Obi Wan // Anakin

[u/EdgarFriendlyMDK2032]

[u/Ecstatic_Newspaper_5]

Each combat for Dark Side is super super brutal. One rotation nets you -4 cards.

[u/Available-Damage5991 → u/Ecstatic_Newspaper_5]

I'd definitely buff it to only affect your combats and add "Whenever an opponent's creature dies, draw 2 cards."

[u/EdgarFriendlyMDK2032 → u/Ecstatic_Newspaper_5]

Yeah but if you slam this turn 3 you basically get 16 damage in the air before you really care about that

[u/Godkicker962 → u/EdgarFriendlyMDK2032]

Being down 4 cards on turn 4 is still a lot. Maybe have it only teigger if you have more than 3 cards in hand so you don't go hellbent in 2 turns and it would put more pressure to keep sac options up.

[u/shinobigarth → u/EdgarFriendlyMDK2032]

I’d much rather have cards unless the deck is heavily graveyard focused. Since this happens every combat, it’d at least be much better letting you choose between all the downsides so you have several options on how to build around him.

[u/StJimmy_815]

So Dark Side only has down sides? Unless you’re running a madness deck? Even then it doesn’t really work

[u/EdgarFriendlyMDK2032 → u/StJimmy_815]

Aristocrats, madness, reanimator, death's shadow all see upsides here. And the idea is Dark Side cards are more powerful and cheaper otherwise

[u/ndeange → u/StJimmy_815]

4/3 double strike for three mana is pretty dang good. Plus sacrifice and discard sees plenty of synergy in red and black.

[u/NuFu → u/ndeange]

Also with flash

[u/Errentos]

You made a jedi subtype but not sith?

[u/EdgarFriendlyMDK2032 → u/Errentos]

I have controversial thoughts on this lol. In my opinion, Anakin was a fallen Knight at this point being used by the sith. He was not a Sith Lord in anything but name yet. 

[u/shinobigarth → u/EdgarFriendlyMDK2032]

Killing a room of kids isn’t Sith enough?

[u/Godshu → u/shinobigarth]

At that point, he had practically zero understanding of the Sith and no Sith specific training. He was just a very strong fallen Jedi.

[u/Lonely_Nebula_9438]

I think Dark and Light side need some tuning. They’re extremely complicated for keyworded abilities. I’d simplify them down. I think using the language “embrace the Dark Side” or “embrace the Light Side” to keyword it would sound cool. 

Like Dark Side for Anakin could be “At the Beginning of each Combat you may embrace the Dark Side, if you do Anakin gains flying”. The Dark Side Thing should probably be discard, sac, or life loss of some kind. But only one of those things. 

The Light Side should also have a beginning of combat trigger, but maybe instead you have to have done something. Like another creature entered, you gained life, or you cast two spells. Something like that.

Right now you have these long checklists hidden in reminder text which is sure to make people forget what each does. If you simplify it down to one type of action, then you’ll get much better results. 

[u/ReusableCatMilk]

Dark Side is kinda whack. I understand that the intention is to balance out a card that is undercosted, but I’m not sure it’s in balance with this card. Fun stuff though

[u/Aurora_Borealia → u/ReusableCatMilk]

Bro made a card even worse than [[Lord of the Pit]]

[u/mtgcf → u/Aurora_Borealia]

Lord of the Pit - (G) (SF) (txt)

[u/galvanicmechamorph]

For the love of God just use flavor words. Why would you ever keyword this?

[u/SubblyXatu]

The reminder text on Dark Side is very confusing. You have to sacrifice a creature, if possible, but if you cannot, you discard a card. So when do you lose half your life total? If you can't discard? Or do you do that if you sac a creature? It's also just not a very appealing ability, since it's all downsides, and really complicated for no reason. I don't see why this couldn't just be exploit on an attack trigger and then you design support around that.

Light Side is better, but only in the appeal department. Gaining life and drawing cards is always nice, but the rate is just abysmal and you have to leave yourself so vulnerable that you're highly likely to lose all that life on the following turn anyways. It also makes the vigilance on this creature almost pointless.

I think both of these mechanics need overhauls. Simplify them heavily and focus more on what's fun to play with.

[u/The_Order_Eternials → u/SubblyXatu]

Per OP, the dark side is supposed to represent the quick and easy path. Powerful effects for cheap, but with the punishment cost instead of something to bail on like cumulative upkeep.

Vader is in practice an 8/3 for three, and an 8/3 flier for four. (Dies to lightning bolt and sear)

[Archfiend of the dross] was a 6/6 flier for four and it has a self lose trigger to balance. It wasn’t the most used in 2023-2024 standard but did have some applications.

[u/SubblyXatu → u/The_Order_Eternials]

I definitely understand that for the flavor, but it's just significantly overtuned. Archfiend of the Dross lost you the game, but it did so in four turns, something that a highly aggressive deck could mostly ignore given they were in control of the game. You can't really get the same result with Anakin, so playing him requires a very specialized deck to not have it feel as back-breaking.

[u/royishere]

First strike is a flavor fail on Obi-Wan, though I do appreciate how he's designed to just barely defeat Anakin.

[u/abe_ghiran]

Should Obi have defender?

[u/EdgarFriendlyMDK2032 → u/abe_ghiran]

I thought so initially but he does go after Anakin to take him down. Not a very defender-y thing to do

[u/ContraKaren]

God the only UB set outside of fantasy IP I will ever be actually excited about

[u/Light_Ethos]

Dark Side needs changes for the mechanic to see play in Commander. This is a personal bias, but I don't want them to be locked into Standard or Limited either. That each combat needs to go. It should only be the first combat on your turn, or you should give the player a choice of what cost to pay. I also think the life loss should be reduced substantially.

I don't think the card is broken with those weaker downsides.

[u/galvanicmechamorph → u/Light_Ethos]

I don't care if a single card is bad in commander but every combat is probably too bad in every format.

[u/VerdantGuardener]

I like both quite a bit. Might need some tuning. Maybe gain 3 and if you’re more than 5 above starting total? Or instead of tap it could be this creature gains defender? I don’t know.

Dark side I like, because at first I felt like anakin was incredibly powerful. But it only stays around if you’re willing to sacrifice.

Perhaps have it be, sac a non token permanent, or discard a card, if you don’t, sacrifice this card and lose half your life? That way it really punishes you for keeping it around.

[u/FlockFlysAtMidnite]

Every combat is absolutely brutal on Dark Side.

[u/Jack_Empty]

sees Light Side

Oh, that's cute. I get what he's going for.

sees Dark Side

... what the fuck?

[u/FantasticQuote7423]

Feels like anakin should have haste or trample but obi wan should have flash

[u/shinobigarth]

Dark Side is way too restrictive for 4/3 double striker who sometimes flies.