
I think it would be at least interesting to be rewarded for remembering where minions fell.
P.S. If anyone wants a review, just PM me and I’ll reply.
2 Likes
though i love the idea of abyssian necromancers and the ability to undo the enemies removal, i think that mechanic would be difficult to keep track of. it really leads itself to dying wish and ramp decks since you could get double dying wish effects or resummon that revenant to finish the enemy off. i mean, just imagine the version 3 spell bringing back a revenant, suiciding it against something, then using the spell 2 more times to bring back 2 more revenants. thats potentially 12-18 face damage out of hand. its double baconators all over again. the artifact is weak and wouldn’t see play since most abyssian archtypes are control not aggro. the battle pet is weirdly worded. does it only summon a creature when it moves? what if your opponent places a minion right next to it. it wont move and its useless. and does it summon before attacking or after? because it could kill an enemy minion and resummon it.
1 Like
Thanks for the replay. I too really want to see more Necromancer style play. More than just Ramp or Swarm and something that can immediate impact versus the slower Death Watch and Dying Wish.
Numbers can always change, and if the Spell version fits better as a 4 or more mana card, than that is great. Another balancing measure is not allowing movement.
Concept is most important and I think the design already open a lot of non-linear gameplay up and an answer to typical tempo loss via removal or dispel but also offensive by “stealing” an opponent’s minion you killed or they traded.
The Battle Pet is weird but this was the goal: This Battle Pet automatically tries move near tiles where something dies and summons something if its in range. Or it could attack, whichever is closer because its not controllable and that’s part of that kind of balance.
In summary, it has a strong and versatile effects. There are ways to balance it, including the inherent need to remember and select the right tile.
1 Like
While Magmar is by no means my favorite faction, I have a soft spot for Grow. I come from Magic the Gathering where green was the color I started out with and remains one of my favorites. So I’m always noodling over ways to make Grow adapt to such a fast paced meta where you don’t get to “not block” with them until they are monsters. Communal Lifeforce is one of my favorite ideas so far.
I have a 2nd idea, but I’ll save that for a future contest (it’s a bit more complex so I’m still working on refining it).
1 Like
I won’t disagree it is a forced synergy, but is it really THAT problematic? Since all of the restrictions are pretty easy to meet (you only need to “dark sac” one wraithling, then press end turn), I don’t think so. Even if Cassyva is the reference, they are still fairly easy to accomplish, since cheap cards like Wraithling Swarm, Gloomchaser, Horn of the Forsaken are all a thing. The idea behind the card is not to use it immediately after a Darkfire Sacrifice, but after a “ramped” minion instead, which is why the restrictions (maybe the “wraithling only” one could be changed to “a friendly minion”, but since I designed the card with Lilithe’s BBS in mind, it is not a problem either) seem fitting imo. It is not a card you want to be playing alone, by itself, but rather as a tool to support the Ramp archetype without it needing to directly interact with Darkfire Sacrifice, meaning that you can have a valuable minion to play even if you haven’t ramped it out. If you ramp, say, a Vorpal Reaver on 4 mana turn with Darkfire Sacrifice, then the next turn you could drop a 3/5 Celerity for 4 without needing to cast a Darkfire Sacrifice on it. It is a card that seeks to help with what is - imo - one of the most - if not THE MOST - critical aspects of the archetype: Tempo. Ramp is an archetype that seeks to bring out big creatures earlier in order to pressure your opponent faster, thus obtaining tempo. Ironically, it is also one of the strategy’s main weaknesses. If your opponent is able to answer, for example, your turn 2 Vorpal Reaver as player 2, then you are losing the tempo you paid one creature and two cards for. Moonlight Seeker seeks (funny joke Kappa) to fill the hole that tempo loss digs.
With that being said, I would like to take a look at your suggestions:
1 - “If this minion was summoned with a reduced cost gain +1/+1 and Celerity.”
. I don’t think it fits what my idea represents, since it implies that one MUST ramp Moonlight Seeker specifically in order to be able to use it’s effects. Also, since there is no way to reduce the cost of creatures (Unseven is the closest to that, besides Metallurgist) in the neutral pool - golems being an exception -, then it means that the player would need to use it together with Darkfire Sacrifice or Arcane Devourer, Abyssian’s dedicated ramp tools (I’m not counting Lurking Fear for obvious reasons). As I stated in my earlier post, being forced to choose which minion to ramp is not what the archetype wants, let alone a 4 mana one. Why would one prefer to waste their ramp resources on a 4 drop over a 6 or 7 drop? Isn’t it better to let it interact with ramp mechanics indirectly, so that the player doesn’t need to be in a dilemma of which minion to accelerate? Furthermore, if Moonlight Seeker needs to interact directly with Ramp effects, then it means that if he doesn’t, he becomes useless since, as I’ve already adressed, 4 is a mana slot that people want to play proactive minions instead of a 2/3 body with no board impact at all. Also, you criticized my idea for being too forced, and yet you presented something that is not as much as restrictive, but is more limiting, in the sense that it pushes the player to make a decision of whether he wants Moonlight Seeker to be good or utterly bad.
2 - “Add a Darkfire Sacrifice to your action bar. Minions summoned with a reduced cost gain +1/+1 and Celerity.”
. Hell, no. It would be too strong with things like Spectral Revenant, for example. 7/7 Rush/Celerity for 5 or 1? Count me in. Interesting idea, though, but could use some work. Too easy to abuse imo.
3 - "Add a Bloodmoon Sacrifice to your action bar.
Bloodmoon Sacrifice: Destroy a friendly minion. The next minion you summon costs 2 less and gains +1/+1 and Celerity."
. Same as above. While giving up your own board control in order to get a beefy Celerity minion sounds like a cool drawback to me, it wouldn’t be enough to justify a 7/7 Rush/Celerity Spectral Revenant for 5. It would just be too abusable.
And that’s it. Thanks for you criticism, man. 
1 Like
I’ve seen bennyboy use it in his Argeon deck to good effect.
~Lurking Diamond & S-Rank replays 2gitgudlol 
1 Like
Anyone opinion???
[details=Nᴀᴍᴇ : Dervish Sovereign]
Fᴀᴄᴛɪᴏɴ : Vetruvian Imperium
Tʏᴘᴇ: Dervish
Rᴀʀɪᴛʏ : Legendary
Cᴏsᴛ: 7
Sᴛᴀᴛs : 0/1
Oᴘᴇɴɪɴɢ Gᴀᴍʙɪᴛ:
Gains 1/1 and a random keyword ability for each dervish spawned since the last turn.
I just felt like making some Dervish synergy through a card, that isn’t tied to Obelysk in it’s name. Imagine, running an Orb Weaver and the lot just to bump this thing up in the next turn. It’s a definite late game card, that could win you the game![/details]
1 Like
Two words: Chromatic Cold. This card is really bad for the same reason Calculator is really bad, but it costs more so its even worse.
1 Like
We could make it have spell immunity xD
1 Like
It’s not too easy my friend.
There’s a LOT of keywords.
Rebirth, deathwatch, forcefield, zeal, backstab, infiltrate etc.
The list goes on.
1 Like
That would only protect it from Siphon Soul. Ephemeral Shroud, Chromatic Cold, Sun Bloom, Lightbender, Sunstone Templar and Tethermancer would still turn it into a 7 Mana 0/1.
Depending on how many Dervishes you summoned this might be worth it, but its still a ridiculously situational card. It’s usefulness also depends on the pool of abilities that can be selected from: Grailmaster, for example, can’t get Rush, and Elkowl has a reduced chance of getting Rush because it can also get faction abilities.
Also “each dervish spawned since the last turn” implies that it includes all Dervishes summoned on your opponent’s last turn and your current turn, not the one before it. It should say “each friendly Dervish summoned since the start of your last turn.”
1 Like
I greatly appreciate the depth of responses to my initial critiques/questions, they’ve been very helpful. Here are my responses (and apologies for taking so long!):
Aspect of the Ice
- Overall, while I appreciate your update addressing the BBS problem (and I enjoy the symmetry with Winter Asp), I don’t think a lowered cost is the way to go (at least with that stat line).
- Boundless Lifeforce nets 20 stats for 7 mana; this nets 19 + a new BBS for 6 mana.
- I think @oranos brought up an important parallel to consider between this design and Grandmaster Z’ir.
- Giving Vanar 3 opportunities to effectively heal for 14 (for only 6 mana!) seems incredibly unbalanced (Control Vanar would simply dominate with a card like this). As heavy handed as this is, I would highly recommend tinkering with some less extreme statlines. Otherwise, it still falls under the shadow of Boundless, and thus fails to feel distinct.
Creep Vine
- The “start of turn” modifier certainly alleviates balance concerns, the problem of redundancy persists (creep generation is already present, this isn’t design isn’t additive).
- While I appreciate the desire to break the mold and generalize faction-specific typings/abilities, a one-off Wall for Abyssian would feel awkward (as there’s nothing to support its typing, no synergies or purpose for it).
Suntide Altar
- No other card boosts health beyond 25, so that element strikes me as awkward (Why this card? Why would a structure be able to boost health? Why +2?).
- Adding +2 Health is strictly better than Healing Mystic and Fiz (not limited to benefit if your General is already at 25).
- If your intention is for it to only absorb damage up to its health, and that wording seems too difficult, then perhaps that is a warning sign that the design is overly-complex or flawed. As is, it would certainly be too inconsistent (and thus not follow from CPG’s brevity preference).
- i.e. Why should only this minion have a damage-received limit? When I whack my Dragonbone Golem into an opponent’s Taygette, the Taygette doesn’t just cap at 4 damage received; it receives all 10.
Solidify
- The comparisons between Solidify vs. Windstorm Obelysk (WO) were meant to emphasize how heavily Solidify negates the use of WO.
- A design that fully negates another (especially in-faction) is treading dangerous waters.
- While I appreciate the desire to foster more in-type interactions, I wonder if this could be done in a more interesting/creative way (rather than just offering raw card advantage).
- This is completely nitpicky, but why the consistency of Windstorm? It seems too narrow/convenient of a design purpose (Windstorm directly benefits survivability of Iron Dervishes).
- If anything, why not maintain symmetry with Allomancer and make it random (this would at least minimize the ‘conveniency’ problem and it wouldn’t directly negate Windstorm).
Sightless Master
- The superfluity of its Backstab persists (and yes, while SW and KE interact, the backstab would seem to only exist in order to facilitate those interactions; as opposed to actually interacting with the board).
- I’d consider comparing this with Red Synja.
- Ultimately, I wish this design did more than just insta-kill. There are plenty of more engaging ways a high-end Backstab minion could play out (e.g. Backstab triggering a poison effect, or putting a toxin card into opponent’s action bar).
Hidden Silhouette
- While I appreciate the thought behind the design, I don’t think it sufficiently distinguishes itself from Silhouette Tracer.
- I still struggle to see the purpose of a card like this. If Mist Walking and Silhouette Tracer hardly see use in Songhai currently, why would this?
Sand Sculpturer
- I will reiterate, there would simply be no point in running Sand Trap with a minion like this around.
- Lightbender is pushed, as it necessarily casts 8 Siphon Energy (0 mana), but it trades off that large dispel utility for stats. Again, this minion necessarily casts 8 Sand Traps (16 mana), does not trade it off as much stat-wise, and I’d argue that Sand Trap can act as pseudo-removal (in which case this is mass pseudo-removal for 4 mana, ergo much higher utility over Lightbender).
Moonlight Seeker
- I can appreciate your concerns with the original design, but I’d consider it much more promising than your current iteration. While the Darkfire Sacrifice requirement is limiting, that would necessarily let you play into that limit (by cranking the ability/stats even further, to compensate for said limit).
- Again, the design of your current iteration is simply too complex and disconnected (I understand the underlying reasoning, but it just doesn’t come together into a coherent design).
- Perhaps it may be beneficial to restart and approach the design from a different angle (so as to avoid all of the convoluted requirements), or breakdown the design into separate cards (as this one is simply trying to do too much).
Shadow Teacher
- Tongue-in-cheek aside, I would consider that design less inspiration and more transposition.
- Yes, you can make the argument that the vast majority of game-design is derivative, and that’s fine. However, the goal for this contest is to reward effort, creativity, and thoughtfulness; to reward design, and not direct transposition (even if the original design space of the transposition differs).
I will try my best to update tomorrow and address other designs of interest. Here’s hoping my schedule complies… 
2 Likes
i originally designed the creep vine card pre-shim’zar before creep generation was super easy. I posted it on the old forum and i just loved the idea so i thought it would be cool to suggest it in the contest.
that said, i understand that it doesn’t really lend itself to much purpose anymore since making creep is easy now. is it too late to change my submission to something completely different?
survivors guilt
2 mana abyssian spell
give a minion deathwatch:-1/-1
5 Likes
Certainly, all design submissions may be edited prior to the deadline (Sept. 15th). And FWIW, I’m a huge fan of that design!
1 Like
@Kudryavka_Noumi
Your card seems a little hard to understand - mind if I try rewording it a bit?
RE: Judgement Day wording
Name: Judgement Day
Faction: Lyonar Spell
Cost: 5 Mana
Until the start of your next turn, minions cannot attack unless the active player pays 1 mana for each minion that attacks and attacking minions take one additional damage.
Other names you may consider: Armistice, Momentary Truce, Ceasefire, Peace Accord
My opinion
Seems overly complicated for a small payoff. Maybe it needs to be a little simpler or more powerful?
edit: bloody hide details isn’t working for the first part
3 Likes
“Until start of your next turn, whenever a minion attacks, deal 1 damage to it and it’s owner loses 1 mana.” might be better.
1 Like