#Moxtober 12: Whale

During the month of October is #Inktober! Each day has a single-word prompt, but instead of inking something, I design a Magic: The Gathering mechanic to fit the word. This is called #Moxtober.

(#Moxtober was previously named #Meltober, named after "Mel", the more mechanically-inclined counterpart to "Vorthos" of the aesthetic profile spectrum.)
Day 01: "poisonous"
Day 02: "tranquil"
Day 03: "roasted"
Day 04: "spell"
Day 05: "chicken"
Day 06: "drooling"
Day 07: "exhausted"
Day 08: "star"
Day 09: "precious"
Day 10: "flowing"
Day 11: "cruel"

Today's prompt is: "whale"

"Whale"? I think of Moby Dick. I never read the book or even really know the story. Something about Captain Ahab and trying to find this one particular whale. So, with that, I think of a mechanic called "hunt."

I made sure you can keep naming a different creature card each turn in case you end up drawing enough cards where the optimal play is to no longer name that creature card. And I worded it so that you didn't have to remember any hunt abilities for cards drawn beyond your first.

I didn't want the processing of a successfully-named creature card to put it into the graveyard (killing it - hunted) because of feel bads of trying to use this mechanic but also maybe wanting to use that creature, too. So, a reveal off the first draw gives you more of that "I was looking for this, and I got it!" And then you can then play with your creature.

Since I want to only have creatures to be able to hunt, I made the reward creature-specific, instead of something like drawing a card. Beside, if you play a hunt deck, wouldn't want TOO much of a swinginess. Imagine drawing a card for a successful hunt, and you have three hunt creatures. You'd draw three cards!

Also, keeping hunt on creatures and then having hunt try to find creatures synergizes very well.

I figured having a small 1/1 at 1 would help give a nice contrast of how small this Captain Ivan is in comparison to the eventual whale that would emerge.

The effect of having a Whale enter the battlefield immediately and then bouncing creatures is like rocking those waters and crashing waves suddenly, upturning everything with its immediate and somewhat unexpected arrival.

Also, this legendary means you can get things started right away with your Whale Commander deck! ...even though there's very few Whales right now. :/