Let's suppose that with the announcement of Dragon's Maze, Wizards of the Coast revealed a new card subtype shortly after. The subtype is "Maze" and it goes on lands. This is where you come in. How do you think it would play? What do you think it does?
Rules:
Design a card with the type Land and subtype Maze.
Give the subtype an identity and a mechanic.
Do your best to translate how it becomes a theme in the next block.
>>Bonus!<< Make a creature called Mazemancer.
I'll grade subscriptions when I feel like I've gotten enough (something around 10) and will give points from 0 to 5 to each criteria. Ok guys do your best!
For linking a card to Gatherer without writting the name of said card for readers, use the autocard brackets together with and equal sign and right the name of the real card. Then put the message you want inside the tags, like you would do with autocarding. Like this:
I like storm crow because I really like crows in real life, as an animal, and the card isn't terribly stupid, but packs a good deal of nostalgia and also a chunck of the game's history. So it's perhaps one of the cards I have most affection to, but not because "lol storm crow is bad hurr hurr durr".
Although I do assume you deliberately refer to them (DCI) as The Grand Imperial Convocation of Evil just for the purposes of making them sound like an ancient and terrible conspiracy.
Now, now. 1994 doesn't quite qualify as "ancient".
Oh, it's a brilliant plan. You see, Bolas was travelling through shadowmoor, causing trouble, when he saw a Wickerbough Elder with its stylin' dead scarecrow hat. Now, Bolas being Bolas took the awesome hat and he put it on his head, but even with all his titanic powers of magic he couldn't make it fit. He grabbed some more scarecrows, but then a little kithkin girl asked if he was trying to build a toupee. "BY ALL THE POWERS IN THE MULTIVERSE!" he roared, "I WILL HAVE A HAT WORTHY OF MY GLORY." and so he went through his Dark Lore of Doom (tm) looking for something he could make into a hat that would look as stylish on him as a scarecrow does on a treefolk. He thought about the Phyrexians, but they were covered in goopy oil that would make his nonexistant hair greasy. He Tried out angels for a while but they didn't sit quite right. Then, he looked under "e" (because in the Elder Draconic alphabet, "e" for Eldrazi is right next to "h" for Hat) in his Dark Lore of Doom and saw depictions of the Eldrazi, and all their forms. "THIS SHALL BE MY HAT!" he declared, poking a picture of Emrakul, "AND WITH IT I WILL USHER IN A NEW AGE OF DARKNESS -- ER, I MEAN A NEW AGE OF FASHION!"
And so Nicol Bolas masterminded the release of the Eldrazi.
The last couple days have been roughly every perverse fetish imaginable, but it only got "creepy" when speculation on Mother of Runes's mob affiliation came up?
I like to think up what I consider clever names for my decks, only later to be laughed at by my wife. It kills me a little on the inside, but thats what marriage is about.
Of course, the best use [of tolaria west ] is transmuting for the real Tolaria.
Absolutely. I used to loose to my buddy's Banding deck for ages, it was then that I found out about Tolaria , and I was finally able win my first game.
Browbeat is a card that is an appropriate deck choice when there's no better idea available. "No better idea available" was pretty much the running theme of Odyssey era.
Modern is like playing a new tournament every time : you build a deck, you win with it, don't bother keeping it. Just build another, its key pieces will get banned.
I always find it helpful when im angry to dress up in an owl costume and rub pennies all over my body in front of a full body mirror next to the window.
Dymecoar:
Playing Magic without Blue is like sleeping without any sheets or blankets. You can do it...but why?
Omega137:
Me: "I love the moment when a control deck stabilizes. It feels so... right." Omega137: "I like the life drop part until you get there, it's the MtG variant of bungee jumping"
Zigeif777:
Just do it like Yu-Gi-Oh or monkeys: throw all the crap you got at them and hope it works or else the by-standers (or opponents) just get dirty and pissed.
Normally it's difficult to pick up on your jokes/sarcasm. But this one's pretty much out there. Good progress. You have moved up to Humanoid. You'll be Human in no time.
Mazes can do something called 'confuse' creatures. Confused creatures can't attack or block until end of turn. This would of course represent people being lost in the maze. As well as mazes, I forsee other spells that interact with 'confused' creatures.
Living Maze Land-Maze ~ enters the battlefield tapped. : Confuse target creature you control. Put a delight counter on ~ : Add to your mana pool for each delight counter on ~ It enjoyed watching people lost, especially if they never got out.
Magemancer Creature- Human Wizard Magemancer's power is equal to one plus the number of confused creatures Magemancer's toughness is equal to two plus the number of confused creatures. 1+X/2+X
[*c]Island[*/c] minus the * = Island Really. You need to know this.
We are the Izzet Some think we are scattered after the disappearance of Niv-Mizzet He is connected to us by the firemind He has formulated a master plan Before, we were just experimenters, looked down upon Now we have a greater purpose This bit is random And so is this Yeah
Golgari Maze Land - Maze ~ enters the battlefield tapped. : Add or to your mana pool. Abduct - Exile target creature you control to return ~ from your graveyard to the battlefield.
Mazemancer Creature - Human Wizard Flash If ~ is exiled using any maze land card, return Mazemancer to the battlefield at the beginning of the next end step. 1/2
Mazes don't do anything on their own, much like gates. But get a group of mazes, and you start getting some fun abilities.
Mazes are lands. It taps for mana. (land) It taps, along with other mazes, for an additional effect. (maze) ***You can only activate, one maze ability per turn (usually) and you'll see why.***
Narrowing Bridges -- Land - Maze (U)
Narrowing Bridges enters the battlefield tapped. : Add to your mana pool. Tap each untapped maze you control: If you tapped two or more mazes this way, choose an attacking creature, and a blocking creature. Untap and remove all other creatures from combat. (One doesn't have to be blocking or blocked by the other.)
Niv Mizzet found it increasingly entertaining that goblins would charge night and day, repeatedly dropping off into the ocean.
In sort, Each maze taps for a color. Each maze has a "Tap each maze you control:" ability. This allows for different effects to take place, but only one each turn. It really plays with the concept of a maze crafted by a Dracogenius. NOTE: You need at least TWO mazes otherwise you can't activate the second ability at all.
Also note, that mazes wouldn't exactly be powerful effects given that if you controlled exactly two you could trigger them essentially as , : effect... but that also allows them to spread into common much easier.
Finally, mazes will tend towards combat related shenanigans. Not all the same, but they will trigger around the same time (with [maybe] a few exceptions with the rare mazes). The next block will be a heavy combat themed block.
Mazemancer -- Creature - Dragon Wizard (R)
Flying Activated abilities of mazes cannot be activated. : You may pay . If you do, detain each creature you don't control. Otherwise, detain target creature.
Niv Mizzet was not the only dragon with a mind for experimentation... 4 / 4
Official archnemesis of magicpablo666 Host of Reactionary Previous Episodes:Show
NOTE: You need at least TWO mazes otherwise you can't activate the second ability at all.
This isn't true. Null Brooch doesn't require you to have cards in your hand to active, for example. Your activated ability just requires that you tap each maze you currently have. However, since tapping it is part of the activation cost, that won't work either, since you can't tap an already tapped permanent, so the ability itself can never be activated, regardless of other mazer or not.
Normally I don't comment on contest entries, but rules knowledge is sort of different territory.
NOTE: You need at least TWO mazes otherwise you can't activate the second ability at all.
This isn't true. Null Brooch doesn't require you to have cards in your hand to active, for example. Your activated ability just requires that you tap each maze you currently have. However, since tapping it is part of the activation cost, that won't work either, since you can't tap an already tapped permanent, so the ability itself can never be activated, regardless of other mazer or not.
Normally I don't comment on contest entries, but rules knowledge is sort of different territory.
It was supposed to say 'other' If necessary I can add the can only be activated if you tapped two or more gates this way. I'll work arounf that, because it's inelegant. You have to pay the cost, otherwise you can't do something: Rummaging Goblin . But I can understand how mine is different.
Official archnemesis of magicpablo666 Host of Reactionary Previous Episodes:Show
Selesnya Outpost Land - Maze [u] ~ enters the battlefield tapped. : Add or to your mana pool. : Target Green or White Creature you control becomes a guard on ~. Creatures guarding ~ get +1/+1 and have Vigilance.
Mazemancer Creature - Shapeshifter Wizard [R] ~ is all colors. ~ can guard any number of mazes. ~ has Power and toughness equal to Three times the amount of Mazes it is guarding plus 4. X/X
Blocks I liked: (+1)
Invasion Onslaught Mirrodin Time Spiral Lorwyn Zendikar Return to Ravnica
Blocks I disliked: (-1)
Oddesy Champions of Kamigawa Time Echoes Innistrad Any Released Blocks not listed in this Sig
Blocks I neutralize: (+/-0)
Ravnica City of Guilds Shadowmoor Shards of Alara Scars of Mirrodin
Mazes take their cue from loci because everyone knows the bigger a maze gets the harder it is. They also all tap for colorless because they otherwise would probably get silly fast.
Hall of Mirrors Land - Maze (C) : Add to your mana pool. , : target creature gets -X/-0 until end of turn, where X is the number of mazes you control. "Carnival games waste their time showing wanderers their own image, I just show them them the sun. Call it a stroke of brilliance" - Oszus, Mazemaster
(art: Soldier sheilding his face from hundreds of mirrors all reflecting a massive glare at his face)
Dead End Land -Maze (U) : Add to your mana pool. , : Target attacking creature without flying gets -0/-X until end of turn, where X is the number of mazes you control. Sacrifice Dead End. "Most find the third dimension of the maze to be a surprise, but their thoughts don't tend to linger on it." - Oszus, Mazemaster
(art: Some creature falling into a pit. Some very surprised creature)
Heart of Mercy Legendary Land - Maze (R) : Add to your mana pool. : Until end of turn, Heart of Mercy becomes an X/X red Minotaur creature with Vigilance, where X is the number of Mazes you control. It's still a land. "Fear not the guardian of the maze, for it shepards the lost to the end" - Oszus, Mazemaster
(Just the shadow of a giant minotaur being cast from around the corner)
I could probably make more mazes, but I can't see there being room for more in a small set, and as ridiculously fun as Maze.dec would be, it would be annoyingly difficult to balance, luckily Thespian Stage is in Block... and you know what, I misread the criteria. I thought you meant Maze would in Dragon's Maze, not the next block. Honestly, it is really too late to chnage my submission, which is both Ravnica themeed and difficult to extend too far without walking a razorwire of power lever concerns. As for how it would fit in Dragon's Maze, it would honestly be mostly left to itself, because it would just be wrong in limited to draft two sets of "Gates matter" and then switch it "Mazes Matter".
Bonus: Oszus, Mazemaster Creature - Vedalken Wizard Lands you control are Mazes in addition to their other subtypes. , : You may search your library for a Maze card and put it into your hand. 2/5 "As the Maze reaches critical potency, the city will bend to its will, just as everyone must bend to its will" - Oszus, Mazemaster
Technically doesn't fit the criteria, but Oszus just turned out to be so quotable.
"I think me going Bang bang bang I win is pretty intuitive"
I'll be "that guy" and build mazes around an expansion of our prior examples . I think the question is, how to make it such that a mechanic like that isn't too narrow, and could justify a keyword//ability word?
Disorient is a keyword action, similar to "proliferate" or "tap." Only an attacking or blocking creature can be disoriented. A creature that gets disoriented is removed from combat. Additionally, disorienting a blocking creature will cause creatures it was blocking to become unblocked (provided they meet all necessary other conditions). Creatures removed from combat deal and receive no combat damage.
Most Mazes disorient creatures. A couple of the most powerful Mazes can be even more dangerous to those that attempt to traverse their winding corriders.
Sunhome Labyrinth Land -- Maze If Sunhome Labyrinth would enter the battlefield, sacrifice a creature instead. If you do, put Sunhome Labyrinth onto the battlefield. If you don't, put it into its owner's graveyard. : Add or to your mana pool. , : Disorient target blocking creature. (It deals and receives no combat damage, and it stops being a blocking creature. Creatures it was blocking that hadn't become blocked by another creature this combat become unblocked.)
How Mazes fit into Gatecrash In Gatecrash, it's discovered that ancient subterranian mazes spanning across all the guilds exist beneath the surface of Ravnica. There is a cycle of 10 Mazes, each depicting the winding depths leading to the heart of Ravnica. Additionally, there are three other Mazes; one maze representing the adjoinment of each of the 10, and another representing the final heart of the maze, where the two surviving guild champions face the champion of the guildless -- an enigma who entered into the labyrinth from the 13th Maze, an entry that had heretofore been shrouded in complete secrecy.
It is discovered that the most powerful of the guildless represent wedges of colors, and destruction of the guilds is their entire goal. The Engine of the Guildpact, an artifact that has ensured the balance of psyche over the face of Ravnica exists at the heart of the maze; an artifact that the guildless wish to destroy.
--Bonus--
Mazemancer, Champion of the Guildless | Legendary Creature -- Illusion Wizard Protection from Mazes Whenever another creature becomes disoriented, you may discard a card. If you do, draw a card and Mazemancer deals 2 damage to target creature or player. "On our own? No. It was the dragon who sent me here." 1/1
mazes, eh... ai jah i've gotta assume that if Maze were to become a thing, Nimbus Maze from future sight would be the direction they'd go -- i LOVE when then bring up a future sight card and follow through.. and Nimbus Maze wouldn't be a bad way to go
anyway; for even older throw backs in how i'd handle Maze as a subtype, gonna look at Maze of Ith and Maze of Shadows so, would go with something along the lines of Maze lands being protectors most direct way to do that: pseudo-man-lands:
Rules: "Maze" is a land type; Mazes may be assigned as blockers as long as they are untapped. Mazes are not creatures; they do not have power and toughness; they cannot be targetted by spells that target only creatures. Mazes cannot receive lethal damage. Mazes may be targetted by spells and abilities that target only lands. If a Maze is assigned to block a creature with trample, that creature's controller may have it assign no damage to the Maze and all damage to defending player.
There would be cards to interact specifically with Mazes. Many mazes would have special blocking abilities. Depending on their utility, they may have a draw back. Red would likely not have any direct Mazes, but would have the most creatures that care about Mazes.
Sylvan Maze Land - Maze Sylvan Maze enters the battlefield tapped. Reach : Add to your mana pool.
Bloody Maze Land - Maze : Add to your mana pool. Whenever Bloody Maze blocks a creature, you lose 1 life.
Sunken Maze Land - Maze Sunken Maze enters the battlefield tapped. Sunken Maze can black creatures with landwalk as though they did not have landwalk. : Add yo your mana pool.
Stone Maze Land - Maze : Add to your mana pool.
Deepwood Maze Land - Maze When Deepwood Maze enters the battlefield, sacrifice it unless you return a creature you control to its owner's hand. Whenever Deepwood Maze blocks a creature with trample, that creature loses trample until end of turn. : Add to your mana pool.
Minotaur Vandal Creature - Minotaur Haste Whenever Minotaur Vandal becomes blocked by a Maze, destroy that Maze. 3/3
Samite Mazemaster Creature - Human Cleric Mazes you control may block an additional creature. 1/1
Goran, Lord of the Mountain Legendary Creature - Dwarf Artificer Lands you control are Mazes in addition to their other types. 3/3
Maze Kraken Creature - Kraken Mazewalk. As long as you control a Maze, Maze Kraken has hexproof. 5/5
Knight of the Maze Creature - Human Knight Vigilance As long as you control a Maze, Knight of the Maze has first strike and is indestructible. 2/2
And:
Mazemancer Creature - Human Wizard Vigilance, trample Mazemancer gets +2/+2 for each Maze you control. Whenever a Maze enters the battlefield under your control, draw a card. 0/2
: Confuse target creature you control. Put a delight counter on ~
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