Perhaps you want to practice by answering last year's essay test. Though, I imagine the subject matter of most of the questions this year will wildly different from last year. At least, if you don't know the answer to any of those questions, go ahead and figure out your answer. It'll be good for your understanding of Magic. Either you're reinforcing what you know or exploring something you never thought about before. Get the blood flowing and working for when you do answer GDS2's questions.
As for me, I'm rereading all the color pie philosophy articles by Mark Rosewater. There's one for every color and color pairing. That makes for fifteen articles. Oh, yeah. Then, the embodiment of the absence of color: artifacts. So, that's sixteen. It's important to know the color pie, and I believe these are good resources for learning about each individual part of the pie.
I'm also reading MTG Color Pie's take on the color pie in his MTG Color Pie Identity Project. I'm reading it because I believe it's useful to see others' views on things. As you consider others' two cents, it only solidifies your own, making them that much closer to darksteel cents. Or something.
And then there's these Magic Design Seminar articles I happen to have bookmarked. Supposed to help you design Magic cards better. I think. I need to refresh my memory, see?
Of course, there's a bunch of material everywhere that isn't on this list of stuff that would help you. But, what's listed below is what I'm using to help myself. You can, too, if you like.
Of course, there's a bunch of material everywhere that isn't on this list of stuff that would help you. But, what's listed below is what I'm using to help myself. You can, too, if you like.
Anyway, here's the links:
Great Designer Search Written Exam and Multiple Choice Test
Magic Design Seminars
Color Pie Philosophy
As usual, I have revisions to a couple of cards from my last submission of card designs. The Pulverize Progress card was bah-roken with the land destruction effect in there. And the Memory-Made Mantis card was only changed to feel more flavorful. These were a result of MTG Color Pie's helpful criticism. And, no, that's not why I mentioned his Color Pie Experiment articles earlier.
Technically, it's "mantises", but I'd rather not change the card name.
With the way the mana effect is done, you'll never get more mana than you started out with before you cast this spell. Either X will be too small, or the countered spell's mana cost will be too small. The most bang for your buck that you can get is two mana less than what you paid when you cast this spell. I think that's legit.
Cheers,
Brad
Hm... Now I'd have to admit, though I'm not one in favor of using counterspells in any deck (I just dont like to use them often), I'm less likely to use this one than any other one. This card just suddenly went to being the weakest in the cycle IMO.
ReplyDeleteIt might be able to set you up with another spell that you want to cast, but its not really worth it. Will you have another spell to cast at instant speed?
aside from alternate colors than blue to cast this spell, why use it at all when there's other pure alternatives like Condescend?
Odds are If I am tapping all my mana to cast this counterspell, at that point I wont have much up my sleeve to be able to cast that turn.
Then again, like I said, I'm not the kind of guy that uses counterspells, or if I do, I use them very rarely. I could be just missing the point.
I think Josh is right. Maybe if you change the wording of when you get the mana to match Mana Drain's (You get the mana at the beginning of your next turn's first main phase), it would work better. It would still have a feeling of R/G as mana acceleration.
ReplyDeleteJosh and MTG Color Pie, I've listened and changed the card once again.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know how often you'd have useful instants to cast alongside the counterspell when you get that few amount of mana, but I didn't think it'd be almost never. Well, actually, that's still not confirmed to me, but having the mana available in the next main phase is an excellent solution that will make sure that mana will maximize its potential in usefulness.
Cheers,
Brad