[Hypothetical] Fixing Green

[Barook]

#1. Why?

#2. Well, in fairness, the original post specified that these designs were for Legacy only. And in further fairness, I don't think this guy's all that much better than Troll Ascetic, which has become core. They can just print him along with a Pyroclasm-clone and everybody's happy. I'm actually most proud of this card.

#3. I don't think your print is any more powerful, but it gives me an idea for a compromise here. What about:
Taipan's Fangs

Enchantment - Aura
Enchant creature
Split Second
Enchanted creature has Deathtouch and Provoke.
Whenever Taipan's Fangs would be put into a graveyard from play, return Taipan's Fangs to its owner's hand.

Alternately, either one could be given Split Second. Split Second would make the Aura far more appealing by getting rid of the 2 for 1 thing and making the Rancor ability absolute.

#4. Alright, valid point. I don't think I'd ever want Lonelybaritone getting ahold of this card. I might cry.

#5. Alright then. What if we merge cards #4 and #5 into some kind of Vanishing Green Shroud Leyline?

#1: How the hell should I know? It's Wizard's guideline, not mine.

#2: I saw it from a more realistic point. Limited has already ruined alot of otherwise fun cards.

#3: That's probably the best approach yet.

#4 & #5: That just sounds like a bad card that's still too non-interactive.

[mikekelley]

I have a pipe dream that wizards will stop making cards for limited. I think I will be dreaming for a long, long time. But I digress. I see a lot of good ideas in this thread. I think what green really lacks is instant speed/hasty things. Then it might be too good. Who knows, really.

[TheInfamousBearAssassin]

Oh well, I'll cave.

I'd like to see something like;


Card-Drawing Guy
3GG
Creature- Hermit
Echo, Flash
When Card-Drawing Guy comes into play, draw three cards.
2/4



But I think White and Black need more work. White needs more control elements that aren't just creature kill, and Black needs some creatures that are good without Dark Ritual.

[mikekelley]

What type of control elements, IBA? I mean, Ghostly Prison, Solitary Confinement, Parallax Wave, Rule of Law, and so on. Paired up with some brown white has some formidable control pieces.

[264505]

9 land stompy is really the only viable green aggro deck in the format and if it wasnt for the 60 dollar berserks it be a relitively cheap and efficient beatdown deck. Between the kavu predator and invigorate interaction plus berserk the deck can put on a turn 3 or 4 clock, but I guess its to fragile to play or something, maybe if there was a creature like

GG
Old Elf
Activated abilities that produce mana cant be played.
1/1

it can be a turn 1 drop off a ESG and shuts of LED, chrome mox, and petal. It gives more time for green to race and isnt completely overpowering IMHO.

[Bovinious]

Uhh....wouldn't that last one stop lands too, they still have an activated ability even though its not written out...

And they already did the card I think you were trying to make in Null Rod.

[Happy Gilmore]

Uhh....wouldn't that last one stop lands too, they still have an activated ability even though its not written out...

And they already did the card I think you were trying to make in Null Rod.

I like it.

Nulling Rodney

Creature-Elf Druid

Players cannot play any artifact abilities requiring an activation cost.

3/1


Here is my thought on the subject:

Meddling Gardener

Creature- Elf Shaman

Shroud
Tap an untapped creature you control: target land's type becomes the basic land type of your choice until end of turn.
1/1

It servers two functions, a mana fixer and the ability to mess with your opponents mana. The perfect green utility creature imo.

[HPC]

The problem with creating something full of green flavor is that Wizards has already declared White the weenie color and rule setting color, which is something green could do well. Instead they've decided green is all about super fatties, which is fine, but gives the color no hope in actually controlling the game which all the other mono colors can do (white w/ StP, blue w/ counter, black w/ disruption, red w/ damage). Green needs access to something that help control their board, something like:

GG
Return to Nature
Instant
Kicker G
Remove all non-creature spells from the stack
If you paid the kicker cost Return to Nature has Split Second

[Happy Gilmore]

The problem with creating something full of green flavor is that Wizards has already declared White the weenie color and rule setting color, which is something green could do well. Instead they've decided green is all about super fatties, which is fine, but gives the color no hope in actually controlling the game which all the other mono colors can do (white w/ StP, blue w/ counter, black w/ disruption, red w/ damage). Green needs access to something that help control their board, something like:

GG
Return to Nature
Instant
Kicker G
Remove all non-creature spells from the stack
If you paid the kicker cost Return to Nature has Split Second

Oooo...I like that...although its probably either too good or two slow.

[scrumdogg]

The problem with green is two-fold & many people have already addressed the issue of lack-of-removal (I especially like the provoke options, which fit with green's theme of creatures, and the recurring Elvish Javelineers). The other problem with green is the inability to disrupt combo going off on your face. My off-the-top-of-my-head fix would be....a creature, of course


Llanowar Flagbearer 2/1 Elf Flagbearer
Flash
Echo

While Llanowar Flagbearer is in play, target spell or effect which could target a Flagbearer in play, must target a Flagbearer in play.

While not perfect, it allows Green the opportunity to address combo effects like Goblin Charbelcher & removal slotted for more sensitive creatures.

[DrJones]

Green, right now, is better than white and black. The only reason you don't see a monocolor deck is because with so many cards and so many mana fixing (at which green is supposedly good) you are imposing yourself an arbitrary deckbuilding restriction by not splashing other colors.

If I had to design a green card to 'fix' it, it would be this:
Ground Herder G
Creature - Human druid
Permanents you control have protection from non-basic lands.
1/1

bye, bye, wastelands.

[greenmage]

I guess I didn't make this clear enough in my opening post, but I'm not really interested in a debate over whether there is a problem with green. All I'm really interested is answers to the question in bold, so if you don't think there is a problem, you can simply say that you would design nothing (or simply design a cool card or set of cards that doesn't change green in any significant way).

You put the inherent statement into your first post that green is weaker like it is general consensus and then you are surprised when I start discussing it?
But OK, I'll stop discussion (Btw: ichneumon druid, dosan the falling leaf, gaea's blessing, naturalize are combo hate).

I'll just post some cards I created.

You all know that instants are a relatively overused card type compared to all other. Just look through your decklists. My honest oppinion is that instants need something to keep them a bit in check, a hoser, similar to humility for creatures.

Freedom of Mind 1GG
Enchantment
Instants can't be played.

I am well aware of the power level of this card, and it would shake things up. But I don't think it is too powerful. Oh, and it is also an anti combo card.

Animal Kingdom
legendary land
T: G
T: GG if you control a creature

Excelleration that works from turn two is very important in green. Yummy, turn two natural order.

[gnurbel2000]

What about these suggestions for useful green removal.

Anti- mono green loses to everything


Legendary Creature - Fungus
You don't lose the game for having 0 or less life,
as long as you control another green creature.
0/2

This will give you enough room to improve your board
position against combo without being too good against
control or aggro decks.

Green creature removal:


Creature - Elf
Haste, Provoke, Deathtouch
Except for creatures named ~this~ and artifact creatures,
creatures you control can't attack.
At end of turn, sacrifice ~this~
1/1

You trade a combat phase and a card for a creature.


Creature - Elf
Flash, Deathtouch
~This~ can only block two creatures.
You may play this only in an opponents combat phase.
At end of turn sacrifice ~this~
2/1

You can get a 2 for 1 but your opponent will be cautious
when you have 3 green mana open and he will be safe
when he attacks with just one creature.

[Jak]

Why do all the cards need to be so commited to green. Last I checked even blue and red splash colors. I also don't see why green is the only color without creature removal. Red has burn, white has StP, blue got pongify, and black has a ton.

Anyways, I think green is a good splash color, but it needs creature removal and some combo hate. Can a reverse StP be printed?

???

Instant

Remove target creature from the game,
you lose life equal to its casting cost.


I also think it needs cheaper, more powerful creatures. Big dudes can only get you so far.


???

Creature - Centaur Pimp

Trample
When ever ~This~ deals damage to a player draw a card.

2/2

Maybe too good, but green needs good draw. Combo hate is difficult. I think this card's ability could be really cool.


???

Enchantment

Whenever an opponent plays a spell, you may discard a card with converted mana cost equal to that spell. If you do, counter that spell.

I don't know, but it sounds cool.

[greenmage]

I had another idea.

We had desertstorm.

Why not:

Sandstorm
Sorcery
Destroy target permanent.

Useable in any green deck with a mana engine.

[Barook]

The main problem with green creature removal is that Wizards won't print it "because green doesn't get creature removal".

Considering the problem, Provoke was a quite good, flavorful solution, dealing with the removal problem via fat creatures. The only reason why Provoke horribly failed was crappy design (it was Legions, after all) which resulted in overcosted jank creatures nobody played.

Imho, Provoke definitely deserves a second chance to shine, but this time well-executed, similiar to Cycling in the Onslaught block.

[Tinefol]

You all know that instants are a relatively overused card type compared to all other. Just look through your decklists. My honest oppinion is that instants need something to keep them a bit in check, a hoser, similar to humility for creatures.

There's already a hoser for instants and as mentioned unfortunately it is blue. Teferi. It would have fitted green so well :-/

I had another idea.
We had desertstorm.
Why not:
Sandstorm
Sorcery
Destroy target permanent.

More like Desert Twister. They would probably never print anything better than Desert Twister though. Or Unyaro Bee Sting for that matter. And nobody would play these cards, except in Limited. So permanent removal or direct damage spell is a dead way.

[Nightmare]

There's already a hoser for instants and as mentioned unfortunately it is blue. Teferi. It would have fitted green so well :-/

http://magiccards.info/lg/en/105.html

[Tinefol]

http://magiccards.info/lg/en/105.html

Wow, it looks almost as janky as Unyaro Bee Sting. Probably even worse. Haha! Thanks for bringing it up, I never knew, even thought, such a card existed.

[Nightmare]

It used to be a way for Survival to try and hose Solidarity. It didn't work, but they tried.