Card Concept: The Dipper Slug
Custom Cards forum
Posted on April 13, 2015, 10:23 a.m. by KalvinHobbez
So I recently made this card concept in style of overly complicated cards and I wanted to make it look legitimately old and I actually do like the concept that this card has become. For 9 mana I feel like he's almost overcosted, but he sure as hell can get you mana ramped by the time he gets onto the field. Now because this old card would be confusing as hell, here's a modernized form of him that I tried to condense what he did.
So any thoughts on how to specifically reword it to be as condensed as possible? I want to keep him as is because I just enjoy his concept. The pseudo-mana burn ability feels interesting because it references to the old rule. So yeah, thoughts?
KalvinHobbez says... #3
Yeah thats the same guy, guess going for an old styled mechanic made something interesting to me. Also at 9 mana I think in EDH he has a justifiable ability. I mean at 9 mana most annoying decks can get infinite mana so I feel like he'd be alright.
April 13, 2015 10:29 a.m.
alexthegreat38 says... #4
I'll have a go at the proper wording:
"During your turn, you may tap any number of lands you don't control. For each land that becomes tapped this way, add one mana of any type that land could produce to your mana pool.
Pay 2 life: You may play an activated ability of target land you don't control this turn.
Whenever mana empties from an opponent's mana pool, The Dipper Slug deals 2 damage to that opponent for each mana that empties."
Alternatively, if you wanted to make it simpler (which for some reason I get the feeling you don't :P) you could just word the first ability like this:
"At the beginning of your upkeep, gain control of all untapped lands you don't control."
April 13, 2015 10:41 a.m.
even for 9 mana, paying life in edh to tap your opponent out each turn is really really broken. I'd add a clause that makes it so you can't gain life or something...
April 13, 2015 10:59 a.m.
ignore that. I was being super dumb. It's crazy powerful mana ramp and if all else fails it basically says deal 2 damage to that player for each land they control, every turn.
April 13, 2015 11:01 a.m.
i feel like the templating might be easier and clearer if you simplified the effect. Why don't you just have it steal all basic lands from target player at the end of that player's turn.
"At the beginning of your untap step, you gain control of all basic lands target opponent controls until end of turn."
I mean this avoid some of the complexity while also making it less oppressive.
April 13, 2015 11:10 a.m.
KalvinHobbez says... #8
Yeah I had to reword it with the whole tap out an opponent every turn, that was an issue heh. I feel like just gaining control wouldn't let the mana burn effect be a part of it. I feel like the way it is now stays true to how older cards were, doing odd effects that modern day Magic can't exactly word right. Also with gaining control of lands couldn't you just flicker the lands and take all the lands of an opponent?
April 13, 2015 12:02 p.m.
BlueEyesRedMage says... #9
If you want the "mana burn" effect to stay in there, why not try something like "At the beginning of your end step, if mana produced by lands you control but don't own would empty from your mana pool, The Dipper Slug deal 2 damage to that player for each mana that would empty."
April 13, 2015 1:17 p.m.
I think this would be more balanced if the "mana burn" effect applied to you as well, don't you?
Also modern templating supports the word "mana pool" (see: Kruphix, God of Horizons), so the effect could read like this: "Whenever unused mana empties out of an opponent's mana pool, CARDNAME deals two damage to them."
April 14, 2015 6:07 a.m.
KalvinHobbez says... #11
Well for such a high cost and in land heavy colors I felt like opponents only would have been interesting. I can maybe make an actual smaller version of Dipper Slug that is just the mana burn effect possibly. I like the land control thing but I guess it was mainly to let the card feel old in style. Also a 9 mana 5/5 slug didn't make much sense either, so I guess this version can make more sense. Also made him Gruul in colors because he made more sense that way. Lands + Burn.
April 14, 2015 6:24 a.m.
KalvinHobbez says... #12
Also with the Kruphix wording, he states that as a plural for any amount of mana. I think I need to state 2 damage per mana emptied or else it's a trigger ability for just any number of mana to equal 2 damage.
Also note to self...slug is actually a creature type...slugs are not insects...
April 14, 2015 6:29 a.m.
For the record, I really like the "tap other people's lands" ability and think it fits very nicely with a "mana burn" effect, but I think the biggest hurdle it would need to jump over to not be broken would be making not just immediately destroy control strategies. Because right now you can just float all of your opponent's mana during your main phase to turn this into a one sided City of Solitude.
April 14, 2015 6:37 a.m.
KalvinHobbez says... #14
Well in style of how red and green have hated on blue in the past that'd make a good design choice for him. I mean cards like War's Toll kinda does the same thing in a way. Tap your lands either for a counter or something on your turn. Maybe you pay life to tap lands that opponents control or something? With the low costed version he is now it can make sense to add on that kind of a draw back.
Also another thing that I found genius about mana burn and the Dipper Slug...Feral Hydra. You can waste your mana on him and opponents might have no choice BUT to buff him up!
FAMOUSWATERMELON says... #2
That's the card you put up in the Overcomplicated thread, right? Still love it! Though really powerful, especially in EDH.
April 13, 2015 10:27 a.m.