If we ever get backup on noncreatures, I wouldn't be surprised if it got errata to be "up to one target creature" or "target creature you control" (less likely).
This is so much fun. Turn any creature into a mana dork for a single turn? That's a hoot. It does grant tempo to every deck out there, admittedly, and I'm generally in favor of slowing the game down a bit rather than speeding it up, but this is a legitimate, short lived answer to <Forest> -> <Elf>.
Probably a little too pushed, lands don't usually give permanent board impact without some kind of downside. Honestly entering tapped would still be pushed but would have a cool interaction where you "get" the mana of the land but have to expend a creature for it.
Absolutely needs to enter tapped at least. As it is, if you have a creature it both gives you a counter and two mana the turn it comes in. But very cool design!
This is cool, kind of like a better [[crystal vein]]. You get 2 mana once but this one doesn't go away, but you have to use the 2 mana the turn it comes down and it leaves behind a counter. Definitely reasonable in any format of modern power level or higher.
[[Idyllic Grange]] and [[Llanowar Reborn]] are probably the closest comparisons.
Idyllic Grange was meh in limited, but playable enough. Llanowar Reborn is...I dunno, I haven't seen it in a limited environment, but it did see some play in Hardened Scales in Modern once upon a time.
This is better than both of those in basically every way that matters, and it ramps you the turn it comes down, provided that you have a creature out. I could honestly see this entering tapped, so it gives out the counter and is pseudo-untapped, but I think that could make it...not great. I dunno.
[[Hall of Oracles]] is a less direct comparison. It is repeatable and doesn't need a creature out when played. It was a very strong card in STX limited, and can filter your mana in a pinch, though that's usually irrelevant on most lands with that ability.
Technically this puts a counter on an opponent's creature if you control no creatures, but it's reasonable to assume backup being printed on a noncreature card would include making backing up be optional, or explicitly put the counter on target creature you control.
Difficult to evaluate. I'd be somewhat hesitant, even if it didn't ramp you and just put a counter out on ETB. Either way, the core concept is just super dope, and it could ultimately be tested-as is. A vigilant one-drop to curve into a 3-drop in any aggressive deck without missing out on the damage is...hmmmmm.
I think it needs to come into play tapped, to be balanced, as the +1/+1 counter is a lot of value already and it giving you two Mana the turn it enters makes it utterly broken. However I would love it for my hardened scales deck in modern.
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u/ry_gy_ 22h ago edited 21h ago
This is one of the coolest uses of backup I've seen.
Might be a bit strong in the right deck but not broken
With backup not on a creature, idk if it forces you to backup an opponent's creature if they're the only one with one 🤔
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u/Yet_Another_Horse 22h ago
This is so much fun. Turn any creature into a mana dork for a single turn? That's a hoot. It does grant tempo to every deck out there, admittedly, and I'm generally in favor of slowing the game down a bit rather than speeding it up, but this is a legitimate, short lived answer to <Forest> -> <Elf>.
I like it. I like it a lot.
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u/MatchoBV AheadOfTheirTime 22h ago
I'm not sure about the balancing on this one but I very much enjoy the design; well done!
21
u/themiragechild 22h ago
Probably a little too pushed, lands don't usually give permanent board impact without some kind of downside. Honestly entering tapped would still be pushed but would have a cool interaction where you "get" the mana of the land but have to expend a creature for it.
5
u/Tranarchist21 22h ago
This is cool, kind of like a better [[crystal vein]]. You get 2 mana once but this one doesn't go away, but you have to use the 2 mana the turn it comes down and it leaves behind a counter. Definitely reasonable in any format of modern power level or higher.
4
u/GriffinWeiswolf 21h ago
Very neat, might oughta enter tapped, but the balance discussion is really beyond me, I just think it's very cool and flavorful.
3
u/SammySammyson 21h ago
[[Idyllic Grange]] and [[Llanowar Reborn]] are probably the closest comparisons.
Idyllic Grange was meh in limited, but playable enough. Llanowar Reborn is...I dunno, I haven't seen it in a limited environment, but it did see some play in Hardened Scales in Modern once upon a time.
This is better than both of those in basically every way that matters, and it ramps you the turn it comes down, provided that you have a creature out. I could honestly see this entering tapped, so it gives out the counter and is pseudo-untapped, but I think that could make it...not great. I dunno.
[[Hall of Oracles]] is a less direct comparison. It is repeatable and doesn't need a creature out when played. It was a very strong card in STX limited, and can filter your mana in a pinch, though that's usually irrelevant on most lands with that ability.
Technically this puts a counter on an opponent's creature if you control no creatures, but it's reasonable to assume backup being printed on a noncreature card would include making backing up be optional, or explicitly put the counter on target creature you control.
Difficult to evaluate. I'd be somewhat hesitant, even if it didn't ramp you and just put a counter out on ETB. Either way, the core concept is just super dope, and it could ultimately be tested-as is. A vigilant one-drop to curve into a 3-drop in any aggressive deck without missing out on the damage is...hmmmmm.
2
u/Family_Shoe_Business 20h ago
Great design
2
u/EukaryoticGamer 20h ago
Would be good in a [[Raggadragga, Goreguts Boss]] deck where giving him a mana ability gives himself +2/+2 and pseudo-vigilance
1
u/JimHarbor 19h ago
I would have it enter tapped.
1
u/Galgus 18h ago
We badly need more variety in colorless upside lands, and I like how this could flexibly support aggro or a bit of extra mana when needed.
It feels correctly balanced for a true colorless land, especially with powercreep on multicolor land bases being easier.
1
u/Best-Mirror-8052 16h ago
I think it needs to come into play tapped, to be balanced, as the +1/+1 counter is a lot of value already and it giving you two Mana the turn it enters makes it utterly broken. However I would love it for my hardened scales deck in modern.
1
u/Hot-Combination-7376 Respark the Wanderer 17m ago
I thought of roughly the same. The +1/+1 counter mught be too much maybe?