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Smoke Grenadier -
Creature - Human Soldier
Double Strike
Whenever Smoke Grenadier deals combat damage, a random blocked creature becomes unblocked.
2/1

Inspired by another card that I designed 3-4 years ago, but apparently elegance is more important for me now..

Dec 8, 2012 -- 8:19AM, cats_and_me wrote:

Smoke Grenadier -
Creature - Human Soldier
Double Strike
Whenever Smoke Grenadier deals combat damage, a random blocked creature becomes unblocked.
2/1

Inspired by another card that I designed 3-4 years ago, but apparently elegance is more important for me now..

I don't think it works. Before the damage resolution step is the damage assignment step, so damage has already been assigned before it has a chance to first strike.

That and other first strikers on your side will not benefit and first strikers on your opponents side won't tell the difference.

What happens when you're attacking with the creature and with nothing else? When the creature becomes blocked, the first strike damage causes a random blocked creature to become unblocked, so this creature becomes unblocked.. And that means that it's regular damage is dealt to defending player, because it's unblocked now! Honestly, I don't understand what you're talking about, what do ~you~ think happens in this scenario?

Dec 8, 2012 -- 11:10PM, cats_and_me wrote:

What happens when you're attacking with the creature and with nothing else? When the creature becomes blocked, the first strike damage causes a random blocked creature to become unblocked, so this creature becomes unblocked.. And that means that it's regular damage is dealt to defending player, because it's unblocked now! Honestly, I don't understand what you're talking about, what do ~you~ think happens in this scenario?

I'm not 100% on this, but I'm thinking the rules don't allow for it. You'd already assigned combat damage to the blocking creature, so your creature would first strike it, the opposing creature would be removed from combat, then your creature would attempt to attack the creature again, to no avail.

It's why removing blockers ala unsummon doesn't stop the blocked creatures from being blocked.

In other words, in order to make it work you'd need to alter how it or other creatures assign damage (Trample alters damage assignment, as does thorn elemental or rhox ) or have it somehow 'unblock' the creatures before the damage resolution step so you have to assign the damage again.

I understand what you're trying to accomplish, it's just that the rules are very messy, delicate things. But hey, maybe I'm dead wrong because this crap is complicated. Feel free to pose a question to the guys in the Rules Questions subforum, the guys there always seem to have the official rulebook open in another browser and can quote a specific passage in seconds.

I'm pretty sure that it's not a problem, but maybe some other people could help? I believe that explicitly having the creature become unblocked is a drastic wording that should eliminate most problems..

yes

You know, I expected the card to work properly and to be pretty clever, but maybe that's just me..

It does work. Double strike wasn't really artistic though. I think that's a little power hungry. Maybe you were a little too worried about this not being good enough, and that's why you went with double strike instead of first strike. However, first strike is a much more articulate keyword to use here. That fixes everything by the way.

Once this strikes with first strike damage, the ability is going to trigger and halt everything. It's going to take precedence over everything else. You'll choose an unblocked creature, it will become blocked before it can do anything (unless it deals first strike damage, this would be useless against that alone). Any non-first strikers can be subject to the effect though, because their damage can be turned back as long as it's not done yet. First strike damage would be the point of no return because this ability triggers in the same time-frame as that damage is dealt, it can only effect damage/attackers whose effects would fall into place after the first strike damage step.

You know, I didn't realize that first strike makes sense even when the creature's attacking and then makes itself unblocked after it has dealt combat damage, because that still means that it's not dealt combat damage by the "blocking" creature.. Thank you for your help! ^.^

First strike is very potent in terms of flavor. It's like when the SWAT team goes in for a sting, the first thing they do is hit them with a smoke grenade. It's like their first strike, you get it?

Problem is all first strike damage is done at the same time, and this ability goes onto the stack after it's dealt; but it goes onto the stack before any other attacker/damage resolve, so it can undo that which has not been done yet.

Yeah, sometimes I should value flavor over synergy + mechanics..

Do you mean power? That was the reason for double strike, I'm sure. And with first strike in its place, you could drop this down a mana in cost. A 2/2 first strike for is still seriously good, tag on that ability and it's an instant four-of.

I was fascinated by what could happen if this creature is the only attacker, that's why I put double strike on the card.. I'm not even sure if that ability counts as drawback when you're blocking with it..

Why not just make it targeted, like a real smoke grenadier?

[wah whaaaa in the..], you may have target unblocked creature become blocked.

That would mean that it's not a drawback when you're blocking, and the number of attacking creatures wouldn't matter anymore..

It works better as a utility, and is more true to the concept.

When you're developing, don't just look at raw power. Lots of things make up a card's usefulness, like cost. Three mana puts a card into a mid-turn range usually. Two mana puts it into the early game time-frame. That quick access makes a card appealing, makes it powerful. You just want to design content that is appealing and powerful right? Things that are glorious. The next "be amaze" design. Well aside from raw power, things like cost are what can make a card "be amaze". Even if it's not powerful later in the game, like when measured up against big creatures (like Sun Titan ), just being powerful in the early game can alone make the design beyond awesome; like when it's single-handedly killing off and holding off Bloodghast s, Bloodbraid Elf , Garruk's Companion , or Ball Lightning s.

It would probably be somewhat confusing to players that Smoke Grenadier is still blocked, even if it killed the creature that blocked it.

Huh, which version are you talking about?

Probably both.
Edit: Maybe not, since they don't assume Double Strike tramples. I just get the feeling that if it had First Strike, players would assume that it wouldn't count itself if it killed the creature that blocked it.

Wet.

I'm not sure why its white, tho.

It works. A creature that becomes unblocked will assign its damage to the defending player.

It's too powerful with Double Strike, as you've got a 2/1 double striker with an upside. A 1/1 or a first-striker would do the trick.

It's white because tactics. 

I agree with Mown : it would get confusing if it kills the creature blocking it for new player. However, I disagree that it's a problem. New player often don't get that a double striker doesn't deal damage to the defending player if it kills its blocker anyway, and it's not a problem that prevents them from printing it.

Dec 11, 2012 -- 2:25AM, GM_Champion wrote:

Do you mean power? That was the reason for double strike, I'm sure. And with first strike in its place, you could drop this down a mana in cost. A 2/2 first strike for is still seriously good, tag on that ability and it's an instant four-of.

Actually, a 2/2 first strike for is considered "below average" now, looking at guys like Kazandu Blademaster and Elite Inquisitor . And of course, is "higher" than because, while it's harder to play in any deck that isn't monowhite, it's impossible to play in any deck that isn't both red and white.

That said, with the mechanic, first strike might work. But not for flavor, more for balance. (Then again, I wouldn't attack with it very often anyway, because the ability to use this with something with infect or equipped with a Sword of Feast and Famine is just that good. Or even a Ball Lightning .)

That really depends on how much its other ability counts as drawback, especially when you're blocking with the creature.. You can't "block" larger creatures, but how often would you like to do that anyway?

Dec 12, 2012 -- 12:59AM, cats_and_me wrote:

That really depends on how much its other ability counts as drawback, especially when you're blocking with the creature.. You can't "block" larger creatures, but how often would you like to do that anyway?

Deathtouch ( Basilisk Collar or splashing green or black), or when it's neck-and-neck and if you survive this turn, your opponent won't survive the next. Deathtouch is very synergistic (bordering on OP) with first strike, though, so I get your point.