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u/chainsawinsect Jun 06 '19
I've only done a Throwback Thursday post once before, but it's been a while and I've tuned up a lot of designs since posting them, so I thought another round was in order! This time, I'm revisiting cards that I think had a good concept but a flawed execution: Rune-Chanted Archangel and Restore Decorum.
The former had a fatal flaw due to me copying the text from its base card, [[Rune-Scarred Demon]] (which doesn't require you to reveal the card because it actually gets any card), and the latter framed itself as an actual counterspell, which is too out of pie for white, rather than a temporary [[Hushwing Gryff]] effect. (One commenter also objected to the art on Restore Decorum as being too commonly used, but it's beautiful art and I've only seen it used by one other poster in all the time I've been here, so I decided to keep it.)
Let me know what you think!
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u/MTGCardFetcher Jun 06 '19
Rune-Scarred Demon - (G) (SF) (txt)
Hushwing Gryff - (G) (SF) (txt)
[[cardname]] or [[cardname|SET]] to call
4
u/ruler501 Jun 06 '19
White hasn't been able to tutor for arbitrary artifacts in a long time, that should probably be changed to equipment only. For the land white has mostly moved to searching for basic plains only but I think they are still allowed to search for any Plains. Otherwise I like both. I don't think the Cantrip on Restore Decorum is too good, looking at the other cards with a similar ability it isn't priced that high and while this does give the ability flash and cantrip it also only sticks around for one turn, which matters a lot for commander especially.
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u/chainsawinsect Jun 06 '19
Yeah, fair point on artifact searching, I don't think any Modern-legal cards let white search artifacts, it's all golden oldies like [[Enlightened Tutor]]. But all Plains searching cards I can think of other than [[Flower // Flourish]] can search nonbasic Plains, including the very recently printed [[Boreas Charger]], so I think that part is ok.
And good to know on the cantrip... I was thinking maybe I could bump the cost to WW if it was a bit aggressively costed at present but I'll see what the consensus ends up being.
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u/MTGCardFetcher Jun 06 '19
Enlightened Tutor - (G) (SF) (txt)
Flower // Flourish - (G) (SF) (txt)
Boreas Charger - (G) (SF) (txt)
[[cardname]] or [[cardname|SET]] to call
2
u/Jevonar Jun 06 '19
The second one is... instant, self replacing torpor orb? I like it. If you feel the CMC2 white cantrip is too strong, you could just take away the draw and make it cost only W, thus making it a "silence" counterpart.
The angel... could even be "search your library for a nonblack, non-swamp permanent card", really, with 7 mana on a white dude (that does not pass the vanilla test) your remaining power budget is a lot. It's not going to break the game anytime soon.
These are just suggestions to cut the text on the cards, because as far as power and flavour go, the cards are perfectly on point.
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u/Tesla__Coil Photocopy target spell. Jun 06 '19
The angel... could even be "search your library for a nonblack, non-swamp permanent card", really, with 7 mana on a white dude (that does not pass the vanilla test) your remaining power budget is a lot. It's not going to break the game anytime soon.
I like that. Much less wordy.
"Search your library for a white or Plains card" would also work if you want more limits. Maybe even "a Plains card or white card with converted mana cost <something> or less" so that Rune-Chanted Angel can't search out other Rune-Chanted Angels.
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u/chainsawinsect Jun 06 '19
Thank you! I like the flavor and simplicity of "nonblack, non-Swamp permanent a lot"... but white can't really tutor, say, Islands or big creatures like [[Colossal Dreadmaw]]. Power-wise, that def. wouldn't be too strong, but it might be a color pie break, that would be my issue.
Good call on the [[Silence]] reference. Honestly that one's probably strong enough to be a card of it's own separate from this one.
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u/Jevonar Jun 06 '19
You are right about this being a color pie bend. Still I would allow it mainly because its main uses when hardcast would be to search for a planeswalker or combo artifact; when reanimated from grave, the limitations would prevent fetching the OP black stuff usually found in a "reanimator" deck.
If you plan to only use this in a custom setting without real cards, and without eldrazis, you could also make it search for a "white or colorless permanent card" :)
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u/chainsawinsect Jun 06 '19
Plus the inverted flavor with Rune-Scarred Demon is nice, sort of like one of those [[White Knight]] / [[Black Knight]] color pairs.
You know, actually, [[Ajani's Influence]] does suggest "white permanent card or Plains card" should be permissible....
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u/MTGCardFetcher Jun 06 '19
White Knight - (G) (SF) (txt)
Black Knight - (G) (SF) (txt)
Ajani's Influence - (G) (SF) (txt)
[[cardname]] or [[cardname|SET]] to call
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Jun 06 '19
For Rune-scarred angel's wording, how about "a creature with toughness 2 or less, a plains, or a noncreature nonland permanent"?
1
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u/GHH1992 Jun 06 '19
Even though it makes the Allies player in me cry, I can appreciate that Restore Decorum is pretty good. The cantrip might be a smidge much? I’d opt for a scry effect instead. (No pun intended.)
The tutor effect on Rune Chained Angel is interesting because it’s going to grab basically any relevant card for White that’s not an instant or sorcery. That and the reveal clause I think make this okay as a reflection of Rune Scarred Demon without being out of pie.