Drawbacks.

[undone]

Drawbacks keep people away from cards, from Ernie to jusam to necro. However cards with drawbacks can be good the question is if you created cards that appear to be over the top would that be able to be balanced by drawbacks or would these kind of cards be so broken that no drawback evens them out.

How bad would the drawbacks on the following cards have to be for them not to be broken? And dont just say "Lose the game" because that isnt true there would be a drawback that would be fair but not broken. Fair costs here could exist the question is what are they

0
Sorcery
Draw two cards

G
Creature
4/4

U
Instant
Counter target spell

W
Instant Destroy target land. You may repeat the process for each permenant type (Kill one planeswalker, artifact, creature exct)

R
Sorcery
Both players discard thier hands and draw 10 cards.

B
Sorcery
Target player discards 3 cards at random.

I believe this is an exorsize in proving drawbacks can always be big enough to outwheigh the strength of the card.

The reverse ancestral recall (B) could be balanced with "As an additional cost discard 2 cards at random". The red card could be "discard half of these at random. The White one could be "your opponent does the same" The blue one could be like thoughtseize only maby 3 life, the green one could have say "your opponent gets a X/X pro green creature" or a 1/5 shroud guy. Now the 0 cost card should have a very big drawback something like "return 4 target permenants you control to your hand" or something big But I dont know if that can be balanced.

The question is can all cards be balanced with a drawback that is not absurd like "Lose the game" or "Pay 19 life" or something like that.

[Jade]

0
Sorcery
Draw two cards. Tap all permanents you control and empty your mana pool.

G
Creature
When this comes into play sacrifice it unless you sacrifce 2 Forests.
4/4

U
Instant
Counter target spell, then sacrifice a permanent.


W
Instant Destroy target land. You may repeat the process for each permenant type (Kill one planeswalker, artifact, creature etc.)
The controller of the permanents destroyed this way may search his or her library for another permanent of that type.

R
Sorcery
Both players discard their hands and draw 10 cards. You can't play spells this turn. skip your next turn.

B
Sorcery
Target player discards 3 cards at random. Discard your hand.


I think thats fair.

[Forbiddian]

We want to make them good but still see play, right? For Legacy, I think the power blend would be about:


EDIT: I realize that some of these cards would be just monstrous in Ichorid. I'm not sure how to balance out the 0 mana cost sorcery.

0
Sorcery
Draw two cards, then discard three cards (still would see a lot of play)

-null-
Creature
4/4 Suspend (G) - 3

If you really want G for CC, maybe vanishing 2.

U
Instant
Counter target spell, that spell's controller draws two cards and you draw a card (yeah, Arcane Denial is almost playable, this might be useful as both a cantrip and a counter).

W
Instant Destroy target land. You *MUST* repeat the process for each permenant type (Kill one planeswalker, artifact, creature, enchantment).

A much more powerful version: For each permanent destroyed in this way, sacrifice a permanent.

R
Sorcery
Both players discard their hands and draw 10 cards. You may not play activated abilities or spells until end of turn. Skip your next turn. Remove your graveyard from the game.

B
Sorcery
Target player discards 3 cards at random, then each opponent draws two cards.



Oh, hahahah, we both thought of the same drawback for Wheel of Fortune.

BTW, "your opponent does the same" on the white card would make it OP in control decks (like a Balance for W). There are a lot of decks that run few permanents other than land, so you basically trade that and a land for a land of your opponent's and a creature, making it a Swords. Or you can nick any enchantments or artifacts they put down for free. It's like a Vindicate for W with the advantage that it can pop multiple things. I can see situations where it's like Three land and a creature and an artifact creature and then bam, you get balanced for W without the drawback.

Not like it really matters, but R&D has a tough job, especially since all the cards that I designed would probably be overpowered for standard play, and some cards we just designed would probably be broken even in Legacy. This is a fun game, though.



How do you balance this one:

1G
Creature
*/*+1 where * is the number of card types among cards in graveyards.

I think -1 toughness would do it.

[m03]

0
Sorcery
Draw two cards

If it's blue, then Skip your next turn would make sense, although that pushes it towards unplayability.



G
Creature
4/4

Remove all other permanents you contol from the game. You may not play lands, spells, or abilities as long as you control.




U
Instant
Counter target spell

As an additional cost to play, sacrifice a Basic Island.



W
Instant Destroy target land. You may repeat the process for each permenant type (Kill one planeswalker, artifact, creature exct)

Too complex for me to evaluate.



R
Sorcery
Both players discard thier hands and draw 10 cards.

Empty your mana pool, tap all permanents you control, and end the turn immediately. Opponent may choose to skip their next cleanup step or opponent may play any number of lands during their next turn.



B
Sorcery
Target player discards 3 cards at random.



Lose half your life, rounded up.

[Opterown]

0
Sorcery
Draw two cards

Storm
naww jks haha
Then each opponent may draw two cards.

G
Creature
4/4

Echo - Discard a forest card

U
Instant
Counter target spell

As an addition cost to play ~, discard a card

W
Instant Destroy target land. You may repeat the process for each permenant type (Kill one planeswalker, artifact, creature exct)

Then target opponent repeats same thing (must word this better etc)

R
Sorcery
Both players discard thier hands and draw 10 cards.

At end of phase, discard your hand

B
Sorcery
Target player discards 3 cards at random.

Then you discard three cards at random




My 2 cents

Also


W
Instant Destroy target land. You may repeat the process for each permenant type (Kill one planeswalker, artifact, creature etc.)
The controller of the permanents destroyed this way may search his or her library for another permanent of that type.

Would be broken if you used it on yourself (e.g. blow a chrome mox for darksteel collosus)

[yawg07]

@Opterown: You said ...

"R
Sorcery
Both players discard thier hands and draw 10 cards.

At end of phase, discard your hand"

WHAT PHASE!? The storm player that is playing this card just won.

[Slag]

0
Sorcery
Draw two cards
-as an additional cost, sacrifice two permanents.

G
Creature
4/4
as an additional cost to play, remove a green creature card in your hand from the game.

U
Instant
Counter target spell
-unless it's controller pays 2 or one blue mana. (because there is clearly not enough incentive to play blue these days).

W
Instant Destroy target land. You may repeat the process for each permenant type (Kill one planeswalker, artifact, creature exct)
-sacrifice all your creatures and discard your hand. (This one is a toughie)

R
Sorcery
Both players discard their hands and draw 10 cards.
-Remove your library from the game.

B
Sorcery
Target player discards 3 cards at random.
-maybe have it target only opponents and allow them to search for three cards and put them on top of their library.


1G
Creature
*/*+1 where * is the number of card types among cards in graveyards.
-having it cost 1GG would just about do it.

[DeathwingZERO]

Flavor wise, red would be either a draw 7, or draw x = to cards in hand when spell is played, for either side.

That being said, you'd have to be playing against something like MUC on turn 1 to not give the opponent a practical win if you had to skip both your current turn AND your next turn.

Wheel of Fortune is only 2 colorless mana more than this spell, with no drawbacks. I would say if you wanted a balanced drawback, do something like this:

Offer of Sacrifice
R
Sorcery
Each player discards their hand, and draws 7 new cards. Until end of turn, you must pay (1) or 2 life for each card you draw (this includes the cards drawn from this spell).

or

You may choose to sacrifice a permanent for each card drawn by Offer of Sacrifice this turn. If you do not, you take 3 damage for each card drawn.

If anything, it should be a "win now" enabler, but one with a severe cost. Kind of like taking Final Fortune and merging it with Wheel of Fortune.

I'll come back later for the others, I just didn't think where people were going with this one was even close to being fair enough on the caster.

[Kuma]

0
Sorcery
Draw two cards

0 (CARDNAME is blue)
Sorcery
Remove your hand from the game face down and draw two cards, At end of turn, if you have no cards in hand, return all cards removed from the game with CARDNAME to their owner's hands.



G
Creature
4/4

Whenever CARDNAME attacks or blocks it gets -3/-0 until end of turn.



U
Instant
Counter target spell.

U
Instant
Counter target spell. The next time you play a spell, counter that spell unless you pay 1U.




W
Instant
Destroy target land. You may repeat the process for each permenant type (Kill one planeswalker, artifact, creature, etc.)

W
Instant
Destroy target land. Then, your opponent may choose target permanent you control. If they do, sacrifice that permanent. You may repeat the process for each permenant type (Kill one planeswalker, artifact, creature, etc.)



R
Sorcery
Both players discard their hands and draw 10 cards.

R
Sorcery
Both players discard their hands and draw 10 cards. Until end of turn, spells you play cost an additional 2 to play.



B
Sorcery
Target player discards 3 cards at random.

B
Sorcery
Target player discards 3 cards at random. You lose life equal to twice the converted mana cost of the discarded cards.

[Hummingbird TG]

0
Sorcery
Draw two cards. For the rest of the game, you can't play spells.

Yay for Johnny cards. Since they suck. I think it would be fine to make this draw 5 cards, even. Or more.

GG
Creature
Trample
4/4

Since double green mana is such a drawback, I'll even give it Trample. Hell, if you want, you could even make it 5/6.

U
Instant
Counter target spell an opponent controls. Its controller may search their library for a spell of the same type and put it on the Stack.
Draw a card.

LOL.

W
Instant
Destroy target Land, Creature, Enchantment, Artifact, and Planeswalker.

There. Done.

R
Sorcery
Play ~ only if you have exactly RRRRRRR in your mana pool and control no untapped lands.
Each player discards their hand and draws 10 cards.

Will combo still play this? I doubt it... It reduces them to mono-R and crappy win-cons like Grapeshot, too.

BB
Instant
Target player discards X cards. You lose XXX life.

It's hard to add an innovative drawback to this and make it still playable, as it's overpowered, but not THAT overpowered as compared to the other cards...

[DeathwingZERO]

Ok, so seeing multiple people having different casting costs, I have to ask the OP: are the cards costs all one core mana, or do they have the option of having a "drawback" of a higher casting/other payment cost?

Cause it'd be fairly easy to give these spells a casting cost that would have no drawback whatsoever, but I don't think that was the point of your original post.

[Mordel]

I am a fan of trying to work within the constraints of drawbacks that we see associated with the colour..

Fool's Study
0
Sorcery
Discard two non-land cards and one land:Draw two cards

Reason: For this one, I thought about discarding, but that seems like it would have severe potential for abuse in...you know: Dredge. Requiring cards to be discarded before hand and one land sort of limits this, but still allows for the card to be potentially useful in some decks and likely still broken.

Scavenger Ouphe
G
Creature
When [this card] comes into play remove two cards in your graveyard from the game or put it into the graveyard instead
4/4

Reason:The one mana casting cost is already a drawback in an odd way due to the prevalence of chalice of the void and the fact that when this card actually comes into play most of the time, it will be when similar cards could have been cast anyway.

Emphatic Denial
U
Instant
Remove a blue instant or sorcery in your hand from the game:Counter target spell

Reason: Yay, an updated abjure! Woo. I could actually see this deck working...I dunno maybe not.

Stark Parity
W
Instant
Remove a card your opponent controls from the game, your opponent then chooses a permanent you control which is removed from the game. Repeat this process three times or until a player has no other permanents in play.

Reason: I thought the key to this card would be parity and requiring conditions to be properly met. In lots of cases I see this card basically reading as: Remove three of your lands from the game and then remove three cards that your opponent controls from the game. I haven't really had much contact with strange wording that doesn't say "target" specifically, so I was hoping that you could somehow make this card non-targeted, but still allow the players to get what they want off of the table.

Fool's Gain
R
Sorcery
Split Second
Both players discard their hands and draw 10 cards your turn ends immediately after this spell resolves.

Reason: A couple people sort of raped this card to death.

Trepanation of [some fantasy name]
B
Sorcery
You and your opponent both remove three cards at random from the game.


Reason: I thought parity pretty much makes this card work, but it would probably need another tweak maybe.

[Phoenix Ignition]

0
Sorcery
Draw two cards
You may play this spell only if you control 4 or more lands (good luck storm)

G
Creature
4/4
Spells you play cost :g: :g: more to play.

U
Instant
Counter target spell, and remove *cardname* from the game.
That spells controller may then search your graveyard, hand, and library for all cards with the same name as that card and remove them from the game. Then, shuffle your library.
(maybe still too good? I dunno, looks fun)

W
Instant
Pay 6 life: Destroy target land. You may repeat the process for each permenant type (Kill one planeswalker, artifact, creature exct)



R
Sorcery
Remove your graveyard from the game:
Both players discard their hands and draw 10 cards. Then discard 4 cards at random.


B
Sorcery
As an additional cost to play *cardname*, remove a black card from your hand or pay :2: :b: :b: .
Target player discards 3 cards at random.

[undone]

At the core these are all 1 Mana save the draw 2. Obviously draw 2 is balanced at say 2U. But the point is at this casting cost and such.


BB
Instant
Target player discards X cards. You lose XXX life.

There are alot of fixes here but this isnt a fix as much as a "break the game" card, if this card resolves you might go to 1 but you will discard thier hand and lets be honest its really freeking hard to lose when they have 1 land in play and nothing else.

I like the draw 2 after discard 3 fix.

I like the U+ Rfg a card to counter a spell fix seems balanced but not broken.

Every card here has some fair fix that doesnt leave it unplayable but the

0
Sorcery
Draw 2

Can this be balaanced at this mana cost? Or is drawing cards for no mana just too strong barring a "lose the game" power. Also at instant speed this would probably still be too good at "you cant play spells." at sorcery speed it might still be too good honestly.

I think the 4 or more lands drawback is interesting but that overpowers it in landstill as strictly free CA. It would probably see play in way too many decks at "have 4 lands in play" but thats just my thoughts on it.

[Phoenix Ignition]

I think the 4 or more lands drawback is interesting but that overpowers it in landstill as strictly free CA. It would probably see play in way too many decks at "have 4 lands in play" but thats just my thoughts on it.

How about "You may not play this card on the first 3 turns. You may play this card only if you control no non-basic lands" I mean it's still going to be good for a free card, but I'm really waiting on WotC to make some cards that are really good only if you don't play with duals and other expensive non-basics.

[Pinder]

0
Sorcery
Draw two cards, then choose one -- an opponent draws 2 cards, or you lose 4 life

G
Creature
When CARDNAME comes into play, put X -1/-1 counters on it, where X is 4 minus the number of lands you control
4/4

U
Instant
Counter target spell. The next spell an opponent plays this turn can't be countered.

W
Destroy target permanent of each type that an opponent controls. Then choose a permanent of each type you control, and sacrifice the rest

R
Sorcery
Both players discard their hands and draw 10 cards.Whenever you play a spell this turn, you lose 1 life.

B
Sorcery
Target player discards 3 cards at random. Then reveal your hand, and an opponent chooses a card in it for each card type discarded this way. Discard those cards.


Some I don't think some of them are as balanced as others (I'm looking at you, red card), but overall I think they came out pretty nice.

[Mordel]

Losing life is a ridiculous cost to tie into a white card. Understand the flavours of the colours that you are tuning the cards for. Some of the cards posted on here are neat and look like they'd have pottential, others are turned into unplayable piles of shit.

[MULocke]

G
Creature
When ~ comes into play, target opponent searches your hand, library, and graveyard for all cards named Tarmogoyf and removes them from the game.
4/4

[Phoenix Ignition]

G
Creature
When ~ comes into play, target opponent searches your hand, library, and graveyard for all cards named Tarmogoyf and removes them from the game.
4/4

I wish every card in the game had that extra "drawback" on it.

[yawg07]

OMG Pinder, I'd GLADLY drop both the :0: and the :r: into any storm deck, or ESPECIALLY Belcher.

[Jaynel]

OMG Pinder, I'd GLADLY drop both the :0: and the :r: into any storm deck, or ESPECIALLY Belcher.

Ichorid would for sure play the :r: one.

[Bryant Cook]

OMG Pinder, I'd GLADLY drop both the :0: and the :r: into any storm deck, or ESPECIALLY Belcher.

I'd go nuts for either. Especially the red.

[Forbiddian]

The red card is totally imbalanced in most designs.


"Fool's Gain
R
Sorcery
Split Second
Both players discard their hands and draw 10 cards your turn ends immediately after this spell resolves."

First of all, that's really ambiguous. Do you skip your clean up so you keep the 10 cards? Can your opponent cast end of turn spells? What happens if abilities are on the stack? Does it break Narcomoeba triggers?


Fools Gain has to be balanced for three general types of decks that could abuse this card shitless:

1) Straight burn decks. Land Bolt, Land Bolt Bolt, Land Flame Rift Fools Gain. Normally they would have dumped their hand, but with Fool's Gain they just filled it back up again.

2) Storm-type decks that can use this either to replenish their hand or as the storm enabler. Or simply as a mana boost, with 4 petals and 4 spirit guides, this could generate massive mana. Most people fixed this by ending the turn, but it can still be used to replenish hands. You can create a new storm deck that plays out tons of artifact mana and then resolves Fool's Gain to set up their win next turn. If you don't burn your next turn, Fool's Gains into Fool's Gains are just unstoppable.

3) Ichorid decks. It's a single mana to discard your hand and then dredge 10x. From a single dredger, you can easily dredge up your entire library, putting 4 Narcomoebas into play. Next turn, recur your Ichorids, make some tokens, FKZ, gg. You could also do broken shit like dredge three or four times (enough to guarantee a next turn or maybe turn after win) and then use the rest of your draws to stock your hand with answers. It's basically Tolarian Winds for R and it gives you about double the draws.

For Ichorid decks, the scariest use is using it like a Breakthrough that refills their hand. They get the explosive power to kill you literally on their next turn, but they also have stuff left in their deck to play out lands and destroy you later.



I'm sure I missed others, but what's the point of this exercise if you miss really obvious ways to abuse this card. If Ichorid wins turn 2 every time with this card, it's really imbalanced for the metagame.

[undone]

The balance for the R one I think is that.

"you can only cast 1 spell per turn for the rest of the game." And instead of discarding the cards you remove them from they game.

[RoddyVR]

0
Sorcery
Draw two cards, target opponent chooses one - you cant play any spells this turn, or draw 2 cards (ie the opponent would draw two)

G
Creature
4/4
flash, vanishing 1 (too lazy to look up vanishing vs fading, but i want it to disappear on your very next upkeep)


U
Instant
Counter target spell, return the spell to its owner's hand, they may add up to X-1 mana to their mana pool, where X is the spells CC.


W
Instant Destroy target land. You may repeat the process for each permenant type (Kill one planeswalker, artifact, creature exct) for each permanent destroyed this way, sac a permanent of the same type (worded in a way that makes it so you cant kill ajani and avoid sacing a planeswalker by not having one in the first place)


R
Sorcery
Both players discard thier hands and draw 10 cards., remove your graveyard from the game, any opponent may discard X+1 cards to make you discard X cards.


B
Sorcery
Target player discards 3 cards at random.
i realy liked the suggestion of lose double those cards' CCs, but i'd add something like that player may discard upto 3 cards to draw that many cards in front of the discard random 3.

[Mordel]

Well Forbidian, I guess it comes down to wanting to make a card playable or make it an instant game loss almost.

I was aiming for wording similar to that of timestop. I think that is sort of obvious though...For what it is worth in the dredge debate, if your deck can't find a way to get a crypt out after drawing ten cards etc, I don't think you were meant to win that game.

Either way rendering a card completely unplayable by all, but the most casual of players is not was I was trying to do.

Here is perhaps a better wording on the red card:

R
Sorcery
As an additional cost to this spell, you cannot play any other cards or use any activated abilities this turn.
You and your opponent both discard your hands and draw ten cards.

I think finding a middleground between broken and completely unplayable for the red card is extremely difficult. The way that I interpretted this excercise is to do just that.


R
Sorcery
Both players discard their hands and draw 10 cards. You may not play activated abilities or spells until end of turn. Skip your next turn. Remove your graveyard from the game.

Strikes me as a card that is god awful and would never be played by anyone that wants to win the game. Not be able to do anything after getting your new cards and your opponent getting an additional turn with their new cards.
Might as well have just made the card read "you concede the game".

Either way, making cards good but not broken is difficult.

[Forbiddian]

I would play it if I skipped my next turn. In like a dozen decks. Least of all Burn.


How do you think that drawing TEN cards is somehow balanced out by having to end your turn. In your card, your opponent doesn't even get an extra turn.

If Ancestral Recall was a Sorcery and ended your turn, EVERYONE would still play it. It'd be just ridiculous. This red card is far more powerful.


If you dump your hand down to 3 cards, then cast that, then play a land, you gave up 1 card to draw 5. If your opponent had 7 cards in hand, he can probably play out a land and then 1 or 2 cards next turn, still forced to pitch. He draws like 2-3 cards. Draw 5 cards, target opponent draws 3 cards is still very good.

Note that this deck isn't even designed to abuse this card.

Imagine your ridiculous card in a situation where a player runs out tons of fast artifact mana and then plays a Trinisphere or a Sphere of Resistance. He continues to dump his hand and then casts it. Just with a simple deck design, he's going to draw 5+ cards and the card become completely one-sided. You're likely not able to cast anything, and he just drew 10.


I suspect that you don't realize how good Wheel of Fortune is. Long before Long.dec, Wheel was restricted in Type 1. It was actually one of the first restricted cards, because it was crazy in AGGRO decks from the card advantage. Aggro decks would typically not play anything after Wheel on that turn anyway (similar to the ending of the turn requirement), it would just be their turn 4 or turn 5 play (maybe putting a critter into play or something after). But their next turn play would win the game. And they'd do stuff like Wheel into Wheel (what the fuck? GG).

Combo decks in the way we think of them didn't exist for a long time, but Wheel of Fortune was still restricted, because it would simply reset any card advantage that the control player had obtained and make it impossible to win. Without Force of Will for it, there were simply no answers and Red Aggro rolled everyone.

You seem to think that if you can stop combo from winning on that turn, then combo didn't set itself up or anything. And that Aggro is a nonfactor. You're sorely mistaken and the fact that cards like Sensei's Divining Top see play in Ad Nauseum builds is testament to the fact that Combo spends time to set up its win.

[Mordel]

I was wee nipper when wheel was getting played as a four-of, but I still remember it on the opposing side of the table and in matches that I watched.

You are also underestimating what numerous decks in the format taking two fucking turns can do.

Chalice for one/two, next turn: 3sphere
Duress/thoughtseize etc
Blow up your precious few land
Wish for something and get a second turn to cast it...whoopie!

Give opponent's and decks a little credit here. Time to set up is one thing, but giving your opponent an opportunity to skullfuck your new hand and/or strategy is another.

Maybe tapping/saccing all permanents would be a good thing to add to the card's conditions so you can't chant and negate the drawback, but giving your opponent two turns would make it a gigantic combo cocktease.

[Kuma]

I don't think the red card is balanced no matter what kind of drawback you put on it. It's either going to be completely unplayable or broken.

That said, I thought of some better designs for the black and green ones.

B
Sorcery
Target opponent discards three cards at random. Then, put all permanents discarded this way into play under their owner's control.

G
Creature
5/3
Whenever CARDNAME attacks or blocks it gets -4/-0 until end of turn.

This way it interacts with Naya's "5 power" cards. It's also solid with Stifle and Fling.

[undone]

I actualy think the 5/3 version of the green man is very good as a 1/3 for 1 isnt that horrible.

I am still looking for a balance on the 0 one. My only close to balanced occurance was

0
Sorcery
Draw 2 cards at the begining of your next upkeep.
Your opponent draws a card.

This way it provides no advantage and you cant combo off. It is like a mediocer but not broken could that card be good? maby it would be in some decks, it also gives your opponent the card NOW and you the cards later.

[yawg07]

Bleh, I think you're suppose to make people still WANT to play with them lol
As it stands, I'd never touch the black one. :b: to do THREE Show and Tell's for my opponent? No thanks :laugh:
However, I suppose it can be good vs. storm combo. ANT/TES/DDFT doesn't like dropping three rits/tutors at random.

[emidln]

Bleh, I think you're suppose to make people still WANT to play with them lol
As it stands, I'd never touch the black one. :b: to do THREE Show and Tell's for my opponent? No thanks :laugh:
However, I suppose it can be good vs. storm combo. ANT/TES/DDFT doesn't like dropping three rits/tutors at random.

I've boarded Goyf and Tombstalkers in the past. I wouldn't be above doing it again.

[Kuma]

Bleh, I think you're suppose to make people still WANT to play with them lol
As it stands, I'd never touch the black one. :b: to do THREE Show and Tell's for my opponent? No thanks :laugh:
However, I suppose it can be good vs. storm combo. ANT/TES/DDFT doesn't like dropping three rits/tutors at random.

That's the problem with this exercise -- The resulting cards are going to be either incredible or terrible. MaRo has said that making incredibly powerful effects with low mana costs using drawbacks to balance them is horrible design. Now I see why.

The black and green ones I made don't actually work as undone originally posted them. The green one is practically a 1/3 for G as opposed to a 4/4 for G. The opponent isn't really discarding three cards at random, he's discarding 0-3 at random and putting 0-3 permanents from his hand into play.

The only other way I can think to get your opponent to discard 3 at random for B, is if you discard 3 at random as well. Then the game slows to a crawl since neither of you have playable hands. Not fun.

[Phoenix Ignition]

The only other way I can think to get your opponent to discard 3 at random for B, is if you discard 3 at random as well. Then the game slows to a crawl since neither of you have playable hands. Not fun.

Or Madness decks would come back into power, giving them such a great control + activator card.

[undone]

What about a card with a negative mana cost something like

-1
Artifact
When this comes into play pay one life.
(-1 CMC means you add 1 colorless mana to your pool when this is played.)

[emidln]

So this is like a Lotus Petal but costs me a life for a colorless? I'll go ahead and sign myself up for 4.

[Kuma]

Or Madness decks would come back into power, giving the such a great control + activator card.

Maybe if you chose the three cards instead of discarding them randomly.

Why have a negative CMC? Too many rules issues. Just make it

0
Artifact
When CARDNAME comes into play, lose one life and add 1 to your mana pool.

Interesting card, but it's pretty powerful. I'm not sure Wizards would print it since they're afraid of good acceleration.

[yawg07]

Affinity would bust a nut over that card. Holy shit, lol almost same as lotus petal, but stays in play to count as an artifact?!

[Hummingbird TG]

What about a card with a negative mana cost something like

-1
Artifact
When this comes into play pay one life.
(-1 CMC means you add 1 colorless mana to your pool when this is played.)

Are you high?

[DeathwingZERO]

Fool's Loan
0
Sorcery
Imprint- You
Draw 2 cards. At the end of tun, each opponent may draw 2 cards, plus one for each Fool's Loan imprinted on you.

CARDNAME, Champion of the Hunt
G
Legendary Creature- Beast
First Strike
When CARDNAME, Champion of the Hunt comes into play, each other player may search their library for a creature with casting cost no greater than 2 and put it into play, then shuffles their library. Any additional costs to play the creature must be paid.
4/4

Artificer's Prejudice
U
Instant
Counter target spell. For each colored mana in the spell's casting cost, you must remove the top card of your library from the game.

Divine Cleansing
W
Instant
Split-Second
Destroy target land. You may repeat this process for each other permanent type that player controls. Skip a turn for each permanent destroyed this way.

Bloodboil Bargain
R
Sorcery
Each player discards their entire hand and draws 7 cards. Until end of turn, for each spell you play you take damage equal to it's casting cost, or it is countered. At end of turn, you take one damage for each card in your hand.

(I'm sticking with drawing 7, because that's typical of these types of effects. This card is far too retarded to balance correctly, it's either bomb or bust.)

Pauper's Vengeance
B
Sorcery
Target player discards 3 cards at random. You may play this card only if that player has more cards in hand than you.



All in all, having a casting cost of one core is a ridiculous challenge, and probably does far more harm at "balancing" these spells than good. It was entertaining enough, though.

[TheRock]

I may change all of these by the time I'm done since I only really like one of them. I also haven't given too much thought to the R or 0 one.

G
Creature
This creature deals no combat damage.
During your upkeep, destroy all creatures with toughness greater than the toughness of this creature.
4/4

U
Instant
Counter target spell. Draw a card. The next spell you play costs 1U more to play if it is not an instant and 2U to play if it is an instant.

W
Instant
Destroy target land that doesn’t produce mana. You may repeat the process for each permanent type as long as that permanent can produce mana, but the owner’s opponent may destroy target permanent for each non-land permanent destroyed this way.

R
Sorcery
Both players discard their hands and draw 10 cards. For the rest of the game, you can only play creature spells and lands. Skip your next turn.

B
Sorcery
Target opponent discards 3 cards at random. That opponent may search his or her library for a card and put that card into their hand, then shuffle their library, and then draw a card.