Interesting custom land questions (probably not novel)
Custom Cards forum
Posted on Dec. 21, 2014, 8:02 p.m. by MagicalHacker
What downside(s) would balance a land with all five basic land types that comes into play untapped? (Yes I know that having all five land types would make it fetchable, that's on purpose.)
What about a cycle of ten lands that are three types instead of five? This would make legendary not as useful as a downside, but they would have two less types. Worth it?
What about a land that had text similar to Chromatic Lantern and also came in untapped and could produce mana. I thought lifeloss and production of only colorless mana with the Lantern text for other lands would be enough if this land was legendary. What do you think?
Lastly, which land idea is more worth effort balancing?
PhyrexianScience says... #3
Maybe when the 5-colour land enters, you must sacrifice an appropriate number of other lands? Two, maybe three?
As for the tri-colours, you could make them similar to Murmuring Bosk where it has one basic land type and the ability to tap for two other colours with the one damage.
As for the Lantern-style land, we could pull an Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth that only works on other lands that only you control (lacking the ability to tap for any mana), but I think that would be OP.
I like the tri-colour land idea the best.
December 21, 2014 8:32 p.m.
MagicalHacker says... #4
VampireArmy, I like that, but I think that forcing lifeloss for the original abilities is too harsh of a requirement... What about one ability: "Tap an untapped land you control, Pay 1 life: Add one mana of any color to your mana pool." Basically, all lands get Mana Confluence'd.
December 21, 2014 8:33 p.m.
VampireArmy says... #5
Urborg can tap though since it makes itself a swamp
December 21, 2014 8:37 p.m.
MagicalHacker says... #6
I think that sacrificing other lands defeats the point of the land itself. I don't think anyone wants a worse Lotus Vale.
I feel like Murmuring Bosk may become a cycle, maybe even for return to lorwyn/shadowmoor, especially with the new block structure, so that I will leave separate. Besides, I want to try to find ways to have three land types! :D
Yeah this was my idea:
Zhekia, Feared Paradise
Legendary Land
Tap another untapped land you control: Add one mana of any color to your mana pool.
, Pay 2 life: Add 
to your mana pool.
It still seems borderline broken to me.
December 21, 2014 8:43 p.m.
PhyrexianScience says... #7
VampireArmy, I realise that, and admittedly that sentence was worded very oddly. What I meant was that the land should read something like "Other lands you control are all basic land types." This prevents the land from having the ability to tap for mana unlike Urborg.
MagicalHacker, I like the Mana Confluence thing.
December 21, 2014 8:46 p.m.
MagicalHacker says... #8
I think the mana confluence thing is less broken than the above card too, so I'll scrap the above idea but recycle the name.
Zhekia, Feared Paradise
Legendary Land
Tap an untapped land you control, Pay 1 life: Add one mana of any color to your mana pool.
Should I change it so that all lands get Mana Confluence-ified? That'd reduce the power level even more, since it helps your opponents too, right?
December 21, 2014 8:58 p.m.
VampireArmy says... #9
I think it would hurt your opponent more than help to confluence their lands because now they have to pay life to tap lands. That matters in formats like legacy. What if it confluenced yours and put counters upon entering on all your opponents land at the time that allowed those specific lands to just tap for all colors. The counters would remove upon leaving battlefield of course. Perhaps give it shroud to prevent flicker bs?
December 21, 2014 9:09 p.m.
VampireArmy says... #10
Something like
Shimmervale Isle
Legendary Land
Shimmervale Isle is all land types
When Shimmervale Isle enters the battlefield put a mist counter on each of your opponents lands. Those lands gain "Tap : add one mana of any mana to your mana pool"
Lands you control have "pay 1 life, add one mana of any color to your mana pool"
Took out shroud because it was too wordy. Maybe that bslances it a bit?
December 21, 2014 10:59 p.m.
MagicalHacker says... #11
Well the lands can still tap for whatever they tap for normally. It's not a Manabarbs on a land xD
To elaborate, if my opponent had 2 Islands, a Steam Vents, and a Scalding Tarn, they could still tap them for 
/
without loss of life/fetch, but now they all have an additional ability that is Mana Confluence. They have their old abilities PLUS the new one.
With the clarification, is your opinion the same?
December 21, 2014 11:51 p.m.
MagicalHacker says... #12
This is it specifically:
Zhekia, Feated Paradise
Legendary Land
Lands have ", Pay 1 life: Add one mana of any color to your mana pool."
December 21, 2014 11:54 p.m.
What about this: "Lands are all basic land types. Whenever a player taps a land for mana, that player loses 1 life."
December 24, 2014 10:14 a.m.
MagicalHacker says... #15
That second part isnt a downside, its a free Manabarbs. It wouldn't be wise to make a and around it unless that was the focus...
For making all lands all basic land types, you would have to use a downside more than it being for you and your opponent. Granted, that is a step in the right direction, but far from done.
VampireArmy says... #2
Maybe have it turn all your lands into City of Brass? (In text)
December 21, 2014 8:27 p.m.