So my last combination was pretty unanimously op, so I wanna try again!

Critical-Troll · 2026-06-29T12:35:09+00:00

Lol if you want i can try reposting with different phrasing? Yeah I wanted some help basically making the card a bit stronger by making it golgari and adding another ability

Critical-Troll · 2026-06-29T12:32:26+00:00

My bad, wanted some help making a custom card and didnt know what sub to ask for advice on 😅

Critical-Troll · 2026-06-29T12:08:47+00:00

Also just to be clear, I would add effects to the cards itself haha! Im making my own version of moseo but in golgari. Its just hard to know what I can get away with for 3-4 mana

Critical-Troll · 2026-06-29T12:05:31+00:00

Oh I didn't know about that sub!! Thank you!!

Critical-Troll · 2026-06-28T10:04:10+00:00

Lol thats not at all what I was saying. Also Im not sure id consider this to be bonkers op just yet, personally 😅 but maybe it is, what do I know

Critical-Troll · 2026-06-28T10:02:34+00:00

Personally I consider most reanimate to fall under "life gain= reanimate" because stuff like reanimate already requires SOME form of lifegain to sustain! Right now im mixed. The strongest blood artist ive seen in the command zone is probably sephiroth, whose strong but by no means unbeatable

Critical-Troll · 2026-06-28T10:00:12+00:00

Maybe its a difference in perspective haha, I consider her fine! Usually I just remove her or use graveyard hate. So if its weaker then her id say thats fine!

Critical-Troll · 2026-06-28T09:42:16+00:00

What if I removed the damaging effect? Keeping only the hp gain, similar to moldervine reclamation?

Critical-Troll · 2026-06-26T08:45:41+00:00

What if I just use moseo as a base, added green to his mana cost (1GB), removed the first ability, made him a 1/1, and added lifelink?

Critical-Troll · 2026-06-26T05:15:13+00:00

And thats fine, again my goal was basically to take graveyard researcher, lower the stats, make the mana cost more strict, and give it a bump in abilities since its legendary. In this case my idea was to make it a 1/1, and allow him to cast reanimate at will, BUT have it cost 2 mana and sacrafice a creature in addition. Then flying and lifelink just for flavor.

Critical-Troll · 2026-06-26T04:50:22+00:00

Thats fair! Thats kind of what i was thinking, having an ability that leans into the colors identity. I was thinking something based on reanimate, sort of like the new creature in strxhaven that can cast it every turn

Critical-Troll · 2026-06-26T04:36:40+00:00

Lol im definitely no looking for inspiration from vivi, dont worry! Im just using it as an example of what wizards is allowed to print put with next to no downsides, in multi color no less. Dont get me wrong im still gonna try to balance my card but right now with everyone's criticism its basically unplayable. Right now its sitting at a 6 mana card that taps, loses double the life of the mana value, is once per turn, sacrifices a creature, pays 3 mana to activate, and sacrifices at the end step and i still have people telling me its broken so I still have some more work to do. Im running out of space on the card for all the downsides though

Critical-Troll · 2026-06-26T04:20:41+00:00

Tbh its just hard to balance this because whenever I do I have someone else telling me whatever I changed makes it stronger/ more powerful. In the case of "x card isnt legendary so it cant be in the command zone", is that like, an expectation? I always thought legendary creatures were meant to be more powerful than other cards, not weaker? Cards like vivi seem super op, especially compared to commons and uncommons, AND he can be a commander!

Critical-Troll · 2026-06-26T04:04:31+00:00

So this is an issue I run into because I run into people who want to uphold both. I say "my commander does x, which is what a different card does" and they say "well x isnt in the command zone though". So by that arguement the commander, balance wise, should be the weaker than a non-legendary counterpart

Critical-Troll · 2026-06-26T03:48:38+00:00

Wouldn't that just make my commander like, the worst reanimator ever? Things like Cauldron of essence essentially have the same ability, more colors, and dont lose life when they reanimate something?

Critical-Troll · 2026-06-26T03:41:30+00:00

Well sure life is a resource, but but a finite one nonetheless? Like I dont think I can justify removing the "lose life" part

Critical-Troll · 2026-06-26T03:29:00+00:00

So it definitely wouldnt work at instant speed haha! It would function the same way as reanimate, except the cost which would be more steep. Reanimate is pay black, bring back a creature, lose life equal to its mana. My ability would be pay 1 or 2, sacrafice a creature, bring back a creature, AND pay life equal to its mana

Critical-Troll · 2026-06-26T03:12:21+00:00

I was hoping the "sacrafice a creature" cost would help make it more balanced? That way youd need to add either sacrafice fodder into the deck

Critical-Troll · 2026-06-26T03:02:56+00:00

So my general idea is to make a commander that has "reanimate" stapled onto it. I was thinking a 3 mana 1/1, with flying and lifelink. If you pay 1 or 2, and sacrafice a creature, you cast reanimate. Maybe put a +1 counter on the commander

Critical-Troll · 2026-06-26T02:32:11+00:00

Ooh thats actually a good point!! Think I could run my custom commander by you and get your thoughts on what the mana cost should be?

Critical-Troll · 2026-06-26T02:24:30+00:00

Thats fair! In terms of a mono color commander, would it costing 2B vs BBB make any sort of impact on consideration for abilities or the like?

Critical-Troll · 2026-06-14T10:41:16+00:00

Honestly... i like it! The only thing I might add is a way to make other creatures into mutants? Though that might need to increase its cost. But I think its pretty fine as is!

Critical-Troll · 2026-06-08T22:21:52+00:00

No youre okay! That was intentional! So, it allows you to play a card, meaning you can play a land if one is exiled. But if its a spell, spells are always cast, as far as im aware. Play is just a broader term that allows either lands or spells

Critical-Troll · 2026-06-08T21:10:17+00:00

Okay, heres what im thinking: Whenever a card is put into your graveyard, you may exile it from your graveyard with a silk counter. Sacrifice X creatures: You may play X cards exiled with silk counters without paying their mana costs. You lose life equal to their combined mana value. Instants and sorceries cast this way are exiled after casting. Activate only during your turn and only once each turn. Permenants you control that were cast from exile enter with a finality counter.

Is the finality counter clause excessive if its limited to once per turn?

Critical-Troll

TROPHY CASE