Redesign:
This card is part of a triumvirate of artifacts with names ending with "of Empires."
The other cards made creatures for you and manipulated opposing creatures. Got it. Don't do anything that has to do with creatures. The scepter used to deal damage to players. I'm not going to go the easy way out and have the scepter gain you life.
So, I went for looting and drawing a card. I looked to Jalum Tome for costing. Because Crown of Empires costs two mana and Throne of Empires costs four mana, I wanted to keep the Scepter at three mana. Also, similarly, because Throne of Empires costs one mana to activate its ability and the Crown needs two mana for its own ability - I went for a three mana cost. This was perfect since Jalum Tome is identical to this card for looting but costed two. The ability costing three is the drawback for having the potential benefit of drawing a card instead of just looting.
I know it's worded a bit differently from the other cards in regards to the "controlling other artifacts named these, do this instead," but this is happening because I can't say, "Loot, but if you got the goods, draw a card instead."
I sort of like it, but the payoff for having the "complete set" just seems so underwhelming compared to the other two cards in the cycle. The Crown gives you cheap Mind Controls, the Throne gives you an instant army, and this... gives you Jalum Tome with a one-mana discount.
ReplyDeleteI see what you mean. I was attempting to go for an effect that involves you looking at the top N cards of your library and the bonus being that you can draw those cards, but then it got wordy.
DeleteI also felt weird about letting the scepter have you draw two cards then discard two cards. Perhaps that would have been teh better way to go:
"3, T: Draw two cards. Then, if you don't control artifacts named Crown of Empires and Throne of Empires, discard two cards."
Divination on a stick! Now it feels more like a Scepter! How's that?